"Danger Will Robinson!" - W.J. Flywheel, Webporium Curator LOST IN SPACE 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 and a comic book published by Gold Key Comics titled Space 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; the first season was filmed in black and white, and the episodes of Seasons 2 and 3 were filmed in color. In the "future" on October 16th, 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 (Guy Williams), his wife Maureen (June Lockhart), and their three children: Judy (Marta Kristen); Penny (Angela Cartwright); and Will (Billy Mumy). The family is accompanied by U.S. Space Corps Major Donald West (Mark Goddard). 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 (Jonathan Harris), 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 (voiced by Dick Tufeld) 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. 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. At the start of the second season (and now in color), 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. In the third season, a format change was introduced. In this season, the Jupiter 2 travels freely in space, visiting a new world in each episode, 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. In early 1968, while the final third-season episode "Junkyard in Space" was in production, the cast and crew were informally led to believe the series would return for a fourth season. Allen had ordered new scripts for the coming season. A few weeks later, however, CBS announced the list of returning television series for the 1968–69 season, and Lost in Space was not included. CBS executives failed to offer any reasons why Lost in Space was cancelled. The most likely reason the show was cancelled was its increasingly high cost. The cost per episode had grown from $130,980 during the first season to $164,788 during the third season, and the actors' salaries nearly doubled during that time. Further, the interior of the Jupiter 2 was the most expensive set for a television show at the time, at a cost of $350,000. (Above is a computer rendered 3D version of the inside of the Jupeter II.) 20th Century Fox had also recently incurred huge budget overruns for the film Cleopatra, which are believed to have caused budget cuts. Allen claimed the series could not continue with a reduced budget. During a negotiating conference regarding the series direction for the fourth season with CBS chief executive Bill Paley, Allen was furious when told that the budget would be cut by 15% from Season Three. Irwin Allen admitted that the Season 3 ratings showed an increasing percentage of children among the total viewers, meaning a drop in the "quality audience" that advertisers preferred. 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. Williams retired to Argentina after the end of the series. THE CAST Dr. (Professor) John Robinson played by Guy Williams The leader of the Robinson family, Dr. John Robinson, was a Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Stellar Dynamics. The fifth child of a lower income family, his high intelligence, good looks and athletic ability helped him to overcome his economic hardships. Robinson was always at the head of his class academically. He also shone on the football field, becoming the youngest quarterback ever at East Side High School during his sophomore year. He enrolled at the California Institute of Technology (CIT) in 1976 on an academic scholarship. The school offered a combined degree program in Astrophysics and Planetary Geological Sciences, which combined his keen interests in space and geology. While at CIT, though, he met a beautiful and brilliant student named Maureen Tomlinson. During the summer break after their first year in college, they were married on June 10th, 1977. Robinson graduated with honors in 1981 and his first job was as an instructor of Astrophysics at the University of Taos (New Mexico). Meanwhile the Robinson family was growing. Daughter Judy was born on February 26th, 1978. The Robinsons moved to their own home near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Penny was born on September 8th, 1985, and Will was born on February 1st, 1987. After years of teaching, Robinson accepted a postion at Alpha Control to work on a new joint program with the university to study the adaptability of humans to life on alien planets. Professor Robinson was deeply involved in the program to develop the Deep Thrust Telescopic Probe series of interstellar spacecraft. These ships were launched in December 1988 and showed definitively that Alpha Centauri had two planets, Delta and Gamma, capable of supporting human life. One of them, Gamma, was found to be ideal for colonization. His enthusiasm for the colonization program rubbed off on Maureen and despite misgivings about the dangers of space flight, she eventually agreed with John to volunteer the family for the first colonization mission. it was announced that the Robinsons would be the first family in space. They spent the next four summers training for the mission, and left Earth on October 16th, 1997. Guy Williams (born Armando Joseph Catalano; January 14th, 1924 – April 30, 1989) was an American actor and former fashion model. He usually played swashbuckling action heroes in the 1950s and 1960s, but never quite achieved movie-star status, despite his appearance and charisma, which helped launch his early successful photographic modeling career. Among his most notable achievements were two TV series: Zorro in the title role, and as the father of the Robinson family on the popular sci-fi series Lost in Space. During most of the 1970s, Guy Williams frequently visited and worked in television shows in Argentina, where he was very popular. He retired in the early 1980s in Buenos Aires, where he died of a brain aneurysm in 1989. Dr. Maureen Robinson played by June Lockhart Dr. Maureen Robinson was a distinguished biochemist from the New Mexico College of Space Medicine and the first person other than an adult male to pass the International Space Administrations screening for Intergalactic flight. Maureen Robinson was born the second daughter of James and Margaret Tomlinson. Her father was the founder and owner of Tomlinson Engineering Corporation, an aircraft navigation systems design firm. She was educated at a private school for gifted children. Maureen had a normal childhood until her parents were killed in a plane crash in 1966. Her older sister, Colleen, who lived in Los Angeles, then became Maureen's legal guardian. Because of the tragic death of her parents, in later years, she would feel strongly about the well-being of her husband and three children, sometimes to the point of being over-protective. Maureen graduated from high school in 1976, and then enrolled at the California Institute of Technology. She received her bachelor's degree in chemical engineering in 1980. While in college, she met a young student from New Mexico named John Robinson. They were married in 1977, and their first child, Judy, was born in 1978. After college, Maureen worked at the New Mexico Institute for Space Medicine. In 1985, with the birth of Penny, she left her job to become a full-time mother and housewife. After a while, she went back to school to obtain her master's degree, which she completed in 1991. She then began to work on a doctorate in biochemistry, which she received from the University of Taos (New Mexico). She was at first shocked when John proposed the idea of becoming the first family to colonize Alpha Centauri. Though still reluctant, she finally consented, and John submitted their application to Alpha Control in March of 1993. Three months later, the Robinsons were chosen to be "the first family in space." June Lockhart was born on June 25th, 1925 in New York City. The daughter of Canadian-born actor Gene Lockhart and English-born actress Kathleen Lockhart. Her grandfather was John Coates Lockhart, "a concert-singer". Lockhart was a popular actress in 1950s and 1960s television with guest starring roles on The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, Have Gun - Will Travel, Wagon Train and Rawhide. She also performanced on stage and in film. Two television series, Lassie and Lost in Space has earned her her a place in pop cutural history as one of our favorite TV Moms. A role she repeated in 2002, appearing in two episodes of The Drew Carey Show as Lewis's mother, Misty Kiniski, alongside fellow TV Mom Marion Ross, who played Drew's mother. She also starred as James Caan's mother in an episode of Las Vegas in 2004. Lockhart appeared as Dr. Janet Craig on the final two seasons of the CBS sitcom Petticoat Junction (1968–1970), her character being brought in to fill the void created after Bea Benaderet died during the run of the show. She was a regular in the ABC soap opera General Hospital during the 1980s and 1990s, and was also a voice actor, providing the voice of Martha Day, the lead character in the Hanna-Barbera animated series These Are the Days on ABC during the 1970s. In 1986, she appeared in the fantasy film, Troll. The younger version of her character in that film was played by her daughter, Anne Lockhart. They had previously played the same woman at two different ages in the "Lest We Forget" episode of the television series Magnum, P.I. (1981). She has also guest-starred in episodes of Cold Case and Grey's Anatomy. Lockhart is a two-time Emmy Award nominee and in 1948 won a Tony Award for Outstanding Performance by a Newcomer (a category that no longer exists) for her role on Broadway in For Love or Money. She has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for motion pictures and one for television. In 2013, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) awarded her the Exceptional Public Achievement Medal for inspiring the public about space exploration. Major Don West played by Mark Goddard Major Don West is the pilot of the Jupiter 2. He was an officer in the United States Space Corps, and the air force. In an emergency, if something went wrong with the crafts automatic guidance system, he would be awakened from suspended animation to correct the problem. Don's military training has proved useful in resolving a number of tense moments and he is adept at overpowering