Netflix greenlights new "Lost in Space"

[JD]

I wonder if they'll bring any of the original cast members into the show. I just checked and the only ones who aren't still alive are Guy Williams and Johnathan Harris. Of the four surviving cast members Guy Williams and Angela Cartwright both have their last IMDB credits listed as being from 2010, but Marta Kristen and Bill Mumy both have credits going up to this year. I believe Bill Mumy is still pretty active in fan circles, he seem like the most likely to return.

 

[Christopher]

^I think you meant that second "Guy Williams" to be "Mark Goddard."

 

[Vorpal_Blade]

I'll check it out when it comes out. I cut my science fiction teeth on Lost in Space as a child until I discovered Star Trek.

 

[Chris3123]

First cast member revealed: 22 year-old Taylor Russell as Judy Robinson.

TVLine.com

 

[JD]

Hmm, so I wonder if we're getting a black or mixed race Robinson family? Either one would be nice to see, I can't think of any sci-fi shows about a non-white family other than DS9, and that wasn't a full nuclear family.

 

[Christopher]

Hmm, so I wonder if we're getting a black or mixed race Robinson family? Either one would be nice to see, I can't think of any sci-fi shows about a non-white family other than DS9, and that wasn't a full nuclear family.

Terra Nova's featured family had a white father, an Indian mother, and biracial children (though the son was played by a white actor). I'm expecting this to be much the same.

There's also Barry Allen's adoptive family on The Flash. Eureka had female lead character Allison Blake (Salli Richardson-Whitfield) in two mixed marriages, first with Nathan Stark, then eventually with male lead Jack Carter.

 

[Tosk]

I can't think of any sci-fi shows about a non-white family other than DS9

Alien Nation.

Also, as well as the Siskos (and later, Kassidy) DS9 had a mixed race nuclear family too, the O'Briens.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I'm trying to think but there aren't a lot of sci-fi shows with a nuclear family period, are there?

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

I'm trying to think but there aren't a lot of sci-fi shows with a nuclear family period, are there?

Not many, but there are more than just one or two. Off the top of my head:

Lost in Space -- the nuclear Robinson family, all white, of course -- a given
The 100 -- several families of mixed races, mostly dysfunctional
Terra Nova -- didn't watch but includes the Shannon family I believe
Earth 2 -- also didn't watch -- seems to be a mix of two single-parent families and a couple without children -- probably doesn't count
Stranger Things
The Jetsons -- probably nuclear in more than one sense
ALF
Metal Mickey -- obscure outside the UK
Space Precinct -- the Brogan family
3rd Rock from the Sun -- maybe, maybe not

ETA a few more:
The Martian Chronicles -- the Wilders in episode 3 "The Martians" are a nuclear family and Earth gets nuked
Goodnight Sweetheart -- time-travelling bigamist from the 90s goes back to the 40s and starts a family
Dune -- Duke Leto, Jessica and Paul Atreides nearly count a nuclear family, apart from the parents not being married and actual nukes are forbidden, of course
Bicentennial Man -- the Martin family -- however, a movie rather than a show

 

[mos6507]

I thought the Dr. Smith character becoming softer as time went on was a good thing. In a way it was kind of like a proto-arc although it wasn't conceived that way. If they do this reboot in serial fashion (and much of LiS had a serial feel to it, although more of a saturday morning serial rather than today's definition) then they'd have the opportunity to allow Dr. Smith a full redemption arc rather than keeping him at an arrested level for the purpose of comedy-of-errors as late-era LiS did.

 

[Christopher]

I thought the Dr. Smith character becoming softer as time went on was a good thing. In a way it was kind of like a proto-arc although it wasn't conceived that way.

I'd say that it was. In the first five episodes -- which are an expansion of the material from the original pilot and thus constitute a continuous story arc -- Smith starts out ruthless and planning to kill the Robinsons and West, but as the arc progresses, first he shows dismay at the prospect of the Robot killing Will, and then he actively tries to save the others from the impending meteorological catastrophe, even if it's only because he doesn't want to be stranded alone with only the Robot for company. So he did get softened to an extent by the end of the opening story arc, and it was intentionally conceived that way, since the producers knew he couldn't have remained a viable character for long if he were actively trying to kill the others. They also started to play Smith for comedy as early as the fourth episode, and as soon as episodes 6-7 they were defining selfishness and greed as his primary drives, so that he was no longer malevolent as an end in itself so much as fixated on his own gain above others' well-being.

So that softening was already achieved before Harris started to turn Smith into a cowering buffoon, and thus the cowering buffoonery was not a necessary part of his character growth. Humor was an important part of his characterization, to be sure, but Harris was allowed to go way overboard with it as the series went on.

 

[mos6507]

I just think as time went on that the show squandered potential "save the cat" moments where Smith could have shown some genuine warmth and concern or some self-sacrifice. He just threw the family under the bus way too many times to the extent where the character seemed almost a dual-personality, totally domesticated and harmless one moment, and a potential agent for their deaths the next, which, while serving the needs of a formulaic plot, just didn't ring true.

 

[Richard Baker]

Dr. Smith turning into a buffoon was encouraged by Irwin Allen- it helped ratings. Consider the shows which were popular prime time during the same time-
Gilligan's Island
Beverly Hillbillies
Green Acres
Hogan's Heroes
Batman
Green Hornet
Petticoat Junction
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
Land of the Giants
Time Tunnel
Lost in Space
Star Trek
Bewitched
The Man from Uncle
I dream of Jeannie
Get Smart
McHalle's Navy
Mr Ed
The Flying Nun
My Mother the Car
My Favorite Martian
F-Troop
The Wild Wild West
The Addams Family
The Munsters

Most were either goofy comedy or shows with humorous surreal moments. Some started off serious and veered into camp. A couple started off serious and stayed that way, but only lasted a few seasons.

