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List of Land of the Lost characters and species

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129-516: Land of the Lost is a 1974–1976 TV series relating the adventures of the Marshall family (including Will and Holly and their father, later replaced by their uncle). The Marshalls become trapped in a pocket universe populated by dinosaurs, ape-like creatures called Pakuni, and anthropomorphic reptilian creatures named Sleestak. This article concerns these characters, along with other human and alien visitors to

258-476: A remake of the series began in 1991 and ran for two seasons. In 2009, a feature film was released, which parodied the original series for adult audiences. It was directed by Brad Silberling and starred comedian Will Ferrell , with the Krofft brothers serving as co-producers. In 2015, Sid and Marty Krofft reportedly were working on a reboot to Land of the Lost following what they called "that other movie". In

387-409: A "combat" robot that he named Fred , a 10-foot-tall dinosaur-like armless biped robot with a tail, a long neck and beaked head with glowing eyes. Fred is very strong, but fairly slow. Rick and Will destroy Fred by luring it to a mountain top during a lightning storm. The model for Fred was a metal armature used by special effects artist Wah Chang to animate Junior the dinosaur, sans "flesh". The Zarn

516-463: A "stranger in a strange land" storyline. Most of these shows were comedic in nature, but Land of the Lost was considerably more serious, especially during its first season, though as the series progressed, the dramatic tone diminished. The Marshalls are brought to the mysterious world by means of a dimensional portal, a device used frequently throughout the series and a major part of its internal mythology . This portal opens when they are swept down

645-456: A 2018 podcast interview with both Sid and Marty Krofft, they reconfirmed that they are still working on an updated remake of Land of the Lost and that this time it will be an hour-long series. Lobster Lobsters are malacostracans of the family Nephropidae or its synonym Homaridae . They have long bodies with muscular tails and live in crevices or burrows on the sea floor. Three of their five pairs of legs have claws, including

774-417: A chance to return to his own time by first passing up an opportunity of his own to return to Earth. Enik also claims that Altrusians are incapable of lying although clearly they can "bend" the truth (or not give full disclosure of all facts) if it is in their best interest to do so. While Enik told Jack Marshall that he grasped the concept of morality, he concluded that it was "not logical". Also handed down from

903-642: A close friendship with the family and with Holly in particular, helping them whenever possible and occasionally visits the Marshalls in their cave in High Bluff. Cha-Ka's moments range from his attempt to undergo the rite of adulthood to facing a mysterious being who saw him worthy of advancing on an intellectual level, resulting with his gaining the ability to speak near perfect English, play an alto recorder-like wind-instrument, walk and run upright, and learn to make fire by Season 3. After being separated from Ta and Sa after

1032-521: A crossbow and a quiver full of metal bolts which hang from their waist. The Sleestak have a current population of about 7,000 according to the Library of Skulls, but there were only three Sleestak costumes available for the show's production, which sometimes required creative editing to create the illusion that they were that numerous. The Sleestak live in the Lost City, a tunnel complex originally constructed by

1161-565: A different and less-suitable device (a "companion piece" to the Magetti that is worn around his neck as a pendant) to continue his efforts to return to his own time and warn his people of their fate. Enik is quite contemptuous of the current state of the Sleestak since the fall of the Altrusian civilization, though he feels compelled to aid them because they are his future, albeit contemptible. They return

1290-404: A few of the millions caught every year, and due to their rarity, they usually are not eaten, instead being released back into the wild or donated to aquariums . Often, in cases of atypical coloring, there is a genetic factor, such as albinism or hermaphroditism . Special coloring does not appear to affect the lobster's taste once cooked; except for albinos, all lobsters possess astaxanthin, which

1419-489: A follower. Ta is sometimes considered to be the "alpha" Paku or a "witch doctor". He has knowledge of some of the workings of the Land of the Lost, which he disguises with a clever use of herbs and phony chanting and dancing to make it appear that he controls them. For example, he understands that the "Pylon Express" only opens when the three moons are aligned and so times his own "opening ritual" to coincide with that, and he knows that

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1548-417: A food primarily available to the relatively well-off, at least among non-coastal dwellers. Lobster is first mentioned in cookbooks during the medieval period. Le Viandier de Taillevent , a French recipe collection written around 1300, suggests that lobster (also called saltwater crayfish) be “Cooked in wine and water, or in the oven; eaten in vinegar.” Le Viandier de Taillevent is considered to be one of

1677-460: A gigantic 1,000-foot waterfall. In "Circle", which explains the time paradox, this portal is actually opened by Rick Marshall himself while in Enik's cave, as a way for the current Marshalls to return to Earth, resolving the paradox and allowing Enik to also return to his time. Outfitted only for a short camping trip, the resourceful family from California takes shelter in a natural cave and improvises

1806-404: A handful exist from the medieval period. During the early 1400s, lobster was still a popular dish among the upper classes. During this time, influential households used the variety and variation of species served at feasts to display wealth and prestige. Lobster was commonly found among these spreads, indicating that it continued to be held in high esteem among the wealthy. In one notable instance,

1935-431: A low-priced canned staple food. As a crustacean, lobster remains a taboo food in the dietary laws of Judaism and certain streams of Islam . Caught lobsters are graded as new-shell, hard-shell, or old-shell. Because lobsters that have recently shed their shells are the most delicate, an inverse relationship exists between the price of American lobster and its flavor. New-shell lobsters have paper-thin shells and

2064-459: A number of people involved with Star Trek , such as D.C. Fontana , Walter Koenig , and David Gerrold . Gerrold, Niven, and Fontana also contributed commentaries to the DVD of the first season. The prolific Krofft team was influential in live-action children's television, producing many shows that were oddly formatted, highly energetic, and filled with special effects, with most of them following

2193-405: A pet and nicknames "Dopey". They also encounter the mostly hostile Sleestak (a race of reptilian humanoids / insectoid ), and the primate -like creatures called Pakuni (one of whom, Cha-Ka , they befriend), as well as a variety of dangerous creatures, strange geography and unfamiliar technology. The main goal of the three is to find a way to return home. They are occasionally aided in this by

