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19 out of 20 people found the following review useful: The Best Of Irwin Allen, 5 June 2001 Author: Thor2000 from Collinsport, Maine
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.
13 out of 13 people found the following review useful: An excellent example of a neglected genre, namely..., 15 February 2006 Author: danielj_old999 from United States
SPACE FANTASY... STAR TREK certainly utilized elements of whimsy but not to this degree ...I think especially of an example such as the space circus episode,or the wonderful episode in which Dr. Smith turns slowly into a stalk of celery (an acting tour de force, by the way...)...Stunning use of archetypes such as the innocent young lad, the brave companion and the cowardly uncle...many have complained of the cardboard quality of the so called "main characters" of this series, but what an interesting use of them. The so called adult "stars" being only paper backdrops, intentionally made so, so as to throw into relief the richness of these archetypes and the genuinely mythic adventures in which they find themselves.The "special guest star" status of Jonathan Harris is one of the great ironic tricks of network television. A very underrated series.
19 out of 25 people found the following review useful: Brilliant Non-Linear Science Fiction, 23 May 2006 Author: kellyadmirer from New York City/Colorado Springs
I have to come out up front and state that I am a life-long fan of "Lost in Space." I can't say enough good things about it. It isn't perfect, but it is far and away the most original and unique science fiction ever made.The first seven episodes of "Lost in Space" are perhaps the most brilliant sustained science fiction ever filmed (I put "Star Wars" in the "fantasy" category). The opening episode is breathtaking in its scope, showing the lift-off from Earth as just the prelude to some serious drama. Dr. Smith is a cold, hard saboteur whose motives are always in question. Some gadgets, such as Professor Robinson's jet pack and the chariot, are introduced (and unfortunately rarely seen again). John Williams' score is awesome, especially the background music as the chariot rumbles across forbidding deserts. Light and shadow are used to great effect in these black-and-white episodes.Mid-way through the first season, though, things start changing, and the series never looked back. Dr. Smith evolves. It is heresy for characters in science fiction to evolve. Think about it. Kirk is always Kirk, manly and triumphant. Spock remains Spock, emotionless (for the most part) and calculating. Adama is heroic, Dr. Who indefatigable, etc. However, name one other major character in science fiction who changes the way that Dr. Smith does - and include the Robot and Will Robinson in there, too. All go through a metamorphosis during the first two seasons. That is actual character development, folks, the kind you don't see often on television.Another extremely tricky thing to accomplish is to combine science fiction and comedy. "Star Trek" did it occasionally, as in "A Piece of the Action," but not consistently. "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" tried and, for the most part, failed. "Lost in Space" achieved that goal, even if sometimes the laughs were unintentional (see "The Great Vegetable Rebellion" and some campy monsters/villains in other episodes).It's difficult for me to pick out favorite episodes. One of the uncanny features of "Lost in Space" is that the episodes can be so different. There were many that featured the bumbling Dr. Smith getting the Robinsons into - and sometimes out of - trouble, but there also were episodes in which John Robinson acted as courageously as any other science fiction hero ever did to save his people. Penny Robinson carried an inventive episode featuring her "invisible friend." Every so often, a guest star performance from the likes of Michael Rennie, Warren Oates, Albert Salmi, Kurt Russell or Slim Pickens would pop up and change the whole tone of the series for a spell.Somewhat ironically, this series set in the "far future" is one of the few that really captures the essence of swinging 1960s culture. This is one of the best series to make full use of the medium through its use of color, costumes and creative props. The final episode, one of my favorites, does that as bluntly as any other TV show outside of, say, the final episode of "The Prisoner." In it, the Robinsons have found Alpha Centauri and believe that their journey finally is ended, though the inhabitants show strong tendencies of being, well, hippies. Watching Dr. Smith "get down" with them - oh wait, I already mentioned the comedy aspect, didn't I.If some people want to read sinister things into some of the relationships on this show, well, I have no time for that. One of show's outstanding features is its ability to show a relationship between an adult - Dr. Smith - and a child - Will Robinson - in which the child is successfully portrayed as being often more mature and courageous than his elder. Dr. Smith is child-like in many of his passions and traits, while Will at least at first is too mature for his years. Watching Will gradually lose his supercilious edge as he learns a bit about human nature from Dr. Smith is one of the most under-appreciated aspects of the show. The Robot becomes humanized along the way, too. In addition to everything else, this is a "coming of age" story.I don't know how you can say you like science fiction and not like at least major aspects of "Lost in Space." It was far, far ahead of its time. This is Irwin Allen's finest work, with "The Poseidon Adventure" a close second. I give it my highest rating for a television production.
