Eleven Days To Zero  (Airdate: September 14, 1964)
STORYLINE:   

Submarine Seaview is introduced as the world's most powerful weapons platform and research vessel, the product of Admiral Harriman Nelson's scientific genius and sweat equity.  Even as the off screen narrator speaks, evil forces (led by Dr. Gamma) are marshalling a plan to inundate the planet with tidal waves induced by arctic earthquakes, after which these forces (presumably situated in mountainous regions) will take advantage of the resulting chaos.  Nelson and Seaview Captain John Phillips are attacked by Gamma's forces and Phillips killed.

The eee-vile Dr. Gamma.

Nelson bulls his way through and acquires the government's OK to employ Operation Counterforce to stop Dr. Gamma's planned giant Arctic shakeup.  Back on Seaview, Nelson greets Captain Crane, (temporarily assigned to Seaview by the Navy) after a dramatic sneak entrance and discovers there's a long-standing rift between Wilson and Crane (never fully explained).  Seaview sets forth for the arctic in order to plant Seaview at the polar Caps.    counteracting nuclear bombs that will be timed to go off simultaneously with the expected earthquakes.   Enemy aircraft, submarines, a giant underwater squid, tensions among the crew and plain bad luck confound Nelson, who eventually succeeds with Operation Counterforce.  As the end    Search crew returns to Seaview credits near, Dr. Gamma vows to return with more skullduggery.

Eddie Albert as Dr. WIlson explains Operation Counterforce. Lee Crane sneaks aboard Seaview in dramatic entrance.

Written: Irwin Allen Story: Irwin Allen Directed: Irwin Allen Guest Cast Fred Wilson.....................Eddie Albert Dr. Gamma............Theodore Marcuse                                Werner Klemperer Dr. Claude Selby...........John Zaremba Chairman.....................Booth Colman Malone..............................Mark Slade Capt. John Phillips.....William Hudson O’Brien........................Gordon Gilbert Sonarman...........Christopher Connelly General.................................Hal Torey Scientist............................Walter Reed Army Scientist...................Barney Biro Yeoman............................Derrik Lewis Orientals............................Oren Curtis                                       Michael Ferris Helmsman.......................Jim Goodwin Junior officer..................Marco Lopez Gamma Technician..........Paul Kremin Car Driver...................Ronnie Rondell Motorcyclists.......................Bud Ekins                                George Dockstader Narrator.............................Dick Tufeld Crewmen...........................Fred Zendar                                      Buck Kartalian                                        Tony Monaco                                     William Kinney

Booth Colman (the Chairman): "Voyage is very vague in my mind, except that Irwin Allen was a very dynamic director, he knew what he wanted.   I seem to recall there was some talk of casting someone on shore, who would give the submarine crew their orders every week, which is what I did as the Chairman in a couple of episodes.  I knew Dick Basehart since 1944, when he did the play "Hasty Heart" on Broadway.  He was a wonderful actor."

Basehart, Albert, Colman as The Chairman.

Mark says:   First of all, a special note of thanks to film historian Alain Bourassa in Montreal, Canada. He not only helped out with invaluable corrections to this episode guide but he was the first person who alerted me, back in the 1980s, that the pilot episode was shot in color.  I used to think this segment was pretty hokey but now, despite some of the corn-ball dialog, I have grown to appreciate the good job it does of introducing the characters and creating conflict for Crane as he tries to establish himself with the crew.  It makes you believe that the Seaview is really heading towards the Arctic to stop a global crisis.  Earnest, simple, unpretentious and exciting.