While watching this highly enjoyable video I was glancing across at the toy Robot which I found at a charity table top sale about 20 years ago. I fell in love with it, despite being a middle aged man, it was £3, as the lady knew I was involved with the club, she said to give her £1, but I insisted on paying the full price, not just because it was for charity, but because I would have paid £10 happily! Despite its age (30 years old??? 40??? Even 50??) it still flashes and shouts "Danger! Danger Will Robinson". Nostalgia has no price.....
The Season 3 intro was one of the best intros of any show ever! No matter what mess they got into in the first scene that countdown clock to the opening credits was always exciting! "10...9...8...7..." 😀
Nah, the Netflix show wasn’t bad. It did lean a little too hard into the marital dysfunction of John and Maurene, and I think she kind of comes off the worse for that because John is such a nice, noble, self-sacrificing character who makes *no* demands on her whatsoever, and she’s sort of a hardass. But that gets resolved and all is fine, they just kind of leaned a little too hard into that one. But the kids are good - especially Penny - and they managed to work a lot of the various different versions of the series into it in a coherent way.
As you listed off the Lost in Space cast members but showed Voyager cast I couldn't stop laughing, especially Seven of Nine as the Robot, lol. That was really cute.
Lost in space had so many up and coming actors , many that would be in many movies, they even had a young Kurt Russell, in there, watching these episodes and how they filmed it, was a treat in it's self, even though, it was later a bit corny still brings memories of a less complicated time, not perfect but not like today.
If you check the credits on the pilot episode you'll see the music was by Bernard Hermann who was an important American composer and wrote many famous film scores including Psycho and Taxi Driver.
Yes, he was good, but as another said, it was “borrowed”, and not written for the show! John “Johnny” Williams wrote not only the theme songs, including the great season 3 theme, but these were minor to me compared to the incidental scores through-out the show! Although he only scored for about 4 episodes, these were recycled through the whole series. This music created all the drama and excitement and was my favorite part of the show!! (In fact, in the 2nd and 3rd season, it became almost ludicrous to use such dramatic music to accompany the lame, often ridiculous “action” on screen)!! Returning to the original point, watch the original pilot, then watch the same material in the first few episodes with Williams’ music and better sound effects. In the pilot, not even the blast off or the crash are that exciting! Also credit for Herman Stein, who wrote scores for Ep 2, The Derelict, and others. He wrote the beloved, sentimental “Family” theme, and much of the other, more family and humorous musical themes we loved in the show!
Guy Williams, may God rest his soul, did a fine job playing John. He reportedly wasn't too thrilled when "Lost In Space" abandoned it's original action/adventure format in favor of comedy.
Allen , Guy is right, the show died a quick death when it became the Dr.Smith show. Only the first 7 to 8 shows of the first season was about the family. It went downhill from there.
I loved the show. Lost in Space inspired me into electricity and electronics. I've always enjoyed it when they got mixed up with aliens and alien technology.
3:50 - Surely you are not saying that a red-haired child of a non-red-haired family is something to be "Royally" concerned about, are you? Interestingly, as the other Irin Allen shows, its pop culture effects far outweigh the length of time the show was on the air. Three seasons and we still quote from it while Law & Order: SVU is over 20 seasons long and, well, no pop culture reference other than the Chung Chung music.
Bit of a mess, plot wise, but fine cast, decent effects and all the surviving cast from the TV show, except Smith, who was sulking, made cameo appearances. Sadly Guy Williams died at a young age.
The early black and white episodes where the best episodes. All the characters had parts in the show. Then it morphed into the Robot, The Kid, and the Creepy Uncle show, with each episode getting more and more preposterous. I watched the show go from a good scifi show, which was rare at the time, to pure garbage as they catered to the robot, kid, and the doctor crowed. The show turned me against anything name "Lost in Space" even after Netflix rebooted the series. I finally broke down and watched the Netflix reboot and I'm pretty glad I did. Much better than the original which is something you can rarely say about a reboot.
This was fun to watch - thanks. I loved this show as a kid and looked forward to every episode. I was probably too young to know that it was getting pretty stupid as it progressed. The 1st season has some incredible episodes I think. I own them all onj dvd of course!! For the record - I did end up enjoying the Netflix series of the past couple of years.
Thank you! And yes, leave it to cynics to see something unseemly about Dr Smith. It's a "joke" that's been turning up regularly of late. In part thanks to the "Family Guy" cartoon show.
+++++++LOST IN SPACE WAS MY MOST FAVOURITE SHOW AND IN 1965 ??? ON ADELAIDE+++++++SOUTH AUSTRALIA IT WAS ON TWICE A WEEK + I NEVER MISSED AN EPISODE+++++++I LOVED IT+++++++
I thoroughly enjoyed the second and third seasons. Ending was a bit deus ex machina, but I imagine, as is usually the case, they got very short notice of the cancellation and had to tie up loose ends really fast....
As a child I really enjoyed this show, yes it was rubbish, but like the narrator said it's niche market was children. Even as a child I did wonder how Will Robinson had red hair when his TV father had dark hair and his TV mother had blonde hair, and the 2 girls were one of each.
@@Neil070 true, it's funny what things aren't noticed as a child, probably because as a child it's not important I suppose. It was a good children's show, plenty of adventure and danger with some fun tossed in.
In a time with a nation at war, social issues reaching a boiling point, and an entire generation pushing back against the established government, a show like "Lost In Space" was necessary to provide respite from constant news about violence in Viet Nam, and Watts, California and Selma, Alabama.
Yes that was true and I relieved those times, saw the horrors of Vietnam and the civil rights, the nation was kind of lost it self, but compared it to today, which you cannot compare, shows like lost in space , frees you mind a bit, which we need today.
The father on the show was very irritated the whole series because it was supposed to be his show but all episodes were focused on Will, Dr Smith and the robot. Actually didn't see the others that much compared to them. Wish they had shown Judy more often.
