Cheesy music, sets and acting don't detract from the excellence of some of the stories in this TV series, some co-written by Science Fiction greats like Larry Niven. This series was one of my favorites as a kid and helped spark a lifetime interest in Science Fiction... and eventually science as well. I didn't end up a scientist per-se, but some of these stories are great and still watchable (and some are just plain dumb). No specific names or numbers to recommend... watch 'em if you can find 'em and try not to wince at the cheese of the "special effects" and weird mix of banjo and synthesizer music.
38 Reviews
Excellent science fiction series
Rick_6626 April 2003
The Land of the Lost was an excellent science fiction series-- especially given that it aired on a Saturday morning. Granted, the third season wasn't as good as the first two, with writers ignoring much of the internal logic that had previously been established, but even the third season was better than much of the Saturday morning fare today.
To clear up some misconceptions about the series, the Marshall family did not travel back in time; they fell through a time doorway which transported them to a small, closed universe, which included, among other things, three moons in the sky. In this small universe, a balance was maintained. In order for anyone to enter, the same number of people had to leave (and vice versa).
The presence of the dinosaurs (one of the attractions of the show for many) may be why people think the Marshalls went to Earth's past. But other features, such as the Lost City and the pylons, which TARDIS-like are bigger on the inside than the outside, are signs of a highly advanced culture; one, which we later learn, built the Land of the Lost. The pylons controlled the environment of the land, and some contained time doorways leading to other dimensions.
Oh, and for the record, the dinosaur named "Alice" is called that because she's an allosaur. It's a nickname.
There was a later version of Land of the Lost in 1992, and while it had better effects and slightly better acting, the original was "Masterpiece Theatre" by comparison. While the original Land of the Lost does have some flaws, it at least had interesting scripts and looked like it was another world; and it had a certain quality to it that the remake-- which was filmed in some park-- lacked.
There are currently eight episodes available on video, with four of them re-released to DVD. Like I said, the Land of the Lost isn't perfect (though many of the eight episodes available are considered among the better ones, especially "The Stranger", "Elsewhen" and my personal favorite, "Circle") but it's better than a lot of the stuff on today.
Rick
To clear up some misconceptions about the series, the Marshall family did not travel back in time; they fell through a time doorway which transported them to a small, closed universe, which included, among other things, three moons in the sky. In this small universe, a balance was maintained. In order for anyone to enter, the same number of people had to leave (and vice versa).
The presence of the dinosaurs (one of the attractions of the show for many) may be why people think the Marshalls went to Earth's past. But other features, such as the Lost City and the pylons, which TARDIS-like are bigger on the inside than the outside, are signs of a highly advanced culture; one, which we later learn, built the Land of the Lost. The pylons controlled the environment of the land, and some contained time doorways leading to other dimensions.
Oh, and for the record, the dinosaur named "Alice" is called that because she's an allosaur. It's a nickname.
There was a later version of Land of the Lost in 1992, and while it had better effects and slightly better acting, the original was "Masterpiece Theatre" by comparison. While the original Land of the Lost does have some flaws, it at least had interesting scripts and looked like it was another world; and it had a certain quality to it that the remake-- which was filmed in some park-- lacked.
There are currently eight episodes available on video, with four of them re-released to DVD. Like I said, the Land of the Lost isn't perfect (though many of the eight episodes available are considered among the better ones, especially "The Stranger", "Elsewhen" and my personal favorite, "Circle") but it's better than a lot of the stuff on today.
Rick
Loved it!
seventag31 May 2002
As a child of the 70's I watched this show religiously! It use to scare me to death every time I saw the dinosaurs or the Sleestak! I recently saw an episode and it brought back so many wonderful childhood memories when I would get up early on Saturday mornings just to watch Marshall, Will and Holly! Oh yea, can't forget the Sleestak and Chaka!
This show rules - forget the crappy 1991 remake!
xman19747 September 1999
Yes! This is the BEST Sid and Marty Kroft show that ever was. The first two seasons are brilliant from the great theme song ("Marshall, Will, and Holly on a river expedition ran into the greatest earthquake ever knoooooooown....." to the above average scripts, special fx, and acting.
However, the third season really fell apart and the two kids on the show starting singing these horrible musical numbers. Also, their dad left the show to be replaced by their uncle and the scripts got hokey and contrived.
All that being said...My overall of the opinion of the show remains really favorable though. The Sleekstacks scared the doo-doo out of me as a kid although they never could move any faster than in a shuffle. For a kid's show, this one was REALLY good and I will remember it forever.
Forget the 1991 remake...It is stupid beyond belief isn't even worth comment.
However, the third season really fell apart and the two kids on the show starting singing these horrible musical numbers. Also, their dad left the show to be replaced by their uncle and the scripts got hokey and contrived.
All that being said...My overall of the opinion of the show remains really favorable though. The Sleekstacks scared the doo-doo out of me as a kid although they never could move any faster than in a shuffle. For a kid's show, this one was REALLY good and I will remember it forever.
Forget the 1991 remake...It is stupid beyond belief isn't even worth comment.
