Lost In Space-Television Wiki Project

Lost In Space

Theme music
Correction: John Williams created the theme songs for the first season (which was used also in the second season as well) AND the third season. The third season's theme and opening credits were much more serious than the previous two. In year three, the opening credits had the action freeze frame, and a 7 to 1 countdown sequence would begin over the still image with an exciting theme song with french horns and trumpets blazing. The original two season used cartoons of the Robinson's "floating" across the screen. The third season had actual scenes of the cast imbedded in some pretty high tech graphics for the '60s! As for the rest of the score getting "less serious", most of the music in the series was repeated over and over again, much of it used from John Williams compositions from the first five episodes. Incidently, Alexander Courage, most famous for composing the theme from the original Star Trek, also wrote some of the background score for Lost In Space. Most of the original musical soundtrack to the series is available CD.

The 1960s comic book
Is there a source for the statement that Allen based the TV show on the Space Family Robinson comic? Although there are obvious similarities, I was always under the impression that Allen was unaware of the comic when he created the show. 23skidoo 21:26, 4 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * my understanding is he was unaware of the comic at first, then learned about it and worked out a deal with Gold Key. This is why the title got renamed 'Lost in Space' to kind of tie in with the tv series.  Emb021

The second paragraph of "History" also seems backward. It says Allen and Gold Key settled because Allen expected to make TV shows of other Gold Key comics. I think this is wrong -- Gold Key expected to make comics of other Allen TV series (and did). &lt;span style="font-size: smaller;" class="autosigned"&gt;—Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.182.167.7 (talk) 07:14, 11 July 2009 (UTC)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!-- Template:UnsignedIP --&gt; &lt;!--Autosigned by SineBot--&gt;

Wow
You can sure tell this is a hot subject for the lonely, diehard, sci-fi nerds the way so much of the article is so poorly written. You can almost smell the Funyuns on the fingers of the geeks who typed in that horrible "Trivia" section. User:Ted &lt;small&gt;—Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.230.93.146 (talk) 06:05, 1 February 2008 (UTC)&lt;/small&gt;&lt;!-- Template:UnsignedIP --&gt; &lt;!--Autosigned by SineBot--&gt;

Dr. Smith
Is it just me or doesn't the movie Doctor Smith seem more evil then the television Doctor Smith


 * He was more evil. Jon Harris played Smith as a complainer, a free spirit, a coward; a more evil and dangerous Smith would not have been tolerated and would have been eliminated by desertion if Smith didn't cause his own demise. Gary Oldman played a much darker Smith in what was expected to be limited to two movies at most. GBC 04:02, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

First Paragraph and misleading facts
First of all, this first paragraph doesn't seem to read right:

"The show initially experienced some legal challenges. Ib Melchior, a notable science fiction writer, had conceived what was essentially the same idea (but with different characters) years before either the television series or the comic book. He had called his version "Space Family Robinson", which was also the original production name for Lost in Space. Although legal action went nowhere, Ib Melchior was hired as a consultant on the "Lost in Space" movie as a way of recognizing his original idea."

Not sure what the writer is trying to say "the television series or the comic book". Secondly, didn't Melchior win the court battles over Lost In Space. This article seems to make it seem like he didn't. Anyone doing a page on Ib?


 * He has an article as of this time. Also, see below "POV revision". Alpha Ralpha Boulevard (talk) 12:02, 7 November 2008 (UTC)

Lost in "ST"?
Is it me, or is the writer trying to say "LiS" was as good as "ST"? Y, "ST" had space hippies & space cowboys; they were a plague, sure sign of what happens if you let TV writers, not SF writers, write SF. (IIRC, both were in Season 3, after Gene'd more or less lost control of the show.) Also, note "LiS" went nowhere in syndication & didn't spawn 10 mopics & 4 revival/spinoff series... (Y, Y, I'm a Trekker; so? Tell me I'm wrong.) Trekphiler 07:20, 23 December 2005 (UTC)


 * There were no space pirates in Star Trek. But there were cowboys and hippies for sure. The line has been edited. &lt;small&gt;&lt;span class="autosigned"&gt;—Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.104.203.14 (talk • contribs) &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/small&gt;&lt;!-- Template:Unsigned --&gt;


 * Regarding Gene Roddenberry pitching a science fiction idea to CBS: the first Star Trek pilot was filmed in late 1964, even though the series debuted a full year after Lost In Space.THD3 02:23, 4 November 2007 (UTC)

The name of the robot
The external link to the discussion of the name of the robot is excellent. However, I have a fairly distinct memory (and I'm well aware that fairly distinct memories can be completely wrong) that in the pilot movie of the series, there was a brief pre-launch scene where the robot was being loaded into his niche. I remember "General Utility Non Theorizing..." being stenciled on the back of that niche. To me, this means that the attempt to name the robot GUNTR or GUNTER dates from the very beginning and not from the second season or later. I have searched in vain for screen grabs from the pilot or for a sufficiently good quality copy of the pilot that I could examine to determine if I'm right or wrong about this. Can anybody confirm the presence or absence of said stenciling in the pilot movie? If it exists, I think a change to the article stating that the actual name of the robot truly was GUNTER is appropriate, even if the name never really caught on. If I'm wrong, of course, then things should be left as they are. &lt;small&gt;&lt;span class="autosigned"&gt;—Preceding unsigned comment added by Benenglish (talk • contribs) &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/small&gt;&lt;!-- Template:Unsigned --&gt;
 * Let's assume for the sake of argument that your memory is correct. It would still not be true to state the "actual name" of the robot as GUNTER, when in fact nobody ever used that name in the series.  The robot was always called simply "Robot", or "the Robot".  Characters names are the ones actually used; they have no other "reality", IMHO.  Slowmover 19:13, 6 April 2006 (UTC)


