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Land of the Lost (1974 TV series)
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{{Short description|1974β1976 American children's television series}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}} {{Infobox television | image = Land of the Lost (1974 TV series).jpg | caption = The [[title sequence]] and the [[logo]] | runtime = about 27 min per episode | genre = {{Plainlist| * [[Children's television series]] * [[adventure film|Adventure]] * [[drama (film and television)|Drama]] * [[Science fiction]] }} | creator = [[David Gerrold]] (uncredited) | developer = [[Sid and Marty Krofft|Sid & Marty Krofft]] <br> and Allan Foshko | starring = {{Plainlist| * [[Wesley Eure]] * [[Kathy Coleman]] * [[Spencer Milligan]] * [[Phillip Paley]] * [[Ron Harper (actor)|Ron Harper]] }} | composer = [[Jimmie Haskell]] <br> [[Michael Lloyd (music producer)|Michael Lloyd]] <br>(arranged by [[John D'Andrea]]) {{small|(season 2)}} | theme_music_composer = [[Linda Laurie]] | company = Sid & Marty Krofft Television Productions | country = United States | network = [[NBC]] | related = [[Land of the Lost (1991 TV series)|''Land of the Lost'' (1991 remake series)]] | first_aired = {{Start date|1974|9|7}} | last_aired = {{End date|1976|12|4}} | num_seasons = 3 | num_episodes = 43 | list_episodes = List of Land of the Lost episodes }} '''''Land of the Lost''''' is a children's adventure television series created (though uncredited) by [[David Gerrold]] and produced by [[Sid and Marty Krofft]], who co-developed the series with Allan Foshko.<ref name="Woolery">{{cite book |last1=Woolery |first1=George W. |title=Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981, Part II: Live, Film, and Tape Series |date=1985 |publisher=The Scarecrow Press |isbn=0-8108-1651-2 |pages=279β280}}</ref> It is a live-action show mixed with [[stop-motion]] animated dinosaurs, originally aired on Saturday mornings from 1974 to 1976,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/movies/index.ssf/2009/06/land_of_the_lost_groovy_70s_tv.html|title='Land of the Lost' groovy '70s TV show, new Will Ferrell movie|last=White|first=Marcia|work=[[Lehigh Valley]] Live|date=June 4, 2009|accessdate=June 12, 2009}}</ref> on the [[NBC|NBC television network]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.getty.net/texts/tv-67-83.txt |title=Prime Time TV Schedule (1967 Season) |work=getty.net |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090601183859/http://www.getty.net/texts/tv-67-83.txt |archive-date=June 1, 2009}}</ref> [[CBS]] used it as a [[summer replacement series]] from June 22 to December 28, 1985, and June 2 to September 5, 1987.<ref>Alex McNeil. ''Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present''. 4th Edition. New York: Penguin, 1996, 462. McNeil states that Rick Marshall is a [[forest ranger]], a likely assumption, but never specified in dialogue.</ref> It has since become a 1970s American [[cult classic]].<ref name="clod2">{{cite news |first=Tim |last=Clodfelter |title=Kids vids (review of ''Land of the Lost: The Complete First Season'') |newspaper=Winston-Salem Journal |date=August 5, 2004 |page=33}}</ref><ref name="rahner">{{Cite news |last=Mark |first=Rahner |title=Nicole Kidman and Jude Law sure are purty |newspaper=[[Seattle Times]] |date=July 2, 2004 |page=H22}}</ref> Krofft Productions [[Land of the Lost (1991 TV series)|remade the series]] in 1991, and adapted it into a [[Land of the Lost (film)|feature film]] in 2009. ==Overview== ''Land of the Lost'' details the adventures of the Marshall family (father Rick and his children Will and Holly), who are trapped in an alternate universe or [[Time travel in fiction|time warp]] inhabited by [[dinosaur]]s, a primate-like people called [[Land of the Lost (1974 TV series) characters and species#Pakuni|Pakuni]], and aggressive [[reptilian humanoids|humanoid/lizard creatures]] (described as similar to insects<ref>{{cite episode |title=Hurricane |series=Land of the Lost |number=16 |season=1}})</ref>) called [[Land of the Lost (1974 TV series) characters and species#Sleestak|Sleestak]]. The episode storylines focus on the family's efforts to survive and find a way back to their own world, but the exploration of the exotic inhabitants of the Land of the Lost is also an ongoing part of the story.