Beware of the Sleestak!!
jsfmt9914 January 2005
This was my favorite Saturday morning program by Sid and Marty Krofft
On a rafting expedition, the Marshall family (Holly, Will and father Rick) fall down a waterfall into a time portal which sent them to the Land of the Lost. The land of the lost was a prehistoric world.
Each week, the Marshall family faced many challenges and shared many learning experiences in the Land of the Lost. It was a story of survival. They dodged dinosaurs and befriended Cha-Ka, who was a prehistoric simian humanoid. Cha-Ka could speak in his native language Pakuni, which was learned by the Marshall Family. It is my understanding that a Pakuni dictionary has been written for those of you who want to learn Pakuni.
For its time the special effects were very good but the acting sometimes was overkill and really fake which made me laugh just because it seemed so stupid. But then again, the actors were often acting to a blue screen and the special effects were added later.
The thing that I remember the most about this show (other than my crush for actress Kathy Coleman who played Holly Marshall) was the Sleestak.
Remember the Sleestak? Those giant walking hissing lizards with those big bug eyes? A few of the Sleestak were played by professional basketball players. They really scared me as a kid and I always remembered that to get rid of them all I had to do was to touch a blue and green crystal together to create a force field.
The settings of the Land of the Lost were very imaginative and unique such as the lost city and the pylons. The background music was both a little corny but eerie too!
There were also many other memorable characters in this show including the Zarn, Enik, Ta, Sa and Malak. The Zarn was the most mysterious and scariest character in the series. The Zarn was often invisible and his presence could be heard and it sounded like wind chimes cutting through the eerie silence.
You can find more information about the show on the Land of the Lost website: www.landofthelost.com
This program had 43 episodes and ran for 3 years (1974-1977). It has been released on DVD. You can buy the DVD series on Ebay.
On a rafting expedition, the Marshall family (Holly, Will and father Rick) fall down a waterfall into a time portal which sent them to the Land of the Lost. The land of the lost was a prehistoric world.
Each week, the Marshall family faced many challenges and shared many learning experiences in the Land of the Lost. It was a story of survival. They dodged dinosaurs and befriended Cha-Ka, who was a prehistoric simian humanoid. Cha-Ka could speak in his native language Pakuni, which was learned by the Marshall Family. It is my understanding that a Pakuni dictionary has been written for those of you who want to learn Pakuni.
For its time the special effects were very good but the acting sometimes was overkill and really fake which made me laugh just because it seemed so stupid. But then again, the actors were often acting to a blue screen and the special effects were added later.
The thing that I remember the most about this show (other than my crush for actress Kathy Coleman who played Holly Marshall) was the Sleestak.
Remember the Sleestak? Those giant walking hissing lizards with those big bug eyes? A few of the Sleestak were played by professional basketball players. They really scared me as a kid and I always remembered that to get rid of them all I had to do was to touch a blue and green crystal together to create a force field.
The settings of the Land of the Lost were very imaginative and unique such as the lost city and the pylons. The background music was both a little corny but eerie too!
There were also many other memorable characters in this show including the Zarn, Enik, Ta, Sa and Malak. The Zarn was the most mysterious and scariest character in the series. The Zarn was often invisible and his presence could be heard and it sounded like wind chimes cutting through the eerie silence.
You can find more information about the show on the Land of the Lost website: www.landofthelost.com
This program had 43 episodes and ran for 3 years (1974-1977). It has been released on DVD. You can buy the DVD series on Ebay.
This thing is almost thirty years old now!
richard.fuller110 June 2001
I used to argue with my brother over this show. I wanted to watch 'Valley of the Dinosaurs' and he wanted to watch this one. To tell the truth, he was in the right, and I never did watch Valley on a regular basis.
It still has some corn to it, the acting was over the top from all three players, but I just took it that they took after their father. This was about the only show that it never bothered me that there were unanswered questions about things that happened, like the pylons, the skylons and sleestax (the way it was written on the wall). I used to think they had enough to contend with with Grumpy and Big Al and Big Alice without getting sleestax on top of it. Definitely one of the better of the Sid & Marty Krofft shows, if not the best, better than Pufnstuf. The show may have held on if Spencer Mulligan, as Dad, had not left. It wasn't the same show.
It still has some corn to it, the acting was over the top from all three players, but I just took it that they took after their father. This was about the only show that it never bothered me that there were unanswered questions about things that happened, like the pylons, the skylons and sleestax (the way it was written on the wall). I used to think they had enough to contend with with Grumpy and Big Al and Big Alice without getting sleestax on top of it. Definitely one of the better of the Sid & Marty Krofft shows, if not the best, better than Pufnstuf. The show may have held on if Spencer Mulligan, as Dad, had not left. It wasn't the same show.
Talk about Must See TV
travis-741 September 2003
NBC would be proud of the Fact that this show was most definitely Must See TV for me in the 70's. I absolutely Looooovvvvveeeed Kathy Coleman as Holly. Wesley Eure (also Mike Horton on Day's of our Lives at the time) sang the title song.
I felt it had great special effects with the stop motion animation on the dinosaur scenes. Although recently On VH1's 70's tribute, I saw some scenes, in pretty bad video chroma-key.
