One Way to the Moon

After Titanic's wreck now Irwin Allen takes our heroes in a imaginary journey to Mars, for first time it wasn't based in real facts as featured in majority of the all episodes, as happens always they are caught in rocket's countdown to change few seconds to take off, once there the rocket's crew easily realised something wrong over such additional weight, finding them on chamber below, so it spent much more fuel to reach Mars, then they had to change their plans and get to land in the moon, refuel and taking a trip to Mars ahead, before they have to find out who really are the saboteur, l'm not tired to see it again!!!

Resume:

First watch: 1971 / How many: 5 / Source: TV-VHS-Cable TV-DVD / Rating: 7.5

Irwin Allen TV shows and episodes are famous for high action, cheesy monsters, and really dumb plots. But this script is not only intelligent but has barely a glitch - which is amazing for any time-travel story. And the twist at the end with the villain is quite unique.

In this episode the guys go into the future. They become a liability as they affect the velocity because of their combined weights. It goes without saying that this aired before the voyage of Neil Armstrong (by about three years). It is cheaply made, using stock footage from old movies. The element that is missing in a futuristic episode is that the real charm of the series is attempting to deal with history that could conceivably be altered. In this one, they are definitely not respected for their efforts and are ultimately treated as ballast. I remember being so disappointed by this episode after enjoying the Titanic one so much. There are times when I can understand how this show only made it through one season (although I'm sure budgets and production had much to do with it).

One Way to the Moon has some very interesting elements which could have been better utilised.

It could had been so Quantum Leap.

The first episode ended with Doug and Tony on a space rocket being fired up. The story set 10 years in the future in 1978.

They are on the first man mission to Mars. However there is a saboteur on board called Beard. He is aiding another side, presumably the Russians.

Back on at the present in 1968 at the Project Tic-Toc base. Beard is also present seeing his future self accusing Doug and Tony of being spies and wanting to throw them out of the rocket.

There is an interesting concept but it fizzles out in lame shootouts as another saboteur manages to disarm the sole military man with a gun.

Lt General Kirk at the base never addresses why Beard wanted to have Doug and Tony killed off. That he was also a saboteur.

Doug and Tony jumps to 1978, therefore ten years ahead of their future, on board of the service module of a rocket of project MEM4, in the countdown to head to Mars in a space race with the Soviets. Their overweight does not allow the rocket to reach the escape velocity and the skipper intends to jettison the module; however the speed is reached and the crew formed by Colonel Kane, Major Harlow, Ensign Beard and officer Nazarro discover them and they are considered stowaways. The scientists explain that they are part of the Time Tunnel TicToc Project, and Major Harlow tells that had heard something about this secret project. When the crewman Nazarro discovers that the communication systems had been sabotaged, they blame Doug and Tony while heading to the moon for refueling due to the overburn to reach the necessary velocity. Meanwhile General Heywood Kirk invites three representatives of the MEM4 project to com to The Time Tunnel complex, and one of them is the same Navy Ensign Beard that is one board of the rocket. But neither the personnel of the Time Tunnel nor the crew of the rocket knows that Beard is a traitor.

"One Way to the Moon" was an engaging episode in the 60's with the climax of the Cold War, James Bond, "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." and many other espionage movies. However, in 2009, both the plot of race against Soviets and the theme of reaching Mars in a rocket are dated. Fortunately the story has no contradiction, since Beard does not see his fate in the future due to the explosion of the control panel and the manhunt to the other traitor. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Túnel do Tempo" ("The Time Tunnel")