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. Their first TV
season was filmed in black and white, but the rest of them were filmed
in color. In 1998, a Lost in Space movie, based on the TV series, was released.
Though the TV series concept centered on the Robinson family, many storylines focused primarily on Dr. Zachary Smith (Jonathan Harris),
originally an utterly evil would-be killer who became a sympathetic
anti-hero by the end of the first season, providing comic relief to the
TV show (and causing most of the episodic conflict).
The first appearance of the Robinson family was in a comic book published by Gold Key " The Space Family Robinson" December 1962[1] The TV series is an adaptation of the novel The Swiss Family Robinson. The astronaut family of Dr. John Robinson, accompanied by an air force pilot and also a robot, set out from an overpopulated Earth in the spaceshipJupiter 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,
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 identified as Priplanis, where they must
survive a host of adventures. Smith (whom Allen originally intended to
kill off) remains through the series as a source of comedic cowardice
and villainy, exploiting the forgiving (or forgetful) nature of the
Robinsons.
At the start of the second season, the repaired Jupiter 2
launches again, but after two episodes 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, the Robinson Family wasn't restricted to one
world. The now mobile Jupiter-2 would travel to other worlds in an
attempt to return to Earth or to settle on Alpha Centauri. The Space
Pod was added as a means of transportation between the ship and
planets. This season had a dramatically different opening credits
sequence.
Following the format of Allen's first TV series, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,
fantasy-oriented adventure stories were emphasized. The show delivered
a visual assault of special effects, explosions, monstrous aliens,
spaceships, and exotic sets and costumes drenched in the bright,
primary colors that were typical of early color television.
It is October 16, 1997 and the United States is proceeding towards
the 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 2 million volunteers for this
mission. The family includes Professor John Robinson (Guy Williams), his wife, Maureen (June Lockhart), their children, Judy (Marta Kristen), Penny (Angela Cartwright), and Will (Billy Mumy). They will be accompanied by their pilot, US Space Corp Major Donald West (Mark Goddard), who is trained to fly the ship in the unlikely event that its sophisticated automatic guidance system malfunctions.
Other nations are racing the United States in the effort to colonize
space, and they would stop at nothing, even sabotage, to stop the US
effort. Dr. Zachary Smith (Jonathan Harris), a medical doctor and environmental control expert, is actually 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. 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.
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.
Major Don West: (Mark Goddard) The military pilot of the Jupiter 2,
he is Dr. Smith's handsome long-suffering space partner, 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, 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) An 11-year-old, she loves animals and classical music. She acquires a chimpanzee-like alien pet that made one sound, "Bloop". While it is sometimes remembered by that name,[2] Penny had named the creature Debbie. Most of Penny's adventures have a fairy-tale quality, underscoring her innocence.
Will Robinson: (Billy Mumy) A 9-year-old child prodigy in electronics. 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,[3] 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 colonel's
eagles but is invariably addressed by his academic, vice military,
rank. His attempt to sabotage the mission strands him aboard the Jupiter 2
and results in its becoming lost. By the end of the first season the
character becomes permanently established as a foolish, self-serving,
impulsive, scheming coward but not at the degree displayed in the
latter two seasons. His maudlin ways and clever dialogue add a unique
dimension. His best lines are in response to the "straight man" Robot.
Despite Harris being credited as a "Special Guest Star" for every
episode, Smith is the pivotal character of the series. The show's
writers expected that Smith would be a temporary villain that would
only appear in early episodes. Harris, however, hoped to stay on the
show; encouraged by Allen, he "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.[4]
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".
The crew had a variety of methods of transportation. First, there was the two-deck, nuclear poweredJupiter 2flying saucer
spacecraft. (In the original 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" needed for interstellar travel. The two levels were connected by an electronic elevator and a fixed ladder. The Jupiter 2 explicitly had artificial gravity.
Second, the "Pod" – a small spacecraft first shown in the third and final season and modeled on the ApolloLunar Module — was used to travel from its bay in the Jupiter 2 to destinations either on land or in space. The Pod apparently had artificial gravity too.
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 Jupiter 2 had advanced technology that simplified or did
away with mundane tasks. The "auto-matic laundry" took seconds to
clean, fold, and package clothes in 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 built from arrays of light emitting diodes.
