DR.SMITH- RUINED SHOW
it started out as something really good and then he started all his FLAMING antics. he brought the Jupiter 2 down faster than any alien ever could.
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dr. smith is why it had only 3 seasons(barely) and one crappy movie nearly 30yrs later. MAYBE it could have become what the star-trek franchise did. "OH, THE PAIN, THE PAIN".
shareWell, Jonathan Harris did admit in an interview that he was the one who decided to change Dr. Smith from a villian to a sniveling coward. He said he found the character boring.
shareDr. Smith was an obnoxious bore and ruined just about every episode...along with Will. It was like they always had a front burner storyline and the others were just co starring along. They always listed Jonathan Harris as SPECIAL GUEST STAR...what???? He wasn't special OR a guest star. His stories, contrived and dumb, hogged most of the air time. Maybe its due for a rewrite and new cast for a 21st century run.
shareThat's really hard to say. Dr. Smith is a memorable character and it was played brilliantly. I am introducing my 5 year old daughter to the show (starting with Season 2 right now since it is bright and colorful) and I have to explain to her many time how Dr. Smith is such a terrible man and how the Robinson's really extend their grace to him. Though when John said he would skin Smith alive if Will was hurt, I was like, yeah!!!
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I forget the reason but they had to list him as Special Guest Star. It was in his contract. I am a fan of the show because of Smith/Will and the robot. The Robinsona were boring and everone would have been fast asleep but halfway though season one without Smith.
repeat to yourself it's just a show you should really just relax.
I believe the reason he was given the 'special guest star' was because he demanded it. After not being able to get top billing (due to the others already signing contracts), Harris came up with the idea as being listed as "Special Guest Star". He figured if he had to go last, you might as well make it memorable. I can't be sure, but I am pretty crtain he is known as the first actor to get such billing.
And no, he did not ruin the show. He's the reason it lasted as long as it did.
Once AGAIN!
It WASN'T Dr Smith, it was Irwin Allen! Watch ANY show he had anything to do with, they ALL started out as "something good" but Allen used the old 'bait and switch' tactic to get his shows aired....film great pilots and a few good eps, then dust off the rubber monsters.
Besides, without Smith, the series would have ended after the first season.
Yes, this is the most technically correct explanation. It was B-movie producer Irwin Allen that lowered the production standards to all time lows. Hell, he loved to recycle sets\costumes with a cheap can of spray paint.
Dr. Smith was "Lucy" or "Gilligan" on the show, and rest cast were never allowed to jettison him into space. Major West always talked tough, but never did anything other than talk tough.
Hell, you almost would think the cast was afraid that Dr. Smith had powers to "Wish them into the cornfield". Well, we know Will Robinson wasn't afraid of Dr. Smith. :) share
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Hell, you almost would think the cast was afraid that Dr. Smith had powers to "Wish them into the cornfield".
Well, we know Will did.
<<<Well, we know Will Robinson wasn't afraid of Dr. Smith. :)
<<< you almost would think the cast was afraid that Dr. Smith had powers to "Wish them into the cornfield". Well, we know Will Robinson wasn't afraid of Dr. Smith. :)
That's because Will could wish Dr. Smith into the cornfield.
Television expenses in the 1960s were very high, especially with the cost of then-new color film. Even "Batman" had to have huge cost reductions because of tremendously large costs.
Without the (admittedly insane) levels of prop re-use, the show would never have made it to season 3 to begin with.
I still maintain that the family's religion and sense of family values ultimately prompted them to keep Smith despite how often he endangered their lives. Especially as they would learn that his sabotage ironically allowed them to survive in the first place.
Well, not so if you listen to Jonathan Harris interviews. He takes (almost) sole responsibility (and credit) for turning Smith into the clown he became. His reasoning was that if he stayed evil, he'd be dead before the end of the front 13 episodes. I doubt they would have killed him. It would have made the writers have to work harder to keep Smith friendly to the family but still plotting against them.
shareHe can take credit for the idea, but it was the producer and director that permitted him to do whatever he did.
shareeither make the show serious or silly but dont start serious and then go silly.
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