Lost in Space (1965–1968)
Lost in Space is a science fiction TV series created and produced by Irwin Allen, filmed by 20th Century Fox Television, and broadcast on CBS. The show ran for three seasons, with 83 episodes airing between September 15, 1965, and March 6, 1968. The first TV season was filmed in black and white, but the remainder were filmed in color. In 1998, a Lost in Space movie, based on the TV series, was released.
Though the original TV series concept centered on the Robinson family, many later story lines focused primarily on Dr. Zachary Smith, played byJonathan Harris. Originally written as an utterly evil but extremely competent would-be saboteur, Smith gradually becomes the troublesome, self-centered, incompetent foil who provides the comic relief for the show and causes most of the episodic conflict and misadventures. Smith was not in the un-aired pilot and neither was the robot. A meteor storm in the un-aired pilot put them off course. In the first aired episode, Smith's sabotage and unintended presence caused them to go off course so that they encountered the meteors. In the un-aired version, they were going at such a relatively slow speed that they wondered if they were on Mars, while in the first aired episode, just seconds of hyper-drive and they were lost, unknown light years from Earth.
Production
The first appearance of a space-faring Robinson family was in a comic book published by Gold Key Comics, The Space Family Robinson, who travelled about also lost in space aboard Space Station one in December 1962. The TV show came three years later, and during its run, CBS and 20th Century Fox reached an agreement with Gold Key Comics that allowed the usage of the name 'Robinson' for the show. After that, the TV series went ahead with stories separate from the comic book series. The TV series is an adaptation of the Johann David Wyss novel The Swiss Family Robinson. The astronaut family of Dr. John Robinson, accompanied by an Air Force pilot and a robot, set out from an overpopulated Earth in the spaceship Jupiter 2 to visit a planet circling the star Alpha Centauri with hopes of colonizing it. Their mission in 1997 (the official launch date of the Jupiter 2 was October 16, 1997) is immediately sabotaged by Dr. Zachary Smith—an apparent agent for a foreign government—who slips aboard their spaceship and reprograms the robot to destroy the ship and crew. Smith is trapped aboard, saving himself by prematurely reviving the crew from suspended animation. They save the ship, but consequent damage leaves them lost in space. Eventually they crash on an alien world, later named by the Robinsons as Priplanis, where they spend the rest of the season and had to survive a host of adventures. Smith, whom Allen originally intended to write out, remains through the series as a source of comedic cowardice and villainy, exploiting the forgiving nature of the Robinsons. Smith was liked by the trusting Will Robinson, but he was disliked by both the Robot and the equally-suspicious Major Don West.
At the start of the second season, the repaired Jupiter 2 launches again after a series of severe quakes destroy Priplanis, but in the fourth episode, the Robinsons crash on another planet and spend the season there. This replicated the feel of the first season, although by this time the focus of the series was more on humor than straight action/adventure.
In the third season, a format change allowed the Robinson Family to travel to more planets. The Jupiter-2 would travel to other worlds in an attempt to return to Earth or to settle on their originally-desired planet in the Alpha Centauri system. The Space Pod was added as a means of transportation between the ship and planets. This season had a dramatically-different opening credits sequence and a new theme song, which like the original, was composed by John Williams.
Following the format of Allen's first TV series, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, fantasy-oriented adventure stories were emphasized with little emphasis on science fiction. The show delivered a visual assault of special effects, explosions, monstrous aliens, spaceships, and during seasons two and three, exotic sets and costumes drenched in the bright, primary colors that were typical of early color television.
