Alpha Control: a Lost in Space Podcast (Laen August)

THERE WERE GIANTS IN THE EARTH

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: The Robinsons find Will in time to save him from the Robot, who is temporarily de-activated. The family are beginning to settle down on the strange planet when they become aware that a Giant is prowling the valley. That & the discovery that the temperature is dropping rapidly, causes them to decide to move south. They pack up the Chariot & start off, except Smith, who refuses to leave the ‘safety’ of the Jupiter 2. They escape the Giant, who tries to block their way out of the valley but running into a heavy storm they seek shelter in what appears to be a cave in the mountainside. Once inside, they find themselves I a huge corridor with stone walls carved with strange alien hieroglyphics.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Carey Wilber (story by S. Wincelberg), Director: Leo Penn, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: 23-27 August 1965 (6 days), Air date: Wednesday October 6, 1965 (no-summer repeat)

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

THE LOST CIVILIZATION

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: John, Don, Will and the Robot are out searching for a fresh water supply. While Don and John are repairing the Chariot in a cave, Will and the Robot explore. They fall down a crevice and find a vast inland sea and jungle. There, in a clearing, is a young girl of Will’s age, fast asleep. The Robot directs Will to wake her with a kiss which he does. She tells them she is a princess, and takes them to her kingdom. On arriving, they find John and Don who, while searching for them have been taken prisoners. The Major Domo of the kingdom reveals that a vast army has been put into a state of suspended animation for generation after generation, waiting for the day when a traveler from another planet should arrive. He is to marry the princess. Then, the warriors will be awakened and will conquer the whole universe, starting with the planet from which the traveler came. Will tells the Princess that he doesn’t want to get married and, with her connivance, and the help of a planet quake, they all make their escape and the Princess goes back to sleep again.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: William Welch, Director: Don Richardson, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: March 11-21,22-23 for pickup shots 1966 (7 days, plus 2 for pickup shots). Air Date: April 13, 1966 / Repeat August 3, 1966.

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/1333/lost-civilization

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

Space Circus

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Marvello and his Space Circus arrive. They stage a performance for the benefit of the Robinsons and discover that Will has unexpected clairvoyant powers. Marvello would like to take the boy with him as part of his troupe, and Smith, eager to exploit the situation to his benefits arranges to be the boy’s manager. He meddles with the Robinsons’ food purification machine, leaving them only four days’ food supply and makes Will believe that he should sacrifice himself to make one less mouth to feed.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Bob and Wanda Duncan, Director: Harry Harris, Producer: William D. Faralla, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: 28-04 Jul-Aug 1966 (6 days), Air date: Wednesday October 12, 1966 (no summer release)

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro. This podcast was recorded on 11 NOV 2020

 LINKS: https://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/1009/space-circus

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

The Prisoners of Space

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: The Earth People are indicted by the Galaxy Tribunal of Justice for crimes committed in space. Their camp-site is enclosed by an energized fence keeping them all prisoner. They are summoned, one at a time, to answer charges. A visual memory machine recounts all their adventures to date. Smith, afraid of being found out, tries to escape but is forced to return by the Robot. The Tribunal eventually finds the Robinsons not guilty but Smith guilty on all counts. While the Tribunal is debating his punishment, the Robinsons think of a way to save him by declaring him insane. The Tribunal accepts this defense and orders Smith for the future to be placed in the custody of the Robot.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Barney Slater, Director: Nathan Juran, Producer: William D. Faralla, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: 5 – 11 Aug 1966 (5 days), Air date: Wednesday October 19, 1966 (no summer release)

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro. This podcast was recorded on 2/7/2021.

SHOWNOTE LINKS:

https://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/960/prisoners-space

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

SPECIAL – SEASON 1 WRAP UP – SEASON 2 PREVIEW SHOW

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Welcome Galactic Castaways to our long-awaited Season 1 Wrap-Up show. In this episode Kurt & I will reminisce about the highlights & low-lights of Season 1 of Irwin Allen's original 'Lost in Space'. We’ll talk about what new & exciting changes to expect for Season 2. We’ll also preview some things to look out for with Alpha Control podcast as we get ‘Lost in Season Two’. Finally, we’ll summarize the Cliffhanger that previews the premier of the New Season; Episode 30 titled ‘Blast off into Space’. That looks to be a fun one. So sit back, relax & join us as we review S1 & preview S2 of our beloved original Lost in Space!

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Season 1 Review, Season 2 Preview, Episode 30 Cliffhanger, Outro

 LINKS:

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: PHIL HAMILTON

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome a special guest to Alpha Control; Lost in Space artist Mr. PHIL HAMILTON. Phil is an incredibly talented 3D Computer Graphic artist & a life-long Fan of Lost in Space. His passion for the show is well-known to the online Lost in Space Fan community as a result of the numerous contributions that he’s made over the years to several online series forums, show related Facebook groups & his YouTube Channel. One of his signature works is his spectacular YouTube video titled; ‘Lost in Space: Virtual Tour of Stage 6 in 1965’. It’s a fascinating digital look at one of the three sound stages used during the filming of the 1st season episode ‘One of Our Dogs is Missing’. Combing still shots from the episode with painstaking research & Phil’s beautiful CG Animation, this short film allows viewers to go back in time & experience what it was like behind-the-scenes during the filming of a classic episode of the series.  Recently, he fulfilled a long-held dream & broke new ground with his stellar 3D Animated Lost in Space episode ‘Miracle in Space’. Phil’s stunning homage to Irwin Allen’s classic Sci-Fi Adventure series is the result of his talents & months of dedicated effort. The Non-Commercial Fan Film is the closest that we will ever come to having a brand-new episode of the original Lost in Space.

PHIL’S BIO: Before we speak with him, a little background on Mr. Hamilton. Phil grew up in Dallas, Texas and graduated from high school in Garland Texas - a suburb of Dallas. He is a self-proclaimed “monster kid” having his formative years in the 1960s.  His love of Lost in Space began when it premiered on CBS in 1965 & that devotion has never faded. In the mid 90’s he attended a Big D Super collectibles convention in 1997, where he met and spoke with Jonathan Harris in person. That brush with a LIS celebrity started him on the road to becoming a true ‘Mega Fan’ of the show. In 1999, he discovered the B9 Robot Builder’s Club, making several life-long friendships & ultimately finished his own full-scale Robot. Attendance at more conventions followed; which afforded him the opportunity to meet & interact with other cast members including the man inside the B9 Robot; the great Bob May.  In addition to his love for LIS, Phil’s always had a creative ambition to make movies. His professional career in Information Technology gave him the skills but not necessarily the outlet to pursue that desire. So over time he began pursuing that dream during his spare time; experimenting & perfecting his techniques of CG film-making. With the death of Jonathan Harris in 2002, the possibility of a live-action reprise of LIS that featured the original cast members seemed to slip away forever. It was that event sparked a new idea in Phil’s mind; a CG animated episode of classic LIS using the voices of the surviving cast. “Why Not?”, he asked. Well, the rest is history. We’re going to speak with Mr. Hamilton today about his love for LIS, his life of being a ‘Super Fan’ of the series & dig deeper into his incredible 3D CG animated movies. I hope you will enjoy this compelling interview with talented Lost in Space CG animated film-maker & Series Enthusiast Mr. Phil Hamilton. So, sit back relax and enjoy.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 25 OCT 2018.

PHIL’S YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJNmYu7-98pOocxy3tITVmw

STANDARD LINKS:

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: JEFF BOND

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome Lost in Space Music expert Mr. Jeff Bond to Alpha Control for an exclusive interview. Jeff is an accomplished Author, Music Critic & Album Producer. He’s written several books on Sci-Fi related topics including The Music of Star Trek, The Art of Star Trek: The Kelvin Timeline & his latest title The World of Orville which was published in Jan. 2018. Notably for us, Jeff along with his colleague Neil Bulk was Album Producer on the beautiful LOST in SPACE 50th Anniversary Soundtrack Collection, released in 2015.

JEFF’S BIO: Mr. Bond is originally from Ohio & studied Creative Writing at Bowling Green State University after which he pursued his career as a movie magazine reporter. Jeff’s knowledge of film & TV music scores & their creators dates back to the 1990’s when he served as senior editor for Film Score Monthly. As a free-lance writer he has written articles for The Hollywood Reporter, Geek Monthly and Cinefantastique magazine. From 2003 to 2006, Jeff served as Senior Editor at CFQ, the later-day revival of Cinefantastique. In addition, he has written hundreds of movie and television soundtrack liner note booklets as an editor for GNP Crescendo Records, Varèse Sarabande Records & La-La Land Records. In 2012 he shared an IFMCA Award nomination for Star Trek: TOS Soundtrack collection & won the shared 2012 Award for Star Trek: TMP (expanded soundtrack) in the category of Best Archival Release of an Existing Score, for his work as producer & liner notes author. I’m speaking with Jeff today about that Soundtrack Collection & we’ll also get a little deeper into the memorable music featured in the first season of LIS.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 27 MAY 2018.

Lost in Space 50th Anniversary Soundtrack CD Collection:

http://lalalandrecords.com/Site/LostInSpace50th.html

LINKS for Jeff Bond:

Soundcloud link to Jeff’s Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/user-391180375/sets/the-bond-of-geekdom

Jeff’s Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Jeff-Bond/e/B001K8I47C/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

Jeff’s Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/jeffc.bond

Jeff’s Twitter:  https://twitter.com/lazymodeler

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

SPECIAL - CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: DR. JACOB SHAPIRO

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome Astrologer to the Stars Dr. JACOB SHAPIRO to Alpha Control for a special interview. Since the mid 1960’s many famous denizens of Tinsel Town turned to Jacob for Horoscope readings, Back adjustments & guidance. His career spanned over three decades & during that time he managed to help, heal and handle a long list of renowned clients from a variety of professions; such as actors, producers, politicians, authors & musicians.

JACOB’S BIO: Mr. Shapiro is originally from Philadelphia & attended Brandeis University where he received a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. After a brief stint as a travelling salesman for the Electrolux Corporation, he made a dramatic career change when he left the States to pursue a Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine degree from Port Au Prince University in Haiti. After graduating, he returned to the States & set up a thriving practice in Southern California, near Los Angles. Following the divorce his second wife Irene, Jacob made another dramatic change of professions when he entered an intensive master’s degree program in Astrology at Chihuahua State University in Mexico. Within a short time, Dr. Jake as he became known; was the trusted counselor to A-list celebrities such as Paul Lynde, Charles Nelson Riley, Bob Dylan & a host of other notable politicians, stars & culture leaders from around the world. Most notable to Lost in Space fans, he ultimately became close with both Irwin Allen & Jonathan Harris. Now after a 30+ year career in the business of treating & advising the rich & famous, Dr. Shapiro has put down his fascinating experiences & recollections in a new ‘Tell-All’ book; Jacob Shapiro; Guru to Hollywood’s Golden Age of Stars. A ‘must read’ chronicle of his life during the 60’s, 70’s & 80’s in Hollywood.

We’ll speak with Dr. Jake today about Irwin Allen, Jonathan Harris & his charmed life - rubbing elbows with the glamorous-powerful movers & shakers who made history both in front of & behind the camera. So, sit back & enjoy this engaging interview the delightful Dr. Jacob Shapiro!

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on APRIL FOOL'S DAY 2020.

LINKS: https://jbmj-book-store.myshopify.com/pages/lis-books

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

STANDARD LINKS: https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

BLAST OFF INTO SPACE

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: The planet on which the Robinson family had found refuge is about to disintegrate due to the blasting of a space prospector, Nerim, in his search for the valuable element Cosmonium. The Robinsons hastily prepare to blast off into space, and so does the prospector, but he is lacking a thruster control necessary to get his spaceship off the ground. Smith, greedy to get some of the Cosmonium, steals this instrument from the Jupiter and gambles it to Nerim for two bottles of the precious liquid, only to find that when they take off without the thruster control, their ship cannot escape the planet’s pull.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Peter Packer, Director: Nathan Juran, Producer: William D. Faralla, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: 21-29 Jun 1966 with pick up shots 8th & 11th of July 1966 (6 days + 2 partial days)

Air date: Wednesday September 14, 1967 (May 3, 1966)

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro. This podcast was recorded on  23 FEB 2020. NOW IN STEREO FOR S2!

 LINKS: http://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/687/blast-off-space

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: DAVID SCHECTER 

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome Sci-Fi & horror Movie music expert Mr. DAVID SCHECTER to Alpha Control for a special interview. David is a highly accomplished & widely published writer/ editor, as well as a music, book & film critic. Since the mid 1990’s, he’s also been a producer, writer, publicist, and co-owner of the acclaimed CD label Monstrous Movie Music; specializing in soundtracks from classic science fiction & horror films. Over the course of his professional career, David’s formed friendships with several personalities of interest to Lost in Space & Sci-Fi fans including composer Herman Stein & actress Francine York among others.

DAVID’S BIO: Mr. Schecter is originally from New Jersey. David graduated from University of Colorado, Boulder with a degree in Anthropology. His goal early on was to get into show business writing comedy & he later studied screenwriting & advertising copywriting at UCLA. Professionally, David cut his teeth as a copywriter for American Greeting Cards company, which started him on a decades-long career writing copy for numerous toy companies, book publishers, licensed characters & comedians. Later branching out into other writing fields, David became known as one of the best ‘gag writers’ in the business, David’s humorous articles & cartoons have been published in several newspapers & periodicals including The Milwaukee Journal, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, The Sacramento Union, Parade, Reader’s Digest as well as countless others. He also worked on several Hollywood memoirs, wrote four comedy screenplays, a TV pilot & a Novel for young readers.

After making the jump to the music business, David’s become recognized for his extensive knowledge of classic Sci-Fi & Horror film music. As such, he’s done special feature commentaries & interviews for numerous DVD/Blu-Ray releases such as; The Monster That Challenged the World, Tarantula, The Mole People, The Monolith Monsters & The Deadly Mantis among many others. In addition, he’s written extensively about the subject for various magazines & contributed to books including; The Creature Chronicles, Bride of the Gorilla, The Indestructible Man, and Universal Terrors 1951-1955.

Over the course of his career as a writer, editor, producer & reviewer, Mr. Schecter has been honored with several awards & accolades including two Rondo Awards; one for his writing & the other for his music producing. We’re going to speak with David about his love for classic Sci-Fi film scores & some of the lesser known genius composers who created it, including his longtime friend Herman Stein. He’s also collected a treasure trove of fascinating stories & anecdotes thru his writing career & association with luminaries such as actress Francine York.  So, sit back & enjoy this engaging interview the amazing David Schecter!

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 18 FEB 2020.

