I'm glad to say that "Lost In Space" had a big influence on my childhood while growing up. Countless hours were spent "playing" Lost In Space in our basement. I barely, barely remember the first run except that the robot scared me, so I truly came in during the first syndication run. At age 42, I still enjoy all of Season One. The Magic Mirror, My Friend, Mr. Nobody, and Follow The Leader are all great examples of this show. It's unfortunate that the other two seasons went the way of Batman and became just plain silly and cartoonish. However the first season had action packed space adventure, a crash landing, jet packs, laser rifles, the chariot, scary monsters including the Cyclops and fantastic music by John Williams, (the best music ever created for TV in my opinion.) The Jupiter Two sets are still fantastic and believable today, including the fabulous creation of the Robot. The ensemble cast was excellent, and I for one wish that Smith had remained evil and menacing during the run of the show. It may not have been as intellectual as Star Trek but it was good, clean, scary fun!
112 Reviews
Space has rarely been more fun
TheLittleSongbird25 September 2017
The 1960s was a great decade for television, or so to me. 'The Addams Family', 'The Munsters', Doctor Who', 'My Favourite Martian', 'Batman', 'Star Trek', 'Bewitched', 'I Dream of Jeannie', 'Dark Shadows', 'I Love Lucy', 'McHale's Navy', 'Green Acres', 'The Avengers', and they are just a few examples of very good to classic shows from that decade.
'Lost in Space' may be an uneven show, no this is not one of those rarities where there was not a dud episode throughout. Then again some of the aforementioned shows had rocky moments and inconsistency in their runs too, but it deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the above. When it was good, it was very good and even more than that on many occasions. However, when it was not so good, it was pretty bad to embarrassing. Overall though, it was a very good and influential show that did a lot with a unique concept.
Its best and most consistent season was the first. It had a darker and more sombre tone than the campier nature of the succeeding two seasons, with a real maturity, some suspense and sense of mystery and wonder. Yet it also didn't forget to be fun and full of adventure while treating its stories with intelligence and wit and its audience with respect. The monsters were mostly impressive in design and there were some memorable ones, likewise with the staging of the encounters with them, which were suspenseful and sometimes funny. There was a much better balance of characterisation, and the cast enjoy themselves without going over the top.
However, 'Lost in Space' was at its weakest in the second half of Season 3, where it felt like a different show. While it was understandable for the tone to be lightened to gain more viewers, it did cause a wide divide quality-wise and like the lightning up was taken too far. Not completely unwatchable, with "The Anti-Matter Man" being among the show's better episodes. It was during this period where farce replaced endearingly campy silliness (say what you want about Season 2 being silly, and it was admittedly, but it was still at least entertaining and endearing), repetition and near-incoherence was all over, camp was taken to extremes and the characterisation lacked balance and got over the top in some instances with far too much emphasis on Dr Smith and the robot. Most of the show's worst episodes were in this period too, with "The Great Vegetable Rebellion" gaining infamy as a hilariously terrible episode for good reason.
Visually, 'Lost in Space' looked good on the whole. Preferred it in black and white myself, being a little more atmospheric, but the colour has a 60s charm that holds up well. The sets are very imaginatively used and there are impressive special effects (as well as the odd hokey ones) for the monsters. The music is rousing and haunting with one of the most memorable main themes for a TV show that decade.
Regarding the writing, a lot of it was funny, clever with its fair share of suspense and emotion before getting too silly in Season 3. Some of the catchphrases or memorable quotes are iconic, Dr Smith has the best lines often (especially the repeated ones). The stories were mostly highly engaging and made the most of a unique concept at the time, space has often been portrayed as being wondrous and mysterious and 'Lost in Space' conveys that very well. There are some interesting themes that it covers too, both in its ideas and topics that are of relevance now.
Characters are not easy to forget, especially Dr Smith (regardless of whether he is used too much or a caricature later on, he is a fascinating character and has some of the best lines, he is a character we should hate but there is just something so lovable about him) and the robot and it is hard not to love the dynamic between them, or be endeared by Will. The cast do seem to be enjoying themselves thoroughly and that they know which tone they're going for.
Jonathan Harris' Dr Smith is an unforgettable creation and a genre character landmark, anybody asked about what role they associate Harris with would most likely choose his role here. Very like they would with the roles of Adam West in 'Batman', Ray Walston in 'My Favourite Martian', Jonathan Frid in 'Dark Shadows' and Elizabeth Montgomery in 'Bewitched'. Equalling him, let alone topping him, is impossible, and even if achieved is a monumental task as proved (and nowhere near as successfully) in the film version three decades later. Guy Williams, Bill Mumy and June Lockhart are all very good as well and the robot and its dynamic with Dr Smith is one of the show's greatest pleasures.
Overall, an uneven show but a very entertaining one and a very good one at its best. 8/10 Bethany Cox
'Lost in Space' may be an uneven show, no this is not one of those rarities where there was not a dud episode throughout. Then again some of the aforementioned shows had rocky moments and inconsistency in their runs too, but it deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the above. When it was good, it was very good and even more than that on many occasions. However, when it was not so good, it was pretty bad to embarrassing. Overall though, it was a very good and influential show that did a lot with a unique concept.
Its best and most consistent season was the first. It had a darker and more sombre tone than the campier nature of the succeeding two seasons, with a real maturity, some suspense and sense of mystery and wonder. Yet it also didn't forget to be fun and full of adventure while treating its stories with intelligence and wit and its audience with respect. The monsters were mostly impressive in design and there were some memorable ones, likewise with the staging of the encounters with them, which were suspenseful and sometimes funny. There was a much better balance of characterisation, and the cast enjoy themselves without going over the top.
However, 'Lost in Space' was at its weakest in the second half of Season 3, where it felt like a different show. While it was understandable for the tone to be lightened to gain more viewers, it did cause a wide divide quality-wise and like the lightning up was taken too far. Not completely unwatchable, with "The Anti-Matter Man" being among the show's better episodes. It was during this period where farce replaced endearingly campy silliness (say what you want about Season 2 being silly, and it was admittedly, but it was still at least entertaining and endearing), repetition and near-incoherence was all over, camp was taken to extremes and the characterisation lacked balance and got over the top in some instances with far too much emphasis on Dr Smith and the robot. Most of the show's worst episodes were in this period too, with "The Great Vegetable Rebellion" gaining infamy as a hilariously terrible episode for good reason.
Visually, 'Lost in Space' looked good on the whole. Preferred it in black and white myself, being a little more atmospheric, but the colour has a 60s charm that holds up well. The sets are very imaginatively used and there are impressive special effects (as well as the odd hokey ones) for the monsters. The music is rousing and haunting with one of the most memorable main themes for a TV show that decade.
Regarding the writing, a lot of it was funny, clever with its fair share of suspense and emotion before getting too silly in Season 3. Some of the catchphrases or memorable quotes are iconic, Dr Smith has the best lines often (especially the repeated ones). The stories were mostly highly engaging and made the most of a unique concept at the time, space has often been portrayed as being wondrous and mysterious and 'Lost in Space' conveys that very well. There are some interesting themes that it covers too, both in its ideas and topics that are of relevance now.
Characters are not easy to forget, especially Dr Smith (regardless of whether he is used too much or a caricature later on, he is a fascinating character and has some of the best lines, he is a character we should hate but there is just something so lovable about him) and the robot and it is hard not to love the dynamic between them, or be endeared by Will. The cast do seem to be enjoying themselves thoroughly and that they know which tone they're going for.
Jonathan Harris' Dr Smith is an unforgettable creation and a genre character landmark, anybody asked about what role they associate Harris with would most likely choose his role here. Very like they would with the roles of Adam West in 'Batman', Ray Walston in 'My Favourite Martian', Jonathan Frid in 'Dark Shadows' and Elizabeth Montgomery in 'Bewitched'. Equalling him, let alone topping him, is impossible, and even if achieved is a monumental task as proved (and nowhere near as successfully) in the film version three decades later. Guy Williams, Bill Mumy and June Lockhart are all very good as well and the robot and its dynamic with Dr Smith is one of the show's greatest pleasures.
Overall, an uneven show but a very entertaining one and a very good one at its best. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Space Family Robinson. Commemorating Lost In Space on its 50th anniversary
raysond31 December 2015
Interesting points here on the commemoration of the show's 50th anniversary. First off, it was creator-producer-director Irwin Allen's second television series after the phenomenal success of "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea",and his first weekly television series for CBS. "Lost In Space" was the first big-budget, prime-time science fiction/fantasy action-adventure series for television that originally aired on its Wednesday night time slot in prime-time. "Lost In Space" ran for three seasons airing from September 15, 1965 until March 6, 1968 producing 83 episodes. Only the first season was in black and white producing 29 episodes that ran from September 15, 1965 until April 27,1966. The next two seasons of the series produced 54 episodes in color(Season 2 consisting of 30 episodes and the third and final season 24 episodes)that ran from September 14, 1966 until March 6, 1968 for Irwin Allen Productions/Twentieth Century-Fox Television and the CBS Television Network.
"Lost In Space" had a top-cast of well known and respected actors that included Guy Williams("The Legend of Zorro"), June Lockhart("Timmy and Lassie"),Jonathan Harris("The Third Man",and "The Bill Dana Show"), Mark Goddard("Robert Taylor's The Detectives",and "Johnny Ringo")and Marta Kristen("The Man From UNCLE"),and two of the best child actors of the era Billy Mumy("The Twilight Zone"),and Angela Cartwright("Make Room For Daddy").Throughout it's impressive three season run and 83 episodes(more episodes than Star Trek on NBC)it was usually the highest- rated show in its time slot(going up against NBC's The Virginian and usually coming in neck to neck with Batman on ABC,believe it or not). The series boasted top name writers for some of the episodes ranging from Peter Packer to Carey Wilbur, Barney Slater, William Welch, Allen Balter, Jack Turley, Robert and Wanda Duncan, Herman Groves, Irwin Allen, and William Read- Woodfield. Top name directors ranging from Don Richardson, Sobey Martin, Nathan Juran, Ezra Stone, Harry Harris, Sutton Roley, Jus Addiss, to Leo Penn, Irving J. Moore, Leonard Horn, Alvin Ganzer, Paul Stanley, and Alexander Singer.
