Review of Time Travelers

Irwin Allen made one last attempt at a weekly sci-fi series, and used his premise of time travel (used in his 66-67 series "Time Tunnel") as the center piece. This movie was an attempt at a more serious show, as Allen's earlier sci-fi attempts (Lost in Space, and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea) were very juvenial. Time Travelers (this movie) looked to be far more adult, using time travel to find a cure for a modern day (in this case 1976) epidemic devouring New Orleans around Mardi Gras time. Apparently similar symptoms were reported and cured in 1871 in Chicago. All in depth records of the illness (Woods Fever) and the doctor involved (played by Richard Basehart) perished in the great Chicago fire. The two lead characters; played by Sam Groom and Tom Hallick (two very competent actors--I wonder what has become of them?) travel back to Chicago, but due to a computer glitch they return the day before (instead of the planned week before) the great fire. They frantically search to find Dr. Henderson (Basehart) and question him as to how he has cured his patients. Alas, the cure is found to be the wine that Dr. Henderson brews himself, but by that time the fire has broken out and has destroyed his supply at his home, save half a bottle a drunk patient leaves with. The bottle is found and Groom and Hallick return to modern day just as the fire is about to destroy their return portal. The movie touchingly ends with Hallick (at a cemetary in modern day Chicago) finding the graves of Dr. Henderson, and his niece (played by Francine York) who did infact die during the fire as the hospital they worked in exploded. It would have been interesting if ABC had picked up the show and if it could have stayed as of a high quality. The writing and direction were top notch. This movie remains to this day a favorite of mine.