"Protein pills" (a complete nutritional emergency substitute for whole
foods) were featured in "The Hungry Sea" (air date: Oct 31, 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".[5] 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 mylar and had Velcro fasteners, both of which were first used in NASA spacesuits in the early 1960s.
On the other hand, sound and voice recording was less advanced, for example, using reel-to-reeltape recorders, and Prof. Robinson often put pen to paper to write journal entries in early episodes.
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 the 20th Century Fox studio for
copyright infringement but as Allen was expected to win the rights to
other Gold Key licenses and had already produced their Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea series, a deal was arranged. Not only was the name changed to Lost in Space
but two extra characters, Doctor Zachary Smith, and the Robot, were
added to ensure a greater difference between the comic and series.
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.
The second season aired in the same time slot as ABC'sBatman, "the biggest TV phenomenon of the mid-1960s". To compete, Lost in Space imitated its campy style, using "bright outfits, over-the-top action, outrageous bad guys".[4]
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.[6]
The third season had more adventure, 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 led to his talking to a carrot.)[4]
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!" would show
highlights from 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.
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.
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.[7]
The series' deliberate fantasy elements, a trademark of Irwin Allen
productions, were perhaps overlooked as it drew comparisons it 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,[8][9] 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 canceled in 1968 after 83 episodes. The final
primetime episode to be broadcast across the USA was a cast and crew
favorite, a repeat from the second season, "A Visit to Hades", on
September 11, 1968.
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 illusionistpraying mantis "Manny" in Disney's "A Bug's Life", where Harris used "Oh, the pain... the pain!" near the end of the film.
Although CBS programming executives failed to offer any reasons as to why Lost in Space
was canceled, there are 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:
The show had sufficient ratings to support a fourth season, but it
was expensive. The budget per episode for Season One was $130,980, and
for Season Three, $164,788. In that time, the actors' salaries
increased; in the case of Harris, Kristen and Cartwright, their
salaries nearly doubled. Part of the cost problems may have been the
actors themselves: director Richardson saying of Williams' demanding
closeups of himself:
"This costs a fortune in time, it's a lot of lighting and a lot of trouble and Irwin succumbed to it. It got to be that bad."[11]
The interior of the Jupiter II was the most expensive TV set for its time, about $350,000.[12] (More than the set of the U.S.S. Enterprise a couple years later.)
According to Mumy and other sources, the show was initially picked
up for a fourth season, but with a cut budget. Reportedly, 20th Century
Fox was still recovering from the legendary budget overruns of Cleopatra, and thus slashed budgets across the board in its film and TV productions.[13]
Allen claimed the series could not continue with a reduced budget.
While negotiating during a conference regarding the series direction
for the fourth season with CBS chief executive Bill Paley,
Allen stormed out of the meeting when told that the budget was being
cut 15% from Season Three, his action thereby sealing the show's
cancellation.[14]
Robert Hamner, one of the show's writers, states (in Starlog,
#220, November 1995) that Paley despised the show so much that the
budget dispute was used as an excuse to terminate the series. Years
later, Paley stated this was incorrect and that he was a fan of "the
Robot."
A contributing factor, at least, was that June Lockhart and director
Don Richardson were no longer excited about the show. Lockhart said in
response to being told about cancellation by Perry Lafferty, the head
of CBS programming, "I think that's for the best at this point"
(although she goes on to say that she would have stayed if there had
been a fourth season). Richardson had been tipped off that the show was
likely to be cancelled, was looking for another series, and had decided
not to return to Lost in Space, even if it continued.
Harris and Bob May (the man inside the Robot) had started as friends
to begin with – but by the time the series ended, it got to the point
where Harris would not let May into his dressing room.[16]
It was also no secret that Guy Williams had grown embittered with
his role on the show, as it became increasingly "campy" in Seasons 2
and 3 while centering squarely on the antics of Harris' Dr. Smith
character. Whether Williams would have returned for a fourth season or
not wasn't revealed, but he never acted again after the series,
choosing instead to retire to Argentina.[17]
Album cover of Lost in Space Original Television Soundtrack, Volume 1 CD, with music by John Williams (ASIN B000001P1R).
The theme music for the opening and closing credits was written by John Williams, who was listed in the credits as "Johnny Williams."