12 out of 12 people found the following review useful: Three Cheers For Bug Eyed Monsters, 9 June 2005 Author: BumpyRide from TCM's Basement
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!
16 out of 21 people found the following review useful: One Of The Best Sci-Fi Shows Ever!, 10 April 2005 Author: ryon-2 from Portland, Oregon USA
There are a lot of people who gripe about how the show set out to be dead serious and later became corrupted by the "camp craze" that started with the Batman show. But I like this series from beginning to end, with my only regret being that the show didn't get properly wrapped up at the end.I like this show because you could see the love Will Robison felt for his father and unlike the dysfunctional television families of today, John Robison had great love for his son; and the bond between John and Maureen was also unshakable. This was a warm and caring family, and I liked that more then some of the silly plots. That's not to say that I didn't like the plots: often they were silly and made me laugh-- probably when they were trying to be serious, and made more so by the limited budgets and special effects of the '60s. But if you made the same show today, using the most expensive CGI effects, the new show would not have the same warmth and charm, and it would die within a season. It's so sad that writers today don't know anything about what a family should be. Look at the recent movie; see how the producer's '90s view had a troubled Will Robinson, and a self-centered Penny, along with a soulless John Robinson who had all the charm of a brick.I am glad that Lost In Space is on DVD as well as video and that people can see a great classic television show. So what, there were giant talking carrots! It was one of several funny episodes that I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world. There were some that stank, too, and I wouldn't miss those either. It was overall, a great series. And without Lost In Space, there would not have been a Star Trek. People forget that, too. I give my respects to the late, great, Jonathan Harris. Doctor Smith, I'll miss you...
14 out of 18 people found the following review useful: Best Science Fiction Series of All Time, 7 December 2002 Author: skeetz1105 from Wisconsin
This sci-fi adventure series was "Bold in concept, Brilliant in execution". From the Robinson's departure from Earth to their encounter with the Junkman I was kept on the edge of my seat. Virtually every episode had some great moments. Among my least favorites are: Space Vikings (however, this one did have good special effects), Space Beauty, 2 Weeks in Space, and A Day At The Zoo. The rest are top rate -they dealt with such topics as: time travel, environmental problems one may encounter on alien worlds, cryogenics, matter transfer, espionage, sabotage, national security, and human survival issues. What also remained intriguing was the fact that the greatest danger they faced came from within - namely, Dr. Smith. Why they didn't "kill him" is obvious - they couldn't bring civilization to the stars starting with the uncivilized act of murder (not to say that it never crossed anybody's mind). Cool special effects and equipment were: lazer battles (and their weapons), explosions, flying belts, the force field, weather stations, the Jupiter 2, the robot, and the charriot. I too, like many people, wish that "Lost In Space" would have remained a more serious science fiction epic, but the 2nd and 3rd seasons did produce some outstanding episodes like: Blast of into Space, Wreck of the Robot, Collision of Planets, The Colonists, Space Creature, The Anti-Matter Man, Hunter's Moon, and Visit to a Hostile Planet. Jonathan Harris' decision to make Dr. Smith a more comedic villian may have been more fun for him, but I think it would have been better if he had remained the evil agent he started out being (but there were some humorous moments between him, the robot, and Will). When I was a kid I attributed to this change in character to a complete mental breakdown due to the stress and strain of isolation in space (of course he was crazy from the beginning and it wouldn't require a lot for him to snap). Even though people remember Smith, the robot, Will, and their relationship the best, there were plenty of episodes where the main focus was the Robinson family as a whole and their plight. Guy Williams was among my favorites and I always looked up to him. He was my hero in this show. There is no comparison between LIS and Star Trek. I would much rather watch a show about human survival in space than a show with weird aliens who have acne problems.
