Whatever Happened to LAND of the LOST?

[@waltonartvisualeffects1077]

My book "Land of the Lost: Bringing Dinosaurs to Life 1974-1976" will be coming out this year. It is about the making of the stop motion dinosaurs and environments and filming the stop motion animation. I documented this with 257 never before published behind the scenes photos during the production of this television series. I was one of the stop motion animators and dinosaur fabricators for this tv series. Harry Walton.

[@jaycube64]

Wow, to the best of my knowledge, there’s never been any books dedicated solely to Land of the Lost, much less this aspect of it, which is one I find very appealing. I’ve saved a handful of pictures from behind the scenes of that show over the years, but always wanted to see more. Especially behind the scenes pre-production artwork, if any of that survived. Very much looking forward to your book, sir. Is there anywhere I can find out more information on it?

[@Captureman]

Are you including a section on the production of the soundtrack? That mix of banjos and synth was an unexpectedly great combo.

[@DaveB4529]

Born in '66, the mid 70s were INCREDIBLE for us kids...

[@steevrawjers]

True

[@66HTown]

Same. Agree.

[@JBags72]

Absolutely. Wouldn’t trade it for anything!

[@philgospodarek7847]

Spencer Milligan passed away this past April in my hometown, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Aged 86. My father knew him and even did work on his boat. He was a nice guy.

[@charles2241]

He will live forever in his touching the gems together scene from Land of the Lost. Making it more precious still, was the original dvd series in which Cathy and Wes commented, and just laughed their heads off.

[@Grim2]

Ain't it amazing how productions like this strived to do stuff beyond their budget, but today, with all the luxury of CGI... we get nothing but mundane dullness...

[@wadejacobs2011]

Just wait till AI writes and animates all the shows. I’m sure it will be much better. 😳

[@TripleBerg]

@@wadejacobs2011 😂😂 Sadly kids won’t know anything better.

[@ImYourOverlord]

*strove, but yeah 🙂

[@patcoston]

I binged watched all 3 seasons and noticed that the actress who played Holly, had a growth spurt in season 3, and somehow her clothes magically still fit perfectly, and we're free from any wear and tear and seemed to be perfectly laundered and still brightly colored. I had rented the DVDs from Netflix.

[@claytonbarnett7084]

There is not a man alive from that generation who ever recovered from seeing Kathy Coleman ride that dinosaur. And the ep when she met her adult self? Perfect.

[@johndurham2459]

That's when I figured out I like girls.

[@bellesogne]

The episode "Elsewhen" is when we delightfully learn that future Holly does not wear a bra. Other than that extremely important fact, "Elsewhen" was a great Bootstrap Paradox story.

[@BobbyTRey100]

I was 10 in 1974, I loved the show. I have met the stars Wesley Eure, Kathy Coleman and Phillip Paley at various conventions. Super nice!! Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

[@gorymarty56]

Same, did they bring the raft for photos at the cons u went 2?

[@BobbyTRey100]

@gorymarty56 yes they sure did

[@renaissancepoet]

As a kid, the 70's started with watching Star Trek, Lost In Space and all of the other Irwin Allen shows you cover, along with the tv show, Creature Features hosted by Bob Wilkins. And of course, the Saturday morning kids shows like Land Of The Lost. As a teenager, the 70's ended with watching Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rodgers, and listening to bands like The Who, Rush, and Van Halen! The 70's was the best decade to grow up in! Period!

[@AJeepADroneAndAnOldMan]

I was born in 1955 and grew up with all of this stuff. I’m crazy with this channel I love it.

[@MoviesMusicMonsters]

Hey :-) thanks so much. And you and I both love our Jeeps :-)

[@AJeepADroneAndAnOldMan]

@@MoviesMusicMonsters Brother I am crazy about my jeep, it’s a 1980 CJ five but I’ve painted it up to look like a World War II Willis. Amazingly it fools a lot of people, although it is in reality vastly different in design.

[@RobertHunt-tn4jz]

@@AJeepADroneAndAnOldMan though my mom and dad were divorced my daddy had a willie and supposedly a ton truck I rode in the Willy got something in my eye when I was young while riding

[@JBags72]

Thanks for all the information. Decades later I’m still intrigued by this show. 🦖

[@majorneptunejr]

I met both Wesley Eure and Kathy Coleman just a few months ago at Wonderfest. They were truly great. They were having as much fun as the fans. One thing you failed to mention was that Wesley sang both the opening and closing themes .