<ref name="70slivekidvid">{{cite web|title=Land of the Lost|url=http://www.70slivekidvid.com/lotl.htm|work=70sLiveKidVid}}</ref> An article on renewed studio interest in feature-film versions of ''Land of the Lost'' and ''[[H.R. Pufnstuf]]'' commented that "decision-makers in Hollywood, and some big-name stars, have personal recollections of plopping down on the family-room wall-to-wall [[Shag (fabric)|shag]] sometime between 1969 and 1974 to tune in to multiple reruns of the Kroffts' Saturday morning live-action hits," and quoting Marty Krofft as saying that the head of [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]], [[Ronald Meyer]], and leaders at [[Sony Pictures]] all had been fans of Krofft programs.<ref name="kuklenski">{{Cite news |first=Valerie |last=Kuklenski |title=If Witchiepoo, Horation J. Hoodoo ring a bell with you |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Daily News]] |date=March 20, 2005 |page=U8}}</ref> A number of well-respected writers in the [[science-fiction]] field contributed scripts to the series (mostly in the first and second seasons), including [[Larry Niven]],<ref name="ball">{{cite news |first=Chris |last=Ball |title=Epic drama follows lovers separated by the Civil War |newspaper=[[The Plain Dealer]] |location=[[Cleveland, Ohio]] |date=July 2, 2004 |page=E4}}</ref> [[Theodore Sturgeon]],<ref name="ball"/><ref name="theodoresturgeontrust">{{cite web |url=http://www.theodoresturgeontrust.com/bio.html |title=About Theodore Sturgeon |work=Theodore Sturgeon Literary Trust |access-date=February 12, 2016}}</ref> [[Ben Bova]],<ref name="ball"/> and [[Norman Spinrad]], and a number of people involved with ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'', such as [[D.C. Fontana]],<ref name="ball"/> [[Walter Koenig]],<ref name="ball"/><ref name="deggans">{{Cite news |first=Eric |last=Deggans |title='Star Trek' actor finds another frontier |newspaper=[[St. Petersburg Times]] |date=January 21, 1998 |page=1D}}</ref><ref name="simple">{{Cite news |first=Jessica |last=Davis |title='Cartoon' is best when it's simple |newspaper=[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]] |date=March 9, 2004 |page=D5}}</ref> and [[David Gerrold]].<ref name="ball"/> Gerrold, Niven, and Fontana also contributed commentaries to the DVD of the first season.<ref name="rahner"/> The prolific Krofft team was influential in live-action children's television, producing many shows that were oddly formatted, highly energetic, and filled with special effects, with most of them following a "stranger in a strange land" storyline. Most of these shows were comedic in nature, but ''Land of the Lost'' was considerably more serious, especially during its first season, though as the series progressed, the dramatic tone diminished.<ref name="revival">{{Cite news |first=Tim |last=Clodfelter |title=Revival: the fantastic worlds of Sid and Marty Krofft are back in vogue again |newspaper=[[Winston-Salem Journal]] |location=[[Winston-Salem, NC]] |date=August 17, 2000 |page=E1}}</ref> ===Plot and format=== The Marshalls are brought to the mysterious world by means of a dimensional portal,<ref>{{cite episode |title=Circle |series=Land of the Lost |number=17 |season=1}}</ref> a device used frequently throughout the series and a major part of its internal [[contemporary mythology|mythology]]. This portal opens when they are swept down a gigantic 1,000-foot waterfall after being caught up in the world's largest earthquake on one of their scheduled trips. In "Circle", which explains the time paradox, this portal is actually opened by Rick Marshall himself while in Enik's cave, as a way for the current Marshalls to return to Earth, resolving the paradox and allowing Enik to also return to his time. Outfitted only for a short camping trip, the resourceful family from [[California]] takes shelter in a natural [[cave]] and improvises the provisions and tools that they need to survive. Their most common and dangerous encounters are with [[dinosaur]]s, particularly a ''[[Tyrannosaurus rex]]'' they nickname "Grumpy", which frequents the location of their cave. However, many of the dinosaurs are [[herbivore]]s, posing no threat to the Marshalls, unless unintentionally provoked. One is a particularly tame young [[brontosaurus]] that Holly looks on as a pet and nicknames "Dopey". They also encounter the mostly hostile [[Sleestak]] (a race of [[reptilian humanoid]]s/[[Insectoids in science fiction and fantasy|insectoid]]), and the [[primate]]-like creatures called Pakuni (one of whom, [[Land of the Lost (1974 TV series) characters