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Land of the Lost - The Complete First Season
Rhino // Unrated // June 29, 2004
List Price: $39.95 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
THE EPISODES
Although the special effects look terribly cheesy (at least by today's standards) and the acting wasn't exactly what one would classify as Emmy-worthy, Land of the Lost remains one of my favorite classic television shows. Finally, the first season of the show is available on DVD, and Rhino has done a nice job with the package.
I'll refrain from repeating the theme song here – but you all know the story of how Rick Marshall and his children, Will and Holly went on a rafting trip, endured an earthquake, plunged over a waterfall and found themselves in a world where dinosaurs still survived and a race of lizard-people known as Sleestak wreaked havoc.
Here's a quick rundown of the 17 episodes you'll see in this Season One set, along with my letter-grade rating for each show:
"Cha-Ka" - Shortly after arriving in the Land of the Lost, Will and Holly encounter a Pakuni (an intelligent race of monkey-like men) named Cha-Ka whom they befriend. This isn't the best of episodes for an introduction to the series – but then again, I was never crazy about the shows that dealt with the Pakuni. My Rating: C
"The Sleestak God" - This is the first show in which we see the Sleestak, as Will and Holly are captured and about to be fed to a mysterious beast that dwells in the bottom of a pit. The episodes of Land of the Lost that featured Sleestak in the main storyline always seemed to be better than the others. This one is no exception. My Rating: B
"Dopey" - Holly finds a recently-hatched baby brontosaurus and attempts to train him to help with the gathering of food. Eventually she realizes that the dinosaur belongs with his own kind. This is one of the episodes almost totally geared toward young kids. I remember loving this particular show when I was young, but now it seems…well, kind of "Dopey"! My Rating: C
"Downstream" - Rick takes the family downstream in a raft, hoping to find the time portal that they went through to arrive in the Land of the Lost. They have to abandon ship and find themselves in a cave where they meet an old veteran of the Civil War. On one of the commentaries on the DVD, Kathy Coleman mentions that this was the first episode they filmed. It shows. The acting is even more wooden than usual, and the Civil War character comes off as a cliché, as opposed to a real person. My Rating: D
"Tag Team" – In another episode geared directly toward the kiddies, the Marshalls and the Pakuni try to avoid an angry Grumpy (a Tyrannosaurus Rex). This is Land of the Lost at its worst. No story, no character development and totally uninteresting. Easily the worst show of Season One. My Rating: F
"The Stranger" - Star Trek alumnus Walter Koenig wrote this episode, which introduces viewers to the character of Enik, a Sleestak from the past who is looking for a way back to his time. Enik would return in several episodes to help the Marshall family. This was probably the first episode to show just how much potential the series had. Although it's still a kids' program, we get some interesting science fiction here, good performances and a moral message. My Rating: A
"Album" – The Sleestak use crystals to try and trick Will and Holly into thinking they are seeing the vision of their dead mother. Although the story is fairly simplistic, we get to see some real emotion from the Marshall children and their grief over their lost parent. My Rating: B
"Skylons" - Although they are seen briefly in episodes up until this point, this is the first show to concentrate on the mysterious Pylons (large, gold-colored markers that are all over the Land of the Lost) and what their purpose might be. This is a well-told story, but it doesn't have the moral message or impact that some of the better shows of the series have. My Rating: C
"The Hole" - Rick is captured by the Sleestak and thrown into the pit we first saw in the episode "The Sleestak God". He's surprised to find another Sleestak named S'latch in the pit too – thrown in there because he was born far more intelligent than his fellow Sleestak and is considered a freak. This is what I like to call the "Enemy Mine" episode of Land of the Lost, and it's a good one…teaching kids (and us grown-ups too!) that even among the enemy we can find friends and a common ground. My Rating: A
"The Paku Who Came To Dinner" - Arghh…it's another show focusing on the Pakuni! In this one, Holly has to teach Cha-Ka proper table manners, all while trying to keep monkey-boy off of her because he's attracted to the smell of her perfume. Where's Grumpy when you need him?! My Rating: D
"The Search" - Although "The Stranger" left us with the impression that Enik returned to his time, we discover in this episode that he has not made it yet. Rick lies near death after a crystal mishap, and while Holly attends to him, Will goes to Enik for help. Although there's a bit of overacting here (especially by Spencer Milligan as Rick Marshall), this is probably my favorite episode of Land of the Lost. My Rating: A