aliens guest stars. In doing this West has suffered injuries more often than anyone else in the crew. He once described his roles on the ship as astronaut, plumber, gas station attendant, fixer-upper and radio announcer. He was the only one who could pilot the Jupiter 2, though he seemingly later taught this ability to the other members of the crew. The original pilot introduced him as Dr. Donald West from the Center for Radio Astronomy - who had produced a groundbreaking theory on the habitability of other planets in 1996. West has a varied rapport with the others on the mission. If it were up to Don, Dr. Smith would be left behind. West respects John Robinson, but sometimes questions his judgement. He is obviously attracted to Judy, but his feelings for her are often implied rather than overt. Despite being a top-notch pilot, West seems to have a problem avoiding crash landings (his nickname was "Crash West"). West can have a violent temper that must be occasionally reined in by Prof. Robinson. In "Voyage to the Bottom of the Soul", a Lost in Space Graphic novel, he marries Judy Robinson and they had a son, Joshua Robinson West. Mark Goddard (born July 24th, 1936) is an American actor who has starred in a number of television programs and is best known for portraying Major Don West, the hot-tempered second in command of the Jupiter 2, in the CBS series Lost in Space (1965–68). In 1959, after just three weeks in Hollywood, he landed a role in the CBS Four Star Television series Johnny Ringo, having played the character of Cully, the deputy to Don Durant's character of Ringo. At this time, he changed his name to Mark Goddard, from Charles Harvey Goddard, at the suggestion of his friend and mentor Chuck Connors of The Rifleman. Goddard appeared as Norman Tabor in the 1960 episode "Surprise Party" of the CBS anthology series The DuPont Show with June Allyson, in the ABC Western series The Rebel, starring Nick Adams and on Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater. Goddard also was signed for a role lasting three years and 64 episodes in The Detectives, another series produced by Four Star Television. The Detectives was a hit series which ran on ABC and NBC from 1958 to 1961. After Lost in Space Goddard continued to work in television guest-starring The Fugitive, The Mod Squad, Adam-12, and The Fall Guy. Between acting jobs Goddard moonlighted as a Hollywood agent. He played a supporting role in a first-season episode of NBC's Quincy M.E. as an attorney and starred with Liza Minnelli on Broadway in the musical The Act. In 1979, Goddard was in the disco movie Roller Boogie featuring Linda Blair. He starred as Ted Clayton on One Life to Live and Lt. Paul Reed on The Doctors. Later, Goddard appeared as Derek Barrington on General Hospital. He made a cameo appearance in the reboot film Lost in Space (1998) as the general in charge of the Jupiter Mission and superior officer to his former character Major Don West. Judy Robinson played by Marta Kristen Judy Robinson is the older daughter of the Robinson Family. The original pilot introduces Judy as: Judith, aged 19, who heroically postponed all hopes in the musical/comedy field for at least two centuries. Judy Robinson was a backward, shy child who had trouble making friends, partly because her parents were often away as they pursued their scientific careers. She spent a few years living with her Aunt Colleen in Los Angeles, where she became very close to her cousin, Joan. Judy became better adjusted as she entered her teenage years, and attracted quite a few boys. Her mother refused to let her date until age 16, however. During her high-school years, she spent her summers at the United States Space Corps Training Center in Houston, Texas, where, in addition to studying academic subjects, she learned about survival in space, the operation of Jupiter 2 equipment, and spacewalking. Although above average in intelligence, Judy did not inherit her parents' superior intellect. In her own words, she "never really cared much for school," but found she was talented at acting, singing and dancing and planned to pursue a career in one of those fields. Her plans had to change when the Robinson family was chosen for the colonization mission. Always emotional and slightly rebellious, Judy didn't want to join her family on the mission at first. She changed her mind when Major Donald West was selected to be the Jupiter 2's pilot. They hit it off immediately because of their complementary personalities: Both are impulsive, but Judy is compassionate and caring, while Don is, in her father's words, "a real hothead." Though she once complained to her mother that she didn't have more men to choose from, Judy and Don have become very close while lost in space. Marta Kristen (born February 26th, 1945) is a Norwegian-born American actress best known for her role as Judy Robinson in Lost in Space. Marta was born Birgit Annalisa Rusanen in Oslo, Norway, to a Finnish mother and a German soldier father who was killed during World War II. She spent her first years in an orphanage in Norway, and then was adopted in 1949 by an American couple from Detroit, Michigan, Harold and and Bertha Soderquist, who renamed her Martha Annalise Soderquist. Her adoptive father was a professor of education at Wayne University, Detroit. Marta also has an adopted brother whom her parents adopted later. Marta moved to Los Angeles, California, with her family in 1959 when her father was on a sabbatical. She remained there, with a guardian, and is a graduate of Santa Monica High School. Reflecting her Scandinavian heritage, she adopted the more European-sounding "Marta" and used Marta Kristen as her stage name. She first appeared in a 1961 episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, "Bang! You're Dead", alongside Billy Mumy, who later co-starred with Kristen in Lost in Space. Her first successful film role was that of Lorelei in the 1965 movie Beach Blanket Bingo. Kristen made numerous guest appearances on television shows including Leave it to Beaver, My Three Sons, Doctor Kildare, Wagon Train, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Mr. Novak, Mannix, Project UFO, Remington Steele, Fame, Trapper John, Scarecrow and Mrs. King and Murphy Brown. When her daughter was born in 1969, she began making television commercials and eventually appeared in more than 40. She also made the occasional film appearance in movies such as Terminal Island (1973) and the cult science-fiction film Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) starring Richard Thomas, Robert Vaughn, George Peppard, John Saxon and Sybil Danning. Battle Beyond the Stars was intended to be a "Magnificent Seven in outer space", and was based on The Magnificent Seven (in which Vaughn also appeared), which was a 1960 Western remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 Japanese film, Seven Samurai. Kristen starred in the 1998 television movie Lost in Space Forever and had a cameo role in the 1998 movie Lost in Space. She also appeared in the A&E biography Jonathan Harris, Never Fear, Smith Is Here in 2002. Kristen also provided voice work for the 2009 animated theatrical short "The Bolt Who Screwed Christmas" which also included voice work from her Lost in Space co-stars Harris, Mumy, and Angela Cartwright. Penny Robinson played by Angela Cartwright Like all of John and Maureen's children, Penny Robinson is talented and intelligent. The original pilot describes Penny as aged 11, with an I.Q. of 147, and zoology as a hobby. Shortly after the Robinsons were chosen as the first family in space, Penny joined the newly formed Space Scouts. This was a nationwide program that Alpha Control had set up to recruit young people for future colonization missions. Penny's leadership abilities were proven when she was soon elected president of the Santa Fe chapter. Penny has some tomboyish characteristics, probably due to her closeness to her brother Will. She also has a tendency to let her imagination run out of control. Her parents sometimes have difficulty telling whether she is relating fact or fantasy. This got her into some trouble during her year on Priplanus. An animal lover, Penny adopted a Bloop, a small, ape-like creature, as a pet shortly after the family reached the planet. She named it Debbie. Another aspect of Penny's character is her outgoing, friendly personality, that made her very popular with Alpha Control instructors and employees. As Alpha Control's psychological tests predicted, Penny adjusted very well to the stresses and pressures of space travel. Penny is a deeply thoughtful young girl, growing up on the spaceship without companionship of her own age. She likes to be alone and lives quite actively in her imagination. She is brave and cheerful, though sometimes curt or sarcastic with her younger brother Will. She continues her studies on the Jupiter 2, and hopes eventually to become the foremost authority on extra-terrestrial life. Angela Cartwright became known in movies as a child actress for her role as Brigitta von Trapp in the film The Sound of Music (1965). The film won five Academy Awards including Best Picture, the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and eclipsed Gone with the Wind (1939) as the highest-grossing film of all-time. The Sound of Music soundtrack was nominated for a Grammy Award and is the longest-running Billboard Magazine Top 10 album in history at 109 weeks. On television, she played Linda Williams, the stepdaughter of Danny Williams (played by Danny Thomas) in the 1950s TV series The Danny Thomas Show, and Penny Robinson in Lost in Space (1965–68). Angela Cartwright was born in Altrincham, Cheshire, England, in 1952. She made her first film appearance at the age of three years as Paul Newman's daughter in Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), and appeared with Rock Hudson and Sidney Poitier in Something of Value (1957). After moving to the United States, Cartwright appeared for seven seasons in the CBS TV series The Danny Thomas Show and remained close to Thomas after the series cancellation until his death in 1991. In 1970 Angela had a part in Make Room for Granddaddy (1970), a short lived sequel to the original series. Cartwright made appearances