Land of the Giants

If there was a happy-ending episode to conclude the series, it may have been like this: The seven people on the Spindrift didn't travel through time or distant space but were shrunk like the movie "Fantastic Voyage" and landed on Earth in an English speaking place at the present time. That's a similar concept as the movie "Planet of the Apes". That's why we see the same cultures, fashions and technology as Earth of the late '60s. Some familiar products and objects appear but are just twelve times in larger scale except the audio level. The Captain insists he saw Earth in "On a Clear Night You Can See Earth" but it was his wishful thinking or mental distortion.

Irwin Allen produced series about a spacecraft crashing on a land of giant people, animals, insects, etc.

The last of Allen's four science fiction TV shows of the 60s. Personally, I liked the other three (Voyage, Time Tunnel, Lost in Space) more but Giants is still one of my favourite TV shows ever.

The Allen directed, John Williams scored opening episode - The Crash - is perhaps 50% of what makes Giants special. Seriously, if the series did not begin with such a knockout opener it is quiet possible I would not rate the series so highly!

I am not bashing the rest of the series but it is true that eight of the 51 episodes were total stinkers. Nearly all those stinkers came from season two when the once deadly serious tone of the series was transformed into something less interesting.

There are two ways to watch the series: in production order and out of production order. Go for the production order on the DVDs (atleast the Australian DVDs). The first seven or so hours begin with the giants being mostly silent (as seen in The Crash) and this is the best of Land of the Giants.

Season two had three very memorable time travel episodes (A Place Called Earth, Home Sweet Home and Wild Journey) written by Time Tunnel's William Welch. These are must see hours with quality guest stars like Warren Steven and Bruce Dern turning up!

This review might come over as a bit confusing as I say this is one of my favourite TV shows ever then I say eight episodes are trash?? Let me just repeat that I have a very special fondness for the opening hour, The Crash. From the way Valerie (Deanna Lund) behaves, to the energetic John Williams score, to the epic Allen direction and even having the giant land covered in mist (no mist in the other episodes) - this is what makes it special.

The Crash is without question one of the very greatest hours of film ever made! Enjoy.

Having just read all the comments I had an idea of why this show made such a strong impression on so many.

It seems many of the people that were fans were kids when this first aired (I was six, probably became truly imprinted on my neural circuits in early syndication). I believe this show connected so much with its audience because as young children we all felt in some way that we were living in a Land of the Giants and so we identified very much with all the characters.

Anyway, sorry for the cheesy pop psychiatry, but that's my theory and I'm sticking with it.

Now if I can only figure out why I loved so many other 60's/70's TV sci-fi (Star Trek, Lost In Space, UFO, Space 1999, etc)

Scientists may not approve ( I don't think it was aimed at them anyway! ) but in the U.K. in 1969 'Land Of The Giants' was a smash hit. At school on Monday mornings, the number one talking point in the playground was the latest episode of 'Land'. I would try to steer the conversation towards the ongoing saga of 'Dr.Who' in 'The War Games', but it was no use. 'Land' had Britain's children ensnared in its grip. It was kind of like 'Planet Of The Apes' in that it too featured a group of humans who, after passing through a 'space warp', find themselves marooned on a strange world where evolution has taken a different turn. As you'd expect from an Irwin Allen series, characterisation was barely in evidence, but the show boasted some amazing S.F.X. sequences, intriguing story lines such as 'Ghost Town', and the excellent Kevin Hagen as the sinister Inspector Kobick of the S.I.D. As was the case with a lot of U.S. sci-fi shows, the novelty soon wore off - 'Land' was cancelled after two seasons.

As a child growing up in England in the late 60s, my favourite TV show was "Lost in Space", but "Land of the Giants", which replaced it from time to time in the schedules, was only slightly less intriguing. It didn't boast a character quite so camply magnificent as Dr Zachary Smith (my lifelong hero!), but its parallel-world scenario struck me as deeply haunting and thought-provoking. All of the reviewers who berate LIS and LOTG for their creaky plots and primitive special effects are missing the point; these shows relied on a willing suspension of disbelief, and the imaginative collaboration of their audience (for the most part, children). I pity rather than envy the present generation of children, whose dreams are delivered to them ready made.