LINKS for David Schecter: http://www.mmmrecordings.com/

https://www.facebook.com/david.schecter.1

http://www.lisaandlarry.com/index.html

http://twoscotties.com/

Monstrous Movie Music:  http://www.mmmrecordings.com/

STANDARD LINKS: https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

ATTACK OF THE MONSTER PLANTS

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Dr. Robinson and Don have found a small vein of petroleum which they have mined for fuel to blast their spaceship off the planet. Unfortunately, a cyclamen-like plant, which has the power to ingest anything it finds and duplicate an image of it, swallows a can of deutronium hidden by Smith for use as a bargaining factor in case the Robinsons plan to leave him behind. The cyclamen, nourished by this element, starts growing rapidly. It lures Judy close enough to be ingested and turns out a duplicate image of her to steal the rest of the deutronium for its use. Now it grows so big that its tendrils completely envelop the spaceship.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: William Read Woodfield and Allan Balter, Director: Justus Addiss, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: 26 November - 3 December 1965, Air Date: Wednesday, December 15, 1965 (summer repeat May 4, 1966)

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/998/attack-monster-plants

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

GHOST IN SPACE

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Smith gets rid of some blasting materials by throwing them into a nearby bog. The resulting explosion causes an angry, invisible presence to materialize from the marsh that night and make its way to the Jupiter 2 where it wreaks havoc until daylight. Smith, who has been trying to call up spirits with a Ouija board, thinks the manifestation is his dead Uncle Thaddeus. Believing that his uncle needs to be placated, he persuades Will to go to the marsh with him the following night to perform incantations. During the proceedings, Will drops the lantern and falls into the bog while looking for it. Although he clambers out again he has now become invisible. Smith discovers, to his terror, that the angry presence is not his uncle. As he is unable to Will, he thinks that he has drowned.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Peter Packer, Director: Don Richardson, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: January 13-21, 1966 (7 Days) Air Date: February 2, 1966 / Repeat June 8, 1966.

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/1313/ghost-space

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

ONE OF OUR DOGS IS MISSING

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: While the men of the expedition, except Smith, are away, the women discover the wreckage of a space vehicle. On their return to the spaceship they find an intruder has looted their food supply. Later a small, friendly dog appears… The dog is found to be the only occupant of the wrecked capsule; it had been sent up, frozen in suspended animation in an early space experiment, and became re-animated when the freezing tube broke on landing… The mystery of hidden intruder remains a frightening enigma. They do not know that it is a hideous mutant who has been secretly watching them.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: William Welch, Director: Sutton Roley, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: 16-24 November, 1965 (7 Days), Air Date: Wednesday, December 8, 1965 (Summer Repeat August 24, 1966)

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/1000/dogs-missing

VIRTUAL STAGE TOUR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt76fHK_chQ

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

SPECIAL - CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: ANGELA CARTWRIGHT & BILL MUMY

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome two very special guests to Alpha Control: Angela Cartwright & Bill Mumy. Although well-known to LIS fans as the talented young actors who played Penny & Will Robinson on the classic series, BOTH performers have played numerous roles in dozens of movies & TV shows and between them racked up hundreds of appearances on both the Big & Small screen. But if that wasn’t enough, these ‘gifted go-getters’ are ALSO multi-talented artists in a wide variety of creative fields. Angela’s life-long passion for art & photography, led her to pursue a second career as an artist, as well as a jewelry & clothing designer; eventually establishing her own art studio, which can be explored online at Angela Cartwright Studio.com.

Bill on the other hand, has also achieved great success as a gifted musician, singer, song writer, voice artist & producer. In addition to his prolific catalog of solo songs & recordings, Bill is the co-founder of the off-beat rock duo Barnes & Barnes and veteran member of the band America. In his latest musical endeavor, he teamed up with musicians Vicki Peterson of the Bangles and John Cowsill of the Beach Boys, to write and record as the rock group, “ACTION SKULLS”; which has released two critically acclaimed albums; 2017’s ‘Angel Hear’ & 2020’s ‘A Different World’.

What’s more, both actors are published authors. Angela’s titles include her award-winning coffee table book Styling the Stars: Lost Treasures from the Twentieth Century Fox Archive, & her Art books titled: Mixed Emulsions, In This House & In This Garden among others. She also conceived and collaborated on The Sound of Music Family Scrapbook along with her fellow ‘Von Trapp’ family siblings. Likewise, Bill’s lasting fascination with comic books propelled him into a career creating & writing scores of them for both Marvel & DC. And in the early 1990’s, he authored many issues of the celebrated "Lost in Space" comic book series for Innovation Comics. Later in 2005, he followed up with the acclaimed 360-page graphic novel, “Lost in Space: Voyage to the Bottom of the Soul”. 

With all that going on, it’s hard to believe this ‘talented twosome’ have also co-written three other terrific books: their first was their fantastic pictorial-memoir “Lost and Found in Space”, followed by “On Purpose”, a sci-fi adventure novel for young adults & finally their latest collaboration - the updated & expanded edition - “Lost and Found in Space 2”. As you can imagine, I’ve got a lot of questions for them both. So, get set to ‘Blast Off’ for this fascinating conversation with LIS Stars - Angela Cartwright & Bill Mumy

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 18 JAN 2022.

Don’t forget that from now until the end of FEB 2022 you can get 20% off the Deluxe Autographed Edition of their New book  plus a set of limited edition trading cards using the cosmic Coupon Code revealed at the end of this interview! - Just go to NCPBooks.com at the link below for more information.

NCPBooks.com

OTHER LINKS: angela-cartwright.com  billmumy.com     

SHOP:  angelacartwrightstudio.com 

ART SITE:   acartwrightstudio.com

FACEBOOK: OfficialAngelaCartwright      bill.mumy 

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: BILL HEDGES

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome Lost in Space Prop & Miniature Replicator, Writer, Researcher & Independent Film Studio Owner; Mr. Bill Hedges. Bill is well known in the LIS fan community for his detailed & screen accurate recreations of classic LIS props & sets, many of which have been realized using original components & studio blueprints from the series. As a kid, Bill fell in love with LIS when it premiered in the Fall of 1965 during its prime-time broadcast run. He collected most all the merchandise that was available to a fan in those years, like the classic Aurora model kits, 'ViewMaster' disks & 'Topps' trading cards. After the show was canceled Bill lived in an area where it wasn’t available in syndication, but his interest in the LIS never wavered. It was only after the internet opened up & connected a whole world of LIS fandom that that Bill started realizing his childhood dream of recreating some of the Fantastic Worlds that Irwin Allen created over 50 years ago. What began with collecting a few pieces of control panels from the original sets, eventually led to building a realistic Jupiter 2 interior, buying an old downtown movie theater and renovating that into a working film studio, complete with partial J2 exterior & alien landscape.  Thus, was born Cosmic Films Studio.

BILL’S BIO: Mr. Hedges lives in Lyons, Nebraska, which is about 70 miles North of Omaha. He grew up on a farm and like a lot of kids in that era was fascinated with the Space Program, Astronomy, Electronics & Science Fiction. LIS checked off all those boxes & even though he loved the show’s stories, it was the hardware & Special Effects that really caught his imagination. For High School graduation his parents gave him a Super 8 movie camera, which he used to pursue the hobby of amateur filmmaking. Along the way, he managed to collect a slew of production materials from LIS including, blueprints, maps, storyboards & scripts. His research & knowledge allowed him to write several features for Flint Mitchell’s famous Lost in Space Encyclopedia, which is still considered an invaluable resource on the technical aspects of the series. After retiring from his career with the US Postal Service & establishing Cosmic Films Studio, he’s fully devoted himself to movie-making in all its aspects from fabricating sets, modeling, writing scripts, filming & post-production. His passion has blossomed into a remarkable story that includes his own series of sci-fi fantasy films about a ‘Cosmic Cat’ named Penny. We’re going to speak with Bill today about his love for & research about LIS, his remarkable recreations of sets, props & miniatures AND get a peek inside the world of Cosmic Films Studio, so sit back & enjoy this compelling interview with the amazing Mr. Bill Hedges.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 6 SEP 2018.

Links: http://www.cosmicfilmsstudio.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Cosmic-Films-324773570979606/

http://netnebraska.org/interactive-multimedia/television/nebraska-stories-cosmic-films-801

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MBFuSCDUGY

https://siouxlandnews.com/news/local/recreating-hollywood

https://www.facebook.com/324773570979606/videos/325123207611309/

https://www.facebook.com/324773570979606/videos/340943326029297/

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/LostinSpaceProps/info

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: JEFF BOND

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome back Lost in Space Music expert Mr. Jeff Bond to Alpha Control for an exclusive interview. Jeff is an accomplished Author, Music Critic & Album Producer. He’s written several books on Sci-Fi related topics including The Music of Star Trek, The Art of Star Trek: The Kelvin Timeline & his latest title The World of Orville which was published in Jan. 2018. Notably for us, Jeff along with his colleague Neil Bulk was Album Producer on the beautiful LOST in SPACE 50th Anniversary Soundtrack Collection, released in 2015.

JEFF’S BIO: Mr. Bond is originally from Ohio & studied Creative Writing at Bowling Green State University after which he pursued his career as a movie magazine reporter. Jeff’s knowledge of film & TV music scores & their creators dates back to the 1990’s when he served as senior editor for Film Score Monthly. As a free-lance writer he has written articles for The Hollywood Reporter, Geek Monthly and Cinefantastique magazine. From 2003 to 2006, Jeff served as Senior Editor at CFQ, the later-day revival of Cinefantastique. In addition, he has written hundreds of movie and television soundtrack liner note booklets as an editor for GNP Crescendo Records, Varèse Sarabande Records & La-La Land Records. In 2012 he shared an IFMCA Award nomination for Star Trek: TOS Soundtrack collection & won the shared 2012 Award for Star Trek: TMP (expanded soundtrack) in the category of Best Archival Release of an Existing Score, for his work as producer & liner notes author.

I’m speaking with Jeff today about his brand-new book; 'THE FANTASY WORLDS OF IRWIN ALLEN; more than two and a half years in the making, this lavish, 600+ page hardcover coffee table book is the first and only book of its kind to take a visual journey through the mind and career of legendary producer Irwin Allen.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 14 MAY 2019.

The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/worldsofirwinallen/?epa=SEARCH_BOX

The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen Book Orders on Creaturefeatures.com:

https://creaturefeatures.com/?fbclid=IwAR2FKgqtvyP42Oiy6csNCSoYWli15bhDHahIg4ujbLm3V1B7eyml06AS8-Y

Lost in Space 50th Anniversary Soundtrack CD Collection:

http://lalalandrecords.com/Site/LostInSpace50th.html

LINKS for Jeff Bond:

Jeff’s Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Jeff-Bond/e/B001K8I47C/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

Jeff’s Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/jeffc.bond

Jeff’s Twitter:  https://twitter.com/lazymodeler

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: JEFF BOND 2.1

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome back Lost in Space Music expert Mr. Jeff Bond to Alpha Control for an exclusive interview. Jeff is an accomplished Author, Music Critic & Album Producer. He’s written several books on Sci-Fi related topics including The Music of Star Trek, The Art of Star Trek: The Kelvin Timeline & his latest title The World of Orville which was published in Jan. 2018. Notably for us, Jeff along with his colleague Neil Bulk was Album Producer on the beautiful LOST in SPACE 50th Anniversary Soundtrack Collection, released in 2015.

JEFF’S BIO: Mr. Bond is originally from Ohio & studied Creative Writing at Bowling Green State University after which he pursued his career as a movie magazine reporter. Jeff’s knowledge of film & TV music scores & their creators dates back to the 1990’s when he served as senior editor for Film Score Monthly. As a free-lance writer he has written articles for The Hollywood Reporter, Geek Monthly and Cinefantastique magazine. From 2003 to 2006, Jeff served as Senior Editor at CFQ, the later-day revival of Cinefantastique. In addition, he has written hundreds of movie and television soundtrack liner note booklets as an editor for GNP Crescendo Records, Varèse Sarabande Records & La-La Land Records. In 2012 he shared an IFMCA Award nomination for Star Trek: TOS Soundtrack collection & won the shared 2012 Award for Star Trek: TMP (expanded soundtrack) in the category of Best Archival Release of an Existing Score, for his work as producer & liner notes author.

I’m speaking with Jeff today about the memorable music featured in the second season of Lost in Space, the Land of the Giants Soundtrack, as well as his fantastic upcoming projects.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 14 MAY 2019.

The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/worldsofirwinallen/?epa=SEARCH_BOX

The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen Book Orders on Creaturefeatures.com:

https://creaturefeatures.com/?fbclid=IwAR2FKgqtvyP42Oiy6csNCSoYWli15bhDHahIg4ujbLm3V1B7eyml06AS8-Y

Lost in Space 50th Anniversary Soundtrack CD Collection:

http://lalalandrecords.com/Site/LostInSpace50th.html

LINKS for Jeff Bond:

Jeff’s Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Jeff-Bond/e/B001K8I47C/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

Jeff’s Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/jeffc.bond

Jeff’s Twitter:  https://twitter.com/lazymodeler

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

The Deadly Games of Gamma 6

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: An alien trainer, Myko, with his troupe of gladiator fighters arrives for their yearly display of games which are televised throughout the galaxy. Myko tries to persuade Professor Robinson to enter one of the contests. John refuses, but Dr. Smith, hearing that vast riches are paid to the victor, volunteers to fight a little alien only half his size. Myko agrees but doesn’t tell Smith that his half-pint opponent can make himself invisible, or that the military leaders of the galaxy are watching the games, planning to invade any planet whose representatives appear to be cowardly. Sadly, Dr. Smith loses the fight to the little alien. So, in order to save Earth from invasion, John challenges Myko to a game of Cosmic Russian Roulette.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Barney Slater, Director: Nathan Juran, Producer: William D. Faralla, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen. Guest Stars: ‘Myko’ – Mike Kellin, ‘Alien Leader’ - Peter Brocco, ‘Geoo’ – Harry Monty, ‘Gromack’ – Ronald Weber & ‘Alien Giant – Chuck Roberson.

Film dates: 22 – 29 Aug 1966 (6 days), Air date: Wednesday Nov. 2, 1966 (no summer release)

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro. This podcast was recorded on 9/22/2021

SHOWNOTE LINKS:

The Deadly Games of Gamma 6 | Lost in Space Forum (proboards.com)

https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

Special - Calling Alpha Control: PAUL LUBLINER & MIKE CLARK

 EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome BACK our old friend & LIS Super Aficionado Mr. Mike Clark & he’s accompanied today by his friend & colleague Mr. Paul Lubliner to Alpha Control for an exclusive interview. Both Mike & Paul have been life-long fans of the Fantasy Worlds that Irwin Allen created on his 1960’s TV series. Today they are well known to the LIS fan community for collaborating on the fantastic documentary film, ‘RESTORING THE GEMINI 12’. The film which Mr. Clark produced in 2016 has over 400,000 views on YouTube & it chronicles Paul’s amazing work restoring to original condition, the 50 year-old 4 foot filming miniature of the Robinson’s Spacecraft that was used to produce special effects shots for the unaired pilot ‘No Place to Hide’. After LIS was picked up by CBS in 1965, much of that SFX footage would be recycled in several episodes of LIS & the Gemini 12 would be re-designated as the Jupiter 2.