2322-464: A popular mid-range delicacy during the mid to late Roman period . The price of lobster could vary widely due to various factors, but evidence indicates that lobster was regularly transported inland over long distances to meet popular demand. A mosaic found in the ruins of Pompeii suggests that the spiny lobster was of considerable interest to the Roman population during the early imperial period. Lobster

2451-486: A rare example of matting filmed stop-motion sequences with videotape live action, so as to avoid the telltale blue 'fringe' produced in matting with less exacting processes. Though this occasionally worked very well, the difference in lighting between the video and film sequences sometimes brought inadvertent attention to the limitations of the process. Special-effects footage was frequently reused. Additional visual effects were achieved using manual film overlay techniques,

2580-518: A regular part of their diet and used a special drill attachment for their crossbow bolts to dig them out of trees.) Sleestak eggs are gestated in a communal hatchery. The Sleestak capture live animals and tie them up there, leaving them for the young to feed on when they hatch. Occasionally, a Sleestak will be hatched that is a "throwback" to their Altrusian ancestors, being born with greater intelligence and with an innate knowledge of Altrusian history and technology—though not, for some reason, knowledge of

2709-503: A researcher of some kind whose mission involved the study of other intelligent species before he became trapped in the Land. Since the Zarn is very sensitive to others' emotions, he creates android "research assistants" to interact with them, programming them from the memories of people he has scanned. The androids are totally convincing although their hands are cold to the touch. They have histories that incorporate great amounts of detail based on

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2838-456: A salary increase, he believed the rest of the cast and he should receive compensation for using their images on various merchandise (mostly rack toys by Larami , including a generic pack of toy dinosaurs believed to originate in Taiwan ), but also a coloring book from Whitman Publishing , a Little Golden Book , View-Master reels and a Milton Bradley board game. His character, Rick Marshall,

2967-448: A scar on the inside of her right arm which she received "while helping her brother out of a difficult situation". She convinces Holly that her family sees her as "the baby of the family" and are therefore overprotective of her and that she needs to help them any way she can. She also confesses with great sadness that "they won't always be there". Rani also tells her that in order to help them she must overcome her fear of heights by looking at

3096-479: A search of his own to find them. Though the term "time doorway" is used throughout the series, Land of the Lost is not meant to portray an era in Earth 's history, but rather an enigmatic zone whose place and time are unknown. Indeed, within the first few minutes of the pilot, the Marshall family father tells his children that he spotted three moons in the sky. The original creators of these time portals were thought to be

3225-466: A small number of sets and scenic props that were rearranged frequently to suggest the ostensibly vast jungles, ancient cities, and cave systems. As is traditional in many effect scenes, miniatures or scale-version settings were used for insertion of live-action scenes. Additional locations were often rendered using scale miniatures and chroma key . Spencer Milligan departed the show at the beginning of its third season for financial reasons. In addition to

3354-458: A stab into the brain ( pithing ), in the belief that this will stop suffering. However, a lobster's brain operates from not one but several ganglia , and disabling only the frontal ganglion does not usually result in death. The boiling method is illegal in some places, such as in Italy, where offenders face fines up to €495. Lobsters can be killed by electrocution prior to cooking with a device called

3483-472: A suspicious Rick to compare the currency in his wallet with Jackson's. He discovers that not only is Jackson from the future but from an alternate timeline, where Texas was not part of the United States and oil (not gold) is the standard. Blandings ( Laurie Main ) is a mysterious figure who appears to the Marshalls as a pudgy, balding man in his late 40s with a British accent. He claims to be a "repairman" for

3612-422: A terrible threat; they attempt to capture and sacrifice humans to their god (an unseen beast who dwells in a smoky pit) at every opportunity. Altrusian moths are considered sacred by the Sleestak and required for fertilization of their eggs. The Sleestak hunt them when they emerge during the night. In "Blackout", the Sleestak scheme to cause perpetual night by disabling a second clock pylon, allowing them to capture

3741-610: A time doorway and lies near the Sleestak god's pit, and is accessible through the central of the three entrances into the Lost City. Enik also appears in other episodes, including "The Search", "Circle", "Fair Trade", and "Blackout". The Zarn , (portrayed by Van Snowden and voiced by Marvin Miller ), is introduced in the eponymous second-season episode. The Zarn is a humanoid alien who is invisible except for white spots of light scattered over his surface; he doesn't even leave footprints when he walks on soft soil. His starship became trapped in

3870-462: A unicorn-pony called a Toe-Ki that lives high in the mountains, prevented from descending into the jungle by a guardian statue left behind by the Altrusians. Land of the Lost (1974 TV series) Land of the Lost is a children's adventure television series created (though uncredited) by David Gerrold and produced by Sid and Marty Krofft , who co-developed the series with Allan Foshko. It

3999-481: A whole lot like lobster . But then again, not like lobster, if you know what I mean." Otherwise, his diet seems to consist solely of fish and wild mushrooms. The Marshalls encounter him when they attempt to ride the river out of the Land in the episode " Downstream ", but he ultimately returns to his cave rather than face the dinosaurs in the jungle outside. Apparently, Collie is turned to stone by Medusa (see Native Inhabitants section below), appearing in her garden during

List of Land of the Lost characters and species - Misplaced Pages Continue

4128-480: A worse meat-to-shell ratio, but the meat is very sweet. However, the lobsters are so delicate that even transport to Boston almost kills them, making the market for new-shell lobsters strictly local to the fishing towns where they are offloaded. Hard-shell lobsters with firm shells but less sweet meat can survive shipping to Boston, New York, and even Los Angeles, so they command a higher price than new-shell lobsters. Meanwhile, old-shell lobsters, which have not shed since

4257-415: Is a domineering, egotistical and a treacherous Paku (Gerrold referred to Ta as a "small, furry Hitler" in his script) who never comes to trust the Marshalls. He can be bargained with, however, and although he usually attempts to cheat the Marshalls it is not particularly difficult to see through the trick. Sa ( Sharon Baird ) occasionally seems to be a moderating influence on Ta, but for the most part serves as

