What Is Time Flies About?
The premise of Time Flies in 219 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the tradition of classic British comedy, this time-traveling adventure begins with an invention that promises wonder but delivers chaos. A well-meaning Professor invites the entertainer Susie to witness his latest creation — a time-machine designed to unlock the mysteries of the ages. But what should have been a simple demonstration goes spectacularly awry, and suddenly the device carries Tommy and Bill far from everything they know.
The travelers find themselves deposited in Elizabethan England, a realm of ruffled collars, royal courts, and cobblestone streets that feel plucked from legend. Here, the figures of history books walk as living, breathing personalities — Queen Elizabeth I holds court with commanding presence, while Walter Raleigh, William Shakespeare, Captain John Smith, and Pocahontas cross paths with visitors who have no business being there. The collision between modern sensibilities and Renaissance customs creates fertile ground for the film’s particular brand of historical comedy.
Each member of the stranded group brings something different to their predicament, and their personalities rub against one another as sharply as they do against the era itself. The tone balances whimsy with genuine stakes, as the travelers’ frantic attempts to return home drive both the humor and the narrative momentum. Every interaction carries the potential for misunderstanding, and the past proves far more unpredictable than any of them anticipated.
What Happens in Time Flies?
The complete story of Time Flies, from the first scene to the last, in 278 words (about 1 minute). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 9 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
On tour, entertainers Bill Barton George Moon and Susie Barton Evelyn Dall perform across towns until Bill’s old friend Tommy Tommy Duggan arrives with a flashy pitch for Time Ferry Services Limited. Bill has already given Tommy $10,000 to help Professor Stewart McAndrew develop the Time Ball, a primitive time machine. Enraged, Susie goes to the lavish apartment where Tommy and the Professor are staying to demand the money back. The group soon discovers that Tommy is actually a valet who has been pretending to be wealthy by borrowing his employer’s clothes and apartment. His boss calls the police, and the group hides inside the Time Ball.
Tommy closes the hatch and accidentally activates the invention, sending them back to Elizabethan London where Tommy befriends Captain Walter Raleigh and Queen Elizabeth. He starts a fresh swindle by claiming to “own” America and selling off parcels of land to members of the court.
The Professor is arrested and jailed in the Tower of London for being a Scottish spy, trapping the group in the past. Meanwhile, Susie meets William Shakespeare and feeds him some of his own lines, which he eagerly writes down. Susie and Bill then encounter Captain John Smith and Pocahontas in a tavern, swap identities to gain an audience with the queen, and urge her to pardon the Professor. Their ruse is soon unmasked, and they, along with the Professor and Tommy, are sentenced to be executed. The queen’s soldiers attempt to burn them alive inside the Time Ball, but the Professor manages to fix the device and they return to the present—arriving several weeks too early and slowly fading away due to a temporal paradox.
Time Flies Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
12 key events in the order they happen, from “Tommy's pitch on tour” to “Fade away due to temporal paradox”. 12 events name a place, across 10 locations.
- 1
Tommy's pitch on tour
Bill and Susie Barton are on tour when Tommy shows up, soliciting funds for a new scheme called Time Ferry Services Limited. He frames it as a way to monetize time travel, and Bill has already loaned him $10,000 to help Professor Stewart McAndrew develop the Time Ball. The encounter sets the stage for intrigue, deception, and a dangerous temptation to chase a scam.
When:present day Where:on tour
- 2
Susie confronts the loan repayment
Susie travels to the lavish apartment of Tommy and the Professor to demand the money back. She confronts them about the risky investment and the missing loan, insisting on repayment. The confrontation reveals that Tommy's wealth is borrowed and not real.
When:present day Where:Tommy's apartment
- 3
Discovery of Tommy's ruse and hiding in the Time Ball
The group discovers that Tommy is actually a valet who has been borrowing his employer's clothes and apartment to pose as a wealthy man. His boss calls the police, forcing them to flee. They scramble inside the Time Ball, hoping to evade capture.