Recently, Paul & Mike have teamed up again for a new documentary film that takes the story of the Gemini 12 Model to a whole other level-literally! That film titled ‘RELAUNCHING THE GEMINI 12’, is being released on YouTube in 3 parts over a few weeks in August of 2020 & it documents their effort to recreate one of the most iconic special effect sequences ever seen on LIS using virtually the same technics that were used to produce the original shots! The film is a story of challenges, setbacks & unrelenting determination to do what at times seemed an almost impossible task & it’s created using the same high-quality production values that made their 1st documentary a treat to watch.

MIKE'S BIO: Mike Clark has had a long career in television on the camera & production side of things. He also had a 15-year career as a feature writer for the classic Sci-Fi Film/TV magazine STARLOG. During his career he’s had the opportunity to interview most of the original cast members & some of the behind the scenes creators of LIS, including Irwin Allen himself. As a result, he’s become something of a recognized expert on the classic series. So much so that, Mike was featured as the main facilitator of the Cast Commentaries ‘Special features’ that are included on the incredible LIS: The Complete Adventures Blu-Ray set. Today Mike resides in Southern California running his own video production company Clark Media Productions.

PAULS' BIO: Paul Lubliner is the CEO of Highliners, producer of highly detailed scale model train kits & parts, which he founded over 30 years ago in San Diego. The company is renowned by model railroad enthusiasts world-wide for their quality & scale accuracy. Paul has used his expertise as a master model maker & skilled fabricator of miniature parts for model trains to pursue another passion; restoring classic Irwin Allen film miniatures including the original 4' Seaview model, the 2 wood patterns for the Flying Sub and of course, the original Gemini 12 miniature.  Paul also created the screen-accurate 8-foot Seaview model replica used in Kevin Burns’ TV-documentary ‘THE FANTASY WORLDS of IRWIN ALLEN’.  For the new 3-part documentary series, RELAUNCHING THE GEMINI 12, Paul constructed a duplicate 1:1 scale Gemini 12 replica; complete with spinning radar, fusion core & Lydecker tubes for inserting guidewires, just like the original model used by LB Abbott’s Fox special effects crew in 1965.

We’ll talk more with our guests about that replica & what it was used for, as well as lot of other fascinating details about their new film project. You’re in for a real treat for the ears, so sit back relax and enjoy this wide-ranging conversation with Paul Lubliner & Mike Clark.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 29 MAY 2020.

LINKS: NEW Gemini 12 YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnA9Rt_48p4sJC3Ba5sM1PA

Mike Clarks’ BIG13 YouTube Channel- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvkITJdy8aTGId4D8Hvj3dA

Mike Clark’s Website- http://www.big13.com/

Winchell-Mahoney Time Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2103715256560172/

Supercar/Fireball XL5 TV Series Fans
https://www.facebook.com/groups/418609601927647/

Paul Lubliner’s Model Railroad Business- https://highlinersonline.com/

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

THE DERELICT

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Maureen & John are outside the spaceship, debilitated by the heat from an approaching comet, they are rescued by Don. Next, they see an enormous spaceship, seemingly adrift. It bears down on them & engulfs the J2. While John & Don are studying its navigational system for clues to their whereabouts, Will exploring, finds a huge chamber full of strange, frozen forms. Unwittingly, he presses the button that defrosts them. Smith, finding Will & terrified by these strange Bubble creatures, fires at them. The angry aliens mass to attack… 

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW:  Writer: Peter Packer (story by S. Wincelberg), Director Alexander Singer, Producer Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer-Irwin Allen.

Film dates-29 July-9 August 1965 (8 days), Air date: Wednesday Sep 22, 1965 (no-summer repeat)

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

Email: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

Twitter: @Alpha_Podcast

ALL THAT GLITTERS

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Ohan, a galactic burglar, arrives, closely pursued by Officer Bolix of the Galaxy Law Enforcement Agency. Afraid of being caught with his loot, Ohan leaves a mysterious stolen object with Penny. Smith discovers its secret. It leads him to a hidden ring, just large enough to fit around his neck, which has the property of turning anything he touches into platinum. Smith betrays Ohan to Bolix in order to keep the ring. At first, he is enthralled by it, but when his food turns to metal before he can eat it he finds he cannot take the ring off, he is terrified. Too dangerous to the family to be allowed to stay with them, he wanders into the forest to die. Penny, finding Smith in the forest, forgets the danger of coming too close and is also turned into platinum.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Barney Slater, Director: Harry Harris, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: March 11-18, 1966 (6 days). Air Date: April 6, 1966 / Repeat July 27, 1966.

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/1003/all-glitters

Lost World Dino Roar sounds like Tie Fighter SFX:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCjGsKKevSQ

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

THE OASIS

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: The sources of water on the planet are drying up. The Robinsons have rigged up a water-conversion unit but it doesn’t supply enough for their needs. It becomes vital to find a new source. They set off in search & find an oasis. The water isn’t drinkable but there is a lot of fruit growing there. They bring some back with them to test if it is safe to eat. Smith sees the fruit and eats some, not knowing that it has not yet been tested. The result is that he & the pet 'Bloop' Debbie, who also ate some, start to grow at such a rate that they become Giants overnight. Smith thinks the Robinsons have done this to him purposely because earlier he had taken more than his share of the water for a shower. He plans revenge & leaves the camp taking a fuel cell from the water-conversion unit with him. Maureen goes after him & convinces him to return to the ship with the fuel cell, while they try to find a cure for Smith’s (& Debbie’s) condition

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Peter Packer, Director: Sutton Roley, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: 8-18 OCT 1965 (6.75 days), Air date: Wednesday November 10, 1965 (no Summer Repeat)

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

WISH UPON A STAR    

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Smith and Will discover a strange device which has the power to materialize an object the holder has in mind. Immediately there is great competition amongst the whole family for its services. But instead of being a blessing, it only makes the users progressively greedier. Quarrels break out as to whose turn is next and even cheating is resorted to, while necessary chores are left undone waiting for the ‘thought machine’ to do them instead. Robinson anxious at this change in his family, orders Smith to take the device back to where he found it. Smith is secretly determined to keep it but an Alien creature appears & silently demands what is evidently his property.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Barney Slater, Director: Sutton Roley, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: 27 Oct-4 Nov 1965 (7 days), Air date: Wednesday November 24, 1965 (Summer Repeat September 7, 1965)

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/591/star

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

 CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: KEVIN BURNS 

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome Mr. Kevin Burns to Alpha Control for an exclusive interview. Kevin is a man who has been called the ‘Keeper of the flame’, maybe I should just say the Keeper…of all things Irwin Allen, AS WELL AS an executive producer & creator of the new Netflix Lost in Space series, which premiered on 13th of April 2018. He’s joining us today to share his lifelong LOVE of the ORIGINAL series and of course talk about the new reboot.

KEVIN'S BIO: Kevin grew up in upstate NY & by the time was Will Robinson’s age, he was already a Big Fan of LIS, watching it during its first run broadcast. That started him on a journey that would result in personal friendships with the cast members of the original series, as well as Sheila Allen, Irwin’s widow & ultimately culminate in this beautiful new Netflix LIS series. Along the way, he maintained his love of the series during his college years in New York & Boston, his teaching career at Boston University & his later move to LA where he landed a marketing & promotions job at 20th Century Fox TV. Later Kevin established several Hollywood production companies, was nominated for numerous Emmy Awards, won two including one for the superb A&E series Biography. He was also writer, producer or director on many highly acclaimed documentaries, including Empire of Dreams the story of the Star Wars trilogy, Indiana Jones the Ultimate Quest, The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen, Lost in Space Forever & many, many more…Indeed, Kevin is directly responsible for hundreds of hours of television across a wide range of subjects, but the franchise that hold first place in his heart is the subject of this humble podcast Lost in Space. Kevin is also the driving force behind the beautifully restored & re-mastered 50th Anniversary Blu-Ray collection & Ultimate Soundtrack CD collection that were released in 2015. For that all LIS fans owe HIM a special debt of gratitude.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 23 April 2018.

LINKS: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0122745/bio

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Burns

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

THE CHALLENGE

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: A mysterious thief who has been pilfering from the camp is finally caught by Smith. He is a defiant alien boy who proves to be thoroughly intractable and impossible to handle. Then the boy’s father, a ruler from a distant planet, arrives and reveals that he has put his son there as a test to see how well he can fend for himself and thus prove if the boy is fit to succeed him. One test is to kill a giant monster. He insists that, to complete the tests, his son should challenge Will in a series of contests. Will, seeing himself as the representing the planet Earth, is equally anxious to win. The boys tie in a number of events in spite of Smith’s secret attempts to influence the events in favor of the alien boy, hoping thus to win the father’s approbation, but the final events confounds all Smith’s secret schemes.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Barney Slater, Director: Don Richardson, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: February 1-10, 1966 (7 days spanning 8) Air Date: March 2, 1966 / Repeat June 29, 1966.

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/1932/challenge

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: RON GROSS 4.0

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome back AGAIN a very special friend of the Alpha Control Podcast; the “Artist-Laureate” of Irwin Allen’s original Lost in Space - Mr. RON GROSS. Ron is an incredibly talented & prolific graphic artist who is skilled in both traditional and digital rendering techniques. Many of his beautiful creations employ a distinctive hybrid production methodology that he personally developed. Ron's Lost in Space related works include assorted box art illustrations for both Polar Lights and Moebius Models. In association with Kevin Burns of Synthesis Entertainment, Ron also designed the official 45th and 50th Lost in Space anniversary logos. Fans of the series are most familiar with his stunning calendars & poster art based on the original Irwin Allen television properties. As well as an officially licensed - Limited-Edition Lost in Space Deluxe Trading Card set from Monsterwax, featuring his own dazzling Artwork, as well as a fascinating series ‘In Universe’ storyline released in 2019.

RON’S BIO: Ron grew up in Aurora Illinois and resides in the greater Chicago area to this day.  After retiring from a distinguished career as a Sales Executive, Ron's fully devoted himself to his passion for creating art.  When we spoke with Ron last time, we focused on his THEN “newly-released” book, "Fantasy Worlds Beyond: The Irwin Allen Art of Ron Gross". Published in Spring 2021, this beautiful Art Book burnished his well-deserved fame among serious Lost in Space aficionados.  Now Ron has followed up his many accomplishments, with yet another fantastic project: his newly released book, "Lost in Space: The Initial Adventures." More than 5 decades in the making, this richly illustrated novelization of the multi-episode story arc that launched series contains a variety of "lost scenes” throughout - as well as Ron’s own speculative exploration of the mysteriously planned, but never developed sixth episode of the story arc titled; “Refuge of the Damned”. A topic that has intrigued Lost in Space fans for years.

So, today we’re going to speak in-depth with Ron about his fabulous New Book & how he managed to make this childhood passion a reality. So, sit back, relax & enjoy “ACT IV” of our compelling ongoing conversation with gifted Lost in Space graphic artist & author Mr. Ron Gross.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 25 APR 2022.

LINKS: http://www.outerportals.com/home.html

Lost in Space: The Initial Adventures: Gross, Ron: 9798433306585: Amazon.com: Books

Fantasy Worlds Beyond: The Irwin Allen Art of Ron Gross: Gross, Ron: 9798727194386: Books - Amazon

http://www.monsterwax.com/LIScards.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

THE MAGIC MIRROR

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Penny finds an ornate mirror abandoned in a remote area by some former space traveler. Smith also is interested in it because of the value of its solid platinum frame. During a storm the mirror is struck by a cosmic bolt and changes mysteriously. It has become the entrance to another dimension. Falling thru the mirror, Penny finds herself entrapped behind it and cannot get out. She meets a Peter Pan-like alien boy who tries to persuade her to stay there where she will be free from adult authority and need never grow up. Then Smith turns up. He has also fallen in while tampering with the mirror’s frame. Convinced that this is only a dream, Smith ignores the danger of a huge hairy monster that is trying to get them. Penny is determined to get herself and Smith back safely into their own world.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Jackson Gillis, Director: Nathan Juran, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: January 24-February 1, 1966 (6.25 Days) Air Date: February 16, 1966 / Repeat June 22, 1966.

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/1321/magic-mirror

YouTube video on ‘magic mirror’ trick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoV6wrEkQZ4

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

The Ghost Planet

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: The Jupiter is drawn irresistibly into the orbit of a strange planet. It is inhabited entirely by Cyborgs under the control of a gigantic Cybernetic Brain. The Cyborgs want to capture the Castaways and use them as slave workers. Smith is gullible enough to leave the spaceship, followed by Will. The Robot, who has been sent to reconnoiter the situation, swears allegiance to the Cyborgs and is set in charge of Will and Smith who are put to work on an assembly line. However, he is really waiting his chance to rescue them and helps the family make a fast getaway with the Cyborgs in hot, but vain, pursuit.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Peter Packer, Director: Nathan Juran, Producer: William D Faralla, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: 11-19 July 1966 (6 and 1/4 days), Air date: Wednesday September 28, 1966 (May 17,1967)

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro-Goodbye. This podcast was recorded on 18 April, 2020

 LINKS: http://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/1005/ghost-planet

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

THE RELUCTANT STOWAWAY

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: In 1997, from the now desperately overcrowded Earth, the Robinson family & their pilot set off in the Jupiter 2 spaceship, as pioneers to colonize a distant planet circling Alpha Centauri. At blast off Smith, an agent of an enemy power, who has programmed the Jupiter 2’s Robot to destroy the ship, is trapped aboard. The robot is de-activated before completely carrying out his orders, but the ship is damaged & now far off course, lost in another galaxy. Robinson is outside trying to mend the damaged scanner when his tether breaks, leaving him floating helplessly in space…

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-writer- Shimon Wincelberg (as S. bar-David), director Tony Leader, producer Jerry Briskin, executive Producer-Irwin Allen.

Film dates-19-28 July 1965 (8 days), Air date: Wednesday Sep 15, 1965 (no-summer repeat)

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-welcome, Podcast Vision, Irwin Allen LIS TV show background, concept, cast, episode review & analysis, preview next week.

LINKS: http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

Email: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

Twitter: @Alpha_Podcast

FOLLOW THE LEADER

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: John, caught in a cave by a rock fall, hears a voice coming from an old sarcophagus. It is the spirit of Canto, a former warrior from the planet Quasti, who wants to take over John’s body and thus live again. The voice tells him that it will gain the possession of his mind bit by bit, until John will be completely under his control. Back with the family, John bewilders them by acting like a ruthless dictator. With Canto using John’s voice, the family are forced to work night and day repairing the spaceship as he plans to return to Quasti in it. When the ship is ready, John, under Canto’s control, imprisons Maureen, Judy and Don in the cave, then wearing a helmet and mask, tricks Smith and Penny into believing he is an alien who will take them to find their father. Only Will isn’t deceived, so Canto makes John take the boy to a steep precipice planning to hurl him over.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Barney Slater, Director: Don Richardson, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: March 31- April 8, 1966 (7 days).

Air Date: April 27, 1966. / Repeat August 17, 1966.