Plot
On October 16, 1997, 30 years into the future in 1967, the United States is about to launch of one of history's great adventures: man's colonization of deep space. The Jupiter 2, called Gemini 12 in the pilot episode, a futuristic saucer-shaped spaceship, stands on its launch pad undergoing final preparations. Its mission is to take a single family on a five-and-a-half-year journey - stated as 98 years in the pilot episode - to a planet of the nearby star Alpha Centauri. The pilot episode refers to the planet itself as Alpha Centauri, which space probes reveal possesses ideal conditions for human life. The Robinson family was selected from among two million volunteers for this mission. The family includes Professor John Robinson, played by Guy Williams, his wife, Maureen, played by June Lockhart, their children, Judy (Marta Kristen), Penny (Angela Cartwright), and Will (Billy Mumy). They will be accompanied by their pilot, US Space Corps Major Donald West (Mark Goddard), who is trained to fly the ship. Otherwise, the Robinsons and West will be in freezing tubes for the voyage; with the tubes opening when the spacecraft approached its destination. Unless there was a problem with the ship's navigation or guidance system during the voyage, West would only take the controls during the final approach to and landing on the destination planet while the Robinsons would strap themselves into contour couches on the lower deck for the landing.
Other nations are racing to colonize space and they would stop at nothing, even sabotage, to thwart the US effort. Dr. Zachary Smith (Jonathan Harris), a medical doctor and environmental control expert, is also a foreign secret agent. He reprograms the Jupiter 2's B-9 environmental control robot, voiced by Dick Tufeld, to destroy critical systems on the spaceship eight hours after launch. Smith is trapped aboard at launch and his extra weight throws the Jupiter 2 off course, causing it to encounter a meteor storm. This plus the robot's rampage causes the ship to become lost.
The Robinsons are often placed in danger by Smith, whose self-centered actions and laziness endanger the family. In the second and third seasons, Smith's role assumes a less evil overtone – although he continues to display many character defects. In "The Time Merchant", Smith travels back in time to the day of the Jupiter 2 launch, with hope of changing his fate. He learns that without his weight altering the ship's course, it would be destroyed by an uncharted asteroid. In an act of redemption, Smith elects to re-board the ship, thus saving the Robinsons' lives.
Characters
Dr. John Robinson: (Guy Williams) The expedition commander, a pilot, and the father of the Robinson children. He is an astrophysicist who also specializes in applied planetary geology.
Dr. Maureen Robinson: (June Lockhart) John's biochemist wife. Her role in the series is often to prepare meals, tend the garden and help with light construction, while adding a voice of compassion. Her status as a doctor is mentioned only in the first episode and in the second season episode "The Astral Traveler".
Major Don West: (Mark Goddard) The military pilot of the Jupiter 2, he is Dr. Smith's intemperate and intolerant adversary. His mutual romantic interest with Judy was not developed beyond the first few episodes. In the un-aired pilot, "Doctor Donald West" was a graduate student astrophysicist and expert in interplanetary geology, rather than a military man.
Judy Robinson: (Marta Kristen) The oldest child of the Robinsons, she is about 19-years-old at the outset of the series. She planned a career in musical theater but went with her family instead.
Penny Robinson: (Angela Cartwright) The middle child, a 13-year-old in the first season, she loves animals and classical music. Later in the series, she acquires a chimpanzee-like alien pet with pointy ears that made one sound, "Bloop". While it is sometimes remembered by that name, Penny named the creature "Debbie." Most of Penny's adventures have a fairy-tale quality, underscoring her innocence. She is described in the pilot, "No Place To Hide", as having an I.Q. of 147 and an interest in zoology.
Will Robinson: (Billy Mumy) The youngest child, a precocious 9-year-old in the first season, he is a child prodigy in electronics and computer technology. Often, he is a friend to Smith when no one else is. Will is also the member of the family closest to the Robot.
Dr. Zachary Smith: (Jonathan Harris) A Doctor of Intergalactic Environmental Psychology expert in Cybernetics and an enemy agent, roles that are rarely mentioned after the initial episodes. In the pilot episode, he is shown in uniform with a colonel's rank and eagles insignia, but is almost invariably addressed by his academic, rather than his military, rank. His attempt to sabotage the mission strands him aboard the Jupiter 2 and results in it becoming lost. By the end of the first season, the character becomes permanently established as a bumbling, self-serving, greedy and manipulative coward. These character traits are magnified in subsequent seasons. His haughty bearing and ever-present alliterative repartee were staples of the character. While he and Major West repeatedly clashed over his goldbricking or because of some villainy he had perpetrated, the Robot was usually the preferred victim of his barbed and acerbic wit.
