Thank You for the Wonderfully informative, produced, edited and Narrated analyst of LIS "Anti- Matter Man" episode. I credit, in part, the desire and inspiration to experience a TV Broadcasting Career, 1972-2013, to the personal encouragement of Mr. Irwin Allen, LIS Creator/Producer. In his letter to me, dated Sept. 21 1966. I was 15 years old, obsessed with Lost In Space and its cast. Ironically, as a local Film Director/Editor, I would have the pleasure of editing/formatting all 83, 16MM film episodes of LIS for syndication in the Phoenix market in the 1980's. A dream I could never had imagined.
Season 1 Eps. 7 , "My Friend, Mr. Nobody" (staring my pen pal ❤ in the 60's) Angela Cartwright, is my personal LOST IN SPACE favorite. I Was 15, Angela was 13
You could not have had lost in space TV show with out guy Williams he was what made the difference to watch the TV show that you would not care about the show without guy Williams give you a reson to see the show and made it a hit show 1960s
I believe Lost in Space could have been one of the greatest sci-fi shows of all time if only Irwin Allen hadn't let Jonathan Harris take over. Apart from a few notable exceptions (like The Anti-Matter Man), seasons 2 and 3 became, in effect, The Dr. Smith and Robot Show. 📺😲👾
Guy Williams didn't blame Harris. You can see Harris is the fully developed Smith while season one is still a serious show. The production team started to go for cheap laughs and cute ideas in season 2. But when they did do a solid episode, Smith/Harris was just the comic relief. I don't think it's his fault the show went silly. Williams said the series got a bad case of "the cutes", undermining its own narrative with cheesy ideas.
Yes, the first season, especially the first half of the first season, was quite good sci-fi adventure. But alas.... Season 2 was awful, Season 3, a bit better but still not as good as Season 1.
@@gsr4535 It became a bit of a show of two halves. You'd get a decent space adventure one week and completely silly panto parody the next. I like all the seasons, but I skip a fair few episodes after season one.
Guy Williams was the reason many of us watched it as children that first season. His portrayal of the good and rational and intelligent father was an important force of good on television. It was sad watching him take a back seat to Harris but he came back somewhat in the third season and Anti Matter Man was great. For him and Mark.
I've been looking really hard for detailed analysis on the original Lost In Space And Classic Trek. Thanks. It seems that no one wants to do this, or if they do it's very brief and just a cheap pedestrian critique.
An Evil Penny! If it was written half decently that would have been awesome. Maybe some bloop virus that transferred to her from Debbie would adversely alter her brain chemistry and bingo: Evil Penny. Judy: "Penny, why did you use my best hair brush to scrub the potatoes from the hydroponic garden?" Penny: " 'cause I wanted to Blondie!"
One of L.I.S best episodes. It’s a shame that Irwin Allen decided to go with the “campy” style in S2 & S3. There was potential lost with that approach. As always thanks Jonny.
They did replays of Lost In Space late 80s and early 90s in the UK on Channel 4 I think and at first it didn't really appeal to me but then I got into it. Dr Smith the little kid and the robot were the stars of the show indeed.
Jonathan Harris admitted he played dr. Smith a little more comical then what was written in the script .. he said if I played it the way it was written I didn't see the character lasting more than 5 episodes .. I knew I had to play the part in a way that kept Smith in the show. He really didn't take over he just played his part the way he did to save his character .
I don't watch Lost at all , I gave up after the first 7 episodes in the first season when it was an adventure family show but , this episode is great. A welcome refreshing adventure compared to the standard Dr. Smith clowning.
Good analysis Johnny. Even tho I had not seen any of these eps in decades, THIS 1 always stood out to me, even as a kid! Definitely 1 of the better stories, inc the original pilot ep when the launched from Earth.
I have to agree that "The Anti-Matter Man" is one of LIS's best episode, one that was the level of surreal storytelling of "The Twilight Zone" as well as the "Mirror Mirror" storyline of the "Star Trek" universe...