"The Possession" – In another episode that deals with the Pylons, Cha-Ka…then Holly…are possessed by a strange baton – the holder of which falls into a trance and then goes in search of crystals to power the baton, and to revive the presence living inside the Pylon. This is one of those shows that probably looked good on paper, but didn't translate well (or got watered-down) for the screen. Who is the being in the Pylon? Where does he come from? Are there others like him? We never really find out. My Rating: C
"Follow That Dinosaur" – This episode begins looking like it's going to be another "Tag Team", but it turns into a solid story when the Marshalls discover a diary that tells of a previous occupant of the Land of the Lost…and includes a map which may lead them to a way home! This is actually one of the darkest episodes of the series, and one of the few to end on a real downer. Shocking for Saturday morning TV in the 70's – great for the viewer at home. My Rating: B
"Stone Soup" - Will and Holly think their father has gone off the deep end when he suggests eating "Stone Soup" – but soon realize he's used this as a ploy to get them to gather up food for dinner. When the Marshalls discover those damn dirty apes…err, sorry…the Pakuni are stealing crystals from one of the Pylons and affecting the weather, they use the same ploy on them. Like "Dopey", this one is just for the kids, although it's probably the best episode in which the Pakuni are featured as part of the main story. My Rating: C
"Elsewhen" – Many fans of the show consider this the best episode, but I think it's only an average one. Exploring The Lost City (where the Sleestak dwell) and looking for a way home, Holly meets up with "Roni", who actually turns out to be an older version of herself! This is basically a "Holly episode" in which the character learns more about herself, but it never quite addresses (or even brings up) the questions about the Marshalls future and Holly it should or could. My Rating: C
"Hurricane" – Will and Holly climb to the top of a mountain where they find another Pylon. Will touches some of the crystals inside and causes a time doorway to open in the sky, and results in a pilot to enter the Land of the Lost. The rest of the episode is spent trying to get the pilot back to his time – which is about 20 years in the future from the Earth on which the Marshalls came from. This is a fun little episode that is enjoyable to watch thanks to guest star Ron Masak, and the fact that we see the family on a set that is quite different from other episodes. My Rating: B
"Circle" – Although the series would be renewed and continue for two (not very good) seasons, this can be considered the "final" episode of the show, as it wraps up the storyline for our characters. Enik is back, and he reveals to the Marshalls that the reason he cannot go home is because the time doorway is locked into a cycle – a cycle that involves the Marshalls' arrival in the Land of the Lost. This is a satisfying conclusion to Season One – which is by far the best season of the program. My Rating: A
When the show returned for Season Two, story editor David Gerrold was gone, the show failed to continue to hire science fiction writers and the quality of the program suffered. By Season Three, even star Spencer Milligan jumped ship, being replaced by Ron Harper who played "Uncle Jack".
Would a new version of Land of the Lost work today? Probably. Assuming those involved concentrated on the characters and the story as opposed to the special effects and visuals. In the early 90's, the Krofft brothers tried to do an updated version of the program that did exactly that – it looked great, but it was seriously dumb-downed for Saturday morning TV, and it was a miserable failure. It would be nice to see a new version of the Marshall family, but if that never happens, it's nice to have these DVDs to remind us of those Saturday mornings as kids when we would cower under the living room couch and pray the Sleestak wouldn't find us under there.
THE DVD
Video:
The video is presented in the full-frame format, and looks about as good as one could hope for from a TV show that aired in 1974. The colors seem properly balanced, but one thing you will notice is a lot of "ghosting" and "flaring" around the actors and objects – something that is probably on the original prints and in no way related to the transfer. I should point out that I'm not referring to the "Chroma Key" style of filming (where live actors were put on the same screen as miniature effects), but general scenes with actors only. I also noticed the occasional flicker of the picture in various episodes. Those who bought the previous release of Land of the Lost (which contained 4 of the 17 Season One shows) can expect the same in video quality with this boxed set.