Big name guest stars ranging from Albert Salmi, Michael Rennie, Kurt Russell, Warren Oates, Michael J. Pollard, Gerald Mohr, Henry Jones, Malachi Throne, Liam Sullivan, Vitina Marcus, Strother Martin, along with Mercedes McCambridge, Francine York, Sherry Jackson, Kevin Hagen, Daniel J. Travanti, Arte Johnson, Alan Hewitt, Lyle Waggoner, Al Lewis, and Richard Basehart. Spectacular art direction by William Creber(of Fantastic Voyage and Planet of the Apes),make-up by John Chambers(Planet of the Apes),and an iconic Robot designed by Robert Kinoshita(Forbidden Planet and Fantastic Voyage),and ultra-cool theme songs and music by John Williams(of Star Wars and Jaws fame). It had alien chimps(Debbie the Bloop in Season 1),one-eyed cyclopeses,and even talking carrots. What made the series stand out was it's cliffhangers during the first 2 seasons with the family facing constant peril and danger where it left viewers in suspense("To Be Continue...NEXT WEEK...Same Time, Same Channel)until the next episode and so much more. The format cliffhangers from the first 2 seasons would change over by the show's third and final season.
Getting to the episodes and let me say that the show's first season opens with five dramatic and suspenseful episodes that rival some of the best science fiction stories out there ranging from the pilot episode "The Reluctant Stowaway" to "The Derelict". Then there were the other three that also stood out from "Island In The Sky","There Were Giants In The Earth",to "My Friend, Mr. Nobody", the two-part episode "The Keeper",and "The Hungry Sea" where the first season hits a road bump with "Welcome Stranger" which was very dramatic in its impact. Then the show takes a lurching turn in "The Sky Pirate". Season 2 picks up where the Season 1 left off this time in color with several good episodes ranging from "The Prisoners of Space","Trip Through The Robot",and "The Ghost Planet". The third and final season of the series saw "The Anti- Matter Man", "Hunter's Moon", "Visit to a Hostile Planet",and "Condemned of Space" stood out as the best episodes of the series.
The worst episodes that came out of Lost In Space's three-year run consisted of the worst of them all "The Great Vegetable Rebellion",and from there the episodes got even worst and some outrageously over the top and ridicious ranging from "The Thief of Outer Space", "The Space Croppers", "Princess of Space", "Castles of Space", "The Questing Beast", "The Girl From The Green Dimension", "Space Beauty", "West of Mars", "The Curse of Cousin Smith",and "Mutiny In Space".
When "Lost In Space" was abruptly canceled in the Spring of 1968 after three seasons and 83 episodes the powers that be over at CBS didn't waste any time in finding a replacement on it's Wednesday night prime time schedule for the 1968-1969 season which was the another action/adventure series from creator-producer Ivan Tors called "Daktari" that eventually replaced "Lost In Space".
"Lost In Space" had a top-cast of well known and respected actors that included Guy Williams("The Legend of Zorro"), June Lockhart("Timmy and Lassie"),Jonathan Harris("The Third Man",and "The Bill Dana Show"), Mark Goddard("Robert Taylor's The Detectives",and "Johnny Ringo")and Marta Kristen("The Man From UNCLE"),and two of the best child actors of the era Billy Mumy("The Twilight Zone"),and Angela Cartwright("Make Room For Daddy").Throughout it's impressive three season run and 83 episodes(more episodes than Star Trek on NBC)it was usually the highest- rated show in its time slot(going up against NBC's The Virginian and usually coming in neck to neck with Batman on ABC,believe it or not). The series boasted top name writers for some of the episodes ranging from Peter Packer to Carey Wilbur, Barney Slater, William Welch, Allen Balter, Jack Turley, Robert and Wanda Duncan, Herman Groves, Irwin Allen, and William Read- Woodfield. Top name directors ranging from Don Richardson, Sobey Martin, Nathan Juran, Ezra Stone, Harry Harris, Sutton Roley, Jus Addiss, to Leo Penn, Irving J. Moore, Leonard Horn, Alvin Ganzer, Paul Stanley, and Alexander Singer.
Big name guest stars ranging from Albert Salmi, Michael Rennie, Kurt Russell, Warren Oates, Michael J. Pollard, Gerald Mohr, Henry Jones, Malachi Throne, Liam Sullivan, Vitina Marcus, Strother Martin, along with Mercedes McCambridge, Francine York, Sherry Jackson, Kevin Hagen, Daniel J. Travanti, Arte Johnson, Alan Hewitt, Lyle Waggoner, Al Lewis, and Richard Basehart. Spectacular art direction by William Creber(of Fantastic Voyage and Planet of the Apes),make-up by John Chambers(Planet of the Apes),and an iconic Robot designed by Robert Kinoshita(Forbidden Planet and Fantastic Voyage),and ultra-cool theme songs and music by John Williams(of Star Wars and Jaws fame). It had alien chimps(Debbie the Bloop in Season 1),one-eyed cyclopeses,and even talking carrots. What made the series stand out was it's cliffhangers during the first 2 seasons with the family facing constant peril and danger where it left viewers in suspense("To Be Continue...NEXT WEEK...Same Time, Same Channel)until the next episode and so much more. The format cliffhangers from the first 2 seasons would change over by the show's third and final season.
Getting to the episodes and let me say that the show's first season opens with five dramatic and suspenseful episodes that rival some of the best science fiction stories out there ranging from the pilot episode "The Reluctant Stowaway" to "The Derelict". Then there were the other three that also stood out from "Island In The Sky","There Were Giants In The Earth",to "My Friend, Mr. Nobody", the two-part episode "The Keeper",and "The Hungry Sea" where the first season hits a road bump with "Welcome Stranger" which was very dramatic in its impact. Then the show takes a lurching turn in "The Sky Pirate". Season 2 picks up where the Season 1 left off this time in color with several good episodes ranging from "The Prisoners of Space","Trip Through The Robot",and "The Ghost Planet". The third and final season of the series saw "The Anti- Matter Man", "Hunter's Moon", "Visit to a Hostile Planet",and "Condemned of Space" stood out as the best episodes of the series.
The worst episodes that came out of Lost In Space's three-year run consisted of the worst of them all "The Great Vegetable Rebellion",and from there the episodes got even worst and some outrageously over the top and ridicious ranging from "The Thief of Outer Space", "The Space Croppers", "Princess of Space", "Castles of Space", "The Questing Beast", "The Girl From The Green Dimension", "Space Beauty", "West of Mars", "The Curse of Cousin Smith",and "Mutiny In Space".
When "Lost In Space" was abruptly canceled in the Spring of 1968 after three seasons and 83 episodes the powers that be over at CBS didn't waste any time in finding a replacement on it's Wednesday night prime time schedule for the 1968-1969 season which was the another action/adventure series from creator-producer Ivan Tors called "Daktari" that eventually replaced "Lost In Space".
The Best Of Irwin Allen
Thor20005 June 2001
I think this was the best thing that Irwin Allen ever did. Although the show drifted far away from its original synopsis,the adventures of a family in space, it eventually became the story of a boy and his robot. Bill Mumy became a hot talent in Hollywood after the series and his role as Will as the likeable son is one of TV's most endearing roles. Johnathan Harris was the villain we loved to hate as he became of another of the screen's most versatile character actors. The man showed great talent arguing with an inanimate prop and making it the hero of the show. The unnamed robot, ironically, became more dimensionally than anyone else in the show, and forget Mary Anne vs. Ginger, how many guys had crushes on Penny Robinson than on Judy ? Penny was the adorable ingenue next to the obvious Hollywood presence of Marta Kristen, the first Marilyn Monroe of the galaxy. John and June Robinson, however, slowly became less the leaders and heros of the series as they became closer to Ward and June Cleaver as they spilled out parental advice and punishments. Don West, however, remained mostly the same character without any developments in his character and past, but that can be directly blamed on the series focus between Will, the Robot and Dr. Smith while everyone else became just a little bit more than supporting roles. Despite these few faults, I still think its one of the best things to ever grace television.
Supremely Silly and Fondly Remembered 1960s Sci-Fi
mrb198015 June 2008
I think that anybody familiar with "Lost in Space" can divide the series into three distinct styles. It's pretty easy, because each season was very different from the others. The familiar characters included the Robinson family (John, Maureen, Judy, Penny, and precocious Will), the testy, short-tempered space pilot (Major Don West, played by Mark Goddard), the sinister, cowardly stowaway (Dr. Smith, played to perfection by Jonathan Harris), and of course the ship's robot, played by diminutive actor Bob May. The entire group took off in their ship Jupiter 2, and promptly got
well, lost in space.
The first season (1965-66) was in B&W and was very dark and serious in tone. There were several very good guest stars (including Michael Rennie, Warren Oates, Kurt Russell, and others), decent special effects, and sober story lines. The first season also had a very subtle love affair between Judy (Marta Kristen) and Major West. Still, the first season, though well done, was pretty boring. How many times can Guy Williams fly around with that jet pack?
The second season (1966-67) was in color and was markedly lighter and sillier in tone. The infuriating thing about this season was that the Jupiter 2 seemed never to leave the ground! Many of the season's stories never really went anywhere, nor did they make much sense. There were lots of colorful characters and absurd situations, with a few standout episodes, including my all-time favorite "Trip Through the Robot".
The third season (1967-68) left all logic and coherence behind, emphasizing silly situations with Will (Billy Mumy) and Dr. Smith always in peril. This is my favorite season, since the stories are mostly so absurd that there's no way to take them seriously. The series' nadir was no doubt "The Great Vegetable Rebellion", in which a giant carrot terrorizes the giggling cast. However, this season also included "The Anti-Matter Man", which was imaginative, dark, and very disturbing at times.
With "Lost in Space", I suppose you either love it or hate it. I grew up with it, and I love it but I can certainly understand why some people would just despise it for its silliness. As a child of the 1960s, I guess it simply makes me feel young again.
The first season (1965-66) was in B&W and was very dark and serious in tone. There were several very good guest stars (including Michael Rennie, Warren Oates, Kurt Russell, and others), decent special effects, and sober story lines. The first season also had a very subtle love affair between Judy (Marta Kristen) and Major West. Still, the first season, though well done, was pretty boring. How many times can Guy Williams fly around with that jet pack?
The second season (1966-67) was in color and was markedly lighter and sillier in tone. The infuriating thing about this season was that the Jupiter 2 seemed never to leave the ground! Many of the season's stories never really went anywhere, nor did they make much sense. There were lots of colorful characters and absurd situations, with a few standout episodes, including my all-time favorite "Trip Through the Robot".
