The Greatest Sci Fi TV Shows of All Time: Lost in Space (1965)

The Greatest Sci Fi/Fantasy TV Shows: Considering the case for the sci fi and fantasy television shows that should be counted among the greatest of all time.

What Is It?

In the year 1997, the Robinson family departs from an overpopulated Earth in the Jupiter 2 on a mission to colonize Alpha Centauri. But the sinister Dr. Smith has stowed away and sabotages the ship, which sends it far off course. This results in all onboard, including Smith—who finds himself trapped on the ship—being sent on a wild journey through the cosmos as they find themselves lost in space.

Aired: CBS, 1965-68, 3 Seasons Totaling 83 Episodes

Starring: Guy Williams, June Lockhart, Jonathan Harris, Bill Mumy, Angela Cartwright, Mark Goddard, Marta Kristen, Dick Tufeld

Created By: Irwin Allen

Cast your vote for the Greatest Sci Fi/Fantasy TV Shows of All Time in our poll.

Argument to Count It as One of the Greatest Sci Fi TV Shows:

Lost in Space is the second of Irwin Allen’s sci-fi TV shows from the 1960s, following 1964’s Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and preceding The Time Tunnel (1966) and Land of the Giants (1968). When it first arrived on the small screen in 1965, it delivered a pretty straightforward sci-fi action-adventure show, with the Robinsons facing various threats on the planet where they crash-landed (the first season was mostly planet-bound, while later seasons had them traveling through space). But about halfway through the show’s first year, it started to veer more toward camp, and the show never looked back from there.  (You can read more about the show at this link.)

Lost in Space has since become rather notorious for its high-camp approach and its descents into the absurd, which include encountering the likes of a giant talking carrot. But the fact is that it was an important television series and had a notable impact on the genre. It was pioneering in that it chronicled the events of a family traveling through space, blending cosmic danger, discovery, and mystery week after week. This kind of long-form, character-driven sci-fi adventure was rare on television during that era and helped lay the groundwork for future genre storytelling. And it did have high production values, even if some of the sets and costumes could look ridiculous at times. Plus, it gave us some of the most iconic genre characters of all time, especially Dr. Smith, Will Robinson, and the Robot.

Most importantly, the show appealed to the entire family, young and old, and brought them together in front of the television set to watch a sci-fi series. This was an early success for the genre on TV, and it paved the way for more space-based shows to follow, most notably Star Trek, which arrived on NBC one year later. Lost in Space does have its excesses, and some episodes are certainly hard to watch, but it made its mark on the medium, is still well-remembered today, and certainly should be included among the greatest sci-fi TV shows of all time.

Argument Against:

No, in no way does Lost in Space count as one of the greatest sci-fi TV shows, and in fact, a pretty strong argument could be made on the other end that it is actually one of the worst. While it may have gotten off to a decent start as a sci-fi adventure, with the Robinsons facing one predicament after the other while Smith tried to thwart their efforts at every turn, it too quickly turned into a campfest, with the group encountering such ridiculous characters as ghosts, dragons, space Vikings, cosmic hillbillies, and that infamous giant talking carrot. And the worst part was that they were not even winking at the audience like Batman was over on ABC. Most of the actors played this show completely straight, as if they were not let in on the joke that the show had become. This series came to represent all that was bad about the genre as it descended into self-parody from its second season on. Sure, Dr. Smith, Will Robinson, and the Robot have since become iconic characters for the genre, but more because of their excesses than their accomplishments. Go back and watch just a few episodes from the second and third seasons of this show (even later in the first season), and you will quickly realize it does not count as an all-time great.

Johnny Jay’s Take:

Full confession: I like Lost in Space. It is a fun little show with decent special effects for its time along with colorful and elaborate sets, and if you look at it as a fantasy children’s show with some adult appeal, it actually stands up pretty well. Most of the episodes, from the second season on at least, have a moral to them and a fairy-tale-like quality, and oftentimes they verge into the surreal, making for an enjoyable viewing experience in a mind-bending sort of way. It would have been interesting to see what direction the show would have gone if Smith had remained the villain we were first introduced to. But that might have been too dark for television, especially at that time, and the show might not have lasted that long, plus it would have robbed us of those great barbs between Smith and the Robot.

As to whether this one counts as a sci-fi TV great, it is certainly a notable genre entry that had its accomplishments and developed an enduring following. The show had its excesses, but those are actually part of its charm, and it has definitely stamped a legacy on the genre. I certainly would not put this one in the Top 10 or Top 20 when ranking sci fi TV shows, but it does deserve to be considered at some point on the list.

Where Can You Watch It?

For the longest time, this series was a staple on Hulu, but it has since disappeared from the streaming service, probably relating to rights issues once Netflix kicked off their reboot in 2018. But that streamer does not have the original series either, nor is it on any of the services at the moment. It has been released on DVD and Blu-ray, though those are selling at a pretty high price. You can also purchase it VOD from sellers like Amazon.com.

Do you consider Lost in Space one of the greatest sci fi TV shows of all time, or did it go too high on the campiness and absurdity? Chime in with your thoughts in the comments below.

Cast your vote for the Greatest Sci Fi/Fantasy TV Shows of All Time in our poll.

Read about more of the Greatest Sci Fi/Fantasy TV Shows of All Time at this link.

Keep up with the status of all the current sci fi and fantasy shows as well as news and updates on new and upcoming shows at CancelledSciFi.com.

Cancellation Watch: Status updates and breaking news on renewals and cancellations

Sci Fi TV Highlights: Listings for the upcoming week along with the latest sci fi TV news and trailers.

Sci Fi TV Production Report: News on which sci fi TV shows are moving into production.

And be sure to follow us on social media: Blue Sky | Facebook | Mastodon | Twitter.