Lost in Space

Lost in Space is a science fiction TV series created and produced by Irwin Allen. The series was released by Fox Television and broadcast on CBS. The show ran for three seasons, with 83 episodes airing between September 15, 1965 and March 6, 1968. more...

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Lost in Space was the second of Allen's four science fiction TV series. The show's main theme was space travel adventure. The show's first season was in black and white, but the second and third seasons were in color.

Conceptually the series is a space-age adaptation of the classic adventure novel Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss. During the first two seasons, the series follows the adventures of an astronaut family that is shipwrecked on an alien world after getting lost trying to reach the Alpha Centauri star system. In the third season they travel to other worlds in their never-resolved attempts to get 'unlost'.

Following the successful format of Allen's first TV series, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, the emphasis was on creating exciting fantasy-oriented adventure stories. Each week, the show delivered a fast-paced visual assault of special effects, explosions, monstrous aliens, spaceships, and exotic sets and costumes drenched in bright, primary colors. On the other hand, unlike the other space TV show of the day, Star Trek, character development, serious issues, dramatic depth, or even maintaining a coherent story were ignored. ("Don't get logical with me!" was Allen's frequent retort to writers who objected to changes to their scripts. Source: Starlog #219) Critics complained that this was the television equivalent of dangling a shiny object to distract the non-discriminating viewer. However, in spite of criticism, the show still became a success.

Allen had hit upon a winning formula which he used to create a third fantasy-adventure show, The Time Tunnel (1966-1967), followed by his last and most ambitious series, Land of the Giants (1968-1970), all of which have become cult, if not critical, favorites.

Plot

In 1997, the Earth is suffering from massive overpopulation and depletion of natural resources. Professor John Robinson (played by Zorro alumnus Guy Williams), his wife, Maureen (June Lockhart), their children, Judy (Marta Kristen), Penny (Angela Cartwright), Will (11-year-old Bill Mumy) and their friend and pilot, Maj. Don West (Mark Goddard) are chosen to travel on a space vehicle named the "Jupiter 2" to Alpha Centauri to search for a habitable planet for mankind to colonize. After the Robinsons have been placed in suspended animation for the long journey, but before the launch, foreign agent Dr. Zachary Smith (Jonathan Harris) sneaks aboard the spacecraft on a sabotage mission. He reprograms the ship's robot to destroy the vehicle shortly after it leaves Earth. However, he becomes trapped on the spaceship during the launch. His extra weight throws the Jupiter 2 off course, causing it to encounter a meteor storm shortly after launch. The robot's subsequent rampage does not destroy the vehicle, but does finish the job of getting the crew completely lost.

Read more at Wikipedia.org