ABC's Classic Sci-Fi Series Getting rebooted

Akiva Goldsman is developing a new universe at Legendary Television with three reimagined science fiction television series from Irwin Allen. Oscar-winning writer, producer and director Akiva Goldsman will draw inspiration for the new television series from Allen's catalog, focusing on reviving Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Land of the Giants and The Time Tunnel.



Goldsman (pictured) and Legendary Television are working on a shared vision for these stories, bringing modern sensibilities to their appeal and building on his success in revitalizing the Star Trek universe.

Jon Jashni is executive producer, leading the effort to reintroduce these beloved franchises to a new generation. Derek Thielges is co-producing.

Created by Allen, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea premiered in 1964 on ABC, based on the 1961 film co-written by Allen and Charles Bennett. The series ran for four seasons, starring Richard Basehart as Admiral Harriman “Harry” Nelson, as well as David Hedison, Robert Dowdell, Henry Kulky and others. The series was an underwater adventure that followed the nuclear submarine Seaview, commanded by Nelson and Crane (Hedison).

Irwin's third television series, The Time Tunnel, is a time-travel adventure series starring James Darren and Robert Colbert that premiered on ABC in the fall of 1966. The series ran for one season of 30 episodes. The series follows two scientists, Dr. Douglas Phillips (Colbert) and Dr. Anthony Newman (Darren), who accidentally jump through time while those left behind attempt to return them to the present. An attempt by Fox to reboot the series in 2002 failed to get beyond the pilot.

Land of the Giants, created by Allen as his fourth series, premiered on ABC in the fall of 1968 and ran for two seasons. It was starred by Gary Conway as Captain Steve Burton, who worked with Don Matheson, Stefan Arngrim, Don Marshall, and Deanna Lund. Set in 1983, the series follows the suborbital spacecraft Spindrift, whose crew is caught in a space storm and transported to a planet that looks like Earth but is 12 times bigger.

Legendary Television is focusing on the three titles above, and not on Allen’s second television series Lost in Space, which aired on CBS from 1965-68 and was reimagined by Legendary TV for a 2018-21 series on Netflix. 20th Century Fox produced all four original series.

Goldsman won an Oscar for Adapted Screenplay for 2001’s A Beautiful Mind , which also won Best Picture. His filmography also includes I, Robot ; I Am Legend ; Cinderella Man ; and The Da Vinci Code . On television, he worked on Fringe and Underground , co-developed the DC series Titans (2018), co-created Star Trek: Picard , and created The Crowded Room . Goldsman remains the lead architect of the critically acclaimed Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , which he writes, directs, and co-showrunners as it enters its fourth season.

Legendary Television is an independent, full-service studio dedicated to creating bold, global entertainment. Known for its multi-platform, fan-driven properties, the current lineup includes the live-action Monsterverse series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (Apple TV+), anime series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft (Netflix), Dune: Prophecy (HBO/Max), Emmy-winning Drops of God (Apple TV+), crime drama Vanda (Hulu) and thriller You Would Do It Too (Disney+, Apple TV+). Legacy series along with Netflix’s Lost in Space reboot include Amazon’s Carnival Row and Netflix’s Pacific Rim: The Black.