Lost In Space S1 E5: The Hungry Sea

"One of Lost In Space's best."

-Marc Cushman, Lost In Space Vol.1 (p.321)-

 

"Listen, my pusillanimous puppet, I have no intention of chasing off after that family of lunatics.

You're suppose to be an environmental control Robot. Control something!"

 

-Dr. Zachary Smith to Robot as temperatures dangerously plummet in The Hungry Sea-

 



When Cushman calls Lost In Space, Season One, Episode 5, The Hungry Sea one of the best of Lost In Space (1965-1968) it is truly no exaggeration.

The effects work on display are second to none and still look magnificent today making The Hungry Sea one of the classic sci-fi adventure installments of any science fiction franchise. It's really no overstatement.



It's true the episode implements considerable footage from Irwin Allen's pilot No Place To Hide, but writer William Welch genuinely scripts some of the show's best and even most heated dialogue to date. The entry is a real gusher of excitement.

Welch was a fixture over at Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea (1964-1968) as an associate producer/ script rewriter for Season One. Allen would eventually repurpose Welch as a primary scriptwriter for many episodes of Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea particularly Season Three and Four. He penned ten (10) episodes of the plot-driven Land Of The Giants (1968-1970) and eight (8) installments for The Time Tunnel (1966-1967).



The Hungry Sea would be the first of four of his entries for Lost In Space.

German born director Sobey Martin would be the second most prolific director on the Lost In Space series behind Don Richardson. Martin would direct thirteen (13) entries. Martin hailed from direction over at Irwin Allen's Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea series. In fact he directed The Ghost Of Moby Dick (S1, E14) guest starring June Lockhart for the show. He would also be tapped for The Time Tunnel (also 14 directorial credits of 30 episodes) and Land Of The Giants (with 21 directorial credits of 51 episodes). No wonder Martin fell asleep on sets.



Temperatures are off the charts with extremes at both ends of the spectrum (something the 2018 Netflix Lost In Space series drew upon in its first season), but so too are tempers flaring between its two male leads generating some much needed dramatic testosterone.

We've seen Major Don West have at it with Dr. Zachary Smith in Island In The Sky (S1, E3) and There Were Giants In The Earth (S1, E4), but with crisis upon crisis taking its toll upon the group he rips Professor John Robinson while he's at it about Smith.



"The man's a pathological liar," declares West and as John Robinson disregards West's suggestions West questions Robinson's judgment. It is a riveting display of character drama throughout, the kind often missing from Land Of The Giants, and West and Robinson are really at odds. It's impressive to see the two men able to say sorry in their own ways too and West really shines at the end showing himself to be a truly stand up guy even looking out for Will's perception of his old man with West taking the fall a bit even though he's not wrong (you won't see that kind of nobility in the West character for Season One of the 2018 Netflix series remake).



The Hungry Sea indeed caps off a solid five episode start with writers like Welch coming into the fold and amending new material to Irwin Allen and Shimon Wincelberg's pilot work to stretch out the pilot into these first five rounds. The drama is truly first rate material as the Robinsons and West and Smith struggle against the elements of nature and the nature of themselves along with some self-reflection as this family of survivors is on their own.

There is a trifecta of conflicts in play that makes The Hungry Sea a truly rousing bit of science fiction drama combined with action adventure compliments of Allen and as Variety once wrote loaded with "gee whiz special effects" (LIS V1, p.330).



For the bulk of this entry the Robinsons battle extreme heat. This cold and hot episode is memorable. In fact, though Lost In Space would become a monster of the week styled series instead the Robinsons battle the elements and themselves here. The monsters within and the elements generate real suspense. John Robinson even proclaims with fear "here it comes." These early episodes stir some good conflict and drama from battles with bubble creatures to the sun to parasitic, over-sized vegetables and yet the series hits all the right notes.



Notable in spots for The Hungry Sea are some wardrobe disconnects between the new footage and the stock footage utilized from No Place To Hide. There are also some tone changes in scripting thanks to some late additions for the episode. Still, these are minor issues of note and make it all the more fun to enjoy on this  sparkling Blu-Ray release.

