User Reviews

Before my uncle really fell ill from cancerous tumors, we had a chance to watch a marathon of the classic sci-fi series, "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" based on the '61 film starring Walter Pigeon, however they were episodes from the fourth season, not of the same quality (or even remotely close to the same quality) as the earlier seasons. "Eleven Days to Zero" marks an excellent opener, quite a suspenseful plot involving a potential catastrophic "polar earthquake" which could cause global destruction and "the enemy", a mysterious adversary obviously representing the Commie threat who want to stop the heroic plans of Admiral Nelson (Richard Basehart) and his super-submarine, Seaview, from perhaps preventing the dangers toward humankind. David Hedison is "loaned out" by the Navy to be Nelson's "second in command", Captain Crane, replacing a murdered officer when an attack from enemy agents in a helicopter nearly kill the Admiral before he was to meet with a counsel who would determine what course of action would be necessary in addressing the catastrophe certain to develop giant tidal waves in eleven days if nothing is done. Nelson's plan, to detonate a nuclear bomb which would stop the tidal waves from developing at all, the Seaview on a mission to reach the North Pole in order to deliver the payload and set it off. The episode shows how the enemy sends out a drone plane with death charges and missiles with the ultimate goal of destroying the Seaview before it can even reach the North Pole. Eddie Albert guest stars as Fred Wilson, an experienced diver and the man who knows how to detonate the bomb, in charge of making sure the mission is a success. Sure Crane and Wilson butt heads—both are head-strong and sure of themselves—but they will have to work together (and eventually rescue each other from possible crises situations such as an attack from a giant octopus while diving to secure a detached sonar mast which was separated from the Seaview during the drone plane death charges attack, and a missile attack which causes large chunks of ice to nearly disrupt the detonation of the bomb at the North Pole) in order to achieve success. I prefer the Cold War subtexts of this season and the sub-adventures stories before they become too campy and child-friendly in later seasons. Some of the later monsters that would pop up during the series were a bit too over-the-top and silly, including some moronic plots which, I imagine, had the great cast of character actors in this amazing ensemble having to act their hearts out in order to make in through these episodes without embarrassment. This episode (certainly when you notice how they shadow the face of the evil leader of the adversarial enemy and present his futuristic lair) seems right out of a James Bond movie.

In 1961, Irwin Allen directed and co-wrote 'Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea', a sci-fi thriller in which the crew of a futuristic submarine called 'Seaview' race against the clock to prevent global destruction. Starring Walter Pidgeon as the sub's creator 'Admiral Harriman Nelson' and Robert Sterling as 'Captain Lee Crane', it was a big hit. Rather than make a sequel, though, Irwin opted for a spin-off television series. Richard Basehart replaced Pidgeon as 'Nelson', with David Hedison ( who had turned down the role in the movie ) as 'Crane'. Only one actor from the original made it into the series - Del Monroe - whose character's name was altered from 'Kowski' to 'Kowalski'.

The pilot - 'Eleven Days To Zero' - is a pretty effective opener. After a brief explanation of the Seaview's capabilities, we see Nelson and Captain John Phillips ( Bill Hudson ) attacked by an enemy helicopter en route to a secret meeting in Washington. Phillips is killed, but Nelson survives. At the meeting, the Chairman ( Booth Colman, later to play 'Dr.Zaius' in the T.V. version of 'Planet Of The Apes' ) informs everyone that, in eleven days' time, a pair of earthquakes at the North Pole will result in a colossal tidal wave destroying both the British Isles and the American coast. Nelson has devised a plan entitled 'Operation: Counterforce'. He intends detonating a nuclear device at the North Pole at the time of the second earthquake, negating the tidal wave. He receives official approval for the plan, but the room has been bugged. Listening in is Dr.Gamma ( Theo Marcuse ), the head of a mysterious organisation bent on world domination, and he plans on stopping the Seaview from carrying out its objective, hoping to use the catastrophe as a cover to seize power...

This is basically a scaled-down remake of the film's plot. Some of the action sequences ( divers repairing the sonar mast, and the submarine chase ) are lifted directly from the movie. There are some new scenes, such as the opening helicopter ambush ( which would itself be reused in Season 2's 'The X Factor' ), and the depth charge attack.

As 'Nelson', Basehart brings a quiet dignity to the role, investing it with far more warmth than Pidgeon. Likewise Hedison's 'Crane'; is an improvement over Stirling's. Crane furtively boards the Seaview to test its security, and the crew mistake him for a spy. They dislike him at first, but that changes by the end. Eddie Albert, though, is rather wasted as a seismologist. I had hoped he might turn out to be working for Dr.Gamma. Speaking of the latter, he was clearly inspired by the villains from the James Bond films ( two had been released at this point ). Allen intended that he be a recurring villain, but the network vetoed the plan. He has, however, reappeared in Gold Key's comics and fan fiction stories.

Though broadcast in monochrome, a colour version of the pilot exists ( and beautiful it looks too ), and is included on the Season 4 Volume 1 D.V.D.