Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea question...

[Gotham Central]

Does anyone know why the Seaview was specifically stated as not being in the US Navy? On several occasions they mention that the Seaview is a private vessel. Its not even a government vessel.

That just strikes me as totally unbelievable. Its a heavily armed submarie that carries nuclear weapons, with a crew that usually works as an agent of the US government (and takes orders directly from the President). So why was it called a private vessel?

[Michael_One]

Pausible deniability. Kind of like Mission Impossible: "If you or any member of your team are killed or captured the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions".

In the first season the Seaview was involved in spy missions against 'the other side', a polite way of saying 'the Soviets'. In case they were exposed Admiral Nelson and Captain Crane could be passed off as rouge individuals. This became less important as Voyage became a 'man in a rubber suit of the week' show, with alens and monsters replacing the Commies.

[JustAFriend]

...and "Captain Crane" episodes, where an alien force would regularly take over David ("The Fly") Hedison's body to make him do things against the ship.... a plot too-regularly used in Voyager and Enterprise....

[DWF]

I think it's because Nelson made the Seaview on his own, he designed it and built it at his own company.

[JoeZhang]

Michael_One wrote:

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Pausible deniability.

It's pretty implausible!

That sub loaded with nuclear missiles and people dressed like they are in the US navy - em.. we've never heard of them!

[mostly_nameless]

My understanding is that Nelson and his institute (he had to be supremely stinking rich) made the Seaview so he could go explore whatever he wanted, but that the government considered it a naval reserve vessel. And, since it was the Cold War, hiding some nukes on a reserve scientific sub just seemed like the thing to do.

[Gotham Central]

mostly_nameless wrote:

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My understanding is that Nelson and his institute (he had to be supremely stinking rich) made the Seaview so he could go explore whatever he wanted, but that the government considered it a naval reserve vessel. And, since it was the Cold War, hiding some nukes on a reserve scientific sub just seemed like the thing to do.

The problem is that it was widely known (and shown on the show) that the Seaview carried nuclear weapons. It even had nuclear launch keys and on several occasions helped to install undersea nuclear platforms. Additionally his "institute" owned atleast 3 other Seaview type submarines all with US naval crew.

[LaxScrutiny]

It's because Irwin Allen didn't think it through, and then didn't write consistantly.

There, are you happy now?

Try this, then: The U.S. Navy sets up a fake private "institution" dedicated to research, with Nelson heading, but it is really a spy agency. Nelson is naval officer but also accomplished researcher and scientist and was the perfect choice to head the "institute". He jumps at the chance, because he gets to play with his own submarine.

The Soviets have a good idea what's going on, the "plausible deniability" is for the POTUS to be able to say to the American people, if necessary, that Nelson was a private individual and any radiation traces were due to the submarine's nuclear engine and they have no idea what could have caused the explosion blah blah blah.

In the movie where they actually launch a missle to blow the Van Allen Belt, no one is going to question why the hero of the day had missles on his "research vessel" after the fact. Nelson will claim he was provided with them at the last minute as a scientific tool.

[TGTheodore]

I'm trying to remember if the original movie addressed this issue. Walter Pidgeon played Admiral Nelson (or his equivalent), but the Seaview was the exact same model (at least on the outside).

Irwin Allen was a recycler ahead of his time.

--Ted

[mostly_nameless]

Gotham Central wrote:

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The problem is that it was widely known (and shown on the show) that the Seaview carried nuclear weapons. It even had nuclear launch keys and on several occasions helped to install undersea nuclear platforms. Additionally his "institute" owned atleast 3 other Seaview type submarines all with US naval crew.

I'm not sure it was "widely known" since the navy didn't exactly run around advertising where the nukes were. And, if I was the President, I don't think I would broadcast the fact that I put nukes on a ship where the crew was taken over by mind control aliens and/or possessed by ghosts about as often as they cleaned the coffee pot. But hey, that's just me.

I can go with the "plausible deniability" theory as to why they were there.

I don't recall any other Seaview class subs. Do you have any info on them?

[DWF]

TG Theodore wrote:

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I'm trying to remember if the original movie addressed this issue. Walter Pidgeon played Admiral Nelson (or his equivalent), but the Seaview was the exact same model (at least on the outside).

Irwin Allen was a recycler ahead of his time.

--Ted

The model of the Seaview was changed after the first season and more windows were added, the interior sets were changes as well.

[Maurice]

DWF wrote:

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The model of the Seaview was changed after the first season and more windows were added, the interior sets were changes as well.

Um, I think you have that all backwards. In the film the Seaview had a bank of windows at the nose, four wide and two high, which was simplified to a single row of four in the series second season, and the model exteriors altered to match.

[DWF]

Sorry about that.

[Gotham Central]

TG Theodore wrote:

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I'm trying to remember if the original movie addressed this issue. Walter Pidgeon played Admiral Nelson (or his equivalent), but the Seaview was the exact same model (at least on the outside).

Irwin Allen was a recycler ahead of his time.

--Ted

In the movie the sub was called the USOS Seaview. It was clearly government owned ship. In fact there was a congressman on board who mentions congressional funding for the program. This was all changed for the TV show.

[Gotham Central]

mostly_nameless wrote:

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I don't recall any other Seaview class subs. Do you have any info on them?

I hesitated to call them "seaview class." They were all essentially the same model of the Seaview except that the windows were covered.

During the first two seasons we see the:

Angler
Neptune
Polidor