Easily the best Kroft show. Remember, HR Puffenstuff (for crying out loud.) I would hang up on anyone who called me when LoTL was on. In season 3 when Chaka started speaking English and Spencer Mulligan was gone the show went straight into the crapper. But that Kathy Coleman. Love her, Love her, Love her! I last saw her on TV in an Arthur Treachers Advertisement, (God give me strength.) Good times, fer sure. According to imdb she hasn't acted since and tribute sites say the same.
Shame, she was HOT!
I felt it had great special effects with the stop motion animation on the dinosaur scenes. Although recently On VH1's 70's tribute, I saw some scenes, in pretty bad video chroma-key.
Easily the best Kroft show. Remember, HR Puffenstuff (for crying out loud.) I would hang up on anyone who called me when LoTL was on. In season 3 when Chaka started speaking English and Spencer Mulligan was gone the show went straight into the crapper. But that Kathy Coleman. Love her, Love her, Love her! I last saw her on TV in an Arthur Treachers Advertisement, (God give me strength.) Good times, fer sure. According to imdb she hasn't acted since and tribute sites say the same.
Shame, she was HOT!
a fun place to get lost in
powersroc22 November 2004
This was an intriguing Saturday morning TV series created by Sid & Marty Kroft. The Marshall family;father Rick,son Will,& daughter Holly are out on a camping trip when the raft ride they take plunges down a waterfall & into a crevasse following an earthquke.In this unknown world they encounter prehistoric animals,the remains of a very old city carved out of stone,a race of humanoid lizards,& mysterious pylons located throughout the jungle.Wonderful stop motion animation was used in this show,a special fx rarely seen on television shows.There was also some terrific matte work depicting this lost land.The actors were appealing,& David Gerrold,Larry Nivan,D.C.Fontana,& Theodore Sturgeon were some of the top flight talent contributing scripts to the show.It was a kids show that aspired to bring spectacle,nifty fx,& quality writing to each episode.
One of the single most sublimely screwy Saturday morning kidvid TV shows to ever grace the airwaves
Woodyanders26 August 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I use to religiously watch this incredibly off-the-wall quirky'n'kooky children's TV show every Saturday morning as a kid growing up in the mid to late 70's. Stalwart widowed forest ranger dad Rick Marshall (excellently played by the firm-as-granite Spencer Milligan), his whiny son Will (teen pin-up hunkling Wesley Eure) and spunky daughter Holly (adorable pig-tailed cutie Kathy Coleman) are absorbed through a mysterious time portal into an exotic and dangerous primitive world populated by ferocious dinosaurs, savage cavemen, vicious humanoid lizards called Sleestaks, and other such otherworldly beings. The trio are terrorized by Grumpy the Tyrannosaurus Rex, befriended by Cha-Ka the simpleton furball missing link, and try their best to leave this alternate universe. Of course, they run across plenty of bizarre beasties such as Medusa and the Abominable Snowman. Rick was eventually replaced by the equally gutsy Uncle Jack (rugged Ron Harper), but the show never lost its strangely beguiling and captivating sense of zany oddball fun, with the crude herky-jerky stop motion animation, chintzy sets, endearingly shoddy special effects, offbeat plots, likable main characters, and a simply spectacular spirited hillbilly bluegrass theme song all adding immensely to the hugely entertaining weirdness. An awesome vintage 70's time capsule of lovably ludicrous lunacy.
Available on Netflix
brannentaylor3 May 2006
We ordered this on Netflix for our 8 year old who loves dinosaurs. He loved it just as much as we did, back in the day. My nine year old daughter liked it too. Tried doing a lookup on the main character actors - doesn't seem they did much in the way of movies or TV after the show. Can't believe we made our parents watch this - love the special effects now ... how the three of them are in a raft and the size of the river looks to be about 8 inches across, and the bricks slam down on it, then they're in the same jungle scene time after time, and its always dusty ... :D Didn't know that Walter Koenig wrote an episode - his commentary is on the Disc 1 features - kind of funny to here him without a Slovak accent. Brings back some nice memories.
Ahhh... The Glory Days of the Golden Age of Cartoons
ramairthree4 February 2012
Once upon a time, Saturday mornings meant something.
Starting in the mid to late 60s, programming started to pick up in focus and quality for kids all concentrated on Saturday morning.
By about 1970 they had it down and in my opinion had a great ten year run. So many shows did so well with merchandising by 1980 or so the cartoons were no longer created for kids, but the merchandise/toys cart was put ahead of the actual cartoon horse.
Ten more years of mucking with cartoons "for the good of the children" went even further down the hole. Then, there was just so much other entertainment all the time the "holiness" of the Saturday morning cartoons is long gone.
Ah, but if you were a pre-school/grade school kid from about 1970 to 1980, it was magic. No recording, no streaming, no internet, no video games. You had a few special hours just for you on the TV every Saturday morning. You saw it then, or got lucky with a repeat, or never saw it again.
I have a few memories of Scooby Doo, SuperFriends, Valley of the Dinosaurs, SpeedBuggy, etc. from that era. There were even Star Trek and Planet of the Apes cartoons to mirror live action shows. And one special niche on Saturday morning was what I call "live action cartoons." ISIS, Shazamm!, and, Land of the Lost.