 * Slowmover - On this point, I must respectfully disagree. For a fictional world to allow us to suspend disbelief and be entertained, basic rules of human interaction need to seem natural to the viewer (unless, of course, the deliberate lack of such mechanisms is being used by the writers to a greater purpose).  Names are a good example of this.  People call me Ben.  The name on my birth certificate is Bernard.  No one ever uses "Bernard" to refer to me.  Does that mean that my "real" name is "Ben" and NOT "Bernard"?  I don't think so.  I would argue that, in an attempt to make the fictional world of Lost in Space comfortable for viewers, it is reasonable that the writers would attempt to preserve such niceties (or, if you will, foibles) of human interaction.  Here's a hypothetical illustration: If the writer's guidebook for Lost in Space specified that the robot was officially named General...etc., but that such name was considered by the characters as too unwieldy, then the guidebook might well specify that in all dialogue the robot simply be called "Robot."  That would not, however, convince me that the proper, formal name for the robot would, indeed, be "Robot" instead of "G.U.N.T.E.R."  All of this may be moot, however, considering the input of Rizzleboffin, below.Benenglish 13:26, 10 April 2006 (UTC)
 * Thanks for your comments. I think I see your point.  On a personal level, for me, it just doesn't matter, possibly because I'm usually more interested in the thematic content than in realism. (After all, there isn't a lot of realism in LiS!)  But I agree that details which supply realism are important to involving the viewer.  With details of this nature however (ie, details that are essentially "off-screen", or back story details) sometimes I think people get too carried away.  Your name may really be "Bernard" but if you were a fictional character, the name on your fictional birth certificate wouldn't normally be important.  The author could arbitrarily make it anything he wanted without material effect on the story he is telling.  And if the author doesn't supply that information, we don't need to go looking for it or try to invent it.  But these are general comments, and may not be relevant in this case.  Slowmover 14:56, 10 April 2006 (UTC)


 * Benenglish, just now I watched my DVD of the first episode and saw nothing like what you describe. I suppose I could have missed it, but I watched specifically for this whenever the robot was on-screen. The Robot was referred to only as "The Robot," verbally and in labels on the control panel. Sorry to burst any fond memories... Rizzleboffin 04:17, 7 April 2006 (UTC)


 * Rizzleboffin - You certainly aren't bursting any fond memories of mine; you're helping me understand fact. For that I'm very appreciative.  However, I would like to point out that my original posting referred to the pilot movie, not the first episode.  It's my understanding (and, again, this may be one of those things I have completely misremembered) that the pilot movie and the first episode were different cuts.  They shared much footage, but weren't the same.  A number of years ago, there was a minor bit of hoopla over the broadcast of the pilot on TV, with ad hype to the effect of "never before seen!" etc.  It was that pilot to which I referred.  My memory of the first episode, frankly, doesn't include the very brief shot of the robot being loaded onto the ship.  Further, the article contains a flat statement that "...the Robot did not appear in the first, unaired pilot episode", something I believe to be incorrect on two counts: The pilot was eventually aired (Sometime in the 1990s?) and the robot did appear in the pilot (though briefly and it wasn't prominently featured).  Now I'm going to have to go off and research some more about the differences, if any, between the pilot movie and the first episode.  Am I a strange person for enjoying the process of re-discovering meaningless trivia?  :-)Benenglish 13:26, 10 April 2006 (UTC)


 * It took only a few minutes of Googling to find multiple articles on the "unaired" pilot that contradict my memory. Until and unless I come across something more verifiable than my own (apparently faulty) memory, I'll offer my apologies to all who have suffered through the errors I've introduced to this page.  I can only offer the weak excuse that I prefer such errors be confined to the discussion page instead of entered into the article; at least I didn't screw up that bad.  :-)Benenglish 13:48, 10 April 2006 (UTC)


 * Hi, Benenglish. I appreciate your search for accurate info on the subject, no problem there. This Robot name thing is probably similar to the "Skipper/Jonas Grumby" situation on Gilligan's Island. Certainly, he's called "Jonas Grumby" in the first episode over the radio (I just saw it this weekend, so I can verify that), but also, certainly, he was called only "The Skipper" throughout the series. Sorry I missed your point that this Robot name was in the unaired pilot (though I did enjoy re-watching the first episode with my son the other day). Unless my memory is inaccurate, the first-season DVD box includes that unaired pilot, so, if time allows, I'll watch it tonight and report back. Rizzleboffin 17:31, 10 April 2006 (UTC)