[@MajorMalfunction]

I loved this show. There was a re-run at 4PM weekdays, and I'd rush home from school to plonk myself in front of the TV and eat a snack. Then I'd run outside and play with friends till dinner time. Ah, the good old days. :)

[@Phil-pq4ks]

Marshall, Will and Holly.....on a routine expedition 😊😊

[@starmnsixty1209]

I think I speak for all guys when I say we fell head over heels ❤️ for Kathy Coleman. Aside from her, it was must-see TV for its overall quality. For those who want search for the DVDs, be sure you find the FIRST release. It has interviews with Kathy Coleman, Wesley Eure, and Phillip Paley, commentaries, etc. RIP to Ron Harper, and Marty Kroft.

[@johndurham2459]

She was definitely my first crush.

[@razorpit]

Alice, Grumpy, and the Sleestaks scared the heck out of 6(?) year old me back in the 70’s. And for me, Holly was the first ever “strong female” I had a crush on. Beating Princess Lea by a few years. 😄

[@harryborsalino1276]

The show didn’t come along until after I had graduated from high school and was going into the military, so I kind of missed out. But then again, I got to watch it with some younger relatives when I was stationed in California; they were VERY into it! 😊😁😳😎

[@sside8]

Greedy corporate executives! At least they can't get away with that now. By the way, loved the show when I was a kid!

[@Ronaldl2350]

Saturday mornings as a kid in the seventies where the best! Thanks Dan for bringing such great content!

[@dennisswaim8210]

I absolutely loved Land of the Lost as a kid. I mean Dinosaurs, Lizardmen time travel ect... What's not to love.

[@bradparnell614]

I loved this show as a 9 year old when it was brand new. I got to meet Kathy Coleman and Wesley Eure at a con last year. I enjoyed listening to their panel on the show and got my pic with them. They are a lot of fun and spill a lot of tea on the behind the scenes goings on. If you were a fan of the show and you get a chance to see them, you won't be disappointed. They mentioned that someone had been working on a new show where Will and Holly's little brother, who was too young to go with them and their dad on that trip, goes looking for his lost family. Who knows if it will get made but it would be awesome if they could do it.

[@MoviesMusicMonsters]

Hey there brad, yeah I would be open to another show as long as it was well written. So many shows today seem to be stuck in societal issues rather than real stories. But who knows? Maybe :-)

[@wmarclocher]

Saturday mornings with me and my Marx Prehistoric Dinosaur Play Set in front of the TV watching "Land of the Lost" great times. Always wondered if the last episode of Season 1 "Circle" was meant to be the series finally that just reset the series with another Marshall family from a parallel dimension. Thanks Dan, best episode yet!

[@brooksrownd2275]

This is one of the earliest TV shows I remember watching. (back when it was current)

[@tripleb221]

This was a favorite of mine. When the feature film came out the SyFy Channel ran a marathon and l recorded all of them. My wife had never seen the show and complained about the FX and the theme song that l insisted on listening to prior to each episode. I tried to explain to her that the FX were secondary to the excellent stories produced. Larry Niven and Theodore Sturgeon had credits. I'm sure there were other luminaries. A really great show.

[@MoviesMusicMonsters]

I certainly can't disagree with you on any of those aspects.:-)

[@getoffenit7827]

I loved that show! My siblings and I (3 boys 1 sister) would pretend we were the characters..but..my sister got tired of being called 'sleestak' and thrashed me and my oldest brother..i thought it was fun to tease her and make the hissing noise at her..but not after i got popped right in the snot locker.

[@Sneezygosling]

when my dad showed me these, it stuck like glue and anytime I rewatch those episodes, I feel like a kid again. love it!

[@brianaucuba230]

My favorite Saturday morning show when I was a kid. I was eight years old when it first aired. It still beats the junk that passes as kids’ shows in the following decades.

[@evancortez2]

Kathy Coleman and Wesley Eure will be appearing at the Hollywood show in Burbank on June 7-8 if you're interested in meeting them

[@CharlesRBiggs]

I've never forgotten the Sleestack!