7 out of 8 people found the following review useful: The best show from TV's greatest decade, 8 June 2007 Author: thommickel from Fort Worth
I guess I'm alone in my views these days, but I've never agreed with the critics (or the vast audiences) that adore contemporary TV series like "Seinfeld" or "Friends."For me, the best decade for TV (by a million miles) was the 1960s. It was truly a unique decade for television. Series produced then are totally unlike anything produced previously or since. I don't know what it was (perhaps someone spiked the water back then), but TV in the 1960s was unique. There was a certain sense of wonder, a certain sense of the fantastic---and a definite 60s vibe of surrealism that crept into every show from "Green Acres" to "Batman" to "Gilligan's Island." And for my money, the best show in TV's greatest decade was "Lost in Space." It's impossible to describe what watching this show was like in the 1960s. It's an experience that simply can't be re-produced today. For a start, America was still an optimistic nation and we had an ambitious space program that would soon take us to the moon. For everyone who was young in the 60s, it seemed highly plausible that, we too, would get a chance to ride a rocket into space within our lifetimes. Little could we fathom that, after 1972, America wouldn't even land a person on the moon for 35 long years.Today's TV shows are stiflingly dull and seem to be created by committees that cynically use focus groups to create their sterile product. "Lost in Space" is a million miles away from this creative process. In fact, it's the total opposite (and all the more brilliant for this).The greatest science fiction always had a sense of wonder and mystery. "Lost in Space" captured the mystery of space---indeed, the show itself was actually quite bizarre. It's a far cry from the over-rated "Star Trek," which, instead of giving us a sense of mystery, followed an (increasingly stale) by-the-numbers formula.And "formula" is precisely what one did NOT get in viewing "Lost in Space." Indeed, this show is so strange that, viewing it today, it seems like a relic from a lost civilization. It's hard, in fact, to really even fathom who the producers were targeting as their audience.Naturally, there are cynics who hate this show, and fall over themselves pointing out the plot holes and the ignorance of "realism." To those folks, I say: Chill out. Even TV's "realistic" shows are NOT as realistic as they hyped to be. "Star Trek," for example, has plenty of flaws in its science. Even a highly-praised show like "ER," the medical drama, has plenty of inaccuracies (as any medical professional will tell you).In many ways, "Lost in Space" does a wonderful job of capturing the essence of what made the 60s the greatest decade of the 20th century for TV, film, music, and culture in general. It's something we'll never re-capture in today's stale culture, dominated as it is by dull, overpaid celebrities. We've gone a long ways downhill from The Beatles to "American Idol."
7 out of 8 people found the following review useful: A Farcical Fantasy, 26 July 2005 Author: Brian Wolters from Cabot, Arkansas
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
I've always been a Lost in Space fan. From when I was very young when Mr. Keema scared me when he revealed himself, to rediscovering it in the late 80's to watching it now for the memories, the show has always entertained me. At my younger age, I loved Season 2. As a teen, I loved Season 3 and now, I find that Season 1 was simply the best. On a whole, the series is a classic.Season 1 opens with 5 dramatic and suspenseful episodes that rival some of the best sci-fi / adventure stories out there. While this isn't "good" science, it is fun. Despite a road bump with "Welcome, Stranger", the first half of Season 1 was very dramatic in its impact. The family had to find food, shelter, water at the same time as battling the unknown and sometimes hostile creatures. Then, the show takes a lurching turn with The Sky Pirate and rarely looks back. From that point on, the focus of the show was "comedic villain" of the week and how Will, Smith and the Robot deal with plot. Despite the format change, the remaining first season episodes still had a lot of charm and excitement to them.Season 2 picks right up where Season 1 ended, by keeping the "comedic villain" of the week. Despite a 3 episode stretch where you can feel a return to pure adventure, it takes the "comedic villain" of the week formula and adds on farce.Adventure was at the forefront of Season 2. The opening episode, Blast of Into Space is an episode that rids us of the villain early to focus once again on the plight of their situation. "Wild Adventure", the best of Season 2 and one of the strongest of the series, is a great space bound adventure getting them close to Earth.From the middle of Forbidden World on, the