jonathan harris

Lost In Space’s 50th Anniversary has brought renewed interest in the show and that means so many wonderful things for fans, from personal appearances of the remaining cast to new models, dvds, books, and so much more.

The year started off with 50th anniversary reunion at the Hollywood Show at the end of January. Bill Mumy, Angela Cartwright, Marta Kristen, Mark Goddard, and June Lockhart were all there to greet fans, sign autographs, and take pictures.

February saw the release of an issue of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine featuring a 30 page Lost In Space 50th Anniversary spread, full of rare photos, information about the show, and interviews with the cast. If you didn’t get a copy, they’re sometimes available on eBay.

In April of this year, the Diamond Select B-9 Robot was released. The Robot stands 10″ high, includes working lights on his chest and in his bubble, and says about a dozen of the Robot’s phrases, including the infamous “Danger, Will Robinson!” April’s also when pre-orders for the 50th anniversary blu-ray opened up and you bet I jumped on that opportunity. 🙂

At the beginning of July, the cast (sans June Lockhart) reunited at Comicon in San Diego and had a blast, as usual. A series of comic books based on the unfilmed Lost In Space fourth season scripts was announced. And, at the end of July, the cast was supposed to be at Galacticon in Seattle. Well, that was sort of disastrous. But some of you got to see Mark Goddard and Marta Kristen and made the best of a horribly managed convention.

In September, on the exact anniversary of the premier of the show, we saw the release of the Lost In Space 50th Anniversary blu-ray collection. It was such a gift to fans from Sheila Matthews Allen, Kevin Burns, and the cast and crew of the show. It’s chock full of extras and is a MUST for any Lost In Space fan. It’s what we’ve all been waiting for and, boy, was it worth the wait. Check out my unboxing here. And, of course, many of us celebrated the 50th anniversary by watching The Reluctant Stowaway.

There was a lot going on for Lost In Space fans in October. We celebrated Launch Day on October 16th and what a fun day that was! Many of you, like us, watched The Reluctant Stowaway (again… any excuse, right?) or had a mini-marathon to celebrate the show. The Chariot replica (put together by John Antonellis and company) showed up at Chiller Theater Expo to the delight of fans and cast members alike. Maybe next he’ll make a working Space Pod! We can only hope! There were two new great releases for Lost In Space fans, the Lost In Space 50th Anniversary Soundtrack Collection and a book of photos from the Fox archives, put together by Bill Mumy and Angela Cartwright titled “Lost (and Found) In Space“. The La-La Land Records 50th Anniversary Soundtrack Collection is a 12 CD set of all the Lost In Space music. (I’ll have an unboxing post up about that soon.) It comes with a 104 page booklet full of archival photos, art, and information. It’s a limited edition collection, just 1500 copies. You can order at the La-La Land Records website. The “Lost (and Found) In Space” book can be ordered through their website. In addition to the book, you can also order the bonus package which includes a cast photo autographed by Bill and Angela, replicas of bumper stickers and pins given out to the cast and crew, and a Lost In Space tote bag. The book is not yet available on Amazon.

In November, the Executive Replicas John Robinson action figure is being released. This amazingly lifelike and highly detailed 12″ action figure is a bit on the pricey side, but it comes with season 1 outfit, blue hooded parka, helmet, jetpack, first season laser pistol, third season laser pistol, and a ton of other accessories.

And, of course, November belongs to Jonathan Harris. Fans remembered the anniversary of his passing on November 3rd. Then, on his birthday, Bill Mumy, Angela Cartwright, Marta Kristen, Mark Goddard (who flew in as a suprise), and Kevin Burns all got together at the Fox Commissary to wear Jonathan’s ascots and drink his favorite drink, Tanqueray gin with a splash of red Dubonnet, three lemon wedges, light on the ice. What a wonderful way to remember such an original, one-of-a-kind gentleman. It was also heartwarming to see all the wonderful tributes to him on social media that day.

Coming in December, there will be a really cool (and really expensive) first season, full scale laser pistol replica signed by Bill Mumy. Oh, how I wish I had the money… Please, Santa. 🙂

It truly is the best time to be a Lost In Space fan. Or, as Dr. Smith might say, “Oh, joy! Oh, bliss! Oh, Crepes Suzette!”