Despite Harris being credited as a "Special Guest Star" for every episode, Smith is the pivotal character of the series. Harris was the last actor cast, with the others having been in the pilot episode. He was informed that he would "have to be in last position" in the credits. Harris voiced discomfort at this, and suggested appearing in the last position as "Special Guest Star". After having "screamed and howled", Allen agreed.[4] The show's writers expected that Smith would be a temporary villain that would only appear in early episodes. Harris hoped to stay on the show but found his character very boring; encouraged by Allen, the actor "began rewriting his lines and redefining his character" by playing Smith in an attention-getting, flamboyant style. Mumy recalls how, after he had learned his own lines, Harris would ask to rehearse with him using his own dialogue. "He truly, truly single-handledly created the character of Dr. Zachary Smith that we know," said Mumy. "This man we love-to-hate, a coward who would cower behind the little boy, 'Oh, the pain! Save me, William!' That's all him!"
The Robot: The Robot is a Class M-3 Model B9, General Utility Non-Theorizing Environmental Control Robot, which had no given name. Although a machine endowed with superhuman strength and futuristic weaponry, he often displayed human characteristics such as laughter, sadness, and mockery as well as singing and playing the guitar. The Robot was performed by Bob May in a prop costume built by Bob Stewart. The voice was dubbed by Dick Tufeld, who was also the series' narrator. The Robot was designed by Robert Kinoshita, whose other cybernetic claim to fame is as the designer of Forbidden Planet's Robby the Robot. Robby appears in LIS #20 "War of the Robots", and the first episode of season three; "Condemned of Space".
Technology and equipment
"Jupiter 2" redirects here. For the second discovered satellite of Jupiter with this codename, see Europa (moon).
General Utility Non-theorizing Environmental Control Robot, Model B9 (Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, Seattle)
The crew had a variety of methods of transportation. First, their primary vehicle for space travel was the two-deck, nuclear powered Jupiter 2 flying saucer spacecraft. (In the original un-aired pilot, the ship was named Gemini 12 and consisted of a single deck.) On the lower level were the "atomic motors" (which use "deutronium" for fuel), living quarters, galley, laboratory, and the robot's compartment. On the upper level were the guidance control system and suspended animation "freezing tubes" necessary for non-relativistic interstellar travel. The two levels were connected by an electric elevator and a fixed ladder. The Jupiter 2 explicitly had artificial gravity. The spacecraft was also intended to serve as home to the Robinsons once it landed on the destination planet orbiting Alpha Centauri.
Second, the "Pod" – a small spacecraft first shown in the third and final season and modeled on the Apollo Lunar Module — was used to travel from its bay in the Jupiter 2 to destinations either on land or in space. The Pod apparently also had artificial gravity.
Third, the "Chariot" was an amphibious tracked vehicle the crew used when they were on a planet. Since most body panels were clear — including the roof and its dome-shaped "gun hatch" — the Chariot had retractable mylar curtains for privacy. Both a roof rack for luggage and roof mounted solar batteries were accessible by exterior fixed ladders on either side of the vehicle. The roof also had a swivel-mounted, interior controllable spot light near each front corner. The Chariot had six bucket seats (three rows of two seats) for passengers. The interior featured a seismograph, a scanner with infrared capability, a radio transceiver, a public address system, and a rifle rack that held four laser rifles vertically against the inside of the left rear body panel.
Fourth and last, the then exciting new invention called a jet pack was used occasionally by Prof. Robinson or Major West.
One of the most vital pieces of equipment was their environmental control robot B-9. The Robot ran air and soil tests, was extremely strong, able to discharge strong electrostatic charges from his claws, could detect threats with his scanner, produce a defensive smoke screen, produce exact duplicates of small objects like a pair of gloves, and could even detect faint smells (in "One of Our Dogs is Missing"). He could both understand speech as well as speak. In episode 8 ("Invaders From The Fifth Dimension"), the Robot claims the ability to read human minds by translating emitted thought waves back into words.
