IRWIN ALLEN MEDIA PAGE
Contents:
THE WILLOUGHBY COLUMN
Volume 2.3, March 1996
by Steven Cateris
ON THE VIDEO FRONT
Three new 'Lost In Space' videotapes were released in Australia in October 1995. Volumes 19 to 2l contain the episodes "The Android Machine," "The Deadly Games Of Gamma Six," "The Thief from Outer Space", "The Curse of Cousin Smith", "West Of Mars," and "A Visit To Hades." Presumably through a mix-up, these episodes were sent to reviewers back in July 1995! Anybody who can get hold of a review copy will have a valuable collectable.
You may remember reading in the October/November 1995 'Irwin Allen News Network' that Fox Video were going to release tapes in batches of four. Fox appears to have reneged on that promise. However, the tapes continue to sell well, exceeding Fox's sales targets. Despite the established success of 'Lost In Space', Fox has no plans to release any other Irwin Allen television programmes on videotape.
YOU CAN QUOTE ME ON THAT!
"What this movie needs is a song. Like in 'The Poseidon Adventure.' Had nothing to do with the movie, but I was humming that one for a week." - Quote from the 'Dream On' episode "The Second Greatest Story Ever Told," broadcast by Channel Ten on 12 August, 1995.
"It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have watched 'Lost in Space' at all." - Quote from Kelly Bundy (played by Christina Applegate) on 'Married ... with Children,' broadcast by Channel Nine on 29 August, 1995.
MEDIA WATCH
The Hyundai motor car company is now running press advertisements showing its Excel Sprint model emerging from a Time Tunnel look-alike.
"This would be just like the tidal wave seen in 'The Poseidon Adventure', only more aromatic." - Columnist Dave Barry writing about a manure spill into the Iowa River, "Beware the Tidal Wave of Manure," Sydney 'Sunday Telegraph,' 20 August, 1995.
"Uluru (the rock formation formerly known as Ayers Rock) rose from the flatness of the desert like a mud-cake in 'Land of the Giants.' - Sydney 'Sun- Herald', 3 September, 1995.
"One nominee was called Tragedy. It was suitably named for a few other outfits which reminded me of that '60s kitschy show 'Lost In Space." - Quote from Sandra Lee, writing about the 24th Australian Fashion Awards in her Sydney 'Daily Telegraph-Mirror' column, 9 September, 1995.
Alan Jones, a radio announcer on Sydney's 2UE AM radio station, mentioned the birth of 'Lost In Space' on American television in his 'It Happened this Day' segment on 15 September, 1995. He described 'Lost In Space' as "ridiculously popular." He ascribed the show's rise to cult status on the basis of the inclusion of the "neurotic stowaway Mr (sic) Smith and his metallic sidekick, imaginatively named the Robot," and had theme music written by John Williams.
"Towering Inferno' and 'Chinatown' played at cinemas." - Quote from an article about Australia in 1975, published in the Sydney 'Sun-Herald', 15 October, 1995.
"I want never-ending episodes of 'Lost In Space' and 'Land Of The Giants'." Yeah! Miranda Devine writing about cable television in her column in the Sydney 'Daily Telegraph-Mirror,' 30 November, 1995.
A photograph of June Lockhart on the set of 'Roseanne' appeared in the Sydney 'Sunday Telegraph' 'TV Extra' insert, 3 December, 1995.
"In which 60s TV show was the Robinson family forced to head for Alpha Centauri?" Question in the Trivia column, Sydney 'Sun-Herald' 'Now' insert, 10 December, 1995.
Australian 'Cracked' magazine issued a Sci-Fi Special for its first special issued in December 1995. The front cover has a small picture of Dr. Smith. He appears in a comic strip called "Star Schmuck - The Last Bad Wind." On the starship Rentaprize, Captain Clerk is suffering from diarrhoea. He calls for the most famous doctors in science fiction television. Dr. Smith appears first:
"Did somebody call for a Doctor? Gentlemen, allow me to introduce myself, I am Dr. Zachary Smith and did I hear you speak of ... Earth, my dear dear (sic) friends ... Earth? I, sir, can be of great assistance, if only you could return me to Earth. Now show me your bottom and let's get this over with."
The Robot, coughing and holding a cigarette (the artist Theo "Saurus-Rex" must know about Bob May's real-life smoking habit) shouts "Warning, warning, danger, danger! My sensors detect low-budget British TV space soapie lifeforms approaching." Waiting in the next frame are the Fourth Doctor and a Dalek.
