LAND OF THE GIANTS-The Crash,

THEIR FIRST YEAR CHRONOLOGY

Marna--Nick and gang--Shepard Space center expedition--Kagen--

The Birthday Gift-fan fiction (ff)-Barry's father Paul, maid

THE CRASH-June 12, 1983-several AU have their own versions

The First Night-ff-June 13, 1983 

The Trap-novel by Murray Leinster-Alternate Universe (AU)-June 15

THE WERID WORLD-June 20, 1983

British Coloring Book-general encounters & memories-June 12 to 25

THE TRAP-June 30, 1983

THUMBNAIL SKETCH-ff-July 1, 1983

THE BOUNTY HUNTER-July 2, 1983

The Hot Spot-novel-Leinster-AU-July 12, 1983 to July 27, 1983

The British Annuals--all--short stories, comics-possible AU

British TV 21 comic stories--short stories, comics--same as above

Steve's Black Eye-ff-July 28, 1983-

THE GOLDEN CAGE-July 29, 1983

The Hornet-ff-July 29, 1983-AU-ff

THE LOST ONES-August 7, 1983

Wings of Freedom-ff-August 8, 1983-Marna

Gold Key Comic Books Numbers 1 to 5-possible AU-Aug. 9 to Sept 9

Unknown Danger-novel-Leinster-AU-August 21 to Sept 11

THE GOLIATH GUN-unfilmed script (US)-Sept 10 to Sept 11

MANHUNT-September 13, 1983

FRAMED-Sept. 19, 1983

Coloring Book-The Reunion--flood-dog tale-September 20 to 24th-1983 THE CREED-Sept. 26th, 1983--Barry turns 11.

THE FLIGHT PLAN-October 15th through October 17th, 1983

British Joe 90 Stories-Oct. 19, 1983

British TV21 Stories Continued-Oct. 22, 1983

UNDERGROUND-November 5, 1983

Slingshot For A David--British novel by James Bradwell-Nov. 6-

The Mean City--British novel, Bradwell--Nov. 10

DOUBLE CROSS-December 1, 1983

Flames of Fear-ff-comic-Steve's brother Chris-Dec. 3, 1983

Deadly Illusions-ff-comic-Dec. 5, 1983

THE Drawing Book-ff-Dec. 17, 1983

ON A CLEAR NIGHT YOU CAN SEE THE EARTH-December 28, 1983

GHOST TOWN-Jan 4, 1984

BRAINWASH-Jan. 12, 1984

TERROR GO ROUND-Jan. 19, 1984 into Jan. 21

SABOTAGE-Jan. 22, 1984

GENIUS AT WORK-Feb. 9, 1984; Kobick; other country mentioned

DEADLY LODESTONE-Feb. 11 to Feb. 13, 1984; Kobick

NIGHT OF THROMBELDINBAR-Feb. 28, 1984

THE Hike To Danger-ff-March 4, 1984

So Cold The Night-ff-March 8, 1984

SEVEN LITTLE INDIANS-March 16, 1984; Kobick

TARGET: EARTH-April 1, 1984; Kobick

RESCUE-April 17, 1984; Kobick

RETURN OF INIDU-May 13, 1984--May 14, 1984

SHELL GAME-May 30, 1984

THE CHASE-June 12, 1984; Kobick

Small Prey-ff-June 13 to June 14, 1983

Flight of Fear-Whitman novel by Carl Henry Rathjen-June to Sept. 1

THE YEARS AHEAD--CHRONOLOGY

THE INSIDE RAIL-Sept. 26th, 1984; Barry is already 12

CHAMBER OF FEAR-October 12 to October 13, 1984

THE MECHANICAL MAN-October 18, 1984

Deadly Dreams-ff-October 20, 1984--Alternate Universe World (AU)

