Sci Fi TV Reboots that Should Happen: Land of the Lost (1974)

Sci Fi TV Reboots that Should Happen: Reboots are all the rage mostly because the entertainment industry prefers name recognition over original ideas. But there are some properties that truly deserve a do-over because they didn’t quite achieve their goal the first time around or they were cut short.

What Is It?

This Saturday morning live-action series from the 70’s followed the Marshall family (Rick, Will, and Holly) who fall through an inter-dimensional portal and enter into the closed universe known as the “Land of the Lost” populated by dinosaurs, the lizard-like Sleestak, the monkey-like Pakuni, and more.

Aired: NBC Saturday Mornings 1974-76, 3 Seasons Totaling 43 Episodes

Created By: Sid and Marty Krofft, David Gerrold

Starring: Spencer Milligan, Wesley Eure, Kathy Coleman, Phillip Paley

Where Did The Original Fall Short?

This series was super-cheesy, even for its sfx-challenged era, with a budget far too small for its ambitions (though they did do a bang-up job on the dinosaur stop motion). The bad acting did not help, nor did the stilted dialogue or stiff directing. It also had plenty of cutsey and/or angsty family stories that are of less interest to sci fi fans, and the whining and histrionics from both Holly and Will certainly made it hard to get through some of the episodes.  Also, the third season went mostly off the rails and left the series with no resolution.  You can read more about the series at this link.

Why Reboot It?

Despite the show’s flaws and production challenges, it still had its charm, and there were some good ideas in there. Star Trek veteran David Gerrold had been brought onboard early to flesh out the mythology of the Land of the Lost and also to establish an over-arching theme for the series. And he did just that which became the strength of the series and helped it rise above being just another kids’ show on Saturdays. The pylons that tied together and controlled the land, the tragic history or the Sleestak, the many visitors that passed through this universe, and more all made for some interesting stories and a nice break from the family-centric episodes. Plus, Gerrold brought on science fiction writers such as Larry Niven, Norman Spinrad, Ben Bova, and more to pen some to the episodes. So at a time when genre entries were sparse on the Prime Time schedule, this show offered a respite for sci fi-starved viewers.

The base that Gerrald established for the show is what a reboot should key upon, and it should follow as closely as possible to that. This could give us everything that 2011’s Terra Nova (as well as 2021’s La Brea) promised but failed to deliver on. The family drama can still be a part of the series as long as it doesn’t devolve into copy and paste. And there is no need to pad out episodes with a bunch of angsty drama because there is plenty of story potential to explore in the core premise. With today’s CGI technology, much of what the original strove for could be accomplished with a reboot. The central story is its strength and it has plenty of meat that could carry the show for several seasons. Done well, a reboot could unlock the potential of the original while still delivering a family-friendly series that would have wide appeal.  And perhaps they could even bring Gerrald back as executive producer.

Tried It Before

This show was actually rebooted in the 90’s for a Saturday morning run that lasted for two seasons totaling twenty-six episodes.  That brought in some of the world-building of the original, but had less of a sci fi focus as it preferred to focus more on action or family-centric stories.  It also lacked the retro-charm of the original, and has since mostly faded into TV Oblivion.  There was also a 2009 big screen revival starring Will Ferrell, but the less said about that the better.

Where Can You Watch It?

The entire series was released on DVD, but it has since gone out of print and is fetching pretty high prices from third-party sellers.  It is not streaming on any of the major services at the moment, but it is currently available online on YouTube in case you want to give it a look for the first time or revisit past memories.

Would you watch a reboot of Land of the Lost that remains true to the spirit of the original? Chime in with your thoughts below. 

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