History Series / LostInSpace

* [[Flanderization]]: Intentionally invoked by actor Jonathan Harris in regard to Dr. Smith. When he saw that Dr. Smith, as originally conceived, was an unrepentant bad guy, he realized that his lifespan on the series was limited because sooner or later they'd have to dispose of him one way or the other. In his own words, "Why would they keep such a despicable jackass around, you know?" As a result, Harris very slowly began adding more and more cowardly buffoonery to his performace, and it eventually became the primary element of the character's nature.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The first season was in black and white and more serious. Doctor Smith was a bit more diabolical, the Robot was more of a tool than a character, and the show was more focused on the family. To keep up with its new rival, the [[{{Series/Batman}} 60s Batman]], it changed things up from the second season onward. The show was now in color, Doctor Smith was [[EvilIsHammy hammier]], [[CharacterizationMarchesOn the Robot now had a personality,]] and the show became much [[{{Camp}} campier.]] The series was also now more focused on Smith, Will, the Robot, and their misadventures.

''Lost in Space'' was a rival for ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' in the realm of serious sci-fi, which might explain the show's turn from serious SpeculativeFiction into FantasticComedy to keep a share of the viewing audience. Ratings wise, ''Lost in Space'' was actually the more popular series ''by far'' during their original run. Notable for its beautiful music (including ''two'' opening themes by Johnny Williams (as Music/JohnWilliams was then known), sets, [[LatexSpaceSuit skin tight ski-spacesuits]], aliens, inventive and surreal plots, and highly articulated Robot, itself a "cousin" of Robbie from the film ''Film/ForbiddenPlanet'' (who also guest starred on the show). The original plot had the Robinsons as explorer/settlers, with Dr. Smith as a saboteur paid by an unseen agency to program The Robot to kill the Robinsons and ruin their mission. This show is often mocked by those who only remember the comedy and talking carrots of the later seasons, but is actually an often well-written show suitable for all age groups. It has a loyal fanbase, and inspired many. The first episodes were in black and white and involved exploring the planet they crash-landed on. When the show shifted to {{camp}} it involved their conflicts with resident or visiting aliens of all sorts. In the 3rd season, the formula was altered to feature more actual space travel,as well as a more action based format.

* FollowTheLeader: The character of Gaius Baltar in the "new" ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'' is almost indistinguishable from Zachary Smith.

Also not to be confused with the comic book ''Space Family Robinson,'' mentioned below under ComicBookAdaptation (which it ''isn't).''

JustForFun/NotToBeConfusedWith some sort of strange sci-fi cast-away show; that would be ''Series/{{Lost}}'' [[AC:[[RecycledInSpace In Space!]]]] Also JustForFun/NotToBeConfusedWith the comic book ''Space Family Robinson,'' mentioned below under ComicBookAdaptation (which it ''isn't).''

JustForFun/NotToBeConfusedWith some sort of strange sci-fi cast-away show; that would be ''Series/{{Lost}}'' [[AC:[[RecycledInSpace In Space!]]]]

* AbsenteeActor: Guy Williams doesn't appear in "A Day at the Zoo," His and June Lockhart's {{Corpsing}} tendencies during making of "The Great Vegetable Rebellion" are why they're missing from "Space Beauty" and "Fugitives in Space" and the latter is also lacking in Marta Kristen and Angela Cartwright.[[note]]Lockhart, Kristen, Cartwright and Mark Goddard only appear in flashbacks in "Time Merchant" rather than new material.[[/note]]

