Visiting 1960’s TV again, we find another of Irwin Allen’s sci-fi efforts, this being the infamous series Lost In Space. Based (very) loosely on the 19th century novel Swiss Family Robinson and much more closely on an early 1960’s comic book named Space Family Robinson, the series lasted three seasons, from 1965 – 1968, and its initial popularity was one of the factors that enabled green-lighting of the familiar (and famous) TV series Star Trek TOS.
The first season was filmed in black-and-white and the last two in color. As with other of Irwin Allen’s works, it began quite well but ended up as a self-parody of itself, becoming at the end somewhat painful to watch. We used to watch this at the dinner table, and my father, whose tastes ran more to things like Hogan’s Heroes, simply dismissed it as “El Fantasmo”, which was not a compliment. It suffered from the usual maladies found in Irwin Allen’s other TV series – low budgets, laughable special effects, recycled cheapskate sets and props (including Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet), and poor writing, to name the major deficiencies. But it had one thing lacking in the various attempts at reboots and feature films – a genuine family atmosphere, and that was the glue that held it together for three seasons.
By the end of the run, the series had definitely jumped the shark and there was no reconciliation in a series finale. YouTube has many episodes (in the shrunken format to evade copyright) and many short videos on various aspects of the show. Some of these I have embedded below, including the infamous ‘vegetable’ episode, which was so ridiculous that both Guy Williams and June Lockhart were suspended without pay for being unable to control their laughter during filming. This is one series that I have fond memories of, but watching it 50 years later I ask myself ‘what was I thinking?’ Judge for yourself but at least give it a try. Remember, without Lost In Space, there may well have been no Star Trek.
Series Premier
The infamous 'vegetable' episode
Billy Mumy on the cast of Lost In Space
Lost in Space was up against Batman which ran twice a week back then. All my friends watched Batman and I took a lot of heat - for not watching Batman - for really liking Angela and for not liking Marcia Marcia Marcia. . .
And I really like the Netflix reboot.