When:present day Where:Tommy's employer's apartment
- 4
Time Ball activated; travel to Elizabethan London
Tommy closes the hatch, accidentally activating the Time Ball. The device whirs and catapults the group back in time to Elizabethan London. They arrive disoriented, realizing they are far from home and trapped in a new era.
When:late 16th century Where:Time Ball
- 5
Arrival in Elizabethan London and a growing swindle
In Elizabethan London, Tommy befriends Sir Walter Raleigh and the Queen Elizabeth I, seizing on their presence to launch a new swindle by claiming to own America and selling pieces of land to courtiers. The audacity of the scheme underscores the danger of power and currency in a distant era. The others become entangled in the plan, fearing for their safety and future.
When:late 16th century Where:Elizabethan London
- 6
Professor McAndrew imprisoned in the Tower
Professor Stewart McAndrew is arrested and jailed in the Tower of London for alleged Scottish espionage, effectively trapping the group in the past. The situation becomes more dire as they realize there may be no easy way back. The political climate of the era tightens around them.
When:late 16th century Where:Tower of London
- 7
Susie meets Shakespeare
Susie encounters William Shakespeare and feeds him some of his own lines, which he eagerly writes down. The encounter reveals the cultural vibrancy of the era and gives Susie a taste of the period's literary world. The exchange is playful but also shows how time travel can influence art.
When:late 16th century Where:Elizabethan London
- 8
Assuming identities to plead for the Professor
Susie and Bill meet Captain John Smith and Pocahontas in a tavern and steal their identities to gain an audience with Queen Elizabeth I to pardon the Professor. The ruse relies on convincing the monarch of their supposed connections and importance. The deception is risky and exposes them to immediate danger if uncovered.
When:late 16th century Where:Elizabethan London (tavern)
- 9
Unmasked and condemned to execution
Their deception is revealed, and they are unmasked and sentenced to be executed along with the Professor and Tommy. The weight of court politics and the danger of misrepresentation tighten around the group. The looming execution underscores how precarious their situation has become.
When:late 16th century Where:Elizabethan court
- 10
Escape by Time Ball and return to the present
The queen's soldiers attempt to burn them alive in a dramatic use of the Time Ball, but the Professor manages to repair the device and send them back to the modern day. The operatic tension of the moment highlights the fragile line between progress and peril. They barely escape the past just as their window to return closes.
When:late 16th century Where:Time Ball in Elizabethan London
- 11
Return to present day, weeks too early
They arrive back in the present, but several weeks too early, creating confusion and disrupting their sense of time. The premature arrival throws their lives into disarray as they try to readjust to a world that has moved on without them. The experience leaves them unsettled and wary of future adventures.
When:present Where:present day
- 12
Fade away due to temporal paradox
As a consequence of the temporal paradox, they begin to fade away from the present. Their memories and presence gradually diminish, leaving a sense of unfinished business and the knowledge that time sometimes claims its due. The ending lingers with a haunting reminder of the costs of meddling with fate.
When:present Where:present day
Who Are the Main Characters in Time Flies?
9 characters, among them Bill Barton — George Moon, Susie Barton — Evelyn Dall and Tommy — Tommy Handley: who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
- BB
Bill Barton — George Moon
Played by George Moon
A touring entertainer who bankrolls the Time Ball project. His impulse and optimism drive the group toward adventure, while his care for Susie motivates him to fund risky schemes. He becomes swept up in the era's intrigue as the plan spirals beyond control.
- 🎭 Entertainer
- 💸 Financier
- 🕰️ Impulsive
- SB
Susie Barton — Evelyn Dall
Played by Evelyn Dall
Bill's wife, pragmatic and protective. She demands the money back and resists the past’s temptations, yet she is drawn into the Elizabethan world when meeting Shakespeare. Her sharpness helps navigate the unexpected dangers of time travel.
- 💪 Resilient
- 🗣️ Witty
- 🧭 Travel-savvy
- T—
Tommy — Tommy Handley
Played by Tommy Handley
A valet pretending to be wealthy, using borrowed clothes and an air of affluence. He drives the initial deception and helps trigger the journey through time. He launches a new swindle by claiming ownership of America in the Tudor market.
