Lost in Space : Why was it cancelled ?

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by DumbDumb2007, Feb 7, 2008.

  1. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    Well, I'm pretty sure there was a point in the process where the studio considered recasting the TOS characters with bigger names.

    And the only reason Jim Phelps was recast in the M:I movie was because of De Palma's ill-conceived decision to make him a traitor. They approached Peter Graves for the role, but he turned them down. So the original intent was to make it a direct sequel, not a reimagining.
     
  2. Dusty Ayres

    Dusty Ayres Commodore

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    If I remember, Penny fell in love with an alien who surfed on a ocean of living, sentient water. But the water makes the person depressed, and so he died.

    I must say, for the sight of seeing Judy and Penny nearly naked, it was a great series alone (I had a crush on Penny when I was 12).;)
     
  3. Allyn Gibson

    Allyn Gibson Vice Admiral Admiral

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    In the mid-90s, I recall coming across, in one of the unauthorized "making of" Star Trek books of the time, an anecdote about the studio wanting Robert Redford for Kirk. I don't know how accurate that is; IMDB has an anecdote that, as a joke, Roddenberry suggested that Richard Burton could play Kirk and Redford could play Spock. On the other hand, I do find it somewhat plausible; Paramount wanted Redford for pretty much everything in the 70s, such as Michael Corleone in The Godfather.
     
  4. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    I have mixed feelings about the excessive showing of skin in the early issues. On the one hand, it felt gratuitous and questionable in an adaptation of a family series (although the tone of the comic overall was more adult), and I gather Mumy didn't react well to seeing his co-stars objectified like that (although he wrote one or two of the storylines with the most nudity, so that muddies the issue). On the other hand, though, the comic featured John and Major West in their skivvies about as regularly as Judy and Penny, so at least it wasn't sexist about it.
     
  5. Trekker4747

    Trekker4747 Boldly going... Premium Member

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    because it was crap
     
  6. Dusty Ayres

    Dusty Ayres Commodore

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    I agree. I myself really only like the comic book and the 1998 movie version because they tried to make it serious like it really should have been, including family dynamics positive and negative, Also, the reaching of Alpha Centarui happens, but not in the way the family expects, which is good. That's what made the Lost In Space concept work for me this time around.
     
  7. Trekker4747

    Trekker4747 Boldly going... Premium Member

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    the movie waseven giggr crap.

    tjhis thread is also a huge necrto
     
  8. RJDiogenes

    RJDiogenes Idealistic Cynic and Canon Champion Premium Member

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    You fans of "nu" entertainment would have loved the nuLIS pilot from a couple of years ago. Boring, unlikable characters, forced conflicts, endless violence and so on-- they even added an additional Robinson offspring just so they could kill him off. :rommie:

    I don't know why it wasn't picked up; it's just the sort of mindless garbage that people eat up nowadays.
     
  9. MeanJoePhaser

    MeanJoePhaser Admiral

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    The wife's name was Leslie Moonves :eek:
     
  10. Dusty Ayres

    Dusty Ayres Commodore

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    Actually, I did like the pilot, and that that it was a great way to retell the story, although I was sorry to see Penny missing. The truth is, the old show wouldn't have worked now, and would have been laughed off of the screen by everybody, so re-adapting Lost In Space in a way that can satisfy everybody can be very difficult.
     
  11. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    You're addressing a nonexistent audience. I doubt there's anyone who's equally a fan of all revival or reboot projects; I'm sure most people judge them on their individual merits. I hated the LiS-reboot pilot, but I quite liked the equally revisionist Time Tunnel reboot pilot from around the same time and regret that it wasn't picked up. I like the new Star Trek, but I hate the new V. And so on.
     
  12. Forbin

    Forbin Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I said out, dammit!
    WTF is a necrto?! :cardie:
     
  13. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

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  14. RJDiogenes

    RJDiogenes Idealistic Cynic and Canon Champion Premium Member

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    Well, that's sad, but pretty much what I said; the reason entertainment is so bad is because audience tastes are so bad.

    By "nu" entertainment, I mean the idea that stories to be dark and "edgy," all the characters have to be corrupt or stupid, the sets have to look like factory basements, objects must explode relentlessly, and everything must be written as if for thirteen-year-olds trying to feel like tough guys.

    I'm surprised that you like nuTrek.
     
  15. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    ^That's because you're thinking in terms of dumbed-down generalizations and stereotypes like this fictitious "'nu' entertainment' that you're describing. Stereotypes are just a lazy way to avoid processing the true complexity of the world.
     
  16. Forbin

    Forbin Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I said out, dammit!
    Damn writer!




    ;)
     
  17. David cgc

    David cgc Admiral Premium Member

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    I remember this really awful show where the lead character was this unbelievable martinet who'd, whenever the writers got bored, wallow in the least-believable self-confidence issues you could imagine. His two sidekicks were a divorcee who was known to visit prostitutes, and would never say a kind word about anyone if he wasn't at knifepoint, and an overgrown nerd who was still lashing out that the world because of his lousy childhood despite being a grown man in his mid-thirties.

    All the hallways were filled with pipes, valves, and ladders that, as far as I could tell, went absolutely nowhere. Everything from the lights to the computer keyboards would shoot sparks and catch on fire the second Shit Went Down, and the female characters were barely even cardboard cutouts, so the Middle School boys wouldn't have anything to challenge their hormone-laden brains' idea that they were for boning and cooking. In fact, I remember reading once that the higher ups almost didn't buy the show, thinking the pilot episode was quite awful, but only went for it because of how "gritty" and "realistic" it was.

    Yep, "Star Trek" was totally pandering to the trope. Awful piece of disposable wank. Such a shame they couldn't have kept up with quality entertainment that had none of those facets, like "Have Gun, Will Travel" or "The Third Man."
     
  18. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    And did nothing, I'd imagine. ;)
     
  19. Char Aznable

    Char Aznable Lieutenant Commander

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    HERP DERP DA ONLY GUUD SHOWS ON TV WERE DA ONES I SAW AS AH KID! TV SUX NOW CUZ IT'S NOT WAT I WATCHES HERP DERP!

    :rolleyes:
     
  20. UncleRogi

    UncleRogi Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    I say that the Robinsons' should STAY lost....
    They will ALWAYS be out there....
    Why would they want to come back here....?