 * Rizzleboffin - My research shows that the unaired pilot is in the box set, so I'll be interested in what you see. However, just to throw another spanner into the works, I'm not sure that the 45-minute pilot is the same as the "never before seen" pilot movie that was aired on cable a few years ago.  What showed on TV was movie-length, at least 90 minutes.  Now, that could have been padded with commercials, padded with commentary, or a figment of my terrible memory, so take it for what it's worth.  The scene is early on, as the ship is being provisioned.  For about 3 seconds, a couple of ground crew are seen pushing the robot into its niche; the stenciling on the back of the niche isn't fully visible.  Personally, I'm going to start searching the file trading networks to see if anyone has an off-air recording of this since all of my memories (or overactive imagination, if that's the way it turns out) come from the TV broadcast of a few years ago and not the box set or any of the bootlegs that people trade at conventions.Benenglish 21:08, 10 April 2006 (UTC)
 * Benenglish-- I was no more than a couple minutes into the unaired pilot when it hit me-- There is no Dr. Smith in the unaired pilot, and there is no robot in the unaired pilot! Oh well, I enjoyed re-watching it anyway, it has scenes that were used in at least 3 of the early aired episodes.
 * However, to get to the bottom of "GUNTER" controversy, I looked around and found this: a Model B-9 environmental-control robot. In at least two episodes it was shown in its packing case as a General Utility Non THeorizing Environmental Robot (Gunther), and on various occasions the Robot referred to itself as such. as well as copies of the Wiki article portion on the Robot's name, from packing crate in the third season "Time Merchant" episode. I do seem to remember the Robot referring to himself as a "General Utility, etc..." however I don't remember ever hearing the "GUNTER" acronym explicitly stated. So it sounds pretty iffy. But I think the article is fine as it stands ("some have suggested that this was supposed to convey the acronym GUNTER") Rizzleboffin 07:02, 11 April 2006 (UTC)

Comment
Thanks-I Always suspected it was nothing more than a space age version of Swiss Family Robinson.


 * I answered this question with a quote from June Lockhart...that's exactly what it had been intended to be named. Alpha Ralpha Boulevard 10:29, 14 November 2007 (UTC)

Reason for cancelation
LiS was cancelled not due to a "clerical error," but due to lack of adequate funding/budget restraints. I believe this is mentioned on the DVD set and was reported in major publications, such as TV Guide.

From www.tv.com: "The series was still very popular in the spring of 1968, and cast members were confident that a 1968/1969 fall season would be in the works. Unfortunately, due to the excessive cost of 20th Century Fox's disastrous movie foray Cleopatra, all television and film divisions of the massive studio were asked to collectively absorb the losses. Lost in Space was no exception and series creator, Irwin Allen, felt his portion of the cuts were unacceptable and refused to produce Lost in Space for the following season. And with that, the show was cancelled - not because of bad ratings, but because of lack of proper funding."

I suggest the errors about the cancellation of the show be corrected.

131.156.217.21 21:27, 10 October 2006 (UTC)gregg fieffer

If the above statement is true, it needs further explanation. Cleopatra was shown in theaters in 1963. Lost in Space was cancelled in 1968. If shockwaves from the movie's failure rippled through the tv and film divisions, wouldn't its effects have been felt several seasons earlier, not 5 years after the movie aired? --Thirdmoon 22:05, 9 April 2007 (UTC)


 * I've addressed the cancellation issue at length, since it's interesting, and considerably more open than often Hollywood is about these touchy events. I've added citations, least there be any question, ok? Also the cost figures which were quoted were wildly off, and the source I have is extremely specific about wht they actually were.


 * Unfortunately I don't have access to the DVD that Mumy and Harris did about Lost in Space from a few years back, that might add yet additional insight.


 * Also, at editorial request -- for copy editing in the box at the top, I've reworded a couple sections so they have a more consistent style, and use less oblique language. Alpha Ralpha Boulevard 10:18, 14 November 2007 (UTC)

Seems unlikely that William Paley would have said he was a "fan of the robot" in 1997, considering he died in 1990. Calliaume (talk) 17:01, 5 January 2009 (UTC)

Opening sentence
In keeping with the format of most TV articles, I would suggest the opening sentence say "which ran on the CBS Television Network from (year) to (year)."66.143.97.25 17:49, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

Tags
The tagged the article with several tags. The "Analysis" and "Conceptual dilemmas" sections may violate the no original research policy. The "Chronology" section is an in-universe description of the show's events. Also, the article does not cite its sources. --Jtalledo (talk) 23:30, 10 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Moved the sections here - it doesn't look like any amount of citations or rewrites will make them comply with Wikipedia policy/guidelines. --Jtalledo (talk) 23:51, 10 January 2007 (UTC)


 * ("Analysis" was a wandering, unreferenced essay-like section that was deleted. Several sentences of it are in current version. "Conceptual dilemmas" was deleted, and appears below.) Alpha Ralpha Boulevard (talk) 11:22, 7 November 2008 (UTC)

Conceptual dilemmas
The Jupiter II spacecraft and its technology represented a considerable engineering achievement given the short amount of time since space flight began on Earth... the first manned landing on the moon is identified as being in 1970. Other industrial nations must also have been making parallel achievements because at least one of them was willing to sabotage the American effort to allow their own efforts to succeed. However, somehow John and Don were able to surpass even those efforts and produce faster-than-light flight which was used in episode #31 ("Wild Adventure") and afterward, the only way to explain reaching Earth in a matter of days.

