Cancelled Before It Began: Irwin Allen’s The Man from the 25th Century (1968)

The Man from the 25th Century is an interesting relic from Irwin Allen that could have given him a fifth sci fi TV series in the 1960s.

What Is It?

This short pilot was produced for a proposed series that focused on a human who has been kidnapped by aliens five hundred years more advanced than us (meaning the title was a misnomer because he’s not from the future, just a more advanced civilization). These aliens plan to invade Earth and they have trained this human as an agent whose primary mission will be to take out an alien defense network (the “Radial Umbrella”) that the humans are trying to put in place. But he ends up having a last-minute change of heart as he turns against the aliens and decides to rejoin the human race to help in the fight against these invaders.

Aired: Never Aired

Starring: James Darren, John Napier, Ford Rainey, John Crawford

Created by: Irwin Allen

Why Didn’t It Fly?

Irwin Allen is well known as the king of cheesy, campy sci fi television from the 60s having given us  Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space, The Land of the Giants, and Time Tunnel. And he hoped to have yet another sci fi show under his belt at the end of that decade which would have counted as a spin-off of sorts from Lost in Space, but only insofar as it would have appeared on that show as a backdoor pilot. The lead character would have encountered the Robinsons and would have recounted the events of the pilot to explain how his battle against the aliens began. How he would have met up with them then made it back to Earth without bringing them as well (and thus ending LiS) was never revealed as the proposed episode (and subsequent series) did not happen.

A short presentation film was put together for CBS execs and it starred James Darren (formerly of Allen’s The Time Tunnel) in the title role. The network was apparently not interested in the series even though there was a blurb in the Feb 1968 issue of TV Guide suggesting that it would take Lost in Space’s place on the schedule in the upcoming season. The latter show was indeed cancelled, and CBS cut ties with Allen instead of going forward with the new project. He later had a script written for a 90-minute movie that ABC was considering in 1970 (that network had aired Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Land of the Giants, and Time Tunnel), but it was never produced and the project was permanently shelved.

Would It Have Worked as a Series?

This was definitely an interesting concept for a sci fi TV show, delivering basically as a darker twist on the Star Trek episode “Assignment: Earth” (also a backdoor pilot, more on that at this link) where the aliens want to conquer the human race instead of help it. The pilot has a grimmer tone and less camp than Irwin Allen’s other shows and could have developed into an intriguing genre entry. But this is Irwin Allen we are talking about and both Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and Lost in Space started out with a more serious tone before descending into the bad camp that brought us lobstermen, killer toys, space hillbillies, and walking, talking carrots. So if The Man from the 25th Century had gone to series, there’s no telling how things would have played out with Allen at the helm. Still, it’s a fun bit of 60s cheesiness and a throwback to the best of Allen’s output. Definitely worth checking out for fans of his work or anyone who wants a brief look at a 60s sci fi show that could have been.

Should It Be Rebooted?

The concept certainly has merit and could still work as a decent sci fi show today. If it stuck with the grim tone, it would certainly fit into the trend of darker genre entries we have seen throughout the past twenty years or so. There is plenty that could be done with the premise, and it would not require a huge budget which might make it more attractive in the current cost-cutting environment. But then Irwin Allen does not have much in the way of name recognition these days, and he is mostly remembered for his camp sci fi shows as well as disaster films like The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and The Towering Inferno (1974). If a network was looking for a show along these lines, Assignment: Earth makes a lot more sense because it has Gene Roddenberry’s name attached and could be linked to the Star Trek franchise. The Man from the 25th Century is an interesting curio of its age, but a revival of the property seems unlikely.

Where Can You Watch It?

This film never received a DVD release (though you might have thought it could have been an extra in the Lost in Space set). It is available to watch on YouTube (see above).

Read about more Sci Fi TV pilots that did not fly at this link.

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