Okay, Journeyman is one thing, but what about all the other time-travel series out there? Television loves time travel -- it can be fun and inventive, but doesn't necessarily require the fancy special effects of, say, going to outer space. Plus, no one cares if it's actually impossible! (Shhhh!) Take a look at these four shows, as we embark on our own journey to various points in recent TV history.
It's About Time. This zany '60s comedy was about astronauts who go back to a prehistoric time and end up living with a family of cavemen. It was created by genius schlockmeister Sherwood Schwartz, and borrowed sets, props and even music from his equally cheesy other show, Gilligan's Island. How is it possible that this one didn't last more than a season, despite the presence of Golden Age TV comedy legend Imogene Coca? You figure it out.
Land of the Lost. Plenty of grown-ups fondly remember this '70s kiddie show from Sid and Marty Krofft, in which a family is sent through a "dimensional portal" to a land of dinosaurs, cavemen and weird creatures known as the Sleestak. (A big-screen version with Will Ferrell is currently in production.) The old-style special effects look pretty cool, and some well-known science fiction writers created suprisingly sophisticated plots. The opening credits say it all.
Voyagers! Jon-Erik Hexum and his young Adrian Zmed-haired sidekick travel back to the past to fix mistakes in history throughout this "educational" '80s drama. In this episode (compressed by a fan), they help Alexander Graham Bell invent the telephone -- until Hexum falls in love with Bell's future wife. Ruh-roh!
Quantum Leap. Of course, everyone knows this late-'80s/early-'90s adventure drama, in which a high-tech gizmo forces Scott Bakula's Sam to become different people in the past so he can change their lives for the better. Here's the end of the last show, in which Sam finally meets someone who knows a little about what's happening to him... and can help him decide if he really wants to go home, or if he'll help buddy Al instead.
Previously:
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