Time Tunnel 2002

[Quest]

Markus recently mentioned at Fantasy the 1967 Irwin Allen series The Time Tunnel. That show was about two American scientists, Douglas Phillips and Tony Newman who ended up being sent from time period to time period as part of a project gone wrong called The Time Tunnel.
However, in 2002 the Fox network financed a pilot remake of the show. In this version it's Doug Phillips and Toni Newman (yes, the James Darren part was transformed into a woman scientist). I found this description of the unsold pilot on IMDB

By some miracle I have managed to obtain a copy of this film. While it is rough around the edges, as most pilots are, it has alot of potential. With additional character development and some good stories written by strong writers this pilot could have evolved into a very good series had it been given the chance. While this film bears little resemblence to the Irwin Allen series of the 60s, other that the brief hint of the original theme at the beginning, this contemporary version is well worth a look to scifi and time travel fans. I enjoyed it very much and it's a nice addition to my video archives.

And the cast



Full Cast and Crew for
The Time Tunnel (2002) (TV)

Directed by
Todd Holland

Cast (in credits order)
David Conrad .... Doug Phillips
Dion Luther .... Jess Lee
Andrea Roth .... Toni Newman
Tawny Cypress .... J.D.
Kavan Smith .... Flynn
Tracy Middendorf .... Sheila Phillips
Jake D. Smith .... Lewis Phillips
Keely Purvis .... Abbie Phillips
Troy Adamson .... German corporal #2
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Daingerfield .... German corporal #1
Neil Grayston .... The monk
Adrian Hough .... German sergeant
Bob Koherr


It sounds as if this pilot was in part set in World War II since it featured German soldiers. It also lists it as running two hours long. Surprising Fox never aired it as a TV movie.

[Quest]

OK I've actually seen this pilot now. Quite different than the original series.
Douglas Phillips works for the Department of Energy in the 2002 remake. He's recruited by an old friend to help with a special project. There he meets Dr. Toni Newman, a scientist. Newman was trying to develop hot fusion. The project, located deep underground, ended up tearing a hole into the fabric of time. She and her co-workers were able to seal the hole, called a time storm, but the storm continued to travel backwards into time.
The end result was this time storm kept changing events in history. For the four hours that the tear in time was open history on earth was changed incredibly. This event was dubbed the 240 by the team at the project. The people above the project were unaware of the changes, but everyone located at the project down below knew the original history. For instance, as far as Phillips knew the US only had 49 states. The state of New Jersey never existed. Other changes also occured, and kept occuring.
The project developed a tunnel using the hot fusion technology that could send selected people back into time, to set history back onto course.
Phillips was recruited because of his knowledge of a specific WW II battle. The time storm has hit that point in time and altered it. A boy from the 1500's has been sent to that point in time and his presence is changing things. So Phillips, Newman, and a few others are sent back by the Time Tunnel to keep that battle on course. A complication arises when mission control discovers that Phillips grandfather was killed in that battle. Phillips is tempted to change events and prevent his grandfather from dying. However, the rest of the team convinces him not to interfere.
The team finds the boy, who was a monk. Turns out the boy was carrying the plauge, a good reason why his presence would alter history so greatly. The team ends up not only having to inoculate the teenaged monk but also various Nazi soldiers.
The pilot ends with Phillip learning the truth about his own history: the 240 gave him his wife and his children. Before he he was a loner without anyone.
The team returns home but Phillips realizes that if the Time Tunnel continues their work he could end up losing his family.
Quite different indeed from the original show.

[jabberwocky]

Yeah, it is quite different. I only found out about the show late last night so I'm going to have to keep an eye out for it.

[Quest]

If you have access to FTP file transfer I can get it to you.

[jabberwocky]

At this time I don't. I'm borrowing a neigbours wireless network at this time, and at school they have just about every port closed on their public network, and the Student network is not reliable. There is three wireless networks and they have a habit of conflicting and they cancel each other out.

[Quest]

OK. If I can ever get the file to you let me know.

[jabberwocky]

Will do.

[LadyTass2001]

I had never heard of this one but now that I have I wish I had seen it, sounds really good.