The original pilot and much of season one reused Bernard Herrmann's
eerie score from the 1951 classic "The Day the Earth Stood Still."
For season three, the opening theme was revised (again by Williams)
to a more exciting and faster tempo score, accompanied by live action
shots of the cast, featuring a pumped-up countdown from seven to one to
launch each week's episode. Seasons 1 and 2 had animated figures
"life-roped" together drifting "hopelessly lost in space" and set to a
dizzy and comical score.
Much of the incidental music in the series was written by Williams
(who scored four episodes) and other notable film and television
composers including Alexander Courage
(composer of the Star Trek theme) who contributed six scores to the
series. His most recognizable ("Wild Adventure") included his key theme
for "Lorelei" composed for organ, woodwinds, and harp – thus cementing
this highly recognizable theme with Williams' own "Chariot" and main
theme for the series.
A series of soundtrack CDs were released containing only background and incidental music from the original TV series.
In 1962 Gold Key comics (formerly Dell Comics), a division of Western Publishing Company, began publishing a series of comic books under the title, Space Family Robinson. The story was largely inspired by The Swiss Family Robinson
but with a space-age twist. The movie and television rights to the
comic book were then purchased by noted television writer Hilda Bohem (The Cisco Kid), who created a treatment under the title, Space Family 3000.
In July 1964, science fiction writer and filmmaker Ib Melchior began pitching a treatment for a feature film, also under the title Space Family Robinson.
There is debate as to whether or not Allen was aware of the Melchior
treatment. It is also unknown whether Allen was aware of the comic book
or the Hilda Bohem treatment.
As copyright law only protects the actual expression of a work, and
not titles, general ideas or concepts, in 1964 Allen moved forward with
his own take on Space Family Robinson, with characters and
situations notably different from either the Bohem or the Melchior
treatments (It is interesting to note that none of these versions
contained the characters of Smith or the Robot).
Intended as a follow up to his first successful television venture, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,
Allen quickly sold his concept for a television series to CBS.
Concerned about confusion with the Gold Key comic book, CBS requested
that Allen come up with a new title. Nevertheless, Hilda Bohem filed a
claim against Allen and CBS Television shortly before the series
premiered in 1965.
A compromise was struck as part of a legal settlement. In addition
to an undisclosed sum of money, Western Publishing would be allowed to
change the name of its comic book to Lost in Space.
There were no other legal challenges to the title until 1995, when New Line Cinema announced their intention to turn Lost in Space
into a big budget motion picture. New Line had purchased the screen
rights from Prelude Pictures (which had acquired the screen rights from
the Irwin Allen Estate in 1993). At that time, Melchior contacted
Prelude Pictures and insisted that Lost in Space was directly
based upon his 1964 treatment. Melchior was aided in his efforts by Ed
Shifres, a fan who had written a book entitled Space Family Robinson: The True Story. (Later reprinted with the title, Lost in Space: The True Story). The book attempts to show how Allen allegedly plagiarized Melchior's concept, with two outlines presented side-by-side.
To satisfy Melchior, Prelude Pictures hired the 78-year-old
filmmaker as a consultant on their feature film adaptation. This
accommodation was made without the knowledge or consent of the Irwin
Allen Estate or Space Productions, the original copyright holder of Lost in Space.
Melchior's contract with Prelude also guaranteed him 2% of the
producer's gross receipts, a provision that was later the subject of a
suit between Melchior and Mark Koch of Prelude Pictures. Although an
Appellate Court ruled partly[18] in Melchior's favor, on November 17, 2004, the Supreme Court of California[19] denied a petition by Melchior to further review the case.
It is significant that no further claim was made and that Space
Productions now contends that Allen was the sole creator of the TV
series Lost in Space.
Bill Mumy scripted an authorized Lost in Space comic book for Innovation Comics.
The company continued the series for some time, at one point focusing
on a time many years after the end of series, the children having long
ago grown up. The theme of an adult Will Robinson was also explored in
the film and in the song "Ballad of Will Robinson" -- written and recorded by Mumy.
Prior to the appearance of the TV series, a comic book named Space Family Robinson was published by Gold Key Comics, written by Gaylord Du Bois and illustrated by Dan Spiegle.
