Fantastic Voyage (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Fantastic Voyage is an American
animated science fiction
TV series based on the famous 1966 film
directed by Richard Fleischer
. The series consists of 17 episodes each running 30 minutes. It was run on ABC-TV
from September 14, 1968 through January 4, 1969. The series was produced by Filmation
Associates in association with 20th Century Fox
. It was later shown in reruns on Sci Fi Channel
's Cartoon Quest
.
The complete series was released as a 3-disc DVD
set in the United Kingdom by Revelation Films on November 21, 2011.
The main characters were Commander Jonathan Kidd; biologist Erica Lane; scientist Busby Birdwell; and a "master of mysterious powers" known as Guru. The team was reduced in size—for 12 hours only—and traveled around in a microscopic flying submarine, the Voyager, doing battle against the unseen, unsuspecting enemies of the free world (both criminal and germinal matter). The series featured the voices of Marvin Miller
, Jane Webb, and Ted Knight
. The producers were Lou Scheimer
and Norm Prescott
, the director was Hal Sutherland
, and the music was provided by Gordon Zahler.
Changes from the film, aside from the ship's crew, include the duration of miniaturization (60 minutes in the film) and the acronym (here D is "Defense", there it is "Deterrent").
developed a plastic model of the Voyager, releasing it only months before the series cancellation was announced. Due to the short run of the show, this kit received only one press run, and as a result is one of the rarest kits to find of the Aurora line. A contributing factor to this scarcity is that most of the kits were bought for use as toys (by fans of the show) rather than as static display or collectors' items, thus were lost, broken or disposed of long before they became "collectables."
Unbuilt, in-box kits have been sold on eBay
for prices between $300–700 USD. Assembled and partially-assembled models in varied conditions from "acceptable" to "well-worn" have been sold for over $100, depending on condition.
Polar Lights, a company which owned the rights to re-produce the kit, passed on re-releasing the subject. Company director Dave Metzner stated that they had to produce much more in-demand subjects in order to be able to afford even considering the production of such niche products.
However, Moebius Models has retooled from an original kit, and gone into production on a reproduction Voyager kit (including the original distinctive delta-shaped stand used for Aurora aircraft models).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
animated science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
TV series based on the famous 1966 film
Fantastic Voyage
Fantastic Voyage is a 1966 science fiction film written by Harry Kleiner, based on a story by Otto Klement and Jerome Bixby.Bantam Books obtained the rights for a paperback novelization based on the screenplay and approached Isaac Asimov to write it....
directed by Richard Fleischer
Richard Fleischer
-Early life:Fleischer was born in Brooklyn, the son of Essie and animator/producer Max Fleischer. He started in motion pictures as director of animated shorts produced by his father including entries in the Betty Boop, Popeye and Superman series.His live-action film career began in 1942 at the RKO...
. The series consists of 17 episodes each running 30 minutes. It was run on ABC-TV
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
from September 14, 1968 through January 4, 1969. The series was produced by Filmation
Filmation
Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live action programming for television during the latter half of the 20th century. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1963...
Associates in association with 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
. It was later shown in reruns on Sci Fi Channel
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
's Cartoon Quest
Cartoon Quest
Cartoon Quest was the name of a block of animated television shows that aired on the Sci Fi Channel starting in 1992. Similar to USA's Cartoon Express, it featured newly picked-up shows and dropped off alternatively with each season...
.
The complete series was released as a 3-disc DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
set in the United Kingdom by Revelation Films on November 21, 2011.
Premise
Fantastic Voyage is the story of the C.M.D.F. (Combined Miniature Defense Force), a secret United States government organization which possessed the ability to reduce people to microscopic size.The main characters were Commander Jonathan Kidd; biologist Erica Lane; scientist Busby Birdwell; and a "master of mysterious powers" known as Guru. The team was reduced in size—for 12 hours only—and traveled around in a microscopic flying submarine, the Voyager, doing battle against the unseen, unsuspecting enemies of the free world (both criminal and germinal matter). The series featured the voices of Marvin Miller
Marvin Miller (actor)
Marvin Elliott Miller was an American film and voice-over actor. Possessing a deep, baritone voice, he began his career in radio in St. Louis, Missouri before becoming a Hollywood actor...
