Land Of The Giants S1 E3: Framed

"Land Of The Giants was pure escapism."

-Esther Mitchell, Starlog Magazine #160 (p.60)-




As we enter the little people, big world universe of Land Of The Giants with Season One, Episode 3, Framed, we continue to be in awe of the ideas and ingenuity of the series' production design work and the many astounding, gargantuan props to create the illusion of this giant land.

The concept of miniature people and large props has been employed in film. The Borrowers (1973, 1997), The 3 Worlds Of Gulliver (1960), Attack Of The Puppet People (1958), Honey, I Shrunk The Kids (1989), Ant-Man (2015), Downsizing (2017), Fantastic Voyage (1966), Inner Space (1987), The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957), The Indian In The Cupboard (1995) and more all have fun with the process of miniaturization in comedy, science fiction and horror. To see a TV show tackle such a concept for the small screen was indeed no small feat.



Here in Land Of The Giants Irwin Allen and company were doing something very special technically for two seasons (51 episodes) of television---a massive undertaking.

So far Land Of The Giants is filled with wonder and action-adventure excitement as the crew of the Spindrift (it's actually easier to refer to large ensemble cast this way) move from threat to threat out of sheer survival. But referring to the crew of the Spindrift as a whole is partly by design as we have yet to see any real character development or even cast interaction of any real depth. Still looking for a big heaping helping in that department for Land Of The Giants.



Unfortunately all we learn from Framed is that most of the crew have a moral conscience as they make every effort to save a hobo from being framed for a girl's murder. This is purely plot-driven narrative drama.

We also witness quite possibly the worst bit of criminal justice investigation of a crime scene known to humanity as two officers simply fall for the plot, take none of the surrounding evidence with them and let the real killer off Scott free. This is a pretty deplorable law enforcement scenario.



Framed is a pretty weak entry in the series as stories go. We get your requisite shots of big cameras, gopher holes, large hands, big doorbells, photography trays and a match book to name a few and all are truly impressive, but the writing needs to be better than Framed to frame these intriguing characters in the right light.

In the end we know more about the nameless photographer (performed by Paul Carr) in the episode than our Spindrift friends the "little people." That's never a good thing.



Even lead Gary Conway affirmed with Starlog Magazine (#151, p. 20), "I don't believe there was enough focus on the characters themselves."

Indeed the audience is never pulled in and we're beginning to witness evidence of that. This routine is beginning to play out as formula, but the visual magnificence of this series is mammoth.



Writer: Mann Rubin (The Mod Squad, The Six Million Dollar Man, Starsky & Hutch). Director: Harry Harris (The Waltons, Eight Is Enough).