Netflix reboot restores family focus to Lost in Space

Collider reports that Netflix's 2018 reimagining of Lost in Space honored the 1965 science-fiction series while carving out its own path. The original series, created by Irwin Allen and premiered September 15, 1965, followed the Robinson family aboard the saucer-shaped Jupiter 2 on a mission to an Earth-like planet orbiting Alpha Centauri; the cast included Guy Williams, June Lockhart, Marta Kristen, Angela Cartwright, Bill Mumy, Mark Goddard and Jonathan Harris.

Initially a semi-serious survival drama, the show later leaned into camp as Dr. Smith's buffoonery and recurring schemes came to dominate episodes. The 1998 film adaptation fared poorly on release (27% on Rotten Tomatoes), taking a darker, more convoluted turn. Netflix's series returned the family dynamic to the centre, updated gender roles and character careers (Maureen as an aerospace engineer and mission commander in 2046, John as a former U.S.

Navy Seal, Judy as a mission doctor, Penny as a rebellious teen and Will as a tech prodigy), reworked Don West into a smuggler-turned-mechanic ally, and reimagined Dr. Smith as Dr. Zoe Smith (Parker Posey), who is actually petty criminal June Harris after stealing another doctor’s credentials.

Key Topics

Culture, Netflix, Irwin Allen, Dr Smith, Alpha Centauri