on several TV shows, including My Three Sons, Adam-12, and The Love Boat. She was also cast in the television movies Scout's Honor (1980) and played the role of Miss D'Angelo in High School U.S.A. (1983). She played Theresa Mazzetti in Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979), directed by Lost in Space producer Irwin Allen. Cartwright made a cameo appearance as Reporter #2 in the 1998 Lost in Space film and as Dr. Smith's mother in the third episode of the second season of the 2018 Netflix reimagined Lost In Space series. Cartwright married Steve Gullion in 1976 and they have two children, Rebecca Gullion (a film producer) and Jesse Gullion (an actor and producer). Cartwright has been a photographer for over 30 years. Her work is displayed at her studio in Studio City, Los Angeles. She is the younger sister of Veronica Cartwright. Also born in Bristol, England (April 20th, 1949), Veronica was also a child actress. She appeared in a number of popular movies such as William Wyler's The Children's Hour (1961), Spencer's Mountain (1963) and Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963). On TV she was cast as "Jemima Boone" in the popular television series Daniel Boone (1964), which ran from 1964 to 66. She appeared twice as Lumpy's younger sister, "Violet Rutherford" and once as "Peggy MacIntosh" on Leave It to Beaver (1957 top left), giving Beaver Cleaver his first kiss. She also had a small role in the television movie Still the Beaver (1983). Her long list of TV credits include: Make Room for Daddy, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Twilight Zone, Route 66, Dr. Kildare, Mannix, Mod Squad, Dragnet 1967, L.A. Law, ER, The X-Files, Will & Grace, Six Feet Under, Grey's Anatomy and Supernatural. She starred in two remakes of the 1950s horror film Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). The first Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) and most recently in The Invasion (2007). Other film work includes: The Witches of Eastwick (1987), The Right Stuff (1983) and Alien (1979 middle left). She originally auditioned for the role of Ellen Ripley in Alien, but had instead been cast as Joan Lambert. She disliked the character's emotional weakness, but nevertheless accepted the role. She was awarded the 1980 Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role. Around here we wonder what would have happened if the Robinsons had meet the Alien while, you know, Lost in Space. We suspect Dr. Smith would have had a fatal panic attack. Veronica Cartwright played Maureen Robinson in the video presentation, Lost in Space: The Epilogue. The video was a table read with the original cast included on the Blu-Ray release of the series (bottom left). Created from a script by Bill Mumy, it concluded the series by returning the Jupiter 2 crew to Earth. Produced with the original cast, with the exception of the roles of John (now played by Guy Williams Jr.), Maureen, and Dr. Smith (played by Kevin Burns). New characters include Joshua Robinson West, the son of Don and Judy, and a mysterious alien female named Enaj. The story is in the tone of season one and is set 15 years after the series. After the cancellation of the show, Mumy sent the script to Irwin Allen for approval, but Allen refused to read it. Will Robinson played by Billy Mumy By the age of 5, people were already calling Will Robinson "the little genius." At the age of 6 (when he was already in the third grade), he dismantled the family's VCR, then put it back together again in perfect working order, much to his family's amazement. His I.Q. at the time of the Jupiter 2's liftoff was 182, and he had just graduated from the Santa Fe High School of Science at the age of nine. On Earth, Will's extraordinary intelligence made him something of a misfit. Neither children his own age nor the older students with whom he attended school understood him very well. He often tried to take on adult responsibilities, but adults had trouble taking him seriously. Will's attempts to make adult decisions were still creating problems after leaving Earth, as he often endangered both himself and his family by going off on his own without John or Maureen's permission. On the other hand, his intelligence and common sense saved the space pioneers and Dr. Smith, with whom he has developed a deep friendship, on many occasions. Among Will's chief characteristics is his intense curiosity. This often gets him into trouble, as when he set off on his own to explore a seemingly derelict alien ship the Robinsons encountered soon after the family became lost in space. He is also intensely loyal, even to those (like Dr. Smith) who don't always deserve it. Will is very devoted to the Robinsons' B-9 environmental control robot, even though it once tried to kill him, and has used his skill with electronics to keep the Robot functioning at a high level. On a personal level, Will is sometimes sarcastic, but he is always polite. Perhaps because he is the youngest member of the crew, Will seems to have adapted better to the uncertainties of life in space better than anyone else on the Jupiter 2. Will's constant companions are Dr. Smith and the Robot. Will says that he and the Robot are like brothers. Billy Mumy was born in San Gabriel, California to Charles William Mumy, a cattle rancher, and Muriel Gertrude Mumy on February 1st, 1950. Mumy came to prominence in the 1950s as a child actor with appearances on television in The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and on film in Dear Brigitte (about a child mathematical genius who develops a crush on Brigitte Bardot, who played herself in the film), followed by three-seasons on Lost in Space. Mumy was born in San Gabriel, California to Charles William Mumy, a cattle rancher, and Muriel Gertrude Mumy. He began his professional career at age six, and has worked on more than four hundred television episodes, eighteen films, various commercials, and scores of voice-over projects. He starred in three episodes of CBS-TV's original Twilight Zone: "It's a Good Life" (November 1961), as a child who terrorizes his town with psychic powers (a role he later reprised along with his daughter Liliana in the It's Still a Good Life episode of the second revival series); "In Praise of Pip" (September 1963), as a vision of Jack Klugman's long-neglected dying son; and "Long Distance Call" (March 1961) as Billy Bayles, who talks to his dead grandmother through a toy telephone. Mumy was reportedly the first choice to portray Eddie Munster in the 1964 CBS situation comedy The Munsters, but his parents objected to the extensive makeup requirements. The role eventually went to Butch Patrick. Mumy appeared in one episode as a friend of Eddie's. In 1961, Mumy starred as little Jackie in the episode "Bang! You're Dead", featuring Marta Kristen, who later played his sister Judy on Lost in Space. Other TV work included: Going My Way, The Greatest Show, Perry Mason, Empire, The Fugitive, The Eleventh Hour, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, I Dream of Jeannie, The Rockford Files, Matlock and Bewitched. He later appeared as lonely teenager Sterling North in the Disney film Rascal (1969) and Teft in the film Bless the Beasts and Children (1971). In the 1990s, he performed the role of Lennier in all five seasons of the syndicated sci-fi TV series Babylon 5 and narrated A&E Network's Emmy Award-winning series Biography. In 1996, Mumy was a writer and co-creator of Space Cases, a Nickelodeon television show with themes similar to those of Lost in Space. In November 1998, he played Kellin, a Starfleet officer, in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. In 2018, Mumy appeared in the pilot episode of the Netflix remake series, Lost in Space. His character's name is Dr. Z. Smith, in homage to the character played by Jonathan Harris in the 1965 television series. Mumy has narrated episodes of the Arts & Entertainment Channel's Biography series, as well as hosted and narrated several other documentaries and specials for A & E, Animal Planet network, The Sci-Fi Channel, and E!. His voice acting talents can be heard on animated shows like Ren and Stimpy, Scooby-Doo, Batman: The Animated Series, Animaniacs, Disney's Buzz Lightyear of Star Command and Doc McStuffins. He has done voice over work in national commercials for such businesses as Bud Ice, Farmers Insurance, Ford, Blockbuster, Twix, Oscar Mayer and McDonald's. Mumy is also an accomplished musician who plays the banjo, bass, guitar, harmonica, keyboards, mandolin, and percussion. His various musical credits include songs he has written and recorded with America, performed on tour with Shaun Cassidy, and played with Rick Springfield's band in the film Hard to Hold. He is an Emmy nominee for original music in Adventures in Wonderland (1991) and has released a number of solo CDs, and nine albums with music partner Robert Haimer as Barnes and Barnes. Their most famous hit is the song "Fish Heads", which Rolling Stone magazine named one of the top 100 videos of all time. Mumy also produces and hosts The Real Good Radio Hour, a weekly series on KSAV Internet Radio focusing on various styles of music and the artists who pioneered them. Mumy and his wife, Eileen, have two children. Seth (born in 1989) and Liliana (born in 1994). Daughter Liliana also started as a child actress appearing in the two Cheaper by the Dozen movies and in two films of The Santa Clause trilogy. She has also done voice work in the Lilo & Stitch franchise, Batman: The Brave and the Bold and The Loud House. She has also guest starred on That 70's Show, My Wife and Kids, Scrubs, Crossing Jordan, Fresh off the Boat and The Cleaner. Dr. Zachary Smith played by Jonathan Harris Dr. Zachary Smith is a intergalactic doctor of environmental psychology. He was the United States Space Corps' staff psychologist and environmental expert prior to his unexpected departure from Earth. According to his USSC personnel file, Dr. Smith was also involved in the artificial intelligence programming of the Jupiter 2's Series M-3, Model B-9 robot. He reviewed the psychological fitness of potential pilots for colonization missions, as well as volunteers for the missions, including the Robinson family. Smith