The Good

This show really went for it in terms of effects and interesting storytelling.

The Bad

I would have liked there to be more extras.

Voyage to the Bottom of Sea: Season 2, Vol. 1 continues the exploits of Admiral Nelson and Captain Crane as they and their team journey to the dark depths of the ocean in a newly, redone Seaview craft! Filled with 13 episodes fans can revel in such shows as "The Monster From Outer Space," "The Cyborg" and "The Silent Saboteurs." What makes this show so interesting is it's melding of classic sci-fi devices, with nuclear arms and everything else that was on the public's mind in 1965. Sure the effects might go begging by today's standards, but there is honestly something to be said for a show that went out of it's way to not only push the envelope, but push TV storytelling in bold new directions.

Merely calling this show a piece of science fiction does not do justice to the great work of master storyteller Irwin Allen and actors like David Hedison and Richard Basehart.

Features

Special Effects Footage

This stuff is creepy. It could be because the footage shows us some ominous black water, but when the beast appears in it... that was truly one of the more horrifying things I have ever seen as part of a DVD extra. There is some other footage (the other releases have done a good job of being packed with this stuff), but on the whole it seemed like they had pretty much scraped through all the archives here. Even though these effects look somewhat primitive, it has to be noted that they did pave the way for much of the special effects work we see today.

Still Galleries

Four galleries are presented in this section. They are Concept Art, Episodic Photos, Publicity Photos and a Mad Magazine Parody. I loved looking at the concept art just because (as it is on all the releases) it is so detailed here. Also, the DVD compression seems like it might have bumped up the quality somewhat. The Mad Magazine Parody was interesting for two reasons. First, not much has changed with how the magazine is done, and secondly, the writers did a good job of lampooning this show.

Video

Full Frame - 1.33:1 - Aspect Ratio. This season marks the first one where this show was in color. I am a huge fan of the way these early shows look because everything about them is so rich and detailed. When you realize that these episodes are 41 years old, and they have now been preserved on DVD, their look is truly astounding. Fox has done a great job in bringing these shows out and making them look as good as anything on DVD today.

Audio

Dolby Digital. English - Stereo. English and Spanish - Mono. Close Captioned. Subtitled in English and Spanish. The audio on these shows was done well, but what grabs me the most is the melodramatic soundtrack. A big part of why this works so well for me is because the actors are taking their situations seriously. Due to this, everything works on a more heightened level and doesn't have the ironic feel that usually comes across when this is employed today.

Package

Two slim cases are packed into this blue and gray slipcase which has a really neat shot of the Seaview descending into the ocean. The back cover features more water, another shot of Hedison and Basehart, a description of this show, a Special Features listing, and system specs. The three discs that make up this set are housed inside the two slim cases and they both have the same front cover. The back features episode listings, descriptions, and even offers up where the Special Features are. Overall, Fox keeps things simple and economical with this release.

Final Word

I don't know what it is but I really love this show. There is something about the writing in Voyage to the Bottom of Sea: that keeps me watching and almost glued to the screen in anticipation. Maybe it's because this show was before my time? Or, perhaps I am just nostalgic for the time period being shown here, but I really think the actors did a very good job of pulling this stuff off. Yes, over the years the action and effects have gotten more sophisticated, but there is an air about all the characters and even the storylines, that never mocks what is being presented on screen.

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea was released .