Episode 67: Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!

 

After nearly three years of podcasting on all things fantastic, we are finally getting around to one of the most fantastic, entertaining shows ever made: the 1960s classic, Lost in Space! We'll dive into the origins of the show, how it got made, what was in the pilot (which was never shown on TV), and some of the other actors considered for the roles of the Jupiter 2 crew. Can you say Carroll O'Connor??

Of course, you can't talk about Lost in Space without talking about the triumvirate of the Robot, Dr. Smith, and Will Robinson. Over the course of the first season and definitely by the second, these three characters became the focus of the show. We'll share thoughts and stories about them, as well as the rest of the Jupiter 2 crew. Maybe even Debbie the Bloop!

Your Planet 8 crew also talks about the special effects of Lost in Space. While people tend to focus on some of the cornier aspects of the show, it actually had some very cool effects - the scenes of the Jupiter 2 flying over planets look spectacular, for example. And of course, the Robot was great, and you had the chariot as well.

We'll reminisce about favorite episodes, what we liked about the show, and what hits us differently as adults as opposed to when we were kids. Oh, and how can we forget the music by John Williams? Yes, that John Williams! Years before Jaws or Star Wars or Raiders of the Lost Ark, Williams scored a 60s TV show.  Lost in Space had some pretty terrific themes and incidental music which really set the show apart. 

For our Sensor Sweep...well, we actually forgot to prepare a Sensor Sweep! Just for fun, we left in our mad scramble to come up with something on the fly. Luckily Bob checked his recent Amazon purchases and found The Lost Adventures of James Bond by Mark Edlitz! This book covers all the films and shows that could have been made -but weren't -for James Bond. It's a must for any Bond fan.

With that, we bid you all adieu - let us know your thoughts on Lost in Space. Did you watch it as a kid? What do you remember? Have you watched it lately? Let us know what you think:

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Oh, you blithering booby!

Episode 61: Live from Grover's Mill - The War of the Worlds!

 

In this episode your Planet 8 crew takes a look at the big one...the war to end all wars...we're talking War of the Worlds! This sci fi classic, first conceived by H.G. Wells, has been adapted to radio and film most successfully, as well as TV and comic books. We will focus on the two motion pictures, the first released in 1953, the other in 2005, but we'll touch on other adaptations too.

Chief Engineer Bob gives us the lowdown on Wells' original novel and how it was adapted to a radio play by Orson Welles in 1938. Welles' broadcast caused hysteria across the country as people mistakenly thought the world was actually under attack by Martian invaders. Similar radio broadcasts of War of the Worlds occurred in other parts of the world too.

A number of film-makers tried to bring War of the Worlds to the big screen but it was George Pal who succeeded in 1953. His film still looks brilliant, in large part due to the Martian war machines, with their sleek manta ray-like design. We'll talk about just why this film has such a strong visual impact, and we might go off on a tangent or two, but hopefully it will be entertaining!

Next we take a look at Steven Spielberg's 2005 film, starring Tom Cruise. In some ways this adaptation was closer to Wells' novel, such as including the Martian tripods. The film also had scenes that paid homage to Pal's film. Di we love it? Like it? Well, listen and find out!

Before we finish, Recon Officer Karen shares more War of the Worlds related stuff: the Tripods novels of John Christopher, and Marvel's Killraven comics. It's a Martianpalooza!

We round it out with our Sensor Sweep, with Commander Larry sharing his newest treasure. This time it's a rather thick tome called The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen by Jeff Bond, from Creature Features. Many of you will recall that Irwin Allen was the producer of Lost in Space, but he also was the man behind such TV shows as Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Time Tunnel, and Land of the Giants too. Allen also produced films, earning the title "The Master of Disaster" for such efforts as The Poseidon Adventure, The Towering Inferno, and The Swarm. The book is filled with amazing photos and tons of info on all of Allen's projects. It's the perfect read for fans of his work. It's sold out on the Creature Features site, but you might check secondary sellers to see if you can find it. 

That's all for us this time. Please share your thoughts and feedback with us in the comments section, or at our other sites: 

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Thanks for listening!