(Du Bois did not create the series, but he became the sole writer of
the series once he began chronicling the Robinsons' adventures with Peril on Planet Four in issue #8, and he had already written the Captain Venture second feature beginning with Situation Survival
in issue #6). Due to a deal worked out with Gold Key, the title of the
comic later incorporated the "Lost in Space" sub-title. The comic book
is not a spinoff of the TV series but was in print prior to the
conception of the show, with different characters and a unique H-shaped
spacecraft rather than one of Jupiter II's saucer shape.
In the 1972–73 television season, ABC produced The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie, a weekly collection of 60-minute animated movies, pilots and specials from various production companies, such as Hanna-Barbera, Filmation, and Rankin-Bass – Hanna-Barbera Productions contributed animated work based on such TV series as Gidget, Yogi Bear, Tabitha, Oliver Twist, Nanny and the Professor, The Banana Splits, and Lost in Space.
Dr. Smith (voiced by Jonathan Harris) was the only character from the
original program to appear in the special, along with the Robot (who
was named Robon and employed in flight control rather than a support activity). The spacecraft was launched vertically by rocket, and Smith was a passenger rather than a saboteur. The pilot for the animated Lost in Space series was not picked up as a series, and only this episode was produced.
In 1998, New Line Cinema produced a Lost in Space feature film. It included numerous nods, homages and cameos related to the series, including:
Dick Tufeld as The Robot's voice;
Mark Goddard played the General who gives Major West his orders for the mission.
June Lockhart played the principal of Will Robinson's school.
Angela Cartwright and Marta Kristen appeared as reporters.
A CG animated alien primate character, in homage to the original Debbie "the Bloop" space-ape pet;
The film's Jupiter II was launched into orbit by a vehicle called the Jupiter I, which closely mimics the series' spacecraft, complete with rotating propulsion lights.
Reference is made to the Chariot and Space Pod, both of which are reported wrecked.
Additional cameo appearances from the original series were
considered, but did not make it to the film: Harris was offered a cameo
appearance (as the Global Sedition businessman who hires, then betrays,
Smith). He turned down the role (which eventually went to Edward Fox), and is even reported to have said "I play Smith or I don't play." Harris appeared on an episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien mentioning that he was offered a role: "Yes, they offered me a part in the new movie—six lines!"
It has been suggested that Bill Mumy was offered a key role in the
film, that of an aged Will Robinson who appears in the "Spider Smith"
sequences, but due to a scheduling conflict, Jared Harris was cast instead.[citation needed]
However, in the Special Features on the DVD, the producer comments
that Mumy was only briefly considered, then the idea discarded because
viewers would say "There's Bill Mumy" and not see the "Will Robinson"
character. As Mumy's primary adult role had been as Lennier on the popular Babylon 5 TV series (which was still running at the time), this would have indeed been a consideration.
In 1967, a novel based on the series with significant changes to the personalities of the characters, and a redesign of the Jupiter 2 was published by Pyramid Books. Written by Dave Van Arnam and Ron Archer (as Ted White),
the book was three short stories woven together. In one scene, where a
character is randomly speaking English to provide data for translation,
the book correctly predicted Richard Nixon winning the presidency after
Lyndon Johnson (but also predicted a Kennedy winning after Nixon).
In late 2003, a new TV series, with a somewhat changed format, was
in development in the U.S. It originally was intended to be closer to
the original pilot with no Smith, but including a robot. The pilot
(entitled, The Robinsons: Lost in Space) was commissioned by The WB Television Network. It was directed by John Woo and produced by Synthesis Entertainment, Irwin Allen Productions, Twentieth Century Fox Television and Regency Television.
The Jupiter 2interstellar flying-saucer spacecraft of the original series was changed to a non-saucer planet-landing craft, deployed from a larger inter-stellar mothership.
The pilot featured the characters of John and Maureen, but an elder
son, David, was added, as well as Judy, an 'infant' Penny, and
ten-year-old Will. There was no Dr. Smith character, but the character
of Don West was described as a "dangerous, lone wolf type."
20th Century Fox
has released the entire series on DVD in Region 1. Several of the
releases contain bonus features including interviews, episodic promos,
video stills and the original un-aired pilot episode.
