Irwin Allen's Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea Volume 1: The Authorized Biography of a Classic Sci-Fi Series

Irwin Allen’s Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Volume One documents the creation and production of the most challenging TV series up to its time. Voyage was distinctive due to its recurring cast, special-effects-driven action, futuristic sets, and expensive miniature photography. The show elevated the TV science-fiction genre and demonstrated what could be accomplished on a TV budget, within a tight production schedule, while appealing to a mass audience. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea set the stage for the success of Allen’s Lost in Space and The Time Tunnel, as well as Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek. Here also is the rags-to-riches story of Irwin Allen, from his tenement upbringing in the Bronx to his later incarnations in Hollywood. Allen was an entertainment journalist, radio and television host, and literary agent – all before becoming a successful Academy Award-winning motion-picture producer and director. Irwin Allen’s Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Volume One makes you a witness in the production offices, writers’ conferences, and on the soundstages. You’ll become immersed in the making of the Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea 1961 feature film and 1964-68 television series. Included are hundreds of memos among Allen, his staff, and the network; production schedules; budgets; TV ratings; and more than 300 photos, many never shared with the public before.