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/432/follow-leader

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CHECK OUT THE OUTER LIMITS PODCAST:

http://thetwilightzonepodcast.com/category/the-outer-limits-podcast/

THE KEEPER PART II

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: The Keeper furious at Smith’s meddling threatens to leave them all at the mercy of the dangerous, roaming animals unless they give him Will and Penny to add to his collection. They refuse but in spite of all their precautions, he nearly succeeds in getting the children. Finally, impressed by the courage and love that the parents show for they children and their magnanimity towards him when he is in danger, he gives up his plan and collecting his animals, departs, leaving them all once more safe and united.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Barney Slater, Director: Harry Harris, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: December 23-31, 1965 (7 days) Air Date: January 12, 1966 / May 25, 1966.

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/692/keeper-parts-1-2

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: ANGELA CARTWRIGHT

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome a special guest to Alpha Control; actress, author & artists; Angela Cartwright. Well-known to LIS fans as the lovely young actress who played Penny Robinson on the classic series, Ms. Cartwright has led a charmed life before, during & after her time spent Lost in Space.  She joins us today for a very special interview to discuss her wide-ranging show business career, her spectacular art & books, as well as a little bit on our beloved original Lost in Space.

ANGELA’S BIO: Before we speak her, a little background on Angela. Born in Cheshire, England, Angela moved with her family to Los Angeles, CA and started her acting career at the tender age of 3 playing Paul Newman’s daughter in the movie Somebody Up There Likes Me. In 1957, at age four Angela was cast to play Danny’s daughter Linda Williams for 7 years on The Danny Thomas Show & wound up doing over 200 episodes of the hit television series.

Next came a spot in feature film history, when Angela was cast as Brigitta von Trapp in the legendary 1965 Rogers & Hammerstein Musical The Sound of Music.  That film which starred Julie Andrews & Christopher Plumber became the #1 movie of that year; breaking box office records around the world, won 5 Academy awards & featured a soundtrack that went to #1 in the charts.

Having secured a place in movie history, she next won a role that ensured her life-long fame in TV history when she was cast as the Robinson’s sensitive & inquisitive middle child Penny on Lost in Space. During her three seasons on the show, Angela’s character was featured in some of the more atmospheric & whimsical episodes, which explored deeper themes of growing up under fantastic circumstances. She also got the pleasure of being the keeper of the series delightful pet Debbie; the Bloop.

After the show ended, Angela continued to act in numerous television shows, commercials and movies in what would eventually become her over her six-decade career in show business.

In addition to her career as a performer, Angela has had a life-long passion for art & photography. That passion led her to pursue a second career as an artist, as well as a jewelry & clothing designer; eventually establishing her own art studio, which can be explored online at Angela Cartwright studio. A prolific creator & teacher; her art works have been collected & exhibited around the world.

Angela is also a published author with titles that include; her award-winning coffee table book Styling the Stars: Lost Treasures from the Twentieth Century Fox Archive, her Art books: Mixed Emulsions, In This House and In This Garden. She also conceived and collaborated on The Sound of Music Family Scrapbook along with her fellow ‘Von Trapp’ siblings.

In addition, Angela and her Lost In Space co-star Bill Mumy collaborated on two books. The first is a pictorial memoir, Lost (and Found) In Space, which recollects their personal memories of the show thru words, photographs & unique illustrations.  Her latest book, On Purpose, is a fantasy adventure novel for young adults that includes twenty-three of her illustrations.

When Not creating at home; Angela has traveled the world teaching her art techniques and led special trips to Salzburg, Austria sharing her Sound of Music experiences.

With all of that on her plate, somehow along the way Angela found the time to marry, raise two children and is today a Grandmother of three. Now, get ready to enjoy this delightful interview with the vivacious & beautiful Angela Cartwright.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 13 DEC 2018.

LINKS: SHOWBIZ:  angela-cartwright.com

 SHOP:  angelacartwrightstudio.com 

 ART SITE:   acartwrightstudio.com

 FACEBOOK: TheAngelaCartwright

 TWITTER:  acstudio

 INSTAGRAM: theAngelaCartwright 

 On Purpose : http://www.angela-cartwright.com/OnPurpose/

 https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

FORBIDDEN WORLD

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Evading a missile sent after them by the Cyborgs they have just escaped, the Robinsons crash-land on another planet. Smith, Will and the Robot are captured by an alien, Tiabo, and taken prisoner. Tiabo tells them that an army of thousands is mobilizing against them. When he leaves, allegedly to report to his superiors, they escape and go back to warn the others. Smith, who has been drinking copiously from a small keg, discovers that the liquid contained a high explosive. He has become a walking bomb. Will returns to Tiabo to plead for and antidote and discovers that the Alien’s story was invented to frighten them away. He is the only inhabitant of the planet. Will assures him that they are leaving shortly and returns with the antidote just in time to save Smith from being detonated by the Robot to save the rest of the expedition

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Barney Slater, Director: Don Richardson, Producer: William D. Faralla, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: 20-27 JUL 1966 (6 days), Air date: Wednesday October 5, 1966 (May 24, 1967)

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro. This podcast was recorded on 05/10/2020

 LINKS: http://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/947/forbidden-world

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

The Android Machine

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Dr. Smith finds an alien machine; he presses a button & a silver-clad android named Verda appears. She tells him he has ordered her & now she is his property forever and cannot be returned. The children take to her & she becomes so attached to them that she tries to sacrifice herself to save them when they are attacked by a monster. When an alien arrives to demand payment for the android, Smith, anxious to get rid of her, says she is defective. The alien is prepared to have her destroyed, but the children plead with their father to save her by trading some of their valuable deutronium fuel for her. But when the alien discovers that Verda has become so human that she is willing to sacrifice herself for love, he declares that she is far too valuable to be destroyed.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Bob & Wanda Duncan, Director: Don Richardson, Producer: William D. Faralla, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: 12 – 19 Aug 1966 (5 days), Air date: Wednesday October 26, 1966 (no summer release)

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro. This podcast was recorded on 7/7/2021

SHOWNOTE LINKS:

The Android Machine | Lost in Space Forum (proboards.com)

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: FREDERICK HODGES

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome Mr. FREDERICK HODGES to Alpha Control for an exclusive interview. Frederick has been hailed by the international press as one of the best concert pianists in the world and is sought after by today’s foremost orchestras, festivals, conductors, and collaborative musicians. Classically trained, Mr. Hodges has established a reputation as a truly versatile artist-equally sought after as piano soloist, singer, guest soloist with the California Pops Orchestra, and dance band pianist with Don Neely’s Royal Society Jazz Orchestra. In addition to his talents as a world-class musician, Frederick is a life-long Lost in Space Fan and a professionally trained researcher with a Doctorate in History from Oxford University. He combined those two interests to become a dedicated ‘chronicler’ of the classic sci-fi adventure TV series, spending countless hours poring over the extensive Irwin Allen collection at UCLA. As a result, he has become a recognized expert on the documentary records for the production history of Lost in Space. The evidence that his research has uncovered offers fans unique and fascinating insights that provide a more complete picture on the series. Because of Frederick’s singular familiarity with Lost in Space’s behind the scenes production history, he has moderated several Lost in Space 'Fan Event' discussion panels over the years.

FREDERICK’S BIO: Frederick is a native of California, where he began his piano studies at age eight. At thirteen, he began intense classical piano study with two famed San Francisco Bay Area piano teachers who were both graduates of the Juilliard School of Music. At age seventeen, he won the prestigious Music Teachers of California Young Artist Award. At twenty, while still an undergraduate at the University of California at Berkeley, he joined Don Neely’s Royal Society Jazz Orchestra as pianist. In 2001, Frederick earned his doctorate in History from Oxford University in England, where he lived for five years as a member of Magdalen College. From 2001 to 2002, he served as a postdoctoral research associate at Yale University. Today, when not on the road performing, Frederick resides in the San Francisco Bay area. He maintains several informative Lost in Space related websites, focusing on his research of the series and his own personal ‘B9 Robot Build’ project, which we will link to in our show notes.

In our conversation today, we’re going to delve into several, ‘less well-travelled subjects related to Lost in Space including; the original Scripts & authorship of dialogue (especially for Dr. Smith), production procedures, shooting schedules, un-filmed scripts/stories, the soundtrack music & much more. I know you will enjoy this compelling and informative interview with devoted Lost in Space Researcher & Fan Mr. Frederick Hodges, so sit back relax and enjoy.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 2 July 2018.

LINKS: http://frederickhodges.com/biography.html

http://www.frederickhodges.com/robotindex.htm

http://www.frederickhodges.com/episodeguide.html

http://www.frederickhodges.com/observations.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

ALPHA CONTROL: LISTENER APPRECIATION SHOW

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: I’m pleased to dedicate this special episode of Alpha Control to you our loyal listeners. Our show debuted about six months ago & both Kurt & I have been astounded by the response to the show. Not only have we been blown away by how the show has taken off in terms of listenership, but almost from the start we’ve received great feedback from you in the form of comments, questions & a few very much appreciated reviews. I’ve done my level best to respond to as many of these as I can, but honestly if time allowed, I’d like to do better. What unfortunately I haven’t done is answer questions or comments on our shows to date. So today I thought it was hi-time that I rectify that By recognizing you & addressing a few of the most popular questions or comments that have come up since we started this gig. In addition, I have a couple announcements about our program schedule going forward. I hope you will enjoy the short, but sweet ‘Listener Appreciation’ episode of Alpha Control.

BIO: Laen August, co-host and producer of Alpha Control: a Lost in Space Podcast grew up watching Irwin Allen’s original sci-fi adventure TV series and became a life-long fan of the show. He and co-host Kurt Kuersteiner turned their love for the show into a new endeavor reviewing and remembering the classic series on their weekly show. When not podcasting, Laen travels the globe as a commercial airline pilot for a major US air carrier, where he’s been employed for over 20 years and logged over 15,000 flight hours. He also completed 30-years of service in US Air Force, when he retired from the reserves as a Colonel in 2015. His military career included numerous combat deployments, over 5000 military flight hours and several challenging command assignments. Laen credits watching Lost in Space as a child for inspiring his love of aviation and space technology.

PODCAST INFO: This special was recorded on 4 NOV 2018.

LINKS: http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

THE HUNGRY SEA

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: The Robinson party escape from the cave with its relics of an ancient alien civilization just as a planet quake topples the whole structure. Continuing their way to the tropics they discover that owing to the planet’s elliptical orbit, they are in danger of being roasted alive during the rapidly approaching moment when it comes closest to the sun. They manage to survive this ordeal but John decides they must get back to the comparative safety of the spaceship as soon as possible. To Don’s anger, he won’t allow him time to check their equipment first. John is proven wrong when crossing the inland sea in a storm, the solar batteries give way and they cannot steer the Chariot. Don climbs out to repair them and is nearly washed overboard. When the danger is over, the two men reconcile their differences and they all get back to the spaceship.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: William Welch (story by S. Wincelberg), Director: Sobey Martin, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: 30 AUG- 3 SEP 1965 (5 days), Air date: Wednesday October 13, 1965 (no-summer repeat)

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: MARK MYERS

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Welcome back for a Special episode of Alpha Control: a Lost in Space Podcast. Today I’m flying the Jupiter 2 solo without my trusty co-host Kurt, but that’s because we have a very special guest to interview, Sci-Fi Fantasy Master Modeler Mr. Mark Myers. Mark is a tremendously gifted & prolific scale model builder who is widely recognized in both the Professional Modeler world as well as the Sci-Fi Fan community. Many of his gorgeous creations have been the subject of numerous articles for modeling publications such as "Hobby Merchandiser," "Fine Scale Modeler," “Amazing Figure Modeler” and "Sci-Fi and Fantasy Modeler". During the course of his over 40-year career as a professional model builder he’s produced scores of stunningly crafted scale vehicles & figures across the wide range of Sci-Fi Film & TV properties including; Star Trek, Star Wars, Space 1999 & of course the ‘Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen’ TV series among others. Mark is particularly well known to the Lost in Space fan community for his beautiful 1:35 scale Jupiter II model build ups. Regarded as among the most realistic renditions of the famous Moebius Models Kit, a photograph of Mark’s personal Jupiter II model is featured on that kit’s Box Art. In addition, a photograph of his 1:350 scale ‘Derelict’ kit is featured on the Box Art for that Moebius Kit as well; a distinction putting him in the elite class of ‘Master’ Scale Model builders.

MARK’S BIO: First, before we speak with him, a little background on Mr. Myers. Mark grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and currently resides in nearby New Jersey. Since becoming a full-time professional model builder, Mark established his own commission builder service called The Third Models. Mark’s passion for Sci-Fi scale modeling was in part fueled by his admiration for the Hollywood craftsmen & Special Effects artists who built & photographed the original miniatures used to make many classic Films and Television shows before the age of CGI. His interests in traditional miniature photography inspired Mark to research & study the techniques that those pioneers used to make those memorable effects shots. As such, Mark has become an expert on the subject and is particularly well-versed in how the models from Lost in Space & the other Irwin Allen TV shows were constructed and filmed. Mark has become renowned in the fan community for using his knowledge of those methods to produce & post online numerous fascinating video recreations of classic Lost in Space FX sequences using his personal Jupiter II model following the classic techniques. We’re going to speak with Mr. Myers today about his connection with Lost in Space, his professional model building career & get some behind the scenes information on how the original special effects were executed for Lost in Space & some of the other Irwin Allen TV series. Now, sit back & enjoy this compelling and informative interview with famed Lost in Space pro-modeler & special effects expert Mr. Mark Myers.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 3 August 2018.

LINKS: https://www.facebook.com/thethirdmodels/

https://www.facebook.com/mark.myers.5268

Gemini XII documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPMa4c_NNyg

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

HIS MAJESTY SMITH

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Smith and Will are approached by some handsome aliens whose leader, Nexus, says they have come from the planet Andronica looking for a king. When Smith hears that their world is filled with every imaginable luxury, he arranges to get himself chosen for this role. Attended by Andronicans in regal style, Smith is preparing to leave for his new kingdom when an ugly, hairy creature appears and tells him that these handsome people are not the inhabitants of Andronica but human-like robots made in order to deceive him into becoming their king. When he arrives he is to be sacrificed to ensure prosperity for his subjects. The Robinsons are uneasy about Smith’s future and have prevented the androids from contacting their spaceship. To allay their suspicions the ugly Andronican creates an exact robot replica of Smith which he sends to the Robinsons.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Carey Wilber, Director: Harry Harris, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: February 18- March 2, 1966 (8 days spanning 9) Air Date: March 23, 1966 / Repeat July 13, 1966.

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/1002/majesty-smith

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

SPECIAL ALPHA CONTROL: PARODY TV AD MEDLEY

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Happy New Year to all our fellow Galactic Castaways! While we toil away on pre-production for our next episode, please enjoy this Special Bonus Parody TV Commercial Medley! In the meantime, we will be back Next Time with another episode of Alpha Control, where Kurt & I get back to reviewing our beloved original Lost in Space. Until then, take care & will talk to you soon!

