episode #02 - One Way to the Moon

episode #2 / Air Date: 9.16.66
written by William Welch / Directed by Harry Harris

Doug and Tony find themselves on a "M.E.M." rocket, which stands for the first manned flight to Mars. This is 10 years in the future, meaning 1978. There are 4 astronauts aboard, led by Capt. Kane (Larry Ward); but, Doug & Tony make 6, meaning added weight; meaning, their sudden appearance as stowaways throws a lot of things off. The ship is then supposed to make a pit-stop on the moon, then head to Mars.

This episode, due to taking place in a future - not the usual past - sets up an interesting plot twist and potential time paradox: one of the astronauts (James Callahan) advocates jettisoning the 2 newcomers immediately; this astronaut also appears as his earlier self, as an officer visiting the Time Tunnel complex in 1968. If he were to see enough of his future self to affect his present or future actions - but he doesn't. There's as much action in the Time Tunnel complex as there is in the other time frame in this episode.

The big deal to sf film fans in this episode is the use of the same spacesuits we've seen in the famous 1950 film Destination Moon. Of course, the early depiction of the moon's surface in that film was way off and some of those scenes are transferred to this episode at a time when they should have known better. I guess they couldn't pass up the chance to use such footage. BoG's Score: 7 out of 10

Epilogue: Doug and Tony land inside a deep mine where things are falling apart...


Time Tunnel Trivia: Star Trek TOS actor alert - Warren Stevens plays one of the astronauts; he played an alien in By Any Other Name; he's even more famous for playing another astronaut in Forbidden Planet (1956)