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Amazon.co.uk Review
Lost in Space began life in 1965 as a science-fiction take on The Swiss Family Robinson. Produced by Irwin Allen, then in the midst of his run of spectacular-but-childish TV SF (before he became the master of big-screen disaster movies), the show featured a family of all-American space colonists cast away on a mysterious planet. Gradually the whole thing devolved into a silly (but sometimes fun) exercise in childish camp. This box set includes all 29 black and white episodes from the first season (with a burst of colour at the end of the last show--a foretaste of the garish look of the remaining two seasons) along with "No Place to Hide", the expensive pilot show that sold the series but which prompted Allen to revamp the whole premise in comic mode when network execs responded best to its unintended humour.
"No Place to Hide" has action scenes that cropped up in the first six regular episodes but is missing several of the show's trademark aspects, most notably that infectious theme from Johnny Williams (later, John Williams of Star Wars fame) and the scheming presence of Dr Smith (Jonathan Harris) and his alternately menacing and comical robot ("It does not compute"). As the series progresses (or degenerates, depending on your taste), Harris's Smith changes from pantomime villain, a saboteur who is trying to kill the family, into pantomime dame, a panicky old idiot whose foolishness, cowardice and avarice are an endless source of plots. It mostly makes do with the regular cast plus an array of shaggy-suited, snarling aliens, but you do get sterling ham from visiting astronauts such as Warren Oates ("Welcome Stranger"), Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet ("War of the Robots") and a very young Kurt Russell ("The Challenge"). Stories about surviving on an alien world give way to lifts from fairy tale, myth and old movies as Smith gets hold of a wishing cap, becomes a giant, is chosen as a sacrificial king, turns the children over to an alien zoo, squeaks in fright as a werewolf approaches or is cursed with a platinum Midas touch. --Kim Newman
DVD Description
Episodes:
The Reluctant Stowaway
The Derelict
Island in the Sky
There Were Giants in the Earth
The Hungry Sea
Welcome Stranger
My Friend, Mr Nobody
Invaders from the Fifth Dimension
The Oasis
The Sky is Falling
Wish Upon a Star
The Raft
One of Our Dogs is Missing
Attack of the Monster Plants
Return from Outer Space
The Keeper, Parts 1 & 2
The Sky Pirate
Ghost in Space
The War of the Robots
The Magic Mirror
The Challenge
The Space Trader
Hi Majesty Smith
The Space Croppers
All That Glitters
The Last Civilization
A Change of Space
Follow the Leader
No Place to Hide (unaired pilot episode)
The Reluctant Stowaway
The Derelict
Island in the Sky
There Were Giants in the Earth
The Hungry Sea
Welcome Stranger
My Friend, Mr Nobody
Invaders from the Fifth Dimension
The Oasis
The Sky is Falling
Wish Upon a Star
The Raft
One of Our Dogs is Missing
Attack of the Monster Plants
Return from Outer Space
The Keeper, Parts 1 & 2
The Sky Pirate
Ghost in Space
The War of the Robots
The Magic Mirror
The Challenge
The Space Trader
Hi Majesty Smith
The Space Croppers
All That Glitters
The Last Civilization
A Change of Space
Follow the Leader
No Place to Hide (unaired pilot episode)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Still lost; still brilliant...............................,
By Sara Richmond (Wolverhampton, West Midlands United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Lost In Space S1 [DVD] [1965] (DVD)
Utterly delighted this was released on DVD. If u r a fan - "a must buy." Great to see all these episodes again (first seen first time around in the 60s and then, I believe, the re-runs over 10 years later. Forgive the dodgy special effects - because remember when it was made! The stories may vary in quality too, but overall a marvellous array of episodes; backed up by a memorable soundtrack - the kind that sticks in your mind. Star of the show for me is the Robot! Still holds up well after all this time. I see rumours of a re-make on the horizon. If so, though the special effects will supposedly be better, will it match the "feel" and "humanity" of the original series here? This original series also caught the genuine essence of being utterly lost and battling the elements - a good education for a 7 yr-old at the time! There are many many episodes here; so excuse the 'duff' ones - the best more than make up for them. Special mention goes to the first episode - beautifully setting the scene. Oh, and look out for the bizarre but curious appearance of a young, but easily identifiable, Kurt Russell! My favourite memory revisited? Well, the cyclops throwing the boulder down on to the Chariot............."Ah - the memories; the memories........." Though, no doubt, Dr. Smith would say, "Oh, the pain; the pain." ENJOY!
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lost somewhere in space but very close to heart!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Lost In Space S1 [DVD] [1965] (DVD)
How wonderful, indeed, that the original Lost in Space TV series gets the DVD format. Like many children during the mid-1960s, I too grew up with this series. Very fond memories come back and everything seems new and fresh somehow. While I like the entire series, there are, of course, episodes which I like better than others. I particularly cherish the first episodes, not really because they were filmed in B&W (although perhaps this helps, too), but because they have a certain unforgettable quality about them that still fascinate me. To be precise, the first 7 epsiodes, especially the first, the third, the fourth, the fifth and the seventh) are especially memorable (the others of varying preference) but I am quite certain that the feel of the original series just could not be filmed today the same way. In short, I am happy to have grown up with this series (and others) and I still view these epsiodes and cherish them deeply. True the effects are not today's standard, of course, but are more than adequate and indeed excellent for the time and fairly convincing even today. The best is the "traditional" family relationship which by some standards is "out-of-date" but I strongly disagree. Fortunately, my young niece simply loves Lost in Space, and her uncle is more than happy to share an endearing part of his youth with her, since anything well-done that promotes noble family and human values is timeless...
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
For todays kiddies try series 2 - otherwise enjoy,
By Keith Joseph (West Berkshire, England) - See all my reviews (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (TOP 10 REVIEWER)
This review is from: Lost In Space S1 [DVD] [1965] (DVD)
I first bought the series two 'Lost in space' for my son (age 9) and he loves it (its packaged just like this series 1 set). We watch about an episode or two a week (so have weeks to go). The series 2 was 'Lost in space' as I remember it: classy and very colourful sets, funny, with an increasingly camp Dr Smith having more catch phrases than Athur Askey ("spare me the barbs major"). I did vaguely remember this first series (particularly the excellent first few episodes concerning leaving Earth eg. 'The reluctant stowaway') and knew Dr Smith, the Jupiter II and the crew were all present and correct. However I had forgotten how dark, menacing and calculating Dr Smith was in this series. My son found series one too frightening to watch past the first few episodes, and was particularly disappointed with the B&W TV images (although I found some of these early episodes more interesting than those in the second series - but I even I did miss the gaudy colour, although the B&W sets and effects are just as good).
So if you are buying for your children I would skip straight to series two and give a two minute intro, but if you want a bit more bite then go for this series as well. Be warned though there are thirty episodes in this 8-disk DVD collection - over twenty hours of prime time TV from 1965/1966. Series 2 is the same length but from 1966/1967. So good value at least, and the picture quality and production values of these series 1 (and 2) DVD's is top notch. There's no extra's, although the very nice packaging includes a cute little 10 page pull-out booklet of the episodes and characters, plus there's that un-aired pilot episode 'No place to hide'. The box set is rated U [some mild peril], run-time: 1,481 minutes [24.7 hours], with English mono audio and English HOH subtitles [no other languages supported].
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