Plot

The Robinsons, Earth's first family of outer space, head to colonize Alpha Centauri in their flying saucer, the Gemini 12, but crash land on an uncharted planet where they deal with its challenges and dangers.

The original pilot episode, which never aired, did not feature either the Robot or Doctor Zachary Smith (who was added later by 20th Century Fox as an antagonist). Much of the original footage was re-used in the first four televised episodes.—Jeffrey Delano / edited by Rob

October 16th 1997 Inside Alpha control, where final preparations for launching of the spacecraft Gemini 12 are underway. A newscaster explains the reason for the mission and how it could lead to as many as 10 million families leaving an overcrowded Earth to go out into space to colonize the galaxy. This particular flight to Alpha Centauri is expected to take approximately 98 years.

Were then introduced to the Robinson family who will be undertaking the flight, Prof John Robinson (Guy Williams) his wife and biologist Maureen Robinson (June Lockhart) Radio astronomer Don West (Mark Goddard) Their eldest daughter Judy Robinson (Marta Kristen) next eldest Penny (Angela Cartwright) with an IQ of 149 and finally Will Robinson (Bill Mumy) who passed college at age of 9 with the highest grade average ever recorded

We see the family enter special tubes that will hold them in suspended animation for the flight. Although it will take nearly a century, the family themselves will only age but a second.

The ship lifts off and we hear a voiceover tell us of the progress of the flight. At first all appears normal till the ship encounters a meteor shower hits the ship causing considerable damage. The ship has the technology to regenerate its own systems but major fires are breaking out all over the ship leading to fears the craft was lost with all hands. The voiceover fades as we see the ship approaching an unknown planet and begins to descend before coming to rest in for an unseen landing.

We hear John Robinson reading his diary entry from Dec 3 2001. It appears their instruments show they were in suspended animation for 3 and-a-half years, and they have now been on the planet for six months. So far progress to establishing a camp and securing food for themselves has gone well. The Professor and Don have gone up into the surrounding mountains to check instrument packs they had previously left. The instruments indicate the temperature is falling rapidly and will hit 150 below zero in the next few days. They decide they need to abandon the ship and head south as fast as they can.

While checking other instruments they come across an enormous set of footprints. As they go to leave they find themselves trapped by a giant

Back at the ship concern grows over where Don and John are. Will gets a telescope working and sees the threat the giant presents. He then disobeys his mother, grabs a gun and heads out to rescue his father and Don who have been forced into a cave by the creature

Reaching his father, Will fires at the giant and kills it. John is happy Will showed the courage he did, however John had told him to guard the ship.

Later as everyone packs for the trip south, it is realized Penny has gone missing. John puts on a jet pack and heads out in search of his daughter. John eventually finds her and flies her back with a pet monkey like creature A bloop named Debbie.

As they head south in the chariot they encounter another giant, who is killed this time by Don. As they continue on, Don realizes the power units were damaged when the giant threw a rock at the chariot. Knowing they are looking at hours of repairs the Robinsons make camp for the night.

As Don repairs the chariot Judy helps him, this leads to a romantic moment spotted by Penny. She warns her parents of what is happening and they explain this is normal behavior among young people

Later the chariot is caught out in the open during a thunder storm. The party heads for a cave and discover some artificial ruins that appear to be the remains of a castle. They begin to explore the ruins and first Debbie then Penny and finally Will, get separated from the rest. Penny and Will then fall through a trapdoor in a wall. Judy and West find them but also become trapped as an earthquake rocks the area.

John and Maureen are drawn by the screams of the others and burns through the wall using his laser. They manage to escape from the cave and continue their trip searching for the inland sea and a way through to the warmer tropics. John reads a diary note in which he ponders what was found in the cave, and what the ramifications of having to share the planet with aliens might mean

The chariot eventually reaches the inland sea and begins to cross, during the night the craft encounters yet another severe storm and once again the power units begin to fail. Don diagnoses that the solar relay has come detached,realizing without power the Chariot cant be steered, Don goes out despite the storm and attempts to fix the relay.

Don warns the others the Chariot is heading for a whirlpool. Just as he repairs the relay Don is washed overboard by a giant wave. The family, frantically searches for Don but have no success. When all hope is lost Don is suddenly washed back to the Chariot and he climbs back onboard. They make it through the storm, reach land and eventually stop in a forested clearing. We hear John begin to read from his diary as the family gathers to kneel in pray and to give thanks for surviving the adventure.

Unseen by the Robinsons two aliens observe them making menacing gestures to each other.

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