[@Laszlo34]

Those Sleestak pylons and the crystals... even at _THAT_ age I knew I was a total nerd because I wanted so much to learn how the crystals work, or at least how to make them do things. I believed if I had access to them that I could figure them out safely. I was probably wrong. But I still want to try!! Thanks again, Dan! Yet another winner! :D

[@brentcooper4345]

Loved this show as a kid. Had the view master and coloring book.

[@racookster]

I was too old for Land of the Lost - fifteen when it debuted - but my brother was eleven and he LOVED it! I tried to watch it with him, but I just couldn't get beyond the cheesy production values. Even so, I knew right away that the writing was unusually intelligent for a Saturday morning kids' show. I admired what they were trying to do.

[@joecole1551]

Ron Harper RIP. Uncle Jack

[@donchoq]

How about the Banana Splits little show "Danger Island"? I recall Saturdays watching that show and Land of the Lost. Still have the lunch Box!

[@unicomp5705]

For another video: Whatever happened to the full-size Landmaster(giant, 12-wheeled all-terrain armored personnel carrier) from the 1977 sci-fi post-apocalyptic(after another World War) film "Damnation Alley" starring Jan-Michael Vincent and George Peppard? I remember seeing it parked while driving up/down the 405 freeway here in the Los Angeles/Hollywood area for a number of years during the late 70's and 80s. The movie was based on the 1969 sci-fi novel of the same name by Roger Zelazny. BTW - They need to remake this movie!!! ;-) Mike in LA, Calif

[@donstewart6000]

This was the most interesting and wonderful series an 8 year old could ever hope to have back in 74 I still love it at 58 years old and watch it from time to time. I had a huge crush on Holly Loved all The original cast especially in the first 2 seasons And Kathy Colemans book Run Holly Run im currently reading Its good 👍 Thanks for another great episode on my favorite Saturday morning TV show ❤

[@stubeast4031]

Holly was my first Woodie.

[@jeffreyfisher3115]

"Gawwwd! Network executives!" -- Dan Monroe

[@MoviesMusicMonsters]

Lol

[@slagit]

Another fun show I dug as a kid and just loved that it had an alternate dimensional storyline going on with a few time travel plots and to top it off dinos!!! Also stop motion!!! What was not to love. Really never warmed up to the two remakes in the end...

[@EricT3769]

The “Zarn” used to freak me out as a kid. I remember his lights would turn red if he encountered anger. It made him weakened to feel anger or pity, but he would use his powers to sometimes torment the Marshalls.

[@timfankell4242]

Those Sleestaks were creepy as hell.

[@lawrencebraun7616]

That were supposed to be creepy

[@outsider238]

I absolutely lived for those Saturday morning live action shows!! I'd start watching them from 6 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. when the last cartoon aired which was usually the Pink Panther Show. So much fantastic TV back then!

[@anthonykimball7463]

Definitely one of the best (maybe THE best) series ever developed specifically for Saturday morning kids television. The only unfortunate thing is they never, for whatever reason(s), were able to do a final "wrap-up" episode that would've resolved everything and returned the entire family back to their own era.

[@METVWETV]

That's not true! The family did return but since it was a timetravel story (of sorts), when they left, they're younger selves came in their place, to "balance the equation" as I recall Enoch saying!

[@maplebob23]

In 2020 we went to Door County WI and, I forget what town we were in but we passed a theater and I saw Spencer Milligan’s name on a marquee as a director of a play. I knew that name! But I couldn’t place it, so I looked it up and Lo! And behold! Rick Marshall ended up in northern Wisconsin directing plays!

[@gilhodges2025]

Another great video for the collection. Watched this show every week when I was a kid

[@daniellewillis2767]

I was straight up terrified of the Sleestak cave.

[@jackshittle]

I was born in 1971 & remember sitting in front of the TV enthralled watching the show until.....the first time they showed the Sleestak's. I hauled ass up onto the couch right up against my mom as I was scared to death. My mom said that every time you heard that "swishing sound" that they make I would be petrified. I used to try & convince myself by saying "Mommy, you can the zippers on their suits right? You can see the zippers!". My anxiety went through the roof when the characters would go into the caves & would walk right by a dormant Sleestak because I knew they would come to life. My only relief is when the family would come into contact with the head honcho Sleestak with the orange vest because he could speak english and command the other Sleestaks to stay away. And to combat my fear of them my mom bought me the Halloween costume that's in this video. If you can't beat 'em - join 'em!