4386-479: Is a live-action show mixed with stop-motion animated dinosaurs, originally aired on Saturday mornings from 1974 to 1976, on the NBC television network . CBS used it as a summer replacement series from June 22 to December 28, 1985, and June 2 to September 5, 1987. It has since become a 1970s American cult classic . Krofft Productions remade the series in 1991, and adapted it into a feature film in 2009. Land of

4515-406: Is a recurring character in the series, introduced in the episode " The Stranger ". He travels to the current time accidentally via a time doorway. He initially believes himself to be in the distant past, but upon discovering the ruins of the Lost City, he theorizes that his people degenerated into modern Sleestak when they failed to control their hate and anger. Rick Marshall speculates that it was not

4644-596: Is an opportunistic barbarian who lies, steals, threatens, and bullies to get what he wants. How and when he came to the Land of the Lost, or where exactly in time and space he comes from, is never revealed. He diverts an underground river into the Sleestak egg caves as a means of exacting tribute from them. Pakuni (singular: Paku, though this usage is not consistently obeyed) are a species of small ape-like humanoids, ground-dwelling and bipedal, but not fully upright in posture. They are primarily herbivores, though they do occasionally eat small animals (an iguana -like lizard in

4773-451: Is distinguished from the Sleestak in that he wears a distinctive red garment (Sleestak do not wear clothing). This garment was added to his costume when the wetsuit Enik's skin was crafted from shrank after rubber scales were glued to it, requiring slits to be cut across the front in order for Walker Edmiston to fit inside. A being resembling Enik, suggesting that his appearance is typical of Altrusians—or possibly Enik himself—was seen in what

4902-523: Is equipped with a piece of Altrusian technology called a Magetti, a large crystal suspended in a tetrahedral frame that Enik describes as a "divining rod" that can be used to locate and fix dimensional doorways, determining where and when they would open. The Magetti has a self-destruct mechanism that is triggered when its user experiences sufficiently strong hostile emotions; this is a built-in safeguard to prevent it from falling into violent hands. Will Marshall inadvertently destroys it and forces Enik to rely on

5031-408: Is extremely overconfident, arrogant, and certain of his superior knowledge, even when it actually has holes. The Zarn is also quite petty, using telekinesis to play tricks on people he dislikes and to sow discord. He claims this behavior is "research". He frequently mocks people by "speaking" telepathically in the voices of people they know, saying hurtful things dredged from their memories. At one point

5160-484: Is found in lobster stomachs, this is not necessarily evidence of cannibalism because lobsters eat their shed skin after moulting. While cannibalism was thought to be nonexistent among wild lobster populations, it was observed in 2012 by researchers studying wild lobsters in Maine. These first known instances of lobster cannibalism in the wild are theorized to be attributed to a local population explosion among lobsters caused by

5289-491: Is presumably the Lost City from the time of the Altrusians. Walter Koenig , the scriptwriter of "The Stranger", originally named this character "Eneg", in honor of Gene Roddenberry . As noted in an audio commentary on the DVD, the spelling was changed to Enik (reverse of the Greek root word for "cinema") by David Gerrold, before the episode "The Stranger" was taped. Many episodes refer to or take place in Enik's cave, which contains

List of Land of the Lost characters and species - Misplaced Pages Continue

5418-566: Is responsible for the bright red color lobsters turn after being cooked. Lobsters live up to an estimated 45 to 50 years in the wild, although determining age is difficult: it is typically estimated from size and other variables. Newer techniques may lead to more accurate age estimates. Research suggests that lobsters may not slow down, weaken, or lose fertility with age and that older lobsters may be more fertile than younger lobsters. This longevity may be due to telomerase , an enzyme that repairs long repetitive sections of DNA sequences at

5547-400: Is similar to its predecessor in that it indicates the popularity of lobster as a food among the upper classes. That lobster was first mentioned in cookbooks during the 1300s and only mentioned in two during this century should not be taken as an implication that lobster was not widely consumed before or during this time. Recipe collections were virtually non-existent before the 1300s, and only

5676-424: Is suddenly severed, and the next thing he knows he is hanging from a tree by his parachute. With the help of the Marshalls, Jackson soon manages to return via the same time doorway, but the Marshalls cannot follow since Earth's end of the time doorway is 15 miles above the ground and there is only one parachute. However, in the original script Jackson makes an offhand remark about Texas being its own country prompting

5805-474: The Bishop of Salisbury offered at least 42 kinds of crustaceans and fish at his feasts over nine months, including several varieties of lobster. However, lobster was not a food exclusively accessed by the wealthy. The general population living on the coasts made use of the various food sources provided by the ocean, and shellfish especially became a more popular source of nutrition. Among the general population, lobster

5934-485: The Canadian Maritimes . Some servants specified in employment agreements that they would not eat lobster more than twice per week, however there is limited evidence for this. Lobster was also commonly served in prisons, much to the displeasure of inmates. American lobster was initially deemed worthy only of being used as fertilizer or fish bait, and until well into the 20th century, it was not viewed as more than

6063-648: The CrustaStun . Since March 2018, lobsters in Switzerland need to be knocked out, or killed instantly, before they are boiled. They also receive other forms of protection while in transit. Lobsters are caught using baited one-way traps with a color-coded marker buoy to mark cages. Lobster is fished in water between 2 and 900 metres (1 and 500 fathoms), although some lobsters live at 3,700 metres (2,000 fathoms). Cages are of plastic-coated galvanized steel or wood. A lobster fisher may tend to as many as 2,000 traps. Around

6192-471: The reef lobsters and the three families of freshwater crayfish . Lobsters are invertebrates with a hard protective exoskeleton . Like most arthropods , lobsters must shed to grow, which leaves them vulnerable. During the shedding process, several species change color. Lobsters have eight walking legs; the front three pairs bear claws, the first of which are larger than the others. The front pincers are also biologically considered legs, so they belong in

6321-408: The Altrusian castaway Enik . At the start of the third season, Rick Marshall (played by Spencer Milligan) abruptly disappeared while trying to use one of the pylons to get home, leaving his children behind; his disappearance is explained to having been accidentally returned to Earth alone. Rick is immediately replaced by his brother Jack, who stumbled upon his niece and nephew after having embarked on