In a strip called "Star Drek: the Next Generation" Captain Picard and Geordi take Data to meet his mother. His mother turns out to be the 'Lost In Space' Robot! The magazine comes with a game - the 'Star Drek Voyajerk' game. The game comes with a series of cards. If you are unfortunate to pick up one card, you will have to go back one space for beaming up 'Lost in Space' characters by mistake!
I AM A CLICHE
Some of you may remember an article I published in 'The Astral Traveller' #4 in which I mentioned that an Australian rock and roll band had released a record on the 'Lost In Space' record label in 1979. A copy of that record, "Hindu Gods (of Love)/"Shakedown USA" by the Lipstick Killers, recently turned up in the 'Plunder the Vaults' auction list #11 issued by the Phantom Record Shop in Sydney. The minimum bid was $30. Their Set Sale list #10.5 has two copies for sale at $80 and $85 respectively. I remember this record was widely hated upon release, so it's high value today is a surprise.
Also listed in the auction list is a record issued by the Buy Our Records company in the United States in 1983. The record is called 'Caught in The Act' and features live recordings by two bands, Adrenalin O.D. and Bedlam. One of the songs on the record is called "Lost In Space".
* "Staff Just Don't Compute" - Headline, Sydney 'Sun-Herald', 13 August, 1995.
* The Australian edition of 'Time' magazine, dated 28 August, 1995, was sold with a card attached that read "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea".
* "Lost in Space, Hollywood-style," - Headline, 'Sydney Morning Herald', 31 August, 1995.
* "It Does Not Compute" - Headline, 'Good Weekend' insert 'Sydney Morning Herald', 9 September, 1995.
* "Failed Star' Found in Space" - Headline, Sydney 'Daily Telegraph-Mirror', 15 September, 1995.
* "A Land of Giants by the Year 2050" - Headline, 'Wentworth Courier', 20 September, 1995.
* "Lost In Space: a Pay TV Dream Dies" - Headline, 'Sydney Morning Herald', 30 September, 1995.
* "That sounds like sound advice but it doesn't quite compute" - Quote from the At Home with Computers column, Sydney 'Sun-Herald', 8 October, 1995.
* "... could be a towering inferno ..." - Quote from 'Kool Roo' comic strip, published in the Sydney 'Sunday Telegraph,' 19 November, 1995.
* "It does not compute." - quote from the Small Screen column, 'Sydney Star Observer,' 30 November, 1995.
* "Jesus on a Rock: It Does not Compute" - Headline, Sydney 'Daily Telegraph-Mirror', 19 December,1995. (The mysterious title refers to an image of Jesus Christ found on a rock in Western Australia. It resembles an image of Jesus Christ found in a popular software package.)
* Mike Munro, host of the Channel Nine programme 'A Current Affair', referred to the island of Tonga as the Land of the Giants on 22 December, 1995.
SIGHTINGS
The motion picture 'Beneath the Twelve Mile Reef' was broadcast by Channel Ten on 12 August, 1995. A piece of music written for this film, "Out To Sea", was also used as the jet pack theme in 'Lost in space'. According to 'Starlog #2l9, dated October 1995, you can buy this piece of music on a German import album, 'The Marvellous Film World of Bernard Hermann', recently issued by Tsunami Records. 'Starlog' warns the record has a very flat sound and a lot of tape hiss.
Bill Mumy narrated a documentary on that real-life 'Lost in Space' episode, 'Apollo 13: The Untold Story', broadcast by Channel Ten on 9 September, 1995. Dan Striepeke, who was nominated for an Emmy award for his work on the 'Lost In Space' episode "Space Destructors", has a make-up credit on the motion picture 'Apollo 13'.
'Problem Child', an animated series which features the voice of Jonathan Harris, returned to Channel Ten on 1 October, 1995.
Channel Seven has been showing a series called 'Bodies of Evidence'. Episodes broadcast on 31 October and 14 November 1995 were directed by Harry Harris.
A photograph of Angela Cartwright and the rest of the 'Sound of Music' cast was shown during the Australian Film Institute Awards, broadcast by Channel Two on 10 November, 1995. Angela's co-star in that movie, Nicholas Hammond, now lives in Australia and was invited to present the Holding Redlich Young Actors Award (won by Jamie Croft for 'That Eye the Sky'). Nicholas is best known to fantasy television fans for his role in 'Spiderman'. He recently made a fantasy series in New Zealand called 'Mirror, Mirror'.
June Lockhart's appearance in 'Roseanne' was broadcast by Channel Ten on 30 November, 1995. She also appeared in the 1988 made-for-television motion picture 'Perfect People' on Channel Seven, 7 December, 1995.
