Lost in Space - Season 2, Vol. 1

Director: Alvin Ganzer, Seymour Robbie, Paul Stanley, Ezra Stone, Jus Addiss, Nathan Juran, Robert Douglas, Anton Leader, Sobey Martin, Irwin Allen, Sutton Roley, Leonard Horn
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
While Lost in Space may never enter the pantheon of great television programming, the 1960s sci-fi show certainly has its charms, all of them in evidence on this first volume of episodes from the second season. Produced by Irwin Allen, who would later be responsible for blockbuster disaster films like The Towering Inferno and The Poseidon Adventure, these 16 episodes from 1966-67 (spread out over four DVDs) find the show undergoing some changes, both technically (from black & white into color) and in terms of tone (more campy and tongue-in-cheek, especially as the season goes on). The latter is due in large part to the performance of Jonathan Harris as Dr. Zachary Smith, who puts the "arch" in archvillain (it was his meddling that got them all lost in the first place). Harris's portrayal of Smith as cowardly, duplicitous, pompous, and not a little fey often goes right over the top, but the other characters (including Guy Williams as Prof. John Robinson, June Lockhart as his wife Maureen, and young Bill Mumy as Will) are so bland and generic that Harris, the family robot, and guest stars like Strother Martin and Wally Cox offer the only available relief.

Amazon.com

While Lost in Space may never enter the pantheon of great television programming, the 1960s sci-fi show certainly has its charms, all of them in evidence on this first volume of episodes from the second season. Produced by Irwin Allen, who would later be responsible for blockbuster disaster films like The Towering Inferno and The Poseidon Adventure, these 16 episodes from 1966-67 (spread out over four DVDs) find the show undergoing some changes, both technically (from black & white into color) and in terms of tone (more campy and tongue-in-cheek, especially as the season goes on). The latter is due in large part to the performance of Jonathan Harris as Dr. Zachary Smith, who puts the "arch" in archvillain (it was his meddling that got them all lost in the first place). Harris's portrayal of Smith as cowardly, duplicitous, pompous, and not a little fey often goes right over the top, but the other characters (including Guy Williams as Prof. John Robinson, June Lockhart as his wife Maureen, and young Bill Mumy as Will) are so bland and generic that Harris, the family robot, and guest stars like Strother Martin and Wally Cox offer the only available relief.

The Lost in Space storylines are predictable (almost always involving some alien-related jeopardy prompted by Smith's greed and foolishness) and the special effects and production values won't excite anyone used to the wonders of the digital age. Still, this is television, where budgets are smaller and schedules much tighter, so lowered expectations are in order anyway. Some users may feel shortchanged by the absence of extra features, or by the fact that the set doesn't include the entire season (the second part is available separately). But the transfers are good and the DVD menus easily navigable. But on the whole Lost in Space devotees--and there are many of them--should be well satisfied. --Sam Graham

Customer Reviews:

Lost in Space-Season2, Vol.1.......2007-03-13

As a Lost in Space fan since I was a youngster, I have enjoyed watching the episodes over and over again. There are part of my teenager years.

Classic T.V. Lost in Space in Colour.......2007-02-18

This is classic Television show do the Robinson's ever get home ?The picture is clear a good presentation.Go and Buy It top show.2nd & 3rd Seasons in colour

Season 2 - What happened?.......2006-09-27

I have enjoyed watching both Seasons 1 & 2 and I agree that the seasons are as different as night and day. Season 1 was true adventure with terrific stories and special effects for their day. But Season 2 was about maintaining popularity!
In Irwin Allen's defense, I can understand why he changed things. With the advent of "color" television, shots were framed for maximum color effect in Season 2. The creative black & white camera angles used in the storytelling of Season 1 are replaced with wide angle shots for Season 2. In addition, if you watch Season 2 and then return to Season 1 you cannot escape the fact that Season 1 had an edge. This show was supposed to be for kids yet some episodes are devoid of any break in the tension.
"Follow the Leader" and "Invaders from the 5th Dimension" are classic episodes filled with stress. The one character that provided security and stablility at all times was Professor Robinson. In "Follow the Leader", Dr. Robinson is taken over by an alien spirit. At one point, he literally plans to kill his son by pushing him off a cliff! In "Invaders", Dr. Smith uses Will as a sacrificial lamb to save himself and the others from destruction. Great stories but for what audience??
To the chagrin of LIS purists, Irwin Allen made the choice to tone down the anxiety level in Season 2 incorporating humor and more child-friendly stories. Sarcasm and comedy are used to break the tension, if any. Dr. Smith, Will, and the Robot become focal point characters from there on. While disappointed, I can understand what happened to Season 2 and I have not let it overshadow my enjoyment of the characters, stories, and music that I remember fondly from my childhood.

