''Time Express'' was an American fantasy drama series that was broadcast on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

from April 26 to May 17, 1979, and later syndicated. The series was created by

Ivan Goff Ivan Goff (17 April 1910 – 23 September 1999) was an Australian screenwriter, best known for his collaborations with Ben Roberts including ''White Heat'' (1949), '' Man of a Thousand Faces'' (1957), '' Legend of the Lone Ranger'' (1981), and ...

and Ben Roberts who had both previously been involved in the creation of '' Charlie's Angels'' and '' Mannix''. The series ran for four episodes before being cancelled.

Plot

The series is in anthology format, similar to other dramatic television series on American networks of the time such as ''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pa ...

'', ''

Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo. ...

'', and to a Lesser extent; NBC's '' Supertrain'' which premiered roughly 2 months earlier. Each episode consists of two tales featuring guest actors. The featured characters would receive an invitation from "The Head of The Line" to travel to some time and place in the past where a crucial point in their lives had occurred. They would arrive at

Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal Los Angeles Union Station is the main railway station in Los Angeles, California, and the largest railroad passenger terminal in the Western United States. It opened in May 1939 as the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal, replacing La Grande St ...

and go to the "Special Services" desk, where the ticket clerk (

Woodrow Parfrey Sydney Woodrow Parfrey (October 5, 1922 – July 29, 1984) was an American film and television actor from the 1950s to the early 1980s. He is often remembered as "one of TV's great slimeball villains". Early life Parfrey was born on October 5, ...

) would direct them to "Gate Y, Track 13" (which was listed as "closed" on the public departure board). On board the train (operated by Engineer Callahan ( William Phipps) and conductor R. J. Walker ( James Reynolds), who, in the initial episode were revealed to have been killed in a derailment on the "Allegheny Flyer" in 1886), they would be welcomed by hosts Jason and Margaret Winters (the husband and wife team of

Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor, art historian, art collector and gourmet cook. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price has two stars on the Hollywood Wal ...

and

Coral Browne Coral Edith Browne (23 July 1913 – 29 May 1991) was an Australian-American stage and screen actress. Her extensive theatre credits included Broadway productions of '' Macbeth'' (1956), '' The Rehearsal'' (1963) and '' The Right Honourable Gent ...

) who would warn them of the risks of travelling to the past. On arrival, they would relive the period, potentially changing events, and then return by train to the present, where the implications of the changes would be revealed.

Cast

as Jason Winters *

as Margaret Winters * James Reynolds as R. J. Walker * William Phipps as Engineer Callahan *

as the ticket clerk

Episodes

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, id=0078702 1979 American television series debuts 1979 American television series endings 1970s American time travel television series CBS original programming American fantasy television series American time travel television series English-language television shows Television shows set in California Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios American fantasy drama television series