"Lost in Space" (1965) TV series 1965-1968

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Creator:

Irwin Allen
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | unknown

Release Date:

15 September 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Plot:

A space colony family struggles to survive when a spy/accidental stowaway throws their ship hopelessly off course.

Plot Keywords:

Space | Sabotage | Robot | Alien Contact | 1960s

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

June Lockhart	...	Maureen Robinson (84 episodes, 1965-1968)
Mark Goddard	...	Maj. Don West / ... (84 episodes, 1965-1968)
Marta Kristen	...	Judy Robinson (84 episodes, 1965-1968)
Bill Mumy	...	Will Robinson (84 episodes, 1965-1968)
Angela Cartwright	...	Penny Robinson (84 episodes, 1965-1968)
Guy Williams	...	Prof. John Robinson / ... (83 episodes, 1965-1968)
Jonathan Harris	...	Dr. Zachary Smith / ... (83 episodes, 1965-1968)
Bob May	...	The Robot (83 episodes, 1965-1968)
Dick Tufeld	...	The Robot (83 episodes, 1965-1968)

(more)

Series Directed by
Don Richardson		(26 episodes, 1966-1968)
Sobey Martin		(14 episodes, 1965-1967)
Nathan Juran		(13 episodes, 1965-1968)
Ezra Stone		(8 episodes, 1967-1968)
Harry Harris		(5 episodes, 1966-1967)
Sutton Roley		(4 episodes, 1965-1967)
Jus Addiss		(2 episodes, 1965-1966)
Anton Leader		(2 episodes, 1965)
Irving J. Moore		(2 episodes, 1967-1968)

Series Writing credits
Irwin Allen		(84 episodes, 1965-1968)
Peter Packer		(25 episodes, 1965-1968)
Barney Slater		(22 episodes, 1965-1968)
Jackson Gillis		(7 episodes, 1965-1968)
Carey Wilber		(7 episodes, 1965-1967)
Shimon Wincelberg		(7 episodes, 1965)
Robert Hamner		(6 episodes, 1967-1968)
Bob Duncan		(5 episodes, 1966-1968)
Wanda Duncan		(5 episodes, 1966-1968)
William Welch		(4 episodes, 1965-1967)
Allan Balter		(2 episodes, 1965-1966)
William Read Woodfield		(2 episodes, 1965-1966)

Series Produced by
Irwin Allen	....	producer (84 episodes, 1965-1968)
William D. Faralla	....	associate producer (54 episodes, 1966-1968)
Jerry Briskin	....	associate producer (29 episodes, 1965-1966)

Series Original Music by
Alexander Courage		(6 episodes, 1966-1968)
Herman Stein		(4 episodes, 1965-1966)
John Williams		(4 episodes, 1965)
Robert Drasnin		(4 episodes, 1966)
Joseph Mullendore		(3 episodes, 1967-1968)
Fred Steiner		(2 episodes, 1966-1967)
Gerald Fried		(2 episodes, 1967)
Cyril J. Mockridge		(2 episodes, 1967)

Series Cinematography by
Frank G. Carson		(54 episodes, 1966-1968)
Gene Polito		(24 episodes, 1965-1966)
Winton C. Hoch		(4 episodes, 1966)
Charles G. Clarke		(2 episodes, 1966)

Series Film Editing by
Fred Baratta		(28 episodes, 1965-1968)
Roland Gross		(28 episodes, 1965-1968)
Clay Bartels		(14 episodes, 1966-1968)
Jack Gleason		(8 episodes, 1965-1966)
Axel Hubert Sr.		(4 episodes, 1967)

Series Art Direction by
Jack Martin Smith		(84 episodes, 1965-1968)
Robert Kinoshita		(49 episodes, 1965-1967)
Frank O. Barnette		(18 episodes, 1967-1968)
Carl Macauley		(10 episodes, 1965-1966)
Rodger Maus		(5 episodes, 1967)

Series Set Decoration by
Walter M. Scott		(84 episodes, 1965-1968)
James Hassinger		(70 episodes, 1965-1968)
Sven Wickman		(13 episodes, 1965)

Series Costume Design by
Paul Zastupnevich		(51 episodes, 1966-1968)

Series Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup supervisor / makeup artist (52 episodes, 1965-1967)
Margaret Donovan	....	hair styles supervisor (51 episodes, 1965-1967)
John Chambers	....	makeup designer (2 episodes, 1967-1968)
Bob Mark	....	makeup artist (unknown episodes)