Guy Williams was the greatest one in the show and the main reason that I like the show to see him get everyone out of danger that did everything in each other episode that made me to keep seeing the show that he was the only one who would do it and that made the show all grown up and not for children
Best episode,best season 3 episode,season 3 best season,best fight,best villian,best dialog follow the leader best season 1 episode 2 best overall 2 best season 3 hunters moon and 3 best episode and 2 best fight scene great show original fan going back to 1968.
Alternate universes that were identical to the prime universe was actually first explored in Star Trek: TOS in "The Alternative Factor", not "Mirror, Mirror". The Mirror universe just became more popular than Lazarus' Antimatter one.
There was an episode of Futurama which presented itself as having a evil parallel universe, but eventually they learn it's not evil. It's just a universe we're all coin tosses had the opposite results. ua-cam.com/video/53zmwzhoU18/v-deo.html
Barney Slater wrote the initial draft, with Robert Hamner and script editor Tony Wilson making some significant changes. Rather than submit the final script to the WGA for arbitration (as well as open a whole can of worms for Hamner for doing work he really shouldn't have done), they had a gentlemen's agreement to use Slater's pen name of "K. C. Alison" and to split the fee.
Scripts and ratings had improved enough by the middle of S3 that Allen was assured it would be picked-up for S4. But then the network suits presented him with a demand to cut the production budget by 25%. Allen knew he'd have to trim the cast -- Williams and Lockhart, to name just two, would never have accepted pay cuts -- and must limit the action even more to just the J2 set, which would have constrained the writers (who had already told him they were stressed for new ideas) -- so he refused, and that was it. In typical Hollywood fashion, the cast was told they'd be renewed a few shooting weeks before the end of S3, but the show was canceled once they'd gone on vacation after the S3 wrap.
There was a pilot episode of a series a few years back about a building that would transport itself to parallel realities. Like Sliders but with a building. A group of people find themselves trapped inside of it and every couple of days it moves to another Earth. Does anyone remember the name?
@@loanaoftheshellpeople5627 maybe there was an episode like that, but this was definitely a pilot for a series. It was turned into a Netflix movie as I recall. Edit: 2015 film called "Parallels".
Guy Williams would have wanted lost in space to do more of this kind if he were to do more of the show and more like the first season of the show that you can still come up with new ideas for the show if you are looking in the right spot
They should have kept the show for more seasons with guy Williams doing more of him on the show about him the real star of the show he was the one who saved everyone on the show know. Madder what was happening on the show
Lost In Space lasted three seasons because of Jonathan Harris's Dr. Smith. At the time, he was an immensely popular television character, as was the robot. The only reason there wasn't a fourth season was because it had dipped slightly in the ratings, and CBS made a snap decision not to bring it back. In fact, the cast and crew finished Season 3 fully expecting a return for Season 4. CBS didn't decide not to renew until well into the summer hiatus.
Another reason given for the cancellation was that when Irwin Allen met with network executives regarding the 4th Season, he did not agree with budget cuts proposed for Season 4 and he got angry and stormed out of the meeting and the network subsequently cancelled the show.
It was true that Dr Smith and Will Robinson characters for giving too much focus on the show. But in TV history that happened a lot like with Battlestar Galactica Starbuck became the main focus on that show.
Lost in Space became campy in order to compete with Batman just like Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea became campy in order to compete with Walt Disney.
When Guy Williams first took the roll of Professor Robinson it was done with the understanding he would be the star as he just came off from playing Zorro which was very popular. It’s said he turned down the role of Adam on Bonanza to be the star of Lost In Space. By the second season Will, Dr. Smith and the Robot dominated the story lines leaving Guy and the rest in the cast in the background and Guy was upset cause that’s not what he signed up for. He voiced this to Irwin Allan and threatened to leave the show unless his character was given more to do which is why in season 3 we see a few episodes centering around Professor Robinson or at the very least being more involved in the story if it did center on someone else.
I suppose it will be a constant discussion as far as Lost in Space fans go whether the campiness helped or hindered the series and whether Jonathon Harris should have been reigned in or not.