Audio:
The audio is presented in 2.0 Dolby, and is surprisingly well-done, giving viewers of these DVDs a nice, clean soundtrack to listen to. I didn't notice any "popping", nor a "tinny" sound to the dialogue – which is often a problem with older shows transferred to DVD.
Extras:
Aside from an Interactive Quiz with Phil Paley (Cha-Ka), I'm happy to report that all of the bonus features on this 3-DVD set are aimed toward the adult audience rather than children.
The best part of the extras are the Commentary Tracks, only a couple of which are really "dry", but most of which are quite entertaining. Those looking for more info about the show will want to check out the commentaries by story editor David Gerrold on the episodes "Cha-Ka", "The Sleestak God", "Hurricane" and "Circle". David tells about all aspects of the show, including some rarely known trivia, like the fact that Michael J. Fox was considered for the role of Wesley; Kristy McNichol came very close to getting the role of Holly; and a ton of info about a "lost" episode that was going to be called "The Littlest Sleestak".
For pure laughs and enjoyment, stars Wesley Eure (Will) and Kathy Coleman (Holly) provide commentaries for the episodes "The Hole" and "The Search". Eure, in particular, is a riot to listen to, and he isn't afraid to point out some of the ridiculousness of what is going on and how horrible the acting was on the show.
Meanwhile, "The Stranger" writer Walter Koenig seems like he wants to be anywhere but giving the commentary track for this episode. Still, it's worth sticking around for, if only to hear Walter sing along over the end credits! Sid and Marty Krofft's commentary for "Cha-Ka" (the only episode to have more than one commentary track) has more to do with the overall show than with the particular episode they are giving commentary on. Of all the commentators on the DVDs (except perhaps Koenig), they seem to be the most passive…and can't even remember "Dopey's" name when he comes up in the conversation! The other commentaries include "The Paku Who Came To Dinner" with Phil Paley (Cha-Ka); writer D.C Fontana for "Elsewhen"; plus writer Larry Niven assists David Gerrold on the the tracks for "Hurricane" and "Circle".
The third disc also includes some nice Interviews, starting with an over 20-minute talk with David Gerrold, as well as shorter chats with Walter Koenig, Larry Niven, plus Wesley Eure and Kathy Coleman sitting down together to discuss the show.
Wrapping up the bonus material is a Pakuni Dictionary, so you too can learn to talk like Cha-Ka and make your parents think you are swearing at them. (At least that's what we used to do when we were kids!)
Sadly, noticeably absent from all the festivities is star Spencer Mulligan, who must still be spinning through that time doorway from the opening credits of Season Three!
THE BOTTOM LINE
Although the episodes themselves are hit and miss, this is a fun boxed set that is a real treat for fans like myself who grew up loving the show. Okay – it's not Shakespeare. But it is entertaining, even 30 years later. Go ahead, pick it up…you (and your kids, if any) will enjoy it!
 |
I'll refrain from repeating the theme song here – but you all know the story of how Rick Marshall and his children, Will and Holly went on a rafting trip, endured an earthquake, plunged over a waterfall and found themselves in a world where dinosaurs still survived and a race of lizard-people known as Sleestak wreaked havoc.