I was five years old and just started first grade when I woke up Saturday morning. I climbed on the counter, got down a bowl of Cheerios, went to the table, got into the parent's coffee sugar bowl, dumped half a dozen heaping spoons of sugar on there, poured on the milk, and headed for the TV.
Thirteen inches of black and white with NBC, CBS, ABC, and PBS on VHF and two more channels on UHF. And I was rewarded with a show with dinosaurs and the kids got their own knives! Too cool. Not even counting the monkey cave man friend, power crystals, and lizard/insect scary people that hissed and had the coolest sling-shot crossbow things ever.
I loved this show. Heck, there was a blond named Holly in my class that thanks to this show I still have a crush on to this day in addition to the actual Holly from the show.
Now, for the record, unless you have child hood memories of this show, you are not going to like it. Groovy crystals, a typical 70s twenty something year old actor playing a teenager and rocking the wide open shirt, corny dialog, kumbaya themes delivered by a so much more enlightened and hipper than anyone generation a decade before they red lined the greed and consumption meter, etc.
But where else in the world in the middle of the 70s was a kid going to get to watch an Allosaurus throw down face to face with a T. Rex?
IF you experienced this show as part of your childhood, and IF you have a few grade school aged kids left, buy the set and enjoy.
Some of the episodes have some pretty cool concepts by good writers, it's very nostalgic, and it is just plain fun.
Starting in the mid to late 60s, programming started to pick up in focus and quality for kids all concentrated on Saturday morning.
By about 1970 they had it down and in my opinion had a great ten year run. So many shows did so well with merchandising by 1980 or so the cartoons were no longer created for kids, but the merchandise/toys cart was put ahead of the actual cartoon horse.
Ten more years of mucking with cartoons "for the good of the children" went even further down the hole. Then, there was just so much other entertainment all the time the "holiness" of the Saturday morning cartoons is long gone.
Ah, but if you were a pre-school/grade school kid from about 1970 to 1980, it was magic. No recording, no streaming, no internet, no video games. You had a few special hours just for you on the TV every Saturday morning. You saw it then, or got lucky with a repeat, or never saw it again.
I have a few memories of Scooby Doo, SuperFriends, Valley of the Dinosaurs, SpeedBuggy, etc. from that era. There were even Star Trek and Planet of the Apes cartoons to mirror live action shows. And one special niche on Saturday morning was what I call "live action cartoons." ISIS, Shazamm!, and, Land of the Lost.
I was five years old and just started first grade when I woke up Saturday morning. I climbed on the counter, got down a bowl of Cheerios, went to the table, got into the parent's coffee sugar bowl, dumped half a dozen heaping spoons of sugar on there, poured on the milk, and headed for the TV.
Thirteen inches of black and white with NBC, CBS, ABC, and PBS on VHF and two more channels on UHF. And I was rewarded with a show with dinosaurs and the kids got their own knives! Too cool. Not even counting the monkey cave man friend, power crystals, and lizard/insect scary people that hissed and had the coolest sling-shot crossbow things ever.
I loved this show. Heck, there was a blond named Holly in my class that thanks to this show I still have a crush on to this day in addition to the actual Holly from the show.
Now, for the record, unless you have child hood memories of this show, you are not going to like it. Groovy crystals, a typical 70s twenty something year old actor playing a teenager and rocking the wide open shirt, corny dialog, kumbaya themes delivered by a so much more enlightened and hipper than anyone generation a decade before they red lined the greed and consumption meter, etc.
But where else in the world in the middle of the 70s was a kid going to get to watch an Allosaurus throw down face to face with a T. Rex?
IF you experienced this show as part of your childhood, and IF you have a few grade school aged kids left, buy the set and enjoy.
Some of the episodes have some pretty cool concepts by good writers, it's very nostalgic, and it is just plain fun.
Sid and Marty Croft on good drugs!
jim-244127 December 2008
This was the best show I remember from my childhood. The Sleestak were clearly big-eyed representations of "The Man". Anywhere you went, they were lurking there to kill your buzz.
There was one Sleestak that was friendly. He was an old man who knew how to use crystal, I mean crystals to get s**t done.
Chaka was that one foreign kid you hung out with. He didn't make any sense, but he was hilarious to watch. The father figure was OK enough. At least he didn't keep the kids from going out and looking for crystal, I mean crystals, and teasing dinosaurs and such. If Holly and Chaka had a thing, I think he would have fed Chaka to a dinosaur or thrown him off a cliff.
There was one Sleestak that was friendly. He was an old man who knew how to use crystal, I mean crystals to get s**t done.
Chaka was that one foreign kid you hung out with. He didn't make any sense, but he was hilarious to watch. The father figure was OK enough. At least he didn't keep the kids from going out and looking for crystal, I mean crystals, and teasing dinosaurs and such. If Holly and Chaka had a thing, I think he would have fed Chaka to a dinosaur or thrown him off a cliff.
It really was a good show, ya know.
kilted91121 September 2006
Do keep in mind that for the vast majority of those posting here, we are looking at the series through adult eyes, yet the show was never intended for adults. This show was extremely well written for what it was, and for it's intended audience.