and species#Ta.2C Sa.2C and Cha-Ka|Cha-Ka]], they befriend), as well as a variety of dangerous creatures, strange geography and unfamiliar technology. The main goal of the three is to find a way to return home. They are occasionally aided in this by the Altrusian castaway [[Land of the Lost (1974 TV series) characters and species#Enik|Enik]]. At the start of the third season, Rick Marshall (played by Spencer Milligan) abruptly disappeared while trying to use one of the pylons to get home, leaving his children behind; his disappearance is explained to having been accidentally returned to Earth alone. Rick is immediately replaced by his brother Jack, who stumbled upon his niece and nephew after having embarked on a search of his own to find them. Though the term "time doorway" is used throughout the series, ''Land of the Lost'' is not meant to portray an era in [[Earth]]'s history, but rather an enigmatic zone whose place and time are unknown. Indeed, within the first few minutes of the pilot, the Marshall family father tells his children that he spotted three moons in the sky. The original creators of these time portals were thought to be the ancestors of the Sleestak, called [[Land of the Lost (1974 TV series) characters and species#Altrusians|Altrusians]], though later episodes raised some questions about this. Many aspects of the ''Land of the Lost'', including the time doorways and environmental processes, were controlled by the Pylons, metallic [[obelisk]]-shaped booths that were larger on the inside than the outside and housed matrix tables β stone tables studded with a grid of colored crystals. Uncontrolled time doorways result in the arrival of a variety of [[Land of the Lost (1974 TV series) characters and species#Visitors to the Land|visitors and castaways]] in the land. ==Cast== {{Main|List of Land of the Lost characters and species}} <!-- ===Main=== --> * [[Wesley Eure]] (credited in season 1-2 as βWesleyβ) as Will Marshall * [[Kathy Coleman]] as Holly Marshall * [[Spencer Milligan]] as [[Land of the Lost (1974 TV series) characters and species#The Marshalls|Rick Marshall]] (seasons 1 and 2) * [[Phillip Paley|Philip Paley]] (season 1-2 recurring; season 3 starring) as [[Cha-Ka (character)|Cha-Ka]] * [[Ron Harper (actor)|Ron Harper]] (season 3) as Uncle Jack Marshall <!-- listed as featuring --> <!-- TBD ===Recurring=== * [[Sharon Baird]] (seasons 1 and 2) as [[Land of the Lost (1974 TV series) characters and species#Ta and Sa|Sa]] * Joe Giamalva (season 1) as [[Land of the Lost (1974 TV series) characters and species#Ta and Sa|Ta]] * Scutter McKay (season 2) as Ta * [[Walker Edmiston]] as [[Land of the Lost (1974 TV series) characters and species#Enik|Enik]] * [[Land of the Lost (1974 TV series) characters and species#The Zarn|The Zarn]] β [[Marvin Miller (actor)|Marvin Miller]] (voice) and [[Van Snowden]] (body) (season 2) * Malak β [[Richard Kiel]] (season 3) * [[Land of the Lost (1974 TV series) characters and species#Sleestak|Sleestak]] leader β [[Jon Locke]] (season 3) * [[Sleestak]] β [[Dave Greenwood]], [[Bill Laimbeer]], [[John Lambert (basketball)|John Lambert]], Cleveland Porter, Jack Tingley, Scott Fullerton, Mike Westra, Bill Boyd, David Harris, Clarke Roberts --> ==Production== ''Land of the Lost'' is notable for its epic-scale concept, which suggested an expansive world with many fantastic forms of life and mysterious technology, all created on a children's series' limited production budget. To support the internal mythology, [[linguistics|linguist]] [[Victoria Fromkin]] was commissioned to create a special language for the Pakuni, which she based on the sounds of [[West Africa]]n speech and attempted to build into the show in a gradual way that would allow viewers to learn the language over the course of many episodes.<ref name="revival"/><ref name="walker">{{Cite news |first=Kevin |last=Walker |title=Masters of puppets β New videos. Movies deals on the table. Suddenly, former Saturday morning television kings Sid and Marty Krofft are hot again |newspaper=[[The Tampa Tribune]] |date=June 18, 1999 |page=20}}</ref> The series' intention was to create a realistic fantasy world, albeit relying heavily on children's acceptance of minor inconsistencies. In a 1999 interview, first-season [[story editor]] and writer [[David Gerrold]] claimed that he largely created the show based on photographs of various science-fiction [[literary topos|topoi]] that were bound together in a book and given him by Sid Krofft and Allan Foshko.