I often wonder would they the Robinsons would have been killed or gotten home once and for all - a tv movie would of ended the question cause the movie never did thanks Irwin.
I am the same age as Will, and I loved the show! There are lots of shows I enjoyed as a kid, but Lost in Space was being a kid sitting glued to the TV to see what the intrepid trio, Smith, Will and the Robot, got up to!
It was a nice surprise to see that Bill Mumy made a brief appearance in the first episode of the Netflix rehash playing a character called Doctor Zachary Smith-- whose identity would be snatched. Angela Cartwright also made a guest appearance eventually, as the mother of villainous June Harris (Parker Posey, deftly playing the most interesting character of all, the faux Dr. Smith) in a flashback. The name June Harris seems a tribute to June Lockhart and Jonathan Harris. In the original series by cheapo extraordinaire Irwin Allen, season 2 and 3 are essentially the best outer space sitcom you could imagine. The laughs are plentiful, from the writers constantly leaning heavily on the Greek alphabet to name planets and systems to Maureen saying things like "I've made a delicious meatloaf" (or a delicious lemon pie, or a birthday cake) ... as if she had worked in a working kitchen that afternoon. I do have a fondness for the show because I'm a Boomer who enjoyed reruns of LIS on weekday afternoons when school was done; that's when I first was introduced to the show. Wacky and silly as it can be, I like it. I like it more as I get older. Sometimes it's so campy and off the wall that it seems to be some kind of amazing and unique form of art that came together by accident. Very entertaining, and not to be taken seriously.
I loved the show as a child, started watching it, about 1971, it taught me a lot about life, good v evil and greed, Here's some of my favorite episodes All that glitters Visit to a hostile planet The reluctant stowaway Wish upon a star..!! Return from outer space.!!
I know of this show from when Channel 4 (UK) aired it on Sunday mornings/lunchtime during the late 80s/early 90s. I remember two stories in particular: 1) There are two survivors of an alien war. One is ugly and vulgar. The other is handsome and golden skinned. Doctor Smith chooses to arm/help the latter, Because racism/judging a book by its cover. 2) An alien offers Doctor Smith a way back to the America he remembers. It appears to work. Until he is attacked by giant monstrous flies. It turns out that the alien sold Doctor Smith a-pig-in-a-poke based entirely on Doctor Smith's memories/colourful description of his memories rather than reality. I think that's what happened. It's been a while.
It was one of the only shows my brothers and I and our father would watch together (lol while mom was teaching piano lessons) - we waited every week for the next weird episode.
Jonathan Harris is listed as a special guest star because he was intended to be killed off in the sixth or seventh episode. Back in those days you were either cast, which meant you were in every episode, or you were a guest star, which meant that you were only in one episode. There were majorly different union rules and contracts involved in both of those capacities, and no one had ever done a character who hung around for a specific ark in an American TV show, and then was just killed off. So they invented The category of "special guest star "specifically for Jonathan Harris, since his situation was unique: he was neither cast nor guest. Unfortunately he ended up becoming the most popular part of the show and so they end up not killing him off. I can tell you how they intended to kill them if you're interested
@@howlingwind1937 "Last time, as you'll recall," the planet the Robinsons were on was getting hotter and hotter, so they decided to head as far north as they could and ride out the heat. Smith refused and stayed behind in the Jupiter 2. . When they returned, they were gonna find a pile of ash, which was all that was left of Smith. It's a little anticlimactic, honestly, but they didn't want to do an on-screen death for him, as that probably meant that John or Don would have killed him, or allowed him to die, and that was kinda beyond the pale of family programming back then. Plus it left the door open for him to guest star in some episode in the future if they really really really wanted to.
@@mahatmarandy5977 thank you, the times have changed greatly from from what we wouldn't consider very violent to extreme violence in TV shows and movies. Well, that would have been a fitting end to Dr Smith, however, the show probably needed the character of Dr Smith, which he played very well, as he was a character that was liked and disliked equally I think. I've tried to find full episodes of lost in space to watch on RUclips, but there's not many it seems, a lot of short intros but not a lot of full episodes. People say it wasn't a good show, but they forget it was meant for children, and the special effects were still being developed. Like Dr who the early ones now come across a bit corny, but the special effects were still being created and they didn't have the equipment that is used nowadays. I like watching the old ones as well because it's historical footage and it's a testament to the clever people who manage to make things believable, it would be interesting to see how they would approach making over the lost in space series using today's technology, and I wonder who they would choose to play the characters.
@@howlingwind1937 In the first six episodes, Smith is a very dark character. The first time we see him, he's breaking a guy's neck and dumping the corpse in the trash. And then in episode seven, he's just abruptly a buffoon and remains one for the rest of the show. Personally, I don't think the special effects are that bad, particularly in the B&W episodes. Ditto Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Both of which were considered "Family Entertainment," meaning not specifically for kids, but not inappropriate for kids either. The concept of "Family Friendly" Changed a lot by the time of the 1970s. My beef with early Dr. Who isn't the special effects, which are cheezy, but, hey, I watched a lot of B movies, I don't care. It's just how torturously slow the pacing is.
@@mahatmarandy5977 I always thought that lost in space was a children's show, or at least family oriented, I didn't know it wasn't specifically for children. Yeah the special effects are OK for the times and I didn't mind them either, but it would still be interesting to see what they'd do with it as a revamped series for today's audience. I agree, his character had started out to be dark, and then he just became an incompetent buffoon for the rest of the show. The really old Dr who, which I think is older than lost in space, they were very cheesy, and slow, as you said the b/w ones were particularly slow, but I still enjoy them, I haven't seen a lot of the modern Dr who, other things kept me from watching them. Hey I liked the voyage to the bottom of the see also.