If you look at the show today as an adult, accepting the fact that the show was created for kids only, you would then see just how incredibly well-written it was. My favorite episode? I have two. The first is the one where they find the bones and uniform of a soldier from either the Civil War or the Revolutionary War (I can't remember which), and then the one where an alternate Marshall Will and Holly are found sticking out of a wall in a cave. See? For a Saturday morning kid's show, it was incredible. It wasn't the West Wing, but it never was intended to be that, either.
If you look at the show today as an adult, accepting the fact that the show was created for kids only, you would then see just how incredibly well-written it was. My favorite episode? I have two. The first is the one where they find the bones and uniform of a soldier from either the Civil War or the Revolutionary War (I can't remember which), and then the one where an alternate Marshall Will and Holly are found sticking out of a wall in a cave. See? For a Saturday morning kid's show, it was incredible. It wasn't the West Wing, but it never was intended to be that, either.
Better left to nostalgia.
Java_Joe24 June 2019
The year is 1974 and I was obsessed with dinosaurs. I don't mean I liked them or I found they were really cool. No, I was full on obsessed with them. Everything I read dealt with dinosaurs. I knew all the names, what they did, when they lived, everything. So when this came out I was over the moon.
The story deals with the Marshall family, Rick and his children Will and Holly, who on a rafting trip wind up falling into the "Land of the Lost" which was another world of sorts where dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures lived. And let me tell you the humanoid lizard bad guys in this, called the Sleestak, terrified me like you wouldn't believe. But the dinosaurs kept bringing me back week after week.
The special effects are laughable. The dinosaurs were stop motion, everything was shot in front of a blue screen giving it that unreal look and even the rocks had a fake look about them. But this was a Sid & Marty Krofft staple. They made do the best they could with the budget they were given. Seeing it years later and you can really see that it hasn't aged well.
It's an interesting product of the times including showing dinosaurs walking and dragging their tails behind them. What do you expect? It was the 70's and dinos were thought to be just big lizards.
It's a kid's show and maybe that's where it needs to stay.
The story deals with the Marshall family, Rick and his children Will and Holly, who on a rafting trip wind up falling into the "Land of the Lost" which was another world of sorts where dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures lived. And let me tell you the humanoid lizard bad guys in this, called the Sleestak, terrified me like you wouldn't believe. But the dinosaurs kept bringing me back week after week.
The special effects are laughable. The dinosaurs were stop motion, everything was shot in front of a blue screen giving it that unreal look and even the rocks had a fake look about them. But this was a Sid & Marty Krofft staple. They made do the best they could with the budget they were given. Seeing it years later and you can really see that it hasn't aged well.
It's an interesting product of the times including showing dinosaurs walking and dragging their tails behind them. What do you expect? It was the 70's and dinos were thought to be just big lizards.
It's a kid's show and maybe that's where it needs to stay.
family on rafting expedition winds up in another world
jefffisher65-708-54115818 June 2013
Warning: Spoilers
The original 1970s Land of the Lost seems to be a very special memory for the great majority of those who were pre-schoolers/grade schoolers in the 1970-1980 period, despite a few annoying downbeat reviews. In my own case, I recall LoL being one of my favorite memories of Saturday mornings in the '70s, one of the best "live action cartoons". Others of that sort were Shazam, Isis, Ark II, etc., but LoL outdid them all, and yes, I have seen the DVD releases as an adult - the defects are obvious, true. The acting could have been better(although I always found Kathy Coleman very good as Holly - were there any of us guys who didn't have a crush on her?) No doubt the dinosaurs were a big part of the attraction for many(I assume the creators of the land of lost brought them there at some point before their civilization fell), the Sleestak, and so on. Enik was often a fun character as well(played by late Walker Edmiston), who was from the period when the "Altrusians" were civilized, and built the land - sort of a traveling dimensional-door repairman, I guess, who became stranded in the land's future himself. The episode with the remains of the Revolutionary War soldiers stuck in the memory, esp. when the Sleestak revive near the climax, the Pylon Express was another good one. For the record, the Krofts were noted for being penny pincher's when it came to just about everything, special effects included. Then, any 1970s-era live action sci-fi Saturday morning series has cheesy effects by todays standards, for crying out loud, people! True enough, the 3rd season wasn't as good when Ron harper replaced Spencer Millgan - Rick Marshall(Milligan) fell through a pylon-dimension dorr during an earthquake) and Uncle Jack(Harper) came in to replace him while searching for the family. Harper was a good actor, but let down by lower-quality scripts('though I did enjoy some of the mythological aspects like bringing in Medusa). The songs Will sung that final season were indeed awful, though...
The mid-2000's DVD release in 3 volumes has a number of interviews, and commentaries which are missing on the later single-set re-issue, so try to get those, if possible. The 1992 TV remake despite great effects is a quite bad series, one which didn't last a full two seasons - not issued on disc, but I would say avoid it in any case.
The mid-2000's DVD release in 3 volumes has a number of interviews, and commentaries which are missing on the later single-set re-issue, so try to get those, if possible. The 1992 TV remake despite great effects is a quite bad series, one which didn't last a full two seasons - not issued on disc, but I would say avoid it in any case.