6450-469: The Altrusian moths. The Sleestak plan to devour large quantities of the moths so that in one thousand hours, a thousand new Sleestak will be born allowing them to resume control over the Land of the Lost. Unfortunately for the Sleestak (but fortunately for the Marshalls), the cold of the long night also begins killing the moths. (According to Wina Sturgeon's original story for "The Hole", the Sleestak ate bugs as

6579-487: The Altrusians was the concept of "Altrusian grace". This meant that someone (including a human) who helped a Sleestak would be allowed safe passage to and from the Library of Skulls to ask the Index Skull a single question. Enik ( Walker Edmiston ) introduced in the episode " The Stranger ", is one of the original Altrusian inhabitants from before their civilization fell, though he initially believes himself to be trapped in

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6708-446: The Altrusians' pre-civilized period. However, he too fell through a time doorway to become trapped in the current era of the Land of the Lost and discovered that the current Sleestak are actually his descendants and not his ancestors. He introduced himself as being one of the "keepers of the time portals" although it is unclear if he is referring to a select number of Altrusians tasked with that responsibility or his entire race. As such, he

6837-407: The Altrusians. They hate bright light and rarely venture out during the day. They also have a " hibernation season" during which they stand motionless; cool air keeps them in hibernation, and the heat from lava in a pool that the character Peter Koenig (see below) dubbed "Devil's Cauldron" inside the caverns of the Lost City revives them again on a regular schedule. The Sleestak are very defensive of

6966-489: The Kroffts' Saturday morning live-action hits," and quoting Marty Krofft as saying that the head of Universal Studios , Ronald Meyer , and leaders at Sony Pictures all had been fans of Krofft programs. A number of well-respected writers in the science-fiction field contributed scripts to the series (mostly in the first and second seasons), including Larry Niven , Theodore Sturgeon , Ben Bova , and Norman Spinrad , and

7095-411: The Land of the Lost via a time doorway, something else must then leave it, though not necessarily at exactly the same time. This aspect was abandoned in the show's third and final season, after new producers took over and the show's mythology was substantially changed. At least one Pylon periodically travels to other universes, acting as a sort of "interdimensional elevator", triggered by a conjunction of

7224-411: The Land of the Lost while traveling through hyperspace . The Zarn has powerful psionic abilities, able to read minds at a great distance and telekinetically levitate objects. However, this powerful telepathy is also the Zarn's greatest weakness; intense, angry emotions in people nearby cause the Zarn great pain, and the spots of light on his invisible body turn red in reaction. The Zarn is apparently

7353-400: The Land of the Lost, and who did not suffer the loss of their mother) appear in "Split Personality". It is discovered in the last first-season episode that the Marshalls were their own counterbalance; their stepping through a doorway in a waterfall is what causes the time doorway that drew them there in the first place to open. "Circle" was intended to serve as a "final episode" in the event that

7482-411: The Land of the Lost. Travel to the Land of the Lost is almost always accidental, via "time doorways" that appear to glow and/or billow mist. These doorways sometimes appear to open and close spontaneously, but they can also be opened and controlled by Pylon crystal matrix tables and by a matrix table in the Lost City. Time doorways obey a form of temporal energy conservation law: whenever something enters

7611-583: The Land's moons that occurs every three to four years. One of the universes it stops at along the way appears to be the Marshalls' home Earth. Rick , Will , and Holly Marshall are the initial human protagonists on Land of the Lost . Rick is later replaced by Uncle Jack . Rick Marshall, his son Will, and his young daughter Holly were rafting on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon when they were caught in "the greatest earthquake ever known". The river

7740-429: The Lost details the adventures of the Marshall family (father Rick and his children Will and Holly), who are trapped in an alternate universe or time warp inhabited by dinosaurs , a primate-like people called Pakuni , and aggressive humanoid/lizard creatures (described as similar to insects ) called Sleestak . The episode storylines focus on the family's efforts to survive and find a way back to their own world, but

7869-457: The Lost City and is referred to by the Sleestaks as "Selima", meaning "Protector" in their language due to her role in keeping predators away from their eggs. She even tangled with Grumpy on occasion whenever he trespasses on her territory. She also had her own egg that hatched into her son Junior. There were also a number of species that did not appear closely related to known Earth life, mostly in

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7998-438: The Lost City. They know that their ancestors built it, but do not know how or why. They have occasionally tried exploring beyond the chasm that separates the Lost City from the rest of the Land, but their expeditions generally do not return; they consider the city to be their only refuge. The Sleestak have encountered many other humans who have become trapped in the Land of the Lost before the Marshalls arrive, and regard humans as

8127-445: The Marshalls became trapped in the Land of the Lost. As shown in the episode "Hurricane", he becomes briefly trapped in the Land of the Lost when Will, tinkering with the crystal matrix table in a Pylon located high on a mountain, causes a time doorway to open high above the ground. Jackson's glider was re-entering Earth's atmosphere over Ecuador , returning from a routine transit between Phoenix Port and Space Station 5. His glider's tail

8256-404: The Marshalls' ultimate fate, though there are some ambiguous suggestions of it. In "Elsewhen", an adult version of Holly visits via a time doorway from the future, and in another episode a mysterious "repairman" confidently predicts that the Marshalls will someday escape the Land of the Lost. An alternate universe version of the Marshalls (who wear clothing that "our" Marshalls lost upon entry into

8385-499: The Pakuni, which she based on the sounds of West African speech and attempted to build into the show in a gradual way that would allow viewers to learn the language over the course of many episodes. The series' intention was to create a realistic fantasy world, albeit relying heavily on children's acceptance of minor inconsistencies. In a 1999 interview, first-season story editor and writer David Gerrold claimed that he largely created

8514-415: The Sleestak thus in honor of Major Joshua Sleestak. Koenig claims in his journal to have taught the Pakuni a few English words. Koenig met his death when he followed Potts' path into the Lost City. Koenig went into the third entrance, "where the pillars end", which eventually led through a narrow passageway into the "Devil's Cauldron". This was a lava chamber, with a narrow ledge, where he became trapped when