Some sort of replication technology is repeatedly implied, although not shown until the episode "The Space Vikings". Dr. Smith, in particular, seems to come up with numerous devices, costumes and other "needs" for his assorted enterprises; for example, the many barrels for his home-made brew in "The Prisoners of Space". The Robinsons also seem to be able to come up with milk and eggs, and presumably some meat products. The most logical deduction is that the Jupiter II has some sort of a protein sequencer to produce limited amounts of foods (until additional colonists arrived at Alpha Centauri, presumably), and a matter replicator to produce limited amounts of non-organic materials. Smith would be a disproportionately-high user of these devices, threatening the Robinsons' ability to meet their real needs when Smith indulges in one of his impulsive hobbies.

For goodness sakes, it is a TV show, made for entertainment!

Chronology
Based on "facts" presented in the episodes, a timeline of events can be compiled.

The Lost in Space Chronology &lt;br&gt; The Adventures of the Space Family Robinson &lt;br&gt; 1997-2000 &lt;br&gt;

Prior to 4.6 billion years ago- The first creature in the universe to leave his home and explore space was Formale from the fifth planet of Orion. In the 6000th year of his planet’s history, Formale (which means explorer in the language of his people) designed, constructed and piloted a spacecraft. Unfortunately, his explorations had a tragic end. (Verda instructs Will and Penny in early galactic history in “The Android Machine.”)

Over 4.6 billion years ago - The Invaders from the 5th Dimension begin their travels. (One of the Invaders states that they have been traveling since before the earliest moments of Earth’s history.)

4.6 billion years ago – the Earth was formed.

Millions of years ago –The pure cosmic force that will become Mr. Nobody gains consciousness on Planet Preplanus. (Mr. Nobody’s earliest memories are the formation of rocks on the planet.)

Many thousands of years ago- People from the planet Quasti overthrow a despot named Kanto. They entomb his remains on Preplanus. (Kanto hints at this in "Follow the Leader.")

Thousands of years ago- A humanoid alien civilization exists on Planet Preplanus. The Robinsons will later discover the ruins of this civilization in “There Were Giants in the Earth.” (It can be speculated that they existed 3000 years prior to the Robinson’s discovery. It is reasonable to assume this due to the condition of the mummified remains of one of the aliens.)

October 12, 1492 - Christopher Columbus discovers the Americas. (The Robot was teaching Will and Penny this fact in “The Android Machine.”)

1780- Benedict Arnold betrays George Washington. (The Robot recounts this in The Ghost Planet.)

1793 - Alien recluse Tiabo moves to a desolate planet to escape from people. (Tiabo relates this to Dr. Smith in “Forbidden World.”)

1797 – An alien spacecraft containing the wishing machine crashes on planet Preplanus. (Will theorizes that the spaceship ruins are centuries old in "Wish Upon a Star".)

1798 - An evil Vizier captures a Caliph’s daughter and takes her to a place called Utopia. The Thief of Outer Space steals the Vizier’s slave and begins his quest to find the Princess. (The Thief has been looking for the princess for “200 years.“ This is revealed in “The Thief of Outer Space.”)

1858 - Alonzo P. Tucker is born in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

1876 - General Armstrong Custer is killed at The Little Bighorn. A.P. Tucker, age 18, is abducted by Tellurians for biological studies. Tucker is kept in a time-freezer to retard his aging processes.

1895- The Andromedan civilization melts down all the robots similar to the B-9 series robot as they are obsolete. (Mr. Zumdish notes that his people did this “over a century ago“ in “The Android Machine.”)

1946 – Zachary Smith is born. His maternal grandmother is Irish.

1947 - The Jupiter II time-travels back to Earth in "Visit to a Hostile Planet"

1956 – Professor John Robinson is born.

1957 – Maureen Robinson is born.

1958 – The United States begins intensive research on space travel technology. (The reporter states that the Jupiter II is the culmination of nearly 40 years of intensive research.) The Keeper monitors radio communications between astronauts and earth to learn English.

1958- Sagramonte of Altair begins his quest to slay the “beast”. (It is stated in the episode “The Questing Beast“ that they have been chasing each other for forty years.)

1964 – Zachary Smith enters Oxford University to study medicine. He minors in robotic engineering. While at school, Smith becomes the Grand Master of the Oxford University Chess Society for three years running. While at Oxford, Smith had the lead in his college musical.

1966- Maureen Robinson, age 9, has an imaginary friend named Mr. Noodles that lives in her teddy bear.

John Robinson, age 10, goes to school with a boy whose father owned a carnival. The boy taught John how to work a shell game.

1968– Don West is born.

July 20, 1969- Apollo 11 the first manned lunar landing mission. (Historical fact, although John Robinson said it happened in 1970 in the episode "Visit to a Hostile Planet".)

1970– Zachary Smith graduates from Oxford University with a medical degree.

December 7-19, 1972- Apollo 17 the final lunar mission in the Apollo Series (historical fact.)