performed the final stress-analysis examinations of the Robinsons before they left Earth. It was later discovered that Smith was an agent for an enemy foreign government and that his academic success and high grades were largely due to cheating and bribery, and that his entrance to Oxford was due to a bribe paid by his prosperous Aunt. Smith used his position as a military psychologist to learn classified information from his patients using hypnosis and other means. He developed an excellent reputation as a doctor, and no one ever suspected his true purpose within the military as a spy. During his military career, Smith's tastes became very expensive, and he pressured his intelligence contacts to get him a position that would gain him greater income. They installed him as an operative within the USSC, along with several other operatives already there. The destruction of the Jupiter 1 in 1993, which was officially attributed to a fuel system malfunction, was probably due to sabotage by these agents. Although Smith was not involved in that disaster, he undoubtedly had help from other agents within the Space Corps with his attempt to destroy the second colonization ship. Prior to the launch of the Jupiter 2 from Earth, Dr. Smith reprogrammed the Robot to sabotage the spacecraft. While making last minute adjustments he is trapped on board when the ship launches. The crew are protected from the effects of lift-off in their state of suspended animation, but Dr. Smith was forced to endure it fully conscious. The ship is thrown off course by Dr. Smith's additional weight and becomes hopelessly lost in space. It was later revealed in the series that this course deviation prevented the destruction of the Jupiter 2 in a violent meteor shower soon after lift-off. After the launch of the Jupiter 2 on October 16th, 1997, Smith's behavior became increasingly bizarre and childish, according to logs that John Robinson left on interstellar fuel barge F-12, which were later retrieved by Alpha Control. The radical change in Dr. Smith's character is partly attributed to the magnetic fields generated by the ship's propulsion device, producing permanent brain damage in any life forms not protected by the freezing tube during full-powered liftoff. Within a year, the enormous stress of his space voyage, which has included contact with numerous hostile aliens, had transformed Smith into a mere shell of his former self. The career of Jonathan Harris (1914 - 2002) included more than 500 television and movie appearances, as well as voiceovers. Two of his best-known roles were as the timid accountant Bradford Webster in the television version of The Third Man and the fussy villain, Dr. Zachary Smith in Lost in Space. Near the end of his career, he provided voices for the animated features A Bug's Life and Toy Story 2. The second of three children, Harris was born in the Bronx, New York City, to Sam and Jennie Charasuchin, poor Russian-Jewish immigrants. His father worked in Manhattan's garment district and his mother often took in boarders to make ends meet. While there was little money for luxuries, Jonathan's father made an effort to expand his son's cultural horizons with occasional trips to see Yiddish Theatre and by listening to opera on the dining room radio. Young Jonathan detested his Bronx accent and by high school cultivated an English one in its place by watching British B-movies. In 1931, at age 16, he graduated from James Monroe High School, where his classmates included Estelle Reiner (future wife of Carl Reiner and mother of Rob Reiner). He had difficulty fitting in with peers, with the exception of his girlfriend and future wife, Gertrude Bregman. He legally changed his name from to "Harris" before entering college and earned a degree in pharmacology from Fordham University in 1936. Acting was Harris's first love and at age 24, he prepared a fake resume and tried out for a repertory company at the Millpond Playhouse in Long Island, New York and appeared in several of this troupe's plays, prior to landing a spot in the company. Harris was a popular character actor for 30 years on television, making his first guest appearance on an episode of The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre in 1949. The role led to other roles in such series as: The Web, Lights Out, Goodyear Television Playhouse, two episodes of Hallmark Hall of Fame, Armstrong Circle Theatre, three episodes of Studio One, Telephone Time, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Climax!, The Outlaws, The Twilight Zone, Bonanza, The Rogues, The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, and Zorro (with Guy Williams), among many others. Harris landed a co-starring role opposite Michael Rennie in The Third Man, from 1959 to 1965. He played Bradford Webster, an eccentric, cowardly assistant. He appeared in two 1961 episodes of The Twilight Zone and portrayed Charles Dickens in a 1963 episode of Bonanza. From 1963–65, Harris co-starred in the sitcom The Bill Dana Show (below). He played Mr. Phillips, the pompous manager of a posh hotel who is constantly at odds with his bumbling Bolivian bellhop, the Bill Dana character Jose Jimenez. Don Adams rounded out the cast as an inept house detective, a character whose distinctive mannerisms and catchphrases would soon carry over into his Maxwell Smart role on Get Smart. In similar fashion, several of Harris's catch phrases from the series, such as "Oh, the pain!", along with the character's mannerisms and delivery, became part of the Dr. Zachary Smith character on Lost in Space. In an apparent homage to his earlier role, Harris played a similarly pompous diplomat on Get Smart in 1970, where his female assistant was named Zachary. Harris won the role of Dr. Zachary Smith over two other actors. The character did not appear in the original 1965 pilot episode for CBS, and the series was already in production when Harris joined the cast Since starring/co-starring billing had already been contractually assigned, Harris successfully negotiated to receive "Special Guest Star" billing on every episode. The show's writers expected Smith to be a temporary villain who would only appear in the early episodes and was going to be killed off. Bill Mumy commented, "Jonathan played him as written, which was this really dark, straight-ahead villain." Harris, on the other hand, hoped to stay longer on the show, but he found his character to be boring, and feared it would also quickly bore viewers. Harris "began rewriting his lines and redefining his character", by playing Dr. Smith in an attention-getting, flamboyant style, and ad-libbing his scenes with colorful, pompous dialogue. Due to Harris's popularity on the show, Irwin Allen approved his changes. By the end of the first season, the character of Smith is established as self-serving coward. These character traits are magnified in subsequent seasons. His haughty bearing, and ever-present alliterative repartee, were staples of the character. Lost in Space is remembered for the Robot's oft-repeated lines such as "Warning! Warning!" and "It does not compute". Smith's frequent put-downs of the Robot were also popular, and Jonathan Harris was proud to talk about how he used to lie in bed at night dreaming them up for use on the show. "You Bubble-headed Booby!", "Cackling Cacophony", "Tin Plated Traitor", "Blithering Blatherskyte", and "Traitorous Transistorized Toad" are but a few alongside 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 illusionist praying mantis "Manny" in Disney's A Bug's Life, in which Harris used "Oh, the pain ... the pain!" near the end of the film. With the popularity of the Dr. Smith, Robot and Will Robinson group of characters, Irwin Allen began to distance the show from its original serious science fiction based concept. This did not sit well with Guy Williams and June Lockhart who were originally sold as being the stars of the show when it began. In addition the romance sub-plot between the Judy and Don charaters was never explored fully. When the series was renewed for its third and final season, it remained focused on Harris' character, Dr. Smith. While the series was still solidly placed in the middle of the ratings pack, the writers appeared to run out of fresh ideas, and the show was unexpectedly cancelled in 1968 after 83 episodes, despite protests from its fans. Harris continued to work after Lost in Space. In the mid-1970s, Harris starred in live-action roles in two Saturday morning children's series, Space Academy and Uncle Croc's Block, and was a well-known TV spokesman for the International House of Pancakes. He guest appearances on episodes of Bewitched, Land of the Giants, Sanford and Son, Get Smart, Night Gallery, Fantasy Island and Ark II. Harris also provided the voice of the Cylon character Lucifer, an antagonist on the original 1978 ABC version of Battlestar Galactica. Harris spent much of his later career as a voice actor, heard in television commercials as well as cartoons such as Channel Umptee-3, The Banana Splits, My Favorite Martian, Rainbow Brite, Darkwing Duck, Happily Ever After, Problem Child, Spider-Man, A Bug's Life, Superman, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Toy Story 2 and The Bolt Who Screwed Christmas. In multiple episodes of the 1995–1997 cartoon series Freakazoid!, Harris reprised the cowardly Smith character and dialogue under the name "Professor Jones," uttering Smith's catchphrase "Oh, the pain!" Emphasizing the target of the parody, numerous characters would ask him, "Weren't you on a TV show with a robot?" In 1990, Harris reunited with the cast of Lost in Space in a filmed celebration of the 25th anniversary of the series' debut, at an event attended by more than 30,000 fans. Harris made a number of other convention appearances with other cast members of Lost in Space, including a 1996 appearance at Disney World. On June 14, 1995, Harris and other cast members appeared in The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen, a television tribute to Irwin Allen, the creator of Lost in Space, who had died in 1991. Harris refused to make a cameo appearance in the 1998 motion picture version of Lost in Space, unlike many of his co-stars in the original series. He announced, "I've