8643-492: The Southern Hemisphere genus Metanephrops . Although several other groups of crustaceans have the word "lobster" in their names, the unqualified term "lobster" generally refers to the clawed lobsters of the family Nephropidae. Clawed lobsters are not closely related to spiny lobsters or slipper lobsters , which have no claws ( chelae ), or to squat lobsters . The most similar living relatives of clawed lobsters are

8772-451: The Zarn claimed that the emotion of pity was the most painful one for him to be exposed to. The Zarn also appears in "The Babysitter", wherein he disparages various emotions he claims to have given up a thousand years before. The Land of the Lost 's megafauna consists primarily of dinosaurs; genera noted included Coelophysis , Tyrannosaurus , Allosaurus , Triceratops , Brontosaurus , Styracosaurus , Ankylosaurus , plus

8901-531: The ancestors of the Sleestak, called Altrusians , though later episodes raised some questions about this. Many aspects of the Land of the Lost , including the time doorways and environmental processes, were controlled by the Pylons, metallic obelisk -shaped booths that were larger on the inside than the outside and housed matrix tables – stone tables studded with a grid of colored crystals. Uncontrolled time doorways result in

9030-404: The arrival of a variety of visitors and castaways in the land. Land of the Lost is notable for its epic-scale concept, which suggested an expansive world with many fantastic forms of life and mysterious technology, all created on a children's series' limited production budget. To support the internal mythology, linguist Victoria Fromkin was commissioned to create a special language for

9159-471: The concept of trade. Young Pakuni undergo a rite of adulthood in which they must steal the egg of a large predatory dinosaur to prove their worth. One of the Pakuni appearing in the series, Cha-Ka ( Phillip Paley ) is the most favorably disposed toward the Marshalls. In the first episode the Marshalls rescue him from "Grumpy" the Tyrannosaurus and splinted Cha-Ka's broken leg. Subsequently, Cha-Ka forms

9288-488: The contempt, referring to him as "the dwarf", and fear that he intends to seize power over them. He is equipped with a bracelet of red crystals he can use to cause beings to be overcome by hallucinations of their greatest fear, so the Sleestak generally give Enik a wide berth. He spends much of his time during the series in the Lost City, working with a matrix table there attempting to open a time doorway home. In addition to his shorter stature and different skin coloration, Enik

9417-420: The disappearance of many of the Maine lobsters' natural predators. In general, lobsters are 25–50 cm (10–20 in) long and move by slowly walking on the sea floor. However, they swim backward quickly when they flee by curling and uncurling their abdomens . A speed of 5 m/s (11 mph) has been recorded. This is known as the caridoid escape reaction . Symbiotic animals of the genus Symbion ,

9546-431: The earth. Holly finally realizes who she is after she receives a fresh scar identical to Rani's while fighting the Sleestak "god" in order to buy time for her father to haul an injured Will up and out of the pit. She also claims that "Rani" was her secret name for herself that no one else knew about. Rani says that she is proof that her family can escape the Land one day and disappears through the open doorway. Peter Koenig

9675-511: The earthquake that marks the beginning of season three, Cha-Ka moves in with the Marshalls at the temple. The two older Pakuni who look after Cha-Ka and boss him around. The exact familial relationship between these Pakuni is never explicitly stated (Gerrold deliberately left the relationship vague but describes Ta and Sa as being more akin to Cha-Ka's elder siblings rather than parents). Ta ( Joe Giamalva in Season 1 and Scutter McKay in Season 2)

9804-544: The effects of the poison from the carnivorous plant are only temporary and so hurries to sell the Marshalls a "cure" before it wears off on its own. Both Ta and Sa get separated from Cha-Ka during the earthquake that marks the beginning of season three and were not seen there after, though it was mentioned their tracks were seen "ending at a dead-end cliff-face and disappearing" by Will in Season 3, Episode 8. Sleestak are devolved green humanoids with both reptilian and insectoid features; they have scaly skin with frills around

9933-429: The ends of chromosomes, referred to as telomeres . Telomerase is expressed by most vertebrates during embryonic stages but is generally absent from adult stages of life. However, unlike most vertebrates, lobsters express telomerase as adults through most tissue, which has been suggested to be related to their longevity. Telomerase is especially present in green spotted lobsters, whose markings are thought to be produced by

10062-569: The enzyme interacting with their shell pigmentation. Lobster longevity is limited by their size. Moulting requires metabolic energy, and the larger the lobster, the more energy is needed; 10 to 15% of lobsters die of exhaustion during moulting, while in older lobsters, moulting ceases and the exoskeleton degrades or collapses entirely, leading to death. Like many decapod crustaceans, lobsters grow throughout life and can add new muscle cells at each moult. Lobster longevity allows them to reach impressive sizes. According to Guinness World Records ,

10191-404: The episode " Fair Trade ". The Council often consults the "Library of Skulls" where several skulls belonging to their ancient ancestors are somehow able to communicate with them and dispense advice. The Pakuni word for Sleestak is "Sarisataka". Ex-Detroit Piston and current WNBA coach Bill Laimbeer played a Sleestak before attending Notre Dame . He was a Palos Verdes High School student, and

10320-589: The episode "Stone Soup", for example). They know how to create fire using flints , and manufacture simple tools such as the sharpened sticks they use as defensive weapons. Pakuni display significant skill with representational art and have superstitious rituals that usually include chanting but they do not appear to understand music. They live in small family groups that construct strong bamboo enclosures as shelters. The family groups are territorial but they are quite capable of forming alliances and friendships with neighbors when resources are plentiful and they understand

10449-484: The exploration of the exotic inhabitants of the Land of the Lost is also an ongoing part of the story. An article on renewed studio interest in feature-film versions of Land of the Lost and H.R. Pufnstuf commented that "decision-makers in Hollywood, and some big-name stars, have personal recollections of plopping down on the family-room wall-to-wall shag sometime between 1969 and 1974 to tune in to multiple reruns of

10578-480: The family Nephropidae are similar in overall form to several other related groups. They differ from freshwater crayfish in lacking the joint between the last two segments of the thorax, and they differ from the reef lobsters of the family Enoplometopidae in having full claws on the first three pairs of legs, rather than just one. The distinctions from fossil families such as the Chilenophoberidae are based on