Along with the stock footage, music was recycled from Johnny Williams' score for The Reluctant Stowaway (S1, E1) as well as the music from Bernard Herrmann for the pilot.



Jonathan Harris was also cleverly modifying his villainous character. "The original Smith was a deep, dark, scowling villain and I hated him. Quite honestly. I thought they might have to kill me off in five episodes because he was just so damn rotten. I didn't like the idea of being unemployed again, which is a dreadful state of affairs. I decided to take a chance---and I am a chance-taker---and sneak in … comic villainy, which I adore" (Marc Cushman, LIS V1 p.326). And so it would go for Jonathan Harris on Lost In Space.



It's worth mentioning there are scenes prior to The Hungry Sea, but especially notable within The Hungry Sea that speak to the lighter tone of Dr. Smith executed by Harris. In many ways, this offers ample evidence that Smith was far from the heavy, dark villain history has pegged him to be in this first season (though it gets worse). Even very early on, as evidenced here, Smith was shooting for villainy with a comic edge.



The Hungry Sea was the first episode of the series to be shot on schedule and credit goes to Martin. It earned him considerable distinction with Allen and thus he would be the only director from the first five to return moving forward and, as noted earlier, return often he would.

The Hungry Sea rounds out a savage five episode opening for this thrilling and special family space series.




Writer: Shimon Wincelberg (aka S. Bar-David)/ William Welch.
Director: Sobey Martin.

For Fans Of Classic 1960s and 1970s Science Fiction

I finally invested in a region free Blu-Ray player. I had tired of waiting for Region A Blu-Ray releases to occur for a number of titles. Some may never happen here in North America.

The good news is Space:1999, the complete series (both Year One and Year Two), is being released by Shout for North American fans.



Uncertain of any high definition release for Gerry Anderson's UFO (1970) or the classic Bill Bixby series The Incredible Hulk (1977-1982), I've invested in a region free player. The next episode of The Incredible Hulk to be covered here will be the last from my old DVD set. It will be high definition Blu-Ray going forward which should provide a marked improvement in image quality.

We'll also relaunch the single season of UFO from the beginning for FAB FRIDAYs because the images from the UK Blu-Ray release are far superior in every way to the old DVD release. Simply breathtaking stuff.

I've even picked up the Region Free DVD player so that we can continue covering Battle Of The Planets (1978-1980) well beyond the episodes that were made available only in North America (which ended with E38 Seals Of Sytron). I have the complete UK release of that series.

As for kaiju, that is a messy genre. I've managed to update some films on Blu-Ray while still others are DVD only particularly many of my Showa era favorites including some Godzilla classics like Invasion Of Astro-Monster (1965). Still, we do have my beloved Gamera films on Blu-Ray.

What's exciting about this development? We now have Lost In Space, Star Trek, Thunderbirds, Buck Rogers In The 25th Century and Battlestar Galactica along with those aforementioned all on Blu-Ray whenever we cover them here at Musings Of A Sci-Fi Fanatic.

So stay tuned, much more fun to come...

Land Of The Giants S1 E5: Terror-Go-Round

"I don't believe there was enough focus on the characters themselves. Had there been---and I know that isn't always an easy thing to carry off on a weekly series---I think the audience would have gotten more involved."

-Gary Conway, Starlog Magazine #151, p.20-



This writer is not so naïve to suggest Lost In Space (1965-1968) was a series so rich in character development that nothing could rival it but by the measure of this fourth Irwin Allen TV series it was relatively light years ahead despite the two shows sharing some of the same writers. A tip of the hat to the casting of Lost In Space to be sure too.

Land Of The Giants merely favors action and the danger the crew of the Spindrift encounters to good solid character development with which Lost In Space was far more generous. Perhaps the genuine family dynamic of those characters had something to do with that. Lost In Space took the time with characters to explore the human moments and in those moments we learned a lot about their humanity in subtle ways that set them all apart as individuals. With Land Of The Giants the only human moments are seeing the little people utilize their little minds to outmaneuver the big humans on an alternate, strangely Earth-like planet.