Here's a quick rundown of the 17 episodes you'll see in this Season One set, along with my letter-grade rating for each show:
"Cha-Ka" - Shortly after arriving in the Land of the Lost, Will and Holly encounter a Pakuni (an intelligent race of monkey-like men) named Cha-Ka whom they befriend. This isn't the best of episodes for an introduction to the series – but then again, I was never crazy about the shows that dealt with the Pakuni. My Rating: C
"The Sleestak God" - This is the first show in which we see the Sleestak, as Will and Holly are captured and about to be fed to a mysterious beast that dwells in the bottom of a pit. The episodes of Land of the Lost that featured Sleestak in the main storyline always seemed to be better than the others. This one is no exception. My Rating: B
"Dopey" - Holly finds a recently-hatched baby brontosaurus and attempts to train him to help with the gathering of food. Eventually she realizes that the dinosaur belongs with his own kind. This is one of the episodes almost totally geared toward young kids. I remember loving this particular show when I was young, but now it seems…well, kind of "Dopey"! My Rating: C
"Downstream" - Rick takes the family downstream in a raft, hoping to find the time portal that they went through to arrive in the Land of the Lost. They have to abandon ship and find themselves in a cave where they meet an old veteran of the Civil War. On one of the commentaries on the DVD, Kathy Coleman mentions that this was the first episode they filmed. It shows. The acting is even more wooden than usual, and the Civil War character comes off as a cliché, as opposed to a real person. My Rating: D
"Tag Team" – In another episode geared directly toward the kiddies, the Marshalls and the Pakuni try to avoid an angry Grumpy (a Tyrannosaurus Rex). This is Land of the Lost at its worst. No story, no character development and totally uninteresting. Easily the worst show of Season One. My Rating: F
 |
"Album" – The Sleestak use crystals to try and trick Will and Holly into thinking they are seeing the vision of their dead mother. Although the story is fairly simplistic, we get to see some real emotion from the Marshall children and their grief over their lost parent. My Rating: B
"Skylons" - Although they are seen briefly in episodes up until this point, this is the first show to concentrate on the mysterious Pylons (large, gold-colored markers that are all over the Land of the Lost) and what their purpose might be. This is a well-told story, but it doesn't have the moral message or impact that some of the better shows of the series have. My Rating: C
"The Hole" - Rick is captured by the Sleestak and thrown into the pit we first saw in the episode "The Sleestak God". He's surprised to find another Sleestak named S'latch in the pit too – thrown in there because he was born far more intelligent than his fellow Sleestak and is considered a freak. This is what I like to call the "Enemy Mine" episode of Land of the Lost, and it's a good one…teaching kids (and us grown-ups too!) that even among the enemy we can find friends and a common ground. My Rating: A
"The Paku Who Came To Dinner" - Arghh…it's another show focusing on the Pakuni! In this one, Holly has to teach Cha-Ka proper table manners, all while trying to keep monkey-boy off of her because he's attracted to the smell of her perfume. Where's Grumpy when you need him?! My Rating: D
"The Search" - Although "The Stranger" left us with the impression that Enik returned to his time, we discover in this episode that he has not made it yet. Rick lies near death after a crystal mishap, and while Holly attends to him, Will goes to Enik for help. Although there's a bit of overacting here (especially by Spencer Milligan as Rick Marshall), this is probably my favorite episode of Land of the Lost. My Rating: A
"The Possession" – In another episode that deals with the Pylons, Cha-Ka…then Holly…are possessed by a strange baton – the holder of which falls into a trance and then goes in search of crystals to power the baton, and to revive the presence living inside the Pylon. This is one of those shows that probably looked good on paper, but didn't translate well (or got watered-down) for the screen. Who is the being in the Pylon? Where does he come from? Are there others like him? We never really find out. My Rating: C
"Follow That Dinosaur" – This episode begins looking like it's going to be another "Tag Team", but it turns into a solid story when the Marshalls discover a diary that tells of a previous occupant of the Land of the Lost…and includes a map which may lead them to a way home! This is actually one of the darkest episodes of the series, and one of the few to end on a real downer. Shocking for Saturday morning TV in the 70's – great for the viewer at home. My Rating: B
"Stone Soup" - Will and Holly think their father has gone off the deep end when he suggests eating "Stone Soup" – but soon realize he's used this as a ploy to get them to gather up food for dinner. When the Marshalls discover those damn dirty apes…err, sorry…the Pakuni are stealing crystals from one of the Pylons and affecting the weather, they use the same ploy on them. Like "Dopey", this one is just for the kids, although it's probably the best episode in which the Pakuni are featured as part of the main story. My Rating: C
 |
"Hurricane" – Will and Holly climb to the top of a mountain where they find another Pylon. Will touches some of the crystals inside and causes a time doorway to open in the sky, and results in a pilot to enter the Land of the Lost. The rest of the episode is spent trying to get the pilot back to his time – which is about 20 years in the future from the Earth on which the Marshalls came from. This is a fun little episode that is enjoyable to watch thanks to guest star Ron Masak, and the fact that we see the family on a set that is quite different from other episodes. My Rating: B
"Circle" – Although the series would be renewed and continue for two (not very good) seasons, this can be considered the "final" episode of the show, as it wraps up the storyline for our characters. Enik is back, and he reveals to the Marshalls that the reason he cannot go home is because the time doorway is locked into a cycle – a cycle that involves the Marshalls' arrival in the Land of the Lost. This is a satisfying conclusion to Season One – which is by far the best season of the program. My Rating: A
When the show returned for Season Two, story editor David Gerrold was gone, the show failed to continue to hire science fiction writers and the quality of the program suffered. By Season Three, even star Spencer Milligan jumped ship, being replaced by Ron Harper who played "Uncle Jack".