10707-637: The first and second maxillae . The head also bears the (usually stalked) compound eyes . Because lobsters live in murky environments at the bottom of the ocean, they mostly use their antennae as sensors. The lobster eye has a reflective structure above a convex retina. In contrast, most complex eyes use refractive ray concentrators (lenses) and a concave retina. The lobster's thorax is composed of maxillipeds , appendages that function primarily as mouthparts, and pereiopods , appendages that serve for walking and for gathering food. The abdomen includes pleopods (also known as swimmerets ), used for swimming, as well as

10836-494: The first pair, which are usually much larger than the others. Highly prized as seafood , lobsters are economically important and are often one of the most profitable commodities in the coastal areas they populate. Commercially important species include two species of Homarus from the northern Atlantic Ocean and scampi (which look more like a shrimp , or a "mini lobster")—the Northern Hemisphere genus Nephrops and

10965-453: The first “haute cuisine” cookbooks, advising on how to cook meals that would have been quite elaborate for the period and making usage of expensive and hard to obtain ingredients. Though the original edition, which includes the recipe for lobster, was published before the birth of French court cook Guillaume Tirel , Tirel later expanded and republished this recipe collection, suggesting that the recipes included in both editions were popular among

11094-590: The future. In "Elsewhen" she arrives through an open time doorway in Enik's cave to give aid to Holly after she runs off and leaves her family in one of the lower caverns. Rani appears to be in her early to mid-20s, with shoulder-length blonde hair and wears a simple yet elegant gown made from a pale blue fabric. Around her neck, she wears a pendant with a large blue crystal set into it with smaller yellow crystals framing it. She offers three identical pendants to Holly which "work like walkie-talkies" and will allow her to communicate with other wearers over long distance. She has

11223-513: The highest circles of French nobility, including King Philip VI. The inclusion of a lobster recipe in this cookbook, especially one which does not make use of other more expensive ingredients, attests to the popularity of lobster among the wealthy. The French household guidebook Le Ménagier de Paris , published in 1393, includes no less than five recipes including lobster, which vary in elaboration. A guidebook intended to provide advice for women running upper-class households, Le Ménagier de Paris

11352-512: The influence of the Church and the government regulating and sometimes banning meat consumption during certain periods continued to encourage the popularity of seafood, especially shellfish, as a meat alternative among all classes. Throughout this period, lobster was eaten fresh, pickled , and salted . From the late 17th century onward, developments in fishing, transportation, and cooking technology allowed lobster to more easily make its way inland, and

11481-448: The knowledge of the scanned subject, to an eerie and suspicious degree. When the Marshalls first encounter the Zarn he creates an android named Sharon who is based on Rick Marshall's memories, such that she claims to have grown up in the same town as him, gone to the same school, and have the same interests. The excessive coincidences eventually give Sharon away, however, at which point the Zarn causes her to self-destruct. The Zarn also has

11610-784: The largest lobster ever caught was in Nova Scotia , Canada, weighing 20.15 kilograms (44.4 lb). Lobsters live in all oceans, on rocky, sandy, or muddy bottoms from the shoreline to beyond the edge of the continental shelf , contingent largely on size and age. Smaller, younger lobsters are typically found in crevices or in burrows under rocks and do not typically migrate. Larger, older lobsters are more likely to be found in deeper seas, migrating back to shallow waters seasonally. Lobsters are omnivores and typically eat live prey such as fish, mollusks, other crustaceans, worms, and some plant life. They scavenge if necessary and are known to resort to cannibalism in captivity. However, when lobster skin

11739-455: The lava level rose, reviving the Sleestak. He preferred to await death in the lava chamber, rather than facing the Sleestak who had gathered outside the chamber to catch him. The Marshalls find Koenig's skeleton in the chamber and narrowly escape a similar fate. Beauregard Jackson ( Ron Masak ) of Fort Worth , Texas is a hypersonic glider pilot from 20 years in Earth's future relative to when

11868-449: The low-tech ancestor to later motion control photography. The series was originally shown by NBC on Saturday mornings, along with primarily animated shows for children. It later aired in daily syndication from 1978 to 1985 as part of the "Krofft Superstars" package. In 1985, it returned to late Saturday mornings on CBS as a replacement for the canceled Pryor's Place (also a Krofft production) followed by another brief return to CBS in

11997-433: The meat with lobster picks . The meat is often eaten with melted butter and lemon juice . Lobster is also used in soup, bisque , lobster rolls , cappon magro , and dishes such as lobster Newberg and lobster Thermidor . Cooks boil or steam live lobsters. When a lobster is cooked, its shell's color changes from brown to orange because the heat from cooking breaks down a protein called crustacyanin , which suppresses

12126-482: The mid-19th century when New Yorkers and Bostonians developed a taste for it, and commercial lobster fisheries only flourished after the development of the lobster smack , a custom-made boat with open holding wells on the deck to keep the lobsters alive during transport. Before this time, lobster was considered a poverty food or as a food for indentured servants or lower members of society in Maine , Massachusetts , and

12255-400: The nature of the soil. Several dinosaurs that the Marshalls encountered frequently were given names, for example, Spike , for at least two Triceratops ; Spot , for many Coelophysis ; and Dopey , the baby Brontosaurus that they sometimes used as a pack animal , along with his adopted mother, Emily (who, according to Gerrold, was named after Emily Brontë ). A Tyrannosaurus , Grumpy

12384-541: The neck, bulbous unblinking eyes, pincer-like hands, stubby tails, and a single blunt horn on top of the head, and bear a resemblance to the hypothetical " Dinosauroid ". Sleestak often communicate with a hissing sound that rarely changes in characteristics. However, like their Altrusian ancestors, they possess some rudimentary form of telepathy as well. Sleestak are more sophisticated than Pakuni and are able to make crossbows , rope , nets, periscopes and other relatively advanced technologies. Sleestak are typically equipped with

12513-435: The non-dinosaur Pteranodon . There are also iguanas, wild blue and red pigs , pink and blue chicken -like birds, Ancient fish, guinea pigs, rhinoceroses, large beetles (called "Tula" by Enik), bamboo, and giant varieties of modern berries and vegetables. It is unknown whether they were placed here by the Altrusians or if they came to the Land of the Lost accidentally. Rick suggests that the plants grow unusually large due to