For self-defense, the crew of the Jupiter 2 (including Will Robinson on occasion against his parents' wishes) had an arsenal of laser guns at their disposal, both long guns and handguns, which they openly carried. The crew employed a force field around the Jupiter 2 for protection while on alien planets. The first season's personal issue raygun was a film prop modified from a toy semi-automatic pistol made by Remco.
For communication, the crew used small transceivers to communicate with each other when away from the ship. On one occasion, Will improvised several rockoons in an attempt to send an interstellar "message in a bottle" distress signal.
The Jupiter 2 had advanced technology that simplified or did away with mundane tasks. The "auto-matic laundry" took seconds to clean, iron, fold, and package clothes in clear plastic bags. Similarly the "dishwasher" would clean, wash, and dry dishes in just seconds. The ship had no light bulbs. Maureen said the lights were "transistorized", perhaps meaning they were electroluminescent or light emitting diodes. "Protein pills" (a complete nutritional emergency substitute for whole foods) were featured in "The Hungry Sea" (air date: Oct 13, 1965) and "The Space Trader" (air date: March 9, 1966). In this, Lost in Space was ahead of NASA and Pillsbury, which later developed Space Food Sticks.[6] Silver reflective space blankets, a then new invention developed by NASA in 1964, were used in "The Hungry Sea" (air date: Oct 13, 1965) and "Attack of the Monster Plants" (air date: Dec 15, 1965). The crew's spacesuits were made with aluminum-coated fabric, like NASA's Mercury spacesuits, and had Velcro fasteners which NASA first used during the Apollo program (1961-1972).
On the other hand, sound and voice recording was less advanced, for example, using reel-to-reel tape recorders, and Prof. Robinson often put pen to paper to write journal entries in early episodes.
Series history
Allen produced a series pilot, "No Place to Hide." After CBS accepted the series the characters Smith and the Robot were added. The ship was redesigned with a second deck, and named the Jupiter 2. (It had been the Gemini 12.) For budget considerations, a good part of the pilot episode was reworked into the early series episodes. CBS was also offered Star Trek at around the same time, but it was turned down in favor of Lost in Space.
The Lost in Space TV series was originally named Space Family Robinson. Allen was apparently unaware of the Gold Key comic of the same name and similar theme. His series was, as was the comic, a space version of Swiss Family Robinson hence the title similarity. Gold Key Comics had the opportunity to sue Allen's production company and 20th Century Fox for copyright infringement, but as Allen was expected to license the rights for comic book adaptations of his various properties as he already had with Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea series, they decided to not sue but instead changed the title of the comic to Lost in Space to take advantage of the series' prominence.
The first season emphasized adventure. It chronicled the daily adventures that a pioneer family might well experience if marooned on an alien world. These included dealing with dangerous native plants and animals, and off-world visitors. In the first season, only the special effects shots were filmed in color, in anticipation of reusing shots in color seasons.
Beginning in January 1966, ABC scheduled Batman in the same time period. To compete, Lost in Space imitated its campy style, using "bright outfits, over-the-top action, outrageous bad guys". There was a growing emphasis on Smith, Will, and the Robot at the expense of the other characters. Smith's change in character was not appreciated by the other actors. According to Billy Mumy, Mark Goddard and Guy Williams disliked the shift from serious science fiction.
The third season had more adventure with the Jupiter II now functional and hopping from planet-to-planet, but episodes like "The Great Vegetable Rebellion"—with actor Stanley Adams as Tybo, the talking carrot—still demonstrated humorous fantasy. (Called "the most insipid and bizarre episode in television history", Kristen recalls that Goddard complained that "seven years of Stanislavski" method acting had culminated in his talking to a carrot.) Other episodes were whimsical and emphasized humor, including fanciful space cowboys, space hippies, pirates, and a beauty pageant.
During the first two seasons, episodes concluded in a "live action freeze" anticipating the following week, with the cliff-hanger, "To be continued Next Week! Same Time- Same Channel!" There was little ongoing plot continuity between episodes, except in larger goals; for example, to get enough fuel to leave the planet. For the third season, the episode would conclude, and then a "teaser" for viewers to "Stay tuned for scenes from next week's exciting adventure!" highlighting the next episode just before the closing credits began.