[@douggraham5082]

Dan, thanks for doing this. Loved LOTL as a kid. Some episodes were straight adventures, some were more lighthearted, and others bordered on hard sci-fi. The episodes about the pylons tended to be more sci-fi oriented, which I thought were the best. Amazing what they were able to do on a Saturday morning budget. Your videos keep getting better and better! As a kid I used to wonder how their clothes never got worn our or dirty, given that they lived in a cave!

[@originaluddite]

I'm more a Filmation fan but damn this effort by the Kroffts is on just another level. Other shows would have settled for a remote valley or island setting but this one gave girls and boys a pocket dimension that turns in on itself. Amazing even today.

[@nileswilson577]

Watched it every Saturday, loved it. It was cool 😎 I hope the executives choked on their own money😂 I'm 65 and still miss Saturday morning cartoons.😢

[@robertstephens1203]

I just binge watched Land of The Lost on TUBI and am now moving on to Jonny Quest (also on Tubi).

[@METVWETV]

I tried, I couldn't get into Johnny Quest! It's disappointing to get that excited only to be that disappointed

[@robertstephens1203]

@@METVWETV It only had one season in the 60s and was rebooted in the 80s. The 60s show was good.

[@stephengonzalez5578]

I still enjoy this show! Being in my 50s I share this retro classic with younger coworkers. To introduce them to our generations Saturday Morning Life in the 1970s 😊

[@karlwolfenstein4496]

Even as a Kid I knew this show was low budget Silly (and I was 8) but that said, I never missed an episode. The Sleestacks doing the mummy walk was a gas, even then. Ah, the good old days.

[@SaturnCanuck]

Thanks Dan. I'm glad many remember this show. I watched it every week -- and they fact that i had a MAJOR crush on Holly might have had something to do with it. I was 11

[@zepmarq]

This show was such a big deal for me. I was born in 1974, so i first remember watching it in syndication back in the early 80s. I clearly remember waking up at 6 in the morning so that I could watch it before getting ready for elementary school. I believe it was on local channel 13 (KCOP?) here in LA. My mom would always say that I would sing the theme song as soon as it started..."Marshall, Will, and Holly...on a routine expectation...." 😅 Thank you, Dan, for the trip back to my childhood. Stuff like this is why Generation X kicks a$$!

[@rsler63]

Thanks for taking a moment to acknowledge Ron Harper's death.

[@map3384]

I was 8 years old in 1974 and would sit in from of my tv on Saturday morning with a bowl of Fruit Loops and watch the show. Great show amongst many in the early to mid 70s.

[@hamiltonpl]

I was in high school when this show premiered. And I watched it pretty much every Saturday morning. Loved the dinosaurs. Fun memories for me. Thanks for the informative video Dan.

[@grannyweatherwax8005]

I love to hear that older kids were watching also!

[@dougdillon1271]

Absolutely loved this show when I was a kid! Thanks!

[@zaracyn]

Really wish there had been a serious remake of the show; never the less it was fantastic entertainment for it's time.

[@Bm-hf1cu]

The original Land of the Lost episodes are currently free to stream on the Roku channel!

[@David-James]

My favorite show growing up. Very original, and nothing like it. Thanks Dan!

[@Lumibear.]

First sponsored ad I didn’t skip cos I just enjoy your style, cheers mister!

[@robotcastle]

The best from Sid & Marty Krofft, I loved this show growing up. I wish they could make a serious modern movie version of this show. Another great video! Thank you Dan!

[@thefutureisretirement]

Thanks for all Your hard work in making this Great Video. I was 10 years old in 1970. Saturday Morning Cartoons were HUGE back then. And then Land of the lost came along. I Loved it and was sad when It ended. Years & Yeas later someone got Me the DVD set as a gift. Could not wait to watch them all again. I think the 3rd Season with Uncle Jack is My Favorite. A lot happened in that first episode with Uncle Jack. The Earthquake, Being Homeless, The Kids finding there Uncle, And Finding a new place to call Home. Its enjoyable to go back and watch the series again from time to time.

