The reason this is a great idea is because it places a group of people with sufficient internal conflict to be in a story, in a context where the writers can do pretty much anything they want. Star Trek, of course, did the same thing, with their voyage to wherever the writers imagine scenario.

The first Lost in Space had the misfortune of being produced at a time when All Television Sucked. If you want to see how bad things can really get, have a look at the original pilot.

This was made in the days where pilots were pilots, typically not shown to the general public. So they were sometimes made on the cheap, or in other ways flawed. The first episode or two use the hour long pilot’s plot and modified script, and IIRC many of the scenes.

The second lost in space was a mediocre movie with a premise that should be re-shot and edited. In this version, the to-be-lost-in-space family have to leave earth because a global recycling program that had been put in place years earlier had a small miscalculation that added up, unnoticed, over time, with the ultimate result of destroying the environment. Obviously, the re-write would use global warming.

Mediocre as a movie, in many ways, but taking full advantage of modern effects. And a number of good scenes.

Anyway, all that is behind us now. Netflix is making “Lost In Space” staring Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, and Max Jenkins. Have a look:

It is a series. Looks excellent. The robot is a major upgrade!