After cancellation, the show was successful in reruns and in syndication for many years, most recently on FX, Sci-Fi Channel, and ALN. It is currently available on Hulu streaming video, and is seen Saturday nights on Me-TV.
Stylistically, the series was of high quality, featuring what was expected for space travel at the time; eye-catching silver, tapered space-suits, laser guns and spectacular props and sets.
Ratings, awards (nominations) and popularity
Although it retains a following, the science-fiction community often points to Lost in Space as an example of early television's perceived poor record at producing science-fiction. The series' deliberate fantasy elements, a trademark of Irwin Allen productions, were perhaps overlooked as it drew comparisons to its supposed rival, Star Trek. However, Lost in Space was a mild ratings success, unlike Star Trek, which received very poor ratings during its original network TV run. The more "cerebral" Star Trek never averaged higher than 52nd in the ratings during its three seasons, while Lost in Space finished season one with a rating of 32nd, season two in 35th place, and the third and final season in 33rd place.
Star Trek creator Gene Roddenbery insisted that the two shows could not be compared. He was more of a philosopher, while understanding that Irwin Allen was a storyteller. When asked about Lost in Space, Roddenberry acknowledged: "That show accomplishes what it sets out to do. Star Trek is not the same thing".
While Lost in Space was still reasonably successful, the show was unexpectedly cancelled in 1968 after 83 episodes. The final prime-time episode to be broadcast over CBS was a cast and crew favorite, a repeat from the second season, "A Visit to Hades", on September 11, 1968.
"Lost in Space" received a 1966 Emmy award nomination for "Cinematography-Special photographic effects" but did not win, and again in 1968 for "Achievement in visual arts & makeup" but did not win. In 2005 LIS was nominated for a Saturn Award "Best DVD Retro Television Release", but did not win. In 2008 TVLand nominated and awarded the series for "Awesomest Robot."
Lost in Space is remembered, at least, from oft-repeated lines of the Robot, such as "Warning! Warning!", "That does not compute" and "Danger, Will Robinson!". Smith's frequent put-downs of the Robot are also still popular ("You bubble-headed booby!") as are his trademark lines: "Oh, the pain... the pain!" and "Never fear, Smith is here!". One of Jonathan Harris's last roles was providing the voice of the illusionist praying mantis "Manny" in Disney's "A Bug's Life", where Harris used "Oh, the pain... the pain!" near the end of the film.
Lost in Space was the favorite show of John F. Kennedy, Jr. while growing up in the 1960s.
Guest stars
During its three season run, many actors made guest appearances, including familiar actors and/or actors who went on to become well-known. Among those appearing in Lost in Space episodes: Joe E. Tata, Kevin Hagen, Alan Hewitt, Warren Oates, Don Matheson, Kurt Russell, Ford Rainey, Wally Cox, Grant Sullivan, Norman Leavitt, Tommy Farrell, Mercedes McCambridge, Lyle Waggoner, Albert Salmi, Royal Dano, Strother Martin, Michael J. Pollard, Byron Morrow, Arte Johnson, Fritz Feld, John Carradine, Al Lewis, Hans Conried, Dennis Patrick, Michael Rennie among many others. Future Hill Street Blues stars, Daniel J. Travanti (billed as "Danny Travanty") and Michael Conrad, made guest appearances on separate episodes. While Mark Goddard was playing Maj. West, he had a guest-appearance as well. Jonathan Harris, although a permanent cast member, was listed in the opening credits as "Special Guest Star" of every episode of Lost in Space.
Cancellation
In early 1968, while "Junkyard in Space" was in production, the cast and crew were told the series was picked up for a fourth season and that Allen had ordered new scripts written for the coming season. A few weeks later, however, CBS announced the TV series that were being renewed for the 1968-69 season, and Lost in Space was not on the list. Although CBS programming executives failed to offer any reasons why Lost in Space was cancelled, there are at least five suggested reasons offered by series executives, critics and fans, any one of which could be considered sufficient justification for cancellation given the state of the broadcast network television industry at the time. As there was no official final episode, the exploring pioneers never made it to Alpha Centauri nor found their way back to Earth.
