13 Things They Didn’t Want You To Know About ‘Lost In Space’

In the mid-sixties, CBS unleashed the adventures of an average nuclear family who had suffered the severe misfortune of being lost. In space. For 83 magical episodes, the Robinson family — along with their trusty robot and the selfish Dr. Smith — travelled the galaxy in search of their lost home, Earth. (Spoiler alert: it doesn’t go well.) In spite of the series’ mixed reviews and its less than stellar ratings, Lost in Space has persevered throughout the decades to have earned a spot in the sci-fi pantheon nearly equal to Star Trek and its kind. So, join us, won’t you, for a quick history of the adventures of the Space Family Robinson.

1. Dr. Smith Wasn’t Supposed to Be There

Even though his performance as the family’s foil has gone down in history, Jonathan Harris’ Dr. Smith almost didn’t make the trip. In the show’s unaired pilot episode, the doctor (and the family robot) were completely absent. Rather than Smith’s sabotage setting them down the road to oblivion, it was a chance encounter with a meteor shower.

2. The TV Show Wasn’t The Family’s First Appearance

While most people know the family solely from their appearance on the small screen, initially the Robinson family appeared in a comic book called Space Family Robinson as a family of scientists. Those Robinsons even had pets, a dog and a parrot, though their furry friends didn’t make the leap to television. It was this comic that actually spurred the creation of the show in a kind of cross-promotional gambit expected to drive sales of both.

3. It Was One Of TV’s Earliest Serials

The adventures of the Robinsons were continuing. As in, each episode built off one another and required at least a basic understanding of the show’s history in order to get the most from each one. When one season ended, the next season picked up right where they left off; unlike other unnamed space-set procedurals that hardly required a basic understanding of the episode to get some basic enjoyment.

4. The Theme Song Was Composed By John Williams

Yeah, that John Williams. That Oscar-laden genius of the symphony orchestra actually composed a theme song for the show not once, but twice, for the first and third seasons of the show. Both themes were designed to enhance the show’s adventuresome feel and get audiences primed for a rollicking family escapade. Obviously, it freaking worked.

5. The Show’s Producer Had ‘No Idea’ That The Comic Existed

Irwin Allen developed the show for CBS with the original title being Space Family Robinson. Of course, that was the name of the comic developed by Gold Key Comics three years earlier. Though he claimed that he had no idea that the comic existed while he was developing his virtually identical program, he was still eager to work with Gold Key to license comics based on his show. As a result, not only did Gold Key decide not to sue, they changed the name of their comic to Lost in Space.

6. CBS Could Have Had ‘Star Trek’ Instead

Thank God Irwin Allen was quick on the draw, otherwise Lost in Space may never have come to fruition. Around the same time the show was being developed, Gene Roddenberry was also pitching Star Trek. What’s more, CBS had a first-look deal at the show and considered acquiring the rights. Fortunately for Allen, they didn’t want to double down on the sci-fi format and ultimately ended up passing on the project, which went to NBC.

7. It Was All About the Budget

Lost in Space was an expensive proposition, so Irwin Allen was always looking for ways to keep costs down. As a result, he went to great lengths stretching the tech available to him. For example, parts of the unaired pilot were actually written into early episodes in order to avoid reshoots and technological expenses. It didn’t stop there, though.

8. They Shared Props (and Characters) With Another Show

That show was Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, a show about a submarine crew doing … you know, sea adventures and stuff. At any rate, as a matter of budgetary expediency, the two shows would share not only props and sets between one another, they’d also share character costumes. This meant that one alien on Lost in Space might be repurposed as an odd sea creature in Voyage.

9. Dick Tufeld As the Robot

The Robot is perhaps the most ubiquitous part of Lost in Space. It is synonymous with the show on par with the Daleks of Doctor Who or the Vulcans of Star Trek. And the iconic voice of that stalwart machine has been voiced on both big screen and small by Dick Tufeld, who took on the role for both the 1960s series and the 1998 film reboot. In the original series, he also did double duty as the show’s narrator.

10. The Original Series Takes Place in 1997

It’s just a personal thing, perhaps, but it’s always slightly silly (and more than a little depressing) when a futuristic show from the past reaches the real life date of its setting with little to none of the improvements mentioned in the series. Lost in Space is just another example (even though the comic gets credit for forecasting the International Space Station).

11. Those Poor Robinsons

Thanks to a sudden cancellation at the end of season three, the plot of the Robinson family remains unfinished. In fact, the end of season three saw the family marooned on an alien planet, their doom all but certain. Any hopes of a vicarious conclusion in the feature film were dashed when the Robinson family leapt to an uncertain fate just before the credits rolled.

12. Don West Was Almost Another Scientist

The Robinson family patriarch is an expert in yada yada space science. He constantly butts heads with military man Don West. However, in the pilot, West was actually a student, another budding expert in yada yada space science. Fortunately, before the show aired, West was recast as a more starkly contrasting character in order to add a little more zip to the proceedings. West lusting after Dr. Robinson’s oldest daughter also didn’t help the working relationship.

13. Jonathan Harris Single-Handedly Built Smith

Since he was added after the pilot had been shot, Jonathan Harris was told he’d be forced to be placed last in the cast listing. So, it was his idea to be listed as a “Special Guest Star” in spite of the fact that he ultimately ended up being in every episode. What’s more, the actor found the character initially boring, so — at the producer’s insistence — Harris adopted the flamboyant persona that became so beloved by audiences.