"Time After Time", the '79 time-travel film favorite (see "Time Travel Time #16: Feb '16) has entered the ABC series route, courtesy of Kevin "Scream" Williamson, beginning March 5. This will allow viewers to experience the ongoing adventures of H.G. Wells (Freddie Stroma) as he pursues John Stevenson/Jack the Ripper (Josh Bowman) on a 2017 (or thereabout) trial.
I suspect the series will adapt a predominately "Fugitive" format, as opposed to the frequent time-leaping antics of "Timeless", "12 Monkeys" and "Legends of Tomorrow", though Williamson promises that a quartet of time trips will nonetheless season the flavor. References to "War of the Worlds", "The Invisible Man" and "Island of Dr. Moreau" will also be planted throughout.
In keeping with Nicholas Meyer's film version of Karl Alexander's novel, romance will likely intervene along the fish-out-of-water way between Wells and Genesis Rodriguez's Jane Walker, a curator at the American Museum of Natural History, but the cat-and-mouse escapades should remain (fingers crossed) front and center.
The show's time machine should please fans, conveying the expected Victorian, steampunk charm, though it looks more chamber-like than what we've encountered in previous "Time Machine" adaptations, or for that matter, the original "Time After Time". It also appears that the main characters' Victorian behavioral traits will fade as the saga progresses, making them hip and cool, if only in the present sense of such terms.
Comprising the rest of the main cast is Jennifer Ferrin; Nicole Ari Parker; Jordin Sparks; and Will Chase, who surprised his fan base by exiting the popular "Nashville" for this science-fiction, action/adventure endeavor.
Meyer actually wrote the initial half of the two-part opener, which gives this offshoot an immediate air of worth. However, "Time After Time'"s two-hour premiere will compete with AMC's "Walking Dead": not a promising start, but considering that folks these days seem to record everything under the sun, the series could still find its audience. In addition, the Meyer movie has gained a legion of fans over the decades, and with the acclaimed writer/director attached to the series, there's a good chance that many such folks will at least give this extension an honest try.
“Time After Time” is a time-travel tale about H.G. Wells, Jack the Ripper and unexpected love.
It commences much like George Pal’s adaptation of Well’s classic (see "Time Travel Time #1: Feb '14), commencing in 1893 London, but springs to 1979 San Francisco. So much for the Eloi and Morlocks in this regard, but as
far as historical, fish-out-of-water adventures go, “Time After Time” remains a most pleasant gem.
Much of the film’s success comes
from writer/director Nicolas Meyer, who previously gave us a splendid mesh of
factual and fictional icons in “The Seven-Per-Cent Solution” (i.e., Sigmund Freud
meets Sherlock Holmes) and would later energize the “Star Trek” movie
franchise with “Wrath of Khan” through “Voyage Home”: the latter also a
time-travel tale. (Incidentally the concept behind “Time After Time” stems from
a novel by Karl Alexander, which Meyers and Steve Hayes adapted
after the author’s passing.)
The remainder of the film’s success comes from its distinguished cast: Malcolm McDowell as Wells; Mary Steenburgen as the liberated Amy
Robbins; and David Warner as Dr. John Leslie Stevenson/Jack the Ripper (and it must be noted, White Chapel's Chief of Surgery, who has a tendency of triggering a musical pocket watch whenever he's set to murder).
Stevenson is present during Well’s time-travel demonstration, and in witnessing the magic of the marvelous device (which possesses all the required Victorian charm in its quaint but sturdy construction), the madman flees inside it to future California, where a Wells exhibit just happens to be on display.
The catch is, the Ripper can't hold onto the machine. It swings back in time to its London origin, because Wells holds the specialized key that would otherwise make it stationary. Stevenson desires both the machine and the key, and when Wells hops aboard the device to track down his acquaintance, the dreadful doctor is ironically granted his opportunity.
A confrontation between Wells and the Stevenson isn't immediate, however. At first, some detective work is required on Wells' part, which he initiates by visiting local banks, assuming the doctor would have exchanged his coinage for U.S. currency. It's during this quest that Wells meets the brassy Amy Robbins, who works at the Bank of London. She takes an immediate liking to the gentlemanly Wells and supplies the information he seeks.
A quick but affable courtship follows, where McDowell and Steenburgen churn up the charm, as the author/inventor continues to learn the ropes. Wells, after all, must acquaint himself to his new world's wonders and alas, its disappointments. Violence prevails during a time that he thought would be idyllic, but thanks to Robbins, some serenity ensues.
As the courtship builds, Stevenson demonstrates he's ever the clever fiend (even making it appear he's dead for spell). He eventually resurfaces to kidnap Robbins in exchange for the key, but what's the ethical Wells to do in such a confounding situation?
The clever script (accompanied by Miklos Rozsas' sweeping score) handles matters with just the right foreboding and grace to make it all click, balancing Victorian splendor with a hip, '70s sensibility. One cares for the characters and wishes to see Wells and Robbins culminate their relationship, while the Ripper injects a consistent air of menace.
A generous sum of philosophy also enriches the tale, which mostly pours from Warner's devilish lips. He often makes sense, even though we wish he wouldn't. Poor Wells, on the other hand, epitomizes rationality (and sometimes naivety) in the face of the Stevenson's crazed, selfish pursuits. To add to his misery, Wells finds that he must reveal the truth to Robbins: not the easiest task considering her no-nonsense mode, but boy, does he ever try, and in many respects, this becomes the most endearing part of the story.
"Time After Time" is one of those wonderful, offbeat escapades that despite its unsavory elements, makes one feel pretty darn good. Like "Somewhere in Time" (see "Time Travel Time # 11: Feb '15), it's most suitable to watch around Valentine's Day, but any time of the year would work equally fine, for good stories invariably transcend the test of time. Indeed, "Time After Time" is one such charming case in point.