COLLECTOR'S ITEM-October 29, 1984

GIANTS AND ALL THAT JAZZ-November 12, 1984

The Retaliator-ff-Nov. 14, 1984; Moluk returns

SIX HOURS TO LIVE-Nov. 22, 1984

THE UNSUSPECTED-December 3, 1984; Kobick

A PLACE CALLED EARTH-December 15, 1984; 5477 AD; time travelers

Birds In A Gilded Cage-ff-December 18th, 1984

DEADLY PAWN-December 30, 1984

LAND OF THE LOST-January 1, 1985

Dangerous Solution-ff-January 5, 1985-getting Mark's collar off

Bloodsucker-ff-January 7, 1985-giant vampire

The Outcast-ff-January 9 to January 22, 1985

EVERY DOG NEEDS A BOY-February 22, 1985

THE CLONES-March 2, 1985

Fathoms: Nightmare-ff-March 9

COMEBACK-March 12, 1985

NIGHTMARE-March 25, 1985; Kobick

The Delta Effect: The Other Nightmares-ff-March 25 to 26, 1985

SNAKE EYES-April 9, 1985-unfilmed story idea

The Prize We Sought-ff-April 11, 1985; several parallel universes

HOME SWEET HOME-April 15, 1985; 1900; time machine

OUR MAN O'REILLY-May 1, 1985

PANIC-May 15, 1985

PAY THE PIPER-May 27, 1985; evidence of other life forms & planets

The Refugees-ff-May 28, 1985

Encounters with Insp. Swaan--July-speculation

Summer Lets Up--mid to late August-speculation

Chipper's Tail: by Little Chip-August 28, 1985

THE SECRET CITY OF LIMBO-Sept 26; underground city; Barry is 13

DOOMSDAY-October 2, 1985; Kobick

Mark encounters Inspt. Swann--Oct. 13, 1985-speculation

WILD JOURNEY-October 14, 1985; Sept 25, 1983 vs June 12, 1983;     aliens or time travelers or time traveling aliens 

THE DEADLY DART-October 30, 1985; Swaan killed; Kobick away

The Kidnapping-ff-October 31, 1985

GRAVEYARD OF FOOLS-Nov. 13, 1985

A SMALL WAR-December 1, 1985

THE MARIONETTES-December 23, 1985

THE SLAVEMAKERS-January 1, 1986-unfilmed script

Voyage to the Lost In Space Time Tunnel On the Land of the Giants- major crossovers-Tarzan-Doc Who-SWars-Trek-Space: 1999, others

Land of the Giants: The Next Ten Years-ff-speculation

Time For Change-ff-Jan. 5, 1986; 2001, Gault, Kobick, Arno, Elax

Ten Part Serialization story-ff-1986

The Visitors-ff-June 1, 1986-Planet of Apes TV crossover-3974 AD

GIANT FISH-September 1986-unmade story idea

Arrival To Danger-ff-Sept 14, 1986

September 26th, 1986--Barry turns 14-speculation

A MARRIAGE MADE IN-aka MARRIED-1986; unmade story idea

The Hand that Rocks The Robinsons-Oct. 11-Lost In Space cross

The Caring of Many-ff-AU-

The Danger of School-ff-April 12, 1987; Kobick, Greyson

Limbo's Treasure-ff-June 3, 1987; Kobick, Limbo, Biff

Invasion-ff-September 14, 1987-alien giants attack, Kobick

The Long Way Home-ff-September 26, 1987-Barry turns 14

Homecoming-ff-Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea cross-AU

Valerie in Giant Land-ff-May 30, 1993-AU

Beyond Hope of Escape-ff-August 1993-AU-Kobick

October 1993-ff-Steve and Betty's relationship grows closer

December 1993-ff-Val and Mark have twin babies, a boy and girl

The Capture of Valerie Scott-ff-June 12, 1994

Women In Battle-ff-April 1995

Kobick on trial by Supreme Council; hoax-ff speculation-Feb 1997

April of 1999-ff-speculation-Steve and Betty officially marry

Jan-2000-DIMENSION 2000: SEED FROM ANOTHER PLANET-ff-AU

Flight of the Rubicon; Rubicon: Rescue; Seascape--ff-AU--2004

RETURN TO EARTH-Jan. 2019-ff based on idea by Esther Mitchell

MASS EXODUS-Jan 2019-ff based on idea by Esther Mitchell

February 2033-Fitzhugh dies; age 100--speculation

February 2033-Barry turns 60-speculation

The Year 4977-ff-speculation-Time Tunnel Cross over

The Earth Year 5477-ff-speculation

THE ADVENTURES CONTINUE...

