Lost in Space (1965–1968) User Reviews

Space has rarely been more fun

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 25 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 - One of My Favorite TV Shows

[jptuttleb · 8/10 · 24 June 2017]

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.

Forbidden Planet meets Seinfeld meets Gilligan's Island

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 23 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.

Three Cheers For Bug Eyed Monsters

[BumpyRide · 9 June 2005]

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!

Possibly television's most "multiple personality" show

[garrard · 7/10 · 9 September 2006]

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.

The Most Fascinating series in TV History

[edshifres · 10/10 · 27 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

Warning - Danger Will Robinson- Zach et al

[DKosty123 · 6/10 · 10 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.

Supremely Silly and Fondly Remembered 1960s Sci-Fi

[mrb1980 · 9/10 · 15 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.

are you kidding? That was so much fun....

[MuggySphere · 6/10 · 1 May 2003]

I have very fond memories of this as a child coming home from school so I would not miss the start of the show.....

My favourite episode was "Trip through the Robot" which was an homage to the movie "Fantastic Voyage." and "Visit to a hostile planet" where they land on Earth only it's 50 years in the past. I also liked "The Keeper" which had Michael Rennie from "The day the Earth stood still."

I also had a serious crush on Judy too at the time, but heaven knows why Don never made a serious move on her.

Having said that I would have liked to have seen the show stay how it was in the first season. The episodes were a bit more serious and more watchable, pith the movie was such a let down.

There is talk of a TV movie made this year so let's see how that goes.....

Space Family Robinson. Commemorating Lost In Space on its 50th anniversary

[raysond · 9/10 · 31 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".

Great idea, hit-and-miss execution

[doppleganger19692 · 6/10 · 29 March 2020]

Irwin Allen and his staff were marvelous at coming up with intriguing concepts whether it be a super submarine exploring the oceans and becoming involved in international disasters, a suborbital commercial flight that winds up on a planet populated by giants, or in this case a family headed out to colonize a new planetary system knocked off course and finding adventures in uncharted space.

Sadly, like many movie posters of the 50's and 60's, the "idea" often does not come to fruition. Allen liked lots of action, sometimes in place of a cogent storyline, and too many times he seemed to lose sight of what his initial premise could - or should - be. What began as a promising "Swiss Family Robinson In Space" finding alien life and civilizations while trying to find their way to either Alpha Centauri or back to Earth, quickly evolved into the "Dr Smith, Will and The Robot Show". While the latter held some appeal for younger children, a serious adventure in space was missed. Aside from the first half-dozen episodes of the first season (made up mostly of film shot for the pilot), the series became more camp comedy - influenced, according to many involved with the show, by the popular uber-camp "Batman" on ABC.

There is a great deal to like about the series: one of the best spaceship designs ever, the score, a likable cast (even though Guy, June, Mark and Marta mostly became "background" in Seasons Two and Three), and some memorable moments like the invisible creature lurking in the misty swamp, the cyclops, Dr Smith's heart wrenching remorse after turning Penny into platinum, the creatures escaping from The Keeper's ship, and exploring the underground abandoned city.

But for every good episode or moment there are twice as many carrot men, space vikings, paper mache dragons, space hippies, too-convenient planet quakes, Buck Rogers rip-offs, characters popping in and out for no good reason, circuses, and so on. A shame given the promise of the original premise.

All that said, I still find the original series preferable to the Netflix reboot. Primarily because it feels like the new version is too far removed in spirit and style from the original (I know, picky, picky, picky). And don't get me started on the motion picture based on this series......

A superb series

[BaseballRaysFan · 10/10 · 27 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".

Space - Camp

[DeanNYC · 7/10 · 30 October 2006]

As others have rightly noted, "Lost In Space," the series, began with a premise that fit the era. In the 1960s, the world was a turbulent, dangerous and volatile place. There were "wars" raging both within the USA and in a far off Asian country. Everything seemed to be happening at a faster and faster pace. So, it was only appropriate that Irwin Allen pitched the idea of putting the standard American Family out into the wilderness of space (it was the Space Age, after all)! The concept of Space Family Robinson was born.

The show was to feature the family dealing with life beyond the Van Allen Belt in the late 1990s, and trying to survive as they encountered situations and creatures they had no idea about.