Allen, who found himself opposing "Batman" in the timeslot after January 1966, felt he had no choice but to abruptly skew the show to contend for the young audience "Batman" commanded. That involved playing up the youngest character (Will) for audience identification purposes, giving his neato Robot a personality and thus a larger role, allowing Smith's character to go over-the-top as a buffoonish bad guy, and adapting fairy-tale stories to which the child audience had likely already been exposed, so they could relate to them in a 50-minute format (e.g., tales with dragons and questing knights, pirates, Captain Bligh in space, etc). Artistic integrity be damned, but it worked: LiS fared significantly better in its initial release than did ST: TOS, which was just as expensive to make yet got little better than 1/2 the audience share.
@@roberthaworth8991 Yes i think Batman did alter tv in America in the mid sixties alot .you look at interviews on American tv Archive and its mentioned that it killed off both The Addams Family and The Munsters because they were still in B W and Batman was in Colour.I do agree with on the campiness because the other shows didn,t go down that route e3specially my favourite Land of the giants which aired after Batman .
I've been watching LIS since it was originally broadcast. I like both the serious sci fi episodes and the crazy campy episodes. I view the campy ones as a sort of psychedelic journey wherein the Jupiter 2 perhaps had entered a weird dimension via hyperdrive in the premier episode. I prefer the sheer goofy originality of outer space pirates, department stores, cowboys, Norse gods, etc...as opposed to the boring cookie cutter sameness of nearly every sci fi show since Battlestar Galactica in the mid 70's.
Guy Williams should have used all the time he was what made me like the show so much more to see him save every one on the show that he was like the captain of the ship and west was his number two and June was the doctor of the ship this would have made the show better and last longer
Definitely the best episode and then we have the funniest episode The Promised Planet where hippie teenagers rule the place it was groovy man groovy with Smith as you see above at 1:56 wearing hippie medallions and a hippie wig dancing. Penny was super sexy in this episode doing her hippie dance.
This show could've been a lot better if it was approached as a serious sci-fi. They just wanted to milk it for cash which is why it was written under a pseudonym.
I'd give this video a lot more love with a different voice over. But I agree with the analysis completely. Always loved the episode. The rousing ending is sensational as John Robinson races to save Will from his evil twin.
"The Anti-Matter Man" was one of the show's best episodes.
A bearded Spock, a bearded Don West.
@@johnbockelie3899 Yep.
They also had an Alien that looked just like a Vulcan in the Haunted Lighthouse episode.
Bearded Spock, meet bearded Don West.
@@loanaoftheshellpeople5627 That would have been J5. He was an... unusual little fellow.
ANTi MATTER MAN another good movie series thank you another lost in space
Anti matter man one of my favourites thank you sharing it as wonderful it was
There were a few hidden gems within the 2nd and 3rd season.
Dr.Smith all ways stole the show.
Thank You for the Wonderfully informative, produced, edited and Narrated analyst of LIS "Anti- Matter Man" episode.
I credit, in part, the desire and inspiration to experience a TV Broadcasting Career, 1972-2013, to the personal encouragement of Mr. Irwin Allen, LIS Creator/Producer. In his letter to me, dated Sept. 21 1966. I was 15 years old, obsessed with Lost In Space and its cast. Ironically, as a local Film Director/Editor, I would have the pleasure of editing/formatting all 83, 16MM film episodes of LIS for syndication in the Phoenix market in the 1980's. A dream I could never had imagined.
Season 1 Eps. 7 , "My Friend, Mr. Nobody" (staring my pen pal ❤ in the 60's) Angela Cartwright, is my personal LOST IN SPACE favorite. I Was 15, Angela was 13
My Friend, Mr. Nobody was one of the best episodes as well
You could not have had lost in space TV show with out guy Williams he was what made the difference to watch the TV show that you would not care about the show without guy Williams give you a reson to see the show and made it a hit show 1960s
THE "ANTI-MATTER MAN" IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE TOS "LOST IN SPACE" EPISODES !!!!!!!!