The third season (1967-68) left all logic and coherence behind, emphasizing silly situations with Will (Billy Mumy) and Dr. Smith always in peril. This is my favorite season, since the stories are mostly so absurd that there's no way to take them seriously. The series' nadir was no doubt "The Great Vegetable Rebellion", in which a giant carrot terrorizes the giggling cast. However, this season also included "The Anti-Matter Man", which was imaginative, dark, and very disturbing at times.
With "Lost in Space", I suppose you either love it or hate it. I grew up with it, and I love it but I can certainly understand why some people would just despise it for its silliness. As a child of the 1960s, I guess it simply makes me feel young again.
Forbidden Planet meets Seinfeld meets Gilligan's Island
AlsExGal23 November 2014
I don't know if combining Forbidden Planet with Seinfeld and Gilligan's Island is exactly on target, but there are elements of all three. I was in second grade when this show premiered, and I never missed an episode. The stories were always interesting to me, and even at age eight the character of Dr. Smith absolutely captured my imagination. There are aspects of this fellow that are so very interesting - here is a guy with a great deal of education who never seems to have learned anything from the mythology he is always reciting to everyone, as in "All That Glitters", my all-time favorite episode. He didn't remember the tragedy of King Midas when he was making his wish? His greed and his cowardice override any mental advantage he may have. He is truly the George Costanza of space exploration - whenever he stumbles upon a piece of good fortune he has to milk it for all it's worth until the whole situation turns on him. Then there are the children - Will and Penny. No matter what Dr. Smith does they still like the guy, and he does a lot. He bargains with aliens to take Will's brain for their experiments instead of his, and in another episode turns Penny into platinum, although he does feel remorse about the latter deed. In fact, the children are Smith's only friends. He is merely tolerated by the adults, and for good reason.
Finally there is the "innocence and chastity beyond reason" element that was part of Gilligan's Island and is part of this show too. Despite the only natural and healthy attraction between Major Donald West and Judy Robinson, we are to believe that nothing really happens between the two for years on end. Also like Gilligan's Island, although the group's first priority starts off as finding a way to return to earth, eventually they settle into a kind of domestic tranquility and seem to make peace with their situation of being "lost in space".
Of course, rewatching this series over forty years later, it is not quite as great as I remembered it, but it is still great fun and Smith is still a fascinating character. It's also interesting to see what people in the 1960's thought earthly civilization would be like in 1997. It's humorous yet somewhat tragic to see the optimistic viewpoint people had of the future in the 1960's pertaining to human nature. What the series' creators couldn't foresee is that today people are much more like Zachary Smith than the Robinson family - at least the people in charge of things are.
Finally there is the "innocence and chastity beyond reason" element that was part of Gilligan's Island and is part of this show too. Despite the only natural and healthy attraction between Major Donald West and Judy Robinson, we are to believe that nothing really happens between the two for years on end. Also like Gilligan's Island, although the group's first priority starts off as finding a way to return to earth, eventually they settle into a kind of domestic tranquility and seem to make peace with their situation of being "lost in space".
Of course, rewatching this series over forty years later, it is not quite as great as I remembered it, but it is still great fun and Smith is still a fascinating character. It's also interesting to see what people in the 1960's thought earthly civilization would be like in 1997. It's humorous yet somewhat tragic to see the optimistic viewpoint people had of the future in the 1960's pertaining to human nature. What the series' creators couldn't foresee is that today people are much more like Zachary Smith than the Robinson family - at least the people in charge of things are.
An excellent example of a neglected genre, namely...
danielj_old99915 February 2006
SPACE FANTASY... STAR TREK certainly utilized elements of whimsy but not to this degree ...I think especially of an example such as the space circus episode,or the wonderful episode in which Dr. Smith turns slowly into a stalk of celery (an acting tour de force, by the way...)...Stunning use of archetypes such as the innocent young lad, the brave companion and the cowardly uncle...many have complained of the cardboard quality of the so called "main characters" of this series, but what an interesting use of them. The so called adult "stars" being only paper backdrops, intentionally made so, so as to throw into relief the richness of these archetypes and the genuinely mythic adventures in which they find themselves.The "special guest star" status of Jonathan Harris is one of the great ironic tricks of network television. A very underrated series.
The Most Fascinating series in TV History
edshifres27 February 2015
The Lost in Space (1965) TV series is my very favorite TV series of all time and always will be my favorite.
When I first saw the CBS-TV promo spots in the Summer of 1965, I was immediately consumed by this concept of a Swiss Family Robinson in space. The concept was intriguing: Family (which represents warmth, love and survival) in the environment of Space (cold, vast, mysterious).
All through my life, I have never been fascinated by any series or film more than the first five episodes and first season of glorious black & white. While the second and third seasons were in color, the story lines took a more campy route for better ratings competition with ABC's Batman - a higher rated series. Lost in Space's first season was nothing short of fabulous. In my opinion, the original concept was magnificent and unmatched by any science fiction concept...ever. From the fantastic and charismatic cast, to the beautifully haunting Bernard Herrmann incidental music within the episodes, to some wonderful guest stars such as Michael Rennie, this series has given me some of the greatest joy of my life...and always will. I had the privilege to have met June Lockhart, Bill Mumy, Marta Kristen, and Bob May...all were so gracious and appreciative of their fans. I so much loved this series and its history, I regarded the Robinsons as "my second family" and I had a need to write a book about it, so I authored Space Family Robinson: The True Story (Windsor House, 1996) and the success led to a republish as Lost in Space: The True Story (Windsor House, 1998).
Ed Shifres
When I first saw the CBS-TV promo spots in the Summer of 1965, I was immediately consumed by this concept of a Swiss Family Robinson in space. The concept was intriguing: Family (which represents warmth, love and survival) in the environment of Space (cold, vast, mysterious).
All through my life, I have never been fascinated by any series or film more than the first five episodes and first season of glorious black & white. While the second and third seasons were in color, the story lines took a more campy route for better ratings competition with ABC's Batman - a higher rated series. Lost in Space's first season was nothing short of fabulous. In my opinion, the original concept was magnificent and unmatched by any science fiction concept...ever. From the fantastic and charismatic cast, to the beautifully haunting Bernard Herrmann incidental music within the episodes, to some wonderful guest stars such as Michael Rennie, this series has given me some of the greatest joy of my life...and always will. I had the privilege to have met June Lockhart, Bill Mumy, Marta Kristen, and Bob May...all were so gracious and appreciative of their fans. I so much loved this series and its history, I regarded the Robinsons as "my second family" and I had a need to write a book about it, so I authored Space Family Robinson: The True Story (Windsor House, 1996) and the success led to a republish as Lost in Space: The True Story (Windsor House, 1998).
Ed Shifres
One Of The Best Sci-Fi Shows Ever!
ryon-210 April 2005
There are a lot of people who gripe about how the show set out to be dead serious and later became corrupted by the "camp craze" that started with the Batman show. But I like this series from beginning to end, with my only regret being that the show didn't get properly wrapped up at the end.
I like this show because you could see the love Will Robison felt for his father and unlike the dysfunctional television families of today, John Robison had great love for his son; and the bond between John and Maureen was also unshakable. This was a warm and caring family, and I liked that more then some of the silly plots.
That's not to say that I didn't like the plots: often they were silly and made me laugh-- probably when they were trying to be serious, and made more so by the limited budgets and special effects of the '60s. But if you made the same show today, using the most expensive CGI effects, the new show would not have the same warmth and charm, and it would die within a season. It's so sad that writers today don't know anything about what a family should be. Look at the recent movie; see how the producer's '90s view had a troubled Will Robinson, and a self-centered Penny, along with a soulless John Robinson who had all the charm of a brick.
I am glad that Lost In Space is on DVD as well as video and that people can see a great classic television show. So what, there were giant talking carrots! It was one of several funny episodes that I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world. There were some that stank, too, and I wouldn't miss those either. It was overall, a great series. And without Lost In Space, there would not have been a Star Trek. People forget that, too.
I give my respects to the late, great, Jonathan Harris. Doctor Smith, I'll miss you...
I like this show because you could see the love Will Robison felt for his father and unlike the dysfunctional television families of today, John Robison had great love for his son; and the bond between John and Maureen was also unshakable. This was a warm and caring family, and I liked that more then some of the silly plots.
That's not to say that I didn't like the plots: often they were silly and made me laugh-- probably when they were trying to be serious, and made more so by the limited budgets and special effects of the '60s. But if you made the same show today, using the most expensive CGI effects, the new show would not have the same warmth and charm, and it would die within a season. It's so sad that writers today don't know anything about what a family should be. Look at the recent movie; see how the producer's '90s view had a troubled Will Robinson, and a self-centered Penny, along with a soulless John Robinson who had all the charm of a brick.
I am glad that Lost In Space is on DVD as well as video and that people can see a great classic television show. So what, there were giant talking carrots! It was one of several funny episodes that I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world. There were some that stank, too, and I wouldn't miss those either. It was overall, a great series. And without Lost In Space, there would not have been a Star Trek. People forget that, too.
I give my respects to the late, great, Jonathan Harris. Doctor Smith, I'll miss you...
SERIES OF DIFFERENT QUALITY IN THE THREE SEASONS
asalerno1016 May 2022
One of the most memorable TV series of all time but whose quality was quite uneven in the three seasons that it lasted. The first season was without a doubt the best, it focused on the adventures of the first family of space settlers who departed from Earth to a planet called Alpha Centaury. Dr. Smith, a collaborator of the project and at the same time a spy in the service of an enemy power, enters the ship to sabotage it, but is trapped in it at the last moment, so the ship will drift in space. Riddled with danger. There were excellent stories in the first season, Dr. Smith was a Machiavellian villain who only thought of himself and did not hesitate to betray the Robinsons in order to achieve his goals. The problem arose in the second season, the series competed directly with Batman, which had quickly established itself as an instant success, in order not to lose audience LIS began to copy Batman's camp style and this greatly reduced its content, the series became childish and even silly at times, the stories focused exclusively on Will Robinson, the Robot and Dr. Smith who had already lost his twisted character to become a buffoonish character. For season 3 the production tried to make a change of direction and return to the quality of the scripts of season 1, a new intro was made and a space capsule was added with which they could descend on other planets without the need to land the ship . The quality was an improvement but they were never able to get back on track. Despite all this, the series is a highly recommended classic.