IT'S ON THE CARDS
An Australian company called TIXE publishers (PO Box 900, Potts Point NSW 2011, Australia - telephone 61-2 299 4535, or fax 61-2 261 4220) has issued a beautiful card set called Destroy All Robots. Card #28 is named "Oh! The Pain" and features the 'Lost In Space' Robot, hanging from one arm from a crucifix. His lower tread has been removed and set on fire, and his internal circuitry is hanging out. The back of the card refers to him as "the robot of robots."
Card #29 is titled "Watery Grave". The Seaview can be seen in the background of the illustration on the front of the card. The front illustration shows a robot drowning. The text on the back of the card states he has no "mechanical means to ascend from his voyage to the bottom of the sea". The art and text on these cards is by Andrew Maunsell, obviously an Irwin Allen fan.
ON MY PATE
Michael Pate, the Australian-born actor who worked for Irwin Allen, appeared in 'California' (1962), broadcast by Channel Ten on 15 August, 1995. He played Don Francisco Hernandez. He also appeared in 'The Royal African Rifles' (1953), broadcast by Channel Nine on 4 December, 1995.
FOXTEL BY THE TAIL
Advertisements for the new cable channel Foxtel running in cinemas, and on television screens shows a brief clip from 'Wild Adventure', featuring Dr. Smith. Foxtel is currently running 'Lost In Space' (its first Australian repeat run since 1990) and 'The Time Tunnel', and is planning to run 'Land Of The Giants' in the future. It is being broadcast by their fX channel, during a programming band called Planet fX.
Planet fX shows science fiction and cult shows, and is hosted by eccentric disc jockey and television personality called Maynard F-Sharp Crabbes. In the Sydney 'Sunday Telegraph' 15 October, 1995, he rated 'Lost In Space' fifth on his personal list of Top Ten television programmes. He called it "Irwin Allen's best work".
An interview with Maynard appeared in the Sydney 'Sunday Telegraph's' 'TV Extra' insert of 12 November, 1995. It mentioned Maynard recreated 'Lost In Space' episodes with wooden spoons in the kitchen of a boathouse during his Planet fX broadcasts! Maynard's thoughts on 'The Time Tunnel'; "These two guys are lost in time wearing green skivvies and whenever they find clothing for the local environment it always fits. I also think that the time tunnel would have to be the shonkiest invention ever made."
In a promotional liftout in the Sydney 'Sunday Telegraph' on 22 October, 1995, Foxtel called 'Lost In Space' "possibly one of the biggest and most successful television franchises in TV history." The Robinsons' adventures "have become the stuff of television mythology."
Even the Foxtel print advertisements have 'Lost In Space' printed in bigger typeface than the rest of the wording in the text. Foxtel considers Australia's insatiable appetite for 'Lost In Space' a major marketing tool. It's a pity that as in Britain, so few areas have access to cable.
COMPLETELY LOST IN SPACE
'Completely Lost In Space', the Australian theatrical parody that ran for eighteen months in Sydney, had four encore performances at Luna Park, a Sydney amusement centre, on 19 and 20 August, 1995. It was performed on Luna Park's Performance Square, as part of the park's Festival of the Luna celebrations.
I saw the 3.00 pm performance on 20 August. After the show, I visited the Star Lab Planetarium in the Luna Park Palace at 4.00 pm. The presenter pointed out that the star Alpha Centauri was the destination of the Robinsons in 'Lost In Space'!
LOST IN TELESPACE
On 4 November, 1995, I saw a short film called 'Lost In Telespace' in the Domain Theatre of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The eleven-minute film was directed and acted by Fanny Jacobsen (a former committee member of the London Filmmakers' Co-op) and Colleen Cruise. Fanny and Colleen play two women, separated by distance, who communicate via the Internet. The film uses the state of being 'lost in space' as a metaphor for their separation. Fanny presented the film in person, and was rewarded with rapturous applause. Colleen visited the theatre, wearing a silver lame top the Robinsons also could have worn.
PRODUCTION SLATE
Mace Neufeld, proposed associate producer of the 'Lost In Space' movie, is a friend of Dick Tufeld and has promised the Robot's voice a role in the movie version. This was told to a meeting of the Australian 'Lost In Space' fan club by Glenn Ware on 15 July, 1995. Glenn didn't mention any contracts being signed, though.
The 'Sydney Star Observer' revealed in the 2 November, 1995, edition that Peter Wells, a New Zealand filmmaker, has bought the motion picture rights to 'Fifty Ways of Saying Fabulous', the Australian novel about a 'Lost In Space' fan (read the Willoughby Column in the 'Irwin Allen News Network,' October/November 1995). Let's hope he keeps the book's 'Lost In Space' references.
