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Rating:  -
I was barely older than Meeno Peluce when I first watched the show. It was a joy to watch all over again
Rating: -
Just imagine a sci-fi fantasy television series geared towards children that would introduce them to extraordinary individuals and monumental events throughout world history. Yet, something is wrong - history isn't following its intended course, as, for instance, the Germans are winning World War I handily because they invented the airplane first (after the Wright Brothers had broken up in Dayton, OH, before completing their famous collaboration at Kitty Hawk, NC). Enter the Voyagers: time travelers crossing back and forth the space-time continuum righting historical inaccuracies and ensuring that history unfolds as truly intended.
In late 1982, Universal Studios and Scholastic Books produced this inventive, albeit short-lived Sunday night adventure featuring the late Jon-Erik Hexum as the swashbuckling, impetuous Phineas Bogg and Meeno Peluce as his young sidekick, Jeffrey Jones (a historical whiz). Thrown together by a freak accident at Jeffrey's home in 1982, Bogg, whose brash courage often overrides his lack of historical knowledge, must now rely on an 11-year old orphan to keep his job as a time-traveling Voyager (or "field worker," as Bogg initially describes himself). Utilizing his gold plated Omni (similar to a pocket watch), Bogg and Jeffrey would zip back and forth through time for 20 episodes typically correcting wrongs in two different time periods per episode.
Overall, this exuberant series still performs exceptionally well after nearly thirty years. Amazingly, despite being a 25-year old rookie actor, Hexum gave an excellent performance as the heroic lead next to the scene-stealing Peluce(a TV veteran at his young age). Their on-screen chemistry, I think, remains the program's strongest asset, in addition to its adherence to generally accurate portrayals of major history figures ranging from Thomas Edison to Cleopatra to Babe Ruth to Abraham Lincoln, among numerous others. For instance, how many television programs can coherently juggle infant Moses, the Wright Brothers, the Red Baron, and Hollywood actress Mary Pickford in its pilot episode alone? "Voyagers!" managed to do it for one season in an era in which children's programming was most uncommon for prime time television.
What I really believe endures about "Voyagers!" is the maturing father-son relationship Bogg and Jeffrey develop in several episodes, as Bogg (despite his dislike of children) begrudgingly accepts Jeffrey's wish for a surrogate father. Evidence of this poignant sub-plot is readily seen in the poignant Christmas episode entitled "Merry Christmas, Bogg," where Bogg tries to leave a disgruntled Jeffrey with his early 20th Century ancestors thinking the boy is ultimately better off with family than time-traveling without a home. Further evidence of their growing friendship appears in "The Trial of Phineas Bogg," as Bogg's superiors put him on trial for committing multiple offenses against the strict Voyager Code. As hints of Jeffrey's possible destiny are revealed, the episode (definitely, one of the series' best) would have worked quite well as the series finale. Instead, a sequel of sorts to this episode featuring Jack the Ripper (entitled "Jack's Back") is the final one, which originally aired in mid-1983.
For what it is worth, I highly recommend purchasing "Voyagers! The Complete Series" as a terrific means of introducing your young children to the (pardon the expression) timeless magic and wonders of history, let alone other fascinating books they may yet find at the local library.
It's an excellent investment for ages 8 and up.
Rating: 10/10.
P.S. You can also find for a low cost on Amazon.com the long out-of-print written adaptation by Joe Claro of the series' premiere episode. I certainly recommend it for second graders and up.
Rating: -
This was a great show I remember from my childhood and it still holds up fairly well today despite some cheesy acting at times and fake-looking Hollywood sets. It is good clean fun with adventure and some humor all mixed together and topped off with Jon-Erik Hexum's hunky good looks. The only real problem is that it makes me sad that this actor never got the chance to really further his career due to his sudden and sad death at such an early age. Maybe if this show had not been cancelled he would not have had the tragic accident that took his life while filming his next show. Anyway, these episodes of Voyagers are fun to watch and interesting. I found them to be amusing because you get the fun adventures while learning about history. I've always thought the concept of time travel was cool and this is sort of a Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure of TV. The only thing that bothered me was that Jeffrey and Phineas always wore the same clothes in every episode. Didn't they ever stop to get new threads? As far as rating this dvd set, it would have been nice to have some bonus features- interviews with the cast or commentaries etc- but this contains none. All you get are the episodes. But they are worth it...
Rating:  -
I remember watching this show as a kid. I remember distinctly liking it and hating the fact that they tended to throw it around to the point where I couldn't find it regularly. Watching it again as an adult I find that it is very campy but cool. I could have lived without the main character saying "batsbreath" so much in the first episode but he got better at it. By the last episode of the set I was hoping for more. It takes a moment to get back into but once you do you'll love it. If you don't mind campy or the 80s I suggest watching "The Greatest American Hero" too. Great show.
Rating: -
I bought this for my sister and her kids. I remember watching it with mine in the mid-80s. I haven't had a chance to watch it again so I'm not sure how well it's withstood the test of time, but we really enjoyed it back then. It mixes fantasy with history in a way that keeps it clear what is historical and what is not. I even learned a lot! The acting is decent, the writing is great, and the concept is fun and works well for the intended goal. Good mix of humor, sci fi, and historical fiction.
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