Why Did LOST IN SPACE Change?

[TMC]

[TMC]

In this video, Pop Culture Historian Dave Sundstrom the multiple factors that compelled the Lost in Space creative team to abandon its serious sci-fi roots and embrace a more comedic, kid-friendly tone.

[Dude111]

Nothing ever stays good in this crappy world.............

[TMC]

Why was the "Lost In Space" TV series cancelled so abruptly, and how did the cast find out about it?

By the end it was obvious that the show was played out. It began as serious science fiction but half-way through the first season they began adding elements of comedy and camp. The Sky Pirate with his robot parrot was from the first season.



By the end of the 3rd season the head writer admitted he was out of ideas and resorted to the silliest episode of the series - The Great Vegetable Rebellion.



By that point the show was more campy humor than serious science fiction. Johnathan Harris rewrote all of the lines between his character, Will Robinson, and the Robot, emphasizing the camp. And the audience had shifted from adults to kids.

It was not cancelled abruptly. TV shows from that age almost never had a proper ending. The decision to renew or cancel a show was often made after the show finished filming or too late into filming to do an ending.

At the time they filmed the final episode, the cast thought there would be a 4th season. Irwin Allen had already ordered a new set of scripts. But CBS cancelled it a few weeks later so they probably heard about it from the industry newspaper Variety.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by TMC

Lost in Space's greatest foe was... Batman?!

Batman was a phenomenon. So what's a show to do to compete?