Soon after the final Apollo mission, the United States embarks on creating permanent lunar bases. The bases will have tracking stations that will help monitor future manned missions. To facilitate this massive project the United States Space Corps is proposed. NASA is renamed Alpha Control.

1973– The United States Space Corps is formed.

1974– John Robinson, age 18, enters college. He joins the Football team and becomes a three letter man.

1976– John and Maureen Robinson are married.

1977– Judy Robinson is born.

1978- John Robinson completes his undergraduate studies. On graduation, he receives an offer to play professional football. He declines in order to pursue his doctorate degree.

Don West, age 10, becomes adept at using a slingshot. (The Keeper part 1)

1980– Professor John Robinson earns his doctorate in Geology.

June 18, 1982– at 0600, Jimmy Hapgood on board the Traveling Man, a spacecraft with a rudimentary FTL engine, is launched on a mission to Saturn. He becomes lost in space due to a navigational error. (Welcome Stranger. It can be theorized that the ship has FTL capability because Hapgood has been to many different planets in his travels.)

1983- Alpha Control launches a test vehicle equipped with a suspended animation tube. The vessel, containing a small dog as a test subject, becomes lost in space. (Professor Robinson theorizes that the dog must have been part of the space programs early experiments in suspended animation. It is proposed that this occurred after Hapgood’s flight because he did not have suspended animation equipment in Traveling Man.)

1984– Penny Robinson is born.

1986– Will Robinson is born.

Don West, age 18, enters the United States Space Corps Academy.

1988– Intensive research and preparation begins on the Jupiter II mission. Because the Earth is overcrowded and polluted, it is determined that a new home must be found to insure the future of humanity. A series of deep space telescopic probes conclusively establish a planet orbiting the binary star pair Alpha Centauri as the only one within range of American technology able to furnish ideal conditions for Human existence. Other countries race the United States in reaching this goal and the danger of sabotage is a constant danger. (The Reluctant Stowaway points out that the flight has been preceded by nearly a decade of research and preparation.)

Smith’s great Aunt Maude dies. Smith is at her bedside.

1990– Don West graduates from the United States Space Corps academy.

1995- Will Robinson eats fudge that Penny made for the Space Scouts. He keeps it secret and has bad dreams. (Will tells Smith of this in Wild Adventure. The date is conjecture.)

Prior to the Jupiter II mission - The Robinson Family is selected from more than two million volunteers for its unique balance of scientific achievement, emotional stability and pioneer resourcefulness.

1996- Alpha Control launches a series of unmanned fuel barges to the edge of the Siribidus Galaxy. These will act as refueling stations for the Intergalactic Probe 22 mission. (It is mentioned that this occurred a year prior to launch of the Jupiter 2 mission. “Wild Adventure“.)

October 16, 1997– The Jupiter II is launched. (The Reluctant Stowaway)

October 21, 1997– At 1800 hours, all attempts to contact the Jupiter II are determined to be futile. Alpha Control declares the ship and its crew Lost in Space. (The Derelict) The Robinson family and Major West are assumed to be dead. (Return to Earth)

By October 30, 1997– The Jupiter II crash lands on an alien planet. ("Island in the Sky". The date is inferred in that, despite hypervelocity, no severe time dilation occurred and a year later, Alpha Control notifies the Jupiter II that they were lost in space a year earlier.)

There were Giants in the Earth

November 4th, 1997- (A few weeks pass during the course of this adventure) The Robinsons learn to plant crops safely in the alien soil and domesticate ostrich-like animals.

The Hungry Sea

November 8th, 1997

Welcome Stranger

November 15, 1997

The Robinsons meet Jimmy Hapgood.

The Robinsons dub the planet Priplanus.

My Friend, Mr. Nobody

November 22, 1997

Penny befriends a being of pure cosmic force.

The Robinsons start drilling in Priplanus’s surface for raw materials to synthesize rocket fuel for the Jupiter II.

Invaders from the 5th dimension

November 29, 1997

Ancient aliens from the 5th dimension try to steal Will’s brain.

The Oasis

December 6, 1997

Drought conditions occur on Priplanus. Dr. Smith grows to three times his normal height after eating alien fruit.

The Sky Is Falling

December 13, 1997 An alien family lands on Priplanus. The aliens, known as Taurons, leave behind a matter transfer device. Soon after they leave, Professor Robinson gives Dr. Smith the responsibility for the hydroponic garden.

Wish Upon a Star

Will and Dr. Smith discover the wishing machine in the wreck of an alien spaceship. At least four days pass during the course of this adventure. Smith has been away for four days.

The Raft

The Jupiter II runs out of fuel. Professor Robinson and Major West design and construct a prototype plasma engine. Dr. Smith begins writing his book.

One of Our Dogs Is Missing

Professor Robinson, Major West and Will go on a scouting expedition. Maureen, Judy, Penny and Dr. Smith find the recent wreckage of a small spacecraft. The spacecraft contained a small dog in suspended animation. Lost in space in 1983, the ship crashed on Priplanus and released the dog.

Attack of the Monster Plants

The Robinsons begin to extract dutronium fuel from Priplanus. During the course of this adventure, the Robinsons lose all of the fuel.