* AdaptationDistillation: The short-lived [[{{Comics}} comic book]] written by Bill Mumy is remarkably well done. It assumes that the transition to {{Camp}} reflects the [[UnreliableNarrator embellishments young Penny]] used when recording the crew's adventures in her diary, and that the tone of their adventures actually stayed much truer to the tone of the early episodes. It's set several years after the last episode, with Will in his teens and Penny now a blossoming young woman. The Robot is scaled back to his original portrayal of being [[SlidingScaleOfRobotIntelligence mostly nonsentient,]] but is slowly developing self-awareness as more and more alien components have been added to him over the years. All the characters' personalities are explored in depth, and the art is wonderful. One jarring element, however, is the shamelessly [[FanService cheesecake]] style that grown-up Penny is drawn in (well, it was [[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks the Nineties,]] after all).Other Lost in Space adaptions changed the premise significantly, though these qualify more as a reboot than a continuation.
* AdBreakDoubleTake: used in the episode "Follow the Leader"
* AdultFear: In the two-parter "The Keeper," the titular alien (played by Creator/MichaelRennie) wants Penny and Will for his interplanetary zoo, which naturally causes John and Maureen some distress. Making it more disturbing (possibly even more than the show's creators realized) is The Keeper's method of taking them -- he has a staff that emits a signal that makes Penny and Will ''want'' to go to him. It's ''deeply'' creepy to hear the kids, in flat voices, tell John they want to go for a walk, with him knowing what's waiting for them outside. If he lets down his guard for even a moment...

* ArtificialGravity: The Jupiter 2 is equipt with some form of this, which is turned off briefly in "The Reluctant Stowaway" and never mentioned again.
* AsteroidThicket: The first episode, "The Reluctant Stowaway"

* BenevolentAI : The Robot.
* BiggerOnTheInside: Between the . pilot and the first aired episode, a second deck was added to the Jupiter 2, with no modification of the FX miniature. While clever direction and the ship’s status as a crash-landed derelict hid this through the first season, the more spaceflight oriented episodes of the second and third seasons soon made it obvious that the interiors couldn’t possibly fit inside the exterior. Made worse when a third-season episode, "Space Creature," gratuitously added yet a third, ridiculously large, “power core” deck, which was then never heard from again. Some other ships seem to feature this trope as well- and the ship from "Invaders From the Fifth Dimension" is specifically stated to be bigger on the inside.

* CaptainsLog: Only in the early episodes with more serious storylines. Ironically, these 'logs' predated Star Trek by a year.

* CloningBlues: The cast were cloned by exotic means far too many ways to list. Most clones were bad: a few were good.
* ClipShow: "Prisoners of Space" . however, it is very well thought out.

* DarkerAndEdgier: The various reboots of Lost in Space usually try to be this.

* DependingOnTheWriter: the quality of the episodes tends to vary because of this.
* DidYouSeeThatToo: In the episode 'Wild Adventure', Smith more or less asks that of the Robot when Lorelei/Athena drifts past the main windows.
** Then, in ''Rocket to Earth'', he asks the same of assorted Robinsons when Zalto keeps popping up.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The first season was in black and white and more serious. Well, as serious as a 60s Family Sci-Fi with [[SpecialEffectsFailure terrible monster costumes]] could be, anyway. Doctor Smith was a bit more diabolical, the Robot was more of a tool than a character, and the show was more focused on the family. To keep up with its new rival, the [[{{Series/Batman}} 60s Batman]], it changed things up from the second season onward. The show was now in color, Doctor Smith was [[EvilIsHammy hammier]], [[CharacterizationMarchesOn the Robot now had a personality,]] and the show became much [[{{Camp}} campier.]] The series was also now more focused on Smith, Will, the Robot, and their misadventures.
* EasilyThwartedAlienInvasion: In "Invaders From The Fifth Dimension" Will Robinson is abducted by a group of aliens who are repulsed by the sight of tears due to being unable to understand emotions, and [[spoiler: eventually let him go as a result. ]]
* EmergentHuman: Verda the android in "The Android Machine" and "Revolt Of the Androids."

* EvilTwin: Judy in "Attack of the Monster Plants" and John in "The Anti-Matter Man" there are some other examples as well.

