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The first indication that this made-for-TV tribute to Lost in Space was hastily slapped together is its choice of hosts. Instead of picking somebody associated with the show, or with show creator Irwin Allen, or even with science fiction, the producers picked sitcom star John Larroquette. That's the first of a series of awkward choices (Larroquette's banter with the Robot is particularly awful), which reaches its nadir in a segment in which Billy Mumy, Jonathan Harris, and the Robot reunite--in character as Will Robinson, Dr. Smith, and the Robot--on the reconstructed deck of the Jupiter 2, and pretend to get lost in space... forever! Ick. The fact that Billy Mumy was a producer and cowriter on this project only erodes the credibility he built up for himself by being half of the musical duo Barnes & Barnes (whose "Fish Heads" video was directed by character actor Bill Paxton). Was Mumy really "one of the busiest and most versatile child actors of the decade"? (Busiest, perhaps.) Was the premiere of the 1998 film version of Lost in Space really "the most eagerly anticipated in motion picture history"? Doubtful. But there are some nice moments pulled out of the archive. Clips from the original pilot are shown in length with no annoying commentary, and the screen test of Guy Williams (Prof. John Robinson) shows a charming man who might be described as a '60s version of George Clooney. Recommended for hardcore fans of the show who are willing to sort through the modern-day crap for the archival gems. --Andy Spletzer
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