THE CRASH

PRODUCTION ONE

AIRDATE-9-22-1968 (AND I WAS WATCHING!) NUMBER ONE

WRITER-ANTHONY WILSON

DIRECTED BY IRWIN ALLEN

MUSIC-JOHN WILLIAMS (some of which is on CD)

LONG TEASER

After the opening theme music and credits, we see a sleek spaceship flying, not quite in outer space yet. Lightning seems to grace it. A title shows us it is June 12th, 1983 when this sub orbital flight 6-12 encounters turbulence while passing from the atmosphere into space. The trip is in order for the ride from LA to London to take only 41 minutes. After losing radio contact with LA Airport, Captain Steve Burton and co pilot Dan Erickson find their ship pulled into a greenish ball of light. The passengers and stewardess see this out the side window. The pilots lose control, only to regain it when they come out on the other side. With power cells fading, the pair land the ship on a fog shrouded flat plain after spotting the night lights of a city down below. Stewardess Betty Hamilton tells ten year old Barry Lockridge, a passenger, that if his cousins do not meet him in London, she will take him home with her and he will never be an orphan again. Navy Commander Alexander Fitzhugh is very protective of his valise. Outside, two huge lights head at Steve and Dan, who think it is another plane. It is a titanic car which runs right over them! Next, the sound of giant steps send them scurrying back to the ship, alerting everyone of a takeoff. A giant boy picks up the ship and looks in at Betty, Dan, and Steve, Steve pushing Dan to his seat as the ship shakes.

ACT ONE

The pilots fight the ship lose for a wild ride past buildings over 5000 feet in the air. Steve lands the ship in a forest for it to recharge its solar batteries. Business tycoon (and engineer, scientist) Mark Wilson doesn't believe Steve's tale of giants and space warps. Later, Fitzhugh overhears Dan and Steve talking about police waiting for him in London. Dan doesn't think he is the type to steal a million dollars. Fitzhugh decides to leave the spacecraft, followed by Barry with his dog Chipper, into the night fog. A giant lizard goes unnoticed by them. Betty, returning from the ship's galley, tells Steve the pair are gone. Steve tells Dan to throw out the search lights which Barry and Fitzhugh duck from. The two go off. Steve goes out and is chased by unseen giant menaces which Dan gets dozens of on the ship's radar--blips of all shapes and sizes, "Take it easy--you've got a lot of company out there."  Steve nearly runs into a giant tarantula, another is behind it. He throws the branch he scooped up, knowing it is not protection against this...and runs. He finds jet setter millionairess Valerie Ames Scott has disobeyed orders and followed him outside (earlier she expressed she wanted to come with the captain, having to have her own way and to see everything--on Earth she's been everywhere twice and done everything there is to do). Fitzhugh and Barry see giant trees and are surprised from behind by a huge, yellow cat which hits the man's valise. From it spreads large denominations of bills. The two flee back to the ship--bringing the cat to it. Betty gets Barry into the Passenger Compartment while Fitzhugh closes the door. Dan yells, "There are two more people..."  he opens it and the face of the cat is there. It attacks and nearly gets Dan at the doorway. Dan tosses Fitzhugh to the Passenger Compartment and gets to the control room cockpit--where he faces the huge maw of the cat at the viewport window. He fires the retro rockets at it while Mark stops a gas leak. Val disobeys Steve's orders again and goes inside a large box, "Don't worry I won't buy it without my lawyers advice."   Steve is trying to call Dan and spots this, "Don't you ever listen to anyone. We don't know what kind of place this is."  The cage door slams shut on them, trapping them inside. They manage to get a call off to Dan before a giant in a white lab coat--a giant bearded man wearing glasses, emerges from the jungle, over 70 feet tall. He leans down and picks up the cage, bringing them to his lab.

ACT TWO

Dan tracks the giant blip from the spot he last heard from Val. Fitzhugh feels it is tragic and that Mr. Wilson should fix the ship's engines. Dan tells him they are not leaving here without Capt. Burton or Miss Scott. Barry spots a gun Fitzhugh has hidden in a closet at the back of the ship's main hallway but the con man cons Barry into thinking it is part of their survival gear. Val and Steve move off the radar scope range. The giant has a lab assistant, a female giant, helping him. He puts the cage down and moves off to help her work. The Earth pair, avoiding the giant several times, cut their way out of the cage and move onto a table. Val suggests making contact with the giants. Steve calls her crazy, "To him we're just six inch oddities."  Steve starts to make a rope from a spool of thread after they climb uptop a set of file cabinet-drawers. Steve starts to climb down the table when Val, following according to plan, accidentally knocks over and breaks a test tube. The woman scientist grabs Steve off the rope and drops him in a round jar of hay; the giant man grabs Valerie in his hands as Steve tries to warn her, "Run! Run!"  The giant observes Val in his fist and drops her into the jar beside Steve. The pair get up and face the giant face.      