The Best Known Krofft Show
hfan7713 August 2012
I remember watching a number of Sid and Marty Krofft shows in the 70s, including H.R. Pufnstuf, Lidsville and Sigmund and the Sea Monsters. But one show that had more episodes any of the shows the Krofft brothers produced was Land of the Lost. Whereas the majority of their shows lasted 17 episodes or a little more, Land of the Lost ran for 43 episodes and spawned a revival in the 90s and a movie with Will Ferrell.
What I remember the most about the show was the opening theme "Marshall, will and Holly. On a routine expedition." It was an outstanding theme song since it set up the premise that would last for the entire run as the family tried to go back to the present.
The one thing that stood out to me was the stop-motion photography on the dinosaurs, especially when they were roaring. In a number of trivia books I have on TV, I inserted a joke credit that said "Rubber Dinosaurs-Themselves." As for the cast, Wesley Eure (known by only his first name in the opening credits) was outstanding as Will. He was also on the network's long-running soap opera Days of Our Lives, so viewers could see him six days a week. There was also Kathy Coleman as Holly and Spencer Milligan as Rick. Milligan left the show after the second season and was replaced by Ron Harper as Uncle Jack.
I should also point out that Land of the Lost introduced viewers to a new language, Paku, which was spoken by Cha-ka of the Pakuni tribe. Phillip Paley, who played Cha-Ka had no trouble with the language and played the role well.
Basketball fans should also notice a couple of tall guys who played members of the Sleestak tribe. David Greenwood, who played for the Chicago Bulls and Bill Laimbeer, who later played for the World Champion Detroit Pistons.
Land of the Lost is a show that will take you back in time to the days of cavemen and dinosaurs. A radical departure from any Krofft show since there are no psychedelic sets and it's more of an adventure show.
What I remember the most about the show was the opening theme "Marshall, will and Holly. On a routine expedition." It was an outstanding theme song since it set up the premise that would last for the entire run as the family tried to go back to the present.
The one thing that stood out to me was the stop-motion photography on the dinosaurs, especially when they were roaring. In a number of trivia books I have on TV, I inserted a joke credit that said "Rubber Dinosaurs-Themselves." As for the cast, Wesley Eure (known by only his first name in the opening credits) was outstanding as Will. He was also on the network's long-running soap opera Days of Our Lives, so viewers could see him six days a week. There was also Kathy Coleman as Holly and Spencer Milligan as Rick. Milligan left the show after the second season and was replaced by Ron Harper as Uncle Jack.
I should also point out that Land of the Lost introduced viewers to a new language, Paku, which was spoken by Cha-ka of the Pakuni tribe. Phillip Paley, who played Cha-Ka had no trouble with the language and played the role well.
Basketball fans should also notice a couple of tall guys who played members of the Sleestak tribe. David Greenwood, who played for the Chicago Bulls and Bill Laimbeer, who later played for the World Champion Detroit Pistons.
Land of the Lost is a show that will take you back in time to the days of cavemen and dinosaurs. A radical departure from any Krofft show since there are no psychedelic sets and it's more of an adventure show.
An Awesome Series!!!
Pumpkin_Man1 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers
After I saw the extremely awesome Land of the Lost movie for a 2nd time, I wanted to see the series that it was based on. I was new to the series, and I thought it was pretty good! They have good plots, cheesy special effects, and much more. On a routine expedition, Marshall, Will, and Holly meet the greatest earthquake ever known. They are transported to the Land of the Lost, and try to find their way back home. Throughout the season they must deal with a T-Rex named Grumpy, befriend a Pakuni named Cha-Ka, escape the Sleestak, seek Enik's help, and meet a friendly dinosaur named Dopey. During the 2nd season the Marshalls are still trying to get home, and throughout the season they must deal with Sleestak, the Zarn, help Cha-Ka steal a dinosaur egg, survive powerful storms, and deal with blackouts. During the third season, Rick Marshall is transported back to Earth due to an earthquake, the same time his brother Jack comes looking for them. The earthquake causes new creatures to awaken. All the Pakuni, except Cha-Ka are gone. Cha-Ka speaks English. Their home in the Land of the Lost is destroyed, and they are forced to find a new place to live. During the course of this season Will turns invisible, the Sleestak tamper with the sunlight, they meet Medusa, go aboard the Flying Dutchman, stop an Abominable Snowman, Cha-Ka turns evil, and much more! I highly recommend LAND OF THE LOST: THE COMPLETE SERIES!!!
p.s. When Ifind out about the ticket to see the Land of the Lost movie, I used it, and saw it for a 3rd time on June 23rd! I took my mom, but she didn't like it as much as I did. I got two free LAND OF THE LOST posters. I wanted the one with Rick, Holly, and Will in the raft, with Grumpy behind them, and the people of the theatre also gave the one with Will Ferrell running and Grumpy is busting out of the poster! I already put them up in my room.
p.s. When Ifind out about the ticket to see the Land of the Lost movie, I used it, and saw it for a 3rd time on June 23rd! I took my mom, but she didn't like it as much as I did. I got two free LAND OF THE LOST posters. I wanted the one with Rick, Holly, and Will in the raft, with Grumpy behind them, and the people of the theatre also gave the one with Will Ferrell running and Grumpy is busting out of the poster! I already put them up in my room.
Whatever happened to the Altruisans? advanced science and tech... they vanished... why?
jdietrich2-112 February 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Well thought out background story continued throughout the series. The Altruisans built a "pocket" universe to live in. Safe from everything, they controlled what entered and left. What happened?