Possibly television's most "multiple personality" show
garrard9 September 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Irwin Allen's 1960's show couldn't seem to decide what it wanted to be. Starting out as a straight adventure tale of survival for a family of space travelers after their craft crash lands on an alien world, the show quickly moved into comic camp, heightened by the over-the-top performance of Jonathan Harris as "Dr. Smith", and then developed an odd blend of farce and fantasy in its third and final season.
It's no wonder than the show has an equal amount of defenders and critics.
The first black and white season, as mentioned earlier, is arguably its best, featuring its strongest episodes that showcased the performers to the best of its ability, based on the story lines. The rarely-seen pilot ("No Place to Hide") sold the show with its state-of-the art special effects, the brilliant use of Bernard Herrmann music (borrowed liberally from the composer's music for the classic "The Day the Earth Stood Still") and its ingenious casting of former "Zorro" Guy Williams, "Lassie" mom June Lockhart, television and movie darling Angela Cartwright, and Billy Mumy, who had appeared in film and a memorable "Twilight Zone" episode. Noticeably absent were Dr. Smith and the Robot, who were added to the cast on the suggestion of studio officials and sponsors.
Also, the pilot reveals that Maureen (Lockhart) was a notable doctor in her own right, but the series never made reference to that, relegating her to a "cookie-baking" mom. Even Judy (Marta Kristen) was supposed to be an aspiring actress that put her career on hold to make the ill-fated space voyage.
Obviously, Allen and company didn't know what to do with "strong women".
Besides the pilot, which would be used to form the basis for the first five episodes of the new season, there were some other standout installments. "Invaders from the Fifth Dimension" features some truly creepy aliens and a wonderful exchange between the Robot and Maureen. Also, the installment allows the viewer to see how really sinister Dr. Smith could be.
Angela Cartwright (Penny) would be showcased in "My Friend, Mr. Nobody," featuring a brilliant John Williams' score, and "The Magic Mirror," co-starring a young pre-"Bonnie and Clyde" Michael J. Pollard. Even the seldom-used Judy (Kristen) gets an episode, "Attack of the Monster Plants." A boyish Kurt Russel would land in "The Challenge" and a strange homage to the popular "Beverly Hillbillies" would be played out in "The Space Croppers, featuring a great turn from Academy Award-winner Mercedes McCambridge.
The season also features the best in the series: the only two-parter, "The Keeper," guest-starring Michael Rennie, star of the aforementioned "The Day the Earth Stood Still". The production staff pulled out all the stops with several stunning scenes, concluding with a fight with a giant spider.
The final installment of the season was "Follow the Leader" wherein John is possessed by an alien spirit that makes life truly miserable for the Robinson family. Williams gets to again show his physical skills in a tense duel with Don (Mark Goddard).
Though the second season would be the series' first in color, it also would be its silliest, with many of the episodes unbearably awful in their execution. There were genies, Vikings, dragons, pirates, and enough silver-faced aliens to start a cosmetics firm. Even with this barrage of silliness, there were a few commendable episodes: "Blast Off Into Space", the first of the season with a good performance from guest Strother Martin and some great pyrotechnics; "The Golden Man," a Penny-inspired episode that involves a war between two alien species; "Cave of the Wizards" wherein Dr. Smith is taken over by an alien computer; "Trip Through the Robot," an interesting journey as Will and Dr. Smith must restore the Robot to normal size after a mysterious gas has caused the machine to grow enormously; "The Astral Traveler" returns Will to Earth and the boy finds himself in a haunted castle' and screen veteran John Carradine appears in the season-ending "The Galaxy Gift", an episode that also marks the return of the black-faced aliens, seen in the earlier "Wreck of the Robot".
Based on cast complaints, the third season would be an unbalanced one, trying to blend the first season adventure with the second season camp, making for a truly schizophrenic blend. While there were commendable episodes as "The Anti-Matter Man," "Space Creature," "Hunter's Moon," the popular "Visit to a Hostile Planet," "Target: Earth," and "Time Merchant," there were turkeys like "A Day at the Zoo," "Collision of Planets" and the politically-INCORRECT "Castles in Space." Season three also had the infamous "The Great Vegetable Rebellion".
All in all, however, "Lost in Space," though not one of the great television shows, still ranks as one of the most memorable, for all its pros and cons.
It's no wonder than the show has an equal amount of defenders and critics.
The first black and white season, as mentioned earlier, is arguably its best, featuring its strongest episodes that showcased the performers to the best of its ability, based on the story lines. The rarely-seen pilot ("No Place to Hide") sold the show with its state-of-the art special effects, the brilliant use of Bernard Herrmann music (borrowed liberally from the composer's music for the classic "The Day the Earth Stood Still") and its ingenious casting of former "Zorro" Guy Williams, "Lassie" mom June Lockhart, television and movie darling Angela Cartwright, and Billy Mumy, who had appeared in film and a memorable "Twilight Zone" episode. Noticeably absent were Dr. Smith and the Robot, who were added to the cast on the suggestion of studio officials and sponsors.
Also, the pilot reveals that Maureen (Lockhart) was a notable doctor in her own right, but the series never made reference to that, relegating her to a "cookie-baking" mom. Even Judy (Marta Kristen) was supposed to be an aspiring actress that put her career on hold to make the ill-fated space voyage.
Obviously, Allen and company didn't know what to do with "strong women".
Besides the pilot, which would be used to form the basis for the first five episodes of the new season, there were some other standout installments. "Invaders from the Fifth Dimension" features some truly creepy aliens and a wonderful exchange between the Robot and Maureen. Also, the installment allows the viewer to see how really sinister Dr. Smith could be.
Angela Cartwright (Penny) would be showcased in "My Friend, Mr. Nobody," featuring a brilliant John Williams' score, and "The Magic Mirror," co-starring a young pre-"Bonnie and Clyde" Michael J. Pollard. Even the seldom-used Judy (Kristen) gets an episode, "Attack of the Monster Plants." A boyish Kurt Russel would land in "The Challenge" and a strange homage to the popular "Beverly Hillbillies" would be played out in "The Space Croppers, featuring a great turn from Academy Award-winner Mercedes McCambridge.
The season also features the best in the series: the only two-parter, "The Keeper," guest-starring Michael Rennie, star of the aforementioned "The Day the Earth Stood Still". The production staff pulled out all the stops with several stunning scenes, concluding with a fight with a giant spider.
The final installment of the season was "Follow the Leader" wherein John is possessed by an alien spirit that makes life truly miserable for the Robinson family. Williams gets to again show his physical skills in a tense duel with Don (Mark Goddard).
Though the second season would be the series' first in color, it also would be its silliest, with many of the episodes unbearably awful in their execution. There were genies, Vikings, dragons, pirates, and enough silver-faced aliens to start a cosmetics firm. Even with this barrage of silliness, there were a few commendable episodes: "Blast Off Into Space", the first of the season with a good performance from guest Strother Martin and some great pyrotechnics; "The Golden Man," a Penny-inspired episode that involves a war between two alien species; "Cave of the Wizards" wherein Dr. Smith is taken over by an alien computer; "Trip Through the Robot," an interesting journey as Will and Dr. Smith must restore the Robot to normal size after a mysterious gas has caused the machine to grow enormously; "The Astral Traveler" returns Will to Earth and the boy finds himself in a haunted castle' and screen veteran John Carradine appears in the season-ending "The Galaxy Gift", an episode that also marks the return of the black-faced aliens, seen in the earlier "Wreck of the Robot".
Based on cast complaints, the third season would be an unbalanced one, trying to blend the first season adventure with the second season camp, making for a truly schizophrenic blend. While there were commendable episodes as "The Anti-Matter Man," "Space Creature," "Hunter's Moon," the popular "Visit to a Hostile Planet," "Target: Earth," and "Time Merchant," there were turkeys like "A Day at the Zoo," "Collision of Planets" and the politically-INCORRECT "Castles in Space." Season three also had the infamous "The Great Vegetable Rebellion".
All in all, however, "Lost in Space," though not one of the great television shows, still ranks as one of the most memorable, for all its pros and cons.
A superb series
BaseballRaysFan27 July 2006
This series started out as a superb, thrilling action-packed sci-fi show. Unfortunately, it had a tendency to get silly at times. Even at its worst, it was a lot of fun to watch. It's too bad that so many people only remember the silly episodes like "The Great Vegetable Rebellion" and forget the wonderful ones like "The Hungry Sea", "Island In The Sky", "There Were Giants In The Earth", "The Anti-Matter Man", "Visit To A Hostile Planet", "Return To Earth", "The Sky Is Falling" and on and on. For every lousy episode, there were two that rocked.
The cast was one-of-a-kind. Guy Williams from "Zorro" and June Lockhart from "Lassie" headed the group. Jonathan Harris' talents were never as brilliantly displayed as they were in this show. Even the kids, Bill Mumy and Angela Cartwright, were already seasoned professionals when the series started. Bill Mumy had already been in Disney movies ("Sammy The Way-Out Seal" and "For the Love of Willadean") and classic "Twilight Zone" episodes before Lost In Space. Angela Cartwright had starred as Linda Williams on "Make Room For Daddy".
No matter what episode it is, the chemistry of this cast always shined. They genuinely liked each other, and it showed. Bill Mumy and Angela Cartwright even got engaged years after the series ended. The surviving cast still gets together for lunch at 20th several times a year.
Even "Star Trek" seems to have borrowed some ideas from "Lost In Space". Remember the neck rings that choked Kirk? Check out the 1965 episode of Lost In Space called "Invaders From The Fifth Dimension". Breaking down matter and transporting it from one place to another was explored in 1965's Lost In Space episode called "The Sky Is Falling".
The cast was one-of-a-kind. Guy Williams from "Zorro" and June Lockhart from "Lassie" headed the group. Jonathan Harris' talents were never as brilliantly displayed as they were in this show. Even the kids, Bill Mumy and Angela Cartwright, were already seasoned professionals when the series started. Bill Mumy had already been in Disney movies ("Sammy The Way-Out Seal" and "For the Love of Willadean") and classic "Twilight Zone" episodes before Lost In Space. Angela Cartwright had starred as Linda Williams on "Make Room For Daddy".
No matter what episode it is, the chemistry of this cast always shined. They genuinely liked each other, and it showed. Bill Mumy and Angela Cartwright even got engaged years after the series ended. The surviving cast still gets together for lunch at 20th several times a year.
