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Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea Season Two Volume One
01/06/2008 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
region 1. pub: 20th Century Fox B000GUJZ0U. 3 double-sided DVDs 665 minutes 13 * 50 minute colour episodes plus extras. Price: $29.98 (US)) stars: Richard Basehart and David Hedison . Buy Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea Season Two in the USA - or Buy Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea Season Two in the UK  check out www.foxtvdvd.com
With the second season of 'Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea' there were some major overhauls. Not only was the series now in colour but there were only twenty-six episodes to a season. Nothing wrong with that. An effects heavy show such as this even back in the mid-60s had to work to curb costs. Strangely enough, though, rather than rely on the prop from the original film, serious modifications were made which ultimately meant a lot of fresh effects footage even if some of it was repeated over the series was still fun to watch.
The Seaview's front was drastically altered. Instead of two rows of windows in the observation deck there was now just the one, with the bottom half to conceal a hanger for the Flying Sub. Crash doors were also added to the Seaview to stop mishaps when attacked from the front and no doubt reduced expensive effects by not having to show them through the viewing port. Mind you, in those less than unquestioning age, no on questioned that the ocean floor might be dark or that the Seaview's main light wouldn't penetrate more than a couple feet.
At one hundred and twenty feet long, it was obvious the Seaview couldn't get anywhere fast and there was a need for extra mobility. This orange oyster-shaped Flying Sub was the result. Although a little wobbly taking off out of the sea, everything else would have you believing it was a full-size hybrid submarine-cum-aircraft. In essence, I suspect it was also every boy's dream watching it originally to want to fly in one. Mind you, no one really explained how it could land on an aircraft carrier's deck with no landing gear but why complain about one little detail. It was also a good thing Nelson had a spare as the first one was lost in the third episode, '...And Five Of Us Are Left.'
Other modifications like videophones were added to show this was a very futuristic 1978 even if they were half a century rather than a decade early with the idea. The Seaview still held strong connections to the United States Navy helping out when requested. Scriptwriters William Read Woodfield and Allan Balter's episode 'Time Bomb' even did a 'Mission: Impossible' type story a year earlier than that actual series came out where their work is rather more well-known. It was still a home from home with actors George Takei and Roger C. Carmel cropping up long before a certain 'Star Trek' series took to its five year mission.
One thing that was definitely missing from the first season was the female element and this season took more trouble to include them in the guest-cast whether it was Nelson's aides back at his Institute, femme fatales, girl-friends or scientists...not necessarily in that order. There was also new petty officer on board in the shape of Chief Sharkey (actor Terry Becker), after the untimely death of actor Henry Kulky who played Chief Curley Jones, who was also used to provide some comic relief. The non-commissioned crew now wear the more familiar jump-suits than navy attire.
At this time, there was still a mixture of espionage-based stories with more Science Fiction orientated ones. Reading behind the lines here, America and Russia got on fairly well and it's the Orient which potentially caused the biggest problems outside of the more ambitious scientists who wanted to take over the world. Looking back now, I do wonder why someone such as Harriman Nelson (actor Richard Basehart) never had such ideas above his station or even persuaded by others he thought of as friends to take such actions. No doubt seeing how their egos played, it was a course he'd rather not take. There always had to be one with desire to rule so it was a good thing Nelson was on our side.
Picking out favourites from these episodes is difficult. 'Jonah And The Whale' gave another opportunity to use the whale prop from the film of 'Moby Dick'. The aforementioned '...And Five Of Us Are Left' a memorable with dignity look at submarine survivors trapped after WW2 which I could still remember from the my first time watch from the 60s. 'The Cyborg' was actually about android replacements of various people that pre-dated 'Star Trek's 'What Are Little Girls Made Of'. 'Leviathan' gave the opportunity to use real fish with no scale loss to the props even if how the giant man could still have his clothes grow with him was never explained. The aptly named 'The Monster From Outer Space' had most of the crew controlled by an alien organism brought back from well you know where.
Don't under-estimate the more espionage tales. 'The Deadliest Game' with the US President stuck in an undersea bomb shelter with Captain Lee Crane (actor David Hedison) is very carefully crafted. 'The Left-Handed Man' repeats some events from the Season One pilot episode but with a few different twists.
The main attraction of the extras included with this volume is special effects footage. Granted there is rather too much of the giant man at the beginning but if you go beyond that, there is a lot of footage of the Seaview moving along and a rather sneaky one going in reverse although not the way it was intended in the series which never explained that particular manoeuvre. Obviously, wires are involved but hats off to L.B. Abbott and Howard Lydecker because you can't spot them.
As commented with the first season, it's cheaper to buy the first three seasons together than separately. If you're fed up with the choices around today or want to see something from the past then this is an interesting investment.
GF Willmetts
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