I like this mini-documentary. It brought back a lot of memories for me. I watched this series when it was first aired on Australian tv not long after it had premiered on CBS tv stations in the States. I loved it...so did most of the other kids at school (I was in Prep [K class for those overseas] ). I watched the show through its many re-runs...so much so I think I can remember the dialogue for each and every episode. A couple of points... Irwin Allen recycled props and footage because he had to, not because he wanted to. The cost per episode was huge for a tv series at the time and CBS were always hounding Allen to cut costs, hence the recycling. When he had the financing he lavished money on his shows. He had all the footage for the pilot shot in colour and hired only the best composers and series directors he could find, not to mention art directors and designers like Robert Kinoshita (designer of the Robot and the robot in "Forbidden Planet"). As to the music, much of the more iconic music was created by John Williams for the first few episodes and then used as library music for the rest of the series. The Williams score for the episode "My Friend Mr. Nobody" is probably the finest music ever written for a 60s tv show. Yes, the show was a bit nutty...that's why we loved it but it was the quality of the ensemble acting that kept the show alive. The first season episodes are probably the best of the lot. As to the remakes and the new reboot...well, for a true fan of the old series they are just crap.
Trips--- Thank you for this SPIRITED defense of the show and Irwin. A LOT of cracks about Irwin's budgets but a lot of people have NO idea what was involved in putting these shows together and apparently have NO idea about television financing. So much has now been released by memoirs, good histories and other texts so that there shouldn't be such widespread ignorance and a lack of gratitude regarding these wonderful old favorites. Again, Thank You.
No mention of Billy Mumy later appearing in Babylon 5 as Lennie? He was great in the role. Lost in space along with land of the giants were a big fun part of my UK childhood, especially on a Sunday afternoon in the early 70s 😊👍
Yes, I agree Dr Smith did look a bit "creepy" with Will Robinson sometimes, but Lost In Space proudly sits as one of my top ten TV shows ever made. You must review the other three Irwin Allen shows as well (Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Time Tunnel and Land of the Giants). Thanks.
I'd prefer to see Dr Smith as thoroughly unhinged by deep space travel. He's terrified and can only hide behind the kids. Thus, he's harmless ---- except when he tries to sell them for passage home.
People sometimes get mileage on the "Dr. Smith as pervert" idea, and that's OK for laughs. But in the few episodes where Smith showed a romantic side, it was toward grown women in his reasonable age range. FWIW, in real life, Jonathan Harris was long and happily married and had a son. He just had a very dramatic and showman-like persona that worked well for his career. There were really three characters: Dr. Smith (fiction), Jonathan Harris public persona (fiction), and Jonathan Daniel Charasuchin at home (reality).
I was 7 when the show began. Our household never missed it. It was monster under the bed traumas combined with the '60s space travel verve. I watched Star Trek only once that I remember. The fact that LIS was quickly put away in our collective toyboxes forever, while we were to shortly become immersed permanently in Star Trek speaks to the changing age demographics of our generation. Lost in Space satisfied our instant gratification wants, but the Trek met our long term aesthetics.
I was 6 when it premiered. I'd turn the handles of my tricycle around so it had "arms" and pretend it was the robot. Guy Williams was my hero since seeing Zorro, and I had a crush on BOTH Judy and Penny! LIS would do an allegory now and then ; A Visit To Hades was a sci-fi version of Paradise Lost with Gerald Mohr who may actually have been Satan. And The Golden Man could be seen somewhat as a fantasy version of the then Vietnam war.
That episode with the giant robot (last shot in this video) made me so scared as a child. To me it was the music. John Williams gave so much emotional power to everything with his sound that it all became amazing. Those few moments when it's not his music feel like you're watching something else!
Presumably it was because he was in 'Lost in Space' that Bill Mumy, many years later, got the part or Lennier, an alien ambassador's aide, in Babylon 5
I think that, rather than "Star Trek," the show that "Lost in Space" most resembles is "Gilligan's Island." Seven people in a supposedly deserted place that is inexplicably overrun by guest stars who seem unable or unwilling to help the core cast out of their pickle. And "Lost is Space" is arguably funnier!
Great! And not to be rude, but I think if you started 2 series (tho somewhat short) I think next video should be the 1998 Lost in Space. Where you give your review of the movie, mention and link this video, then give a small tidbit of how it is similar to the 1965 series, and that will be further discussed in the next video. Then make said video giving it a bit more run time with maybe some sort of trivia. Then make a Season one review of the current streamed series. Then make another video of how it is similar to the past versions, while making note of your videos where you went into those stories and links. And finally the review of the current season and a compare and contract of the previous season, along with the past versions. Allowing multiple videos to get a chance to be seen, when someone looks up "Lost in Space review."
cool. thanks for the suggestions. I will probably do the netflix series at some point, but will need to wait for the bluray release of season 2 for various reasons. the movie is a possibility in the future, too.
I thought it was weird how Penny sort of resembled Lambert from the movie Alien. I looked it up and it turns out, it was her sister Veronica playing the role. So I guess both sisters did an iconic astronaut character role, albeit on different ends of the tone spectrum.
Great Review! These Stam Fine Reviews breathe new life into these old shows. I'm sure DVD sales go up afterwards (how about cutting Stam in on a little of that action!?)
Lol funny remark about Will Robinson's hair but you may want to revisit your genetics books lots of families hair a variety of phenotypes, hair and eye colors - even from parents who didn't fool around lol. Your analysis is accurate and applies equally well to many American TV shows in the 1960s such as Gilligan's Island.
13:16 Kurt Russell lost in space, In a March 1966 episode of CBS's Lost in Space entitled "The Challenge", he played Quano, the son of a planetary ruler.
Couldn’t give 2 rats balls about the content of the show - seeing Judy and Penny every week made it my favorite - even when I was a little kid.. Both gorgeous!!!
