If you grew up in the mid-1960s, you probably have a specific earworm buried deep in your psyche. It’s a jaunty, brassy theme song that starts with a countdown and then shouts, "It’s about time! It’s about space!" Honestly, those lyrics are about as deep as the show ever got. But It's About Time, the 1966 CBS sitcom created by the legendary Sherwood Schwartz, is one of the weirdest artifacts in television history.
Schwartz was already the king of high-concept comedy. He’d just hit it big with Gilligan’s Island, and he essentially thought, "What if I do the same thing, but with a space capsule instead of a boat?"
The premise was simple. Two astronauts, Captain Mac McKenzie (Frank Aletter) and Lieutenant Hector Canfield (Jack Mullaney), go way too fast. They break the speed of light and—oops—wind up in the Stone Age. No, there's no real science here. This is pure, unadulterated 1960s logic. They land their ship, step out into a jungle, and immediately start dealing with dinosaurs and cavemen.
The Prehistoric Struggle
For the first 18 episodes, It's About Time followed a very predictable loop. The astronauts would try to fix their ship. They’d get interrupted by a dinosaur (usually portrayed by recycled stock footage from movies like Dinosaurus!). Then, they’d have to convince the local cave tribe not to sacrifice them.
The tribe was led by "Boss" (Cliff Norton) and his muscle-bound sidekick, Clon (Mike Mazurki). But the real stars were the family that took the astronauts in. You had Gronk, played by the perpetually exasperated Joe E. Ross, and his wife Shad, played by the brilliant Imogene Coca.
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Why the First Half Failed
It wasn't working. Ratings were tanking. People were getting bored of the same three jokes.
- Cavemen think technology is magic.
- Astronauts are frustrated by primitive life.
- Joe E. Ross says "Ooh! Ooh!" (his trademark catchphrase from Car 54, Where Are You?).
Sherwood Schwartz realized he had a problem. The show looked "dirty." It was all brown caves, grey rocks, and drab animal skins. It wasn't "pretty" like the tropical paradise of Gilligan's Island. Plus, the "caveman talk"—a sort of broken, grunt-heavy English—was genuinely annoying to listen to for thirty minutes straight.
Censors even stepped in early on. Originally, Imogene Coca’s character was named "Shag." CBS brass panicked when they realized that "shag" was becoming slang for something much less family-friendly in the burgeoning youth culture. They quickly rebranded her as "Shad."
The Great Mid-Season Pivot
In a desperate move to save the show, Schwartz did something almost unheard of in 1967. He flipped the entire script. In the episode "20th Century Here We Come," the astronauts finally fix the Scorpio capsule. But instead of leaving their prehistoric pals behind, they bring Gronk, Shad, and their kids, Mlor and Breer, back to 1960s Los Angeles.
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This changed It's About Time from a "modern men in the past" show to a "fish out of water" sitcom.
Suddenly, the cave family had to deal with supermarkets, telephones, and landlords. It was The Beverly Hillbillies with more leopard print. They even "flipped" the opening credits animation and reversed the lyrics of the theme song to reflect the new direction.
The Modern Cast Members
When the show moved to the present day, new characters were added to ground the chaos:
- Mr. Tyler (Alan DeWitt): The high-strung apartment manager who was constantly suspicious of the "eccentric" relatives Mac and Hector were hiding.
- General Morley (Frank Wilcox): The astronauts' commanding officer who couldn't quite wrap his head around the idea of actual time travel.
The comedy shifted to Gronk and Shad trying to understand capitalism. There’s a classic bit where they sign "presents" from door-to-door salesmen, not realizing that a signature on a contract means you actually have to pay for the vacuum cleaner later.
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Why We Still Talk About It
Despite the massive retooling, the show was canceled after just one season of 26 episodes. It officially ended on April 2, 1967. So, why does it have such a persistent cult following?
First, it’s the Sherwood Schwartz connection. If you look closely at the prehistoric episodes, you’ll see the exact same huts and props used on the Gilligan's Island set. It’s part of that "Schwartz-verse" of low-budget, high-concept escapism.
Second, the cast was actually over-qualified. Imogene Coca was a pioneer of television comedy, and Joe E. Ross was a vaudeville veteran. Watching them commit 100% to the absurdity of being cavepeople in a 1960s apartment is a masterclass in physical comedy.
Critical Reception vs. Longevity
Critics at the time absolutely hated it. They called it "juvenile" and "repetitive." And, honestly? They weren't entirely wrong. But it found a second life in summer reruns and syndication. Kids loved the dinosaurs and the slapstick. It’s the kind of show that feels like a fever dream you had while home sick from school.
Actionable Takeaways for TV Buffs
If you’re looking to dive into this weird corner of TV history, here is how to approach it:
- Watch for the "Flip": If you find the prehistoric episodes too slow, skip ahead to episode 19. The dynamic shift is fascinating from a television production standpoint. It’s a rare example of a show trying to save itself in real-time.
- The Theme Song Trap: Don't expect the show to be as fast-paced as the intro. The theme song is a high-energy bop, but the actual episodes are standard, slow-burn 1960s multi-cam sitcoms.
- Production Hunting: Keep an eye out for the "recycled" elements. If you’re a fan of Gilligan's Island, trying to spot the reused jungle sets is a fun meta-game.
- Check the DVD Releases: Since the show isn't always on major streaming platforms like Netflix or Hulu, look for the "Complete Series" DVD sets from boutique labels like ClassicFlix. They often include the "reversed" theme music that is hard to find elsewhere.
It's About Time wasn't a masterpiece, but it was an ambitious failure. In an era of "safe" television, Sherwood Schwartz tried to mash up sci-fi, history, and domestic comedy into one bizarre package. It didn't stick the landing, but it definitely left a footprint in the mud of TV history.