* GenderFlip: However, the latest revival of the series has recast Smith as a woman, and in the episode "Space Beauty", the Robot is given a female voice.
* GenreBlind: in some episodes, most from the second season. Probably as a side effect of its partial transformation into a disguised SitCom. The third season mostly fixes this- but some episodes still feature this trope.
* GenreSavvy: However, they occasionally, (actually quite often in the fantastic early episodes-but not as much later on) showed some remarkable flashes of savviness -- such as in the episode where they met the Norse gods, and Dr. Smith employs the Robot's replicator and his wits to manipulate them using a challenge not unlike one from Myth/NorseMythology.

* GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe: The character originally named Lorelei in "Wild Adventure," then renamed Athena in "The Girl from the Green Dimension."

* HaveAGayOldTime: In "Two Weeks in Space" Doctor Smith, [[ItMakesSenseInContext pretending to run a resort]], insisted it was the gayest resort you've ever found.

* JustEatGilligan: Substitute Dr. Smith for Gilligan

* LargeHam: Jonathan Harris's deliciously vile portrayal of Dr. Smith. Gary Oldman, as expected, is quite the ham as Dr. Smith in the movie. Oddly enough, Penny in the movie is a borderline example. While everyone else but Oldman suffers from DullSurprise, she (particularly in her video diaries) speaks her lines loudly and very fast, all in a very high, excitable voice.

** And Stanley "[[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Cyrano Jones]]" Adams as "Tybo" the evil carrot in "The Great Vegetable Rebellion"

* LeftHanging: Like most high-concept SitComs of the era it was canceled without advance warning, with the last episode "in the can" at the time becoming the Last Episode, because that's how the business was done at the time. The same can also be said of the aborted pilot for a new series, which also ends without resolution. The comics sort of conclude the series, but they too where left hanging until the "Voyage to the Bottom of the Soul" graphic novel finished the story, but it too ended on a cliffhanger. Bill Mumy later wrote a song about his character as the group's now middle-aged sole survivor still out there with only the Robot for companionship, that qualifies as a semi-{{Canon}} [[WMG/PoisonOakEpilepticTrees Poison Oak Epileptic Tree]], and it was a plot point in TheMovie.Eventually however, the Lost in Space reunion "The Epilogue" gave the show a happy ending.

* {{Living Prop}}s: entire main cast members in some episodes

* MatterReplicator: The thought machine from "Wish Upon A Star." The Robinsons themselves had a replication unit in season 2- though it was only seen in a few episodes.The Robotoid from "War of the Robots" also has this ability in a way.

* NewRulesAsThePlotDemands: There is a lot of this throughout the series

* OnceASeason: The Jupiter 2 blasts off from a planet at the beginning of every season. (Earth in season one, Priplanus in season 2, and the second season planet in season 3.)

* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: In "The Challenge," Quano (Creator/KurtRussell) and his father, "The Ruler" (Michael Ansara), are totally focused on making sure Quano can prove himself to be strong and brave by defeating Will in a competition and facing other dangers. They're also completely dismissive of women (which annoys Penny in particular).

* RaygunGothic: Almost every single spaceship, prop, set, and costume. Though they are remarkably well done- particular care and detail was put into the Jupiter 2 and the Robinson's other vehicles.

* ReplacedTheThemeTune: After the sprightly Music/JohnWilliams one used in the first two seasons, the great man returned to write a different theme for the third and final season (which ironically is the better-known one of the two); Warren Barker wrote a more cartoonish theme for season 2 which was (understandably) never used.

* RoboticReveal: In Princess of Space [[spoiler: Fedor]] turns out to be one.
* RockBeatsLaser: in "The Keeper:Part One" The Keeper is impervious to laser blasts due to his cosmic energy power source, but not to [[spoiler: Will's slingshot, which destroys his MagicStaff and thus renders him powerless]]
* ScienceFantasy: The series included both sci fi and fantasy concepts

* SitcomArchNemesis: Major Don and Dr. Smith.