never played a bit part in my life and I'm not going to start now!" However, he did make promotional appearances for the film. Two months before the reunion TV movie Lost in Space: The Journey Home was set to film, Harris was taken to the hospital with what he thought was a back problem. On November 3rd, 2002, Harris died of a blood clot to the heart. He was 87 years old, just three days before his 88th birthday. As a tribute to Harris, writer/director John Wardlaw wrote an additional scene for the film The Bolt Who Screwed Christmas, which included Harris's final performance before his death. Wardlaw asked Lost in Space co-stars Bill Mumy, Angela Cartwright, and Marta Kristen to contribute their voices to the film. "This was the first time they had all been together in something unrelated to Lost in Space and it was a blast. They listened to what Harris had recorded and there were laughs and some tears," Wardlaw stated. Harris was married to his childhood sweetheart, Gertrude Bregman, from 1938 until his death in 2002. She died of natural causes, at age 93 in 2007. They had one child, Richard, born 1942. The Robot played by Bob May and Dick Tufeld The Robot (a B-9 Class M-3 General Utility Non-Theorizing Environmental Control Robot) is a character in the original 1965 television series Lost in Space. Known and addressed simply as "Robot", his full designation was only occasionally mentioned on the show. Occasionally the Robot was addressed with the names of B-9 and the Robinson Robot. Other names for the Robot were Rodney and his creator, Robert Kinoshita, called him Blinky. Although a machine endowed with superhuman strength and futuristic weaponry, the Robot 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 primarily dubbed by Dick Tufeld, who was also the series' narrator. The Robot was designed by Robert Kinoshita, who also designed Forbidden Planet's Robby the Robot. Robby appears in Lost in Space episode #20 "War of the Robots" and in episode #60 "Condemned of Space." The Robot did not appear in the unaired pilot episode, but was added to the series once it had been greenlit. Initially, the bellows-covered legs were articulated and moved separately by the actor inside, but the metal edges inside the suit cut actor Bob May's legs so changes were made. The legs were bolted together, and the robot was pulled along by a wire instead of walking as it had done before. A new lower section was constructed with the legs cut off at the knee. This shorter suit was used to film close-ups or when the Robot was standing behind something that hid the actor's legs protruding out the bottom. This version of the suit was informally referred to by the cast and crew as "the Bermuda shorts." Robot B-9 consisted, from top down, of a glass bubble sensor unit with moving antennae; a fluted, translucent ring collar (actually an arrangement of shaped ribs through which performer Bob May could see); and a cylindrical, rotating trunk section with extending bellows arms that terminated in red mechanical claws. The trunk section had controls, indicators, a removable power pack and a signature chest light that illuminated in synchrony with the Robot's speech. May had a key inside the suit located in the left hook that he would tap in time with his speech to illuminate the light, resulting in some scenes where one of the claws can be seen moving in time with the light. Below the trunk were the bellows legs that were understood to move with some agility but which were rarely seen on camera to move separately due to real-world practical limitations, and tarapezoidal tread-tractor units at the bottom of each leg. These normally worked as a single locomotive device, but they could also function as individual feet. The leg and tractor sections could apparently be readily detached, allowing the Robot to be positioned in the rear of the chariot, although the actual disconnect operation was depicted only once. According to the series, the Robot possessed powerful computers that allowed him to perform complex calculations and to deduce many facts. He had a variety of sensors that detected numerous phenomena and dangers. He was programmed with extensive knowledge on many subjects, including how to operate the Jupiter 2 spaceship (although in the episode "The Hungry Sea" the Robot states categorically that it is not programmed to pilot the ship). His construction allowed him to function in extreme environments and in the vacuum of space. He was extremely strong, giving him utility both in performing difficult labor and in fighting when necessary. Moreover, his claws could fire laser beams and, most frequently, a powerful "electro-force" that was similar to arcing electricity. In one first season episode, Dr. Smith was seen to remove the robot's programming tapes, which resemble a small reel of magnetic tape, from a hatch below the robot's chest panel. Two versions of the robot were used during Lost in Space filming, a "hero robot" costume worn by Bob May, and a static "stunt robot" prop that was used for distant or hazardous shots. Both versions fell into disrepair after the series but they have since been discovered and restored. The "hero robot" is privately owned by TV and film producer Kevin Burns who commissioned a replica in the early 1990s for touring and conventions. The "stunt robot" is in storage at the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle, Washington. Like Robby the Robot, the B-9 Robot prop costume was re-used on at least one other show. On the Saturday morning children's show Mystery Island, it was modified to create the primary character P.O.P.S. It had different domes, a different color scheme, and an added rectangular skirt of gold-colored tubes covering the rubber bellows legs and base. Full-sized replicas of the robot are available commercially. Other versions have been built by hobbyists around the world who have built detailed full-size replicas of the Robot. Bob May (1939 - 2009) was born in New York City, the grandson of vaudeville comedian Chic Johnson, half of the Olsen and Johnson comedy team. May became an actor, stage performer, stuntman, director and public speaker, appearing in several films together with Jerry Lewis, including The Nutty Professor. He also performed in several television series, including The Time Tunnel (where he played the role of Adolf Hitler in the 1967 episode titled "The Kidnappers"), McHale's Navy and The Red Skelton Show. May also worked as a stuntman, performing in television programs and movies of the 1950s and 1960s, among them Cheyenne, Hawaiian Eye, Palm Springs Weekend, Stagecoach, Surfside 6, The Roaring Twenties and 77 Sunset Strip. May always said he got the job of The Robot on Lost in Space because he fit in the suit. Irwin Allen selected May to fill the role of the robot, the sidekick of the Robinson family, after May was sent to see him about the part; Allen promised May, "If you can fit in the suit, you've got the job". Bob donned the suit for the first time in front of Allen, and made the suit fit. When he exited the suit (which was made of metal and fiberglass) for the first time, he was cut and bleeding, but very happy that he had got the part. The voice of the robot was primarily performed by the show's announcer Dick Tufeld, including the show's catch phrase, "Danger, danger, Will Robinson." However, May's own voice can be heard when the robot's voice overlaps the other characters' lines and during instances of the robot singing. May enjoyed playing the part inside the robot, describing the suit as his "home away from home". It was so difficult to get inside the suit, that he would stay inside even during breaks in filming. Because he couldn't respond to external cues, he would learn the lines of all of the actors in each show so that he would know when it was his line. During breaks, he would puff on a cigarette inside the suit, with the smoke coming out of the suit amusing other members of the cast. The suit was even fitted inside with an ashtray. Once Allen showed up on the set in between shooting and saw smoke billowing up out of the suit. He wasn't aware that May was still inside, and thought that the suit was on fire. When he saw that it was May smoking inside the suit, he told him that in the future, whenever the script called for the suit to issue smoke, that May should be the one to make it happen. For years, May was a regular at autograph conventions in the Los Angeles area and around the country, sought after by fans of the show. May was never too busy for his fans, he once remarked: "I will stay at any convention signing autographs until the last fan was finished, or the cleaning crew forces me to leave." Though the robot character appeared in the 1998 Lost in Space film, May was not involved with the movie. May's home in an upscale mobile home park in the San Fernando Valley was destroyed in the November 2008 California wildfires that hit the Los Angeles area, though he and his wife were able to escape without injury. May died at age 69 on January 18th, 2009 at a hospital in Lancaster, California of congestive heart failure. He was survived by his wife Judith, son Martin, daughter Deborah and four grandchildren. Dick Tufeld (1926 - 2012) was an American actor, announcer, narrator and voice actor from the late 1940s until the early 21st century. He was a well-known presence on television as an announcer. Born in Los Angeles, California, to a Russian father and a Canadian mother, he spent his childhood in Pasadena, California. Tufeld attended the Northwestern University School of Communication. In 1945, he obtained a job as an engineer at KLAC, a radio station in Los Angeles. Tufeld's voice career began in radio. He was the announcer on ABC's The Amazing Mr. Malone in early 1950, Alan Reed's Falstaff's Fables and ABC Radio's Space Patrol. In 1954, Tufeld was cast in assorted roles in fifteen episodes of Gene Autry Productions's syndicated television series, Annie Oakley, which starred Gail Davis and Brad Johnson. In 1955 he was working at ABC in daytime programming and anchoring The Three Star Final, a 15-minute newscast on KABC-TV, Los Angeles. Tufeld was often heard as the announcer on Disney television shows, including the 1957–1959 series