ACT THREE

Fitzhugh laughs at the others' efforts, "A bunch of tiny midgets trying to attack a world of giants with a broken razor blade and a safety pin."  His laughter turns grim when Barry accidentally lets it slip that Fitzhugh has a gun. He pulls the gun out on them, making Barry sit down, demanding Mark fix the engines, and Dan fly him back to Earth. Dan calls his bluff, knowing Fitzhugh cannot shoot him as he is the only one who can fly the space plane. When Mark picks up the razor-hatchet they have made, Betty and Dan expect more trouble. Mark wants to help and goes with Dan. Fitzhugh apologizes to Barry, drops his gun, and tells the boy he is not a military man--he's never fought in war in his life. Barry tells a confessing Fitzhugh that now is his chance to fight a war. The boy picks the gun up and gives it to the older man. Mark and Dan hear Valerie scream in the forest, which leads them to a huge flight of steps. They manage to get up it, helping each other. Inside, Steve and Val are being prodded and poked by the giants--being readied for dissection! Mark cuts a gas line (which causes an explosion and makes the female cough a lot) while Dan maneuvers himself up a flight of books--tossing the rope and grappling hook pin up to the table from the top of the books to catch onto the open drawer. He gets to Steve and Val who are scotch taped to slides. They all escape when Dan cuts them loose with a giant scalpel--climbing down, they are followed by the male giant--who has a butterfly net. 

ACT FOUR

Followed outside by the giant man, Dan is netted by him. Steve, Val, and Mark run back out of a drainpipe to help him out. Fitzhugh, arriving with Barry and Betty, is made to shoot his gun at the giant by Barry. They run to the others and all of them flee into the drain--just as the giant puts his hand inside. Without knowing where it goes, they are going to try one way when the giant hand blocks them from it and they are knocked down another, more slanted drain. They are followed by a giant arm but Fitzhugh shoots at the giant's face at the end of the drain. They hear him yell in a loud voice, "COME BACK!"  The gang emerge in a giant junkyard which has old shoes, light bulbs, egg cartons. Fitzhugh says, "This is the bottom of the barrel...a giant junkyard."  They barely have a breather when Chipper wanders off. The dog barks at a huge mongrel dog who is faced by Barry who scooped up his own little dog. Steve gets to Barry and faces the mastiff with the boy until Mark arrives. Dan gets the girls into an egg carton and prepares a fire stick for the dog. Mark gets to Steve and Barry. Steve shoves the boy to him, "Get him out of here!"  Mark takes Barry to Fitzhugh, "Get him in that carton!"  Fitzhugh opens the carton, "In there quickly!"  Fitzhugh hides under the egg carton in a hole while Mark and Dan take cover behind some fallen tree branch. Steve watches it catch sight of Fitzhugh and terrorize the egg carton holding the girls and Barry to get at Fitzhugh. Steve picks up a light bulb and tosses it at the dog's nose. This doesn't ward it off long. Steve gets his shirt into some cleaning fluid, lights it up, and tosses at the fallen light bulb near the dog's snout. It goes off and the dog runs away.

TAG

As the others are helped by each other, Fitzhugh complains, "I can't go on, I can't. I can't take it any longer. A constant nightmare in this hideous world, never knowing what's going to come next. I want to get out of here!"  Steve grabs him, "From now on, that's just the way it's going to be in this world."  He pushes Fitzhugh after the others who begin to find their way back to the ship. Steve leaves his burning jacket behind.   