* TakeThat: In the episode "The Thief From Outer Space", the titular villain is looking for his genie girlfriend who is trapped inside of a tiny bottle. At the end of the episode, [[spoiler: he finally encounters her and rubs the bottle...to reveal that she is vastly overweight due to eating so much marzipan and yet [[FanDisservice still wears the pink harem outfit]]. The entire cast is horrified and the Sultan traps her once again in the bottle, begging the family not to let her out. The episode ends with her trying to convince The Robot to rub the bottle, who is not fooled.]] This all makes sense when you realize that ''Series/IDreamOfJeannie'' aired at the same timeslot as Lost In Space.

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: The change from serious sci-fi family adventure to almost a sitcom annoyed much of the fanbase. The movie tried to undo this by returning the concept to it's "serious" roots, but many fans consider the changes it made to be even worse!

* TimeTravel: In "Visit to a Hostile Planet," the characters accidentally wind up in a small Michigan town circa 1947.

* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: In the pilot set in 1997, the space agency director's desk has a rotary phone, with a reel-to reel tape recorder and plenty of blinking lights on the wall behind, and not a PC in sight... but the producers deliberately did NOT make Dr. Smith a Soviet/Communist agent because they [[TheGreatPoliticsMessUp actually did guess the Cold War would be over by 1997]].
** The Sci Fi Channel aired a marathon of LIS episodes (including the unaired pilot) on the exact day in 1997 mentioned in the aired pilot as the day the Jupiter II was launched.
* TwoDSpace: One of the standard-bearers of its era. Verged on 1-D space in an episode where the Jupiter II was set on a course to Earth, which was too dangerous to use because it passed directly through the sun. Apparently, the sun was too big to steer around.
** According to the dialogue in the scene, they didn't have the fuel to make it to Earth if they went around the Sun.[[note]]However, the fuel was sufficient to reach the Automated Planet in the next episode ("Ghost Planet"), even with enough fuel for maneuvering at a Space Controller request. And a soft landing. And take-off. Also, while on the way into direction of the Earth, the spaceship enters the solar system, passes Uranus and Arcturus and...wait. Arcturus is a giant red star, 36.7 light-years away from he sun. They have enough fuel for a detour of 2*36.7=73.4 light-years, ''steer around a giant red star'', but they don't have enough fuel to steer around the sun? - Note that in the same episode Smith and Don return from a spacewalk without their helmets on. That explains why nobody thinks of sending Smith onto a spacewalk without a suit - he would survive it.[[/note]]

* VillainDecay: The well-known transition of Dr. Smith's character from a [[TokenEvilTeammate straight villain teammate]] to a campy DirtyCoward traitor. In the process he also lost all his useful skills as well, going from a legitimate medical professional in the early episodes to a completely useless [[TheLoad Load]] once he underwent his comedic turn.

** The Saticons are also noticeably less shadowy,mysterious, and alien in their second appearance.

* AdultFear: In the two-parter "The Keeper," the titular alien (played by Creator/MichaelRennie) wants Penny and Will for his interplanetary zoo, which naturally causes John and Maureen some distress. Making it more disturbing (possibly even more than the show's creators realized) is The Keeper's method of taking them -- he has a staff that emits a signal that makes Penny and Will ''want'' to go to him. It's ''deeply'' creepy to hear the kids, in flat voices, tell John they want to go for a walk, with him knowing what's waiting for them outside.

* LaserBlade:the Volta Blades of " The Challenge "

** Also, the final episode of each season invokes ThePowerOfLove in some way- Will's love for John allows him to [[spoiler:drive Canto out of his body]] at the end of Season One , the family's love for Smith keeps Arcon from sending him to a dead star in Season Two, and in Season Three the Robot is somehow saved from [[spoiler:being destroyed in a blast furnace ]] for the same reason..

* QuicksandSucks: used in several episodes, though not as a major part of the story

* RaygunGothic: Almost every single spaceship, prop, set, and costume.Though they are remarkably well done- particular care and detail was put into the Jupiter 2 and the Robinson's other vehicles.