Return from Outer Space

Early January 1998. It is after Christmas and the Launch of the Jupiter II is referred to as have happened “last year.”

The Robinsons begin to search for new veins of radioactive ore to refine into Dutronium. Will is sent back to Earth via the Tauron matter Transfer device.

A local reporter notifies Alpha Control of Will’s visit.

The Robinsons begin to construct their irrigation system.

The Keeper (1)

The Keeper (2)

March 1998 (The Robot mentions the month in this episode.)

The Sky Pirate

John mentions it is 1998.

Ghost in Space

The Robinsons again attempt to extract Dutronium from deep within Preplanus.

War of the Robots

The Magic Mirror

The Challenge

The Space Trader

The Robinson's food and Water supply is damaged.

His Majesty Smith

The Space Croppers

The water pipeline is completed.

All That Glitters

The Lost Civilization

A Change of Space

Follow the Leader

Under the influence of the ancient spirit of Kanto, Professor Robinson creates a Fuel synthesizer unit and repairs the Jupiter 2

Blast Off into Space

The blasting for Cosmonium by Mr. Nerim causes the core of Preplanus to become unstable. The Jupiter 2 launches from the surface of the planet with mere moments to spare as the planet explodes to cosmic dust. The Robinsons head for Alpha Centauri.

Wild Adventure

The Jupiter 2 is near the Siribidus Galaxy. They head inadvertently towards Sol and make brief contact with Alpha Control. Smith meets the Green Girl for the first time.

The Ghost Planet

The Jupiter 2 lands on the automated planet. They escape and the Android ruler launches a homing missile to destroy the ship.

Forbidden World

Attempting to avoid the missile, the Jupiter 2 crash lands on a neighboring world. The Jupiter 2 is once again stranded o an alien world. The missile detonates harmlessly on the planet’s surface. Tiabo, a hermit, at first tries to scare the Robinsons away. Seeing that they are harmless, he moves to the other side of the planet to be alone once again.

Space Circus

The Prisoners of Space

The Robinsons are held accountable for Smith’s attack on the bubble creatures from “The Derelict.”

The Android Machine

The Robinsons encounter Verda and Mr. Zumdish.

The Deadly Games of Gamma 6

The Robinsons discover that the planet they are on is named Gamma 6.

The Thief from Outer Space

The Curse of Cousin Smith

This episode takes place on June 28, 1998. (Smith mentions it is 180 days until Christmas.)

West of Mars

A Visit to Hades

The Wreck of the Robot

The Dream Monster

The Golden Man

The Girl From the Green Dimension

The Questing Beast

The Toymaker

Mutiny in Space

The Space Vikings

Rocket to Earth

The Cave of the Wizards

Treasures of the Lost Planet

Revolt of the Androids

The Colonists

Trip Through the Robot

The Phantom Family

The Mechanical Men

The Astral Traveler

The Galaxy Gift

Condemned of Space

Visit to a Hostile Planet

Kidnapped in Space

Hunter's Moon

The Space Primevals

The Space Destructors

The Haunted Lighthouse

Flight into the Future

Collision of the Planets

The Space Creature

Deadliest of the Species

A Day at the Zoo

Two Weeks in Space

Castles in Space

The Anti-Matter Man

Target: Earth

Princess of Space

The Time Merchant

The Promised Planet

Fugitives in Space

Space Beauty

The Flaming Planet

The Great Vegetable Rebellion

Junkyard of Space

2198

Dr. Smith becomes the property of the Space Trader. (The contract comes into effect after 200 years.)

Bashing?
The article seems to bash Star Trek at the beginning.

AlexanderTG 21:15, 3 February 2007 (UTC)


 * Changed, quite some time ago. Now it has other problems. Lol. Alpha Ralpha Boulevard (talk) 11:11, 7 November 2008 (UTC)

CORRECTING THE ISSUES FLAGGED
Over the past weeks I did a lot or reworking of this article. I removed a lot of redundent information, junked the "Analysis" section, and moved pieces of information to more appropriate sections. In regards to the issue of the origins of the show, I streamlined the that section and linked to the actual court documents in question.

I hope that these edits not only make the entry more encyclopediac in nature, but address the disputed neutrality of the article.MrNeutronSF 05:41, 9 March 2007 (UTC)

Timeline
I'd love to see a timeline comparing the "family" version of a lengthy space journey with the "military" version (Star Trek). --Uncle Ed 12:56, 25 March 2007 (UTC)

POV revision
26-March-2007: In March 2007, the article "Lost in Space" was extensively re-written (to avoid POV issues) by a new user ID with less than 100 contributions edits; however, extra omissions might have occurred. To compare changes, see the prior POV-tagged revision from 20Feb07 (prior revision: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lost_in_Space&direction=next&oldid=109476698). The article had also been tagged as "unreferenced" (with no footnotes), but the extensive rewrite by the new user ID did not add ref-tag footnotes. -Wikid77 07:57, 26 March 2007 (UTC)