Would a new version of Land of the Lost work today? Probably. Assuming those involved concentrated on the characters and the story as opposed to the special effects and visuals. In the early 90's, the Krofft brothers tried to do an updated version of the program that did exactly that – it looked great, but it was seriously dumb-downed for Saturday morning TV, and it was a miserable failure. It would be nice to see a new version of the Marshall family, but if that never happens, it's nice to have these DVDs to remind us of those Saturday mornings as kids when we would cower under the living room couch and pray the Sleestak wouldn't find us under there.
THE DVD
Video:
The video is presented in the full-frame format, and looks about as good as one could hope for from a TV show that aired in 1974. The colors seem properly balanced, but one thing you will notice is a lot of "ghosting" and "flaring" around the actors and objects – something that is probably on the original prints and in no way related to the transfer. I should point out that I'm not referring to the "Chroma Key" style of filming (where live actors were put on the same screen as miniature effects), but general scenes with actors only. I also noticed the occasional flicker of the picture in various episodes. Those who bought the previous release of Land of the Lost (which contained 4 of the 17 Season One shows) can expect the same in video quality with this boxed set.
Audio:
The audio is presented in 2.0 Dolby, and is surprisingly well-done, giving viewers of these DVDs a nice, clean soundtrack to listen to. I didn't notice any "popping", nor a "tinny" sound to the dialogue – which is often a problem with older shows transferred to DVD.
Extras:
Aside from an Interactive Quiz with Phil Paley (Cha-Ka), I'm happy to report that all of the bonus features on this 3-DVD set are aimed toward the adult audience rather than children.
The best part of the extras are the Commentary Tracks, only a couple of which are really "dry", but most of which are quite entertaining. Those looking for more info about the show will want to check out the commentaries by story editor David Gerrold on the episodes "Cha-Ka", "The Sleestak God", "Hurricane" and "Circle". David tells about all aspects of the show, including some rarely known trivia, like the fact that Michael J. Fox was considered for the role of Wesley; Kristy McNichol came very close to getting the role of Holly; and a ton of info about a "lost" episode that was going to be called "The Littlest Sleestak".
For pure laughs and enjoyment, stars Wesley Eure (Will) and Kathy Coleman (Holly) provide commentaries for the episodes "The Hole" and "The Search". Eure, in particular, is a riot to listen to, and he isn't afraid to point out some of the ridiculousness of what is going on and how horrible the acting was on the show.
Meanwhile, "The Stranger" writer Walter Koenig seems like he wants to be anywhere but giving the commentary track for this episode. Still, it's worth sticking around for, if only to hear Walter sing along over the end credits! Sid and Marty Krofft's commentary for "Cha-Ka" (the only episode to have more than one commentary track) has more to do with the overall show than with the particular episode they are giving commentary on. Of all the commentators on the DVDs (except perhaps Koenig), they seem to be the most passive…and can't even remember "Dopey's" name when he comes up in the conversation! The other commentaries include "The Paku Who Came To Dinner" with Phil Paley (Cha-Ka); writer D.C Fontana for "Elsewhen"; plus writer Larry Niven assists David Gerrold on the the tracks for "Hurricane" and "Circle".
 |
Wrapping up the bonus material is a Pakuni Dictionary, so you too can learn to talk like Cha-Ka and make your parents think you are swearing at them. (At least that's what we used to do when we were kids!)
Sadly, noticeably absent from all the festivities is star Spencer Mulligan, who must still be spinning through that time doorway from the opening credits of Season Three!
THE BOTTOM LINE
Although the episodes themselves are hit and miss, this is a fun boxed set that is a real treat for fans like myself who grew up loving the show. Okay – it's not Shakespeare. But it is entertaining, even 30 years later. Go ahead, pick it up…you (and your kids, if any) will enjoy it!
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