JUST A FUN SERIES TO WATCH.......2006-06-04

The 2nd season of LIS moved the series from serious sci-fi to camp, but somehow,it had a charm to it that few series have been able to duplicate, before or since. The show changed it's format to "camp" to do battle with other popular shows of it's era, such as "Batman", but it remains one of the most popular shows in TV history because of the terrific ensemble cast, and the witty repartee amongst the actors. Jonathan Harris was incomparable as Dr. Zachary Smith, a character he created which eventually typecast him and prevented him from playing any other role on TV. The plots were simple, but fun. I have all of the DVD's of this series, and would not part with any of them. Just sit back, enjoy the fun, and travel back in time to your childhood, which watching these episodes seems to do for you. I well remember coming home from school as a child and watching the reruns of this show at 4:00 on Channel 5 in NY. This show makes one smile and some of the episodes were excellent. I highly recommend that you puchase this DVD along with all of the other LIS DVD's for sale. It is classic television during a more pure and simple time in Americana...

Danger! Campy as the danger may be........2006-05-28

Season 1 of "Lost in Space" was presented as a single collection of eight DVDs. Season 2 was split into two volumes. Season 2 was originally shown in 1966-67, and though I no longer recall the contrast between "Star Trek," which I watched contemporaneously with "Lost in Space," and this show, the contrast had to be significant. Though some of the first sixteen episodes of season 2 attempted serious subjects, as the first sixteen episodes progressed the series became increasingly campy, with "The Girl from the Green Dimension" being the silliest of the bunch. I have to believe that Harry Raybould, who played Urso, looked back on his role in this episode and groans.

On the other hand there are the episodes such as "The Golden Man." This episode attempts to show that beauty is only skin deep. While the acting is more than a little over the top, with veteran actor Dennis Patrick barely visible behind his golden makeup, the show does an excellent job of making its point.

I found the episode "A Visit to Hades" to be very interesting. Veteran actor Gerald Mohr does a nice job of playing a character with more than a passing resemblance to Satan, though we learn he is not. Wally Cox takes a turn as a character with more bluff than bite in "The Forbidden World." Peter Brocco, a veteran of more than 200 film and television appearances, makes his mark in "The Deadly Games of Gamma 6."

You can count the number of science fiction television shows that left a lasting impression on viewers on your fingers. As campy as "Lost in Space" sometimes was, it left an impression that is nearly as strong for many people as the impression that "Star Trek" left. Of course "Star Trek" was a much bolder show, and tried to present some of the infinite possibilities that exist in the universe. "Lost in Space" reached only a brief distance into the future and was the first non-animated television show that focused on a family of space pioneers. There are plot holes galore. Dr. Smith has to be one of the most obnoxious central characters in a television show ever. And yet, I retain my fondness for this show.

I think it is easy in this age of sophisticated digital effects and a chain of quality and classic science fiction television that extends back to at least the original "Outer Limits" to look down on "Lost in Space" as unworthy of appreciation. However, the series was influential and it was memorable. Had Irwin Allen been allowed to maintain the serious nature of the show, it is possible that "Lost in Space" would have been the landmark television show that "Star Trek" became. I know I watched both, and I know I enjoyed "Star Trek" when it came out the year following the debut of "Lost in Space." I considered myself lucky that two such wonderful shows were on at the same time.

I look back on "Lost in Space" with fondness, and I absolutely enjoyed watching every single episode in this collection as well as those in season 1. I know I will enjoy the remaining episodes in season 2 and those of season 3. Perhaps my fondness is all nostalgia. If so, I will revel in my nostalgia and just maybe I will watch all the episodes one more time.

As a side note, after being a little boy and watching "Lost in Space," I admired Will Robinson a lot. I credit Will being a role model for my later years when I studied electronics and physics in college. This show may have been campy, but I am glad that I was encouraged by a show like this one. Perhaps we should all wish for more campy science fiction shows to encourage children to become scientists and engineers.

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