I believe Lost in Space could have been one of the greatest sci-fi shows of all time if only Irwin Allen hadn't let Jonathan Harris take over. Apart from a few notable exceptions (like The Anti-Matter Man), seasons 2 and 3 became, in effect, The Dr. Smith and Robot Show. 📺😲👾
Guy Williams didn't blame Harris. You can see Harris is the fully developed Smith while season one is still a serious show. The production team started to go for cheap laughs and cute ideas in season 2. But when they did do a solid episode, Smith/Harris was just the comic relief. I don't think it's his fault the show went silly. Williams said the series got a bad case of "the cutes", undermining its own narrative with cheesy ideas.
Yes, the first season, especially the first half of the first season, was quite good sci-fi adventure. But alas.... Season 2 was awful, Season 3, a bit better but still not as good as Season 1.
@@gsr4535 It became a bit of a show of two halves. You'd get a decent space adventure one week and completely silly panto parody the next. I like all the seasons, but I skip a fair few episodes after season one.
The gawd awful and continuest use of Christmas lights on the show's sets during Season 2 & 3 drove me Spacey.
Oh the pain...
One of the classics!
Probably the best episode of LIS.
Guy Williams was the reason many of us watched it as children that first season. His portrayal of the good and rational and intelligent father was an important force of good on television. It was sad watching him take a back seat to Harris but he came back somewhat in the third season and Anti Matter Man was great. For him and Mark.
A great episode. It gave me the chills when I was a kid. Guy Williams was a great actor.
These are always so calming and interesting. It's like learning the roots of our culture from someone who actually liked it.
I've been looking really hard for detailed analysis on the original Lost In Space And Classic Trek. Thanks. It seems that no one wants to do this, or if they do it's very brief and just a cheap pedestrian critique.
One of the best episodes of lost in space.
Better to go out with a bang than with a whimper.
Love when the "evil" robot call out guy a "punk"😮😆🤓😎✌🏻
Somewhere out there is an alternate reality where Lost in Space became Star Trek and vice versa
Would have loved to have seen evil penny
An Evil Penny! If it was written half decently that would have been awesome. Maybe some bloop virus that transferred to her from Debbie would adversely alter her brain chemistry and bingo: Evil Penny. Judy: "Penny, why did you use my best hair brush to scrub the potatoes from the hydroponic garden?" Penny: " 'cause I wanted to Blondie!"
OMG That would have been sooooo awesome!
Very well done! This is such a wonderful departure for tje series. One of the few epispdes where Dr. Smith wasn't to blame for anything! Great review!
One of L.I.S best episodes. It’s a shame that Irwin Allen decided to go with the “campy” style in S2 & S3. There was potential lost with that approach. As always thanks Jonny.
Amazing. One of those episodes that got lost among the camp, so you didnt really seek it out. I have NEVER seen this episode..... intriguing....
Love the Anti-Matter Man, My favorite episode of Lost In Space.
One of two of my favourite episodes. Anti matter man, also the last episode of season one...the name escapes me.
I don’t know, but I enjoyed lots of Lost in Space. Dr Smith and his interaction with the robot and William was hilarious.
They did replays of Lost In Space late 80s and early 90s in the UK on Channel 4 I think and at first it didn't really appeal to me but then I got into it. Dr Smith the little kid and the robot were the stars of the show indeed.
lost in space series 1969 the anti matter man science fiction l was 7years old then l saw this wonderful series of lost in space
Antimatter man which was lost in space 1969 it was one of my favourites series thank you sharing it
Jonathan Harris admitted he played dr. Smith a little more comical then what was written in the script .. he said if I played it the way it was written I didn't see the character lasting more than 5 episodes .. I knew I had to play the part in a way that kept Smith in the show. He really didn't take over he just played his part the way he did to save his character .
I don't watch Lost at all , I gave up after the first 7 episodes in the first season when it was an adventure family show but , this episode is great. A welcome refreshing adventure compared to the standard Dr. Smith clowning.
We can thank not only Irwin Allen for going campy with Lost in Space but also Batman which steered Allen in this direction
Totally Awesome and Underappreciated Classic Actors and Special Effects
Good analysis Johnny. Even tho I had not seen any of these eps in decades, THIS 1 always stood out to me, even as a kid! Definitely 1 of the better stories, inc the original pilot ep when the launched from Earth.
