The Lost World (1999 TV Movie)
A "B" Grade Aussie Adventure
14 July 2004
The Lost World is by no means a breath taking, heart pounding Adventure Drama, but it is a pretty good show. It only ran three seasons and under went constant cast changes (one of he shows great flaws). I personally like the show, it's quaint, fun and the chemistry between the actors is great, especially Lord Roxton (Will Snow) and Marguerite (Rachel Blakely).

However as the show progressed the acting got better and plots got worse. In the first season the adventures spent the majority of their time trying to get off the plateau. All the while there attempts were thwarted by dinosaurs, strange tribes (most of whom speak fluent English) as well people who were completely misplaced, but some how when you watch the show enough you expect a Norse God to spring up in the South American jungles. In this season the sub-plot about the plateau being the centre of energy for the whole planet didn't really come into play. Also there wasn't a whole lot of people coming in from the outside world. The romance between Marguerite and Roxton was still shaky, as were the details about her past. Also there are a lot of personal conflicts that get sorted out before the next season. Veronica starts to come to grips with the fact that her parents are probably dead. Ned has to grow a pair and take charge (when no one more qualified is around). Challenger and Summerlee make personal attacks for the first few episodes but finally realize neither of them are perfect. Roxton has a brother that a accidentally murdered to cope with and Marguerite's just causing trouble with everyone.

Then came season two, Margeurite and Roxton start making out every chance they but never get into it because someone gets shot stabbed, attacked or falls into a pit. Also the plateau becomes the place responsible for everything weird and wild in the world. People are jumping the time barrier. Lizards are controlling people, we find the fountain of youth and also what happens to ships from the Bermuda triangle. However the show lacks the paternal warmth that Dr. Summerlee lent as we was killed off at the end of the first season. Note: All season finales are open ended because the producers never new if it would make back on the air.

And finally we hit season three, and all hell breaks loose. Ned (Canadian David Orth) and Veronica (American Jennifer O'Dell) have to be put in as guest stars due to Australian tax laws. This leaves us with the strongest characters/actors, the Aussies. Now things get weird and/or corny. Everyone seems to be involved in a Buddha style reincarnation were everybody's has some past life both on and off the plateau. They jump the time barrier and find this girl from 2033 named Finn. She's a punky little pain in the neck who comes from a war torn future, something the Adventures have to and can prevent. Ned gets jerked in and out of the Netherworld, Veronica runs off on a journey of self discovery and everybody else is left to man the fort. Finally the whole plateau goes down in flame and glory in a nuclear holocaust style energy break down that's kind of like a TV with it's wires crossed. As trees are ripped from the ground... Fade to black. I wish they'd have made a fourth season if for no other reason than to get some closure. If I were writing the script I'd of let the poor buggers off the plateau.
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