PODCAST INFO: This Bonus Content was produced on  27 DEC 2021.

LINKS:

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: MARC CUSHMAN

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome Mr. Marc Cushman to Alpha Control for an exclusive interview. Marc is a Writer, Producer, Director and a Saturn Award Winning Author, which he won for his definitive 3 Volume Book set ‘These Are the Voyages’ a history of the original Star Trek TV series. He is the also the Author of an equally superb 3 Volume set of Books, titled ‘Irwin Allen’s Lost in Space; an Authorized Biography of a Classic Sci-Fi Series’.

MARC’S’ BIO: Marc was born in San Diego, but grew up traveling the road with his father, making pit stops along the way up & down the West Coast, as well as Hawaii & New Mexico, before finally landing in L.A. His knack for writing became apparent early on & he wound up working for 30 years in TV & film. His TV writing assignments include Star Trek: The Next Generation, Diagnosis: Murder among many others. He also has numerous other TV & Film screen credits as producer, director, show runner, etc. In addition to his books on Star Trek & LIS, Marc has written books on the groundbreaking 60’s show I Spy and Long-Distance Voyagers: The Story of the Moody Blues. He has a book coming out in May 2018 about another Irwin Allen TV series, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea & he is currently working on additional book about Star Trek titled These are the Voyages: Gene Rodenberry & Star Trek in the 1970’s. As always, we will link to Marc’s book shop in our show notes. For all his work, but especially for his work on Lost in Space we owe Marc Cushman a great debt of gratitude.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 24 April 2018.

LINKS: https://jbmj-book-store.myshopify.com/pages/lis-books

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: RON GROSS 3.0

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome back a special guest to Alpha Control; Lost in Space artist Mr. RON GROSS. Ron is an incredibly talented & prolific graphic artist who is skilled in both traditional and digital rendering techniques. Many of his beautiful creations employ a distinctive hybrid production methodology that he personally developed. Ron's Lost in Space related works include assorted box art illustrations for both Polar Lights and Moebius Models. Ron FAMOUSLY scratch-built his own 1:70 scale Jupiter 2 model that eventually became the design basis for the classic kit marketed by Polar Lights in 1998, thus filling the void for this decades-long awaited product. Ron has shared his novel scratch-building techniques with a wider audience, writing multiple articles for publications such as "Scale Modeler," "Fine Scale Modeler," and "Sci-Fi and Fantasy Modeler". In association with Kevin Burns of Synthesis Entertainment, Ron also designed the official 45th and 50th Lost in Space anniversary logos. Fans of the show are most familiar with his stunning licensed calendars & poster art based on the original Irwin Allen television properties.

RON’S BIO: Ron grew up in Aurora Illinois and resides in the greater Chicago area to this day.  After retiring from a distinguished career as a Sales Executive, Ron's fully devoted himself to his passion for creating art.  When we spoke with Ron last time, we focused on his THEN soon “to-be-released” Limited-Edition Lost in Space Deluxe Trading Card set, featuring his own dazzling Artwork, as well as a fascinating series ‘In Universe’ storyline. This beautiful, ‘officially-licensed’ Card Set, which was released in late 2019 quickly became a huge critical & professional success for Ron, adding to his well-deserved fame among serious fans as the modern “Artist-Laureate” of Irwin Allen’s original Lost in Space. Now Ron has followed up that accomplishment, with yet another fantastic project: his newly released book, "Fantasy Worlds Beyond: The Irwin Allen Art of Ron Gross". More than three years in the making, this full-color volume contains over 200 illustrations, covering Three Decades of Ron’s artistic contributions to the world of Irwin Allen and includes Many Works that have never been seen before! Today we’re going to speak in-depth with Ron about his fabulous New Art Book & what it took to make this long-held dream a reality. And I’ll ask him what other future LIS & Irwin Allen projects might be on his agenda.  So, sit back, relax & enjoy this compelling ‘Round 3’ interview with gifted Lost in Space graphic artist & enthusiast Mr. Ron Gross.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 19 MAY 2021.

LINKS: http://www.outerportals.com/home.html

Fantasy Worlds Beyond: The Irwin Allen Art of Ron Gross: Gross, Ron: 9798727194386: Amazon.com: Books

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

http://www.monsterwax.com/LIScards.html

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

ISLAND IN THE SKY

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Island in the Sky

In the Derelict Alien ship’s control room, John had discovered a neighboring planet with a mass nearly equivalent to Earth. They decide to land there to make necessary repairs. While they orbit the planet, Robinson leaves the ship to land & investigate further. Smith who reprogrammed the Robot to respond only to his commands, tries to take over & return to Earth. Don foils him but, in the process, the ship crash lands. No one is hurt & the family sets out to find John who was only able to activate his ‘Para-jets’ in the nick of time before touching down on the planet’s surface. They find him on the edge of a crater along with a monkey-like creature that Penny adopts and names Debbie. Meanwhile, Smith reprograms the Robot to destroy anyone he finds alone excepting Don, whom Smith needs to pilot the ship back to Earth. The Robot finds Will alone & prepares to destroy him…

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Norman Lessing (story by S. Wincelberg), Director: Tony Leader, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: 10-19 August 1965 (8 days), Air date: Wednesday Sep 29, 1965 (no-summer repeat)

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome back Lost in Space Music expert Mr. Jeff Bond to Alpha Control for an exclusive interview. Jeff is an accomplished Author, Music Critic & Album Producer. He’s written several books on Sci-Fi related topics including The Music of Star Trek, The Art of Star Trek: The Kelvin Timeline, The World of Orville & of course THE FANTASY WORLDS OF IRWIN ALLEN; the deluxe 600+ page limited edition coffee table book which takes readers on a visual journey through the mind and career of legendary producer Irwin Allen. Notably for us, Jeff along with his colleague Neil Bulk was Album Producer on the beautiful LOST in SPACE 50th Anniversary Soundtrack Collection, released in 2015. In addition, in 2018 he co-produced again with Neil Bulk, a 4-disc LOTG 50th Anniversary Soundtrack collection. Now his latest project; which he teased for us last time; the definitive 4-disc Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea; Original Television Soundtrack Collection which was recently released in early summer 2020.

JEFF’S BIO: Mr. Bond is originally from Ohio & studied Creative Writing at Bowling Green State University after which he pursued his career as a movie magazine reporter. Jeff’s knowledge of film & TV music scores & their creators dates back to the 1990’s when he served as senior editor for Film Score Monthly. As a free-lance writer he has written articles for The Hollywood Reporter, Geek Monthly and Cinefantastique magazine. From 2003 to 2006, Jeff served as Senior Editor at CFQ, the later-day revival of Cinefantastique. In addition, he has written hundreds of movie and television soundtrack liner note booklets as an editor for GNP Crescendo Records, Varèse Sarabande Records & La-La Land Records. In 2012 he shared an IFMCA Award nomination for Star Trek: TOS Soundtrack collection & won the shared 2012 Award for Star Trek: TMP (expanded soundtrack) in the category of Best Archival Release of an Existing Score, for his work as producer & liner notes author.

As you know, when we got together to record, Jeff was extremely generous with his time & covered a lot of material. Which is why I decided to split our conversation into TWO Special Calling Alpha Control interviews. In part one of our conversation, we spoke with Jeff about his beautiful new book on the Art & Visual Effects of ST-TMP. In this episode, we’ll speak with Jeff about this latest Auditory Adventure into the Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen & take a ‘crash dive course’ into the composers & some of the notable original music cues & themes they scored throughout the four season run of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. as well as some of his fascinating upcoming projects. So, strap into Flying Sub & get ready to enjoy Part II of this power-packed interview with Author & Soundtrack Producer Mr. Jeff Bond.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 3 SEP 2020.

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea; Original Television Soundtrack Collection Page:

https://lalalandrecords.com/voyage-to-the-bottom-of-the-sea-original-television-soundtrack-collection-limited-edition-4-cd-set/

The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/worldsofirwinallen/?epa=SEARCH_BOX

The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen Book Orders on Creaturefeatures.com:

https://creaturefeatures.com/?fbclid=IwAR2FKgqtvyP42Oiy6csNCSoYWli15bhDHahIg4ujbLm3V1B7eyml06AS8-Y

Lost in Space 50th Anniversary Soundtrack CD Collection:

http://lalalandrecords.com/Site/LostInSpace50th.html

LINKS for Jeff Bond:

Jeff’s Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Jeff-Bond/e/B001K8I47C/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

Jeff’s Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/jeffc.bond

Jeff’s Twitter:  https://twitter.com/lazymodeler

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

THE KEEPER PART 1

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: An inter-galactic collector lands on the planet with a spaceship full of strange animals. He is looking for new specimens to add to his collection. Smith, with the Robot, tries to hi-jack his spaceship, planning to escape back to earth on it. Fumbling with the controls, however, he inadvertently lets the animals out of their cages.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Barney Slater, Director: Sobey Martin, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: December 14-22, 1965 (7 days) Air Date: January 12, 1966

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/692/keeper-parts-1-2

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

 CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: MIKE CLARK

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome Mr. Mike Clark to Alpha Control for an exclusive interview. Mike has had a long career in television on the camera & production side of things. He also had a 15-year career as a feature writer for the classic Sci-Fi Film/TV magazine STARLOG. During his career he’s had the opportunity to interview most of the original cast members & some of the behind the scenes creators of the show, including Irwin Allen himself. As a result, he’s become something of a recognized expert on Lost in Space. So much so that, Mike Clark was featured as the main facilitator on the Cast Commentaries ‘Special features’ that are included on the incredible LIS: The Complete Adventures Blu-Ray set. Today we’re speaking with Mike about his love for Lost in Space. He’s going to share with us what he learned about the show writing for STARLOG, what it was like to make those incredible Blu-Ray Special Commentaries & what we know now about the show that we didn’t know back then.

MIKE’S BIO: Mike grew up in Florida during the 50’s and 60’s and enjoyed a golden age of television programs. He developed a love for many of the classic TV shows of that era and credits an interest in television production to ventriloquist Paul Winchell and his creation Jerry Mahoney.  Boomer-era favorites included Adventures of Superman, The Twilight Zone, Supercar, Fireball XL5, The Outer Limits and of course, Irwin Allen’s Lost in Space. For Mike’s 10th birthday, he appeared on a kid’s show at WTVT, Tampa, and that’s when he committed to a career in television.  By Mike’s 16th birthday, he was a volunteer at a local PBS station and rapidly became a valued member of the production crew. Mike met his goal of working at WTVT in 1972.  Attending the University of South Florida, Mike graduated with a degree in Mass Communications. Mike spent 5 happy years at WTVT but Hollywood beckoned and he arrived in Tinsel Town about a month before STAR WARS opened at the Chinese Theater. He initially worked as a video equipment salesman and free-lance video producer/editor before ultimately being hired by Sony Pictures Entertainment in the production and on-air promotions field.  Mike personally produced over 7,000 promos and promotion for shows including Seinfeld, Who’s the Boss, Mad About You, Married with Children and The King of Queens. Luckily, Irwin Allen was also at Mike's studio and he often when to the producer's office to lobby for a LOST IN SPACE movie. Mike’s first LOST IN SPACE event was held in Anaheim in 1985, celebrating the series 20th anniversary.  Other articles for STARLOG followed and he met Kevin Burns, whose executive skills helped promote LOST IN SPACE by issuing new videos and a range of collectable toys.  Kevin often turns to Mike for moderating LIS Fan Convention panels and called upon him to assist in the LOST IN SPACE syndicated specials of the 90’s and the Blu-ray release of the series' 50th Anniversary. Today Mike resides in Southern California running his own video production company Clark Media Productions

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 21 June 2018.

LINKS: http://www.big13.com/

https://archive.org/details/starlogmagazine

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: RON GROSS 2.0

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome back a special guest to Alpha Control; Lost in Space artist Mr. RON GROSS. Ron is an incredibly talented & prolific graphic artist who is skilled in both traditional and digital rendering techniques. Many of his beautiful creations employ a distinctive hybrid production methodology that he personally developed. Ron's Lost in Space related works include assorted box art illustrations for both Polar Lights and Moebius Models model kits dating back to 1998. As a scale model prototyping artisan, Ron scratch-built his own 1:70 scale Jupiter 2 model that eventually became the design basis for the classic kit marketed by Polar Lights in 1998, thus filling the void for this decades-long awaited product. Ron has shared his novel scratch-building techniques with a wider audience, writing multiple articles for publications such as "Scale Modeler," "Fine Scale Modeler," and "Sci-Fi and Fantasy Modeler". In association with Kevin Burns of Synthesis Entertainment, Ron also designed the official 45th and 50th Lost in Space anniversary logos. Fans of the show are most familiar with his stunning officially licensed calendars & poster art based on the original Irwin Allen television properties.

RON’S BIO: First, before we speak with him, a little background on Mr. Gross. Ron grew up in the Chicago-land area where he resides to this day.  Although, his creative interests & talents were evident from an early age; it's only after he retired from his 30+ year career working for the Tandy Corporation that he's been able to devote himself full-time to his art.  As a result of Ron’s life-long affection for Lost in Space & his later partnership with Kevin Burns, he’s acquainted with many exclusive behind-the-scenes details about the series. In addition, he’s had the opportunity to meet & get to know several of the original cast & creators. In fact, for many years he maintained a close personal friendship & correspondence with the late great Jonathan Harris. When we spoke with Ron last time, we focused on his LIS fandom, early sci-fi model building & his second career as a graphic artist. Ron’s still producing a steady stream of officially licensed LIS posters & calendars, but now he has a brand-new project to share with us; a ‘soon to be released’ Limited Edition Deluxe Series Trading Card set that features his own dazzling Artwork, as well as a fascinating LIS ‘In Universe’ storyline. Today we’re going to speak with Ron about his New Trading Card Set, delve a little deeper into his artwork, get an ‘after action report’ on Wonder-Fest 2019 & get a sneak preview of the future LIS & Irwin Allen projects on his agenda.  So, sit back, relax & enjoy this compelling ‘Round 2’ interview with talented Lost in Space graphic artist & enthusiast Mr. Ron Gross.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 1 AUG & 21 AUG 2019.

