Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Netflix Remaking Lost In Space (ew.com)

Posted by Soulskill on from the danger-will-robinson dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Classic sci-fi show Lost in Space is making a comeback. Netflix is developing a new version of the series, according to Kevin Burns, the executive producer in charge of the project. "The original series, which lasted three seasons and 83 episodes, is set in a futuristic 1997 and follows the Robinson family's space exploration. After the villainous Dr. Smith (Jonathan Harris) sabotages the navigation system, they become helpless and, yes, lost. (The robot tasked with protecting the youngest child, the precocious Will, utters "Danger, Will Robinson!" — a phrase that still tortures this reporter.)" Burns has been trying to bring the series back for more than 15 years, and it looks likely he'll finally get his chance.

10 of 169 comments (clear)

  1. Lost in Space? by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I was a little kid when I saw that show, and even then, it was obvious it was a piece of crap.

    The bottom of the barrel, we scrape it here.

    What next, "My Mother, the Car"?

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    1. Re:Lost in Space? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You may be confusing quality with intrinsic value.

      Yes, the mutant carrots and aluminum space suits were camp, but there's still the possibility of a decent story being made from the bones of the work.

      It will really depend on how they handle Doctor Smith. If they can have him sabotage the craft, enough to make a good attempt, but fail to do it as he wanted, but come up with a good explanation as to how he was trying to fix things, well, then that'll show they're working at it.

      They probably won't be able to cast an actor as good as Jonathan Harris or Gary Oldman, but they may get somebody able to do it halfway decently.

    2. Re:Lost in Space? by rwyoder · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I was a little kid when I saw that show, and even then, it was obvious it was a piece of crap.

      The bottom of the barrel, we scrape it here.

      What next, "My Mother, the Car"?

      A quote from director John Huston: "There is a willful lemming-like persistence in remaking past successes time after time. They can't make them as good as they are in our memories, but they go on doing them and each time it's a disaster. Why don't we remake some of our bad pictures - I'd love another shot at 'Roots of Heaven' - and make them good?"

      I also remember seeing "Lost in Space" when I was a kid. Yes, it sucked badly, so if any show ever needed to be remade, (and fixed), that was it.

    3. Re:Lost in Space? by ProzacPatient · · Score: 3, Informative

      I guess that show is in the eye of the beholder because I have the series on DVD and I really enjoy it. Yes it did get cornier in the later seasons which is why it probably got canceled but the first season really stimulated the imagination (in particular the episodes 'Mr. Nobody' and 'Wish Upon a Star' comes to mind) and I'm looking forward to seeing someone trying to bring it back.

    4. Re:Lost in Space? by glitch! · · Score: 5, Informative

      Why, after all the things that Doctor Smith does to sabotage them, do they not just push him out of an airlock?

      Why don't we kill all the politicians who betray us? Why do we forgive their lies and actually keep supporting them? It is because they are psychopaths who are experts at lying and manipulating us. Most of us don't know the first thing about psychopaths, and have no idea how dangerous they are. I think Doctor Smith shows a good example of an average quality psychopath (as opposed to the street thug and the polished politician.)

      --
      A dingo ate my sig...
  2. Tried and failed in 2004 by NormAtHome · · Score: 4, Interesting

    There was an attempted remake in 2004 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt07... but the pilot was so terrible it was never picked up. You can find some clips on Youtube but it's painful to watch.

    1. Re:Tried and failed in 2004 by Jason+Levine · · Score: 3, Informative

      There was also a horrible Daredevil movie, but Netflix made a wonderful series based on the character. Here's hoping Lost In Space follows this pattern.

      --
      My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
  3. Re:Netflix Should Quit Making Shows by Jason+Levine · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Some of the shows Netflix has made have been hailed as great programming. I personally can't speak for what I haven't seen, but Daredevil was fantastic. I highly doubt that any network TV station could have produced anything of that quality. It would have degenerated into Criminal Of The Week stories, forced pre-commercial cliffhangers, post-commercial recaps, and a story that didn't flow as nicely from episode to episode. Only HBO might have been been able to do Daredevil as well as Netflix did. (Which isn't a coincidence as Netflix wants to have more original programming like HBO does.)

    On the comedy/sitcom end, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was funny in a way that I wish more sitcoms were. Again, no commercials meant they didn't need to pause the episode's story to show ads.

    This doesn't mean a Netflix produced Lost In Space is guaranteed to be fantastic, but - based on their past successes - it means there's a good chance that it'll be good.

    --
    My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
  4. Everything old is new again by blindseer · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I often wondered why there is such a tendency for reboots in TV and movies. Why re-make something when you could make something new? Then I realized something. In today's society of perpetual copyrights it is nearly impossible to create something new that would not be considered derivative of some existing work. The path of least resistance is to license a known entity to shield the show creators from a nearly inevitable barrage of lawsuits from people with rights to any movie, show, novel, comic book, or whatever, seeking to get a piece of the profits.

    The creators of the reboot can then derive freedom to re-invent the premise with even wildly variations on the theme so long as they retain enough of the character names, plot elements, and so forth that they can logically claim it is still a derivative of the original. The ability to bring in fans of the original work no doubt allows for some insurance of success for the series.

    This is why, IMHO, we can't have anything new. We've built up such a history of copyrighted works that anything that is not completely foreign to a potential audience will no doubt be considered a derivative of some existing work. Anything that is so foreign to be considered truly novel is so unlikely to be successful that the chances of finding someone willing to fund the effort would be very small.

    Lost in Space sounds like a basis upon which someone could build a very entertaining universe. It could also turn out as badly as the original and the movie.

    --
    I am armed because I am free. I am free because I am armed.
  5. The past repeats by RubberDogBone · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Back in the 60's, Star Trek had to compete with Lost in Space as some viewers and a lot of TV execs considered them basically the same. Which is silly. Star Trek rarely had costumed monsters of the week. Lost in Space never missed them.

    Both shows shared some writers, directors, guest stars, and even monster props by the same people. So the two shows DID have some things in common. But not premise or most content.

    And now, Netflix is remaking Lost and CBS is launching a new Star Trek series. They shall compete again.

    Nothing changes.

    --
    Sig for hire.