User Reviews

Richard Basehart only appeared briefly in the Voyage episode "The Monster's Webb" reportedly because of an illness back in 1966. There seems to be some controversy as to the real reason for his absence in this episode.

It is apparent that there is a double for many of his scenes. Unfortunately, this hurt the episode because the double's scenes were shot so badly. What could they do other than to re-shoot much of the footage with Basehart. The budget restraints, obviously, would forbid this.

It was reported that Mr. Basehart fell ill with an ulcer that put him in hospital. Whatever the illness it was serious enough to warrant the hiring of a double to finish out his scenes. He also missed the next two episodes only reappearing in the final show of season two.

In addition it was alleged that discussions were being held as to replacing Basehart in the series with actor Gary Merrill. Merrell appeared in the next episode as Admiral Parks.

It was no secret that many on the show, including Basehart, may not have been happy with the direction it was taking. The monster of the week scripts seemed to hurt the show. The long hours, hard work and stress appearing in a weekly show like Voyage can be hard on anyone.

Whatever the reason for his absence, whether an illness or other problem, it was obviously resolved.

Let me make it clear that Richard Basehart was a great actor and human being. I admired him very much and without him there may not have been a Voyage series.

If anyone has anything else they would like to add about this please do.

One more time the writer Peter Packer follows the ordering of his big boss Irwin Allen in another giant monster, well until here nothing atypical indeed, although display a giant spider underneath the ocean is too much for the show, in absence of new ideas go ahead anyhow, this turn a brainy scientist Grantt (Mark Richman) is testing a newest fuel on a experimental sub (Seaview isn't enough a nuclear power?), instead they expose a kind of chemical fuel pressure in a small cylinders, turns out that this sub ends up in a giant net's spider in deep ocean, even got escaping Grantt want goes back to kill the monster.

To predicable storyline, seemingly it already happened in others previous episode, one thing draw my attention, Admiral Nelson was really sick on this episode or something, whenever he stays they shot behind of his body, certainly replaced by a stunt, all orders coming from a mic, also the emblematic Del Monroe somehow almost disappears of the show, lowering in a couple sequences if so, in other hand Riller (Alan Hunt) routinely appears side by side with Craine or Nelson, instead Chip Morton just appears on the show when he has take over the Seaview's command, in fact a waste of talent, he should more exploited as interesting character, Chief sadly died early in 1965, a true loss felt indeed.

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First watch: 2023 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.

As other posters have noted, it is rather obvious that Mr Basehart is replaced by a double in this hour, and this, together with the fact that the spider looks about as real as an action-figure, does damage the hour a bit.

But if you can get past these two issues you will enjoy an eight out of ten Voyage/Sea hour loaded with gusto, the wonderful Mark Richman and stock music lifted from episodes such as The Monster From Outer Space and Escape From Venice.

Some of the underwater web footage would later be re-used in year three's Terrible Toys (one of Irwin Allen's two favourite episodes of Voyage/Sea). As for the highly under-rated Mark Richman, he would return in year four's Secret Of The Deep.

It's quite clear that there was a problem with Richard Basehart in this particular episode. He can only been seen in the set of the FS1. Probably he couldn't shoot the rest of the plot and so the character of Admiral Nelson appears once by his backs and wearing hat (how many times have you seen Adm. Nelson getting into in the FS1 wearing hat?)clearly covering his face, an later on, after an accident that took him out of action, he appears (again by his backs) with a bandage wrapped around his head, like a mummy. Obviously, he only dubbed his voice in those scenes. It's a pity that Adm. Nelson cannot be seen through the whole episode, because he was the greatest actor in the cast and the episode became really worse than it could be.