LINKS: http://www.outerportals.com/home.html

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

Welcome Stranger

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Jimmy Hapgood is a happy-go-lucky space traveler who has been planet-hoping for 15 years after becoming lost on a mission to Saturn. When he drops in on the Robinsons, they try to help him repair his ship’s guidance system in return for passage for their children back to Earth. Hapgood is not too keen on the idea until Penny’s bout with a wild space fungus growing from his spacecraft causes a change of heart. His sentiments are short-lived, however, when Dr. Zachary Smith presents another selfish scheme.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Peter Packer, Director: Alvin Ganzer, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: 8-17 SEP 1965 (8.5 days), Air date: Wednesday October 20, 1965 (no-summer repeat)

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

RETURN FROM OUTER SPACE

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Smith and Will find the matter-transfer unit that was used by the Taurons to travel from planet to planet via a master beam. It is in bad disrepair but still seems to be working. Will, although forbidden by his father to tinker with it, cannot resist going back again later with the Robot whom he instructs to send him to earth and recall him for hours later. The operation is successful. Will materializes in a little village in Vermont but he cannot get help for his family as he planned, because no one believes his story or will let him call Alpha Control.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Peter Packer, Director: Nathan Juran, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: December 6-13, 1965 (6 days) Air Date: December 29, 1965

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/450/return-outer-space

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

My Friend Mr. Nobody

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Penny, exploring, finds a cave in a rocky area where a curious echo sounds as if it is trying to talk to her. The echo gradually forms intelligible words & penny goes there every day to play with her mysterious, invisible friend that Maureen believes is just a child’s imaginary playmate. One day Smith discovers that the pebbles she brings back from the cave are diamonds. Greedy to get more without anyone knowing what he’s up to, he tricks Don into blasting the cave wide open. Penny, guessing his purpose, flies back to the cave to protect her friend. She is knocked unconscious by the explosion & the Invisible Force, it’s home destroyed, its friend injured, erupts like a whirlwind, bent on the destruction of them all. Penny recovers consciousness, runs after it begging it not to destroy the people she loves. In response to this plea, the Cosmic Force disappears into the sky in the form of a thousand brilliant stars.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Jackson Gillis, Director: Paul Stanley, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: 17-28 SEP 1965 (7.5days), Air date: Wednesday October 27, 1965 (no-summer repeat)

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: JEFF WARGO

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome, Sci-Fi Fantasy Master Model Maker Mr. Mr. Jeff Wargo. Jeff is an extraordinarily talented scale model maker with expertise in both kit & scratch building techniques. Highly respected in the Pro-Modeling community; many of his dazzling creations have been the subject of several articles for modeling publications such as “Fine Scale Modeler" and "Sci Fi and Fantasy Modeler". Over the last several decades, Jeff’s produced scores of gorgeously crafted scale vehicles FROM A VARIETY of Sci-Fi Film & TV properties including; Fantastic Voyage, Thunderbirds, UFO, & Space 1999 & of course Irwin Allen’s Sci-Fi TV series among many others. Recently, his beautiful ‘studio scale’ filming replica of the Moon Bus from 2001: A Space Odyssey was on display in the London Design Museum, as part of their Stanley Kubrick Exhibition which ran thru SEP 2019. Jeff’s Moon Bus will be on display in New York at Museum of Moving Image’ Stanley Kubrick Exhibition JAN – JUL 2020.  In addition, Jeff has extensive professional experience in the Model Kit & toy industry as a Mold Fabricator, Model & Pattern Maker & Design Engineer, working for companies such as Lunar Models & Monogram/Revell models. Later in his career he transitioned along with the industry becoming skilled in 3D Printing & Computer Aided Design working for various firms such as Zenith & Molex Fiber Optics before retiring.

JEFF’S BIO: First, before we speak with him, a little background information on Mr. Wargo. Jeff grew up in the greater Chicago area and resides there still today. His early fascination for Sci-Fi Fantasy modeling was inspired by watching the vintage 1960’s shows such as Star Trek, VTTBS, TT & of course LIS. In the years since, he’s not only become an expert model maker himself, he’s made an extensive study of the miniature building & photographic techniques used to produce those dazzling special effects shots from Movies & TV series in the era before CGI.   In addition, he’s also currently working on several other modeling projects that will be of particular interest to our audience. We’re going to speak with Jeff today about his love for Classic Sci-Fi TV shows & Movies & get some behind the scenes information on how the original Miniatures & Effects were created for those productions, as well as a little surprisingly interesting information on the nuts & bolts of the Plastic Model Kit industry. Now, sit back & enjoy this captivating & informative interview with Master model maker Mr. Jeff Wargo.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 06 SEP 2019.

LINKS: https://www.facebook.com/jeffery.wargo

http://www.movingimage.us/exhibitions/2020/01/18/detail/envisioning-2001-stanley-kubricks-space-odyssey/

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

SPECIAL ALPHA CONTROL: SURPRISE "SHOW PROMO"

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: While we toil away on postproduction for our next episode, please enjoy this Special Surprise Promo inspired by another one of our favorite TV shows from the era. It’s a fun one! In the meantime, we will be back Next Time with another episode of Alpha Control, where Kurt & I get back to reviewing our beloved original Lost in Space. Until then, take care & will talk to you soon!

PODCAST INFO: This promo was recorded on 2 November 2021.

LINKS:

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: KEVIN BURNS 2.0

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome back; the Keeper…of all things Irwin Allen, Mr. Kevin Burns. Kevin along with his business partner Jon Jashni is an executive producer of the beautiful new Netflix Lost in Space series. The rebooted show enjoyed great success during its 2018 1st season & as of this recording will return for its 2nd season later in 2019 or early 2020. Recently, the 1st season of the new LIS was released on Blu-ray/DVD & the set includes some eye-popping special features designed to please fans of the original series. 

KEVINS’ BIO: Kevin grew up in upstate NY & by the time was Will Robinson’s age, he was already a Big Fan of LIS, watching it during its first run broadcast. That started him on a journey that would result in personal friendships with the cast members of the original series, as well as Sheila Allen, Irwin’s widow a relationship which ultimately culminated in this fabulous new Emmy nominated Netflix LIS series. Kevin maintained his love of LIS during his college years in New York & Boston, his teaching career at Boston University & his later move to LA where he landed a marketing & promotions job at 20th Century Fox Television. Later Kevin established several Hollywood production-companies & was nominated for numerous Emmy Awards, winning two - including one for the superb A&E series Biography. He was also writer, producer or director on many highly acclaimed television documentaries, including The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen, Lost in Space Forever & many more…Indeed, Kevin is directly responsible for hundreds of hours of television across a wide range of subjects, but the franchise that hold first place in his heart is Lost in Space. Kevin is also the driving force behind the beautifully restored & remastered 50th Anniversary Blu-Ray collection & Ultimate Soundtrack CD collection that were released in 2015 & the new Widescreen DVD collection released in 2019. For that all LIS fans owe HIM a special debt of gratitude.

We’re going to speak with Kevin today about the latest developments for the Netflix LIS series, including those special features on the BluRay set & of course. his lifelong LOVE of the ORIGINAL series. So, sit back, relax & enjoy this fascinating ‘Round 2’ interview with talented Lost in Space graphic artist & enthusiast Mr. KEVIN BURNS.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 17 JULY 2019.

LINKS: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0122745/bio

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Burns

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: DR. STEVEN D. BLOOM PART I

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome a special guest to Alpha Control; Dr. Steven D. Bloom. As well as being a big fan of LIS & Science Fiction in general, Steve is the author of a fascinating book titled, The Physics and Astronomy of Science Fiction. Published in 2016 by McFarland; the book explores a wide range of Sci-Fi Movies, TV series, Books & Short Stories by exploring their underlying concepts of physics & astronomy. Written for those of us who are NOT real ‘rocket scientists’, Steve’s entertaining & highly readable book assesses the accuracy and plausibility of many of the complex concepts that often appear in science fiction, such as Interstellar Travel, Time Travel, Teleportation, Robots, Alien Life as well as other genre fixtures.

STEVE’S BIO: Steve Bloom grew up in the New York City suburbs where in the early 1970’s he would rush home from his neighborhood school to watch re-runs of Lost in Space. There began his love for science and astronomy in particular. Later, he would go on to major in Astrophysics at Columbia University and then earned his Ph.D. in Astronomy from Boston University in 1994. After that, he continued doing research as a post-doctoral fellow at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center located outside Washington DC in Greenbelt, MD and then at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA. Today Dr. Bloom is a professor of physics and astronomy at Hampden-Sydney College, located near Farmville, Virginia, where he lives with his wife, daughter and cat.

When we recorded this episode, I had a lot of questions for the Professor & he was VERY generous with his time. In fact, so much so, I’ve decided to split our conversation into TWO Special Calling Alpha Control interviews, where we’ll discuss Steve’s love for Sci-Fi entertainment, (especially LIS) and dig deeply into his wonderfully informative book on the “science of science fiction”. I think you’ll be both delighted & amazed by what you learn in this two-parter interview. So, sit back, relax & enjoy Part I of this intriguing conversation with DOCTOR STEVEN D. BLOOM.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 6 JAN 2022.

LINKS: Amazon.com: Steven D Bloom: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle

https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-physics-and-astronomy-of-science-fiction/

https://physastro.net/

www.stevendbloom.net

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

http://www.monsterwax.com/LIScards.html

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

THE SPACE CROPPERS

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Smith and the children, trying to track down a werewolf, find a strange family consisting of a mother son and daughter, all dressed in rags with a dilapidated spaceship resembling a hillbilly shack. They are planting crops and as soon as their harvest is in, they say they will be moving to another planet. Smith, who sees a chance to get back to Earth with them, begins courting the mother. Meanwhile, the plants, nurtured by strange rites and incantations, grow rapidly, and produce exotic fruits and shining silks. On Smith’s next visit he finds the family all elegantly dressed and ready to depart. All set and ready to leave with them, Smith refuses to listen to Will who has discovered that the son is the werewolf they saw and that the plants, after producing all that the alien family needs, will be left to take over and devour everything that remains alive on the planet.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Peter Packer, Director: Sobey Martin, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: March 2-11, 1966 (7 days spanning 8). Air Date: March 30, 1966 / Repeat July 20, 1966.

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/690/space-croppers

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: RON GROSS

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome a special guest to Alpha Control; Lost in Space artist Mr. RON GROSS. Ron is an incredibly talented & prolific graphic artist who is skilled in both traditional and digital rendering techniques. Many of his beautiful creations employ a distinctive hybrid production methodology that he personally developed. Ron's Lost in Space related works include assorted box art illustrations for both Polar Lights and Moebius Models model kits dating back to 1998. As a scale model prototyping artisan, Ron scratch-built his own 1:70 scale Jupiter 2 model that eventually became the design basis for the classic kit marketed by Polar Lights in 1998, thus filling the void for this decades-long awaited product. Ron has shared his novel scratch-building techniques with a wider audience, writing multiple articles for publications such as "Scale Modeler," "Fine Scale Modeler," and "Sci-Fi and Fantasy Modeler". In association with Kevin Burns of Synthesis Entertainment, Ron also designed the official 45th and 50th Lost in Space anniversary logos. Fans of the show are most familiar with his stunning officially licensed calendars & poster art based on the original Irwin Allen television properties.

RON’S BIO: First, before we speak with him, a little background on Mr. Gross. Ron grew up in the Chicago-land area where he resides to this day.  Although, his creative interests & talents were evident from an early age; it's only after he retired from his 30+ year career working for the Tandy Corporation that he's been able to devote himself full-time to his art.  As a result of Ron’s life-long affection for Lost in Space & his later partnership with Kevin Burns, he’s acquainted with many exclusive behind-the-scenes details about the series. In addition, he’s had the opportunity to meet & get to know several of the original cast & creators. In fact, for many years he maintained a close personal friendship & correspondence with the late great Jonathan Harris. I know you will enjoy this compelling and informative interview with talented Lost in Space graphic artist & enthusiast Mr. Ron Gross, so sit back relax and enjoy.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 18 July 2018.

LINKS: http://www.outerportals.com/home.html

https://www.facebook.com/ron.gross.5477

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

WARNING – WARNING

Hello Galactic Castaways, this is your mission controller Col. Laen August with a Special Alert Signal from Alpha Control: As some of you know, My trusty Co-Controller Kurt was directly affected for several days before & after by the devastating Hurricane Michael. The good news is that he & his family are safe & even though they are still dealing with the after-effects; as of today, they’re power & internet have finally been restored. Unfortunately, the storm also impacted our ability to produce a regular LIS review episode of the podcast. Happily, we have several really great guest interviews that were recorded earlier & since the show must go on, we’ll be releasing an interview ahead of schedule until Kurt & I can get back to producing our review shows. We strive hard to provide you with quality content on Alpha Control & maintaining that level of production value takes considerable time; So, I trust our listeners will bear with us during this difficult time for Kurt & his family. BTW-Kurt also wanted me to pass on his appreciation for all the heartfelt messages of concern & support he’s received from our listeners. As he said; all things considered, they fared better than many others that were hit by Michael. Thanks to all of you for listening, commenting & support Alpha Control: the only Lost in Space Podcast in the Galaxy. Take care folks & we’ll talk to you soon!

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: DR. SMITH (MICHAEL PANZAROTTO)

SMITH: Welcome back for a Special episode of Alpha Control: a Lost in Space Podcast. Today I’m flying the Jupiter 2 solo without my trusty co-host Kurt, but that’s because we have a very special guest to interview, Dr. Zachary Smith. Dr. SMITH is a renowned Physician, Psychologist, Cybernetics Expert & retired Colonel in the USAF. In retirement, Zachary has established a second career as a best-selling author of several fascinating books across wide-ranging topics. His latest non-fiction release (which is just hitting the book shelves) is titled ‘The Social Psychology of Galactic Castaways’. This long-awaited volume is the result of over 20 years of research he conducted using the case study of an anonymous group of subjects, he refers to only as the ‘Family R’. Written in Zachary’s usual informative but highly readable style, this book will be appreciated by academics & the general public alike for its brilliant use of language, as well as its ground-breaking conclusions.

Dr. Smith was born in New York, but grew up in Marietta Georgia, being raised by a dear Aunt & Uncle after losing both his parents in a tragic boating accident. His formal academic career began as a Marshall Scholar at Oxford University, (where he reigned as the Grand Master of the Oxford Chess Society for three years in a row) and culminated several years later when he graduated cum laude from Harvard University with degrees in both Medicine & Science. Next came a distinguished career as an Air Force Flight Surgeon. His pioneering work in the fields of Environmental Psychology and Robotic Artificial Intelligence landed him at Alpha Control where until late 1997 he ran the Human Factors-Flight Medicine divisions for the Jupiter Missions. He joins us today to talk about his New Book, ground breaking research, as well as his fascinating life filled with unique experiences and varied interests. I hope you will enjoy this captivating interview with acclaimed author & renaissance man, Dr. Zachary Smith.

MICHAEL: Well, that was a real treat getting to speak with “Dr. Smith”, but of course this homage to the character is only possible, because of the talents the man behind this uncanny Jonathan Harris impression, Mr. Michael Panzarotto. Mr. Panzarotto was born & raised in the city of Baltimore & still resides in Maryland today. A Lost in Space fan from the age of 5, Michael was drawn to the gifted performance of Jonathan Harris & his portrayal of Dr. Smith. In fact, Michael admits that he started imitating the iconic Smith character all thru Junior High School; even though it didn’t help him getting dates. In addition to Harris, Michael was drawn to several other classically trained actors who played significant roles in sci-fi & horror films; such as Vincent Price & Peter Cushing. Impressions of those performers soon followed. The acting bug caught Michael in High School & he’s been following that passion ever since; appearing in numerous local & regional theatre productions. Mr. Panzarotto is also famous among the online LIS fan community for his spectacular video impressions of Dr. Smith that he frequently posts. I want to speak with him TODAY about his love for LIS, Jonathan Harris & acting.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 4 OCT 2018.