I loved the show. I use to get up at 6am to watch it, and my mum forbid any TV at all. So I risked a spanking, but it was well worth it and I never got caught. The only show I was allowed to watch was an old Aussie cop show called Homicide with mum.
If they kept like yr 1 if could have been great. I loved it but even as a child i saw it's plot holes. Btw: it appears the Robot is based on 1920's the Golem
People did like this show know madder what happens on the show it got you away from what was happening in real life and it was a different kind of a family show that was about space that it was a one of a kind TV show to see what it was like if a family was going into space in the future with their parents and that it work in 2018 lost in space TV show netflix that was done different from the 1960s lost in space TV show that work even better
Lost in Space is a mediocre show that had a really terrific theme, which it unceremoniously dumped and replaced with one that was even better. Nice to be able to do that.
Color me stunned that "Johnny" Williams grew up to be John Williams, the epic movie composer. W0W.... that was the most stunning part of this video. Thx for sharing.
I always enjoyed the pilot and more serious episodes the most. The ship, robot and chariot were so well done but most of the writing was painfully silly.
Season 2 is definitely the worst one, I think it takes the camp too far in some of the episodes, season 1 is often heartfelt and Season 3 has a far better pace on average.
Lost in space TV was a different kind of family show of a family in space and a one of a kind TV show that set it apart from the other TV shows of what it would be like if it was a family set in space it knew how to do it and it got away from the other TV shows the first family in space
I will personally crush, kill, destroy anyone who can't appreciate what a fun show LiS was for kids of the 60's, 70's. Older me would be more interested in how the show would have turned out if they could have kept the more serious family survival theme. The movie was "not good ", but it was a somewhat decent effort. Netflix reboot was crap start to finish.
Disagree, the Netflix show improved tremendously as it went on. Some duff moments ******SPOILER ALERT*****(Will's Robot somehow morphing from SAR) but I binge watched it over a week, which I rarely do
Yes, A Life For A Life demanded of those to "dis" on this wonderful show. I don't "Grok" the resentment that so many self important SF fans have for allowing "the kids" to have shows of their own. As you know BATMAN gets the credit/blame for changing the TV fantasy landscape. Budgets a problem too. Lost In Space was mostly up against the "adult western" champ THE VIRGINIAN (NBC) and whatever ABC might have that would stick. I'm wondering that, without BATMAN, if SPACE might take its "frontier" cues a bit from VIRGINIAN instead. The science fiction cycle on TV in the 60s was winding down fast by 1968. Maybe LOST IN SPACE wouldn't have lasted much longer anyway?
One show I do remember from my childhood would be Lost in Space. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and Land of the Giants were both pretty forgettable. The robot stole the show for me in humour and wit although I found Smith annoying and Will a sidekick with the rest of the cast nonexistent.
Kurt Russell? 13:18
"Touching and creepy at the same time. But mostly creepy because of the touching." :-) Great line.
The reason Bill Mumy was the main child star is because the writers and directors would have sent into the cornfield if they didn't make him so. 😉
@Christopher Lee Indeed it is. Good looking out. 👍
LOL!
Thanks for the laugh!
Of course! Just like tRUMP
The original series is by the best. Don't take it too seriously. It was of it time.
While watching this highly enjoyable video I was glancing across at the toy Robot which I found at a charity table top sale about 20 years ago. I fell in love with it, despite being a middle aged man, it was £3, as the lady knew I was involved with the club, she said to give her £1, but I insisted on paying the full price, not just because it was for charity, but because I would have paid £10 happily!
Despite its age (30 years old??? 40??? Even 50??) it still flashes and shouts "Danger! Danger Will Robinson". Nostalgia has no price.....
The Season 3 intro was one of the best intros of any show ever! No matter what mess they got into in the first scene that countdown clock to the opening credits was always exciting! "10...9...8...7..." 😀
The dry humour of the robot was always a jewel in this show. The real horror to Lost in Space is the Netflix reboot that completely misses the mark.
I wonder why they focused on the old "Doctor" helping children *ahum* Doctor Who anyone?
Nah, the Netflix show wasn’t bad. It did lean a little too hard into the marital dysfunction of John and Maurene, and I think she kind of comes off the worse for that because John is such a nice, noble, self-sacrificing character who makes *no* demands on her whatsoever, and she’s sort of a hardass. But that gets resolved and all is fine, they just kind of leaned a little too hard into that one. But the kids are good - especially Penny - and they managed to work a lot of the various different versions of the series into it in a coherent way.
As you listed off the Lost in Space cast members but showed Voyager cast I couldn't stop laughing, especially Seven of Nine as the Robot, lol. That was really cute.
Fond memories of watching repeats as a kid in the 80s over my nans
Lost in space had so many up and coming actors , many that would be in many movies, they even had a young Kurt Russell, in there, watching these episodes and how they filmed it, was a treat in it's self, even though, it was later a bit corny still brings memories of a less complicated time, not perfect but not like today.
Not perfect, but not like today.
No mention of how well it was scripted. The best stories were the morality tales.
It's camp, and naff and just brilliant
True. Many claim to be too superior for camp, but as one observer said, we'll never have anything like this again.
If you check the credits on the pilot episode you'll see the music was by Bernard Hermann who was an important American composer and wrote many famous film scores including Psycho and Taxi Driver.
The pilot reused Hermann's score for The Day The Earth Stood Still.
Yes, he was good, but as another said, it was “borrowed”, and not written for the show! John “Johnny” Williams wrote not only the theme songs, including the great season 3 theme, but these were minor to me compared to the incidental scores through-out the show! Although he only scored for about 4 episodes, these were recycled through the whole series. This music created all the drama and excitement and was my favorite part of the show!! (In fact, in the 2nd and 3rd season, it became almost ludicrous to use such dramatic music to accompany the lame, often ridiculous “action” on screen)!! Returning to the original point, watch the original pilot, then watch the same material in the first few episodes with Williams’ music and better sound effects. In the pilot, not even the blast off or the crash are that exciting! Also credit for Herman Stein, who wrote scores for Ep 2, The Derelict, and others. He wrote the beloved, sentimental “Family” theme, and much of the other, more family and humorous musical themes we loved in the show!
