The Fantastic Journey

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The Fantastic Journey was a short-lived 1970s American science fiction television series in 10 episodes that was originally aired on NBC between February 3 and June 17, 1977.

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[edit] Premise

The series concerns a family and their associates who charter a boat out into the Caribbean for a scientific expedition. After an encounter in the area of the Bermuda Triangle with an unnatural green cloud the group find themselves shipwrecked on a mysterious uncharted island from which they are unable to escape.

They encounter Varian (Jared Martin), initially disguised as an Arawak Indian, who transpires to be a 23rd-century pacifist, musician and healer. Varian explains to the travellers that, like many before them including himself, they have been caught in a space/time continuum where people from the past, present, future and from other worlds are trapped, co-existing on the island in a series of timezones. The only way home can be found in a place called "Evoland" which lies "far to the rising sun". (Confusingly, it was indicated in interviews of the time that Evoland was also the name of the island itself.) The only way to travel between timezones is via invisible gateways which instantaneously transport individuals or groups from one zone to another. In one episode "Beyond The Mountain" the group also encounter a second cloud which has much the same effect, but which also splits the group up.

After the initial pilot story, a steady group of travellers forms around Varian as de facto leader, and the series then follows this group as they travel across the many timezones of the island to find Evoland. On their way, they encounter people from different planets and times who are also trapped on the island and who have adapted to their plight in different ways. The pilot initially suggested the historical past would be explored, however the producers of the show rapidly adopted a consistently futuristic tone during the series.

Although airing in a time when the nation's interest in the Bermuda Triangle, UFOs and fantasy was at a height, the show failed to last beyond the 10 episodes. There were several cast changes, with many main characters from the pilot being written out by the first episode of the series proper. By its 10th episode, its ratings had dropped and it was cancelled. The script for an unproduced 11th episode entitled "Romulus" circulates on the Internet. The show continues however to have a small cult following, but has never been released commercially on any format.

The show did have many interesting aspects, and the calibre of actor - both lead and guest - on the show as well as its pedigree of writers and producers, many of whom had worked on programmes such as Star Trek made for entertaining storylines and characterisations. The initial half hour of the pilot is sufficiently serious in tone to bear comparisons with Lost, and actually uses similar devices to disorient the characters (and audience) including unexplained communication difficulties, reference to displaced animals and odd weather patterns. The premise for the show obviously had resonance - the concept was recycled in the 1980s with the short-lived Otherworld and in the 1990s with the substantially more popular Sliders, as well as in a little seen Jeff Speakman film Escape from Atlantis.

[edit] Cast

  • Jared Martin: Varian - "a man from the 23rd century possessing awesome powers" - Varian generally uses a kind of crystalline 'turning fork' device named the Sonic Energizer through which he focuses his thoughts into what is described as a sonic manipulation of matter. The device, one of the most intriguing aspects of the series, is said to be completely useless in anyone else's hands, and seems capable of a huge variety of tasks from opening doors to disrupting electrical systems to large scale acts of destruction, as well as its apparently intended function as a diagnostic and healing device.
  • Ike Eisenmann: Scott Jordan - "the 13-year-old son of a famous scientist". Scott has an excellent knowledge of earth history and events, but is still young and has a lot to learn.
  • Carl Franklin: Dr. Fred Walters - "a young doctor just out of medical school"
  • Katie Saylor: Lianna - "daughter of an Atlantean father and an extraterrestrial mother" - Liana possessed greater than human physical strength (due to her being born on a higher gravity planet than Earth) and telepathic/psionic skills presumably due to her mixed heritage. Saylor left the show after the episode "Turnabout" due to illness.
  • Roddy McDowall: Dr. Jonathan Willaway - "rebel scientist from the 1960s", who has a mastery of computers, robotics, and scientific knowledge which is quite useful to the group.
  • Sil-El: Lianna's companion and pet (a cat she can communicate with telepathically), and sometimes scouts for Lianna (being an extra set of eyes and ears).

[edit] Episode list

Episode Description
Vortex A family disappears into the Bermuda Triangle and becomes trapped on an island where past, present and future co-exist. After meeting 23rd century healer Varian and encountering 16th century privateers, the survivors begin their quest to return to their own time. All the while, they are being observed by a mysterious man from a futuristic city in the desert.

The pilot is markedly different in tone from the subsequent series, but all the key elements are in place. The character of Varian rapidly emerges as the leader. Following its initial broadcast, the pilot was re-edited to delete a subplot concerning a US airman and add scenes to set up the Atlantium plotline for the first episode of the series. A coda to lead directly into the series was also added, which showcases the restructured cast and change in tone. The new footage jars slightly.
Atlantium With many of the original party returned to their own time, Varian, Scott and Fred find themselves caught up in the machinations of a megalomaniacal "brain in a box" called The Source, which has enslaved the inhabitants of the city of Atlantium – referred to as "The Unders" – and intends to use Scott's life force to regenerate itself.

