First off, I’m 57 years old. I watched first run LIS episodes when I was a kid. I’ve binge-watched the original show in its entirety at least 50 times. It was my “Buffy,” my “Firefly,” my “Harry Potter,” it was the first show I fell in love with. As I got older both “Stars” (Trek & Wars) became my world, but LIS was there first. Yes, I saw the 90’s movie and like most LIS fans, I liked some of it (and then there was the not so amazing Spider-Smith). So, if anyone can speak about this new series on Netflix, it’s me. If you didn’t experience it through the eyes of a little kid when the eps were live, then you don’t have the full perspective. Now that I’ve established why you all should all get off my space lawn, here’s what I have to say about the new version… Thank you Netflix, and thanks to all to all of the writers, actors and directors that have created this wonderful show. Yes, all you haters & trolls… wonderful show. I’m only three episodes in and I can’t wait to watch the rest. I’ve read many negative reviews and, like the people who complained about Star Trek: Discovery, they are out-of-touch. People forget that the original LIS was supposed to be more serious and Dr. Smith was never meant to be on the show. In spite of the the network’s demand for the show to be more like Adam West’s “Batman” (read: campy), that first season had some amazing, serious episodes that still stick with me (Angela Cartwright’s performance in “Mr. Nobody” was inspiring). The “family first” theme is evident in both versions, but what I think the nay-sayers are forgetting is that in 2018, a husband and wife are not as important as the children they’ve created. It’s all about the children, and the new LIS makes that abundantly clear. Judy loves Will, and yes… Penny, too, even though they are half siblings. John & Maureen both love their kids more than each other, that’s what life is like for many families today. That what family is 50 years later than the 1st LIS. Parker Posey’s Doctor Smith is also completely on point by today’s standards. She is a narcissistic survivalist. Three episodes in and she has me hooked. Her conversations with the crew (especially with Will in the supply closet) are a perfect modern interpretation of Jonathan Harris’ portrayal of that devious manipulator. Her facial expressions alone bring back so many great Dr. Smith memories. By the way, such a nice touch with her hiding behind Will in the supply closet, like Smith did so many times in the original series. That’s only one of so many nice nods to the original series! Will barely made his exam & Jonathan Harris gave him a disapproving scowl when he evaluated him. The B9 Robot did go berserk (against his original programming) and destroyed many valuable systems aboard the Jupiter. Will was undervalued because of being a little kid and yet he was able to reach the Robot in spite of his malevolent programming. The list goes on and on and in exactly the right way to make for a fresh take on the franchise that still has plenty of relatable moments for fans of the classic show. Oh, and Penny’s jokes and all around attitude…ROCK! Love the original 3rd season theme score re-do, as well. One of my favorite show themes ever! There are so many more pieces of this new show that deserve my praise, but let me sum it all up by saying this: the 6 year old little kid who loved LIS all those years ago, is giving this new version two big thumbs WAY up, because he knows there are children out there experiencing it now who will love the new Lost In Space just as much as he loved the original.
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