1974’s Land of the Lost rose above its Kid-TV expectations and low production values by delivering a well-developed world and some decent sci fi stories, and it is still remembered as a Saturday Morning classic.
What Is It?
The opening theme song to the series pretty much tells it all:
Marshall, Will, and Holly
On a routine expedition
Met the greatest earthquake ever known.
High on the rapids
It struck their tiny raft.
And plunged them down a thousand feet below.
To the Land of the Lost.
Basically, a family of three–Elder Rick Marshall along with his teen-aged son Will and pre-teen daughter Holly–fall through a dimensional doorway that leads to a planet in another universe inhabited by dinosaurs and the remnants of an ancient civilization. They must find a way to survive in this dangerous land while also looking for a means to return to Earth.
Aired: NBC, 1974-76, 3 Seasons Totaling 43 Episodes
Cast: Spencer Milligan, Wesley Eure, Kathy Coleman, Phillip Paley, Walker Edmiston, Ron Harper
Crew: Sid & Marty Krofft (Creators/Executive Producers), David Gerrold (Creator/Story Editor)
Legacy:
At a time when genre entries were sparse in Prime Time, this show offered some interesting sci fi tales and a well-developed universe–interspersed with more kid-friendly episodes–and it captured the imagination of many young viewers.
A Closer Look:
For a genre fans in 1974, when Land of the Lost first premiered, there really wasn’t much of interest in the Prime Time hours except maybe the short-lived Planet of the Apes TV series or The Six Million Dollar Man, so you had to get your sci fi fix where you could. And this little Saturday morning entry turned out to be somewhat of a sleeper hit as it delivered better-than-expected stories and an interesting setting that you could actually sink your teeth into.
Thank Star Trek’s David Gerrold (who wrote the beloved TOS “Trouble with Tribbles” episode ) for that as he co-created the show and decided to take it further than your typical Kid-TV fare by fleshing out the universe and developing an over-arching mythology. He also followed the lead of Trek by bringing on known science fiction writers to pen some of the scripts (which included Trek veterans like himself, D.C. Fontana, Theodore Sturgeon, and Norman Spinrad). Thus, the series managed to rise above the expected formula of the Marshalls running from dinosaurs or other baddies each week and trying to find a way home (even though that did factor into the episodes) and actually deliver some decent sci fi stories from time to time. And Enik proved to be an interesting reluctant ally to the Marshalls while the history of his people the Sleestak added a bit of pathos.
However, as a show on a Saturday Morning budget, the special effects were downright awful (apart from the bang-up stop motion for the dinosaurs), and the acting was mostly terrible. Plus, it had its fair share of episodes that played to kid-friendly TV clichés, and it even threw in the expected cute baby dinosaur. In addition, the third season was considered somewhat of a disappointment as Spencer Milligan left and was replaced by Ron Harper and the show went through a format change (made worse by each episode ending with a song from Wesly Eure).
Those who enjoyed the science fiction-oriented stories and the deeper mythology could look past the show’s flaws (though maybe not the worst excesses of the third season). But going back and watching this one today is definitely a cringe-worthy experience. Still, it delivers some good, cheesy 70s fun, and there is a decent sci fi series in there if you look hard enough.
Cancelled Too Soon?
Perhaps. Saturday morning shows did not typically have long runs at that time because kids would watch the same episodes over and over (how many years did they rerun that one season of Jonny Quest?). The series may have never had a final resolution–though few TV shows did in those days–but it did stick around for three seasons which is more than the typical Saturday morning fare. And while the changes that occurred in the third season were not popular with the show’s core fanbase, they probably would have at least liked some sort of resolution for the series.
The Story Continues:
Land of the Lost went through a complete reboot which debuted as part of ABC’s Saturday morning lineup in 1991. The original show had proven popular in the syndication market, and Kroft Entertainment had decided to revisit the property with a new cast and crew (David Gerrold was not onboard for this one, though). The updated series offered a similar setting but had no apparent direct links to the original. It also lacked the expanded mythology and sci fi-oriented episodes as it went for a more formulaic approach. It lasted for two seasons totaling 26 episodes and like the original never had a proper conclusion. The reboot has since been mostly forgotten while the 1974 series remains a cult classic. In 2009, a feature film reboot starring Will Ferrell hit the big screen, but it flopped at the Box Office and the less said about that misguided entry in the franchise the better.
Should It Be Rebooted?
Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes! This series had a fascinating setting and a rich mythology, and it actually did a decent job of exploring those in its better episodes. Imagine what a reboot could do if it followed the same template but had a much bigger budget. It could still go the family-friendly angle as long as it does not veer too much in the kiddie-TV direction. (NBC’s La Brea originally seemed to be heading in that direction but derailed with poor writing.) But the biggest opportunity for the reboot would be to explore the universe established by the show. David Gerrold is not doing much these days that I am aware of, so perhaps he could be coaxed back to work on it. And Land of the Lost still has some name recognition (though sadly marred by the failed 2009 film), so it is ripe for the plucking as the entertainment industry still favors reboots.
Interesting Facts:
Spenser Mulligan, who played Rick Marshall, left the series after the second season over disagreements related to financial matters. He wanted an increase in pay and he also thought that he and the other actors should receive a cut from the merchandising around the show. He was replaced by Ron Harper who played Uncle Jack Marshall, a move that many fans believed was a jump-the-shark moment.
The 1991 reboot had no apparent ties to the original series, but the characters Christa and Stink were first conceived as an adult Holly Marshal and Cha-Ka. That plan was dropped, though, and the new series followed its own direction.
Where Can You Watch It?
The entire series has been released on DVD, but not Blu-ray yet (with those sfx, what’s the point?). The DVDs have gone out of print, but they are still available from third-party sellers (and the prices appear to be going up). The entire series is streaming for free (with ads) on the Sid & Morty Kroft channel on Cineverse.com.
Read More About the Show:
Wikipedia
IMDb.com
MovieWeb: Land of the Lost: The History of the World, Explained