Zorro starring future Lost in Space lead Guy Williams. He had periods as the house announcer on two ABC variety series, The Hollywood Palace and The Julie Andrews Hour. Tufeld is perhaps best known as the voice of the B9 Robot in the CBS television series Lost in Space, a role he reprised for the 1998 feature film. He also provided narrations for many other Irwin Allen productions, such as ABC's Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and The Time Tunnel, and did voice work for the 1978 animated television series Fantastic Four. He narrated several episodes of Thundarr the Barbarian (1980). He was the main title narrator on the 1979 DePatie-Freleng series, Spider-Woman, as well as the main title announcer on the 1981 Marvel Productions show Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. THE SPACE FAMILY ROBINSON Space Family Robinson was an original science-fiction comic book series published by Gold Key Comics. It predates the Lost in Space television series and both are loosely based on the 1812 novel The Swiss Family Robinson about a family shipwrecked in the East Indies en route to Port Jackson, Australia. This work itself is considered to be an extension of the original classic of survivalist fiction Robinson Crusoe authored by English writer Daniel Defoe (1660 -1731). Robinson Crusoe (1719) holds the distinction of being second only to the Bible for the number of translations. It would seem that with a name like Robinson, no matter where you are in the timeline you are going to get lost. The comic was published as a total of 59 issues, from 1962 to 1982 and was created by writer Del Connell and artist Dan Spiegle. Gaylord DuBois became the sole writer of Space Family Robinson once he began chronicling the Robinsons' adventures with Peril on Planet Four in issue #8. He had already begun the Captain Venture second feature, beginning with Situation Survival in issue #6. As was typical of Gold Key's adventure comics, all cover art was painted, most often by George Wilson. In the comic, the Robinsons were scientist father Craig, scientist mother June, early teens Tim (son) and Tam (daughter), along with pets Clancy (dog) and Yakker (parrot). They lived in "Space Station One", a spacious moving craft with hydroponic gardens, observatory, and two small "Spacemobile" shuttle craft. The family was selected by computer to be the most mentally and physically qualified to man the space station. They left Earth in the year 2001. In the second issue, a cosmic storm deposited them far from Earth and they have adventures while they try to work their way home. The movie and television rights to the comic book were purchased by noted television writer Hilda Bohem (The Cisco Kid), who created a treatment under the title Space Family 3000. 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. Gold Key was also publishing an Irwin Allen title, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. The two companies reached an agreement that the comic could revise its cover title to Space Family Robinson: Lost in Space, which appeared starting with issue #15 (Jan 1966). Additional legal challenges reappeared in 1995, when Prelude Pictures announced their intention to turn Lost in Space into a motion picture. It had been reported that the series was created by famed Disney comic book artist/writer Carl Barks. In fact, Barks did suggest a Swiss Family Robinson in space comic to his editor Chase Craig around 1960, but nothing came of it and the subsequent series was originated by people who hadn't heard of Barks' concept. In 1966 the weekly UK publication Lady Penelope ("the comic for girls who love television") printed Space Family Robinson stories. These used the same characters and technology as the Gold Key titles, but were original scripts, not reprints. Authorship is not known for certain, although there is good reason to think that some may have been written by then sub-editor on Lady Penelope, Brian Woodford. The artist was John M. Burns. The Lady Penelope Summer Extra (1966) included a three-page story in which the Robinsons land on a recently abandoned planet. They discover that the hasty exodus was due to the approach of a massive gravity source. This story was reprinted in the TV2000 Thunderbirds Extra (1966) with the third page coloured by the Dutch publishers. There was also a story in the Lady Penelope Annual for 1966. Unlike all the others, this one had a title, Tam Meets The Trygans, and told how Tam returns to the Station alone only to find it occupied by aliens intent on stealing it. This is the only story printed in colour throughout, and the only one not drawn by John Burns. The artist was not identified. Space Family Robinson was cancelled with #36 (October, 1969). It was brought back in October, 1973, in part due to the popularity of Star Trek. At this point, all issues between #37 and #44 had the tag "On Space Station One" added as well. The title was cancelled again with #54 (December, 1977). A new story was published in Gold Key Champion #1 (1978). In 1981, the title was revived as a reprint title for issues #55–59 (1981–1982) under the "Whitman Comics" line. New stories also appeared in March of Comics #320, 328, and 352. In August 2011, Dark Horse Comics began the Space Family Robinson Archives hardcover reprint series. In the 1980s, Bill Mumy (who played Will Robinson on the series) had tried, and failed, to convince Irwin Allen to allow production of a Lost in Space film for theatres or TV. In 1991 Bill Mumy provided guidance for a Lost in Space revival in comic book form Lost in Space comic book for Innovation Comics, writing six of the issues. The first officially licensed comic to be based on the TV series, the series was set several years after the show. The kids were now teenagers, and the stories attempted to return the series to its straight adventure roots with one story even explaining the camp / farce episodes of the series as fanciful entries in Penny's Space Diary. The serious episodes were excerpts from Professor Robinson's log. Complex adult-themed story concepts were introduced and the story included a love triangle developing between Penny, Judy and Don. The first year had an story arc ultimately leading the travelers to Alpha Centauri with Smith contacting his former alien masters (as suggested in the early TV episodes) along the way. Aeolis 14 Umbra were furious with Smith for not having succeeded in his mission to prevent the Jupiter 2, built with technology from a crashed ship of their race, from reaching the star system they had claimed as their own. The year ended with Smith caught out for his traitorous associations and imprisoned in a freezing tube for the Jupiter's final journey to the Promised Planet. Mumy's intention for the stories was to reflect the more serious tone of the first season episodes, but this was somewhat undercut by artwork that sexualized the characters of Judy and Penny Robinson, prompting some exasperated notes from Mumy in the editorial pages. Year two was to be Mumy's own full season story of a complex adventure following the Robinson's arrival at their destination and capture by the Aoleans. Lost in Space was Innovation's best selling property, outselling all their other comics combined. The comic only managed to run for 18 issues, 2 annuals and 1 of 2 issues of a miniseries however, but not because of poor sales. Innovation's ambitious projects couldn't keep ahead of their bottom line, and the company went out of business. While this left a major story arc unresolved, a trade paperback entitled "Voyage to the Bottom of the Soul" was later published, completing the story. In 1998 Dark Horse Comics published a three-part story chronicling the Robinson Clan as depicted in the film released the same year. In 2006 Bill Mumy and Peter David co-wrote Star Trek: The Return of the Worthy, a three-part story that was essentially a crossover between Lost in Space and Star Trek with the Enterprise crew encountering a Robinson-like expedition amongst the stars, though with different characters. In 2016, American Gothic Press published a six-issue miniseries titled Irwin Allen's Lost in Space, the Lost Adventures, based on unfilmed scripts from the series. The scripts "The Curious Galactics" and "Malice in Wonderland" were written by Carey Wilber. The first script was adapted as issues 1 to 3 of the series, with the adapted script written by Holly Interlandi and drawn by Kostas Pantaulas, with Patrick McEvoy doing coloring and covers. The second script was adapted as issues 4 to 6 of the series, again adapted by Interlandi, with McEvoy providing pencil art, coloring and covers. In 2018 it was announced by Legendary Entertainment that a new comic would be produced based on the Netflix reboot of Lost in Space. It is sub-titled Countdown to Danger and will be published in four parts during 2019. The new comic is written by Richard Dinnick and Brian Buccellato with art by Zid. In 1967, a novel based on the series, with significant changes to the personalities of the characters and the design of the ship, was published by Pyramid Books, and written by Dave Van Arnam and Ted White (as "Ron Archer"). A scene in the book correctly predicts Richard Nixon winning the Presidency after Lyndon Johnson. In the 1972–1973 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 contributed animated work based on such television 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). Like Star Trek: The Animated Series, the animated version of Lost in Space was created with the intent of reviving the show in animated form but was never picked up as a series. The cartoon was included in the Blu-ray release of the entire original television series in 2015. Not being picked up may have been a good thing for Lost in Space fans because a number of unnecessary changes to the original plot were made. The Robinson family is downsized to only a pair of male siblings, Craig Robinson (Michael Bell) and Linc Robinson (Vincent Van Pratten). Dr. Smith assumes the role of a Jupiter 2 crew member, a Professor of Biology, and not that of a saboteur. A Judy like character appears as Geologist Deanna Carmichael (Sherry Alberoni). In addition the famous Jupiter II is no where to be seen and the