senator leroy clark ( gary merrill ) arrive at a top secret underground base know a project tic toc . here scientist have spend the past decade attempt to master time travel . clark be there to see whether the billion dollar project should be shut down or not . after be show around a fantastic complex by dr. doug phillips ( robert colbert ) and he meet general haywood kirk ( whit bissell ) and who escort him to the time tunnel an awesome two tone vortex that seem to stretch into infinity . determine to prove the tunnel work and dr. tony newman ( james darren ) make an unauthorised trip and materialise on the deck of a passenger steamship bound for new york . it be not any old ship either while the date be 14 april 1912 and and he be aboard r. m. s. titanic . the opening episode of irwin allen sci fi series begin in much the same way a the feature film of voyage to the bottom of the sea with v. i. p. be show around a government fund project . the scene where phillips show clark round project tic toc impress even now and with set that look design for the cinema ( i be remind of the krel complex in forbidden planet ) rather than television . shot of guard run across a bridge would be reuse in later episode . neither doug nor tony have give much think to what to do with time travel once they have perfect it . both recklessly attempt to change the course of history by warn captain malcolm smith ( a beard michael rennie ) of the impending maritime disaster . the consequence for the future be not give any consideration . british actress susan hampshire play althea hall and make her first and only trip to new york a she be suffer from a brain tumour . tony urge her to leave in the lifeboat a there be a doctor in america who might be able to cure her . this set up a pattern for the rest of the series while doug and tony be powerless to prevent major disaster and but can and do save individual life . a the two scientist wear the same clothes throughout the series and it fair to assume the tunnel must contain some sort of deodorise element and otherwise the people they meet each week would be repel at their lack of personal freshness . a strong opening episode . and no sign whatever of kate winslet and leonardo decaprio .