* AnimatedAdaptation: After the series was canceled, a pilot for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze83qnNyDSY&feature=related a cartoon version]] was created. The show was completely changed - the family was no longer the Robinsons, the Jupiter II completely redesigned into a more rocket looking space craft, the Robot given a much more generic robot voice, Dr Smith a member of the crew from the beginning - the only things remaining from the original series being Dr Smith (voiced by Jonathan Harris), the Robot, and the fact that they were ...well.. lost in space.

* AlienAbduction: What happened to Tucker in "The Sky Pirate"

* AdultFear: In the two-parter "The Keeper," the titular alien (played by Michael Rennie) wants Penny and Will for his interplanetary zoo, which naturally causes John and Maureen some distress. Making it more disturbing (possibly even more than the show's creators realized) is The Keeper's method of taking them -- he has a staff that emits a signal that makes Penny and Will ''want'' to go to him. It's ''deeply'' creepy to hear the kids, in flat voices, tell John they want to go for a walk, with him knowing what's waiting for them outside.

** According to the dialogue in the scene, they didn't have the fuel to make it to Earth if they went around the Sun.[[note]]However, the fuel was sufficient to reach the Automated Planet in the next episode ("Ghost Planet"), even with enough fuel for maneuvering at a Space Controller request. Abd a soft landing. And take-off. Also, while on the way into direction of the Earth, the spaceship enters the solar system, passes Uranus and Arcturus and...wait. Arcturus is a giant red star, 36.7 light-years away from he sun. They have enough fuel for a detour of 2*36.7=73.4 light-years, ''steer around a giant red star'', but they don't have enough fuel to steer around the sun? - Note that in the same episode Smith and Don return from a spacewalk without their helmets on. That explains why nobody thinks of sending Smith onto a spacewalk without a suit - he would survive it.[[/note]]

* SpaceshipSlingshotStunt: Used to escape the suns gravity in "Wild Adventure", one of the few things that episode got right when it came to actual space science. However, the Film version averts this by having the ship fly right THROUGH the sun.

* NewRulesasthePlotDemands: There is a lot of this throughout the series

* {{Corpsing}}: The whole cast, but especially Billy Mumy and Angela Cartwright, have trouble holding in their laughter when Jonathan Harris starts ChewingTheScenery.

* '''Dr. Zachary Smith -''' {{Jerkass}}, clown and LargeHam, ineffectual, [[DirtyCoward cowardly]] traitor and TooDumbToLive when it comes to dealing with aliens. Frequently infuriated by The Robot. In the series played by Jonathan Harris, in the film by both Creator/GaryOldman and William Todd Jones. The would-be-revival cast Creator/ParkerPosey in a [[GenderFlip gender flipped]] take on the role.

* '''The Robot -''' GeniusBruiser and TinMan with a [[GentleGiant kind heart]]. Frequent foil to Dr. Smith. In the series, played by Bob May and voiced by Dick Tufeld. Tufeld returned to the role for the film. The would-be-revival had not included this role.

* AbsenteeActor: Guy Williams doesn't appear in "A Day at the Zoo," His and June Lockhart's {{Corpsing}} tendencies during making of "The Great Vegetable Rebellion" are why they're missing from "Space Beauty" and "Fugitives in Space" and the latter is also lacking in Marta Kristen and Angela Cartwright[[note]]Lockhart, Kristen, Cartwright and Mark Goddard only appear in flashbacks in "Time Merchant" rather than new material[[/note]].

''Lost in Space'' was a rival for ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' in the realm of serious sci-fi, which might explain the show's turn from serious SpeculativeFiction into FantasticComedy to keep a share of the viewing audience - ratings wise, ''Lost in Space'' was actually the more popular series ''by far'' during their original run. Notable for its beautiful music (including ''two'' opening themes by Johnny Williams (as Music/JohnWilliams was then known), sets, [[LatexSpaceSuit skin tight ski-spacesuits]], aliens, inventive and surreal plots, and highly articulated Robot, itself a "cousin" of Robbie from the film ''Film/ForbiddenPlanet'' (who also guest starred on the show). The original plot had the Robinsons as explorer/settlers, with Dr. Smith as a saboteur paid by an unseen agency to program The Robot to kill the Robinsons and ruin their mission. This show is often mocked by those who only remember the comedy and talking carrots of the later seasons, but is actually an often well-written show suitable for all age groups. It has a loyal fanbase, and inspired many. The first episodes were in black and white and involved exploring the planet they crash-landed on. When the show shifted to {{camp}} it involved their conflicts with resident or visiting aliens of all sorts. In the 3rd season, the formula was altered to feature more actual space travel,as well as a more action based format.

* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: In the pilot set in 1997, the space agency director's desk has a rotary phone, with a reel-to reel tape recorder and plenty of blinking lights on the wall behind, and not a PC in sight... but the producers deliberately did NOT make Dr. Smith a Soviet/Communist agent because they [[TheGreatPoliticsMessUp actually did guess the Cold War would be over by 1997]].\\
\\
The Sci Fi Channel aired a marathon of LIS episodes (including the unaired pilot) on the exact day in 1997 mentioned in the aired pilot as the day the Jupiter II was launched.
* TwoDSpace: One of the standard-bearers of its era. Verged on 1-D space in an episode where the Jupiter II was set on a course to Earth -- which was too dangerous to use because it passed directly through the sun. Apparently, the sun was too big to steer around.

The series received [[TheFilmOfTheSeries a film]] [[Film/LostInSpace adaptation]] in 1998. It was a modest box office hit[[note]]best remembered for knocking ''Film/{{Titanic 1997}}'' out of the #1 box office position it had occupied for four months[[/note]] but often dismissed as a "dim-witted shoot-'em-up" by critics. An attempt to create a television remake in 2003-2004 went nowhere. In 2015, Creator/{{Netflix}} announced that they would try their hand at creating [[Series/LostInSpace2018 their own adaptation]], due to be released in April 13, 2018.

* '''Dr. Zachary Smith -''' {{Jerkass}}, clown and LargeHam, ineffectual, [[DirtyCoward cowardly]] traitor and TooDumbToLive when it comes to dealing with aliens. Frequently infuriated by The Robot. In the series played by Jonathan Harris, in the film by both Creator/GaryOldman and William Todd Jones. The would-be-revival had not included this role.

* '''Prof. John Robinson -''' Head of the family and mission, TheProfessor and TheCaptain. In the comic book he seems to have been a [[PreacherMan minister]] as well (said to be based on material in the original series [[WordOfGod writers' guide]] that never made it into the finished show). In the series played by [[{{Series/Zorro}} Guy Williams]], in the film by Creator/WilliamHurt. The would-be revival cast Brad Johnson in the role.

* TheCastShowOff: Billy Mumy, a talented guitar player and singer, got to perform "Green Sleeves" in one episode and "Sloop John B" in another. Also, Guy Williams, who played Zorro, got to show off his fencing skills more than once.

The series received [[TheFilmOfTheSeries a film]] [[Film/LostInSpace adaptation]] in 1998. It was a modest box office hit[[note]]best remembered for knocking ''Film/{{Titanic 1997}}'' out of the #1 box office position it had occupied for four months[[/note]] but often dismissed as a "dim-witted shoot-'em-up" by critics. An attempt to create a television remake in 2003-2004 went nowhere. In 2015, Creator/{{Netflix}} announced that they'll try their hand at creating their own adaptation, due to release in 2018.

[[NotToBeConfusedWith Not to be confused with]] some sort of strange sci-fi cast-away show; that would be ''Series/{{Lost}}'' [[AC:[[RecycledInSpace In Space!]]]]

The series received [[TheFilmOfTheSeries a film]] [[Film/LostInSpace adaptation]] in 1998. It was a modest box office hit[[note]]best remembered for knocking ''Film/{{Titanic 1997}}'' out of the #1 box office position it had occupied for four months[[/note]] but often dismissed as a "dim-witted shoot-'em-up" by critics. An attempt to create a television remake in 2003-2004 went nowhere. Creator/{{Netflix}} announced, 2015, that they''ll try their hand at creating their own adaptation.