Even "Star Trek" seems to have borrowed some ideas from "Lost In Space". Remember the neck rings that choked Kirk? Check out the 1965 episode of Lost In Space called "Invaders From The Fifth Dimension". Breaking down matter and transporting it from one place to another was explored in 1965's Lost In Space episode called "The Sky Is Falling".
One of the greatest fantasy TV shows ever produced
fertilecelluloid25 December 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Irwin Allen's best series, and one of the greatest fantasy TV shows ever produced. After the first dozen episodes, it became the Smith, Will and Robot Show, but I didn't care one bit. For its time, the special effects were state-of-the-art and the alien creatures were incredible. I have always found the images of the Jupiter II heading for a crash landing on the next hostile planet haunting and beautiful. John Williams' scores are sublime, ranging from beautiful ("My Friend Mr. Nobody") to chilling ("Follow The Leader"/"The Anti-Matter Man"). There were so many amazing episodes that truly fired the imagination and instilled a true sense of wonder in us all. I will never forget Will Robinson taking a time machine back to Earth where he is deposited on a snowy roof. I will always love and be haunted by the screeching of the monster Angus as he chased our heroes through an old Scottish castle ("The Astral Traveller") surrounded by the darkest, murkiest sea. I have forever been haunted by the black, sequin-faced, robot-like denizens of a fake town who mumbled "We want the mechanical man..." I always weep when Smith gains a skullcap and loses the last of his human qualities and becomes part of an alien machine. I can't contain my excitement when Will and Professor Robinson take part in "The Deadly Games of Gamma 6". I love Will finding the Princess, West and Don serving time on a prison planet with a bearded, money-like brute, nasty prisoners unfrozen, the weirdness of Michael J. Pollard in "The Mirror", the junkman, the army of Smiths produced in a machine, Will emerging from the same machine possibly changed forever, John Robinson flying with his jet pack, the giant, the monster plants, Captain Tucker, Smith's strange declaration that "there is no lower level" on the phony Jupiter II, and the chariot swallowed by a whirlpool and all hope lost (?) And what young boy didn't take terrible fright when a mean Professor Robinson take control of the Jupiter II and demanded blood from all. "Lost in Space" simply was and still is a wonderful TV show filled with suspense, horror, great space vistas, fantastic monsters, memorable characters and the greatest robot cast member ever. If you've never seen "Lost in Space", I envy you your virgin voyage. And, wherever you are, Space Family Robinson, I hope it is closer to Alpha Centauri.
The best show from TV's greatest decade
thommickel8 June 2007
I guess I'm alone in my views these days, but I've never agreed with the critics (or the vast audiences) that adore contemporary TV series like "Seinfeld" or "Friends."
For me, the best decade for TV (by a million miles) was the 1960s. It was truly a unique decade for television. Series produced then are totally unlike anything produced previously or since. I don't know what it was (perhaps someone spiked the water back then), but TV in the 1960s was unique. There was a certain sense of wonder, a certain sense of the fantastic---and a definite 60s vibe of surrealism that crept into every show from "Green Acres" to "Batman" to "Gilligan's Island."
And for my money, the best show in TV's greatest decade was "Lost in Space." It's impossible to describe what watching this show was like in the 1960s. It's an experience that simply can't be re-produced today. For a start, America was still an optimistic nation and we had an ambitious space program that would soon take us to the moon. For everyone who was young in the 60s, it seemed highly plausible that, we too, would get a chance to ride a rocket into space within our lifetimes. Little could we fathom that, after 1972, America wouldn't even land a person on the moon for 35 long years.
Today's TV shows are stiflingly dull and seem to be created by committees that cynically use focus groups to create their sterile product. "Lost in Space" is a million miles away from this creative process. In fact, it's the total opposite (and all the more brilliant for this).
The greatest science fiction always had a sense of wonder and mystery. "Lost in Space" captured the mystery of space---indeed, the show itself was actually quite bizarre. It's a far cry from the over-rated "Star Trek," which, instead of giving us a sense of mystery, followed an (increasingly stale) by-the-numbers formula.
And "formula" is precisely what one did NOT get in viewing "Lost in Space." Indeed, this show is so strange that, viewing it today, it seems like a relic from a lost civilization. It's hard, in fact, to really even fathom who the producers were targeting as their audience.
Naturally, there are cynics who hate this show, and fall over themselves pointing out the plot holes and the ignorance of "realism." To those folks, I say: Chill out. Even TV's "realistic" shows are NOT as realistic as they hyped to be. "Star Trek," for example, has plenty of flaws in its science. Even a highly-praised show like "ER," the medical drama, has plenty of inaccuracies (as any medical professional will tell you).
In many ways, "Lost in Space" does a wonderful job of capturing the essence of what made the 60s the greatest decade of the 20th century for TV, film, music, and culture in general. It's something we'll never re-capture in today's stale culture, dominated as it is by dull, overpaid celebrities. We've gone a long ways downhill from The Beatles to "American Idol."
For me, the best decade for TV (by a million miles) was the 1960s. It was truly a unique decade for television. Series produced then are totally unlike anything produced previously or since. I don't know what it was (perhaps someone spiked the water back then), but TV in the 1960s was unique. There was a certain sense of wonder, a certain sense of the fantastic---and a definite 60s vibe of surrealism that crept into every show from "Green Acres" to "Batman" to "Gilligan's Island."
And for my money, the best show in TV's greatest decade was "Lost in Space." It's impossible to describe what watching this show was like in the 1960s. It's an experience that simply can't be re-produced today. For a start, America was still an optimistic nation and we had an ambitious space program that would soon take us to the moon. For everyone who was young in the 60s, it seemed highly plausible that, we too, would get a chance to ride a rocket into space within our lifetimes. Little could we fathom that, after 1972, America wouldn't even land a person on the moon for 35 long years.
Today's TV shows are stiflingly dull and seem to be created by committees that cynically use focus groups to create their sterile product. "Lost in Space" is a million miles away from this creative process. In fact, it's the total opposite (and all the more brilliant for this).
The greatest science fiction always had a sense of wonder and mystery. "Lost in Space" captured the mystery of space---indeed, the show itself was actually quite bizarre. It's a far cry from the over-rated "Star Trek," which, instead of giving us a sense of mystery, followed an (increasingly stale) by-the-numbers formula.
And "formula" is precisely what one did NOT get in viewing "Lost in Space." Indeed, this show is so strange that, viewing it today, it seems like a relic from a lost civilization. It's hard, in fact, to really even fathom who the producers were targeting as their audience.
Naturally, there are cynics who hate this show, and fall over themselves pointing out the plot holes and the ignorance of "realism." To those folks, I say: Chill out. Even TV's "realistic" shows are NOT as realistic as they hyped to be. "Star Trek," for example, has plenty of flaws in its science. Even a highly-praised show like "ER," the medical drama, has plenty of inaccuracies (as any medical professional will tell you).
In many ways, "Lost in Space" does a wonderful job of capturing the essence of what made the 60s the greatest decade of the 20th century for TV, film, music, and culture in general. It's something we'll never re-capture in today's stale culture, dominated as it is by dull, overpaid celebrities. We've gone a long ways downhill from The Beatles to "American Idol."
Lost in Space - One of My Favorite TV Shows
jptuttleb24 June 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Lost in Space is a classic sci-fi story with a robot which initially turns against its intended masters, cryogenic freezing tubes for suspended animation, a saucer-shaped spacecraft, as well as a whole host of aliens, some of which are hospitable and some hostile. Together, the Robinson family, Major Donald West, and Colonel Zachary Smith have to survive in ever-changing conditions. They have to be careful in their weekly dealings with aliens since some of them belie their intentions, often hiding malicious plans in store for the small Earthling party lost in space. The Robinsons technically save the Earth from an alien invasion on at least two occasions, in the episodes "The Lost Civilization" and "The Deadly Games of Gamma 6."
I absolutely love this show. It has its touching moments, its funny moments, its corny moments, and its dark and dangerous moments. It is a classic piece of family entertainment about a family, friendship, love, adventure, cowardice, sabotage, betrayal, and endurance. Some of the characters return to Earth just a few times throughout the series, but circumstances require them to leave soon after their arrival. They never make it to their original destination, the star system of Alpha Centauri, or back home to Earth for good. The show was canceled, leaving the Robinsons, Major West, and Doctor Smith forever lost in space.
I absolutely love this show. It has its touching moments, its funny moments, its corny moments, and its dark and dangerous moments. It is a classic piece of family entertainment about a family, friendship, love, adventure, cowardice, sabotage, betrayal, and endurance. Some of the characters return to Earth just a few times throughout the series, but circumstances require them to leave soon after their arrival. They never make it to their original destination, the star system of Alpha Centauri, or back home to Earth for good. The show was canceled, leaving the Robinsons, Major West, and Doctor Smith forever lost in space.
A Farcical Fantasy
brianwolters26 July 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I've always been a Lost in Space fan. From when I was very young when Mr. Keema scared me when he revealed himself, to rediscovering it in the late 80's to watching it now for the memories, the show has always entertained me. At my younger age, I loved Season 2. As a teen, I loved Season 3 and now, I find that Season 1 was simply the best. On a whole, the series is a classic.
Season 1 opens with 5 dramatic and suspenseful episodes that rival some of the best sci-fi / adventure stories out there. While this isn't "good" science, it is fun. Despite a road bump with "Welcome, Stranger", the first half of Season 1 was very dramatic in its impact. The family had to find food, shelter, water at the same time as battling the unknown and sometimes hostile creatures. Then, the show takes a lurching turn with The Sky Pirate and rarely looks back. From that point on, the focus of the show was "comedic villain" of the week and how Will, Smith and the Robot deal with plot. Despite the format change, the remaining first season episodes still had a lot of charm and excitement to them.
Season 2 picks right up where Season 1 ended, by keeping the "comedic villain" of the week. Despite a 3 episode stretch where you can feel a return to pure adventure, it takes the "comedic villain" of the week formula and adds on farce.
Adventure was at the forefront of Season 2. The opening episode, Blast of Into Space is an episode that rids us of the villain early to focus once again on the plight of their situation. "Wild Adventure", the best of Season 2 and one of the strongest of the series, is a great space bound adventure getting them close to Earth.