12642-494: The only known member of the phylum Cycliophora , live exclusively on lobster gills and mouthparts. Different species of Symbion have been found on the three commercially important lobsters of the North Atlantic Ocean: Nephrops norvegicus , Homarus gammarus , and Homarus americanus . Lobster is commonly served boiled or steamed in the shell. Diners crack the shell with lobster crackers and fish out

12771-596: The orange hue of the chemical astaxanthin , which is also found in the shell. According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the mean level of mercury in American lobster between 2005 and 2007 was 0.107   ppm . Humans are claimed to have eaten lobster since early history. Large piles of lobster shells near areas populated by fishing communities attest to the crustacean's extreme popularity during this period. Evidence indicates that lobster

12900-424: The order Decapods ("ten-footed"). Although lobsters are largely bilaterally symmetrical like most other arthropods, some genera possess unequal, specialized claws. Lobster anatomy includes two main body parts: the cephalothorax and the abdomen . The cephalothorax fuses the head and the thorax , both of which are covered by a chitinous carapace . The lobster's head bears antennae , antennules, mandibles ,

13029-526: The others on the hand, and a golden yellow skin tone. Intellectually they were very different, however. The Altrusians possessed advanced psionic technologies based on light crystals and understood a great deal about the operation of the Land of the Lost. They strove for calm emotionlessness and as a result could be both cooperative and quite callous. Also, unlike the Sleestak, the Altrusians did not have an aversion to bright light and could venture even into daylight with no ill effects. One Altrusian, named Enik,

13158-482: The overall increase in marine activity due to the development of better boats and the increasing cultural investment in building ships and training sailors. The consumption of marine life went up overall in this period, and the consumption of lobster went up in accordance with this general trend. Unlike fish, however, lobster had to be cooked within two days of leaving salt water, limiting the availability of lobster for inland dwellers. Thus lobster, more than fish, became

13287-464: The pattern of grooves on the carapace. Analysis of the neural gene complement revealed extraordinary development of the chemosensory machinery, including a profound diversification of ligand-gated ion channels and secretory molecules. Typically, lobsters are dark colored, either bluish-green or greenish-brown, to blend in with the ocean floor, but they can be found in many colors. Lobsters with atypical coloring are extremely rare, accounting for only

13416-478: The presence of hate that doomed the Altrusians, but rather the absence of compassion; Enik considers this to be a cogent argument and plans to return to his people to warn them of this flaw in their philosophy . Altrusians have a very strict code of honor: they cannot allow others to show more self-control or make greater personal sacrifices than themselves. One can thus shame them into making sacrifices. In "The Search", Will (unintentionally) convinces Enik to pass up

13545-474: The previous season and have a coarser flavor, can be air-shipped anywhere in the world and arrive alive, making them the most expensive. Several methods are used for killing lobsters. The most common way of killing lobsters is by placing them live in boiling water, sometimes after being placed in a freezer for a period. Another method is to split the lobster or sever the body in half lengthwise. Lobsters may also be killed or immobilized immediately before boiling by

13674-409: The provisions and tools that they need to survive. Their most common and dangerous encounters are with dinosaurs , particularly a Tyrannosaurus rex they nickname "Grumpy", which frequents the location of their cave. However, many of the dinosaurs are herbivores , posing no threat to the Marshalls, unless unintentionally provoked. One is a particularly tame young brontosaurus that Holly looks on as

13803-450: The pylons or matrix operation. The other Sleestak regard these throwbacks as a threat, and so they are also sacrificed to the Sleestak god when detected. One such throwback, named S'latch , is encountered by the Marshalls in the episode "The Hole", but S'latch is never seen again thereafter. The Sleestak are governed by both a Council and a Leader. The Sleestak Leader wears a distinctive pendant and Enik occasionally negotiates with him as in

13932-509: The pylons, his valise appears extradimensional in nature and from it Blandings can produce anything he wants. He also carries an amulet which produces a forcefield which he uses to repel the Sleestak. Although a formidable being, Blandings offers hints that he was sent by and actually serves a higher power. Malak ( Richard Kiel ) calls himself the "God of the Cro-Magnon" and "King of the Teutons". He

14061-415: The releases. The DVDs of the series earned a Saturn nomination for best retro TV series release in 2004. On May 26, 2009, Universal Studios released two complete series releases, one in original packaging, and the other enclosed in a reproduction of the Land of the Lost vintage '70s lunchbox ; the only bonus feature was a look at the film starring Will Ferrell . On October 13, 2009, Universal released

14190-470: The same river route along which they'd originally disappeared, experiences another earthquake and falls through a doorway into the Land. At the same time, another earthquake occurs in the Land itself that buries High Bluff along with the Marshalls' equipment and provisions. Therefore, the Marshalls move into a temple near the Lost City instead (not the same as the Builder's Temple). The series ends without showing

14319-476: The show based on photographs of various science-fiction topoi that were bound together in a book and given him by Sid Krofft and Allan Foshko. It was a marked departure from the Krofft team's previous work, which mostly featured extremely stylized puppets and sets such as those in H.R. Pufnstuf and Lidsville . The series for the first two seasons was shot on a modular indoor soundstage at General Service Studios in Hollywood, and made economical use of

14448-515: The show solicited their basketball team for tall people to play Sleestak. The ancestors of Modern Sleestak were the Altrusians . Their civilization fell approximately 1,000 years earlier. The Sleestak sometimes use the term "Altrusian" to refer to themselves and sometimes to refer only to the true Altrusians. Physically, the Altrusians were similar to Sleestak, with the former marked by a shorter stature, their smallest claw or "finger" placed adjacent to

14577-468: The show was not renewed. Jefferson Davis Collie III is an old and somewhat deranged Confederate artillery man who has been in the Land of the Lost for many decades. He lives in the caves near where the river goes underground, obsessively mining the rich veins of light crystals there. His only companion is a cannon named "Sarah" with which he drives away the occasional group of Sleestak attackers using home-made gunpowder; he reports that Sleestak "taste