With Guy Williams as the patriarch and June Lockhart as his wife, the series gave us Zorro and Lassie's mom in silver flight suits! Mark Goddard with his rocket-related last name was the hot headed pilot and Marta Kristen, the impossibly perfect teen daughter. Younger sibs Angela Cartwright and Billy Mumy rounded out the family, plus the high tech gadget, the robot, acted by Bob May and voiced by famed announcer Dick Tufeld, and the ship's inadvertent stowaway and special guest star, Jonathan Harris as the infamous Dr. Zachary Smith.

Ratings are a double edged sword for a program. The concept of a show can be as noble and as sound as you could imagine, but if people aren't tuning in, it doesn't matter how great the concept; it won't be seen. At the same time as Lost In Space, and at the same studio (20th Century Fox) there was another program being filmed called "Batman." Not only that, but the programs aired at the same time on opposing networks: CBS for LIS and ABC for the Bat. For better or worse, Batman began to trounce the world for Nielsen points with a style that could only be described as camp, and, in an effort to keep pace, the producers and writers for LIS changed the format, responding to the "Batman" success by camping it up, too. As such, story lines, characters, and behaviors became broader, more colorful (also because LIS switched from a black and white series to color) and sillier, to match what was happening on the successful "Batman." The result was a shift in focus from the family struggling to survive in the harsh realm of another galaxy to three characters: Dr. Smith with his pedantic vocabulary, The Robot who was straight man to Smith (no jokes, please) and Will, who was the smart, sensitive one that Smith could grab at a moment's notice, when there was danger! Danger! Presumably Smith clutched out for Will to use as a human shield, a security blanket or perhaps something else. In any event, he certainly screamed a lot during such moments.

Though the show continued to be entertaining throughout the run, it certainly did not retain any sense of logic or integrity from one episode to another. The one constant was the music written for the program, which had elaborate scores that were constantly used throughout the run of the series by several different composers, in addition to its two theme songs, both brilliantly written by Johnny Williams.

Also the costuming was outrageous, and not in a good way! The recycled costumes from "B" movie horror films never provided a truly frightening creature to oppose our little family. But, really, it became about what outrageous position Smith, Will and The Robot wound up in that provided the focus in the show's final two years.

The Robinsons encountered hippies (one played by a young Daniel J. Travanti), a department store floorwalker, a gambling cousin of Smith, an intergalactic junkman and a giant talking carrot among many odd creatures along the way. Suffice it to say, this had nothing to do with the original premise! Still, if you were into camp and were into the space scene (and everyone was at the time) Lost In Space was the show to see.

So much potential, so much wasted time

[backflipboy · 4/10 · 26 February 2009]

I figure that I must have seen Lost In Space the first time it was re-run in the 70's on Australian television (Channel 10 from memory) and as a kid, it was definitely a show that captured the imagination.

Nearly 40 years later, I don't see that greatness. All I see now is a group of actors who probably should have read their contracts a little more closely because somewhere in the fine print it must have said that by the 3rd season, your credibility as an actor won't exist any more.

The first few episodes of LIS had similar potential to that of Star Trek. What let it down was very poor scripts. Johnathon Harris as Dr Smith turning from an almost plausible villainous character to overacting coward didn't help much either.

If someone could watch the better episodes that made sense and write an entire new series with those as the core, it could easily become the launching pad for an entire new show like The Next Generation did with Star Trek.

I shouldn't be cringing in embarrassment for actors in a show that stopped being made 2 years after I was born.

The Best Of Irwin Allen

[Thor2000 · 5 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.

early TV sci-fi

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 25 January 2019]

It's The Swiss Family Robinson... in space. It's 1997. The Jupiter 2 spaceship is being launched to Alpha Centauri. The crew includes the Robinson family, father John, mother Maureen, and children Judy, Penny, and Will as well as the pilot Major Donald West. Dr. Zachary Smith tries to sabotage the ship and its robot. He gets trapped onboard and while he saves the ship, they are lost in space.

The first season starting in 1965 is in black and white. The crew is stranded on an alien planet and they are forced to deal with different aliens or disasters of the week. The second season turns into color. They get off the planet and crashes into another planet. The third season has the ship flying again destined for Alpha Centauri.

