Why was Jonathan Harris a "Special Guest Star"?

[Dr. Thong]

I understand that billing on a TV show is in an actor's contract as negotiated by their manager and a show's producers, but I always thought it was silly that Jonathan Harris was billed in the opening credits as a "Special Guest Star" when he was a series regular.

Was there a particular reason why he had this billing? Hopefully someone here knows.

[Zoneboy]

Link

That Terrible man!

I was wondering what I would talk to you about. I think I'll tell you a story. It is the story of how I got into "Lost In Space" and worked for that TERRIBLE man Irwin Allen! [Laughter.] It was very interesting. My then agent, whose name escapes me at the moment, called up and said, "Irwin Allen is doing a series at 20th Century Fox called 'Lost in Space.' " I said, "Oh?" I'd never heard of Irwin Allen. "And he wants to see film on you."

Let me explain what that means. Producers in Hollywood are loathe to hire you unless they're very, very sure that somebody else has hired you. [Laughter.] They want to make sure that you can stand in front of a camera and not trip over the camera cables or the other actors. [Laughter.] Therefore they want to see film on you. I was always very loathe to show film unless I knew exactly what the part was and that I had that part in stock. So, I said to the agent, "What's the part?"

"Oh, I don't know," said Mr. Ten Percent. [Laughter.] "I suggest you ask him yourself, because I don't show film unless I'm sure." "Well," he said. "He's not going to like that." I said, "Tough titty!" [Laughter.] Twenty minutes later he called back and said, Irwin Allen wants to know who the hell you think you are! He'll see you at 4 o'clock!" [Laughter.] So at four o'clock, I went to 20th Century Fox, which was my very best studio and I loved it because that's where I started my Hollywood television career.

I was directed to Irwin's office and there sat the secretary who ushered me into the presence. Damnedest thing I've ever seen. Sitting at a desk that was twice the size of this, sat the great man, and behind him, about 20 "Yes" men. The biggest, most famous and favorite "Yes" man was Frank La Tourette. A lovely man, actually.

I have to admit I was nervous. These things are always very, very terrifying, but I said, "Good afternoon." And he said, "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? NO FILM!?!" I said, "Well, Mr. Allen, I hesitate to show you the wrong film. I prefer to show you the real thing. Me." And he turned to La Tourette and said, "What did he say, La Tourette!?!" And Frank said, "He doesn't want to show you the wrong film." On we go from there.

"I suppose you want to do this series?," Irwin said. I said, "Well, I don't know, Mr. Allen, I've not read a script." "What did he say, La Tourette?" "He hasn't read a script." I said to myself, "What the hell is this!?!" [Laughter.] I'd really never experienced anything like it. Irwin said, "Somebody get him a script!" Somebody gave me a script.

A 'Special Guest Star' is born

Then he said, "I suppose you want billing!" I said, "Mr. Allen, it is customary for an artist in my position to get billing." "What did he say La Tourette?" "He wants billing." That's the craziest thing I've ever experienced in this business. And Irwin said, "Let me tell you, I've signed everybody in the show. They're signed, sealed, delivered and you're going to have to be LAST on the crawl!" My mind said, "Go f@#% yourself!" [Laughter.] Last indeed! Not me! So, I said, "I'm afraid, Mr. Allen, that will make me very uncomfortable." And he said, "Well, let me tell ya, you take this script, you go home and you look at it. You call me back and you tell me about billing. I'm busy! GET OUT!!!" I backed out of the office and thought I'd break my neck because I was so afraid to turn around! [Laughter.] Amazing!

I went home and I read the script. I had developed rather good instincts about scripts. Having done so many. I read it and I said, "I think this is a goodie!" What to do about last position? Wasn't going to do it. What to do? What to do? I want the show! What to do? Ah! I called a friend of mine who was head of casting at NBC and I asked, "Have you ever given billing, in all of the series that you've done, to somebody for whom it will say, every week, Special Guest Star Jonathan Harris?" He said, "Don't be silly! I wouldn't give billing like that! That's ridiculous billing! It doesn't exist!" And at that time, it did not exist. I said, "THANK YOU! That's all I need to know!"

I called Allen and said, "I solved your billing problem." "Eh? What?," said Mr. Charm. I said, "I will accept last position: Special Guest Star Jonathan Harris." Well, the next 20 minutes you would not have believed! "YOU GODDAMN ACTORS YOU CAN'T ACT ANYWAY! NONE OF YOU ARE WORTH A NICKEL AND I'VE GOTTA PAY ALL YOU BASTARDS!!!" And on and on. [Laughter.] I didn't open my mouth! I just sat there and listened. "YOU CAN'T ACT ANY OF YOU. YOU'RE THE WORST OF ALL, YOU CAN'T ACT AT ALL!!!" On and on. I took a deep breath and said, "OK!" and hung up. Amazing! That was the first time that kind of outvie billing occurred. Now, of course, billing is total madness: "With the Special Appearance of ... With the Appearance of ... With a Cameo Appearance of ... " I started that whole crap! [Laughter.]

[Dr. Thong]

Thanks. That's actually a very funny story.

[Mr. Television]

Heather Locklear had the same billing on Melrose Place and she was really the star.

[Prince Michael]

I read where Dr . Zachary Smith was only supposed to be on Lost In Space for a short time, and then he was going to be killed off . The viewers got to like him, and the folks who worked on Lost In Space changed their minds and made him a permanent chracter . The "TV Tropes" website said "Dr. Smith ... was originally going to be killed off after the first few episodes, but he was such a fun character that they decided to keep him around and left him with the "Guest Starring" billing in the credits ." .

[bliss]

Poor Guy Williams. He was suppose to be the STAR of the show after the success of his previous series Walt Disney's Zorro.

No wonder he was bitter and retired from acting after Lost In Space ended.

[biffbronson]

In between Zorro and Lost in Space though, Guy Williams had been added to the cast of Bonanza (as Will Cartwright) -- with the idea that he would be replacing Pernell Roberts (Adam Cartwright), as Roberts was definitely leaving. But it never went that way, and instead his character was written out of the series. Had he been retained on Bonanza, one wonders who would've been cast on LIS instead...?