NOTE: Certain drafts of THE CRASH     script end with Barry and Chipper finding the tape recorder which is obviously from Earth. When the two leave to get the others, the tape recorder message from Major Kagan plays, ending the cliffhanger. Having already done  cliffhangers in LOST IN SPACE and THE TIME TUNNEL, not to mention seeing the dwindling BATMAN interest, perhaps Irwin Allen decided to drop this old hat format. Mark wears a jacket and tie in this episode--is going to London to settle a thirty billion dollar deal. He removes the jacket half way through the show. Barry wears a tie and jacket, Fitzhugh wore full Navy dress--jacket and tie with hat. A two step stool is put out early after the second landing. Barry's father is was a Marine Lt Colonel (the man some time ago; Barry's mother just recently died). Dan was a decathlon star as well as winning at other feats in the Olympics. 

REVIEW: A good first episode detailing how the group landed in this strange yet familiar world. Many series "cop out" by beginning a series already set up and in their universe already without telling about how the characters arrived at that spot and point in time. For example, the Saturday morning series, LAND OF THE LOST, showed us only in the credits how the family came to be in the land. STAR TREK shows us the ship already on its voyages, not what went before or how the characters first met. THE CRASH does not take this short cut but thrusts the new characters together. Other series do set up the entire concept but do it in a dull fashion. SPACE: 1999, an otherwise excellent series, has BREAKAWAY as its weakest episode of al 48 (however the scene of the Moon moving away from the Earth was fantastic). LAND OF THE GIANTS makes THE CRASH both interesting from a story viewpoint and from an action viewpoint. Here, there was not much character development but a lot of action; however, the characters' relationships were just beginning. THE CRASH set this up excellently. There was also a lot of background information about each and every character--even more so in the unaired pilot, the presentation reel, the scripts, etc. Each person had a detailed background and this shows in the episode and the ones that follow (unlike STAR TREK where in the first few episodes we really know very little about Kirk, Spock, and McCoy). LAND OF THE GIANTS has its characters' personalities develop over a period of time, learning from their mistakes and encounters. That doesn't mean THE CRASH didn't have them well established--Val was a snooty jet setter who rarely listened to anyone, Mark was a well meaning but by the book--his book--man of action and perhaps a bit too eager to violence, Fitzhugh was a con man who also meant well but sometimes without the others' direction would lose himself in selfishness, Betty was a wide eyed innocent who always saw the best in any situation while being often very afraid underneath--and who could calm the others or be there to spur them on to some good action, Dan was the athlete and perhaps the strongest of the group physically--loyal to Steve and even to his passengers (he refuses to leave Miss Scott even though he hardly knows her and what he does know implicates her foolishness which brought about Steve's capture) but not willing to back down to any of them about his principals, Steve who is the man of action also but who thinks before he leaps--most of the time and who is willing to take chances (witness his brash moves during the dog attack and his desire to just follow the drain wherever it goes despite Dan's warnings), and Barry--another wide eyed innocent perhaps not as afraid as Betty--but he learn fear from the giant dog attack--and also an orphan willing to latch onto these adults, especially Fitzhugh who he can influence and who can influence him. This group  was at odds in many first season shows, then came to a more loyal cohesion, and finally a respectful gang who could disagree from time to time. The characters were certainly changed by their adventures by A PLACE CALLED EARTH. Val became much more loyal to following orders from the others, especially from Steve--she hides from the two would be Navy rescuers just because Steve said to, "That's good enough for me."               

The effects were excellent in this episode, mostly involved giants and the little people but this is one of the rare episodes that also showcased the well designed spaceship Spindrift--it wasn't a rocket or a saucer but has aspects of both--being highly original--it has only the Flying Sub as a rival for originality, even by today's standards. Both are models, still unsurpassed in shape, design, and sleekness. THE CRASH gives the Spindrift quite a workout. The actors and characters also get a workout: a plunge into a space-time warp, two crash landings, a giant car running over the pilots, a boy picking up their ship, a wild excursion past 5000 foot tall buildings, a giant lizard, two oversized spiders, unseen shapes and sizes in the jungle, the giant professors, nearly being dissected, a giant cat, gas inside the spaceship, a giant dog, a junkyard, a drain pipe adventure, and a near mutiny or shooting. Not bad for one hour of action. John William's music, at times obviously inspired by Jerry Goldsmith's score for PLANET OF THE APES, fits perfectly. The first episode set it all up and paved the way ahead with style and verve--and didn't bore us to death.