Production: Netflix
Executive Producer: Kevin Burns
Co-Producer: Katherine Collins
Producer: Kari Drake
Directors: Tim Southam, Neil Marshall, Stephen Surjik, Deborah Chow, Vincenzo, David Nutter, Alice Troughton
Writers: Irwin Allen, Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless, Vivian Lee, Kari Drake
Starring: Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins, Taylor Russell, Mina Sundwall, Ignacio Serricchio, Parker Posey
Cert: 15
Running Time: 163 minutes
I have fond memories of the original series and Lost In Space was something to rush from school to home for (after Adam West and Burt Ward’s Batman; obviously). And always in black and white, colour televisions were not only rare in the mid-1960s but expensive too. I did not see a colour episode until the mid-1970s.
The original series – and I am going to harp on about, at least for this paragraph – had been an Irwin Allen Production, from the same stable as Voyage To The Bottom of the Sea, Time Tunnel and The Land of the Giants. Built to a television budget and delivered quickly. However, these science fiction series often transcended the limits of stringent special effects budgets and acting with very little room for retakes or anything other than limited acting styles. The money was all on the screen, certainly for the original Lost In Space. And although the series only ran from 1965 – 68, largely considered children’s TV and not deemed to be in the same league as Star Trek, running in roughly the same time period, 1966 – 69, Lost In Space does have an enduring quality and quiet but sometimes over the top fans – Hi – to this day.
For Netflix to pick up Lost In Space and put a decent budget behind the series and then include quality acting was enough to pique my interest. Current science fiction series are leaving me cold, ‘Altered Carbon’ being the latest, wasted science fiction opportunity to debut. Finding a series with soul and containing characters to care about has been something of a must lately. I had high hopes for ‘Westworld’ too and still do but I’m digressing.
Netflix’s Lost In Space certainly comes up to the mark of being family centred without turning into some cosy family friendly viewing. The danger is real and feelings for the characters – even a robot – are strong and engaging. The flashbacks are handled well and do not slow the pace of the story down. The viewer gets up to speed quickly.
There is a sense of Netflix taking its time with this franchise and less – so far – bull in a china shop with the production. It is a solid piece of entertainment. If it has a flaw, certainly for this opening episode, it’s the backstory; important but only if you need to know those story things. The flashbacks are awfully pleased with themselves and keen to impart their information to the viewer. However, as with all backstory, it is clunky, and it gets in the way of the action time and time again. The story works without it. I would have been tempted to save it all up for episode three or four. Where the backstory succeeds through is introducing other characters but again these are more like different story strands than real backstory.
Remembering the original series of Lost In Space is useful but only for the generation that can remember it. There’s a sex change for one significant character but this makes no difference. Sit back, relax, and enjoy.
Reviewer: Steve Hooker
Reviews Editor: Dr Z Smith