Series Production Management
Guy Della-Cioppa	....	executive in charge of production: Van Bernard Productions (84 episodes, 1965-1968)
William Self	....	executive in charge of production / in charge of production / ... (84 episodes, 1965-1968)
George E. Swink	....	post-production supervisor (84 episodes, 1965-1968)
Jack Sonntag	....	production supervisor (69 episodes, 1965-1968)
Hal Herman	....	unit production manager (30 episodes, 1965-1966)
Ted Butcher	....	unit production manager (23 episodes, 1967)
James M. Walters Jr.	....	unit production manager (16 episodes, 1967-1968)
Gaston Glass	....	production manager (15 episodes, 1965)
Norman Henry	....	unit production manager (15 episodes, 1966)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gilbert Mandelik	....	assistant director (39 episodes, 1965-1968)
James M. Walters Jr.	....	assistant director (20 episodes, 1966-1967)
William D. Faralla	....	assistant director (8 episodes, 1965-1966)
Steven Bernhardt	....	assistant director (8 episodes, 1967-1968)
Pepi Lenzi	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1966)
David Silver	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1966)
Les Warner	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1966)

Series Art Department
Don B. Greenwood	....	property master (10 episodes, 1966)

Series Sound Department
Don Hall	....	supervising sound effects editor / sound effects editor / ... (83 episodes, 1965-1968)
Frank White	....	sound effects editor (29 episodes, 1966-1967)
Bob Cornett	....	sound effects editor (24 episodes, 1967-1968)

Series Special Effects by
L.B. Abbott	....	special photographic effects (84 episodes, 1965-1968)
Howard Lydecker	....	special photographic effects (29 episodes, 1965-1966)
Art Cruickshank	....	special photographic effects (unknown episodes)
Gerald Endler	....	mechanical effects (unknown episodes)
Greg C. Jensen	....	special effects (unknown episodes)

Series Stunts
Chuck Couch	....	stunt double: Guy Williams (3 episodes, 1965)
Jerry Catron	....	stunt double: Mark Goddard (2 episodes, 1965-1966)
Donna Garrett	....	stunt double: June Lockhart (2 episodes, 1965)
Harry Carter	....	stunt double: Antimatter John Robinson / stunt double: Guy Williams (2 episodes, 1967-1968)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Clyde Taylor	....	lighting director (29 episodes, 1965-1966)

Series Editorial Department
Robert Mintz	....	post-production coordinator (83 episodes, 1965-1968)

Series Music Department
Leonard A. Engel	....	supervising music editor (84 episodes, 1965-1968)
Lionel Newman	....	music supervisor / music supervision / ... (84 episodes, 1965-1968)
John Williams	....	composer: theme music / composer: stock music / ... (79 episodes, 1965-1968)
Joe Ruby	....	music editor (58 episodes, 1965-1967)
Herman Stein	....	composer: stock music (32 episodes, 1965-1967)
George Probert	....	music editor (24 episodes, 1967-1968)
Bernard Herrmann	....	composer: stock music (8 episodes, 1965-1967)
Richard LaSalle	....	composer: additional music / composer: stock music (2 episodes, 1965-1967)
Cyril J. Mockridge	....	composer: stock music (2 episodes, 1965-1966)
Alexander Courage	....	composer: stock music (2 episodes, 1966)
Leigh Harline	....	composer: stock music (2 episodes, 1966)

Series Transportation Department
Chris Haynes	....	driver (20 episodes, 1965-1968)

Series Other crew
Anthony Wilson	....	story editor (83 episodes, 1965-1968)
Les Warner	....	production coordinator / unit production coordinator (70 episodes, 1965-1968)
Hal Herman	....	production associate (54 episodes, 1966-1968)
Paul Zastupnevich	....	assistant to producer (34 episodes, 1965-1967)
William D. Faralla	....	unit production coordinator (12 episodes, 1966)
Ann Urcon	....	stand-in: Sheila Allen / stand-in: Sheila Mathews (2 episodes, 1967-1968)
Charles Bidwell	....	stand-in: Bern Hoffman / stand-in: Ronald Long (2 episodes, 1967)
Robert Sonntag	....	alien effects (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• 20th Century Fox Television
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)
• Irwin Allen Productions
• Jodi Productions Inc.
• Space Productions
• Van Bernard Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1965-1968) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Fox Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Fox Video (1998) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Television
• Video Resources New York Inc. (????) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• California Institute of Technology (Caltech)  astronomical photographs
• Remco Toys Inc.  miniature robots (episodes 2.28, 3.5 and 3.23) (uncredited)
• Thiokol Chemical Corporation  "Chariot" chassis (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Space Family Robinson (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

60 min (83 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

UK:PG | UK:U (season 1) | Singapore:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Trivia:

As the series progressed, kissing scenes between John and Maureen Robinson were toned down - not out of any censorious demands but to avoid boring, embarrassing or alienating the more juvenile audience members.

Quotes:

Dr. Smith: Oh, the pain, the pain.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Fahrenheit 932 (#1.12)" (2001)

Brilliant Non-Linear Science Fiction

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.