At seven years of ages i discovered the power of music scoring John Williams
Guy Williams, may God rest his soul, did a fine job playing John. He reportedly wasn't too thrilled when "Lost In Space" abandoned it's original action/adventure format in favor of comedy.
Allen , Guy is right, the show died a quick death when it became the Dr.Smith show. Only the first 7 to 8 shows of the first season was about the family. It went downhill from there.
I loved the show. Lost in Space inspired me into electricity and electronics. I've always enjoyed it when they got mixed up with aliens and alien technology.
3:50 - Surely you are not saying that a red-haired child of a non-red-haired family is something to be "Royally" concerned about, are you?
Interestingly, as the other Irin Allen shows, its pop culture effects far outweigh the length of time the show was on the air. Three seasons and we still quote from it while Law & Order: SVU is over 20 seasons long and, well, no pop culture reference other than the Chung Chung music.
Loved this show. Have met the cast, except Guy
Lucky you!
I really liked the movie. Not sure why it didn't do better than it did. And that theme song was awesome.
The movie is sort of okay, it's a 90s version of Lost in Space, all right with all that entails. The cast is wasted on that script.
Bit of a mess, plot wise, but fine cast, decent effects and all the surviving cast from the TV show, except Smith, who was sulking, made cameo appearances.
Sadly Guy Williams died at a young age.
The early black and white episodes where the best episodes. All the characters had parts in the show. Then it morphed into the Robot, The Kid, and the Creepy Uncle show, with each episode getting more and more preposterous. I watched the show go from a good scifi show, which was rare at the time, to pure garbage as they catered to the robot, kid, and the doctor crowed. The show turned me against anything name "Lost in Space" even after Netflix rebooted the series. I finally broke down and watched the Netflix reboot and I'm pretty glad I did. Much better than the original which is something you can rarely say about a reboot.
Exactly my experience. Loved the show until it became "camp". I also enjoyed the Netflix version, binge watched it during time off work, sick....
This was fun to watch - thanks. I loved this show as a kid and looked forward to every episode. I was probably too young to know that it was getting pretty stupid as it progressed. The 1st season has some incredible episodes I think. I own them all onj dvd of course!! For the record - I did end up enjoying the Netflix series of the past couple of years.
Preplanis is pronounced Pre-plan-iss. Will pronounced it in the first season episode "Return From Outer Space."
Wait!!! Where can I purchase that "BrianBox" mechanism @ 15:31??? Can I get a UPC code or a hyperlink? LOL
My favorite show of all time!
Nice!
"It was a very white show." I think I spotted lots of green, purple and orange folk. :)
I loved Dr Smith. Had the persona of a snooty British gentleman when he was really a Jewish guy from the Bronx. It worked well for him for decades.
Will...Smith? Funny, I never noticed that. I loved the Robot in the series. He was called Friday in Japan.
Thank you! And yes, leave it to cynics to see something unseemly about Dr Smith. It's a "joke" that's been turning up regularly of late. In part thanks to the "Family Guy" cartoon show.
just a minute Spock's Brain was a great episode.
Yes it is! Thank you for defending Spock's noble but errant cranium. "Brain, Brain, What Is Brain!?"
+++++++LOST IN SPACE WAS MY MOST FAVOURITE SHOW AND IN 1965 ??? ON ADELAIDE+++++++SOUTH AUSTRALIA IT WAS ON TWICE A WEEK + I NEVER MISSED AN EPISODE+++++++I LOVED IT+++++++
Media ---- Thank you! Love hearing from Australia fans!
June Lockhart was also on Petticoat Junction near the end of the series.
True. Good to have her back.
Lost in Irvingland discusses some of the issues in this (great 😊) video as well. It's great Lost in Space gets talked about.
Yes!
And Netflick Lost in Space was lets be kind an say.... Not as fun as the original, but then again it has its moments.
I thoroughly enjoyed the second and third seasons. Ending was a bit deus ex machina, but I imagine, as is usually the case, they got very short notice of the cancellation and had to tie up loose ends really fast....
As a child I really enjoyed this show, yes it was rubbish, but like the narrator said it's niche market was children. Even as a child I did wonder how Will Robinson had red hair when his TV father had dark hair and his TV mother had blonde hair, and the 2 girls were one of each.
Gingers do pop up unexpectedly. Something to do with recessive and dominant genes.....
@@Neil070 true, it's funny what things aren't noticed as a child, probably because as a child it's not important I suppose. It was a good children's show, plenty of adventure and danger with some fun tossed in.
In a time with a nation at war, social issues reaching a boiling point, and an entire generation pushing back against the established government, a show like "Lost In Space" was necessary to provide respite from constant news about violence in Viet Nam, and Watts, California and Selma, Alabama.
Yes that was true and I relieved those times, saw the horrors of Vietnam and the civil rights, the nation was kind of lost it self, but compared it to today, which you cannot compare, shows like lost in space , frees you mind a bit, which we need today.
Guy Williams and Jonathan Harris had worked together on Williams previous series Zorro, but never talked about it.
The father on the show was very irritated the whole series because it was supposed to be his show but all episodes were focused on Will, Dr Smith and the robot. Actually didn't see the others that much compared to them. Wish they had shown Judy more often.
I often wonder would they the Robinsons would have been killed or gotten home once and for all - a tv movie would of ended the question cause the movie never did thanks Irwin.
I am the same age as Will, and I loved the show! There are lots of shows I enjoyed as a kid, but Lost in Space was being a kid sitting glued to the TV to see what the intrepid trio, Smith, Will and the Robot, got up to!
I loved watching this show as a kid in the 90's on the sci-fi channel. My father got me into alot of the 60's sitcoms.