 * That anonymous IP (90.184.23.95) started in Wiki editing Ib Melchior and the Lost in Space article. They added a large number of itemized comparative points between Melchior's treatment and Allen's later one. That Wiki material was soon removed by another editor as not being neutral. Apparently it was taken from a book "Lost in Space: The True Story". I was going to suggest someone hunt this book down and extract any interesting information, but after reading the customer reviews in amazon, maybe not. Melchior, following the Wiki article link, also attempted to sue New Line Productions, and failed . This all reminds me of a line from "Noises Off". Alpha Ralpha Boulevard (talk) 11:56, 7 November 2008 (UTC)

Equipment
I imply that gravity is used in the Jupiter II's propulsion because it is not likely that even nuclear electric propulsion could produce a velocity of .8 c, since the mass of an object increases with its percentage of light speed, to the point that infinite mass is reached. Jupiter II was to reach Alpha Centauri in just 5.5 years, a distance of (as believed in the 1960s) 4.2 light years, hence my estimate of point 8 c.

During the second and third seasons, the ship repeatedly crossed incredible distances in just days. Notably in one episode, the Jupiter II reached and landed on Earth, then returned to the alien planet where the majority of the Robinsons were in suspended animation. In the second episode of the second season, the Jupiter II was able to reach Earth in just a few days, in spite of the fact that it started out so far from Sol and Alpha Centauri that the constellations could not be recognized.

Although Don and John did some experiments with plasma fuel during the first season, the final episode of that season features an alien taking over John's body and directing the others to perform a number of repairs, while "John" designed a fuel synthesizer. It is highly likely that the alien, intent on returning to his people, incorporated FTL upgrades to accomplish his goal in weeks rather than many years in suspended animation.

The reel-to-reel tape recorders used by the children for their music, by the data recorders on the upper deck, and by other characters such as Dr. Smith in the narration of his books, are a glaring anachronism of a ship that reflects several stunning breakthroughs that miniaturize technology. CDs are but a hint of what could have been imagined by Irwin Allen's designers.

The "transistorized" lights of the ship speak to me of the LED lighting that is poised to hit the marketplace. GBC 02:33, 11 May 2007 (UTC

Inappropriate Fanon

Why is that enormous piece of fanon here on the discussion page? It has no relevance to the actual content or reliability of the Wiki article. This isn't a fan site. It belongs on some fan-forum, and should be deleted.

Jack Brooks 02:56, 23 August 2007 (UTC)

It does seem like fans of LIS have been trying to put their "fanon" into this article. I deleted a few sentences that were fan speculation, and therefore "independent research". If we say that the Jupiter 2 goes 80% of light speed, that is independent research because we have done the math ourselves, it isn't explicitly said anywhere in the series.

Moreover, in the first episode as broadcast, the Robot's sabotage causes the ship to go into something called "hyperdrive". Control back on Earth thinks that this causes the Jupiter 2 to go "outside the galaxy". And the Robinsons seem to think this is a possibility--that they are in another galaxy. There were on route from Earth to a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri (the closest star to the sun), but end up somewhere else entirely, almost instantaneously. All that is specifically said in the episode.

To do "independent research", I would conclude that this "hyperdrive" did indeed cause them to go faster than the speed of light. More "independent research"--they didn't seem to be planning to use the hyperdrive on their travel to Alpha Centauri, because this was supposed to take five years with them in suspended animation. So why is the hyperdrive ability (there is even a control labeled "hyperdrive" in the control room) even a part of the spaceship? I think that the writers were just displaying the usual ignorance of TV writers on scientific subjects. In another episode (the second or third) the writer doesn't seem to know what the word "velocity" means. KEVP 9/08/07 &lt;small&gt;—Preceding unsigned comment added by 35.8.4.137 (talk) 17:16, 8 September 2007 (UTC)&lt;/small&gt;&lt;!-- Template:UnsignedIP --&gt; &lt;!--Autosigned by SineBot--&gt;

Added Internal Links
I have added Internal Links to this article. Kathleen.wright5 01:38, 12 September 2007 (UTC)
 * No kidding, you've effectively blitzed the page with your "helpfulness". You should step back and consider what would be appropriate to add and what would be superfluous, as indeed a good 90% of the internal links you've added are. Doceo 10:53, 14 September 2007 (UTC)
 * And as I've said elsewhere - many of your wikilinks are unnecessary! Please don't create redlinks (look here) or link every other common word in articles..... Zir 18:11, 14 September 2007 (UTC)

Deleted Above Links
I have deleted many of the above Links. Kathleen.wright5 10:38, 15 September 2007 (UTC)

The Robot in ANZ Bank advertising
In 2005 The Robot was in an ANZ Bank advertisement,the reference for which is on the ANZ Bank article under advertising and I have also removed more of the Links mentioned above. Kathleen.wright5 11:08, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Film
I think someone should do a seperate article for the film. Would anyone else agree? 86.133.200.236 (talk) 13:45, 23 November 2007 (UTC)

There already is a seperate article page under: Lost in Space (film). I Is Larry (talk) 14:21, 25 November 2007 (UTC)

I just made a link to the movie article page, from this article page. I Is Larry (talk) 14:33, 25 November 2007 (UTC)

going inside the robot
where was the one when the kid got shrunk and went inside the robot &lt;small&gt;—Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.193.194.181 (talk) 04:12, 8 January 2008 (UTC)&lt;/small&gt;&lt;!-- Template:UnsignedIP --&gt; &lt;!--Autosigned by SineBot--&gt;