LINKS: Never Fear Smith is Here-Sydney 1994: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4OXzN9qGts

Bill Dana Show: https://youtu.be/SRjJMcT3RYA

Price & Harris, The Kind Mr. Smith: https://youtu.be/enIB4m6Kx5k

Lights Out: https://youtu.be/rtSqAyAAw9c

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

WILD ADVENTURE

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Out in space, Smith tries to change course from Alpha Centauri to Earth. The first time, he jettisons the reserve fuel by mistake; next, he heads the ship straight into the sun. Don only just gets it out of the gravitational pull in time, and they are fortunately able to replenish their fuel supply from a string of refueling barges that John remembers have been placed not too far from their path. But a charming Green Space Lorelei, who feeds upon atomic fuel, hypnotizes Smith out of the spaceship in the hope of getting fuel from him. Don goes out and rescues Smith, but now it is too late to head for Earth; they are speeding rapidly out of the galaxy and are once more lost in space.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: William Read Woodfield and Allan Balter, Director: Don Richardson, Producer: William D. Faralla, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: 29-11 Jun-Jul 1966 (7 days spread over 8), Air date: Wednesday September 11, 1966 (May 10,1967)

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro This podcast was recorded on 24 March, 2020

 LINKS: http://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/645/wild-adventure

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: MARC CUSHMAN 2.0

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome Back to Alpha Control Author Marc Cushman. Marc is a Writer, Producer, Director and a Saturn Award Winning Author, which he won for his definitive 3 Volume Book set ‘These Are the Voyages’ a history of the original Star Trek TV series. He is the also the Author of an equally superb 3 Volume set of Books, titled ‘Irwin Allen’s Lost in Space; an Authorized Biography of a Classic Sci-Fi Series’.

MARC’S’ BIO: Marc was born in San Diego, but grew up traveling the road with his father, making pit stops along the way up & down the West Coast, as well as Hawaii & New Mexico, before finally landing in L.A. His knack for writing became apparent early on & he wound up working for 30 years in TV & film. His TV writing assignments include Star Trek: The Next Generation, Diagnosis: Murder among many others. He also has numerous other TV & Film screen credits as producer, director, show runner, etc. In addition to his books on Star Trek & LIS, Marc has written books on the groundbreaking 60’s show I Spy and Long-Distance Voyagers: The Story of the Moody Blues, Irwin Allen’s Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea Vol. 1 & These are the Voyages: Gene Rodenberry & Star Trek in the 1970’s. As always, we will link to Marc’s book shop in our show notes.

When we last spoke with Marc over a year ago, we spoke at length on his LIS books, concentrating on how Irwin Allen managed to bring this ground breaking series to network TV & how the show evolved during the 1st season. This time, I wanted to get Marc’s take on how Irwin Allen responded to the challenges of the 1966-67 TV season on LIS & his other TV properties. I also want to explore Marc’s view on Irwin Allen vs. Gene Roddenberry. So, sit back & enjoy this fascinating & freewheeling INTERVIEW with Author Marc Cushman.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 20 May 2019.

LINKS: http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/marc-cushman.html

https://jbmj-book-store.myshopify.com/pages/lis-books

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: SANDY GIMPEL

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome a special guest to Alpha Control; Sandy Gimpel. Best known to fans of LIS as Bill Mumy’s stunt double, Ms. Gimpel has racked up an impressive 50+ year career in show business in a variety of on & off-screen roles. In fact, over the course of that career, Sandy has earned over 130 stunt performance & 37 acting credits on a multitude of television shows & feature films. In addition to her accomplishments in front of the camera, Sandy was the 1st & one of the very few stunt women in the industry to achieve the status of Directors Guild of America ‘2nd Unit Director & Stunt Coordinator’.

SANDY’S BIO: Before we speak with her a little background information on Ms. Gimpel. Born in Los Angeles; Sandy worked her way into show business as a professional dancer performing in the Westinghouse show at a local attraction, Pacific Ocean Park. Her on screen break came when she was picked to work on a 1960 Fred Astaire film, ‘The Pleasure of His Company’; dancing parts in several other movies including 15 Elvis Presley features followed. During these early days, Sandy also worked a variety of Central Casting Extra & small acting parts. The first one of significance to Sci-Fi fans was in 1964 as one of the Talosians in the original pilot for Star Trek, titled ‘The Cage’. Initially, NBC passed on Trek, but after LIS became a hit for CBS in 1965, the Peacock Network decided it needed its own prime-time Space Opera & commissioned an unprecedented 2nd Star Trek pilot ‘Where No Man Has Gone Before’, which led to the series being picked up for NBC’s Fall 1966 schedule. However, the first episode of the series aired was NOT that pilot, but instead a story titled; ‘The Man Trap’, in which Sandy was cast to perform the iconic role of the ‘Salt Vampire’. 

Earlier that same year, Sandy was selected as Bill Mumy’s ‘Stand-In’ for the 2nd season of LIS. Shortly after being hired, the series stunt coordinator Paul Stater asked her, if she’d like to also ‘Stunt Double’ for the actor. Her response was; ‘What’s a Stunt?’ With that question a career was started. She went on to train with Stater & began perfecting her craft while working on LIS over the next two years.  

That fateful decision to become a stunt performer on LIS opened many doors for Sandy, resulting in a lifetime of achievement in the entertainment industry, for which she has garnered numerous awards & accolades.  And thanks to her life-long passion for fitness, she continues to be active in the business today. We’re going to speak with Sandy about her behind the scenes experience working for Irwin Allen, a little Star Trek & her incredible ground breaking career in show business. So sit back & enjoy this engaging interview the amazing Sandy Gimpel.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 18 APRIL 2019.

SANDY’S LINKS:

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/sandy.gimpel

IMBD: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0319831/

SANDY’S WALGREENS AD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGl7rF5E_EA

STANDARD LINKS:

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

THE SKY PIRATE

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Tucker, a sky pirate, makes a forced landing on the planet as his spaceship is urgently in need of repairs. Holding Will as a hostage, he bargains with the Robinson to repair his ship in order to get the boy back. Will is fascinated by Tucker and his tale of pirate adventures in space. Tucker is being pursued by a “THING” from the planet Cygnet 4, his last stopover. He doesn’t know why. The “THING” tracks him down and, to escape it, Tucker and the family take refuge in the Jupiter 2. But when it looks as though they will all be destroyed Tucker leaves the ship to save the others. In his headlong flight he drops a curious forecasting instrument he had picked up while on Cygnet 4.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Carey Wilber, Director: Sobey Martin, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: January 4-12, 1966 (7 Days) Air Date: January 26, 1966 / Repeat June 6, 1966

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/670/sky-pirate

Documentary How to Talk Like a Pirate:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC_PR7YWQOc

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: MARTA KRISTEN

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome a very special guest to Alpha Control; Marta Kristen. Well-known to LIS fans as the beautiful actress who played Judy Robinson, Ms. Kristen has had a fascinating life before, during & after her time on the classic series.

MARTA’S BIO: Born as Birgit Annalisa Rusanen in Oslo Norway at the end of WWII. She spent the first four years of her life living in an orphanage until she was adopted by Prof. & Mrs. Harold Soderquist of Detroit, MI., who named Marta in honor of a social worker who helped her parents navigate her adoption process. Marta quickly adapted to her new family & home in the U.S. & displayed a talent for performing at an early age. As a teenager in Michigan, she was already acting in Summer Stock theatre by the age of fourteen.

Then in 1959, a family trip to California marked a fateful turn in her life, as Marta was later ‘discovered’ by a Hollywood producer while on a date at a drive-in in Santa Monica. That in-turn led to several guest-starring roles on some of the most popular TV shows of the early 60’s including; The Loretta Young Show, Leave It to Beaver, My Three Sons & Alfred Hitchcock Presents where she shared screen time with her future Robinson sibling Billy Mumy.

Prior to LIS, Marta also scored roles in the Disney feature film ‘Savage Sam’ & later the beach party movie; ‘Beach Blanket Bingo’, where she played the Mermaid ‘Lorelei’. When she later appeared on an episode of the series ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’; Marta caught the attention of Irwin Allen, who wanted to cast her in his next big Sci-Fi TV series & wouldn’t take no for an answer. Eventually, Marta agreed to become a member of the Robinson family & the rest is history. Originally, her character was meant to be the ‘love interest’ of the castaway’s pilot Major Don West. For a variety of reasons that romance remained more suggested than overt. But during the 3 seasons she played Judy Robinson, Marta still experienced some Wild Adventures while “Lost in Space”.

After the series ended, Marta raised a family and continued to work, making over 40 TV commercials as well as guest starring in numerous TV shows, parts in several feature films & on the stage. Today Marta Kristen still resides in southern California while continuing to work on her craft, as well as making occasional public appearances at various LIS related events. Her fans still adore her & their lasting affection is returned by her warmth & charm. I had the pleasure of speaking with Marta in person at the 2021 WondeFest convention in Louisville, KY. So, get ready to enjoy this delightful interview with the Luminous Marta Kristen.  

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 6 June 2021.

LINKS: Marta Kristen  - The Official Website

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: GARY FRANCIS & THE LOST JONATHAN HARRIS INTERVIEW

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome a special guest to Alpha Control; Gary Francis. A 50+ year Broadcast Radio Professional (on both sides of the microphone) in the New England area. Gary is here today to share with us a rare LOST Audio Artifact from Lost in Space; an in-depth extended one-on-one interview with the great Jonathan Harris, which he recorded on the occasion of the 1995 Lost in Space 30th Anniversary Cast Reunion in Boston, MA.

What makes this interview rare & the reason that I’m dubbing it ‘The Lost J. Harris Interview’ is that it was never broadcast! We’ll discuss how Gary managed to snag this audience with Harris & what it was like to meet ‘His Self’, as well as why the recording remained ‘unaired’ for NEARLY 30 years!  WARNING: The 1995 J. Harris Interview is unedited & contains some Adult Language. May Not be suitable for younger listeners.

GARY’S BIO: Gary Francis was born & raised in Lowell, Mass & resides in Northern Massachusetts to this day. While attending High School at Keith Academy, he got an early start in one of his later vocations, while working part-time at local WCAP Radio as a producer and announcer. Another after-school job, working for Glennie's Ice Cream, the originator of the road-side ice cream stand concept in the 1930's; would eventually lead to another ‘passion-turned-career’ as owner & operator of Gary’s Home-Made Ice Cream, now celebrating its 47th season.

After graduating from High School, Gary went on to attend St. Thomas College in Bloomfield, CT & later Wadhams Hall in Ogdensburg, NY. After college, he went full-time into radio, working at numerous iconic stations in Boston & the surrounding areas. With his velvet smooth voice & engaging demeanor, Gary also became the voice-over talent behind numerous commercials & audio presentations up & down the east coast. But it was during his tenure at WLLH in Lowell as host of the Morning Magazine show that Gary recorded the Lost J. Harris Interview; an opportunity that he relished as a life-long passionate fan of Lost in Space.

Gary is still active in broadcast radio today, as well as running his successful Home-Made Ice Cream business. When not engaged at those careers, he’s busy with yet another passion; Oil Painting.

We’re grateful that this “Lost Interview” with the actor who embodied Dr. Zachary Smith is finally being broadcast & honored that Gary decided share it for the first time with our audience. We’ll be playing the interview in its entirety, but before & after, we’ll also visit with the man who made this all possible & get the story behind the story. So, sit back & enjoy this Special “double feature” edition of Calling Alpha Control with Gary Francis & the Lost J. Harris Interview.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 7 MAR 2019.

GARY’S LINKS:

http://www.garysicecream.com/

http://www.garysicecream.com/

http://www.garyfrascarelli.com/

GARY'S EMAIL: gary@garysicecream.com

STANDARD LINKS:

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html 

https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: CRAIG REINBRECHT

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome Mr. Craig Reinbrecht to Alpha Control for an exclusive interview. Craig is the Leader of the B9 ROBOT BUILDERS CLUB, which is a fantastic hobby organization that has over 600 members who either HAVE or ARE building their very own Lost in Space Robot replica. Now we’re Not talking about a 12” inch model robot folks, although those are great, NO the B9 Robot Builders make studio quality full scale replicas of the original Lost in Space Robot that are absolutely stunning. The Club offers information & technical support to builders, links to Parts Vendors, as well as a forum where members can show off their B9. Many members of the Club take their B9’s on the road to conventions and other events, where the public has the opportunity to see these beautiful creations in person. All of this information is available on The Club’s fascinating website, which I’ll link to in the show notes. Even if you’re not ready to start working on your own B9 Robot project YET, there’s tons of great photos & reference material that any LIS fan would enjoy to peruse.

CRAIGS’ BIO: Craig lives in the Toledo, Ohio and when he’s not involved with his B9 Club activities, he works as a project manager for a major Information Technology company, (which I think is only appropriate). During the course of researching and building his own B9, as well as helping others in the Club, Craig has become an expert on the history & specifications of the original Lost in Space Robot.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 11 May 2018.

LINKS: http://www.b9robotbuildersclub.com/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/b9robotbuildersclub/

https://www.wonderfest.com/upcoming-show/activities/robotworks/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chWE3ipKdHo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvi25m0byDE&feature=youtu.be

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

THE SPACE TRADER

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: A violent cosmic storm devastates the family’s hydroponic garden, leaving them woefully short of food. This has been done deliberately by a sinister Space Trader who now sets up a store full of exotic merchandise. The Robinson do not trust him and will not deal with him, but Smith secretly swaps the robot for a private supply of food. When the family discovers this, none of them will speak to him. To get the robot back, Smith who has nothing else to offer, carelessly agrees to the traders suggestion that he trade in himself. He does not think he will ever have to honor the bargain but the contract, a card with an electronic imprint of his hand on it, gives the trader power over him. When the trader announces that he is leaving and taking smith with him, the doctor is unable to refuse to go.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Barney Slater, Director: Nathan Juran, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: February 10-18, 1966 (6.5 days) Air Date: March 9, 1966 / Repeat July 7, 1966.

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/1260/space-trader

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

WAR OF THE ROBOTS

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Will discovers a rusty, abandoned alien robot and insists on trying to put it together again in spite of warnings from our robot that it is dangerous. He makes it work and everyone is delighted by its superior abilities. Our own robot, now considered obsolete, is completely ignored and finally it wanders away. The alien robot is secretly planning to get them all into its power and then turn them over to a “MONSTER” in outer space whom it serves. Will, who doesn’t trust it, manages to get away when the alien robot disarms the others and forces them into the spaceship.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Barney Slater, Director: Sobey Martin, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: January 24-31, 1966 (6 Days) Air Date: February 9, 1966 / Repeat June 15, 1966.

