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It's About Time ran only one season on CBS, from September 11, 1966 until August 27, 1967; the sitcom starred Jack Mullaney and Frank Aletter as two 1960's astronauts who break the time barrier and end up in prehistoric times.
Ross was a former strip club entertainer before being cast as ("OOH, OOH") Officer Tooty on Car 54, Where Are You?; he went on to do voices for numerous Hanna-Barbera cartoons like Hong Kong Phooey.
Like Gilligan's Island, situations were played for broad laughs - that meant the show was universally panned by critics but loved by children.
The premise was flipped as the cave people and astronauts returned in the space craft to 1967. The focus of the show shifted to stars Coca and Ross as they reacted to the unfamiliar surroundings, setting up home in 20th-century New York City.
Perhaps when The Brady Bunch ends it's DVD lifespan we'll be able see this show again, I'm certain it would be a best-seller as it is a constant request from TVparty-ers.
The series itself may not have been successful, but the show's theme song is one of the most memorable of all time. People who never saw the show became familiar with it! Like many Sherwood Schwartz productions, the theme gives you the entire premise of the show in hummable fashion. Below are some comments about that tune:
'It's about time, Thanx for the memory!" - James Salhoff  Thank
you for noticing fondly one of the favorite shows from my adolescence. It's About Time was my favorite Sherwood Schwartz - produced
show, yet it's his least successful. On the other hand, my least favorite
of his shows, the Bratty - er, Brady Bunch, was his most successful.Frank Aletter might think It's About Time was the high point of his television career. Imogene Coca might have thought it was her low point. For those like Mary Grace, it WAS their television career.
It's
about time, it's about space, It's
about time, it's about space, When the show's concept changed mid-season and the cave people moved to 20th century New York, the theme song changed as well: It's
about time, it's about space, It's
about time, it's about space, They
will be here with all of us, During the first OJ Simpson trial, the Tonight Show had parodies to Schwartz' other shows like, "the OJ Bunch," or, "Here at OJ's Trial." After a while I thought; It's about
time, to end this trial! -Richard J. Ranke Really glad I saw Joe E. Ross. I had
almost forgotten about him. I sure was a kid that must of really loved
that show. I used to sing the lyrics and didn't realize why I was singing
them.
- Thanx, Ron |
Jack Mullaney died in 1982, Joe E. Ross in 1982 and Imogene Coca in 2001. Imogene Coca's most famous role woud have to be as the grandmother who died en route in National Lampoon's Vacation.
There were It's About Time comic books, coloring books, puzzles, and other tie-ins. TV Guide's It's About Time Page, with TV Listings, Photos, Videos, Exclusive News and More.
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It's
About Time was produced by the immortal Sherwood Schwartz, creator
of The Brady Bunch and Gilligan's Island (Gilligan was then in its third year earning solid ratings for CBS).
The
astronauts are forced to take up with primitive (and dumb) cave dwellers
played by the great 
Mary
Grace appeared as daughter Mlor; Pat Cardi as Breer, their son; Cliff
Norton as Boss; Kathleen Freeman as Mrs. Boss and Mike Mazurzsky as
Boss's henchman Clon.
Notice
in the fall preview (and in the first episode shown) Coca's
character is named 'Shagg.' When CBS censors realized that term held
another meaning in the youth culture they changed her name to 'Shadd.'
Frank
Wilcox joined the cast in January as the astronaut's commanding officer
when the show shifted directions mid-season in an effort to build ratings
and make it more like another top ten CBS hit, The Beverly Hillbillies. In fact, 
Because
there were only 26 episodes the show had no value in syndication
and it faded from view, rarely if ever to be seen again. After viewing
some episodes of It's About Time I found it quite funny and
cute, especially the episodes where the cavepeople invade New York.
The
Strange Success of 
"I
remember watching this show and loving it! I was only 8 years old at
the time. I wasn't very good at lyrics, and I remember singing the theme
song like this:
Here
is a text of the It's About Time theme song 
Frank
Aletter previously starred in a one-season sitcom called The Cara
Williams Show in 1964. 
