Lost in Space - The Complete First Season
by Alexander Singer, Alvin Ganzer, Anton Leader, Don Richardson, Harry Harris
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Bill Mumy, Guy Williams, June Lockhart, Mark Goddard, Marta KristenDirector: Alexander Singer, Alvin Ganzer, Anton Leader, Don Richardson, Harry Harris
Brand: Lost
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 1.0; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0; Portuguese (Published)
Format: Black & White, Box set, Closed-captioned, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 1421 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-01-13
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: CBS Television
Movie Reviews of Lost in Space - The Complete First Season
Movie Review: Exciting And Action packed First Series Of Television's "First Family Of Space".
Summary: 5 Stars
Wow I could write about "Lost in Space", forever, considering this beloved series was such a major part of my growing up years and which even to this day still holds a very special place in my heart. For a young boy growing up in the very late 1960's and 1970's this series was just the best thing imaginable filled as it was with outlandish monsters, sinister aliens, awesome spaceships, and nifty (for the 1960's), special effects. No matter how many times the series was repeated on television I never tired of the adventures of the Robinson family as they continued their quest to get back on course in their ill fated journey to Alpha Centuri. The series nowadays is rather sadly remembered best for the unfortunate change in format that occured after the first few episodes at the beginning of Season Two and which saw the focus of the stories shifting increasingly towards highlighting Dr. Smith, Will and the Robot, at the expense of the other characters on the show. Also unfortnate was the concurrent shift to camp humour over serious drama in the stories which ultimately destroyed the show's serious sci-fi reputation making it a show to laugh at rather than take seriously. I firmly believe this shift contributed to the demise of the show after only three seasons when the potential of the original idea should have allowed the show to enjoy a longer run.
This "Complete First Season" of "Lost in Space", is my absolute favourite of the series and is mostly free of the later elements that led to the series decline. In particular the first half of this season has a large number of solidly dramatic and exciting stories that never fail to entertain. Season One benefits greatly from having stories which focused evenly on the family members, included terrific location photography that really made the viewer feel that the stories were taking place in an alien terrain, and also had a number of stories that didn't involve a "visting alien of the week", theme which was a trap the series fell into later in its run. Many of the early stories in Season One dealt with the struggles of the Robinson family and their untrustworthy, and at times potentially deadly additional space traveller Dr. Zachary Smith to survive in this strange new world.
Every fan of "Lost in Space', has their favourite Season One episodes but a few that really stand out for me are listed below.
"The Reluctant Stowaway", where the Robinson's flight to Alpha Centuri begins with disaster when the deadly enemy agent Dr. Smith who's purpose it is to destroy the spaceship becomes trapped on board before lift off. This episode is non stop action with meteor storms, rampaging robots, and enough human drama to make a great viewing experience.
"Island in the Sky", which is my favourite episode of the entire series. This episode features the spectacular crash landing of the Jupiter 2 onto the surface of the strange alien planet that would be the Robinson's home for the next year. This episode also introduces the unique travelling vehicle called the Chariot as well as Debbie, the cute monkeylike creature who would become Penny's pet.
"There Were Giants in The Earth', a memorable episode where the Robinson's encounter the Giant Cyclops creatures during their journey South to escape the cold enveloping their planet.
"Invaders from the Fifth Dimension", this episode contained some of the best aliens that ever appeared on "Lost in Space". To save his own skin the evil Dr. Smith tries to hand over Will to visiting aliens who need a human brain to replace a burnt out computer on board their spaceship.
"One Of Our Dogs Is Missing", a terrific story that heavily features the Robinson women in an eerie story taking place while the menfolk are away where the women and Dr. Smith hear strange and terrifying noises in the night and discover an abandoned space craft that might belong to either a small dog or possibly something else more deadly.
"Attack of the Monster Plants", despite the sensational title a terrific episode that features Marta Kristen's Judy in her biggest featured story when Dr. Smith is exiled from the camp just as the Robinsons are preparing to leave the planet. After discovering strange alien plants that create an exact duplicate of Judy, Smith refuses to reveal the location of the real Judy and blackmails the group into taking him with them when they leave. Smith's plan however comes undone when the duplicate Judy feeds the Jupiter 2's entire fuel supply to the plants who then grow to a tremendous size consuming everything in their path.
"The Keeper: Parts 1 & 2". The only real two part story in the series with superb guest star veteran actor Michael Rennie as a strange alien who collects the rare creatures of the Universe and who sets his sights on capturing Penny and Will for his collection.
"The War of the Robots". Guest starring Hollywood mechanical legend Robby the Robot as an abandoned alien robot who is repaired by Will but who then sets out to imprison the Robinson party for the use of its evil alien master on another planet.
"Follow the Leader", a wonderful story highlighting John Robinson who after finding himself trapped in a cave after an earthquake, finds his body being slowly taken over by the spirit of an long dead warrior who will stop at nothing to leave the planet.
One of the great strengths of "Lost in Space', was the excellent cast assembled and I have always felt that far too much emphasis has always been placed on the Dr. Smith character played by Jonathan Harris. You only have to watch these very early Season One episodes to see how good the rest of the cast both young and old could be when given good stories to work with. In particular I have always regarded Guy Williams and June Lockhart who played John and Maureen Robinson, as one of the great "Husband and Wife", teamings on 1960's television right up there with the likes of Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York on "Bewitched". They had such great chemistry together that they seemed like an actual real husband and wife. They both have many opportunities in this first season to be strong individuals while also being loving and caring parents, a rarity on Sci-Fi themed programs. June Lockhart especially in this first season was often given a number of very "non-traditional" women's responsibilities in the scripts which were actually a bit ahead of their time for 1960's television and which showed her character's capabilities beyond simply being the caring mother of the Robinson clan.
Despite the later direction the program went off in in the later seasons Season One of the show is the one I cherish and which fans of "Lost in Space", always acknowledge as being the best. Many of the stories are highly original and the special effects which many seem to always be wrongly comparing to today's special effects are for the most part really good for the time they were created in and never failed to thrill this viewer while I was growing up. I highly recommend the DVD of "Lost in Space: The Complete First Season", to all lovers of old fashioned science fiction and any child of the 1960's like myself that literally grew up watching the trials and tribulations of the Robinson Family, Major West and the diabolical Dr. Smith on their out of this world adventures while being lost in space.
Summary of Lost in Space - The Complete First Season
The Robinson family have many adventures in outer space.Genre: Television
Rating: NR
Release Date: 13-JAN-2004
Media Type: DVD
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