I love these forensic takes on classic scifi. I didn't really like Lost in Space, but I do appreciate the use of a Family in science fiction.
Thank you for this terrific video! 👍🏻👍🏻
Great analysis.
I have to agree that "The Anti-Matter Man" is one of LIS's best episode, one that was the level of surreal storytelling of "The Twilight Zone" as well as the "Mirror Mirror" storyline of the "Star Trek" universe...
Guy Williams was the greatest one in the show and the main reason that I like the show to see him get everyone out of danger that did everything in each other episode that made me to keep seeing the show that he was the only one who would do it and that made the show all grown up and not for children
Best episode,best season 3 episode,season 3 best season,best fight,best villian,best dialog follow the leader best season 1 episode 2 best overall 2 best season 3 hunters moon and 3 best episode and 2 best fight scene great show original fan going back to 1968.
Alternate universes that were identical to the prime universe was actually first explored in Star Trek: TOS in "The Alternative Factor", not "Mirror, Mirror". The Mirror universe just became more popular than Lazarus' Antimatter one.
4:47. You can see the shadow of a guy pushing the rock!
Great work again Jonny Keep the LIS flag flying
What if I’m the evil version of myself.
There was an episode of Futurama which presented itself as having a evil parallel universe, but eventually they learn it's not evil. It's just a universe we're all coin tosses had the opposite results.
ua-cam.com/video/53zmwzhoU18/v-deo.html
Guy Williams made me want to see the show just for him that is why they pick him to star in the show in the first place
Guy Williams, Was Also in The Zorro TV Show
they did this in superman 3 as well good and bad Superman !!!
Barney Slater wrote the initial draft, with Robert Hamner and script editor Tony Wilson making some significant changes. Rather than submit the final script to the WGA for arbitration (as well as open a whole can of worms for Hamner for doing work he really shouldn't have done), they had a gentlemen's agreement to use Slater's pen name of "K. C. Alison" and to split the fee.
In an alternate parallel universe, I'm a GOOD guy...
Scripts and ratings had improved enough by the middle of S3 that Allen was assured it would be picked-up for S4. But then the network suits presented him with a demand to cut the production budget by 25%. Allen knew he'd have to trim the cast -- Williams and Lockhart, to name just two, would never have accepted pay cuts -- and must limit the action even more to just the J2 set, which would have constrained the writers (who had already told him they were stressed for new ideas) -- so he refused, and that was it. In typical Hollywood fashion, the cast was told they'd be renewed a few shooting weeks before the end of S3, but the show was canceled once they'd gone on vacation after the S3 wrap.
There was a pilot episode of a series a few years back about a building that would transport itself to parallel realities. Like Sliders but with a building. A group of people find themselves trapped inside of it and every couple of days it moves to another Earth. Does anyone remember the name?
Wasn't that an episode of the Outer Limits?
@@loanaoftheshellpeople5627 maybe there was an episode like that, but this was definitely a pilot for a series. It was turned into a Netflix movie as I recall.
Edit: 2015 film called "Parallels".
Imagine if we saw an Anti Matter Will Penny Judy and Maureen Robinson in the episode the Anti Matter man.
Guy Williams would have wanted lost in space to do more of this kind if he were to do more of the show and more like the first season of the show that you can still come up with new ideas for the show if you are looking in the right spot
They should have kept the show for more seasons with guy Williams doing more of him on the show about him the real star of the show he was the one who saved everyone on the show know. Madder what was happening on the show
Um dos brilhantes episódios da série Perdidos no Espaço, sensacional
They did come up something new for the 3rd season
Lost In Space lasted three seasons because of Jonathan Harris's Dr. Smith. At the time, he was an immensely popular television character, as was the robot. The only reason there wasn't a fourth season was because it had dipped slightly in the ratings, and CBS made a snap decision not to bring it back. In fact, the cast and crew finished Season 3 fully expecting a return for Season 4. CBS didn't decide not to renew until well into the summer hiatus.
Another reason given for the cancellation was that when Irwin Allen met with network executives regarding the 4th Season, he did not agree with budget cuts proposed for Season 4 and he got angry and stormed out of the meeting and the network subsequently cancelled the show.