They had time travel, dimensional travel... Manipulated great energies and forces by use of the pylons which were controlled by the position of color coded crystals... but yet they vanished... Only to leave the remains of their once great race, the Sleestax.
The Marshall family "fell" into this pocket universe. Each episode they deal with daily survival, food, water, and monsters... and discovering how this world works to find a way home. They were also a family dealing with the usual joys, tears and fears families deal with. It was a good balance between the science of the "Land of the Lost" and human stories.
While Enik, the last Altruisan, unable to remember (or never having known) seeks ways to discover what happened to his people. The character of Enik was only in a few episodes but it did set the tone for a mystery of a "lost race" and were some of the best episodes.
It was sad to seen this show end, it was one of the few highlights of Saturday morning TV. If this show had been given a bigger budget and an hour time slot it could have been a prime time sci-fi series.
They had time travel, dimensional travel... Manipulated great energies and forces by use of the pylons which were controlled by the position of color coded crystals... but yet they vanished... Only to leave the remains of their once great race, the Sleestax.
The Marshall family "fell" into this pocket universe. Each episode they deal with daily survival, food, water, and monsters... and discovering how this world works to find a way home. They were also a family dealing with the usual joys, tears and fears families deal with. It was a good balance between the science of the "Land of the Lost" and human stories.
While Enik, the last Altruisan, unable to remember (or never having known) seeks ways to discover what happened to his people. The character of Enik was only in a few episodes but it did set the tone for a mystery of a "lost race" and were some of the best episodes.
It was sad to seen this show end, it was one of the few highlights of Saturday morning TV. If this show had been given a bigger budget and an hour time slot it could have been a prime time sci-fi series.
I loved this show.....
walden0218 March 2008
As a 70's child I loved this show.... It is amazing that with such little money and bad acting, we were all so entertained for so long. I enjoyed this so much as a kid that I have purchased the series on DVD for my children. Nowdays for a lot of children, unless the budget is in the millions and all the imagination is removed (creating mindless, non-thinking zombies) they cannot sit and enjoy the simple things.
As "cheesy" as some say this series was, by reading some responses here, it made a lot of us "70's" kids get up early on a Saturday morning! I have also found lids-ville, Sigmund the sea monster, HR puff and stuff, lost saucer and far out space nuts episodes on DVD.
At nearly 40, I am able to visit my childhood every Saturday with my kids when we watch them....
As "cheesy" as some say this series was, by reading some responses here, it made a lot of us "70's" kids get up early on a Saturday morning! I have also found lids-ville, Sigmund the sea monster, HR puff and stuff, lost saucer and far out space nuts episodes on DVD.
At nearly 40, I am able to visit my childhood every Saturday with my kids when we watch them....
A great science fiction program; not just for kids.
jeezycreezy22 October 2000
Often dismissed as little more than a cheesy children's show, Land Of The Lost was actually an outstanding science fiction program. Early seasons saw noted writers of the genre such as David Gerrold, Larry Niven, Theodore Sturgeon, Dick Morgan, D.C. Fontana and Ben Bova writing episodes. Sadly, none of these writers were present for the third season which saw a drop in the quality of the writing and the show turned into a visitor-of-the-week dreck-fest.
If you haven't seen this show since you were a kid, I highly recommend volumes three and four of the videos which feature some of the fan favourites. (The episode selection on volumes one and two -- the same episodes which are on the DVD -- isn't the greatest)
If you haven't seen this show since you were a kid, I highly recommend volumes three and four of the videos which feature some of the fan favourites. (The episode selection on volumes one and two -- the same episodes which are on the DVD -- isn't the greatest)
Good writing (at first), always low-budget production
Zorro-31 December 2000
This show is like the pop-band Abba: 1) cheesy, 2) I like it, but I am a little ashamed to like it. Or are those the same thing? (Remember when they made that wagon? And put the really big berry in it?)
It had the great sci-fi writers of the age writing an episode apiece. Yet the producers apparently couldn't afford to film the darn thing. It had a very tapey, sound-stagey feel. Yet behind all that, one could detect the lovingkindness of great mind(s) at work.
Thus was the curse of Saturday morning (at least until Spielberg hit the scene). It was the stepchild of TV networks back then, enamored of "Love Boat" and such.
I do think it is time Holly made some sort of cult comeback.
It had the great sci-fi writers of the age writing an episode apiece. Yet the producers apparently couldn't afford to film the darn thing. It had a very tapey, sound-stagey feel. Yet behind all that, one could detect the lovingkindness of great mind(s) at work.
Thus was the curse of Saturday morning (at least until Spielberg hit the scene). It was the stepchild of TV networks back then, enamored of "Love Boat" and such.
I do think it is time Holly made some sort of cult comeback.
HERE'S the place I wanted to inaugurate my brand spanking new IMDB registration...
Nay-323 February 1999
HERE'S the place I wanted to inaugurate my brand spanking new IMDB registration... ...I just got finished submitting 3 (count 'em: THREE!) updates/additions to the entry on this show.
