When LOS first hit the airwaves, I was nine years old and took the series very seriously. One of the most memorable stories from season one was the two-part THE KEEPER, starring the incomparable Michael Rennie. He was an intergalactic zookeeper who decided that Don and Judy would make a nice couple - in a cage. The end of the first hour, when monsters of all sorts emerge from the Keeper's ship, had me petrified.
So now, after more than 50 years, I got around to watching a story I don't remember from the first time around: "A Day at the Zoo." Now, instead of a tall, sinister alien we have the bumptious Leonard Stone (Mr. Beauregarde from WILLY WONKA), assisted by a cave boy (looking like a surfer dude in a fur). He wants to take the entire crew of the Jupiter 2 on a galactic tour. And he starts by scaring Penny with a sort of Mardi Gras face mask.
There is little suspense here. Most of the hour is played out on a dark soundstage where bits and pieces (jail cells) are illuminated as needed, thus saving a lot of money on set design. It's amusing to see how the Stone character decorated a girl's bedroom (very 60s!). Penny finally has more to do in this story, but as with previous Penny episodes, the writer has paired her up with an alien weirdo instead of a "real boy." LOS continues to be fairly romance-free, except when it comes to ridiculous trysts involving Smith and various aliens, or the Robot with a female robot.
As in THE KEEPER, Don and Judy are put on display - this time in a sitcom-style apartment - with aliens peering at them through a frosty window (could they indeed see anything)? But instead of playing this scene for terror, Judy lightens it up by making faces at her tormentors.
Season 3 started out reasonably strong. It appeared as if the "supporting" cast had insisted on more screen time (as opposed to a long bout of Smith/Will/Robot episodes in season 2). John Robinson even had a chance to flex his Zorro muscles a few times, and the women had a few more lines. But after the "space hippie" episode, it was all downhill, including this lightweight episode. Back to the "monster of the week" mentality.
This is the third episode of season 3 in which Irwin Allen allowed a new music score to be written, but once again it's a dud. Joining Steiner and Mullendore before him, the great orchestrator Alexander Courage delivers a flimsy 60s sitcom score, not at all in character with the music of the first season.
So now, after more than 50 years, I got around to watching a story I don't remember from the first time around: "A Day at the Zoo." Now, instead of a tall, sinister alien we have the bumptious Leonard Stone (Mr. Beauregarde from WILLY WONKA), assisted by a cave boy (looking like a surfer dude in a fur). He wants to take the entire crew of the Jupiter 2 on a galactic tour. And he starts by scaring Penny with a sort of Mardi Gras face mask.
There is little suspense here. Most of the hour is played out on a dark soundstage where bits and pieces (jail cells) are illuminated as needed, thus saving a lot of money on set design. It's amusing to see how the Stone character decorated a girl's bedroom (very 60s!). Penny finally has more to do in this story, but as with previous Penny episodes, the writer has paired her up with an alien weirdo instead of a "real boy." LOS continues to be fairly romance-free, except when it comes to ridiculous trysts involving Smith and various aliens, or the Robot with a female robot.
As in THE KEEPER, Don and Judy are put on display - this time in a sitcom-style apartment - with aliens peering at them through a frosty window (could they indeed see anything)? But instead of playing this scene for terror, Judy lightens it up by making faces at her tormentors.
Season 3 started out reasonably strong. It appeared as if the "supporting" cast had insisted on more screen time (as opposed to a long bout of Smith/Will/Robot episodes in season 2). John Robinson even had a chance to flex his Zorro muscles a few times, and the women had a few more lines. But after the "space hippie" episode, it was all downhill, including this lightweight episode. Back to the "monster of the week" mentality.
This is the third episode of season 3 in which Irwin Allen allowed a new music score to be written, but once again it's a dud. Joining Steiner and Mullendore before him, the great orchestrator Alexander Courage delivers a flimsy 60s sitcom score, not at all in character with the music of the first season.