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/665/war-robots

http://www.frederickhodges.com/neontubechanges.html

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

THE RAFT

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Will has come up with an idea for building a small, two-man spaceship by utilizing parts from the Jupiter 2. Everyone gets to work on the project and soon the small craft is constructed. Don is due to fly it the following morning. But that night Dr. Smith sneaks out, panning to abscond with it. He takes the Robot along to release the lines for him at the right moment, but before he can get away he is surprised by Will. While trying to convince the boy that he’s only there to check on the safety factors, the Robot releases the lines and they both go up together. Eventually, far out in space, they fall asleep. When they wake, they find themselves coming down on another planet. Smith is convinced they have homed-in on Earth, and they go off to search for people.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Peter Packer, Director: Sobey Martin, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: 8-17 Nov 1965 (7 days) 

Air date: Wednesday December 1, 1965 (No Summer Repeat)

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/869/raft

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: DOUG HINES

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome Mr. DOUG HINES.  Doug is owner/operator of GOTHAM CRUISERS, which is a fantastic company that he started in Dayton, Ohio that produces beautiful screen accurate replicas & conversion kits of the classic vehicles from the 1966 Batman TV series & Bat-cycle, as well as the 1989 Tim Burton Batman movie! Recently, he secured a licensing agreement with Kevin Burns of Synthesis Entertainment to produce studio quality full scale replicas of the original Lost in Space Robot that are absolutely stunning. This is the first time in several years that a commercially produced complete B9 replica has been available for sale to the public, aimed at those interested in enjoying their own LIS Robot, without having to build one for themselves more affordable price point than in the past. Even better, the replica B9’s offered by GOTHAM CRUISERS will be available at a more affordable price point than earlier commercial versions. 

DOUG’S’ BIO: A native of the state of Ohio, Doug grew up loving classic sci-fi, fantasy adventure TV, such as LIS, Batman & the original Star Trek. His passion for these properties inspired him to start his own business producing recreations from these shows. He’s also been a longtime member of the B9 Robot Builders Club & completed his own personal LIS Robot some years ago.  During the course of researching and building his Gotham Cruisers & Robots, as well as helping others do the same, Doug has become an expert on the history & specifications of these iconic pieces of Sci-Fi Adventure History. So today we’re going to talk to him about these new B9 Replicas, but delve a little deeper into the details of these fantastic props & vehicles that have inspired fans for so many years. So, sit back & enjoy this engaging & informative conversation with Mr. Doug Hines!

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 19 JUN 2019.

LINKS: https://www.gothamcruisers.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pg/Gotham-Cruisers-201725743182969/photos/?ref=page_internal

http://www.monsterbashnews.com/bash.html

http://www.b9robotbuildersclub.com/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/b9robotbuildersclub/

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com  

Special - Calling Alpha Control: JEFF BOND

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome Back Lost in Space Music expert Mr. Jeff Bond to Alpha Control for an exclusive interview. Jeff is an accomplished Author, Music Critic & Album Producer. He’s written several books on Sci-Fi related topics including The Music of Star Trek, The Art of Star Trek: The Kelvin Timeline, The World of Orville & of course THE FANTASY WORLDS OF IRWIN ALLEN; the deluxe 600+ page limited edition coffee table book which takes readers on a visual journey through the mind and career of legendary producer Irwin Allen. Notably for us, Jeff along with his colleague Neil Bulk was Album Producer on the beautiful LOST in SPACE 50th Anniversary Soundtrack Collection, released in 2015. In addition, in 2018 he co-produced again with Neil Bulk, a 4-disc LOTG 50th Anniversary Soundtrack collection. Now his latest project; which he teased for us last time; the definitive 4-disc Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea; Original Television Soundtrack Collection which was recently released in early summer 2020.

JEFF’S BIO: Mr. Bond is originally from Ohio & studied Creative Writing at Bowling Green State University after which he pursued his career as a movie magazine reporter. Jeff’s knowledge of film & TV music scores & their creators dates back to the 1990’s when he served as senior editor for Film Score Monthly. As a free-lance writer he has written articles for The Hollywood Reporter, Geek Monthly and Cinefantastique magazine. From 2003 to 2006, Jeff served as Senior Editor at CFQ, the later-day revival of Cinefantastique. In addition, he has written hundreds of movie and television soundtrack liner note booklets as an editor for GNP Crescendo Records, Varèse Sarabande Records & La-La Land Records. In 2012 he shared an IFMCA Award nomination for Star Trek: TOS Soundtrack collection & won the shared 2012 Award for Star Trek: TMP (expanded soundtrack) in the category of Best Archival Release of an Existing Score, for his work as producer & liner notes author.

Just like the last time he was on the show; Jeff was extremely generous with his time. In fact, the focus of this interview was supposed to be Jeff’s new VTTBOTS Soundtrack, however I couldn’t resist asking about his recently published book; 'Star Trek-The Motion Picture; Inside The Art & Visual Effects'; it’s a film I’ve been fascinated with since it premiered back in 1979. So, before I knew it, we’d done an entire show without talking about the Voyage soundtrack. As a result, I’ve decided to split our conversation into TWO Special Calling Alpha Control interviews. In this one, we’ll talk about his beautiful new Star Trek coffee table book & I’ll save the Voyage discussion for a future episode, so stay tuned for that. But, for now, sit back relax & enjoy this First of TWO power-packed interviews with Author & Soundtrack Producer Jeff Bond.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 3 SEP 2020.

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea; Original Television Soundtrack Collection Page:

https://lalalandrecords.com/voyage-to-the-bottom-of-the-sea-original-television-soundtrack-collection-limited-edition-4-cd-set/

The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/worldsofirwinallen/?epa=SEARCH_BOX

The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen Book Orders on Creaturefeatures.com:

https://creaturefeatures.com/?fbclid=IwAR2FKgqtvyP42Oiy6csNCSoYWli15bhDHahIg4ujbLm3V1B7eyml06AS8-Y

Lost in Space 50th Anniversary Soundtrack CD Collection:

http://lalalandrecords.com/Site/LostInSpace50th.html

LINKS for Jeff Bond:

Jeff’s Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Jeff-Bond/e/B001K8I47C/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

Jeff’s Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/jeffc.bond

Jeff’s Twitter:  https://twitter.com/lazymodeler

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: DR. STEVEN D. BLOOM PART II

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome a special guest to Alpha Control; Dr. Steven D. Bloom. As well as being a big fan of LIS & Science Fiction in general, Steve is the author of a fascinating book titled, The Physics and Astronomy of Science Fiction. Published in 2016 by McFarland; the book explores a wide range of Sci-Fi Movies, TV series, Books & Short Stories by exploring their underlying concepts of physics & astronomy. Written for those of us who are NOT real ‘rocket scientists’, Steve’s entertaining & highly readable book assesses the accuracy and plausibility of many of the complex concepts that often appear in science fiction, such as Interstellar Travel, Time Travel, Teleportation, Robots, Alien Life as well as other genre fixtures.

STEVE’S BIO: Steve Bloom grew up in the New York City suburbs where in the early 1970’s he would rush home from his neighborhood school to watch re-runs of Lost in Space. There began his love for science and astronomy in particular. Later, he would go on to major in Astrophysics at Columbia University and then earned his Ph.D. in Astronomy from Boston University in 1994. After that, he continued doing research as a post-doctoral fellow at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center located outside Washington DC in Greenbelt, MD and then at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA. Today Dr. Bloom is a professor of physics and astronomy at Hampden-Sydney College, located near Farmville, Virginia, where he lives with his wife, daughter and cat.

As I mentioned last time, when we got together to record, Steve was VERY generous with his time! Which is why I decided to split our conversation into TWO Special Calling Alpha Control interviews. Today, we’ll pick up the discussion where we left off last time, talking about LIS & Steve’s wonderfully informative book on the “science of science fiction”. I think you’ll be both delighted & amazed by some of what you learn in this interview. So, sit back, relax & enjoy Part II of this intriguing conversation with DOCTOR STEVEN D. BLOOM. 

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 6 JAN 2022.

LINKS: Amazon.com: Steven D Bloom: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle

https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-physics-and-astronomy-of-science-fiction/

https://physastro.net/

www.stevendbloom.net

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

http://www.monsterwax.com/LIScards.html

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: GUY FOSTER

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome Lost in Space colorization artist Mr. GUY FOSTER. Guy is well known to the online Lost in Space fan community for his beautiful colorizations of B/W images from the 1st season of the series. Guy discovered Facebook in 2013 and started colorizing experiments of standard definition screen grabs. Later after the 2015 release of the Hi-def. Blu-Ray set, he challenged himself to produce images that would hold up against images from the later seasons originally shot in color. With, time, effort & experience, in this humble host’s opinion he has managed get as close as possible to that goal. As the popularity of colorizing grew online, Guy decided in 2017 to create his own LIS Facebook Group, The Priplanus Polycolor Collective, dedicated to showcasing his works. The Group has expanded to feature other artists’ colorized images, as well as, some delightfully unique compositions such as LIS themed graphic novels & ‘take-off pieces’ based on well-known art works, like Edward Munch’s painting ‘The Scream’ featuring Jonathan Harris doing what Dr. Smith does best. Fans of the show regard Guy’s Facebook Group as the ‘go to’ site for a vast collection of beautiful Lost in Space inspired artwork by a remarkable stable of talented digital artisans.

GUY’S BIO: Mr. Foster was born in New Zealand, but adopted as a baby by British & South African parents. As a child, he lived in Hong Kong for a time where his father was stationed as a senior officer in the British Royal Navy. At the age of two, he returned to the UK with his family & they later emigrated to Perth, Western Australia – which is beautiful city of 2-million and the most isolated capital on the planet. The state of Western Australia is a vast territory, about the size of Texas & Alaska combined! Growing up with many diverse interests, Guy had a particularly strong love of all forms of science-fiction, including of course, LIS. Later, he earned a Degree in Cartography (mapping) working in that field for approximately 30 years. Despite the strong technical aspects of Guy’s chosen field, he always had an unfulfilled creative streak, which in part led him to his passion for colorization. These days he’s a semi-retired stay-at-home Dad of ONE plus a noisy Siamese cat! We’re going to speak with him today about his love for Lost in Space, his stunning artwork & techniques, as well as a little background on what makes Australia such fertile ground for LIS fandom. Now sit back and enjoy this special interview from ‘Down Under’ with Mr. Guy Foster.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 15 OCT 2018.

Guy’s Facebook Group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/761084164073380/

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

A CHANGE OF SPACE

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Smith and Will discover an ultra-sophisticated spaceship which the Robot reports is capable of circumnavigating the universe at the velocity of light squared, but warns that there could be great hazards in such a flight. Will gets in, and inadvertently sets it in flight. He returns shortly with his intellect tremendously stimulated. Smith, wanting the same advantages, also takes a flight but he returns just a doddering old man. Will thinks that another trip, with the ships guidance system in reverse, might return Smith to the way he was. Smith says he is too old and frail to take the risk so Will agrees to try it first. The alien owner of the spaceship appears, angrily demands the return of his ship and seizes smith as a hostage.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Peter Packer, Director: Sobey Martin, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: March 22-30, 1966 (7 days).

Air Date: April 20, 1966. / Repeat August 19, 1966.

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

LINKS: http://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/590/change-space

YOUR ONLINE COFFEE BREAK PODCAST (Is Faster than Light Travel Possible?)

https://www.onlinecoffeebreak.com/is-faster-than-light-travel-possible-the-science-of-scifi-with-dr-erin-macdonald/

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

Invaders From the Fifth Dimension

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: A spaceship from another galaxy lands on the planet. One of its necessary computers has worn out & it cannot get back to its own star system without a replacement. A human brain will do to replace the missing part, the aliens tell Smith, who discovers them. They will take him, shrinking his body to fit into the required space. Smith terrified, offers them Will in his place, as being a better fit. He cons the boy into going along with him to the spaceship, telling him he has a plan by which, together, they will save the others. Will is fitted into the space but he is so grief-stricken at the thought of leaving his family that he is unable to do the necessary computations; his emotion causing the computer to burn out.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Shimon Wincelberg, Director: Lenard Horn, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: 29 SEP-7 OCT 1965 (7 days), Air date: Wednesday November 3, 1965 (Wednesday, August 31, 1965 repeat)

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

THE SKY IS FALLING

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Smith encounters a strange metallic object crawling toward him. It is evidently constructed for collecting data & soil samples. Everyone is interested as it must obviously have been sent by some ‘intelligent’ form of life. The next day Will comes across a humanoid boy, the same age as himself. They rapidly make friends & find they have much in common. The space boy & his parents are ‘Taurons’, who are scouting out the planet to see if it is suitable for colonization. The second time Will sees the boy, he sneezes & the ‘Tauron’ boy, instantly contaminated by Earth germs, falls seriously ill.  Will helps him to a nearby cave & stays with him. Both families are highly concerned by the disappearance of their sons & Smith, through his usual blunderings & deceit, sows the seeds of mistrust on both sides.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Barney Slater & Herman Groves, Director: Sobey Martin, Producer: Jerry Briskin, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.

Film dates: 19-26 OCT 1965 (6.25 days), Air date: Wednesday November 17, 1965 (no Summer Repeat)

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro

 LINKS: http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

 https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

THE RELUCTANT STOWAWAY – THE DIRECTOR’S CUT

Oh No! A Summer Rerun! (Not quite.)

At the urging of my brilliant Special Guest Star, I went back & listened to the original version of this show & found it could use some TLC. Since this is the first episode of our podcast many new listeners will sample; our review of ‘The Reluctant Stowaway’ really deserved to be upgraded from the original release with cleaned up commentary from the hosts, more music & show clips. The original version has been replaced by this ‘Director’s Cut’, but I’m also posting it here as a separate download to bring it to our regular listener’s attention. Even if you’ve already heard the original take, you may want to give this upgraded encore version a listen. Enjoy!

EPISODE SYNOPSIS: In 1997, from the now desperately overcrowded Earth, the Robinson family & their pilot set off in the Jupiter 2 spaceship, as pioneers to colonize a distant planet circling Alpha Centauri. At blast off Smith, an agent of an enemy power, who has programmed the Jupiter 2’s Robot to destroy the ship, is trapped aboard. The robot is de-activated before completely carrying out his orders, but the ship is damaged & now far off course, lost in another galaxy. Robinson is outside trying to mend the damaged scanner when his tether breaks, leaving him floating helplessly in space…

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-writer- Shimon Wincelberg (as S. bar-David), director Tony Leader, producer Jerry Briskin, executive Producer-Irwin Allen.

Film dates-19-28 July 1965 (8 days), Air date: Wednesday Sep 15, 1965 (no-summer repeat)

PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-welcome, Podcast Vision, Irwin Allen LIS TV show background, concept, cast, episode review & analysis, preview next week.

LINKS: http://lostinspaceforum.proboards.com/thread/476/reluctant-stowaway

https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space

http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html

http://www.marccushman.com/books.html

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: alphacontrolpodcast@gmail.com

Twitter: @Alpha_Podcast