Lost in Space is an American science fiction television series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968. The series was inspired by the 1812 novel The Swiss Family Robinson. The series follows the adventures of the Robinsons, a pioneering family of space colonists who struggle to survive in the depths of space. The show ran for 83 episodes over three seasons.
On October 16, 1997, the United States is gearing up to colonize space. The Jupiter 2, a futuristic saucer-shaped spacecraft, stands on its launch pad undergoing final preparations. Its mission is to take a single family on a five-and-a-half-year journey to an Earthlike planet orbiting the star Alpha Centauri.
The Robinson family consists of Professor John Robinson , his wife Maureen , and their three children: Judy , Penny , and Will . The family is accompanied by U.S. Space Corps Major Donald West . The Robinsons and Major West are to be cryogenically frozen for the voyage, and they are set to be unfrozen when the spacecraft approaches its destination.
Dr. Zachary Smith , Alpha Control’s doctor, is revealed to be a saboteur working on behalf of an unnamed nation. After disposing of a guard who catches him aboard the spacecraft, Smith reprograms the Jupiter 2‘s B-9 environmental control robot to destroy critical systems on the spaceship eight hours after launch. Smith becomes trapped aboard at launch, however, and his extra weight throws the Jupiter 2 off course, causing it to encounter asteroids. This, plus the robot’s rampage, causes the ship to prematurely engage its hyperdrive, and the expedition becomes hopelessly lost in the infinite depths of outer space. Smith’s selfish actions and laziness frequently endanger the expedition, but his role assumes less sinister overtones in later parts of the series.
Season 1
The astronaut family of Dr. John Robinson, accompanied by a pilot and a robot, set out in the year 1997 from an overpopulated Earth in the spaceship Jupiter 2 to travel to a planet circling the star Alpha Centauri. The Jupiter 2 mission is sabotaged by Dr. Zachary Smith – an agent for an unnamed foreign government – who slips aboard the spaceship and reprograms the robot to destroy the ship and crew. However, Smith is trapped aboard, and his excess weight alters the craft’s flight path and places it directly in the path of a massive meteor storm. Smith manages to save himself by prematurely reviving the crew from suspended animation. The ship survives, but the damage caused by Smith’s earlier sabotage of the robot leaves the crew lost in space. The Jupiter 2 crash-lands on an alien world, later identified by Will as Priplanus, where they spend the rest of the season and survive a host of adventures. Smith remains with the crew and acts as a source of comedic cowardice and villainy, exploiting the eternally forgiving nature of Professor Robinson.
Season 2
At the start of the second season, the repaired Jupiter 2 launches into space once more, to escape the destruction of Priplanus following a series of cataclysmic earthquakes. The Robinsons crash-land on a strange new world, to become planet-bound again for another season.
Season 3
In the third season, a format change was introduced. In this season, the Jupiter 2 travels freely in space in seven episodes, visiting a planet but leaving at the end, or encountering an adventure in space. They visit new worlds in several episodes, with both crash and controlled landings, as the family attempts to either return to Earth or else at least reach their original destination in the Alpha Centauri system. A newly built “Space Pod” provides a means of transportation between the ship and passing planets, allowing for various escapades. This season had a different set of opening credits and a new theme tune, which had been composed by John Williams as part of the show’s new direction.
Social Media;
The official Lost in Space Facebook page. With over 57K followers this page does stay on topic but of course will promote the new versions from time to time. Great pics of the show and cast and they do keep up with the where are they now facts.
There are other Facebook groups but are mostly private, easy to search for. I don’t join every one or me feed would be cluttered like crazy.
On The Web;
Lost In Space Forever is a fan site dedicated to the original show. It has a wide range of information, video’s and pictures. It is a very good and very informative site on the show. Being a wordpress site you can register and be a part of the experience. Great Site!