I liked the sardonic Mr. Smith much more as he was quite unpredictable in the first number of shows. He could program the Robot to kill and never think a thing about it. I have been watching some of the shows on Hulu recently and in the later shows he is a real cartoony distraction- if they had only just shoved him into a freezer tube and only thawed him out if they needed a 'Gilligan moment' to prevent returning home.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

At the same time, Dr. Smith only worked because the Robinsons were such a wholesome family. My dad always had something to say about the shows I watched as a kid. Steve Austin's bionic arm would rip out of its socket if he tried to stop that car. And there's no way in real life the General Lee didn't get wrecked jumping that creek. And of course, the Robinsons should have spaced Dr. Smith for his actions which is probably true. It'll be interesting to see how they handle him in a modern series with different expectations.

 

[Mudd]

Oldman's portrayal ought to be the model.

 

[mos6507]

LiS really wasn't as much a sci-fi show as much as it was a "family values" show in sci-fi clothing. Considering how cynical modern society has become I wonder whether they'll want to recreate this. It's kind of how V went from a very left-leaning show in the 80s to a right-wing Trump-style conspiracy theory premise with the remake.

 

[Christopher]

I just think as time went on that the show squandered potential "save the cat" moments where Smith could have shown some genuine warmth and concern or some self-sacrifice.

Well, of course, as time went on, the show went to hell. Only the first season is any good. The second season is unwatchable. The third season rallies a bit at the start, tries to smarten up a bit and pay more attention to the ensemble, but ultimately sinks back to the same depths and gives us Stanley Adams in a carrot suit.

He just threw the family under the bus way too many times to the extent where the character seemed almost a dual-personality, totally domesticated and harmless one moment, and a potential agent for their deaths the next, which, while serving the needs of a formulaic plot, just didn't ring true.

There's no dual personality there, just a consistent personality driven by self-preservation and deceit. He puts on the act of being domesticated and harmless when it benefits him, and unhesitatingly throws his crewmates under the bus when that benefits him instead. That's what narcissistic, pathological liars like Smith (or Donald Trump) do -- they tell others what they want to hear, manipulate them with whatever lie is most likely to win their trust.

Dr. Smith turning into a buffoon was encouraged by Irwin Allen- it helped ratings.

Yes, playing up the comedy helped ratings, but the issue isn't drama vs. comedy, it's good comedy vs. bad comedy. LiS's first season had plenty of comedy episodes centering on Dr. Smith, but the tone of the humor changed in season 2 to become far more aggressively campy and over-the-top to the point that it was barely tolerable.

And of course, the Robinsons should have spaced Dr. Smith for his actions which is probably true.

No, they wouldn't have, because they were too moral. Major West could've done it, but the Robinsons wouldn't have been okay with that. At most, they'd have put him in a freezer tube indefinitely.

 

[mos6507]

There's no dual personality there, just a consistent personality driven by self-preservation and deceit. He puts on the act of being domesticated and harmless when it benefits him, and unhesitatingly throws his crewmates under the bus when that benefits him instead. That's what narcissistic, pathological liars like Smith (or Donald Trump) do -- they tell others what they want to hear, manipulate them with whatever lie is most likely to win their trust.

I dunno, I find it hard to believe soulless people like that exist. I'm probably imposing more humanity in Dr. Smith than his actions justify. Maybe part of it is Jonathan Harris having been a nice guy in real life made it hard to see him as bad as the character was written. I don't think the character would have ever been as successful as it was if people saw him as a true psychopath. I always kind of read him as somewhat shy of evil. I always sensed the character really did bond with Will and the Robot but so emotionally stunted that he could only express friendship through put-downs, and I know a lot of people like that.

 

[JD]

Terra Nova's featured family had a white father, an Indian mother, and biracial children (though the son was played by a white actor). I'm expecting this to be much the same.

There's also Barry Allen's adoptive family on The Flash. Eureka had female lead character Allison Blake (Salli Richardson-Whitfield) in two mixed marriages, first with Nathan Stark, then eventually with male lead Jack Carter.

I haven't watched Terra Nova since it first aired so I forgot about the mother on that.
I forgot about Allison and Nathan and then her and Jack on Eureka. Although that is a little complicated by the kids all coming from different relationships and the off and on nature of her relationship with Nathan.
I don't know if I'd really count The Flash since Iris and Wally's mother wasn't really a part of the family.
I was mainly thinking about a husband and wife who are still together and married with at least one kid.

Alien Nation.

Also, as well as the Siskos (and later, Kassidy) DS9 had a mixed race nuclear family too, the O'Briens.

I forgot about the O'Briens too, and they're probably the closest to the kind of family I'm talking about.

 

[Christopher]

I'm probably imposing more humanity in Dr. Smith than his actions justify. Maybe part of it is Jonathan Harris having been a nice guy in real life made it hard to see him as bad as the character was written. I don't think the character would have ever been as successful as it was if people saw him as a true psychopath. I always kind of read him as somewhat shy of evil. I always sensed the character really did bond with Will and the Robot but so emotionally stunted that he could only express friendship through put-downs, and I know a lot of people like that.

Well, yes, Smith did have a redemptive side, to an extent. He genuinely liked Will and Penny, and he respected people he could see as intellectual peers, like John, Maureen, and Will. He did have some regard for them. But his self-preservation and cowardice were stronger than his compassion. If he had to sacrifice a person he cared about in order to save himself, he'd regret the loss, but he'd regret it less than getting himself killed to save them.