Lost in Space: Season 1, Episodes 16-18

16: The Keeper (Part 1)
"We'd better lock the children in their rooms - and Dr Smith too, just as a precaution."
Although the premise is overfamiliar to we 21st century viewers, the idea of capturing humans to put into an intergalactic zoo must have been a little cliched even by 1966 - I know of a Season 1 episode of The Twilight Zone that used the idea in 1959.
However, The Keeper (Part 1) is nothing but engrossing fun, and its use of the usually peripheral characters of Penny and Judy is welcome. Even Major West and John get more to do than usual.
Star of the show is undoubtedly the wonderful Michael Rennie as the titular character, who brings much presence and gravitas to his role amid Jonathan Harris's mugging. Anyone who has seen The Day the Earth Stood Still will revel in seeing Rennie here, despite the dodgy facial hair.
The Keeper is luring children into his spaceship by use of a glowing staff, with the false intention of showing them his furry menagerie. Much can be read into the plot of this episode, and it does have a touch of the Child-Catcher about it, but it entertains me to add a layer to these plots which probably isn't there in the first place!
The design of the inside of the Keeper's ship is wonderful, with its sliding doors and the cages of bizarre and poorly realised alien creatures. Having said that, it's good to see all the aliens from previous LiS episodes make a reappearance here when they escape their cages for the cliff-hanger (although the cyclops probably walks down that ramp about five times in all!).
There's great fun to be had with Smith's hypnotic state, and when Don and John are trying to get Smith to stay in his room. During this lovely scene you can see that Smith is much more of a child than his younger colleagues!
And I have to mention the lovely bit between Maureen and Smith where she chats to him before going into his room. You can tell Mrs Robinson has a soft spot for the doctor, and although this naivete will always be her downfall, it's nice to see that nuance to the relationship because I think Smith has a healthy respect for the dear lady too.
A cracking episode, and one that I hope isn't let down by its conclusion...
Also lost in space: Michael Rennie (1909-71) was most famous for his iconic role as Klaatu in The Day the Earth Stood Still in 1951, but he would go on to play the Sandman in a couple of episodes of the Batman TV series, as well as a couple of roles in The Invaders. Living his final years in Switzerland, he died of emphysema at the age of just 61 in England while visiting following his brother's death; Wilbur Evans (1905-87) played the "lighted head" alien at the start of the episode, but was more of a stage and musical performer than a TV actor, and indeed LiS was his final TV appearance after a 13 year gap.

17: The Keeper (Part 2)
Unfortunately part two does let the first part down by degenerating into a repetitive runaround, and barely any of the monsters which poured out of the Keeper's ship at the end of last episode.
The selfless sacrifices by Don, Judy, Maureen and John in order to save Will and Penny is somewhat unconvincing, particularly Don, who may well feel close to the children, but would he wantonly throw away his own life for them?
I like how the Keeper rejects the adults' "applications" for incarceration on the basis they are too independent, whereas he expects the children would be too scared and timid to pose any problem to him. It's a good job the Keeper didn't try to steal children from the year 2006 otherwise his faith in the obedience of youth would be sorely tried!
There's some good scenes with Maureen exploring and entering the Keeper's ship on her own, gun in hand, and as ridiculous as it looks, the face-off with the bizarre flying manta ray is great fun (much more convincing than the giant lizard!).
All in all it is a poor resolution to a great opener, and although Rennie gives the Keeper a darker, more threatening edge here, the character still succumbs to the charms of humanity he professes to be immune to.

18: The Sky Pirate
A pretty dull instalment made mildly diverting only by the charming and quite touching relationship which builds up between Tucker and Will. It's obvious that Will is in awe of this (as it turns out) false space pirate, complete with tales of treasure, pillaging and intergalactic adventuring. Any boy Will's age would be mightily impressed by Tucker, especially when the only other role models he has include a rather boring father, a hotheaded space pilot and the outrageously camp and cowardly Dr Smith.
Tucker himself is somewhat annoying, played by Albert Salmi as a stereotypical "ooh-aah" sea pirate, but at least the character has a different side, a depth that enables the viewer to see exactly why Will might fall for his charms.
Harris portrays Smith here at perhaps his most cowardly yet, fainting - or at least feigning fainting - at the slightest glimpse of a man dressed in a stripey pullover. A bit far-fetched, a bit silly, and not particularly funny. I did like Maureen having a go at Smith though!
All in all a disappointing, rather nondescript episode which could never be a favourite, despite the really rather cool blobby monster that come looking for Tucker.
Also lost in space: Albert Salmi (1928-90) enjoyed a very long TV career prior to LiS, and would return as Alonzo P Tucker in another episode the following year. He went on to have an even longer TV career, appearing in almost every American show one can think of, but also had roles in Escape from the Planet of the Apes, the wonderfully named Empire of the Ants and Caddyshack. Tragedy surrounds the end of Salmi's 62-year-old life, which came from a gunshot to the heart in an incident never solved by police. His wife Roberta was shot too, by a different gun.