@@davidwilliams9450 I don't blame him since they had already severely cut back the budget for Season 3.
It was true that Dr Smith and Will Robinson characters for giving too much focus on the show. But in TV history that happened a lot like with Battlestar Galactica Starbuck became the main focus on that show.
Lost in Space became campy in order to compete with Batman just like Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea became campy in order to compete with Walt Disney.
When Guy Williams first took the roll of Professor Robinson it was done with the understanding he would be the star as he just came off from playing Zorro which was very popular. It’s said he turned down the role of Adam on Bonanza to be the star of Lost In Space. By the second season Will, Dr. Smith and the Robot dominated the story lines leaving Guy and the rest in the cast in the background and Guy was upset cause that’s not what he signed up for. He voiced this to Irwin Allan and threatened to leave the show unless his character was given more to do which is why in season 3 we see a few episodes centering around Professor Robinson or at the very least being more involved in the story if it did center on someone else.
I suppose it will be a constant discussion as far as Lost in Space fans go whether the campiness helped or hindered the series and whether Jonathon Harris should have been reigned in or not.
Lost In Space did something right. They had Three Seasons.
Allen, who found himself opposing "Batman" in the timeslot after January 1966, felt he had no choice but to abruptly skew the show to contend for the young audience "Batman" commanded. That involved playing up the youngest character (Will) for audience identification purposes, giving his neato Robot a personality and thus a larger role, allowing Smith's character to go over-the-top as a buffoonish bad guy, and adapting fairy-tale stories to which the child audience had likely already been exposed, so they could relate to them in a 50-minute format (e.g., tales with dragons and questing knights, pirates, Captain Bligh in space, etc). Artistic integrity be damned, but it worked: LiS fared significantly better in its initial release than did ST: TOS, which was just as expensive to make yet got little better than 1/2 the audience share.
@@roberthaworth8991 Yes i think Batman did alter tv in America in the mid sixties alot .you look at interviews on American tv Archive and its mentioned that it killed off both The Addams Family and The Munsters because they were still in B W and Batman was in Colour.I do agree with on the campiness because the other shows didn,t go down that route e3specially my favourite Land of the giants which aired after Batman .
I've been watching LIS since it was originally broadcast. I like both the serious sci fi episodes and the crazy campy episodes.
I view the campy ones as a sort of psychedelic journey wherein the Jupiter 2 perhaps had entered a weird dimension via hyperdrive in the premier episode.
I prefer the sheer goofy originality of outer space pirates, department stores, cowboys, Norse gods, etc...as opposed to the boring cookie cutter sameness of nearly every sci fi show since Battlestar Galactica in the mid 70's.
Guy Williams should have used all the time he was what made me like the show so much more to see him save every one on the show that he was like the captain of the ship and west was his number two and June was the doctor of the ship this would have made the show better and last longer
starts at 1:20
Definitely the best episode and then we have the funniest episode The Promised Planet where hippie teenagers rule the place it was groovy man groovy with Smith as you see above at 1:56 wearing hippie medallions and a hippie wig dancing. Penny was super sexy in this episode doing her hippie dance.
Aqui no Brasil o título do episódio é " Robinson número 2"
This show could've been a lot better if it was approached as a serious sci-fi. They just wanted to milk it for cash which is why it was written under a pseudonym.
I'd give this video a lot more love with a different voice over. But I agree with the analysis completely. Always loved the episode. The rousing ending is sensational as John Robinson races to save Will from his evil twin.
Lost In Space did it first
I'm sorry found a Mistake...Discovery is an Alternate Universe duh! Or it has bad writers, Meh both.
LIS should be centered in Robinson family, Guy Williams was such talented actor. Unfortunatelt Harris took over and it became a pastiche of itself.
If they got rid of Dr Smith the show probably would have lasted for years
Please never mention Discovery as if it is actual Star Trek.
Guy Williams could have saved the show was more about him and Don west and not dr.Smith killed the show
All unrepentant and not believing in Jesus are the evil themseves.