Friday, August 27, 2010

Another girl is loving you now, another planet, forever holding you down (the Only Ones)

Have to share this - just watched an unbelievably out there episode of Lost In Space. Called Collision of Planets - it is episode number 9 of season 3. It aired in August 1967. The summer of love.

This episode has four stoner hippie biker aliens (long hair, beards, groovy vests, space age speeder type bikes, nasty helmets and bad attitudes - an intergalactic version of Brando's Wild Ones biker gang who were incidentally called 'The Beetles' - I kid you not!). The stoner hippie biker aliens (SHBAs) are trying to blow up the planet that the Robinsons have landed on. They have the worst luck! Anyway the SHBSs are three guys and one spectacular stoner hippie biker chick in dayglo red go-go boots who makes drugged out hippie shapes and ensnares (no better word) poor Dr Smith who has breathed in some alien gas (drugs maan) and gained Samson-like powers. Phew. Try making a show for prime time with that plot now and see how far (out) you get.

The robot has the best line at the end after the Robinson's flee the planet (after helping the SHBAs to also escape they are buzzed by the SHBAs on their bikes) - 'it just goes to prove - there is nothing you can do with a really dedicated misfit'.


I love the way films and TV programmes of this era tried to be hip and edgy with the drug culture - remember The Trip starring Peter Fonda? Or the Get Smart show when Max and 99 enter a hippie 'joint'?

My all time favourite before I saw this LIS episode was The Beverly Hillbillies show when Jethro joins a hippie band and tells them about smoking crawdads. A classic!




A big welcome back to Nu Zild to Samantha's Jesse. Good to have you back in the land of the long white cloud (in Taranaki it's more accurately described as 'the long black rain cloud') young sir. Sounds like his dad and family will be coming down under for a visit too. Great stuff - we look forward to seeing Michael et al at some point.

Love and peace - Wozza

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