, Jane Webb, and Ted Knight
Ted Knight
Ted Knight was an American actor best known for playing the comedic role of Ted Baxter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Henry Rush on Too Close for Comfort, and Judge Elihu Smails in Caddyshack.- Early years :...
. The producers were Lou Scheimer
Lou Scheimer
Louis Scheimer is an Emmy and Grammy Award–winning American producer, one of the original founders of Filmation, an animation company, and also an executive producer of many of its cartoons .-Career:Early in Filmation's history, Scheimer also contributed...
and Norm Prescott
Norm Prescott
Norman "Norm" Prescott was co-founder and executive producer at Filmation Studios. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he began his radio career in the Hub, becoming program director at station WORL in the late 1940s. He went to work for Joseph E. Levine's Embassy Pictures Corp. in 1959, serving as...
, the director was Hal Sutherland
Hal Sutherland
Hal Sutherland was an animator who became a director of animated productions at Filmation in the late 1960s.Sutherland had a hand in a large number of Filmation's limited animation productions which were broadcast as Saturday morning cartoons....
, and the music was provided by Gordon Zahler.
Changes from the film, aside from the ship's crew, include the duration of miniaturization (60 minutes in the film) and the acronym (here D is "Defense", there it is "Deterrent").
Opening narration
Headquarters: CMDF, Combined Miniature Defense Force. Project: Fantastic Voyage. Process: Miniaturization. Authority: Top Secret, highest clearance. Team: Jonathan Kidd, Commander. Guru, master of mysterious powers. Erica Lane, doctor/biologist. Busby Birdwell, scientist/inventor, builder of the Voyager. Mission: In their miniaturized form, to combat the unseen, unsuspected enemies of freedom. Time Limit: 12 hours.
Voyager model
While the series was in production, Aurora Model CompanyAurora Plastics Corporation
The Aurora Plastics Corporation is a U.S. toy and hobby manufacturing and marketing company. It is known primarily for its production of plastic model kits in the 1960s.-History:Aurora Plastics Corporation was founded in March, 1950 by engineer Joseph E...
developed a plastic model of the Voyager, releasing it only months before the series cancellation was announced. Due to the short run of the show, this kit received only one press run, and as a result is one of the rarest kits to find of the Aurora line. A contributing factor to this scarcity is that most of the kits were bought for use as toys (by fans of the show) rather than as static display or collectors' items, thus were lost, broken or disposed of long before they became "collectables."
Unbuilt, in-box kits have been sold on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
for prices between $300–700 USD. Assembled and partially-assembled models in varied conditions from "acceptable" to "well-worn" have been sold for over $100, depending on condition.
Polar Lights, a company which owned the rights to re-produce the kit, passed on re-releasing the subject. Company director Dave Metzner stated that they had to produce much more in-demand subjects in order to be able to afford even considering the production of such niche products.
However, Moebius Models has retooled from an original kit, and gone into production on a reproduction Voyager kit (including the original distinctive delta-shaped stand used for Aurora aircraft models).
Episode list
| # | Title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Gathering of the Team" | September 14, 1968 |
| 2 | "The Menace from Space" | September 21, 1968 |
| 3 | "The Magic Crystal of Kabala" | September 28, 1968 |
| 4 | "The Atomic Invaders" | October 5, 1968 |
| 5 | "The Master Spy" | October 12, 1968 |
| 6 | "The Mind of the Master" | October 19, 1968 |
| 7 | "Gone Today, Here Tomorrow" | October 26, 1968 |
| 8 | "The Day the Food Disappeared" | November 2, 1968 |
| 9 | "Revenge of the Spy" | November 9, 1968 |
| 10 | "The Hobby House" | November 16, 1968 |
| 11 | "The Spy Satellite" | November 23, 1968 |
| 12 | "First Men on the Moon" | November 30, 1968 |
| 13 | "The Great Busby" | December 7, 1968 |
| 14 | "The Barnacle Bombs" | December 14, 1968 |
| 15 | "The Perfect Crime" | December 21, 1968 |
| 16 | "The World's Fair Affair" | December 28, 1968 |
| 17 | "The Most Dangerous Game" | January 4, 1969 |