Lost in Space (1965 - 1968), created and produced by Irwin Allen, began its run as a serious space adventure about a family, the Robinsons, surviving on an alien planet while an evil saboteur plots to end their lives.
Guy Williams and June Lockhart play the parents, John and Maureen Robinson. The kids, Judy, Penny, and Will, are portrayed by Marta Kristen, Angela Cartwright, and Billy Mumy respectively. Their pilot, and Judy's erstwhile love interest, Don West, is played by Mark Goddard, while the evil Zachery Smith comes to life thanks to Jonathan Harris.
While Lost in Space began as a straightforward science fiction adventure, somewhere along the way, the show veered into outrageous comedy, which was what the series became famous for. Many people don't remember the more grim episodes and seeing the early run after being accustomed to the later wild comedy can be jarring. From pilot to finale, the series changed with the fickle preferences of American audiences. Aside from the cast and sets, it might as well have been a handful of different series. There were nine phases of Lost in Space, the most taking place in the first season. I will chart these phases while commenting on the high and low points of this cult classic series. This series of posts will assume you have some knowledge of the series, both in front and behind the camera.
The First Season
The true format of the series is presented here; a tale of survival and adventure on an alien planet, with a close knit family, their pilot, troublemaking stowaway, and helpful robot. It is truly an ensemble series, with individual stories focusing on everyone except Don and Maureen. Everyone seemed real and into the job. The best performances are seen in this era.
Part One: The Launch
The first 5 episodes, the classics we're all very familiar with. So different in tone from the rest of the run that it was really a shock to see these after being subjected to the color episodes most of my childhood. This is a fast paced run of episodes, very gripping and a lot of fun. Because of the use of the pilot footage spread out over the five (mostly four since The Derelict had very little usage of it), the series kicked off with some really epic episodes. It looked like a million bucks and unless you were in the know (or very observant) the switching between the old and new footage was almost seamless. As a younger person, I didn't get ferklempt over disappearing windows and set changes. I just figured there were some screw ups. Now, I can see where the kids are younger (Billy Mumy grew up fast), the J2 mock up changed and the animal pen kept coming and going.
Great stuff and among some of the best work Irwin Allen has ever done.
Part Two: Settling In
Once past The Hungry Sea, the series slowed down and the epic nature of the storylines came to an end. Now these would be a series of weekly adventures, unconnected in story but for one or two exceptions. Smith is now lightening up considerably, no longer trying to kill the only people able to keep him alive. At this point, he is still nasty, but more fussy and selfish than evil. He'd still sell out the family for a ticket home, but for the most part, he's still realistic. A coward, but not given to irrational bouts of screaming and fainting (although he does start to shriek before long). Still intelligent, but bits of idiocy are coming to the surface. From Welcome Stranger to Return from Outer Space, Smith is at his best. Comic relief, but still a viable source of conflict. The Sky is Falling shows us Smith at his most effective. In this episode, he is a coward, selfish, lazy, and completely paranoid. However, he is also 100% right! He had reason to be cautious of the new aliens and John should have gone to their camp as soon as they knew Will was missing. Beyond that, he ruined everything, but he was not irrational. However, One of Our Dogs is Missing turned him into a moron. They sacrificed his character for humor, which was the beginning of an erosion which wouldn't stop until the series ended.
However, this is also the point where the series introduced the gentle fantasy to the format. My Friend, Mr. Nobody and Wish Upon a Star are fine and heartfelt episodes with heart and a moral. Plus action and suspense galore. The final few minutes of Mr. Nobody are among the most incredible and exciting of the series.
Part Three: Transition
The Keeper is notable for a two reasons; it is the only two part episode of the series and it ushers in a noticeable change in the feel of the series. Even the two parts have a different atmosphere, the first being very creepy and suspenseful and the second more of a monster romp. Aside from The Keeper himself, the episodes are barely related and there was no real reason to go to a second part, as the episode seemed to end as a single part episode would, until we get to the cliffhanger. The Keeper could have left (why didn't he?) and there would be no hole in the narrative. However, we did get the second part and it's a lot of fun, if a little unrealistic in how the Keeper suddenly decides to be nice because Maureen was kind to him. The episode ends with Smith trapped in a cage for the sake of hilarity, and the scene fades out on some of Jonathan Harris's most overdone mugging. This brings us to….
Part Four: Lightening Up
The Sky Pirate is a much lighter tale than normal, even though it still has its share of chills and atmosphere. Smith is now going full tilt ridiculous with his fainting and screaming. However, the episode ends on a wistful note and is able to support the sentiment because the comedy was not totally out of line. At this point, the adventure is offset more dramatically by Smith's antics, and the robot becomes one of the family. No longer a huge prop, he is now a full blown character and his comedy act with Smith starts to take point. The main cast is still there, but they are less often the drivers of the plots. The costumes change at this time also, taking us officially away from the pilot episode and the more serious times. Now weekly aliens will find the Robinsons, but at this point, they still work. The Challenge closes this part with a fine action and morality tale, and a great role for Guy Williams. And the first use of the term "bubble headed booby."
Part Five: Comedy Ahoy
The Space Trader kicks off the final part of a season of change. It is a frivolous episode with some good points, but it's nothing like the previous episodes. There's nothing touching about it, no heart, just Smith and his selfishness causing problems with the alien of the week. His Majesty Smith is better than it has any right to be, because it's a second season plot all the way, it's just done in a "first season" manner. However, the nadir of the season is The Space Croppers. This is Lost in Space going off the deep end for the first time, paving the way for the future. It is pure idiocy from start to finish and the season only barely recovers. All That Glitters and Lost Civilization split the cast to save time with simultaneous shooting, but both are obvious morality plays. I prefer Civilization because of the Smith-less story, but it's still sub par in that everything is left behind and everyone dies in the second season. Jeez, Will, was the girl that yucky? Change of Space is schizophrenic; the first half is wonderful with Will being alienated from his family It's realistically and touchingly done, But when Smith becomes an old man, it's back to the antics. Admittedly, Harris is pretty funny in the scene where Mark Goddard loses it ("get me some soup!"), but the budget constraints are on display with the two diving bells and the Man-fish from Voyage. Follow the Leader is a good episode to go out on, and a strong one for Guy Williams. It's a reminder that he was supposed to be the lead. Smith is a little more restrained in this episode, but again, illogic creeps in; why does the family tolerate John's sudden change to a tyrant? If they all refuse to help him, what was he going to do? However, the episode ends in a way that could very well have backfired with corn, but works because we know the characters. Kanto could make John do anything except kill his own son. It's a nice ending, full of heart, which brings the season to a nice close. I would have preferred a wrap up with the family, but I can't complain. And at this, they now have the means to leave the planet.
It is apparent that the series was not sustainable as a grim and dark drama in space, and some softening was necessary to make it palatable for weekly viewing. If not for Jonathan Harris' dominant personality, the series may have settled into the light, gentle fantasy involving the entire cast and remained this way until the end. What could the show have been if Batman never happened? However, it did happen, and Harris was an extrovert who wouldn't be steamrollered by anyone, so he took the series into a different direction. The season is still a lot of fun for the most part with only one or two real eye-rollers. But every episode still had something to enjoy. Even Space Croppers had Sherry Jackson.
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