[@AstroBoyAU]

Ahh another fascinating voyage down memory lane, showing the shows I watched when I was young. You do an excellent job every time DAN, keep up the great work.

[@MoviesMusicMonsters]

Hey, thanks so much :-) much appreciated. Cheers, Dan

[@Frank_42]

My first reaction to season 3 was bring dad Marshall back. Uncle was no substitute. I think it was better with just dad. Mom would have wrecked it. Those kids would never have been able to venture more than five minutes distance. With Marshall it was more like, "Hey dad, we're off to steal some dinosaur eggs from inside an active volcano, is that ok?" "Sure kids, just remember to take a torch in case the Sleestacks show up." And also never speak of the Will Farrell version....it never happened!

[@SidebandSamurai]

When I was growing up in the 70's I watched it on Saturday Mornings. Loved this show. Thanks for the video.

[@MoviesMusicMonsters]

Thanks for watching :-) much appreciated. Cheers, Dan

[@StormBringer-]

The family that did the stop animation still have pieces left from the show, but have been selling some. I couldn’t stand this show because I was getting old for this. I grew up with Gilligan, Star Trek, Beverly hillbillies……

[@kenhill3230]

This was a favorite of mine. It was definitely well written and acted. It was done in a serious vein also.

[@3xzsucof]

I grew up watching this as well as the remade version. Now, all four of my kids watch this. It's available on Tubi. We love it.

[@hillcountryrings]

Excellent (as always) video Dan. You really should have your own show. Great research, great editing, and you truly have the professional voice I never get tired of hearing.

[@johnw8578]

I absolutely LOVED Land of the Lost as a kid. It still holds a spot in my heart.

[@robertfromtexas2480]

I'm very glad I found this channel.. I watched Land of the Lost as a kid. Great show. How about something on The Addams family?

[@asbrand]

I watched the heck outta this as a kid in the 70s. :)

[@chrisblaine1669]

Hey Dan, love these dives back into my childhood. Would love to see a $6 million man episode

[@ScottBaker_]

Awesome video. As always. RIP Ron Harper.

[@QuorkEx]

So sad to hear of the passing of Ron Harper, an actor who is very much a part of my childhood in the 1970s.

[@todleo01]

Sleestack, Enick, Pylons, Dinosaurs, The Lost City and some incredible stories and fantastic ideas, this was hands down my childhood favorite show. I used to make snacks friday noght so I could stay in front of the tv all day Saturday and not have to move! Thanks for making a great review of this lost great.

[@NateButlerFresnoCA]

I was also a kid during the original broadcast run of this show, and I never missed an episode! I was fascinated by not only the dinosaurs, but by the bizarre mythology behind the Sleestaks. How cool is that?!

[@SC-ec9fx]

Chaka was like Gilligan, always causing undue trouble. Dopey was super likable. Skeestacks creepy slow pace was terrifying.

[@larry1350]

Wish you could have included the Zarn. He was the most creepiest character from Land of the Lost.

[@Lethgar_Smith]

Yeah, so who got excited when they heard there was going to be a Land of the Lost movie and then disappointed when you found out it was going to be a Wil Farrell comedy?

[@dwayneday5414]

There was a writer's strike that I think hit while they were in production. When you watch the movie, you can see the part where they probably ran out of script. There's a whole extended hallucination sequence where I think the actors were just told to improvise in front of a green screen and they would figure out what to add in with CGI later. The movie just falls apart.

[@musclesmouse]

I was a 2 year old refugee just learning English when I first saw this. Didn’t know why it ended when turned 4

[@henrymach]

Please don't talk about that stupid movie version. That deserves to be forgotten

[@justplainbill100]

Amen to that..... 😮

[@scotmhead]

I was a 7 year old kid when they started hyping this show. I remember waiting with great anticipation for the premier. It was a fantastic show for a kid like me. I loved every episode and ate them up every Saturday morning at y grandma's apartment.

[@kevinconnor3187]

It was a creative and imaginative show.

[@stevee.asherhouseofasherpo8367]

A 1969 monster kid here, loving all the stellar content. Keep up the fantastic work!

