It's About Time (TV series)

Lore & Background

The series follows astronauts Mac McKenzie (Frank Aletter) and Hector Canfield (Jack Mullaney), who travel faster than the speed of light and are sent back to prehistoric times. There they adjust to living with a cave-dwelling family led by Shad (Imogene Coca) and Gronk (Joe E. Ross), along with their children Mlor (Mary Grace) and Breer (Pat Cardi). Tribe Chief Boss (Cliff Norton) and his right-hand man Clon (Mike Mazurki) are suspicious of the astronauts. Ratings were initially impressive but soon plunged. Creator Sherwood Schwartz identified three factors: repetition of dangers from dinosaurs, clubs, spears, volcanoes, and cavemen; an unattractive look (caves, dirt streets); and the cave dwellers' primitive English being difficult to listen to. He retooled the series beginning with the January 22, 1967 episode, after 18 episodes set in prehistoric times. The astronauts repair their space capsule and return to 1967, bringing Shad, Gronk, and their children. Boss and Clon make their final appearances in this episode, which introduces two new characters: Alan DeWitt as Mr. Tyler, apartment building manager, and Frank Wilcox as General Morley, the astronauts' commanding officer. The prehistoric family adjusts to 1960s Los Angeles, learning to write their names and dealing with salesmen. Eight episodes (19-26) were produced with this new premise before cancellation. According to Pat Cardi, CBS considered reversing cancellation after summer rerun ratings improved, but Imogene Coca and Joe E. Ross had already committed to other projects.

Reader's Guide

It's About Time is significant as a mid-1960s television experiment that attempted to blend science fiction and comedy, but is perhaps best remembered for its unusual mid-season retooling—a rare reversal of a show's core premise. The series was created by Sherwood Schwartz, who reused elements from his more successful Gilligan's Island. The show's initial ratings decline led Schwartz to identify specific flaws, including repetitive danger scenarios and an unappealing visual aesthetic. The retooling, which brought the cave family to contemporary Los Angeles, allowed for fish-out-of-water comedy but could not save the series from cancellation. The show's legacy includes a DVD release by ClassicFlix in 2017 and a comic strip adaptation by Dan Spiegle for Gold Key Comics. The episode 'The Stowaway,' originally scheduled for January 15, 1967, was pre-empted by an episode of Lassie after CBS revamped its lineup following the first Super Bowl, and aired out of order on April 2, 1967. In syndication on networks like Antenna TV, it airs in its intended order. The series remains a footnote in television history, illustrating the challenges of sustaining audience interest and the creative risks networks took during the era.

Did You Know?

• The series used sets, props, and incidental music from Sherwood Schwartz's other series, Gilligan's Island.
• According to Pat Cardi, CBS considered reversing cancellation after summer rerun ratings improved, but Imogene Coca and Joe E. Ross had already committed to other projects.
• The series was adapted into a comic strip by Dan Spiegle, distributed by Gold Key Comics.