This is a ground breaking sci-fi TV, a year before Star Trek. The first year does ground down mostly into an episodic alien-of-the-week show. It has more in common with Gilligan's Island which actually came out at the same time than Star Trek. It has a lot of silly kiddie show and Will is a rather annoying know-it-all brat. At least, they're trying. The second season's start is most glaring for the glitter makeup. I'm guessing that they wanted the makeup to show on the old TVs. In HD, it's like a bad job by little kids or the characters are sweating out glitter. Will's prominence is diminished. Penny has a little more to do. Penny, Will, and Smith would continue to be the stars of the show. The parents are the parents. Judy and West become almost side characters. Once they're on the ground, it becomes a repeat of the first season. The third season is more like Star Trek than ever before. They get to travel around but somehow they are often still stuck on the ground. This is a good initial attempt with some recycled sci-fi ideas and its sillier kiddie show genes. It remains an icon of early TV sci-fi.

Even though dated still a lot of campy fun

[jantaylor-54679 · 9/10 · 1 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!

Actually it's three shows

[stumpmee77 · 6/10 · 20 April 2009]

I was three when it first premiered hence I vividly remember seasons 2 and 3 in its original run. Favorite out those later years the Anti-matter Man (yr#3) and the ladies caught in the cross-fire of a conflict between two aliens (yr#2). Sadly I forgot the name of the later.

I saw season 1 much later (for some reason it's rarely shown when I catch it in syndication)--It's an entirely different atmosphere. The family is not looking to get back home as much as surviving where they're living. That first planet was not explored in depth I say after the first half dozen episodes. Thereafter it was aliens, advanced machinery and their robot growing sassy (towards Smith) and lovable. Smith was a monster in yr#1--and changing him to...Just before yr #2 he appeared to have a mental breakdown of a sort after seeing one too many ugly aliens. That's when the show jumped the shark; Smith transformed into that.

But throughout the series all three years the family were a family. The cast was selected well, not only acting as a close loving unit but the Robinson kids looked like brother and sister. And here too, treatment of a plot aspect sank...Will got too much exposure whereas Judy had virtually none. And Will and Penny were teens--kiddie stories fit their age group. But what killed it was the over-the-top whimsy of year three--Too many reworked fairy stories and kookiness--Absolute worse being the human carrot.

For all its flaws I rank #2 in liking those 1960's Irwin Allen programs.

One of my all-time faves!

[pattiejs · 10/10 · 22 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.

Sci-Fi For Kids

[screenman · 6/10 · 29 November 2008]

Surely never intended for adult viewing, this was the stuff of tea-time telly when kids would watch with their parents. It's junior format was underscored by the inclusion of two youngsters in the crew of the ship (as if!) so that nothing too monstrous could happen. Certainly it was no place for Trollenberg Terrors or Face Huggers.

Everything was neat and trite and hygienic. There was no swearing, no innuendo and definitely no sex. Internal conflict was provided by a 'stowaway' individual who was spineless, unprincipled, disloyal, and threatened to jeopardise the mission or the lives of other members of the crew in every episode. And any other father would have taken him aside and warned him; 'Do that again and you're dead'. But instead his chicanery was simply accepted as just a foible of an unreliable friend. He was basically OK, really. Like I said; this was space saccharine for kids.  

I believe the robot was the one that had been designed for, and had starred in, the infinitely superior 'Forbidden Planet' of 1959 vintage. Ah well; waste not, want not. Good to see that sci-fi was setting a benchmark for recycling even way back in the 1960's.

Nowhere near as popular or credible as 'Star Trek', with which it was in competition. It faded quickly (and quite rightly) into grown-up children's memories.

I got lost in Lost in Space

[john-allen76-1 · 10/10 · 9 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!!

Started off serious ended as a comedy, still fun!

[lukepic123 · 7/10 · 31 March 2007]

The series was at the beginning a serious and great science fiction by Irwin Allen (Time Tunnel and VTBS). But later in the series to compete with other programs e.g. Batman, it got turned into some kind of comedy. That is fine for some but it was a little disappointing for me when I rented the DVD box-set of it. It actually felt like an entirely different series. For those lovers of old time classics and fun, this is for you. Special effects look pretty dated (1965) what are you going to expect.

In conclusion if you are looking for serious sci-fi that is classic, Star Trek or Time Tunnel (If you like Irwin Allen). This is a nice light hearted bit of fun that will promise to make you smile. Great classic.

SERIES OF DIFFERENT QUALITY IN THE THREE SEASONS

[asalerno10 · 8/10 · 16 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.

