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Score: 8.5 Great 22 votes

Eleven Days To Zero

Episode Number: 1    Season Num: 1    First Aired: September 14, 1964    Prod Code: 7001 (6008)
Pilot Episode. An earthquake set to happen in the Arctic will send a huge wall of water that will destroy the coastal regions of half the world. Admiral Nelson and the Seaview race to the North Pole with a plan to stop it.

Cast and Crew

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Writer: Irwin Allen
Director: Irwin Allen
Star: David Hedison (Captain Crane),  Richard Basehart (Admiral Nelson)
Recurring Role: Henry Kulky (Curley Jones),  Del Monroe (Kowalski),  Robert Dowdell (Chip Morton)
Guest Star: Mark Slade (Malone),  Theodore Marcuse (Dr. Gamma),  Booth Colman (Chairman),  John Zaremba (Dr. Selby),  Eddie Albert (Dr. Fred Wilson),  Gordon Gilbert (O'Brien)

Notes

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From the book Science Fiction Television Series, by Mark Phillips and Frank Garcia: Irwin Allen, having failed to get David Hedison for the theatrical movie (Hedison had worked for him in The Lost World and had no intention of doing so again) was determined to have him for the television series. He called Hedison in New York, he called him at the Cairo Film Festival, he called him in London. Irwin finally managed to get him after mentioning that Richard Basehart had been hired. Hedison leaped at the chance of working with Basehart. Basehart, for his part, had accepted the pilot because the money was so good; he didn't think that it would sell. (edit)
According to the book Science Fiction Television Series, during the filming of the pilot, Mark Slade (who plays Malone) was walking outside the soundstage when he heard someone say that President Kennedy had been assassinated. He ran back inside and told someone, who didn't believe him. A few moments later, everyone was hearing about it. According to Slade, the reaction on the set was the same as it was all around the country. (edit)
Several scenes (notably the divers working on the seabed, the attack by an enemy submarine, the emergency blow, and the ice chunks falling on the submerged Seaview) were actually footage from the motion picture that preceded the show. (edit)

Quotes

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Crane: The orders are quite clear. To complete the mission, I'm to regard Seaview and her entire crew as expendable.
Nelson: (chuckles) If you have a choice, though, captain, I'd assume you'll bring us all back alive. (edit)
Kowalski: How do you like that? A routine cruise to no place and he wants to kill us getting there. (edit)
Nelson: Seaview's job is never finished. As long as there are evil forces in the world, as long as there are secrets of nature to be probed, believe me, there'll be work for us -- on missions just as vital and as dangerous as this one. (edit)

Trivia

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Uncredited roles:

William Hudson (John Phillips), Christopher Connelly (Sonar), Hal Torey (General Chairman), Derrik Lewis (Jr. Officer), Paul Kremin (Enemy technician), Jim Goodwin (Helmsman), Dick Tufeld (Narrator), Walter Reed (Scientist), Mike Ferris and Oren Curtis (Asians), Ron Rondell (Driver), Buck Karalian, Fred Zendar, Bill Kinney and Chuck Courtney (Crew), Marco Lopez (Officer) Werner Klemperer (Enemy Voice)

Werner Klemperer's face can also be clearly seen in some shots. (edit)
As Nelson and Captain Phillips drive to their meeting, the car halts briefly and a painter quickly sprays an "X" on the roof. He centers the X, but in long shots, you can see that it reaches clear to the corners of the roof. (edit)
Look carefully as the Snow Cat returns to Seaview. As it approaches, it looks as if a stage door is open in the background. (edit)
Notice the close-ups of Crane's face as he battles the giant squid. It is not David Hedison under the face-mask but Robert Sterling who played Crane in the 1961 Voyage movie. (edit)
In many scenes, the cast "falls upward" when the Seaview rocks. Obviously, Irwin Allen had yet to perfect his famous "rock and roll". (edit)

Allusions

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Community Reviews (1)

 
9.0
Superb
Eleven Days To Zero
"Pilot episode"
This was an excellent start to the series. A phenomenal threat to the world, unknown enemies, a startling introduction to the new captain, and, of course, that classic broaching shot out of the icy waters.
Continue » Posted Dec 6, 2007 4:56 am PST
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Episode Vital Stats

 
Episode: Eleven Days To Zero
Season Number: 1
Episode Reviews: 1
Episode
Score:
8.5 Great 22 votes
Rating Statistics:
great: 6 (27.3%)
perfect: 5 (22.7%)
superb: 5 (22.7%)
good: 5 (22.7%)
Other: 1 (4.5%)
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