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lotl.popapostle.com/html/dginterview.html |title=T. lex - David Gerrold Interview |work=Pop Apostle}}</ref> It was a marked departure from the Krofft team's previous work, which mostly featured extremely stylized puppets and sets such as those in ''[[H.R. Pufnstuf]]'' and ''[[Lidsville]]''.<ref name="revival"/> The series for the first two seasons was shot on a modular indoor [[sound stage|soundstage]] at [[General Service Studios]] in Hollywood, and made economical use of a small number of sets and scenic props that were rearranged frequently to suggest the ostensibly vast jungles, ancient cities, and cave systems. As is traditional in many effect scenes, miniatures or scale-version settings were used for insertion of live-action scenes. Additional locations were often rendered using scale miniatures and [[chroma key]]. Spencer Milligan departed the show at the beginning of its third season for financial reasons. In addition to a salary increase, he believed the rest of the cast and he should receive compensation for using their images on various merchandise (mostly [[Rack jobber|rack toy]]s by [[Larami]],<ref>Heiler, Brian. ''Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings.'' Plaid Satallions, 2012, 115. {{ISBN|978-0991692200}}</ref> including a generic pack of toy dinosaurs believed to originate in [[Taiwan]]), but also a coloring book from [[Whitman Publishing]], a [[Little Golden Book]], [[View-Master]] reels and a [[Milton Bradley Company|Milton Bradley]] board game.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/13843/land-lost-game | title=Land of the Lost Game }}</ref> His character, Rick Marshall, was replaced by his brother Jack, played by actor [[Ron Harper (actor)|Ron Harper]], with a stand-in wearing a wig with his back to the camera portraying Rick for a brief scene being transported home.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.johnkennethmuir.com/JohnKennethMuirsRetroTVFile_LandoftheLost.html |title=Land of the Lost |work=John Kenneth Muir's Retro TV Files}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kensforce.com/Landotlost.html |title=Land Of The Lost (TV 1974 -1977) |work=Monster Island News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061101005832/http://www.kensforce.com/Landotlost.html |archive-date=November 1, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mediawhack.com/LandoftheLost.html |title=Land of the Lost Page |work=Mediawhack |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203001235/http://www.mediawhack.com/LandoftheLost.html |archive-date=December 3, 2013}}</ref> Nonhuman characters were portrayed by actors in latex rubber suits or heavy creature makeup. Dinosaurs in the series were created using a combination of [[stop motion]] animation miniatures, [[Rear projection effect|rear-projection film effects]], and occasional [[hand puppets]] for close-ups of dinosaur heads. The series marked a rare example of [[Matte (filmmaking)|matting]] filmed stop-motion sequences with videotape live action, so as to avoid the telltale blue 'fringe' produced in matting with less exacting processes. Though this occasionally worked very well, the difference in lighting between the video and film sequences sometimes brought inadvertent attention to the limitations of the process.{{Citation needed|date=January 2022}} Special-effects footage was frequently reused. Additional visual effects were achieved using manual film overlay techniques, the low-tech ancestor to later [[motion control]] photography. == Release == The series was originally shown by NBC on Saturday mornings, along with primarily animated shows for children. It later aired in daily syndication from 1978 to 1985 as part of the "Krofft Superstars" package. In 1985, it returned to late Saturday mornings on [[CBS]] as a replacement for the canceled ''[[Pryor's Place]]'' (also a Krofft production) followed by another brief return to CBS in the summer of 1987. It was later shown in reruns on the [[Syfy|Sci Fi Channel]] in the 1990s. Reruns of this series were aired on Saturday mornings on [[MeTV]] and are streamed online at any time on their website. ===Home media=== From 2004 to 2005, [[Rhino Entertainment]] held the rights to the show, and released seasons one through three, and a complete series package, with several bonus features, including commentaries, on all of the releases. The DVDs of the series earned a [[31st Saturn Awards#Best Retro Television Series on DVD|Saturn nomination]] for best retro TV series release in 2004. On May 26, 2009, [[Universal Studios, Inc.