So Lost In Space was far from writing perfection once upon a time, but the stories penned throughout its first season and the writing gifted to the wonderful ensemble made for engaging television as we bonded with The Robinsons as a family and empathized with their plight or watched them garden or eat dinner. We cared about their very survival. The Robinsons broke bread, shared meals, conversations and developed their makeshift home like a true family.

As writer Sheldon Stark (Land Of The Giants S1 E16 On A Clear Night You Can See Earth) noted in Starlog Magazine (#159), Land Of The Giants was a "plot show rather than a character show" and as a result lacks significant "psychological depth" which a show like Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969) had in spades. Even Lost In Space fared significantly better as a character driven piece. Despite the action and fantasy-heavy stories Lost In Space made time for character and personality.



Land Of The Giants has some way to go to rope this giant in and judging by its title I'm not certain the latest outing will do it. We stomp the forest lands of Land Of The Giants, Season One, Episode 5, Terror-Go-Round.

With the latest installment of the series one begins to recognize the predictable rhythm of the series. Some of the little people have been captured for a travelling circus and its off to the rescue by the remaining little people yet again. Sadly it would seem the impressive looking series had little ambition to divert from this formula. This writer will officially make Terror-Go-Round our final look back at the show. Until an episode comes along to really stand on the shoulder of giants worthy of attention this one goes on hiatus. We'll keep our giant prop fingers crossed for something special in the episodes to come.



Land Of The Giants is nothing short of impressive as a visual enterprise as the crew of the Spindrift defer to their weapons of choice: thread, safety pin, giant match, etc.. It's something to see, but the fantasy series lacks some of the narrative variety, intelligence and grace of Allen's Lost In Space. It's a true spectacle of production.



Land Of The Giants may have been his very big baby, his very last television series, but the adventure series sans character would not be enough to sustain it and endure it as a science fiction classic. It was certainly enough to land it a second season, but not enough to be forever remembered. It has its place in history, but for such a terrifically big, bold concept it's sadly a minor one. This is largely due to the inattention to actual character and giving the audience reason to root for these survivors.



Five episodes into the series and I know little to nothing about them. Who are these people? What do they feel?

Writer Sheldon Stark who would pen On A Clear Night You Can See Earth (S1, E16) noted the series to be "infantile as real SF. It was very unsophisticated, with a standard format and stereotypical characters." This is precisely why Land Of The Giants fails as a memorable science fiction excursion. It was gloriously colorful and exciting as a visual spectacle, but devoid of anything to care about with regard to humanity. And as any fan of great science fiction or great stories in general knows, the humanity needs to be at the heart of it.



Stark added by comparison, once again in Starlog Magazine #160 (p.67), his thoughts on Star Trek. "It dealt humanly with unhuman creatures, and as a series, it did what every writer should do---take a moral position in life. Star Trek provided a mirror for the world of today."

And this, in the final analysis, is why we end our look at Land Of The Giants, an unfortunately small entry in the world of science fiction that could have been so much bigger and better. A sizable disappointment as a result of lacking so little depth.

Writer: Charles Bennett.
Director: Sobey Martin (Lost In Space).

 

 

 

Don Matheson And Deanna Lund: On Land Of The Giants' Special FX

"There was no way you could compete with them. I knew that going in. They were bigger than we were. When it was your turn, you gave it your best shot. The whole concept of Land Of The Giants was more of a star than any of us."

-Don Matheson, Starlog Magazine #162 (p.63)-



"Unfortuantely, what happens... is the actors become props for the special FX. That was the show's one weakness. You didn't really get to know us."

-Deanna Lund, Starlog Magazine #181 (p.30)-



Sadly, it the lack of character with Land Of The Giants' overreliance on effects that became a glaring weakness. Lund suggests the series couldn't have it both ways. Perhaps television at that time on Irwin Allen's watch couldn't. It's too bad because it really could have. It could have been an ideal mix of action adventure and character drama.