'Fifty Ways of Saying Fabulous' has remained in the Top Twenty Bestseller List at The Bookshop, Darlinghurst, ever since its release in July 1995. This must please its author, Graeme Aitken - he is the manager of the Darlinghurst branch of The Bookshop.
I THINK I'D BETTER DANCE NOW!
This explains why he was inspired to put up a 'Lost In Space' display in his shop's window in September, 1995. Its purpose was to promote the 1995 Sleaze Ball dance party, which had a science fiction theme that year.
A Lost In Space dance party was held at the RIVA nightclub in Sydney on 10 November, 1995. This was not organised by the Australian 'Lost In Space' fan club, and had nothing to do with the show.
PERSONAL APPEARANCES
The Robot is now appearing in an exhibition called Special Effects: The Secrets Behind The Screen, which opened at Sydney's Powerhouse Museum on 9 December, 1995. It runs until 31 July 1996. The Robot is becoming a spokesperson for the Powerhouse, having appeared in television and print advertisements for the museum.
In another Powerhouse exhibition, Real Wild Child: Australian Rock Music Then and Now, you can see the cover of the Hoodoo Gurus' "Another World" cassingle, which featured a drawing of the Jupiter Two (see 'The Astral Traveller' #4).
DID YOU KNOW ...
The flying sub appears on the front and back of an Australian edition of the book, 'Flying Saucers Are Watching Us', by Otto O. Binder, which Horwitz Books published in 1978.
A still of the alien life form from the 'Lost In Space' episode "Ghost in Space" illustrated a bogusnewspaper article about the Three Mile Island disaster, in the July 1979 issue of the American magazine 'National Lampoon'. A cartoon bubble was superimposed over the photograph: "Let me reassure you that there is absolutely no danger of contamination. I have been inside the powerplant, and everything is fine."
"Twelve-year-old Raimunda da Silva of Diamantina, Brazil, has never watched 'Lost In Space' on a TV set". This is how author Brad Steiger established the credibility of the witness of an alleged Close Encounter of the Third Kind in his book 'Strangers from the Skies', first published in 1966. The sighting occurred in 1962, before 'Lost In Space' was made.
AUSTRALIAN SCIENCE FICTION NEWS
Did you know that Australia is, after the United States, the biggest producer of science fiction and fantasy television in the world? Here is the latest news on the Australian science fiction programmes:
A fire broke out on the set of 'Ocean Girl' on 27 November, 1995. The fire started when a light bulb exploded, and caused $A1.5 million worth of damage to Studio C studios in Port Melbourne, Victoria. According to a witness, the fire started at 2.00 pm. It took thirty minutes to control. Fifty cast and crew members were present in the Studio C building at the time, and fortunately none were hurt. An 'Ocean Girl' soundtrack album has been released in Australia. (Write to Stephen if you want to order one.)
'Mad Max' is going to be made into a television series! George Miller, the creator of the Mad Max saga (who also produced the current smash hit Australian film 'Babe') will be involved in the television version, which will be produced in instalments of one hour, less violent than the motion pictures, and will mostly feature confrontations between machines, rather than humans (for the same reason as the warriors of 'Battlestar Galactica' shot at mechanical Cylons, I suppose - so as not to worry television censors!)
The second series of 'Spellbinder' will be shot in China. Film Australia, Polish Television, and the Nine Network have teamed up with Shanghai Film Studios for 'Spellbinder II: the Land of the Dragon Lord'. Filming starts in June 1996. There will be fifteen weeks of filming in China, five in Poland, and six in Australia. The second series of 'Spellbinder' will be the first Australian drama ever co-produced with China.
BIG NAME FAN
This edition's BNF is Jonathon Coleman, the disc jockey from BBC Radio. When he lived in Australia, he was asked which television character he resembled. He replied "Dr. Smith - and the Robot after a large Italian meal."
U.S. NEWS
by Charles Mento
It seems LOST IN SPACE has indeed crept into modern and popular culture---there are references to it all over
the place--on radio where the theme song is played during the traffic report. Also:
1) A recent episode of HOME COURT starring Pamela Reed had the judge played by her, telling two
people in conflict in court something about breaking out their LOST IN SPACE lunchboxes, thermos,
or something similar to that. More when I can check out the tape or rerun of this.
2) The 1994 movie BLANKMAN starring Damon Wayans, a satire on superheros, contains a ROBOT
named J-5. They also find and use an underground railway station as their Headquarters (a token nod
to THE TOMORROW PEOPLE).
3) ALL MY CHILDREN, a mid afternoon soap opera (Hey, it was snowing out-I had to watch
something) had Haley stop an interfering friend from setting her up with someone by saying, "CEASE
AND DESIST" while putting a bubble table top piece on her head!!!!
