As a massive fan of the original series, the news that Netflix is rebooting “Lost in Space” makes me slightly weary. Will it be as bad as the movie adaptation? Or will it live up to most of Netflix’s pristine programming?
“Lost in Space” was created by Irwin Allen and originally premiered in 1965. It ran for only three seasons but became an iconic show about space travel and alien planets. It followed the intergalactic adventures of The Robinson family, who were originally sent into space aboard their space ship, the Jupiter 2, for colonization. However, the vessel was sabotaged by the backstabbing Dr. Zachary Smith, whose efforts to disrupt the trip resulted in the clan being stranded in the cosmos.
The new “Lost in Space” series is being reimagined by the feature writing team of Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, with Zack Estrin showrunning. The plan is for the new series to take its cues from the original series. (Though hopefully when the Robinson Family lands on different planets they actually look different as opposed to be clearly all set on the same set over and over again.) It will still center around the Robinson family, who are forced to come together in a time of crisis. Stranded light years from their intended destination, they find themselves battling a strange new alien environment and also their own personal demons. Equal parts family drama and sci-fi adventure, the new Lost in Space is officially described as being “a survival story for the ages.”
“The original series so deftly captured both drama and comedy, and that made it very appealing to a broad audience,” says Cindy Holland, Netflix Vice President of Original Content. “The current creative team’s reimagining of the series for Netflix is sure to appeal to both fans who fondly remember the original and to create a new generation of enthusiasts around the world.”
A “Lost in Space” reboot has been attempted several times with both a 1970s cartoon and a 2003 live-action version, directed by legendary filmmaker John Woo, though neither were picked up to series. A feature film reboot of the series was released in 1998 featuring the likes of Gary Oldman, William Hurt, Matt LeBlanc, Mimi Rogers, Heather Graham, and Lacey Chabert among its cast. The big screen treatment only had a moderate reception at the box office but is notable for being terrible in retrospect and completely changing the dynamic of the original series. (Also the Robot just looked weird.)
The plan for a rebooted series on Netflix was revealed last October but it was announced last week that a 10-episode first season will debut in 2018 and is planned as a one hour science fiction drama.