14706-481: The situation becomes difficult enough. Will is the most adventurous of the Marshalls, frequently taking "shortcuts" as an excuse to explore new territory and tampering with Pylons to determine their function. Holly suffers from a fear of heights. At the beginning of the third season, Rick Marshall is lost unexpectedly via a time doorway in a newly discovered pylon; Will and Holly's uncle Jack Marshall (Ron Harper), who had been searching for them for six months by following

14835-466: The summer of 1987. It was later shown in reruns on the Sci Fi Channel in the 1990s. Reruns of this series were aired on Saturday mornings on MeTV and are streamed online at any time on their website. From 2004 to 2005, Rhino Entertainment held the rights to the show, and released seasons one through three, and a complete series package, with several bonus features, including commentaries, on all of

14964-504: The sun (although probably just the Sun pylon) and carries an umbrella and a valise with him. Although apparently human, Blandings displays considerable—nearly clairvoyant—knowledge about both the Marshalls and the Land of the Lost and the implements he carries with him are anything but ordinary. His umbrella acts something like an air conditioner keeping himself and Uncle Jack cool during the sweltering heat of increasing solar flare activity. Much like

15093-410: The tail fan, composed of uropods and the telson . Lobsters, like snails and spiders, have blue blood due to the presence of hemocyanin , which contains copper . In contrast, vertebrates, and many other animals have red blood from iron -rich hemoglobin . Lobsters possess a green hepatopancreas , called the tomalley by chefs, which functions as the animal's liver and pancreas . Lobsters of

15222-414: The third season. These included a large venus-flytrap -like plant capable of consuming prey the size of a large rodent using a paralytic poison, a two-headed Elasmosaurus -like creature ( LuLu ), and a fire-breathing Dimetrodon -like creature ( Torchy ). Another species that made an appearance in the third season was a Yeti -like creature called Tappa and a similar creature named Kona , as well as

15351-435: The third-season episode "Medusa". Collie was played by Walker Edmiston , the same actor who later played Enik the Altrusian. The original script for "Downstream" called for him to have a rifle, but concerns over young viewers being inspired to play with firearms resulted in its substitution with a cannon. "Rani" (Erica Hagen), though she never actually stated, is likely an adult version of Holly from an unspecified point in

15480-549: The three seasons individually; the DVDs are identical to Universal's Complete Series Boxes. (However, the Region 4 version of the 2009 box set does include the commentaries and interviews, but not the look at the Ferrell film.) The series is also available in digital media format. Despite a relatively short run, the show continued to be aired extensively through syndication. Based on that success,

15609-491: The variety of dishes involving lobster and cooking techniques used with the ingredient expanded. However, these developments coincided with a decrease in the lobster population, and lobster increasingly became a delicacy food, valued among the rich as a status symbol and less likely to be found in the diet of the general population. The American lobster was not originally popular among European colonists in North America. This

15738-534: Was a popular food among the Moche people of Peru between 50 CE and 800 CE. Besides its use as food, lobster shells were also used to create a light pink dye, ornaments, and tools. A mass-produced lobster-shaped effigy vessel dated to this period attests to lobster's popularity at this time, though the purpose of this vessel has not been identified. The Viking period saw an increase in lobster and other shellfish consumption among northern Europeans. This can be attributed to

15867-593: Was a private in General George Washington 's Revolutionary Army who arrived in the Land of the Lost some time prior to the Marshalls. Koenig and his companion Harry Potts explored the Land extensively in search of a way back to Earth. When the Marshalls first arrive, they discover a stone pillar in the jungle where Koenig had written "Beware of Sleestak" with chalk . The Marshalls only learn much later who had been responsible for this warning, when they discovered Koenig's journal. Koenig claims to have dubbed

15996-495: Was being consumed as a regular food product in fishing communities along the shores of Britain, South Africa, Australia, and Papua New Guinea years ago. Lobster became a significant source of nutrients among European coastal dwellers. Historians suggest lobster was an important secondary food source for most European coastal dwellers, and it was a primary food source for coastal communities in Britain during this time. Lobster became

16125-943: Was diverted over a cliff, and as the Marshalls' raft plunged over the resulting waterfall they struck a time doorway partway down. Trapped in the Land of the Lost with only the minimal camping equipment they'd had on the raft, they make their camp in a natural cave partway up the face of a cliff they call the High Bluff. The three of them are from California , though Rick grew up on Ford Street in Indianapolis and attended Fillmore High there. The Marshalls formerly lived in Harrisville, Indiana . Mrs. Marshall died of unspecified causes when Will and Holly were very young, and neither of them remembers her very clearly. Rick describes her as being headstrong and beautiful, just like Holly, and apparently loved her deeply. Will and Holly frequently suffer bouts of sibling rivalry, though they overcome such issues when

16254-450: Was first of the dinosaurs the Marshall family encountered, occasionally chasing them to High Bluff, being tall enough to look inside as the Marshalls ram a sharpened log they called the "flyswatter" into Grumpy's open mouth and drive him away. Holly speculates that Grumpy continued to return due to the large quantities of a ground-hugging fern-like plant she dubs "dinosaur nip" that grows in the area. An Allosaurus , Big Alice dwells around

16383-418: Was generally eaten boiled during the mid-15th century, but the influence of the cuisine of higher society can be seen in that it was now also regularly eaten cold with vinegar. The inland peasantry would still have generally been unfamiliar with lobster during this time. Lobster continued to be eaten as a delicacy and a general staple food among coastal communities until the late 17th century. During this time,

16512-522: Was partially due to the European inlander's association of lobster with barely edible salted seafood and partially due to a cultural opinion that seafood was a lesser alternative to meat that did not provide the taste or nutrients desired. It was also due to the extreme abundance of lobster at the time of the colonists' arrival, which contributed to a general perception of lobster as an undesirable peasant food. The American lobster did not achieve popularity until

16641-486: Was replaced by his brother Jack, played by actor Ron Harper , with a stand-in wearing a wig with his back to the camera portraying Rick for a brief scene being transported home. Nonhuman characters were portrayed by actors in latex rubber suits or heavy creature makeup. Dinosaurs in the series were created using a combination of stop motion animation miniatures, rear-projection film effects , and occasional hand puppets for close-ups of dinosaur heads. The series marked

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