he family of the future is the family Robinson, headed by Drs. John and Maureen, with children Judy, Will and Penny. They, along with virile assistant Don West, have been selected to colonize unexplored space. But the hazardous interstellar Oregon trail hasn't been blazed yet, and after launch their ship--the Gemini 12--is presumed destroyed by a battering meteor shower. Fortune has not abandoned the pioneers entirely, however, and the Gemini is tossed, relatively intact, onto a hospitable if rugged planet. Despite being marooned, the party retains its pluck and quickly sets up camp.
Roughing it in the 21st century is not quite what Lewis and Clark would remember. Protein pills replace beef jerky and navigation scopes replace Sacagawea. But classics don't perish: even when both parents are Ph.D.s, the man explores and the woman tends the laundry. Despite such pat domesticity, exciting things do happen--the family is on an unexplored planet, after all. While checking things out, the men determine that the temperature at their landing site will soon drop to -140° F, so they prepare to return and break camp...fast.
Back at the shiny saucer homestead, young Will has cobbled together a remote viewing device, which transmits disturbing images--the men cornered in a cave by a giant cyclops. Smart young Will grabs a laser rifle and runs to the rescue, killing the monster. All this might be enough for the average space-age family in their pilot episode, but not for the Robinsons. They still must endure a lost child; almost capsizing at sea; and an earthquake in an abandoned, underground temple.
Too bad they never showed this one...
So where's Dr. Smith? Where's the stolid, stentorian Robot? Why's the Jupiter 2 called Gemini 12? Well, all of those were later additions to this pilot episode, which was substantially remodeled after an uneasy reception by network executives. Though this version never aired back in the 1960s, it can be seen occasionally on the Sci-Fi Channel or purchased on videotape. And it has some qualities to recommend it to fans. The most surprising asset of this piece is the ability of its camera work to optimize and animate underwritten characters, a boring (if evenly-paced) plot, and uninspired sets.
Because of the effective, if unoriginal, camera work, the production actually manages a few moments of genuine tension, and an authentic sense of the pioneer spirit is conveyed to viewers. Most astonishingly, considering the icon-status and campy nature of the Robinsons' later format, this first version of their odyssey is largely absent of lampoonable material and translates as sincere and even fresh, if a bit quaint.
The drawbacks to this production are that, despite the action and the interesting premise, it's quite formulaic. This is typical Irwin Allen, with all his strengths and weaknesses: heavy on plotted adventure, but faltering a bit in delivering adventure's emotional impact. There are, however, some wonderfully amusing quirks, like the pioneers sitting around a campfire while young Will sings and strums "Greensleeves" on a guitar.
As pilots go, this is actually stronger than most, vintage or contemporary. The actors are believable in their relationships (however vaguely detailed), interesting things happen, and the tale is loosely bracketed in a diary-type format that adds a nice, nostalgic touch. All of this combines to make "No Place to Hide" enjoyable and not just a museum piece.