I love putting Lost in Space on as kind of a background thing while I work around the house. Good critique of the show.
Their is a 50th anniversary blu ray box set and a complete lost in space DVD
It was a nice surprise to see that Bill Mumy made a brief appearance in the first episode of the Netflix rehash playing a character called Doctor Zachary Smith-- whose identity would be snatched. Angela Cartwright also made a guest appearance eventually, as the mother of villainous June Harris (Parker Posey, deftly playing the most interesting character of all, the faux Dr. Smith) in a flashback. The name June Harris seems a tribute to June Lockhart and Jonathan Harris.
In the original series by cheapo extraordinaire Irwin Allen, season 2 and 3 are essentially the best outer space sitcom you could imagine. The laughs are plentiful, from the writers constantly leaning heavily on the Greek alphabet to name planets and systems to Maureen saying things like "I've made a delicious meatloaf" (or a delicious lemon pie, or a birthday cake) ... as if she had worked in a working kitchen that afternoon.
I do have a fondness for the show because I'm a Boomer who enjoyed reruns of LIS on weekday afternoons when school was done; that's when I first was introduced to the show. Wacky and silly as it can be, I like it. I like it more as I get older. Sometimes it's so campy and off the wall that it seems to be some kind of amazing and unique form of art that came together by accident. Very entertaining, and not to be taken seriously.
I loved the show as a child, started watching it, about 1971, it taught me
a lot about life, good v evil and greed,
Here's some of my favorite episodes
All that glitters
Visit to a hostile planet
The reluctant stowaway
Wish upon a star..!!
Return from outer space.!!
I know of this show from when Channel 4 (UK) aired it on Sunday mornings/lunchtime during the late 80s/early 90s. I remember two stories in particular:
1) There are two survivors of an alien war. One is ugly and vulgar. The other is handsome and golden skinned. Doctor Smith chooses to arm/help the latter, Because racism/judging a book by its cover.
2) An alien offers Doctor Smith a way back to the America he remembers. It appears to work. Until he is attacked by giant monstrous flies. It turns out that the alien sold Doctor Smith a-pig-in-a-poke based entirely on Doctor Smith's memories/colourful description of his memories rather than reality.
I think that's what happened. It's been a while.
It was one of the only shows my brothers and I and our father would watch together (lol while mom was teaching piano lessons) - we waited every week for the next weird episode.
Jonathan Harris is listed as a special guest star because he was intended to be killed off in the sixth or seventh episode. Back in those days you were either cast, which meant you were in every episode, or you were a guest star, which meant that you were only in one episode. There were majorly different union rules and contracts involved in both of those capacities, and no one had ever done a character who hung around for a specific ark in an American TV show, and then was just killed off. So they invented The category of "special guest star "specifically for Jonathan Harris, since his situation was unique: he was neither cast nor guest. Unfortunately he ended up becoming the most popular part of the show and so they end up not killing him off.
I can tell you how they intended to kill them if you're interested
Yes please! I didn't like Dr Smith, which means he probably played his part well.
@@howlingwind1937 "Last time, as you'll recall," the planet the Robinsons were on was getting hotter and hotter, so they decided to head as far north as they could and ride out the heat. Smith refused and stayed behind in the Jupiter 2. .
When they returned, they were gonna find a pile of ash, which was all that was left of Smith.
It's a little anticlimactic, honestly, but they didn't want to do an on-screen death for him, as that probably meant that John or Don would have killed him, or allowed him to die, and that was kinda beyond the pale of family programming back then.
Plus it left the door open for him to guest star in some episode in the future if they really really really wanted to.
@@mahatmarandy5977 thank you, the times have changed greatly from from what we wouldn't consider very violent to extreme violence in TV shows and movies. Well, that would have been a fitting end to Dr Smith, however, the show probably needed the character of Dr Smith, which he played very well, as he was a character that was liked and disliked equally I think. I've tried to find full episodes of lost in space to watch on RUclips, but there's not many it seems, a lot of short intros but not a lot of full episodes. People say it wasn't a good show, but they forget it was meant for children, and the special effects were still being developed. Like Dr who the early ones now come across a bit corny, but the special effects were still being created and they didn't have the equipment that is used nowadays. I like watching the old ones as well because it's historical footage and it's a testament to the clever people who manage to make things believable, it would be interesting to see how they would approach making over the lost in space series using today's technology, and I wonder who they would choose to play the characters.
@@howlingwind1937 In the first six episodes, Smith is a very dark character. The first time we see him, he's breaking a guy's neck and dumping the corpse in the trash. And then in episode seven, he's just abruptly a buffoon and remains one for the rest of the show.
Personally, I don't think the special effects are that bad, particularly in the B&W episodes. Ditto Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.
Both of which were considered "Family Entertainment," meaning not specifically for kids, but not inappropriate for kids either. The concept of "Family Friendly" Changed a lot by the time of the 1970s.
My beef with early Dr. Who isn't the special effects, which are cheezy, but, hey, I watched a lot of B movies, I don't care. It's just how torturously slow the pacing is.
@@mahatmarandy5977 I always thought that lost in space was a children's show, or at least family oriented, I didn't know it wasn't specifically for children. Yeah the special effects are OK for the times and I didn't mind them either, but it would still be interesting to see what they'd do with it as a revamped series for today's audience. I agree, his character had started out to be dark, and then he just became an incompetent buffoon for the rest of the show. The really old Dr who, which I think is older than lost in space, they were very cheesy, and slow, as you said the b/w ones were particularly slow, but I still enjoy them, I haven't seen a lot of the modern Dr who, other things kept me from watching them. Hey I liked the voyage to the bottom of the see also.
Billy Mumie had a short part in the movie ‘Papillon’ opposite Steve McQueen.
You said Maureen and Judy had blonde hair, it is clearly obvious that Maureen has red hair like Will.