From the middle of Forbidden World on, the adventure element was nearly gone and we had fun, comical episodes. The first half of Season 2 is arguably the best. "Prisoners of Space" gave us a break from the visiting villain and while a flashback show, it was fairly riveting for the series. After that, we enter a stretch of bland yet still entertaining episodes. "The Golden Man" featured horrible masks and beach ball bombs but it was one of the stronger shows of the season.
The 2nd 1/2 of the season features 4 stinkers yet in their own way, they are charming. From "The Questing Beat" through "The Space Vikings", we are treated to space fantasy at its most absurd. "The Cave of The Wizards" features some genuine emotion from Smith toward his feelings for the Robinsons and a teaser about a possible lift off from the planet. And two great Robot episodes, "Trip Through the Robot" and "The Mechanical Men".
Season 3 of Lost in Space had a very ambitious start. You could feel the excitement of the new direction the show tried early in this season. From the exciting and grand new theme to actually going into space more often, Season 3 did start out very well.
The third season features some of the best episodes of the third season and a few approach the best or at least the most ambitious of the entire series. We start out with the action packed "Condemned of Space" where we see the Robinson's lift off, dodge a comet, loose the Robot in Space and come across a frozen prison. We move on to "A Visit to a Hostile Planet" where we feature one of the best of the series (though logic is out the window) where our crew returns to Earth of the Past. And even when stuck on a planet for a while, they to attempt new fresh ideas, most notably some bonding between Don and Smith in "Space Primevals." Bad creature effects aside, "Space Creature" gave us one of the deepest Lost in Space episodes to date.
It would seem that toward the middle of season 3, that the writers milked all they could out of the return to action and adventure and had to settle back to farcical fantasy and the results not very good. We get three episodes in a row that pretty much sign the death certificate of the entire series; "A Day at the Zoo", "Two Weeks in Space" which features the Jupiter 2 as a resort for fugitive aliens, complete with a cash register and badminton equipment, and "Castles in Space. If it weren't for the excellent "The Anti-Matter Man", the show could have ended there.
The final stretch of the Lost in Space series is definitely schizophrenic. We get the excellent "Target: Earth" where a group of uniform creatures want to learn to be individuals. Then we lurch over to "Princess of Space". Later we get "The Flaming Planet" had a decent story but the subplot about the radioactive plant was enough to curdle lunch milk a million miles away. "Fugitives in Space" was a different episode that actually felt fresh, despite the weird court they had. Enough has been said about the "Talking Carrot", so we won't even go there. And because of "bad behavior" from the filming of that episode, we rarely see Guy Williams or June Lockheart this season." The Promised Planet" is far from the best ever but it is one of my favorites mainly due to the absurdity of it all.
Could the series have been renewed for a 4th season? The ratings were good and the good episodes far outweighed the bad but alas, it was never meant to be. We bid adieu and farewell to a great series and we can only hope we have a decent revival of the series on TV one day.
Season 1 opens with 5 dramatic and suspenseful episodes that rival some of the best sci-fi / adventure stories out there. While this isn't "good" science, it is fun. Despite a road bump with "Welcome, Stranger", the first half of Season 1 was very dramatic in its impact. The family had to find food, shelter, water at the same time as battling the unknown and sometimes hostile creatures. Then, the show takes a lurching turn with The Sky Pirate and rarely looks back. From that point on, the focus of the show was "comedic villain" of the week and how Will, Smith and the Robot deal with plot. Despite the format change, the remaining first season episodes still had a lot of charm and excitement to them.
Season 2 picks right up where Season 1 ended, by keeping the "comedic villain" of the week. Despite a 3 episode stretch where you can feel a return to pure adventure, it takes the "comedic villain" of the week formula and adds on farce.
Adventure was at the forefront of Season 2. The opening episode, Blast of Into Space is an episode that rids us of the villain early to focus once again on the plight of their situation. "Wild Adventure", the best of Season 2 and one of the strongest of the series, is a great space bound adventure getting them close to Earth.
From the middle of Forbidden World on, the adventure element was nearly gone and we had fun, comical episodes. The first half of Season 2 is arguably the best. "Prisoners of Space" gave us a break from the visiting villain and while a flashback show, it was fairly riveting for the series. After that, we enter a stretch of bland yet still entertaining episodes. "The Golden Man" featured horrible masks and beach ball bombs but it was one of the stronger shows of the season.
The 2nd 1/2 of the season features 4 stinkers yet in their own way, they are charming. From "The Questing Beat" through "The Space Vikings", we are treated to space fantasy at its most absurd. "The Cave of The Wizards" features some genuine emotion from Smith toward his feelings for the Robinsons and a teaser about a possible lift off from the planet. And two great Robot episodes, "Trip Through the Robot" and "The Mechanical Men".
Season 3 of Lost in Space had a very ambitious start. You could feel the excitement of the new direction the show tried early in this season. From the exciting and grand new theme to actually going into space more often, Season 3 did start out very well.
The third season features some of the best episodes of the third season and a few approach the best or at least the most ambitious of the entire series. We start out with the action packed "Condemned of Space" where we see the Robinson's lift off, dodge a comet, loose the Robot in Space and come across a frozen prison. We move on to "A Visit to a Hostile Planet" where we feature one of the best of the series (though logic is out the window) where our crew returns to Earth of the Past. And even when stuck on a planet for a while, they to attempt new fresh ideas, most notably some bonding between Don and Smith in "Space Primevals." Bad creature effects aside, "Space Creature" gave us one of the deepest Lost in Space episodes to date.
It would seem that toward the middle of season 3, that the writers milked all they could out of the return to action and adventure and had to settle back to farcical fantasy and the results not very good. We get three episodes in a row that pretty much sign the death certificate of the entire series; "A Day at the Zoo", "Two Weeks in Space" which features the Jupiter 2 as a resort for fugitive aliens, complete with a cash register and badminton equipment, and "Castles in Space. If it weren't for the excellent "The Anti-Matter Man", the show could have ended there.
The final stretch of the Lost in Space series is definitely schizophrenic. We get the excellent "Target: Earth" where a group of uniform creatures want to learn to be individuals. Then we lurch over to "Princess of Space". Later we get "The Flaming Planet" had a decent story but the subplot about the radioactive plant was enough to curdle lunch milk a million miles away. "Fugitives in Space" was a different episode that actually felt fresh, despite the weird court they had. Enough has been said about the "Talking Carrot", so we won't even go there. And because of "bad behavior" from the filming of that episode, we rarely see Guy Williams or June Lockheart this season." The Promised Planet" is far from the best ever but it is one of my favorites mainly due to the absurdity of it all.
Could the series have been renewed for a 4th season? The ratings were good and the good episodes far outweighed the bad but alas, it was never meant to be. We bid adieu and farewell to a great series and we can only hope we have a decent revival of the series on TV one day.
Warning - Danger Will Robinson- Zach et al
DKosty12310 September 2007
Irwin Allen's special effects & imagination are at the heart of this series. While it was not as successful on CBS as Allen's Voyage was on ABC, this one made a bigger splash in the ratings when it started. That is because of the popularity of it's cast.
The actors & actresses who played the Robinsons were well chosen. June Lockhart & Guy Williams were the perfect parent types. Marta Kristen & Don (not a Robinson but her live in boyfriend on the ship) were good choice to appeal to the older teens. Angela Cartwright & Billy Mumy were attractive to the 8 to 14 year old set, though Angela moved up more into the older teenagers more before the series ended.
The robot, the space ship, the aliens were all imaginative & so was the action that Allen came up with in the series which was well produced. The strength & weakness of the series both were embodied in Jonathan Harris. Dr. Smith was a mixture of helpless like Gilligan on Gilligan's island, always screwing things up, & soap opera villain like JR on Dallas deliberately sabotaging the Robinson families attempts to get back to earth.
Smith's character came to dominate the series much too often & in the end shortened it's run. He drew too much attention away from the adventure & strong cast which established the series. There were some episodes where the robot got out of hand, but towards the end of the show it was pretty much the question do you you want to see how Dr. Smith screwed up this week? Too bad it got mired in this way, as if they had gone back toward adventure more, this series could have lasted longer.
The actors & actresses who played the Robinsons were well chosen. June Lockhart & Guy Williams were the perfect parent types. Marta Kristen & Don (not a Robinson but her live in boyfriend on the ship) were good choice to appeal to the older teens. Angela Cartwright & Billy Mumy were attractive to the 8 to 14 year old set, though Angela moved up more into the older teenagers more before the series ended.
The robot, the space ship, the aliens were all imaginative & so was the action that Allen came up with in the series which was well produced. The strength & weakness of the series both were embodied in Jonathan Harris. Dr. Smith was a mixture of helpless like Gilligan on Gilligan's island, always screwing things up, & soap opera villain like JR on Dallas deliberately sabotaging the Robinson families attempts to get back to earth.
Smith's character came to dominate the series much too often & in the end shortened it's run. He drew too much attention away from the adventure & strong cast which established the series. There were some episodes where the robot got out of hand, but towards the end of the show it was pretty much the question do you you want to see how Dr. Smith screwed up this week? Too bad it got mired in this way, as if they had gone back toward adventure more, this series could have lasted longer.
I got lost in Lost in Space
john-allen76-19 September 2021
I was only 7 when the series ended and this all happened before the first moon walk so paved the way for children's imaginations everywhere.
As far as I was concerned this was what outer space was like and I rushed home every week to watch this wonderful programme.
Billy Mumy was me!!!! I built spaceships in my bedroom made from blankets and chairs and my friends would come round so we were able to visit wonderful planets or crash land on one like in the show. My poor mother then had to be an alien who we conversed with.
In the show itself Zachary Smith played by the wonderful Jonathan Harris and the robot played by Bob May stole the show every week.
I wish I had been slightly older to have been able to understand all of Smith's abuse at the mechanical moron. Oh the pain!!
As far as I was concerned this was what outer space was like and I rushed home every week to watch this wonderful programme.
Billy Mumy was me!!!! I built spaceships in my bedroom made from blankets and chairs and my friends would come round so we were able to visit wonderful planets or crash land on one like in the show. My poor mother then had to be an alien who we conversed with.
In the show itself Zachary Smith played by the wonderful Jonathan Harris and the robot played by Bob May stole the show every week.
I wish I had been slightly older to have been able to understand all of Smith's abuse at the mechanical moron. Oh the pain!!
My Favorite TV Show of all time!
bigfrankie-4346421 November 2022
I watched Lost in Space as a child in the 1960s, watched the re-runs, of most episodes, many times in the 70s and watched all episodes again over the last two months.
