Revisiting Lost In Space...

[Maurice]

I doubt toy companies in that period would have been big enough advertisers to support a prime time series like Lost In Space.

 

[Gov Kodos]

Matel was a pretty good size, but it wasn't till the late 70's and early 80's with the likes of He-Man and such that toys and TV got their acts together. I can't see any reason that advertisers couldn't have made the connection earlier in the 60's with a show like LiS and the many other kids shows then on TV. They simply didn't think of the shows themselves as an hour long commercial.

 

[stj]

My frame of reference is that variation is normal, and regression to the mean is to be expected, and generalizations are based on the entire range, not outliers. It works for biology so it's good enough for me.

 

[Maurice]

Matel was a pretty good size, but it wasn't till the late 70's and early 80's with the likes of He-Man and such that toys and TV got their acts together. I can't see any reason that advertisers couldn't have made the connection earlier in the 60's with a show like LiS and the many other kids shows then on TV. They simply didn't think of the shows themselves as an hour long commercial.

The difference is that He-Man and shows of its ilk weren't primetime shows. They were typically aired at a time when kids would be in front of the TV while their parents were either at work or making dinner, thus not in prime-time and not when families were deciding what show to watch as a group.

The network wants shows with high ratings and broad appeal so they can charge more money per minute for ad time. Sponsors want a show that appeals to a cross-section of consumers with money to spend. You can sell a lot more Libby's Pears than Jupiter 2 toys, and Libby's ads appeal directly to the consumers who make the purchases, whereas ads aimed at kids mean the kids have to then convince their parents to but the thing, which is less-desirable. So networks tend to put shows on the air that will sell to the broader consumer base. This is true today but it was even moreso in a three-network era like the 1960s.

I've read contradictory information about Lost In Space's ratings. Most sources claim it was moderately successful, but not a hit, whereas other sources claim it was a hit.

 

[Harvey]

I've read contradictory information about Lost In Space's ratings. Most sources claim it was moderately successful, but not a hit, whereas other sources claim it was a hit.

According to the information at the link below, it was never in the top 25. Does that exclude it from being a "hit?"

http://www.fiftiesweb.com/tv-ratings-60s.htm

EDIT: According to information at this page, it was never even in the top 30: http://classic-tv.com

 

[stj]

I believe in those days the networks took their cue from Casey Kasem, and regarded anything in the Top 40 as a hit.

 

[Forbin]

But can ya dance to it?