Myth of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek rejection is true.
User Macduff is wrong about rejecting the myth of: Gene Roddenberry's gripe with CBS network. In the book "The Making Of Star Trek", reguarding his 2-hour "Star Trek" presentation meeting with CBS programming executives, and their rejection of it... Gene Rodenberry states: "MY ATTITUDE WAS, "YOU S.O.B.'S, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT AFTER THE FIRST TEN MINUTES? IF YOU WANT TECHNICAL ADVICE AND HELP, HIRE ME AND PAY ME FOR IT!" IT'S LIKE CALLING A DOCTOR AND HAVING HIM ANALYZE YOU FOR TWO HOURS AND THEN TELLING HIM, "THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PINPOINTING WHAT'S WRONG, AND I'VE DECIDED TO GO TO ANOTHER DOCTOR FOR THE TREATMENT." I Is Larry (talk) 16:32, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

Copy edit and other changes
I did a copy edit with the goal of removing the copy edit tag that had been added. A number of other changes were also made:

1) Removing dupe information (sometimes stated three times).

2) Removing overlinking on common words, following WP:CONTEXT.

3) Regularizing names according to Wiki policy. So for example Irwin Allen is called Allen, except in first reference.

4) Removes several sentences describing Allen's other work. Those belong in his article, not here.

5) Removes some original research -- for example about "tone" of seasons -- particularly because different things were being said in different places (and not being given citation).

6) Removes commentary about fan divisions between seasons, and relation to larger genre. This is original research (and uncited).

7) Removes actor's later, previous roles. Unless earlier roles affected "Lost in Space", or later roles were influenced by "Lost in Space", they don't belong here. For Guy Williams and June Lockhart, a case probably can be made that they were brought in because of their typecasting in "Zorro" and "Lassie" -- but citations would be invaluable to say exactly who felt that influence was important, and why (Irwin Allen, would that be right?)

In a separate edit, I removed reference to LIS simulator. Despite good intentions, despite access being free, Wikipedia is not a platform for self-advertising. WP:SOAP At most, LIS might merit an external link. If the project is notable, it should have its own Wiki article. If not it may not belong in external links, either. WP:EL.

What's left to be done (I didn't really do a thorough edit):

1) From the "Title in other languages" section, it seems that "Lost in Space" belongs in other Wiki's besides those that are listed. Could people with non-English skills help complete the list and links to other Wikipedia languages?

2) Could someone representing the AlphaControl and Irwin Allen Wiki add a few words explaining what those external links offer?

3) The Trivia section is getting large. Anyone feel like creating a new, section that ties some of this information together? (Hopefully with references?)

4) Rewrite introductory para, so Irwin Allen mention is balanced with other show aspects. (Compare with Star Trek: The Original Series or Battlestar Galactica (reimagining))

5) Provide more detail on what "Lost in Space" sets were used in "Galactica"?

6) Create a section for "Lost in Space Forever" DVD.

7) Remove "Feature film" section, and replace with a link to Wiki article that has most of that information?

Alpha Ralpha Boulevard (talk) 10:44, 7 November 2008 (UTC)

Transistors vs. Vacuum tubes
I respectfully point out the statement that Jupiter 2's control room looked more realistic than the Enterprise's because the former used transistors whilst the latter used vacuum tubes is nonsense. It was a TV set, for goodness sake. Both of those components would be under the dash and I don't recall any discussion about either (at least on Star Trek).

While we may never know, I would not be surprised to learn that neither tubes nor transistors had any connection to the actual sets. Movie / TV consoles of that sort look like they are operated by "idiot light" circuits (R-C controlled flashers) or some kind of mechanical shifting. &lt;span style="font-size: smaller;" class="autosigned"&gt;—Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.20.186.83 (talk) 05:34, 5 June 2009 (UTC)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!-- Template:UnsignedIP --&gt; &lt;!--Autosigned by SineBot--&gt;

External Link - Jupiter-2 and related equipment for use in Microsoft Flight Simulator
I tried going to the link (name listed above) with the url; http://pendercrafts.com/

Kaspersky Internet Security stopped me, stating that there was a trojan trying to install on my PC. &lt;span style="font-size: smaller;" class="autosigned"&gt;—Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.170.11.73 (talk) 08:25, 15 July 2009 (UTC)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!-- Template:UnsignedIP --&gt; &lt;!--Autosigned by SineBot--&gt;

How was the spaceships lift off and landing sounds created?
How were the lift off sound and the crash landing sounds created, this sound is used in several movies, like The Fantastic Voyage etc. It would be cool to get these sound tracks somewhere. &lt;span style="font-size: smaller;" class="autosigned"&gt;—Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.14.118.117 (talk) 02:56, 3 December 2009 (UTC)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!-- Template:UnsignedIP --&gt; &lt;!--Autosigned by SineBot--&gt;

Exported for many countries
Here in Brazil this American TV serie was a success. In fact, Lost in space was exported for many countries.Agre22 (talk) 21:13, 12 December 2009 (UTC)agre22