Why yes. Of course, that assumes it's her natural colour.
I like this mini-documentary. It brought back a lot of memories for me. I watched this series when it was first aired on Australian tv not long after it had premiered on CBS tv stations in the States. I loved it...so did most of the other kids at school (I was in Prep [K class for those overseas] ). I watched the show through its many re-runs...so much so I think I can remember the dialogue for each and every episode.
A couple of points... Irwin Allen recycled props and footage because he had to, not because he wanted to. The cost per episode was huge for a tv series at the time and CBS were always hounding Allen to cut costs, hence the recycling. When he had the financing he lavished money on his shows. He had all the footage for the pilot shot in colour and hired only the best composers and series directors he could find, not to mention art directors and designers like Robert Kinoshita (designer of the Robot and the robot in "Forbidden Planet").
As to the music, much of the more iconic music was created by John Williams for the first few episodes and then used as library music for the rest of the series. The Williams score for the episode "My Friend Mr. Nobody" is probably the finest music ever written for a 60s tv show.
Yes, the show was a bit nutty...that's why we loved it but it was the quality of the ensemble acting that kept the show alive. The first season episodes are probably the best of the lot. As to the remakes and the new reboot...well, for a true fan of the old series they are just crap.
Robbie the robot from Forbidden Planet made a guest appearance in Lost in Space, if memory serves
Trips---
Thank you for this SPIRITED defense of the show and Irwin. A LOT of cracks about Irwin's budgets but a lot of people have NO idea what was involved in putting these shows together and apparently have NO idea about television financing. So much has now been released by memoirs, good histories and other texts so that there shouldn't be such widespread ignorance and a lack of gratitude regarding these wonderful old favorites.
Again, Thank You.
No mention of Billy Mumy later appearing in Babylon 5 as Lennie? He was great in the role.
Lost in space along with land of the giants were a big fun part of my UK childhood, especially on a Sunday afternoon in the early 70s 😊👍
Thank you!
0:37 - This is how I prefer to remember Jennifer Lien, although I can't get those mugshots out of my head.
I believe Johnny Williams is the same individual who composed the themes for Masterpiece Theatre and the both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.
He's a prolific guy.
...and Star Wars, and so many more.
Yes, I agree Dr Smith did look a bit "creepy" with Will Robinson sometimes, but Lost In Space proudly sits as one of my top ten TV shows ever made. You must review the other three Irwin Allen shows as well (Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Time Tunnel and Land of the Giants). Thanks.
I'd prefer to see Dr Smith as thoroughly unhinged by deep space travel. He's terrified and can only hide behind the kids. Thus, he's harmless ---- except when he tries to sell them for passage home.
People sometimes get mileage on the "Dr. Smith as pervert" idea, and that's OK for laughs. But in the few episodes where Smith showed a romantic side, it was toward grown women in his reasonable age range. FWIW, in real life, Jonathan Harris was long and happily married and had a son. He just had a very dramatic and showman-like persona that worked well for his career. There were really three characters: Dr. Smith (fiction), Jonathan Harris public persona (fiction), and Jonathan Daniel Charasuchin at home (reality).
I was 7 when the show began. Our household never missed it. It was monster under the bed traumas combined with the '60s space travel verve.
I watched Star Trek only once that I remember. The fact that LIS was quickly put away in our collective toyboxes forever, while we were to shortly become immersed permanently in Star Trek speaks to the changing age demographics of our generation.
Lost in Space satisfied our instant gratification wants, but the Trek met our long term aesthetics.
I was 6 when it premiered. I'd turn the handles of my tricycle around so it had "arms" and pretend it was the robot. Guy Williams was my hero since seeing Zorro, and I had a crush on BOTH Judy and Penny! LIS would do an allegory now and then ; A Visit To Hades was a sci-fi version of Paradise Lost with Gerald Mohr who may actually have been Satan. And The Golden Man could be seen somewhat as a fantasy version of the then Vietnam war.
As a boomer who also loved the robot, you sound like my kind of guy.
Loved the series as a kid ,and I love the commentary on this 🙏
All your videos are excellent.
The original ship was actually called the Gemini 12.
you are correct. I clearly can't read my own writing.
That episode with the giant robot (last shot in this video) made me so scared as a child. To me it was the music. John Williams gave so much emotional power to everything with his sound that it all became amazing. Those few moments when it's not his music feel like you're watching something else!
Presumably it was because he was in 'Lost in Space' that Bill Mumy, many years later, got the part or Lennier, an alien ambassador's aide, in Babylon 5
Which is more memorable, "Crush, kill, destroy!" or "Moisture, moisture, I need moisture!"
Thank you! I love them both!
I think that, rather than "Star Trek," the show that "Lost in Space" most resembles is "Gilligan's Island." Seven people in a supposedly deserted place that is inexplicably overrun by guest stars who seem unable or unwilling to help the core cast out of their pickle. And "Lost is Space" is arguably funnier!
My favorite episode was "My Friend, Mr. Nobody", which heavily featured Penny.
I only watch to see the gorgeous Judy
Fair enough.
Great! And not to be rude, but I think if you started 2 series (tho somewhat short) I think next video should be the 1998 Lost in Space. Where you give your review of the movie, mention and link this video, then give a small tidbit of how it is similar to the 1965 series, and that will be further discussed in the next video. Then make said video giving it a bit more run time with maybe some sort of trivia. Then make a Season one review of the current streamed series. Then make another video of how it is similar to the past versions, while making note of your videos where you went into those stories and links. And finally the review of the current season and a compare and contract of the previous season, along with the past versions. Allowing multiple videos to get a chance to be seen, when someone looks up "Lost in Space review."
cool. thanks for the suggestions. I will probably do the netflix series at some point, but will need to wait for the bluray release of season 2 for various reasons. the movie is a possibility in the future, too.