[@sandmanlogan5ran149]

Staggering imagination in this show, very cerebral for the audience it was targeting.Loved every second of it

[@eman244tx]

Yeah I remember this show....my brothers liked it very much...I was kinda on the fence...but definitely a must see on Saturday mornings!

[@sundoga4961]

Always loved Land of the Lost. It was pretty much the first show that little five year old me actually paid attention to as far as continuity (in as much as there was some) goes, and that had a strong influence on me following.

[@jeffreese1828]

I was lucky to catch this first time around (aged 7-10) and was a huge , nay , a HUGE fan of dinosaurs and monster movies . It is hard to tell how big a deal these STOP-MOTION sequences were because they looked real . Stop motion was the most realistic method for portraying Fantastical beings at the time .... other methods fell far short .... 1. You could use a puppet , which usually looked like a puppet 2. A dude in a suit , which always looked like a dude in a suit . And , 3. live action of a lizard or frog , sometimes with a prop glued to em (to make them NOT look like a regular lizard or frog) , which would be blown up and then rear-projected to look giant behind the actors . 4. Animation at the time could , of course , be great but not realistically with live action. The difference in realism was like King Kong versus Godzilla compared to Mighty Joe Young and Valley of Gwangi . So it was a big treat to see new effects of caliber, on Saturday morning . Even then , I thought the Sleestak and Pylons were cool ideas . Remember , each Pylon had it's own Lite-Brite in the center that the characters could fiddle with , creating riffs and openings in Time ! No wonder the Sleestak were always trying to keep em away from them . Lol

[@smgdfcmfah]

Agreed 100%. I was 4 when this first aired and I loved it immediately. It was the first program that ever really "frightened" me, yet I loved it for do so (it was the Sleestaks that did it!). I also found Chaka and his kin extremely creepy!

[@Rometiklan]

Great retrospective of LotL, Dan! It was a big part of my Saturday morning lineup. Wesley Eure, Cathy Coleman, and Philip Paley still do the convention circuit. A few years back Eure, Coleman, and Paley did a documentary called, "Searching for Spencer", where they just showed up on Spencer Milligan's doorstep one day with a film crew. They hadn't seen Spencer since season 2 ended so it was like a long lost family reunion of sorts. They filmed the entire thing and showed it at a convention once and never showed it again. I've asked Eure on twitter whether it'll ever be released on DVD or some streaming platform, but he's pretty tight-lipped about it so I guess it's not for public consumption. Too bad. And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Enik and the Sleestaks! Loved these guys! Bill Lambeer played one of the Sleestaks. RIP, Ron Harper. Thanks for the vid, Dan!

[@MoviesMusicMonsters]

Hey there thanks for the comments and the great memories. More to come stay tuned :-)

[@Jonathan-b2j7s]

...but did they ever get home ?!!...did the dog from "run, joe,run" ever find his owner ?!!!

[@GeraldLange1968]

Still love this show from my childhood. Wesley and Kathy are active on social media and conventions with a raft and dopey prop to take pics with. Rob Klein who helped with this episode is a great guy and knowledgeable in Archiving items from the shows of our childhood.

[@FriedAudio]

As a kid, Land of the Lost taught me what a "pylon" was... 👍🏻

[@oliverortiz5226]

One of my favorite shows on Saturday mornings and one that always beat out anything else in its time slot for me. One of the few Kroft shows to make it to three seasons. Love your videos on all the things I love.

[@jrhalabamacustoms5673]

Wonderful, you are killing it!

[@Absaalookemensch]

I loved that show. The sleestak were great villains.

[@JustaGuy-pm9ub]

I remember sitting on burnt orange shage carpet cross legged eating cereal or cookies and milk while watching. Saturday morning cartoons where the best back then. I was fortunate. Thanks for the memories.

[@DMSProduktions]

NEVER got into this show as a kid! Seems it had some SERIOUS scifi stories and themes in it!

[@starmnsixty1209]

It drew prime time ratings, according to the Kroft brothers. You missed a lot.

[@DMSProduktions]

@@starmnsixty1209 Well it was shown in the after school slot here. I was doing other things at that time, + all the other kids were watching it, so it made me not want to watch it! I am still the same today! Whatever's popular, (like MAFS, Survivor, BB et al) I don't watch!