crew travels in a vertically launched rocket. BACK TO THE FUTURE The show was conceptualized in 1965 with the filming of an unaired pilot episode titled "No Place to Hide". The plot of the pilot episode is set in the "future" 1997 and follows the mission of a ship called Gemini 12, which was to take a single family on a 98-year journey to an Earthlike planet orbiting star Alpha Centauri. The Gemini 12 was pushed off course due to an encounter with an asteroid, and the story centered on the adventures of the Robinson family, depicting them as a happy crew without internal conflicts. While many storylines in the later series focused primarily on Dr. Zachary Smith, a stowaway and saboteur played by Jonathan Harris, he was absent from the unaired pilot. The pilot episode was first aired on television during a 1997 retrospective. CBS bought the series, turning down Star Trek in favor of Lost in Space. Before the first episode was filmed, the characters Smith and the Robot were added, and the spaceship was renamed the Jupiter 2 and redesigned. For budget considerations, a good part of the footage included in the pilot episode was reused, and carefully worked into the early episodes of the series. The first season emphasized the daily adventures of the Robinsons. The first half of season 1 dealt with Robinson party trekking around the rocky terrain and stormy inland oceans of Priplanus in the Chariot to avoid extreme temperatures. However, the format of the show later changed to a "Monster of the week" style, where stories were loosely based on fantasy and fairy tales. In January 1966, ABC scheduled Batman in the same time slot as Lost in Space. To compete, Lost in Space Season 2 imitated Batman's campy humor. Bright outfits, over-the-top action, and outrageous villains came to the fore in outlandish stories. Stories giving all characters focus were sacrificed in favor of a growing emphasis on Smith, Will, and the Robot. The third season had more straight adventure, with the Jupiter 2 now functional and hopping from planet to planet, but the episodes still tended to be whimsical and to emphasize humor, including fanciful space hippies, more pirates, off-beat inter-galactic zoos, ice princesses and Lost in Space's beauty pageant. During the first two seasons, episodes concluded in a "live action freeze" anticipating the following week, with a cliff-hanger caption, "To be continued next week! Same time - same channel!" For the third season, each episode's conclusion was immediately followed by a vocal "teaser" from the Robot (Dick Tufeld), warning viewers to "Stay tuned for scenes from next week's exciting adventure!". Scenes from the next episode were then presented, followed by the closing credits. After cancellation, the show was successful in reruns and in syndication for many years, appearing on the USA Network (in the mid-to-late 1980s) and on FX, Syfy, ALN and Hulu. In 1995, Kevin Burns produced a documentary showcasing the career of Irwin Allen, hosted by Bill Mumy and June Lockhart in a recreation of the Jupiter 2 exterior set. Clips from Allen's various productions as well as pilots for his unproduced series were presented along with new interviews with cast members of Allen's shows. At the end of the program Mumy and Lockhart enter the Jupiter 2 where Jonathan Harris appears in character as Smith and instructs the Robot once again to destroy the ship as per his original instructions, "...and this time get it right, you bubble-headed booby". In 1998, Burns produced a television special about the series hosted by John Larroquette and Robot B-9 (performed by actor Bob May and voice actor Dick Tufeld). The special was hosted within a recreation of the Jupiter 2 upper deck set. The program ends with Laroquette mockingly pressing a button on the Amulet from "The Galaxy Gift" episode, disappearing and being replaced by Mumy and Harris as an older Will Robinson and Zachary Smith. They attempt one more time to return to Earth but find that they are "Lost in Space ... Forever!" Lost in Space showcased a variety of transportation methods in the series. The Jupiter 2 is a two-deck, nuclear powered flying saucer spacecraft. The version seen in the series was depicted with a lower level and landing legs. On the lower level were the atomic motors, which use a fictional substance called "deutronium" for fuel. The ship's living quarters feature Murphy beds, a galley, a laboratory, and the robot's "magnetic lock". On the upper level were the guidance control system and suspended animation "freezing tubes" necessary for non-relativistic interstellar travel. The two levels were connected by both an electronic glide tube elevator and a fixed ladder. The Jupiter 2 explicitly had artificial gravity. Entrances and exits to the ship were via the main airlock on the upper level, or via the landing struts from the lower deck, and, according to one season 2 episode, a back door. The spacecraft was also intended to serve as home to the Robinsons once it had landed on the destination planet orbiting Alpha Centauri. "The Chariot" was an all-terrain, amphibious tracked vehicle that the crew used for ground transport when they were on a planet. The Chariot existed in a dis-assembled state during flight, to be re-assembled once on the ground. The Chariot was actually an operational cannibalized version of a Thiokol Snowcat Spryte, with a Ford 170-cubic-inch (3 L) inline-6, 101 horsepower engine with a 4-speed automatic transmission including reverse. Most of the Chariot's body panels were clear – including the roof and its dome-shaped "gun hatch". Both a roof rack for luggage and roof mounted "solar batteries" were accessible by exterior fixed ladders on either side of the vehicle. The vehicle had dual headlights and dual auxiliary area lights beneath the front and rear bumpers. The roof also had swivel-mounted, interior controllable spotlights located near each front corner, with a small parabolic antenna mounted between them. The Chariot had six bucket seats (three rows of two seats) for passengers. The interior featured retractable metallised fabric curtains for privacy, a seismograph, a scanner with infrared capability, a radio transceiver, a public address system, and a rifle rack that held four laser rifles vertically near the inside of the left rear corner body panel. A jet pack, specifically a Bell Rocket Belt, was used occasionally by Professor Robinson or Major West. The "Space Pod" was a small spacecraft first shown in the third and final season, which was modeled on the Apollo Lunar Module. The Pod was used to travel from its bay in the Jupiter 2 to destinations either on a nearby planet or in space, and the pod apparently had artificial gravity and an auto-return mechanism. For self-defense, the crew of the Jupiter 2 had an arsenal of laser guns at their disposal, including sling-carried rifles and holstered pistols. The first season's personal issue laser gun was a film prop modified from a toy semi-automatic pistol made by Remco. The crew also employed a force field around the Jupiter 2 for protection while on alien planets. The force shield generator was able to protect the campsite and in one season 3 episode was able to shield the entire planet. For communication, the crew used small transceivers to communicate with each other, the Chariot, and the ship. In "The Raft", Will improvised several miniature rockoons in an attempt to send an interstellar "message in a bottle" distress signal. In season 2 a set of relay stations was built to further extend communications while planet-bound. Their environmental control Robot B-9 ran air and soil tests, and was able to discharge strong electrostatic charges from his claws, detect threats with his scanner and could produce a defensive smoke screen. The Robot could detect faint smells and could both understand speech and speak in its own right. The Robot claimed the ability to read human minds by translating emitted thought waves back into words. While the crew normally grew a hydroponic garden on a planet as an intermediate step before cultivating the soil of a planet, they also had "protein pills", which was a complete nutritional substitute for normal foods, in cases of emergency. Technology in the show reflected contemporary real-world developments. Silver reflective space blankets, a then new invention developed by NASA in 1964, were used in the episode titled "The Hungry Sea" and "Attack of the Monster Plants". The crew's spacesuits were made with aluminum-coated fabric, like NASA's Mercury spacesuits, and had Velcro fasteners, which NASA first used during the Apollo program (1961–1972). Props and monsters were regularly recycled from other Irwin Allen shows. A sea monster outfit that had been featured on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea might get a spray paint job for its Lost in Space appearance, while space monster costumes were reused on Voyage as sea monsters. The clear round plastic pen holder used as a control surface in the episode "The Derelict" turned up regularly throughout the show's entire run both as primary controls to activate alien machinery (or open doors or cages), and as background set dressing; some primary controls were seen used in episodes such as Season 1's "The Keeper (Parts 1 and 2)", "His Majesty Smith", and Season 3's "A Day At The Zoo", and "The Promised Planet". Spacecraft models were also routinely re-used. The foreboding derelict ship from season 1 was redressed to become the Vera Castle in season 3. The Fuel Barge from season 2 became a Space Lighthouse in season 3. The derelict ship was used again in season 3, with a simple color change. Likewise the alien pursuer's ship in "The Sky Pirate", was lifted from the 1958 film War of the Satellites, and was re-used in the episode "Deadliest of the Species". A number of props were "futuristic" versions of common household items. The "auto-matic laundry" took seconds to clean, iron, fold, and package clothes in clear plastic bags. Similarly, the "dishwasher" would clean, wash, and dry dishes in just seconds. There was also a table top cooker and a hair dryer. Dispite Dr. Maureen Robinson being a distinguished biochemist she seems to be a typical 1960s housewife, albeit with some cool