- 🤫 Deceptive
- 🧥 Pretender
- 🗝️ Schemer
-
Professor Stewart McAndrew — Felix Aylmer
Played by Felix Aylmer
Designer of the Time Ball and a suspect in a political plot. He is jailed in the Tower of London, highlighting the danger science and curiosity face in a strict era. He repairs the device to help the group attempt a return to their own time.
- 🧪 Scientist
- 🕵️ Spy
- 🧰 Inventor
- QE
Queen Elizabeth I — Olga Lindo
Played by Olga Lindo
The powerful monarch whose favor can save or doom the travelers. The plan unfolds within her court, and soldiers threaten to burn the intruders alive before a last-minute pardon restores balance.
- 👑 Monarch
- 🧭 Court politics
- 🗡️ Authority
- CW
Captain Walter Raleigh — Leslie Bradley
Played by Leslie Bradley
A court figure encountered by the group during their Elizabethan sojourn. His presence adds to the era’s political and exploratory atmosphere as the travelers navigate court life.
- ⚓ Explorer
- 🏛️ Court life
- WS
William Shakespeare — John Salew
Played by John Salew
The renowned playwright who eagerly records Susie’s lines, blurring fiction and reality. His encounter with the modern visitors adds a meta-theatrical layer to the time-traveling comedy.
- 🖋️ Playwright
- 📝 Theatrical
- 🎭 Literature
- CJ
Captain John Smith — Roy Emerton
Played by Roy Emerton
A bold explorer who mingles with Pocahontas and Tudor revelers. His presence anchors the voyage in the era’s spirit of discovery and ambition.
- ⚓ Explorer
- 🗺️ Adventure
- P—
Pocahontas — Iris Lang
Played by Iris Lang
A princess who appears within the Elizabethan world, contributing to the cross-cultural dynamics of the time-hopping tale. Her involvement heightens the sense of international encounter at court.
- 🪶 Princess
- 🏹 Cross-cultural
Where and When Is Time Flies Set?
Time Flies is set in Elizabethan London and Tower of London (1590s). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
1590s
The story moves between the present and late-16th-century London during the Elizabethan era. The Time Ball propels the group into a world of monarchs, explorers, and playwrights. A temporal paradox threatens their return, causing them to gradually fade from history.
Where
Elizabethan London, Tower of London
Elizabethan London is the setting where the modern misfit trio slips into the court of Queen Elizabeth I. The Tower of London serves as a prison for the Professor, highlighting the era's harsh justice. The city blends theaters, taverns, and royal intrigue, creating a lively backdrop for the time-hopping adventure.
- 🏰 Elizabethan London
- 🗺️ Tower of London
- ⏳ Time travel
What Are the Themes of Time Flies?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Time Travel, Identity & Deception and Historical Crossover.
-
01
Time Travel
A modern device launches the characters into Elizabethan London, forcing them to face a hijacked timeline. The narrative centers on the consequences of altering history and the fragile nature of their attempt to return home.
-
02
Identity & Deception
Characters assume new identities within the Tudor court, driving the plot and the humor. The group’s schemes—especially the claim to own America—show the dangers of deception when history itself is at stake.
-
03
Historical Crossover
Modern characters collide with Elizabethan legends and real figures, blending contemporary wit with period drama. Encounters with Shakespeare, Raleigh, Smith, and Pocahontas highlight the playful clash of eras and the power of storytelling.
What Kind of Film Is Time Flies?
Light in tone, with fast pacing and a straightforward story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Light
- Pacing
- Fast
- Story
- Straightforward
- Intensity
- Low
- Ending
- Ambiguous
A fast-paced, whimsical comedy that feels like a chaotic and silly romp through history, fueled by frantic characters, mistaken identities, and lighthearted farce.
- whimsical
- lighthearted
- comedic
- chaotic
- farce
- silly
- time travel
- historical comedy
- mistaken identity
- impostors
Quiz
How well do you remember Time Flies? Test yourself on the story.