Watched it as a kid

[wawildbill-197-986443 · 6/10 · 11 February 2016]

I remember watching the show when it first aired. We only had one TV at the time, a Black and White 27 inch Magnavox console. One thing that bugged me was the scale of he Jupiter II. It was supposed to have three levels. The main; a second level containing the living quarters; then the 'core' housing the propulsion systems. Plus room for the Chariot and 'Pod' (a shuttle craft). But when the Jupiter II was in space and looking at the size of the windows that was the main level, how did it all fit? It was an interesting show, that was never meant to be taken seriously, unlike Star Trek, (the original) which the Enterprise was actually done to scale.

What a Colossal Joke

[deltaco-158-824418 · 3/10 · 19 November 2013]

LOST IN SPACE might be the original example of someone saying "That's not a bug-- it's a feature!" The show was always hideous, but its awfulness came in two varieties. In the first season, when it was in black & white, it was ridiculous and unbelievable. In its second and third seasons, it was ridiculous and amusing, in a cubist sort of way.

LOST IN SPACE was originally intended (to use programming parlance) to be "Swiss Family Robinson in Space." Schlockmeister Irwin Allen got the idea to send a typical American family into space, but get them lost on a deserted planet. CBS bought the show and took it into production.

Soon afterward, the show received a lucky break when another writer- producer sent them a proposal for a show he described as "Wagon Train to the Stars." CBS read the pitch and pulled Gene Roddenberry into a lengthy meeting, where they asked questions about what the ship should look like, what type of music to use and stories he might run.

Among other things, Roddenberry told CBS that his music would probably borrow from Bernard Herrman's score for THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL and his ship might be based on something like the United Planets Cruiser C57-D in FORBIDDEN PLANET.

CBS thanked him for coming in and explained that they already had a show they liked better (their show had kids). But LOST IN SPACE took Roddenberry's advice about Herrmann's music, and borrowed the look of the ship (and, soon, another element) from the 1956 movie.

The show hit a bump when the original pilot, which showed the ship getting lost due to mechanical failure, was rejected. In the 19690's, the US was trying to beat the commies to the moon, so you DID NOT make a TV show that even hinted our rockets might have ANY problems.

Allen's solution? Make the cause a saboteur hired by a foreign government. In the rewrite, he also added a character based on FORBIDDEN PLANET's Robby the Robot.

If the show had followed Irwin's original idea (have Dr. Smith killed or marooned), the show might have been less goofy. But it was too dark for a 60's show aimed partly at kids, so the show asked the audience to believe that members of a government mission-- which had been successfully sabotaged-- would bring the saboteur along, trust him and take risks to save him.

The show got abysmal reviews and wasn't very popular-- and by the middle of season one, it had exhausted both Roddenberry's ideas and the limited vein of creativity of its staff. (A major problem was its constant attempts to build suspense by making you wonder if the ship would be destroyed and everyone on it would die. Even six-year-olds realize that won't happen.)

Looking for a fix, someone noticed that LOST IN SPACE was about a group of people trying to get home-- and CBS already had a hit show about a group of people in pretty much the same fix.

So the evil Dr. Smith got turned into the intergalactic Willy Gilligan, the Robot became Jonas Grumby, John Robinson the brilliant scientist became Roy Hinkley-- and the show became "Cretin's Island In Space." The three women and extra man got swept aside as SMith, the robot and the cute kid had adventures. When ABC's mid-season replacement (BATMAN) became a hit and any attempt at plausibility went out the window.

If you grew up with these shows-- if you came home from school and it was either this on channel 43 or THE MUNSTERS and THE ADDAMS FAMILY on Channel 61-- you watched. At some point, you began making fun of the idiotic premises and stupid plots while being amused by the comedic performances and campy one-liners. In effect, it was like watching MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER.

And some of it grew on us. If my brother doesn't want to throw something fundamentally worthless away, he "My cosmonium-- never!" (Episode 30) I wakened my college roommate by saying "Get up little master!" and pumping my foot up and down on the bed like the space hippies drilling in #68.

When I wanted my brother to sell me some stereo stuff, I brought him a plate of plate of beef stroganoff (Dr Smith trades the ship's control system for this in #83). When he wants a beer, he says "Moisture! I need Moisture!!" (as the giant talking carrot does in #82). There are performances from Harris, Stanley Adams, Fritz Feld, Ronald Long and Strother Martin that where you wonder if the whole production company was high during the filming.

If you like to make fun of bad science fiction, try season 2-3 and a few from 1. But understand what you're getting, because there are black holes that suck less than LOST IN SPACE.