adventure element was nearly gone and we had fun, comical episodes. The first half of Season 2 is arguably the best. "Prisoners of Space" gave us a break from the visiting villain and while a flashback show, it was fairly riveting for the series. After that, we enter a stretch of bland yet still entertaining episodes. "The Golden Man" featured horrible masks and beach ball bombs but it was one of the stronger shows of the season.The 2nd 1/2 of the season features 4 stinkers yet in their own way, they are charming. From "The Questing Beat" through "The Space Vikings", we are treated to space fantasy at its most absurd. "The Cave of The Wizards" features some genuine emotion from Smith toward his feelings for the Robinsons and a teaser about a possible lift off from the planet. And two great Robot episodes, "Trip Through the Robot" and "The Mechanical Men".Season 3 of Lost in Space had a very ambitious start. You could feel the excitement of the new direction the show tried early in this season. From the exciting and grand new theme to actually going into space more often, Season 3 did start out very well.The third season features some of the best episodes of the third season and a few approach the best or at least the most ambitious of the entire series. We start out with the action packed "Condemned of Space" where we see the Robinson's lift off, dodge a comet, loose the Robot in Space and come across a frozen prison. We move on to "A Visit to a Hostile Planet" where we feature one of the best of the series (though logic is out the window) where our crew returns to Earth of the Past. And even when stuck on a planet for a while, they to attempt new fresh ideas, most notably some bonding between Don and Smith in "Space Primevals." Bad creature effects aside, "Space Creature" gave us one of the deepest Lost in Space episodes to date.It would seem that toward the middle of season 3, that the writers milked all they could out of the return to action and adventure and had to settle back to farcical fantasy and the results not very good. We get three episodes in a row that pretty much sign the death certificate of the entire series; "A Day at the Zoo", "Two Weeks in Space" which features the Jupiter 2 as a resort for fugitive aliens, complete with a cash register and badminton equipment, and "Castles in Space. If it weren't for the excellent "The Anti-Matter Man", the show could have ended there.The final stretch of the Lost in Space series is definitely schizophrenic. We get the excellent "Target: Earth" where a group of uniform creatures want to learn to be individuals. Then we lurch over to "Princess of Space". Later we get "The Flaming Planet" had a decent story but the subplot about the radioactive plant was enough to curdle lunch milk a million miles away. "Fugitives in Space" was a different episode that actually felt fresh, despite the weird court they had. Enough has been said about the "Talking Carrot", so we won't even go there. And because of "bad behavior" from the filming of that episode, we rarely see Guy Williams or June Lockheart this season." The Promised Planet" is far from the best ever but it is one of my favorites mainly due to the absurdity of it all.Could the series have been renewed for a 4th season? The ratings were good and the good episodes far outweighed the bad but alas, it was never meant to be. We bid adieu and farewell to a great series and we can only hope we have a decent revival of the series on TV one day.
9 out of 13 people found the following review useful: ITS STILL A GREAT SHOW, 20 December 2003 Author: simon.conder from United Kingdom
I have just been watching some of the early eppisodes again and I can't wait to get them on DVD.To me this show still stands up. Great sets, great music (theme X 2 by John Williams). It is only in the later eppisodes that it gets silly. I must admit that I just love the black and white eppisodes.I would kind of like to see this show made again but ONLY AS A STRICT 12 OR 24 EPPISODES. I think that could be really good but then again perhaps you can't make a magic show like this today.Everytime I hear the theme music it takes me back to being a boy in south-east London in the 1960's.Danger Will Robinson. Oh yes, I was also in love with Penny.
8 out of 12 people found the following review useful: The Best TV Show there is!!, 13 December 2001 Author: Thomas (photo17) from New Zealand
This cult classic will always remain a world show! With its exceptional Sets & Vehicles!-The Jupiter II , Chariot & Space Pod. Lines said like "You Traitor!" will always remain fun for the globe to enjoy -said by the nefarious , Loveable villain Dr. Zachary Smith. I would strongly recommend buying a 3rd season episode -watch it and see if you like it. I wish there was a TV show like "LIS" around today. It means alot to many people around the world
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