To further make the point regarding what Land Of The Giants so badly needed, character, Lund noted if someone had decided not to return had the series been picked up for a Season Three it wouldn't have been a loss at all. The show wouldn't have been hurt. "Nobody was indispensable." To Irwin Allen the props were the thing.

For those readers disinterested in Land Of The Giants, the next entry will be my last for a time.

Land Of The Giants S1 E4: Undergound

"The series was a plot show rather than a character show. The characters were supposed to be simple and therefore didin't allow for philosophical depth."

-Sheldon Stark, Starlog Magazine #159, p.65-



We plunge headlong into bird's eye shots and ground level point of views for Land Of The Giants, Season One, Episode 4, Underground.

Sadly, the series looks impressive with strong production values, but the main characters are fairly one dimensional to this point. They are nearly as nameless and faceless as the giants from which they run from and survive. In fact some giants may have more character.



What's missing is the kind of dramatic character interaction that made Lost In Space (1965-1968) work so well between all of the imaginative adventure. There were dark moments and sweet moments that pulled you into the ensemble cast. Here, oddly, the series seems almost entirely devoid of character beats.

We know nothing about Steve, Mark, Dan, Barry, Valerie, Betty and Alexander. They interact like they've known each other for years, but do they? We don't know. We don't know a thing about any of them save for a little about the Alexander character mentioned in the series opener The Crash.



Their action is driven by survival and efforts to repair the air craft known as the Spindrift. And as it stands it's simply easier to identify the characters as the crew of the Spindrift until they become more multi-dimensional to one another and to us. But a show about survival you might feel would lend itself to some wonderfully emotional moments. It worked well for Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007), but Land Of The Giants is more interested in running its characters through a giant-sized obstacle course.

Four episodes in and we are waiting for the kind of character depth that make a series more dramatically engaging. This writer's patience is wearing thin waiting for it.



As a visual exercise Land Of The Giants is mildly plot interesting and at times fun, but certainly empty as a Giant's opened vegetable can. One of the most amusing aspects of the series is how the crew of the Spindrift seems to be quite conveniently located to just about anything. All of the characters appear to get to any number of places on foot rather expeditiously despite their small size. The giants have no great leg up on these fleet of foot little fellows. Also, all sorts of giants are constantly walking about their little forest as a cut through to any manner of buildings, homes and so on. This is pure fantasy indeed.



What Land Of The Giants does wisely consider in Underground is what a giant would do with the control of small people to utilize to their benefit. Who wouldn't want to be the size of Ant-Man or the Lilliputians to gain access to areas normal sized humans can't go? So, we find the giants using these small Earthlings to great advantage as helpless pawns in their game. And why exactly is everything on this planet of Giants exactly the same as Earth right down to the police officers? It's a very close, sometimes totalitarian-like, alternate Earth, but not particularly interesting as alternate worlds go.



The real trick for Land Of The Giants is its production flair which is special. The fantasy worlds of Irwin Allen continue to astound on a visual level. This much is certain, but it is sadly absent of character depth. There is a kind of fantasy, science fiction adventure element charm about all of the visuals that reminisce of the more comedic island adventures of Gilligan's Island (1964-1967), but the latter series was skilled at exploring character and the exchanges between the ensemble cast.

The cast for Land Of The Giants is sound, but they need more scripting meat with which to work outside of the conflict/resolution visuals that populate the plotlines for these stories so far.



I have BIG hopes they could be just around the corner, but alas our small sample size devoid of character thus far indicates something quite to contrary.

Understanding that Land Of The Giants was basically an adventure series geared toward kids makes one wonder how it is something like Space:1999 (1975-1977), also geared toward kids, could manage to walk the line of adventure and ideas and character (plot and character) so much more adroitly than a show like Land Of The Giants. Though I suspect that has more to do with the leadership of Gerry Anderson on the former over the forceful drive of the master of disaster Irwin Allen on the latter.

Writer: Ellis St. Joseph
Director: Sobey Martin (well known for falling asleep in his director's chair directed 14 episodes of Lost In Space; Martin would direct 21 episodes of Land Of The Giants)