The first episode continues directly from the coda from the pilot, and adds the character of Liana, played by Katie Saylor. Most of the character's telepathic abilities and greater than human strength were largely dropped from subsequent episodes although she is a surprisingly resourceful female character for 1970s SF TV. It is implied but never stated that Atlantium is in fact the lost city of Atlantis. The episode also sets the standard 'Fantastic Journey' plotline – the travelers encounter a culture that has been subverted, and either topple the villain or show the misguided soul the error of their ways.
Beyond the Mountain The travellers are separated by a red cloud which leaves Liana as the 'guest' of Jonathan Willaway, who is the master of a community of robots, and the others trapped in a dark swamp surrounded by green skinned humanoids. However, Willaway's intentions are less than honourable and he has no intention of letting Liana leave, while Fred's medical skills prove invaluable in discovering the truth.

Forming more or less the last part of an opening trilogy, the episode introduces Roddy McDowall's quirky Willaway character, initially misguided but who by the end of the episode has realised his mistake and joins the travellers. There is a nice moment at the end where Varian reveals to Willaway that in the future an award will be made in Willaway's name for scientific discovery to the betterment of mankind. This also implies that Willaway never returns to his own time which – uniquely among the main cast – is something he doesn't necessarily seem to be striving for, rather seemingly being motivated by other reasons which are never really explored.
Children of the Gods The travellers arrive in a new timezone and meet a young boy who has escaped from a community run solely by children.

A very Star Trek-like story written by D.C. Fontana, based in what appears to be some kind of post-apocalyptic society. The city matte paintings are impressive and a nice change from the use of a recognisable LA landmark for the Atlantium cityscape. However one has to wonder, given the established concept of the series, how these large and impressive cities found their way through the Bermuda Triangle.
A Dream of Conquest An alien dictator is planning to invade other timezones and conquer the island.

Notable for the guest villain turn by John Saxon, and for showing the moral ambiguity in the Willaway character. Otherwise a fairly straight action story, and the archetype of the Fantastic Journey plot.
An Act of Love Varian, under the influence of a love drug, meets a woman named Gwenith from a religious community in a geologically unstable timezone. His judgment impaired, Varian decides to leave the travellers to stay and marry her. He soon discovers that the community fanatically worships a volcano god called Vatticus, who demands human sacrifices.

Probably the strongest episode of the series. The climax of the story – in which Gwenith hurls herself into the volcanic sacrifice pit to save Varian and, driven to rage, the pacifist unleashes his full powers against Vatticus' followers and their temple (aided by a handy earthquake) – is the most exciting moment in the show. There is some dialogue that suggests the characters have not been fully defined, although out-of-character moments for Varian can largely be attributed to the central plot device.
Funhouse Arriving at a strange 20th century funfair, the travellers become part of a game played by an ancient Greek sorcerer named Apollonius, who also possesses Willaway.

An odd and creepy episode, marred by some horrendous overracting by Roddy McDowall. An interesting ending though, implying that Apollonius' game never ends and that he cannot be defeated, although he may be doomed to be trapped in his funfair for eternity. There is also a little continuity during the final confrontation between Apollonius and Varian, where the latter is taunted by images of his dead wife from the previous episode. "Funhouse" was not shown on terrestrial TV in the UK on its first run, as it was considered too frightening for the children's TV time slot it had been allocated.
Turnabout The travellers encounter a city where the women are subservient to brutish male authority. The male travelers are imprisoned after the women mutiny and imprison the men in a strange black void, and Liana appears to join their cause.

Only in the 70s! An attempt to look at sexual equality, this really is the nadir of the show, with a poor guest turn by Joan Collins and a plot that involves women who rise up against male oppression, only for both sides to realise their shortcomings by either punishment (the men) or example (the women). Due to illness, Katie Saylor left the show after this episode. She has not appeared on TV or in film since.
Riddles Guided to an old house by a horsebacked messenger, the travellers – minus Liana – quest for an object that will assist their search for Evoland, and encounter illusions drawn from their deepest fears that are conjured by a strange couple.

An atmospheric and ultimately touching script. Liana is briefly referred to as having stayed behind to help the society of "Turnabout" and intends to catch up later, despite being seen leaving with the travellers at the end of that episode.
The Innocent Prey A prison craft from Earth's future crash lands in the timezone the travellers are resting in, releasing dangerous killers into a community which does not comprehend violence.

A delightful and charming script, somewhat less action-oriented than previous episodes and continuing a change of tone started with "Riddles". Well acted despite the reported low morale of the cast who knew this was to be their final show. In the last scene the travellers simply move on, never to return to either the screen or their own times.

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