|Universal Studios]] released two complete series releases, one in original packaging, and the other enclosed in a reproduction of the ''Land of the Lost'' vintage '70s [[lunchbox]]; the only bonus feature was a look at the film starring [[Will Ferrell]]. On October 13, 2009, Universal released the three seasons individually; the DVDs are identical to Universal's Complete Series Boxes. (However, the Region 4 version of the 2009 box set does include the commentaries and interviews, but not the look at the Ferrell film.) The series is also available in digital media format. ==Remakes== Despite a relatively short run, the show continued to be aired extensively through syndication. Based on that success, a [[Land of the Lost (1991 TV series)|remake]] of the series began in 1991 and ran for two seasons.<ref>{{cite news |first=Tom |last=Long |url=http://www.detnews.com/article/20090605/OPINION03/906050346/Will-Ferrell-hits-an-all-time-low-with-lame--Land-of-the-Lost- |title=Will Ferrell hits an all-time low with lame 'Land of the Lost' |newspaper=[[The Detroit News]] |date=June 5, 2009 |access-date=June 5, 2009}}</ref> In 2009, [[Land of the Lost (film)|a feature film]] was released, which parodied the original series for adult audiences. It was directed by [[Brad Silberling]] and starred comedian [[Will Ferrell]], with the Krofft brothers serving as co-producers. In 2015, Sid and Marty Krofft reportedly were working on a reboot to ''Land of the Lost'' following what they called "that other movie".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://comicbook.com/2015/07/12/sid-and-marty-krofft-talk-the-land-of-the-lost-reboot----and-the/|title = Sid and Marty Krofft Talk the Land of the Lost Reboot -- and They're Sorry About That Other Movie}}</ref> In a 2018 podcast interview with both Sid and Marty Krofft, they reconfirmed that they are still working on an updated remake of ''Land of the Lost'' and that this time it will be an hour-long series. ==See also== * [[List of Land of the Lost episodes|List of ''Land of the Lost'' episodes]] * [[List of Land of the Lost characters and species|''Land of the Lost'' characters and species]] * [[Land of the Lost (1991 TV series)|''Land of the Lost'' (1991 TV series)]], the remake of the original series * [[Land of the Lost (film)|''Land of the Lost'' (film)]], a 2009 film starring [[Will Ferrell]] loosely based on the 1974 series * ''[[Valley of the Dinosaurs]]'', a [[Hanna-Barbera]] cartoon, also from 1974, with a somewhat similar premise ==References== {{Reflist|30em}} ==External links== * {{IMDb title|id=0071005|title=Land of the Lost|description=(1974)}} * [https://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200505/20050520.html Tavis Smiley β Sid & Marty Krofft Interview (Transcript and RealPlayer Audio)] * [http://www.maximumfun.org/blog/2007/05/podcast-marty-krofft.html Jesse Thorn/The Sound of Young America β Marty Krofft Interview (Podcast)] * [http://lotl.popapostle.com/html/episodes/LOTL70/episodes.htm ''Land of the Lost'' episode studies at PopApostle] {{Land of the Lost}} {{Sid and Marty Krofft}} {{Children's programming on NBC in the 1970s}} {{Children's programming on CBS in the 1980s}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Land of the Lost (1974 Tv Series)}} [[Category:Land of the Lost| ]] [[Category:1974 American television series debuts]] [[Category:1976 American television series endings]] [[Category:1970s American children's television series]] [[Category:1970s American science fiction television series]] [[Category:NBC television dramas]] [[Category:American television shows featuring puppetry]] [[Category:1970s American time travel television series]] [[Category:American children's adventure television series]] [[Category:American children's science fiction television series]] [[Category:Television series about being lost from home]] [[Category:Television series by Sid and Marty Krofft Television Productions]] [[Category:Television series by CBS Studios]] [[Category:American adventure television series]] [[Category:Television series about families]] [[Category:American television series with live action and animation]] [[Category:Fiction about modern-day dinosaurs]]
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