appliances. Daughters Judy and Penny, who has and I.Q. of 147, don't fair much better. Maureen and Judy prepare dinner and do laundry, Penny helps set the table, while the men work outside the spaceship. Some members within the science-fiction community have pointed to Lost in Space as an example of early television's perceived poor record at producing science-fiction. The series' deliberate fantasy elements, were perhaps overlooked as it drew comparisons to its supposed rival, Star Trek. However, Lost in Space was a mild ratings success, unlike Star Trek, which received relatively poor ratings during its original network television run. The more cerebral Star Trek never averaged higher than 52nd in the ratings during its three seasons, 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. Lost in Space received Emmy Award nominations in 1966 (Cinematography-Special Photographic Effects) and again in 1968 (Visual Arts & Makeup) for never won. The open and closing theme music was written by John Williams. The original pilot and much of Season One reused Bernard Herrmann's eerie score from the classic sci-fi film The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). Season three featured a new score which was considered more exciting and faster tempo. The opening music was accompanied by live action shots of the cast, featuring a pumped-up countdown from seven to one to launch each week's episode. Much of the incidental music in the series was written by Williams who scored four episodes. These scores helped Williams gain credibility as a composer. Other notable film and television composers who worked on the music for Lost in Space included Alexander Courage, who contributed six scores to the series. Lost in Space (1998 film) In 1998, New Line Cinema produced a film adaptation. The 1998 film includes a number of homages to the original television series. These include cameos and story details from the original TV-series, including: Dick Tufeld as the Robot's voice. The 2nd version of the Robot (re-built by Will Robinson) has a very similarly doughnut-shaped "head" as the TV-series robot. Mark Goddard briefly appears as the military general who gives Major Don West his orders for the mission. June Lockhart briefly appears with Will Robinson, as the principal of his school. Angela Cartwright and Marta Kristen briefly appear early in the film as news reporters. A small (CG-animated) alien animal is adopted by Penny Robinson, an animal character in homage to "Debbie" (a chimpanzee fitted with furry prosthetic alien "ears") in the TV-series. The film's Jupiter 1 is a larger protective exterior shell, which breaks off in pieces after the launch, freeing the interior Jupiter 2 spacecraft to thrust onward into space. The Jupiter 1 (the larger protective exterior shell) is very similar in shape to the much smaller TV-series spacecraft, and includes similar rotating underside lights. Due to budget limitations, new versions of the "Chariot" or the "Space Pod" were not built for the film, and so do not appear in it, with Don briefly mentioning to the Robinsons that those units had been irreparably wrecked by their crash landing on the planet. Jonathan Harris was offered a cameo appearance, not as Smith (performed by actor Gary Oldman in the film), but as the Global Sedition leader who hires, then betrays, Smith. Harris turned down the role, reportedly saying, "I've never played a bit part in my life and I'm not going to start now!". The role of the Sedition leader was eventually performed by actor Edward Fox. Many years later, Harris appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, mentioning the role offered to him: "Yes, they offered me a part in the new movie; - six lines!". Bill Mumy was likewise offered a cameo, but turned it down after being told he would not be considered for the part he wanted - the role of the older Will Robinson - because, he was told, that would "confuse the audience." The film used a number of ideas familiar to viewers from the original show: Smith reprogramming the robot and its subsequent rampage ("Reluctant Stowaway"), near miss with the sun ("Wild Adventure"), the derelict spaceship ("The Derelict"), discovery of the Blawp and the crash ("Island in the Sky") and an attempt to change history by returning to the beginning ("The Time Merchant"). Also a scene-stealing 'Goodnight' homage to the Waltons was included. Something fans of the original always wanted to see happen was finally realized when Don knocks out an annoyingly complaining Smith at the end of the movie, saying "That felt good!" In addition to Oldman as Dr. Smith the rest of the cast included: William Hurt as Professor John Robinson, Mimi Rogers as Professor Maureen Robinson, Heather Graham as Dr. Judy Robinson, Lacey Chabert as Penny Robinson, Jack Johnson as Will Robinson and Matt LeBlanc as Major Don West. Jared Harris was given the role of the older Will Robinson. Filming began on March 3rd, 1997 in London's Shepperton Studios, with more than 700 special effects shots planned, done by Industrial Light & Magic and Jim Henson's Creature Shop. The $70 million Lost in Space film was New Line's hope to launch a multimedia franchise, followed by animated and live-action television series. Licensing deals were made with Trendmasters for toys and Harper Prism and Scholastic for tie-in novels. But things didn't go as planned, despite debuting at number one at the box office, (ending Titanic's 15-week-long hold on the first-place position), Lost in Space was panned by critics and fans alike. The Robinsons: Lost in Space (2004) In 2004, a pilot for a new television series titled "The Robinsons: Lost in Space" was filmed, but the series was never produced. The series originally was intended to emulate Lost in Space's unaired pilot. The 2004 show featured the unnamed robot (again voiced by Dick Tufeld the third time), plus additional older Robinson child named David. Penny, who had been depicted as a preteen in the original series was depicted as an infant in the 2003 remake. The pilot was commissioned by The WB Television Network and directed by John Woo. The Jupiter 2 interstellar flying-saucer spacecraft of the original series was reduced to "shuttle" status, depicted as a planet-landing craft, deployed from a larger inter-stellar mothership. The plot of the series followed John Robinson, a retiring war hero of an alien invasion who had decided to take his family to another colony elsewhere in space. The Robinson's ship was attacked and the Robinsons were are forced to escape from the mothership in the smaller Jupiter 2. After the project was cancelled the producers of the new Battlestar Galactica series bought the show's sets. They were redesigned the next year and used for scenes on the Battlestar Pegasus. Lost in Space (Netflix series) On October 10th, 2014, it was announced that Legendary TV was developing a new reboot of Lost in Space for Netflix. Produced by Legendary Television, Synthesis Entertainment, Clickety-Clack Productions, and Applebox Entertainment, the show is written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, with Zack Estrin serving as showrunner. Netflix released the series on April 13th, 2018, renewing it the following month for a second season. The second season premiered on December 24th, 2019. On March 9th, 2020, the series was renewed for a third and final season. The plot is a reimagining of the original 1965 series and similar to The Robinsons: Lost in Space (2004). In the aftermath of an impact event that threatens the survival of humanity, the Robinson family is selected for the 24th mission of the Resolute (24th Colonist Group), an interstellar spacecraft carrying selected families to colonize the Alpha Centauri star system. Before they reach their destination, an alien robot breaches the Resolute's hull. Forced to evacuate the mothership in short-range Jupiter spacecraft, scores of colonists, among them the Robinsons, crash on a nearby habitable planet. There they must contend with a strange environment and battle their own personal demons as they search for a way back to the Resolute. The cast features Molly Parker as mission commander Maureen Robinson, an aerospace engineer taking her family on the mission to colonize Alpha Centauri in hopes of building a new life on a better world. She has two children with John Robinson; Penny Robinson, and Will Robinson. Her eldest daughter, Judy Robinson, is from a previous relationship with Astronaut Grant Kelly. Toby Stephens plays John Robinson, former U.S. Navy SEAL and husband to Maureen. He is father to Penny and Will and the adoptive father to Judy. Maxwell Jenkins is Will Robinson, Maureen and John's youngest child who (like the original series) forms a tight bond with the Robot. Taylor Russell plays Judy Robinson, who serves as mission doctor, having received accelerated medical training. Mina Sundwall is Penny Robinson. Ignacio Serricchio is on board as Don West, a ship mechanic and smuggler of luxury goods. He is accompanied by his lucky chicken, Debbie. Parker Posey as June Harris / Dr. Smith, a petty criminal who assumes the identity of her sister, Jessica, to take her place on the Resolute. She subsequently impersonates Dr. Zachary Smith during the first attack to take his seat on an evacuating Jupiter ship. The theft of the doctor's identity is a reference to the corresponding character of Dr. Smith in the original television series (also, her character, June Harris, is named for June Lockhart, who played Maureen Robinson, and Jonathan Harris, who played Smith on the original series). Bill Mumy (Will from the original series) plays the real Dr. Zachary Smith, whose identity June steals. Brian Steele protrays the Robot. In this version the robot is of alien origin and Will encounters it following the crash. Added to the cast was Sibongile Mlambo as Angela Goddard, an engineer and fellow survivor struggling with post traumatic stress disorder in the wake of her husband's death during the attack on the Resolute. (her character is named for Angela Cartwright who played Penny Robinson, and Mark Goddard who played Don West, from the original series). Angela Cartwright (the original Penny Robinson) has a cameo as Selma Harris, June's mother. slideshow