# What was this TV show? It had lizards/dinosaurs?, archaeology?, and dormant creatures **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 10, 2011, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-tv-show-it-had-lizards-dinosaurs-archaeology-and-dormant-creatures/605701 "2011-12-10T03:52:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-tv-show-it-had-lizards-dinosaurs-archaeology-and-dormant-creatures/605701/1 "2011-12-10T03:52:04Z")
Please tell me I am not making this up. Okay, back 20 years or so, I remember a TV show that was on in the US. I think it was in black and white, so it may have been a rerun. Perhaps it was a movie. 1. There were some people hiding in a cave or catacomb. I think that there were two groups of people there, or the one group had split into two in order to explore. 2. At one point, one or more of the people glanced outside to see if it was safe. There were two large lizards, dragons, or dinosaurs fighting outside, and it was determined that it was not save to exit. 3. At a certain point inside the cave or catacomb, there were dormant creatures? robots? in niches along the wall. One of the characters (perhaps a child?) expressed concern or fear that the creatures would animate and be dangerous. Another character (I think an adult) stated that they were safe at the moment, and that while the creatures would eventually awaken, they would only awaken when the time was right (certain preconditions had to be met, or perhaps a certain date or time had to be reached), and the time was not yet right for them to do so. I can’t remember if the creatures actually came alive during the episode or movie. 4. Some characters came upon a room, and found a heap of stones in the center that had been arranged in a certain pattern. I think it may have been in the shape of an arrow. This assured/comforted one of the characters somehow (maybe something about the pattern indicating that someone else had been through and had succeeded in finding something, indicating that they were not too far off?). Anyone know what this was? ---
**Author:** ![Sally\_Mander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@Sally\_Mander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sally_Mander)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-tv-show-it-had-lizards-dinosaurs-archaeology-and-dormant-creatures/605701/2 "2011-12-10T03:56:21Z")
[Land of the Lost?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_of_the_Lost_%281974_TV_series%29) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-tv-show-it-had-lizards-dinosaurs-archaeology-and-dormant-creatures/605701/3 "2011-12-10T04:52:08Z")
Sure sounds like Land of the Lost to me, too. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-tv-show-it-had-lizards-dinosaurs-archaeology-and-dormant-creatures/605701/4 "2011-12-10T05:01:52Z")
Definitely Land of the Lost. The “robots” were the reptilian Sleestak, which I suppose were hibernating or something in their niches. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-tv-show-it-had-lizards-dinosaurs-archaeology-and-dormant-creatures/605701/5 "2011-12-10T13:54:17Z")
I’m fourthing Land of the Lost. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-tv-show-it-had-lizards-dinosaurs-archaeology-and-dormant-creatures/605701/6 "2011-12-12T00:18:14Z")
Land of the Lost wasn’t B&W, though. Any show 20 years ago would have to be a rerun if it was B&W. I don’t know exactly when the last B&W show to be produced aired, but I gotta think it would’ve been at least 15-20 years earlier still than that. Are you sure you weren’t just watching on an old B&W set? ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-tv-show-it-had-lizards-dinosaurs-archaeology-and-dormant-creatures/605701/7 "2011-12-12T00:25:43Z")
I’m pretty sure it was _Land of the Lost_, and I’m pretty sure I have seen the episode the OP is describing. Can’t remember the details, though. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-tv-show-it-had-lizards-dinosaurs-archaeology-and-dormant-creatures/605701/8 "2011-12-12T00:46:23Z")
Have you considered that it might be “Land of the Lost?” ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-tv-show-it-had-lizards-dinosaurs-archaeology-and-dormant-creatures/605701/9 "2011-12-12T00:46:24Z")
It could be an episode of Lost in Space. It had episodes in black and white, a kid, dinosaur type things every now and then… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-tv-show-it-had-lizards-dinosaurs-archaeology-and-dormant-creatures/605701/10 "2011-12-12T01:00:09Z")
Land Of The Lost In Space? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-tv-show-it-had-lizards-dinosaurs-archaeology-and-dormant-creatures/605701/11 "2011-12-12T01:01:27Z")
> [@mack](#): > > It could be an episode of Lost in Space. It had episodes in black and white, a kid, dinosaur type things every now and then… Wait a tick. I was agreeing with the others that it was “Land of the lost” but you reminded me that there was indeed an episode of Lost in space that almost fits, IIRC the heroes find later that it was a prison ship and evildoers from the galaxy where in suspended animation, guarded by non other that Robby from the “Forbidden Planet” movie (in a non talking role in the LIS show) I think Mr. Smith as usual was the one that operated some control without permission and got the inmates loose. Searching.. Ah ha! > **[List of Lost in Space episodes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Lost_in_Space_episodes)** > > This article provides a list of episodes of the television series Lost in Space. > In the year 1997, the Robinson family leaves Earth in the Gemini 12 spaceship and sets out on a journey to be the first humans to colonize Alpha Centauri. Disaster strikes when their ship encounters a meteor storm, veers off course and crash-lands on an alien planet. By December 2001, after a delayed revival from suspended animation, the family has settled in over a six-month period and made the planet their hom... > [@](#): > > 301 “Condemned of Space” September 6, 1967 > > A comet threatens to impact the Robinson’s planet and the family is forced to make a hasty escape in the Jupiter 2. Once in flight, Dr. Smith fools with the airlock controls and accidentally sends The Robot into space. Next, the Jupiter 2 docks with an alien spaceship and the Professor and Major West venture inside and reunite with the Robot. They soon realize the ship is an automated prison filled with alien felons in suspended animation. Once again, Smith tampers with controls he doesn’t understand and releases a dangerous prisoner that tries to free the other inmates and take over the ship. > > Guest stars: Robby the Robot (Robot), Marcel Hillaire (Phanzig) Could it be that the OP is combining both shows? I would not be surprised as I have seen memories mix and match media things before. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-tv-show-it-had-lizards-dinosaurs-archaeology-and-dormant-creatures/605701/12 "2011-12-12T01:01:43Z")
Most people today don’t remember it, but it sure sounds like an episode of an old Saturday morning show for kids called _Land of the Lost_. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-tv-show-it-had-lizards-dinosaurs-archaeology-and-dormant-creatures/605701/13 "2011-12-12T01:08:16Z")
It was an early David Lynch/Stephen Spielberg/Brothers Kroft vehicle called _Land of the Lost Highway That Time Forgot_. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-tv-show-it-had-lizards-dinosaurs-archaeology-and-dormant-creatures/605701/14 "2011-12-12T01:13:26Z")
Some of this sounds a little like the 1959 “Journey to the Center of the Earth.” But mostly not. “Dino” battle: Yep. Eh, sorta. Actually an iguana made up to look like a dimetrodon, and “something else” (wiki says a painted Gila monster). Heap of stones: Sorta. Count Sachnussem is buried under a heap of stones. His ancestor Arne Sachnussem’s skeleton is shown pointing the way, though, and not a stone formation. Also, it’s in color, and I don’t recall any dormant things in catacombs. Well, they do awaken a giant lizard that wants to eat them before they are propelled to the surface by a lava/magma flow. BTW, I think Irwin Allen used dimetrodon vs. giant lizard footage once or twice, at least in one B/W ep of [Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0742349/plotsummary), an ep which feature the ever-delicisous Vitina Marcus. Note the he had reused that footage from [The Lost World (1960)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054038/) ---
**Author:** ![Shawn1767](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shawn1767](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shawn1767)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-tv-show-it-had-lizards-dinosaurs-archaeology-and-dormant-creatures/605701/15 "2011-12-12T03:14:49Z")
It also sounds like they’re mixing some Quartermass in there too.