To properly appreciate Lost in Space, it may be best to recognize the time it was made and the outlet it was made for: 1965 -1968 TV. Space Travel was a significant event. We would watch the first man land on the moon in 1969. Lost in Space overlapped b&w TV and color TV and the culture was changing. Please remember that context when watching.
My recommendation is to start with the first episode and watch in the order they aired. A big part of the reason for that is you can see how Dr. Smith develops from an evil cold spy, there to sabotage the journey, to eventual sneaky, lazy, cowardly, crooked (but sometimes likeable) buffoon. One of the most iconic TV show characters of all-time.
The entire cast is top-notch (as are many of the guests). Many with familiar faces. If you watch closely, there are many nuances between the family members that make it special.
It seems to best to review each Season individually. I also created Ratings and Reviews for each episode.
My Ratings: 34 (of 83) episodes as "10" or "9" (Gem or excellent) 17 (of 83) episodes as "8" or "7" (Very Good+) 13 (of 83) episodes as "4" - "6" (watchable) 19 (of 83) episodes as "3" or below (watch only if you want to view every episode!)
Season One:
The first season is in b&w. It is, by far, the best season and IMHO, the best season of any TV show ever made.
The back-ground music in just about every episode in top-notch. Possibly the absolute best of any TV show, ever! The plots are great, the acting is great, the guest stars are great, yes Dr. Smith starts to soften up mid-season (or so), but buffoonery is in check. The personalities are developed.
Of the 29 Season One episodes, I Rate 25 as either a "10" or "9", with only "The Space Croppers" and "The Lost Civilization" below a "7".
The first five episodes rely heavily of the pilot and are gems. Just about every episode from the first season is excellent.
Season Two:
Season Two definitely has many low quality episodes, primarily in the middle of the season. Some attribute the drop in quality to Dr. Smith's buffoonery and the shift to "Dr. Smith, Will and the Robot" themes. However, that is just part of it. The significant change was from Si-Fi or fantasy to episodes that resembled a nonsensical childish dream, as well as some that are just terrible by any measure.
Of the 30 Season Two episodes, I Rate 4 as either a "10" or "9", with 12 episodes in the "3" or lower bucket.
The best are: "The Prisoners of Space", "Wreck of the Robot" and "The Astral Traveler". "The Questing Beast" ("9") is a must-watch. The first half is a super campy, then it gets serious and the back half provides some of the greatest Lost in Space moments ever!
Season Three:
Season Three is an improvement over Season Two. The opening and theme music are great!!! However, some of the same issues of Season Two remain (or creep back in). Inconsistent may be the best way to describe Season Three.
Of the 24 Season Three episodes, I Rate 5 either a "10" or "9", with 7 episodes in the "3" or lower bucket. There are four straight less-than-optimal episodes in the middle of the Season. However, it recovers somewhat after the mid-season duds.
The best episodes are: "Visit to a Hostile Planet", "Hunter's Moon", "Flight Into the Future", "Space Creature" and of course "The Anti-Matter Man" (which is one of the very best).
If you are interested in a deep-dive into every episode (all three seasons), please read the Lost in Space books (V1-V3) by Marc Cushman.
PS: Never fear, Smith is here!!!
To properly appreciate Lost in Space, it may be best to recognize the time it was made and the outlet it was made for: 1965 -1968 TV. Space Travel was a significant event. We would watch the first man land on the moon in 1969. Lost in Space overlapped b&w TV and color TV and the culture was changing. Please remember that context when watching.
My recommendation is to start with the first episode and watch in the order they aired. A big part of the reason for that is you can see how Dr. Smith develops from an evil cold spy, there to sabotage the journey, to eventual sneaky, lazy, cowardly, crooked (but sometimes likeable) buffoon. One of the most iconic TV show characters of all-time.
The entire cast is top-notch (as are many of the guests). Many with familiar faces. If you watch closely, there are many nuances between the family members that make it special.
It seems to best to review each Season individually. I also created Ratings and Reviews for each episode.
My Ratings: 34 (of 83) episodes as "10" or "9" (Gem or excellent) 17 (of 83) episodes as "8" or "7" (Very Good+) 13 (of 83) episodes as "4" - "6" (watchable) 19 (of 83) episodes as "3" or below (watch only if you want to view every episode!)
Season One:
The first season is in b&w. It is, by far, the best season and IMHO, the best season of any TV show ever made.
The back-ground music in just about every episode in top-notch. Possibly the absolute best of any TV show, ever! The plots are great, the acting is great, the guest stars are great, yes Dr. Smith starts to soften up mid-season (or so), but buffoonery is in check. The personalities are developed.
Of the 29 Season One episodes, I Rate 25 as either a "10" or "9", with only "The Space Croppers" and "The Lost Civilization" below a "7".
The first five episodes rely heavily of the pilot and are gems. Just about every episode from the first season is excellent.
Season Two:
Season Two definitely has many low quality episodes, primarily in the middle of the season. Some attribute the drop in quality to Dr. Smith's buffoonery and the shift to "Dr. Smith, Will and the Robot" themes. However, that is just part of it. The significant change was from Si-Fi or fantasy to episodes that resembled a nonsensical childish dream, as well as some that are just terrible by any measure.
Of the 30 Season Two episodes, I Rate 4 as either a "10" or "9", with 12 episodes in the "3" or lower bucket.
The best are: "The Prisoners of Space", "Wreck of the Robot" and "The Astral Traveler". "The Questing Beast" ("9") is a must-watch. The first half is a super campy, then it gets serious and the back half provides some of the greatest Lost in Space moments ever!
Season Three:
Season Three is an improvement over Season Two. The opening and theme music are great!!! However, some of the same issues of Season Two remain (or creep back in). Inconsistent may be the best way to describe Season Three.
Of the 24 Season Three episodes, I Rate 5 either a "10" or "9", with 7 episodes in the "3" or lower bucket. There are four straight less-than-optimal episodes in the middle of the Season. However, it recovers somewhat after the mid-season duds.
The best episodes are: "Visit to a Hostile Planet", "Hunter's Moon", "Flight Into the Future", "Space Creature" and of course "The Anti-Matter Man" (which is one of the very best).
If you are interested in a deep-dive into every episode (all three seasons), please read the Lost in Space books (V1-V3) by Marc Cushman.
PS: Never fear, Smith is here!!!
One of my all-time faves!
pattiejs22 December 2019
Even as a teen I knew this show was dumb at times. The aliens and space monsters were sometimes just plain ridiculous. But in other episodes, everything was brilliant! Either way, I became part of the Robinson family every week. I loved the series back then and I love it now.
Even though dated still a lot of campy fun
jantaylor-546791 July 2018
Watched this show growing up together with flipper and other great classics. Lots of fun to watch again, a lot of moral stories weaved into the show episodes. Remakes have never touched it not even the new Netflix version. Seems like to sell a show these days it needs to be more violent with no humor whatsoever with kids with serious attitudes!
Oh, it was so good!
spocktom14 December 2007
"Lost In Space", whether you love it or hate it, was grand fun for kids growing up in the 60s. I know, I was one of them. I was 6 years old when this show premiered on Australian TV in glorious black and white in 1966. It created an absolute flap around the school yard and I fondly remember running about the grounds with my friends yelling "Warning, warning!" in my best imitation of the robot. Most kids my age just loved the show and I think this was due to the quality of the ensemble cast and their amazing talents, especially Jonathan Harris and Billy Mumy. The scripts, whilst admittedly corny in seasons two and three, were generally very literate and well written and some of the season one episodes are worthy classics of science fiction, especially episodes like "My Friend Mr. Nobody." On that note, the "Nobody" episode was sheer brilliance. The hauntingly beautiful score by a young "Johnny Williams," the quality of the story and the sheer wonder it evoked...just beautiful! I well remember being moved to tears in the final scene when "Mr. Nobody" reveals what he truly is...surely one of the most powerful scenes of any science fiction show of the period.
The other important element, for me, was that Jonathan Harris was brilliant in his use of the English language and his constant sniping at the robot was a source of inspiration for me to learn more about words and their meanings. It worked so well I ended up becoming a teacher...thanks to "Lost in Space."
The other important element, for me, was that Jonathan Harris was brilliant in his use of the English language and his constant sniping at the robot was a source of inspiration for me to learn more about words and their meanings. It worked so well I ended up becoming a teacher...thanks to "Lost in Space."
One of the best ever TV sci-fi series.
chris_gaskin12321 February 2002
Lost in Space is one of the best TV sci-fi series ever made. I saw most of the episodes when the series was repeated on Channel 4 in 1988-1990. Only the first six episodes were released on video in Britain in three volumes and are long deleted. I was lucky to obtain all three recently.
All the stars give excellent performances especially Jonathon Harris who is Dr Smith. The background music is excellent and at times rather creepy. Some of this was by the great Bernard Herrman (The Day the Earth Stood Still, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad) which surprised me as I didn't think he composed music for television.
The special effects are very good and some of the monsters are impressive, especially the giant cyclops, (a man in a rubber suit), from the fourth episode (There Were Giants In the Earth). Some of them look rather silly as well!. Special guests to appear over its duration include Michael Rennie (The Day the Earth Stood Still) as the Keeper, which was a two part story. Some of the monsters in this story are stock footage from fellow Irwin Allen production The Lost World (1960).
It would be nice to see another rerun of this series on Channel 4 as I enjoyed it very much.
Rating: 5 stars out of 5.
All the stars give excellent performances especially Jonathon Harris who is Dr Smith. The background music is excellent and at times rather creepy. Some of this was by the great Bernard Herrman (The Day the Earth Stood Still, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad) which surprised me as I didn't think he composed music for television.
The special effects are very good and some of the monsters are impressive, especially the giant cyclops, (a man in a rubber suit), from the fourth episode (There Were Giants In the Earth). Some of them look rather silly as well!. Special guests to appear over its duration include Michael Rennie (The Day the Earth Stood Still) as the Keeper, which was a two part story. Some of the monsters in this story are stock footage from fellow Irwin Allen production The Lost World (1960).
It would be nice to see another rerun of this series on Channel 4 as I enjoyed it very much.
Rating: 5 stars out of 5.
