The Time Tunnel

The Time Tunnel (1966–1967) was a science fiction television show created by Irwin Allen and starring James Darren, Robert Colbert, Lee Meriwether, Whit Bissell, and John Zaremba. It dealt with the idea of time travel.

Season One

Rendezvous With Yesterday

[Althea Hall,(played by British actress Susan Hampshire) a young woman Tony met on the Titanic, refuses to save herself when the ship is sinking.]

Tony: Althea, what are you doing? The ship is sinking!

Althea: It doesn't matter for me.

[ship rumbles and both are knocked off balance]

Tony: Althea! [tugs her hand]

Althea [tears away from his grasp]: Tony, you don't understand! I’ve no right to take a place on one of those lifeboats. I’m not a rich girl on holiday; I’m just an ordinary schoolteacher. I spent the last penny of my savings for this trip.

Tony: What difference does that make?

Althea: The difference is I’m going to die soon anyway.

Tony : What are you talking about?

Althea: I’m… ill. There’s a… growth inside my head. It’s just a matter of months.

Tony [sits down]: Are you sure?

Althea: My doctor in London is sure. He said there’s a doctor in New York who’s working on a new type of brain operation. It’s called… neurosurgery, I think. But it’s just a matter of months. There’s really no hope.

Tony: Of course there is. Neurosurgery is not a fad and it’s not hopeless. Althea, some brain operations have become as commonplace as taking out tonsils.

Althea: Become?

Tony: Althea, you’ll just have to trust me. The chances that you can be helped are probably much better than you think.

Althea [smiles]: You're a doctor too?

Tony: No, I am not a doctor and you've no right to play God.

Althea [defensively]: I'm not even attempting to play God.

Tony: You’re deciding when it’s time for you to live or die. You don’t have that right.

Althea: And you are asking me to believe in miracles.

Tony: I’m asking you to believe in life, not death. [pause] Althea, please, believe in me. [Althea looks at him and silently agrees; she grabs her coat off the back of the piano and they take off]

Cast

• James Darren - Dr. Anthony "Tony" Newman
• Robert Colbert - Dr. Douglas "Doug" Phillips
• Lee Meriwether - Dr. Ann MacGregor
• Whit Bissell - General Heywood "Woody" Kirk
• John Zaremba - Dr. Raymond "Ray" Swain