We children of the early Seventies KNOW how impactful this silly little series was to us -- damn Sleestaks invading our nightmares, etc... ...hey, I'm just here to do my part (did'ja know Mr. Chekov wrote the episode that introduced Enik the Altrusian???).
God, but I'm SUCH a nerd.
I've never before felt such a potent mix of pride & shame.
Holly, where are you now?
We children of the early Seventies KNOW how impactful this silly little series was to us -- damn Sleestaks invading our nightmares, etc... ...hey, I'm just here to do my part (did'ja know Mr. Chekov wrote the episode that introduced Enik the Altrusian???).
God, but I'm SUCH a nerd.
I've never before felt such a potent mix of pride & shame.
Holly, where are you now?
One of the Best Kids Show's Ever
Sargebri24 March 2004
This probably was one of the best shows to ever be put on Saturday afternoons. This pretty much came at the time when the Kroffts were moving away from the wild fantasy shows that made them famous ("H.R. Pufnstuff", "Lidsville", "The Bugaloos") to more adventure oriented shows. This definitely was the best and most memorable of all their adventure oriented shows. The Marshalls were pretty much a real family who were put into an unusual situation of being lost in another dimension fighting all sorts of dinosaurs and other exotic creatures. Also, the Sleestack's were probably the most frightening villains that ever were created for a Saturday morning show. This definitely is one of the best shows to ever come from the minds of Sid and Marty Krofft.
It would of been easy!
kriserndt24 June 2019
The ever so-slow Sleestak could of been taken out quite easily. They hibernate and you know where they live. Sneak in and cut a few heads off leaving a note or some clues who did it. Problem solved. Kidnap the smart one and threaten him with the same, you'll get your crystal! Promise!
The Best Of This Series Still Stands Up Today
StuOz3 October 2018
An American family of the 1970s are lost in a strange land.
To clear up some confusion, this is not Land Of The Dinosaurs, it is Land Of The Lost, which means those big bulky creatures are in no way the stars of the show. In fact this series shines best when the plots are not about the dinosaurs but rather about some two-legged talking man-like creature on the land. Now that is cleared up...the review.
If ever there was a great TV series that got going on a rather average to poor level, it is this one! The first five episodes of Land Of The Lost are mostly a bit of a struggle and I am sure this bad start has actually turned viewers off the show over the decades. In fact, if you now own the series on DVD, I would just skip the first few adventures and start at episode six, The Stranger.
In The Stranger, we discover that LOTL is not just another Saturday morning kid's show but rather a sometimes very well scripted series with great imagination! Who cares if the budget was $10...this show never pretends to be an epic...it is about an interesting family in a lost land! Sort of Lost In Space meets Land Of The Giants with some great Star Trek-ish scripts thrown in the mix sometimes!
Other season one highlights (after The Stranger) include Album, Skylones, The Hole, Hurricane and season final: Circle.
Once into season two we are introduced to the wonderful character named - The Zarn - who is voiced by the Robby The Robot voice artist (and The Zarn does indeed sound like Robby).
Lost in Space fans might get a buzz out of season three episode - Repairman - as the Jupiter 2 engine sound effect is used a very imaginative way.
Not every episode of LOTL was great but the best of the series still stands up as some of the best 1970s TV science fiction. My personal vote for best episodes of the series are the first two episodes that feature The Zarn. Note, Zarn makes a third appearance in season two but that was a let down.
The later Krofft series of the day - Bigfoot and Wildboy - was very different to LOTL in that it gave more attention to quality music cues and location filming. LOTL and Bigfoot are my favourite Krofft shows.
To clear up some confusion, this is not Land Of The Dinosaurs, it is Land Of The Lost, which means those big bulky creatures are in no way the stars of the show. In fact this series shines best when the plots are not about the dinosaurs but rather about some two-legged talking man-like creature on the land. Now that is cleared up...the review.
If ever there was a great TV series that got going on a rather average to poor level, it is this one! The first five episodes of Land Of The Lost are mostly a bit of a struggle and I am sure this bad start has actually turned viewers off the show over the decades. In fact, if you now own the series on DVD, I would just skip the first few adventures and start at episode six, The Stranger.
In The Stranger, we discover that LOTL is not just another Saturday morning kid's show but rather a sometimes very well scripted series with great imagination! Who cares if the budget was $10...this show never pretends to be an epic...it is about an interesting family in a lost land! Sort of Lost In Space meets Land Of The Giants with some great Star Trek-ish scripts thrown in the mix sometimes!
Other season one highlights (after The Stranger) include Album, Skylones, The Hole, Hurricane and season final: Circle.
Once into season two we are introduced to the wonderful character named - The Zarn - who is voiced by the Robby The Robot voice artist (and The Zarn does indeed sound like Robby).
Lost in Space fans might get a buzz out of season three episode - Repairman - as the Jupiter 2 engine sound effect is used a very imaginative way.
Not every episode of LOTL was great but the best of the series still stands up as some of the best 1970s TV science fiction. My personal vote for best episodes of the series are the first two episodes that feature The Zarn. Note, Zarn makes a third appearance in season two but that was a let down.
The later Krofft series of the day - Bigfoot and Wildboy - was very different to LOTL in that it gave more attention to quality music cues and location filming. LOTL and Bigfoot are my favourite Krofft shows.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
