Good Idea or Bad? A Land of the Lost Reboot

Good Idea or Bad? Looking at various sci fi and fantasy television projects currently in the works and pondering whether they will fly or crash.

What Is It?

This Saturday morning live-action series from the ’70s followed the Marshall family (Rick, Will, and Holly) who fall through an inter-dimensional portal into the closed universe known as the “Land of the Lost” populated by dinosaurs, the lizard-like Sleestak, the monkey-like Pakuni, and more. They must find a way to survive in this dangerous land while also looking for a means to return to Earth. (Read more about the show at Cult-SciFi.com.)

What Is in the Works?

Legendary Television is partnering up with Sid & Marty Kroft Productions on a reboot of this series that is targeted for Netflix. Not much information is available at this point on the project, but Marty Kroft’s daughter Deanna Krofft Pope will be onboard as executive producer.

Good Idea or Bad?

This original 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 cutesy and/or angsty family stories that are of minimal 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.

But despite the show’s flaws and production challenges, Land of the Lost still had its charm, and the basic premise has plenty of potential. Star Trek veteran David Gerrold had been brought onboard early to flesh out the mythology of the show’s mysterious setting 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 Saturday Morning kids’ show. The pylons that tied together and controlled the land, the tragic history of 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. And at a time when genre entries were sparse on the Prime Time schedule, this show offered a respite for sci fi-starved viewers.

The groundwork that Gerrald established for the show is what a reboot should key upon, and it should follow as closely as possible to that, possibly giving 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 melodrama 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 and it need not have a mega-budget if it focuses more on the stories and less on sfx-overload. 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 seeing as he does not appear to be too busy at the moment (though he may be retired from television work).

Basically, this is certainly a good idea in my opinion, though I am not thrilled about it going to Netflix. That streamer has a reputation for cancelling shows quickly, and even if the reboot does stick around, three-to-four seasons of eight to ten episodes are likely the max it will get. Apple TV+ or even Disney+ might have been a better landing place seeing as this one has the potential to branch out to a major franchise. But I am glad that a reboot is finally moving forward, and hopefully they will build that around the strengths of the original.

Tried It Before:

This show was actually rebooted in the ’90s 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 concentrate more on action or family-centric stories. It also lacked the retro-charm of the original, and it has since mostly faded into TV Oblivion. I also seem to recall something about a 2009 big-screen revival starring Will Ferrell, but I am pretty certain that was just a fever dream and we will ignore that it ever happened.

Where Can You Watch It?

The entire series has been released on DVD, but not Blu-ray yet.  The DVDs have gone out of print, but they are still available from third-party sellers (and the prices appear to be going up).  The entire series is streaming for free (with ads) on the Sid & Morty Kroft channel on Cineverse.com. It is also streaming for free (with ads) on The Roku Channel and Fawesome.TV.

Stream or Purchase VOD

Would you tune in for a reboot of Land of the Lost or is that show best left in the past? Chime in with your comments below.

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