I can't help but to laugh at the graphics. Im sorry. But i love the remake on netflix..
LOL
I remember watching this in both black and white and color when I was a little kid.
I thought it was weird how Penny sort of resembled Lambert from the movie Alien. I looked it up and it turns out, it was her sister Veronica playing the role. So I guess both sisters did an iconic astronaut character role, albeit on different ends of the tone spectrum.
Irwin Allen was a damned fool to cave into Jonathan Harris' insistence to make Dr Smith into a buffoon.
Great Review! These Stam Fine Reviews breathe new life into these old shows. I'm sure DVD sales go up afterwards (how about cutting Stam in on a little of that action!?)
Lol funny remark about Will Robinson's hair but you may want to revisit your genetics books lots of families hair a variety of phenotypes, hair and eye colors - even from parents who didn't fool around lol. Your analysis is accurate and applies equally well to many American TV shows in the 1960s such as Gilligan's Island.
13:16 Kurt Russell lost in space, In a March 1966 episode of CBS's Lost in Space entitled "The Challenge", he played Quano, the son of a planetary ruler.
Kurt Russel at 13.18.
"The Robinson's middle child is Penny who at the start of the series is about 11 and looks about 34 by the end of season 3" 😬
Couldn’t give 2 rats balls about the content of the show - seeing Judy and Penny every week made it my favorite - even when I was a little kid.. Both gorgeous!!!
Roger That!
.... You might like her and other cast members interviews on 'Pioneers of Television' youtube channel.
Rob Robie
Thank you....Missed that
old doctor guy is frankly creepy as hell.. has "freind of the playground" vibes screaming off him...
Ummm...June Lockhart's hair was more reddish than blonde. Blonde Judy was the odd-woman out, not Maureen.
I liked Bill Mumy and Angela Cartwright's rendition of the Beach Boys hit 'Sloop John B".
I loved the show. I use to get up at 6am to watch it, and my mum forbid any TV at all. So I risked a spanking, but it was well worth it and I never got caught. The only show I was allowed to watch was an old Aussie cop show called Homicide with mum.
Always enjoy hearing from fans abroad. Thank you.
When I was a kid in the 90s, I thought 💭 Lost in Space TV 📺 series was a live-action version of the Jetsons.
My grandma's maiden name was Smith. My dad would laugh at one episode when they said he is nothing but a Smith. He didn't care much for his mother.
If they kept like yr 1 if could have been great. I loved it but even as a child i saw it's plot holes. Btw: it appears the Robot is based on 1920's the Golem
People did like this show know madder what happens on the show it got you away from what was happening in real life and it was a different kind of a family show that was about space that it was a one of a kind TV show to see what it was like if a family was going into space in the future with their parents and that it work in 2018 lost in space TV show netflix that was done different from the 1960s lost in space TV show that work even better
There was a Canadian-German space show called Lexx that to me was like a modern version of this, you should all check that out
Lost in Space is a mediocre show that had a really terrific theme, which it unceremoniously dumped and replaced with one that was even better. Nice to be able to do that.
Kurt Russell at 13:19. "Wyatt Earp. Heard o' you..."
Color me stunned that "Johnny" Williams grew up to be John Williams, the epic movie composer. W0W.... that was the most stunning part of this video. Thx for sharing.
I always enjoyed the pilot and more serious episodes the most. The ship, robot and chariot were so well done but most of the writing was painfully silly.
Rest in Peace 🙏 🪦 Actor Mark Goddard Lost in Space Pass away age 87
Season 2 is definitely the worst one, I think it takes the camp too far in some of the episodes, season 1 is often heartfelt and Season 3 has a far better pace on average.
First series was good but then the second series started and it just ended up a total shit show even to a 7 year old I was totally unimpressed.
Lost in space TV was a different kind of family show of a family in space and a one of a kind TV show that set it apart from the other TV shows of what it would be like if it was a family set in space it knew how to do it and it got away from the other TV shows the first family in space
Dr Smith and Will are the Doc Brown and Marty of their generation.
Great video. This is a series that always captured my imagination as a kid. Both of the re-boots are totally forgettable.
The Jupiter 2 is one of my favorite TV spaceship.
Guy Williams was the real star of the show that is why i saw the show
13:18 is that Kurt Russell? Google, google, google...it is! :D
I will personally crush, kill, destroy anyone who can't appreciate what a fun show LiS was for kids of the 60's, 70's. Older me would be more interested in how the show would have turned out if they could have kept the more serious family survival theme.
The movie was "not good ", but it was a somewhat decent effort. Netflix reboot was crap start to finish.
Disagree, the Netflix show improved tremendously as it went on. Some duff moments ******SPOILER ALERT*****(Will's Robot somehow morphing from SAR) but I binge watched it over a week, which I rarely do
Horrible blue filter made is full depressing
Yes, A Life For A Life demanded of those to "dis" on this wonderful show. I don't "Grok" the resentment that so many self important SF fans have for allowing "the kids" to have shows of their own.
As you know BATMAN gets the credit/blame for changing the TV fantasy landscape. Budgets a problem too. Lost In Space was mostly up against the "adult western" champ THE VIRGINIAN (NBC) and whatever ABC might have that would stick. I'm wondering that, without BATMAN, if SPACE might take its "frontier" cues a bit from VIRGINIAN instead.
The science fiction cycle on TV in the 60s was winding down fast by 1968. Maybe LOST IN SPACE wouldn't have lasted much longer anyway?
Women sometimes dye their hair different colors so can be blonde sometimes and red other times.
One show I do remember from my childhood would be Lost in Space. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and Land of the Giants were both pretty forgettable. The robot stole the show for me in humour and wit although I found Smith annoying and Will a sidekick with the rest of the cast nonexistent.
I always felt the music was too intense and awesome for the show- early John Williams so...
I watched this since day one back in the 60s I was about 8 Or 9 I guess !