The Most Important Series of My Childhood
claudio_carvalho30 August 2004
On 16 October 1997, the Robinson family, composed by Prof. John Robinson (Guy Williams), his wife Maureen Robinson (June Lockhart), his daughters Judy Robinson (Marta Kristen) and Penny Robinson (Ângela Cartwright) and his son Will Robinson (Billy Mummy), is select due to their skills and physical shape among many other candidates to a pioneer space travel to begin the colonization of Alpha Centaurs. The pilot of the mission is Major Donald (Don) West (Mark Goddard). Along the five years travel, they will stay frozen in order to not get older. However, the stowaway Dr. Zachary Smith (Jonathan Harris) wants to commit sabotage on the mission, but is trapped in Jupiter II. His weight of 90 kg deviates the spacecraft from the foreseen course, leaving the crew lost in space. When I was a kid, `Lost in Space' was the best show in television. Most of the persons of my generation were assiduous fans of this series. `Fox do Brasil' has just released a wonderful box with eight DVDs, relative to the first season of this magnificent story. My vote is ten, for the importance of this series in my childhood.
First DVD
1) `The Reluctant Stowaway' (` O Clandestino Relutante') D: Tony Leader (17 Aug 2004)
In the first episode, it is the beginning of the Robinson's family journey to space. The evil Dr. Smith jeopardizes the mission, causing damages to the craft. Prof. John Robinson tries to fix an external damage, but his wire rope breaks and he is not able to return to Jupiter II. My vote is ten.
2) `The Derelict' (`A Nave Fantasma') D: Alex Singer (19 Aug 2004)
Maureen dramatically rescues John, while a comet approaches to Jupiter II. They escape from the menace, and find a derelict spacecraft, which attracts Jupiter II to its interior. John and Don investigate the maps of the craft, but Dr. Smith shoots an alien life form and the aliens attack the crew. Jupiter II successfully escapes to an unknown planet with similar conditions of Earth. My vote is eight.
3) `Island in the Sky' / (`Ilha no Céu') D: Tony Leader (20 Aug 2004)
Dr. John falls on the planet and Dr. Smith tries to use the robot to force Don to return to Earth, instead of rescuing John. Don reverts the situation and lands the Jupiter II on the planet. With their truck, they rescue John Robinson. Meanwhile, the nasty Dr. Smith plots and evil plan with the robot. His intent is to destroy the Robinson's and keep only the pilot Don alive. My vote is eight.
4) `There Were Giants in the Earth' (`Terra de Gigantes') D: Leo Penn (21 Aug 2004)
Don and the Robinson family move from the Jupiter II to the south side of the planet, trying to escape from the cold temperature that approaches due to the orbit of the planet. Dr. Smith prefers to stay in the spacecraft with the robot. The family fins a cave and drives the car inside looking for protection. In its interior, they find an underground city, and Will, Penny, Don and Judy get trapped behind a wall at the same time that there is an earthquake. My vote is eight.
Second DVD
5) `The Hungry Sea' (`Mar Revolto') D: Sobey Martin (22 Aug 2004)
John Robinson rescues the four members trapped behind the wall. Meanwhile, the robot advises Dr. Smith that the orbit of the planet is elliptic and the south area will be close to the sun. The Robinson family and Don prepares a solar protection for the high temperature. Then, they move back to Jupiter II, when they realize that a missile will hit the spacecraft. My vote is eight.
6) `Welcome Stranger' (`Hapgood Esteve Aqui') D: Alvin Ganzer (24 Aug 2004)
The missile was indeed a spacecraft, piloted by the Texan Hapgood. John Robinson gives a navigation instrument and some stellar maps to help Hapgood in his journey back to Earth. John and Don convince Hapgood to carry Will and Penny with him, but the nasty Dr. Smith misguides the children, intending to occupy their spot in the craft. In the end, Hapgood travels alone. My vote is seven.
7) `My Friend, Mr. Nobody' (`Um Estranho Amigo') D: Paul Stanley (24 Aug 2004)
While John and Don looks for radioactive material for the fuel of Jupiter II, Penny is feeling very lonely. However, she makes an invisible friend in a cave, but nobody believes on her, until her powerful friend shows his strength in a storm. My vote is eight.
8) `Invaders From the Fifth Dimension' (`Invasores da Quinta Dimensão') D: Leonard Horn (28 Aug 2004)
The nasty Dr. Smith is captured by beings from the fifth dimension, which want to use his brain as the substituted for a damaged computer. Dr. Smith convince them to use Will Robinson's brain instead, and cheat Will to go to the alien's spacecraft and stays with them. In the end of the story, Will of course stays with his family. The scum Dr. Smith is probably the idol and fountain of inspiration of the politicians of the world. His character is really disgusting!
Due to the limitation of the number of words in IMDB Guidelines, the other DVDs will be the subject of future review.
Title (Brazil): `Perdidos no Espaço' (`Lost in Space')
First DVD
1) `The Reluctant Stowaway' (` O Clandestino Relutante') D: Tony Leader (17 Aug 2004)
In the first episode, it is the beginning of the Robinson's family journey to space. The evil Dr. Smith jeopardizes the mission, causing damages to the craft. Prof. John Robinson tries to fix an external damage, but his wire rope breaks and he is not able to return to Jupiter II. My vote is ten.
2) `The Derelict' (`A Nave Fantasma') D: Alex Singer (19 Aug 2004)
Maureen dramatically rescues John, while a comet approaches to Jupiter II. They escape from the menace, and find a derelict spacecraft, which attracts Jupiter II to its interior. John and Don investigate the maps of the craft, but Dr. Smith shoots an alien life form and the aliens attack the crew. Jupiter II successfully escapes to an unknown planet with similar conditions of Earth. My vote is eight.
3) `Island in the Sky' / (`Ilha no Céu') D: Tony Leader (20 Aug 2004)
Dr. John falls on the planet and Dr. Smith tries to use the robot to force Don to return to Earth, instead of rescuing John. Don reverts the situation and lands the Jupiter II on the planet. With their truck, they rescue John Robinson. Meanwhile, the nasty Dr. Smith plots and evil plan with the robot. His intent is to destroy the Robinson's and keep only the pilot Don alive. My vote is eight.
4) `There Were Giants in the Earth' (`Terra de Gigantes') D: Leo Penn (21 Aug 2004)
Don and the Robinson family move from the Jupiter II to the south side of the planet, trying to escape from the cold temperature that approaches due to the orbit of the planet. Dr. Smith prefers to stay in the spacecraft with the robot. The family fins a cave and drives the car inside looking for protection. In its interior, they find an underground city, and Will, Penny, Don and Judy get trapped behind a wall at the same time that there is an earthquake. My vote is eight.
Second DVD
5) `The Hungry Sea' (`Mar Revolto') D: Sobey Martin (22 Aug 2004)
John Robinson rescues the four members trapped behind the wall. Meanwhile, the robot advises Dr. Smith that the orbit of the planet is elliptic and the south area will be close to the sun. The Robinson family and Don prepares a solar protection for the high temperature. Then, they move back to Jupiter II, when they realize that a missile will hit the spacecraft. My vote is eight.
6) `Welcome Stranger' (`Hapgood Esteve Aqui') D: Alvin Ganzer (24 Aug 2004)
The missile was indeed a spacecraft, piloted by the Texan Hapgood. John Robinson gives a navigation instrument and some stellar maps to help Hapgood in his journey back to Earth. John and Don convince Hapgood to carry Will and Penny with him, but the nasty Dr. Smith misguides the children, intending to occupy their spot in the craft. In the end, Hapgood travels alone. My vote is seven.
7) `My Friend, Mr. Nobody' (`Um Estranho Amigo') D: Paul Stanley (24 Aug 2004)
While John and Don looks for radioactive material for the fuel of Jupiter II, Penny is feeling very lonely. However, she makes an invisible friend in a cave, but nobody believes on her, until her powerful friend shows his strength in a storm. My vote is eight.
8) `Invaders From the Fifth Dimension' (`Invasores da Quinta Dimensão') D: Leonard Horn (28 Aug 2004)
The nasty Dr. Smith is captured by beings from the fifth dimension, which want to use his brain as the substituted for a damaged computer. Dr. Smith convince them to use Will Robinson's brain instead, and cheat Will to go to the alien's spacecraft and stays with them. In the end of the story, Will of course stays with his family. The scum Dr. Smith is probably the idol and fountain of inspiration of the politicians of the world. His character is really disgusting!
Due to the limitation of the number of words in IMDB Guidelines, the other DVDs will be the subject of future review.
Title (Brazil): `Perdidos no Espaço' (`Lost in Space')
Best Science Fiction Series of All Time
skeetz11057 December 2002
This sci-fi adventure series was "Bold in concept, Brilliant in execution". From the Robinson's departure from Earth to their encounter with the Junkman I was kept on the edge of my seat. Virtually every episode had some great moments. Among my least favorites are: Space Vikings (however, this one did have good special effects), Space Beauty, 2 Weeks in Space, and A Day At The Zoo. The rest are top rate -they dealt with such topics as: time travel, environmental problems one may encounter on alien worlds, cryogenics, matter transfer, espionage, sabotage, national security, and human survival issues. What also remained intriguing was the fact that the greatest danger they faced came from within - namely, Dr. Smith. Why they didn't "kill him" is obvious - they couldn't bring civilization to the stars starting with the uncivilized act of murder (not to say that it never crossed anybody's mind). Cool special effects and equipment were: lazer battles (and their weapons), explosions, flying belts, the force field, weather stations, the Jupiter 2, the robot, and the charriot. I too, like many people, wish that "Lost In Space" would have remained a more serious science fiction epic, but the 2nd and 3rd seasons did produce some outstanding episodes like: Blast of into Space, Wreck of the Robot, Collision of Planets, The Colonists, Space Creature, The Anti-Matter Man, Hunter's Moon, and Visit to a Hostile Planet. Jonathan Harris' decision to make Dr. Smith a more comedic villian may have been more fun for him, but I think it would have been better if he had remained the evil agent he started out being (but there were some humorous moments between him, the robot, and Will). When I was a kid I attributed to this change in character to a complete mental breakdown due to the stress and strain of isolation in space (of course he was crazy from the beginning and it wouldn't require a lot for him to snap). Even though people remember Smith, the robot, Will, and their relationship the best, there were plenty of episodes where the main focus was the Robinson family as a whole and their plight. Guy Williams was among my favorites and I always looked up to him. He was my hero in this show. There is no comparison between LIS and Star Trek. I would much rather watch a show about human survival in space than a show with weird aliens who have acne problems.
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