4) CLARISSA EXPLAINS IT ALL, a kids show on Nickelodeon had Clarrisa wave her hands and say, "Danger Will Robinson," a few times.
5) Blossom had an episode where, similar to the above, one of the girls warned, "Warning, Will
Robinson," a few times.
6) SISTERS episode had the TWIN stars of Alpha Centauri mentioned (1-6-96)
7) THE TERM LOST IN SPACE APPEARS IN MANY ADS FOR MANY THINGS INCLUDING ONE
FOR BABYLON 5. ALSO THE TERM LOST IN....appears as well.
8) The term LAND OF THE GIANTS appears in many ads: one for Disney's showing of BEANSTALK
and one for the new Sci-Fi Video series JOSH KIRBY: TIME WARRIOR's second episode which
takes place on a planet of very ALIEN giants--Vol. 2--HUMAN PETS. There are also LAND OF THE
GIANTS references on some sales. LAND OF THE GIANTS was mentioned as headlines to articles
on sports teams. There are many more LOST IN SPACE references.
9) VOYAGE footage is seen by a woman watching television in the movie ANDRE--about a sea lion and
a little girl. The woman is watching the opening tag and credits to THE GHOST OF MOBY DICK but
the VOYAGE theme song is totally absent from the credits and some other music is heard, possibly
music from the episode. Andre, the sea lion sees this over the woman's shoulder and reacts to the
whale being presented as terrible killer and smasher of boats and ships by giving it the ole Bronx cheer-
-see Archie Bunker on ALL IN THE FAMILY if you don't know what that is.
10) A first season BAYWATCH--you know when stupid NBC cancelled it, thinking there was no market
for it (by the way it is now in its fifth year) had the character of Cort mentioning VOYAGE stating
something about a giant amoeba taking over the whole crew and Nelson had to stop it--not an actual
episode to be sure--the writer was not very familiar with VOYAGE. Cort's buddy, Eddie, counters
with an old favourite of his--a show called SEAHUNT with Lloyd Bridges. The caption VOYAGE TO
THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA was mentioned in a weekly reader from Scholastic when showing a
photo and presenting an article about Jacques Cousteau.
11) Deanna Lund appeared on AMERICAN JOURNAL, a news magazine show in syndication last Sunday-
-Jan. 27.
12) A new batch of videos from VOYAGE: this latest one featured THE PRICE OF DOOM and THE
PEACEMAKER.
ZINES
A new spat of zines based on Irwin Allen's shows has arrived. There are still more VOYAGE TO THE
BOTTOM OF THE SEA zines available than any other Allen series. A recent trend, unfortunately is lots of X
rated VOYAGE stories. A new zine called SKYFALL is not one of those. It is a handsomely mounted zine with
diagrams of the new improved Seaview for the year 2002. It is quite faithful to the original and is very well
done. FATHER FIGURE, a really wonderful story details Admiral Nelson's remeeting of the woman from TIME
BOMB, complete with a child-a daughter. This is written by a good friend of mine, Jill Wells for a zine called
DEALER'S CHOICE.
Remote Control #1 and #4 contained some very short LOST IN SPACE stories.
An interesting and rare zine called TIMES CHANGE features a crossover with LOST IN SPACE and
the original STAR TREK crew. It is rather nicely written despite the plot being a crossover and it contains some
of the best crossover material I've ever read. It is available from RUFF AND READY PRESS 110 Cedargrove
Dr., Rochester, NY 14617.
Just for the record, there are plenty of THE TIME TUNNEL zines. These can be found if you're willing
to hunt. The most recent is A TIME OF LOVE which wraps up the series and takes place in Ancient Egypt.
Another was THE TIME TUNNEL-V crossover called VISITING TIME. MOMENTS-PATTERNS OF THE
UNIVERSE has Doug and Tony in the past year of 1897 in Collinsport, Maine--the world of DARK
SHADOWS. This starts out rather well written but degenerates into a lame and rushed story, somehow giving
me the idea that the author really lost interest in the tale. It does give the feel of that time period from the
original DARK SHADOWS and included Quentin, Angelique and others from that time period. There is also
an older DOCTOR WHO zine that features an ending to THE TIME TUNNEL, mixed with a story of Tony and
Doug meeting themselves in a past time when they were around. The Tom Baker Doctor-the 4th is in this story.
It was really very good too. Many of the above zines can be obtained from Peg Kennedy and Bill Hupe of
Footrot Flats, 916 Lamb Road, Mason, MI, USA, 48854-9445.
