Did they ever make it back to Earth, or did it just end like Gilligans Island did?
The last episode, #83, Smith gives the Jupiter 2 to the mechanical junkman on a junkyard planet. See the episode guide
But they did go to earth a few times (but not to return permanently).
episode 15: Will transports himself back to earth
episode 61: They go back in time and visit the Earth of 1947.
episode 73: Smith goes back in time to 1997 Earth.
Boy, I loved that show. Much better than Star Trek: Lost In Space KNEW it was goofy and had FUN with it!
The made it back to Earth twice (maybe even three times). One time it was Earth of 1947.
A couple of points about LiS:
It was not originally intended to be a comedy, and it was not originally intended to be the Dr Smith/Robot/Will Robinson show.
It was Guy Williams’ new show, having just completed his “Zorro” series. However, Jonathon Harris, by his own admission, started playing the Dr Smith character as the loutish buffoon that we’ve all come to know and love–a marked contrast to the sinister, evil Dr Smith of the first several episodes.
That also marked the transition of where Guy Williams “lost” his show. He was still on it, but it was moving more toward the three already mentioned. The other four were pretty irrelevant, and served mainly as props for the rest of its run. It also started moving from a generally “serious” series (like Irwin Allen’s previous "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea) to the campy series that marked the remaining two and a half seasons of its run.
During the first two seasons, they were trying to get back to earth. The third season, they just sorta drifted around from one planet to another.
One final thought on LiS, and Irwin Allen’s series (plural) in general: Vitina Marcus! YOWZAH!
I always sorta saw it as the “Marta Kristen’s Butt in a Jumpsuit” show.
Me, I always saw it as “Zorro in a Baked-Potato Foil” show . . .
When I wasn’t enjoying the camp stylings of Dr. Smith (“oh, the pain, the pain!”).
To see Marta Kristen’s butt out of a jumpsuit, check out the classic Gemini Affair featuring the lovely (and uncharacteristically sapphic) Ms Kristen.
One thing that always bothered me about LiS…why didn’t they just shove Dr. Smith into one of the freezing tubes and be done with him?
Uk, thanks for reminding me about Marta.
Mjollnir, I have no idea what the Gemini Affair is, but if it is what I hope, I am in your debt.
I believe there was also the one with the Scottish ghost. They open a spacewarp that leads back to Earth- but it only goes to the inside of a haunted Scottish castle that is sealed shut.
In fact, what was it with the “camp” explosion in the late '60s? Aside from LiS, Batman is an obvious example. Also, Wild Wild West originally aspired to be a serious action-adventure show, but got sillier as time went on.
> In fact, what was it with the “camp” explosion in the late '60s?
I don’t know, maybe comic relief for some of the serious problems of the time (Vietnam, race relations, assassinations, etc.). Or maybe one campy show was a hit, & everyone else just copied the idea.
I’ve read that the reason Lost In Space became so silly after the first season is because ABC scheduled Batman opposite it. They deceided to fight camp with camp (and how!)
“Holy trend following, Batman! Television programmers following trends!
Next thing you know, everything on TV will be reality programming!”
“It’s diabolical, Robin.”