The Best Episodes Directed By Nathan Juran

#1 - Deadly Pawn

Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 10/12/1969

The Earthlings must play a game of real-life chess with a demented giant industrialist.

Director: Nathan Juran

Writer: Arthur Weiss

#2 - Billy the Kid

Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 2/10/1967

Doug and Tony arrive in Lincoln in late April in the 1860s, and run afoul of Billy the Kid. Doug shoots Billy and apparently kills him, then he and Tony escapes. It turns out Billy took the bullet in the belt buckle, and he goes after the two. They manage to capture him thanks to a voice-transmitted distraction provided by Kirk, but Tony goes back into town and is mistaken for Billy. Pat Garrett arrives and eventually convinces the sheriff that Tony isn't Billy, but the mob isn't hearing it. Billy catches up to Doug and challenges him to a gunfight. Pat and Tony get involved, with Tony knocking out one of Billy's men planning to backshoot Doug and Pat intervening when Doug blows it. The two men are whisked off again.

Director: Nathan Juran

Writer: William Welch

#3 - The Death Merchant

Season 1 Episode 25 - Aired 3/3/1967

Arriving in Gettysburg in the 1860's, Doug and Tony are separated by an explosion which seemingly gives Tony. A jolt from the Tunnel revives him but with amnesia. Doug falls in with the Union forces, while Tony becomes involved with the South and Sgt. Maddox when he is mistaken as a courier sent to buy gunpowder from an arms merchant, Michaels, who stole the stuff from the Union. Doug gets there first to find the merchant is Machiavelli! Apparently Machiavelli's pattern matches Tony's, and he was swept up and brought to Gettysburg by the Time Tunnel. The Tunnel send Machiavelli's dog back when it's about to kill Doug, draining them of power. The amnesiac Tony takes Doug prisoner and turns him over to his sergeant, while Machiavelli delights in the carnage. Doug escapes and tries to save Tony who is determined to complete his mission. Machiavelli kills Maddox and then Doug and Tony fight when Doug tries to destroy the gunpowder. The two men come to terms but when Machiavelli tries to de

Director: Nathan Juran

Writer: Wanda Duncan

#4 - Return from Outer Space

Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 12/29/1965

Lost in Space's only Christmas program. Will uses an alien transporter to send himself back to earth. However, many people believe the Robinson family to be dead after hearing the ship went off course. Nobody on Earth believes him, and they lock him up with the intention of sending him to a boys' home. Will escapes the family home he's in, and wanders around these clueless bunch of townspeople, but finds carbon tetrachoride — needed for the food processors on the Jupiter. Eventually he convinces another boy, Davey, to let him out, and let him return to the planet he came from. He returns to Priplanus with this bottle. Of course no one believes his adventures until he produces the bottle, plainly labeled as coming from Earth.

Director: Nathan Juran

Writer: Peter Packer

#5 - Blast Off into Space

Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 9/16/1966

Dr Smith and Will befriend an old miner named Nerim. After a series of earthquakes indicates that the planet is breaking up, Dr Smith tries to convince them that it is merely the effects of mining, and no harm will come to the planet. John informs him that he is wrong and that the Robinson family will be departing within the day. It is a race against time to escape the crumbling planet.

Director: Nathan Juran

Writer: Peter Packer

#6 - Raiders from Outer Space

Season 1 Episode 29 - Aired 3/31/1967

Tony and Doug arrive in Khartoum, November 2, 1883, in the middle of a battle between British and Arab forces. However, two aliens take them prisoner. The aliens plan to conquer Earth with missiles, and will be ready to launch in two hours - they send a bomb to the Project to prevent them from interfering. Tony is taken to be killed but the alien with him is forced to teleport out when the British approach. Then both guys are transferred out of the cave by the Tunnel staff, where they make contact with Captain Henderson and convince him about the aliens. The three of them attack the cave and manage to stop the aliens, with some help when the Project send the bomb back to the aliens.

Director: Nathan Juran

Writer: Wanda Duncan

#7 - The Magic Mirror

Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired 2/16/1966

Penny and Judy stumble upon a mirror. They discover someone is on the otherside. Before they know it they are transported to the mirror universe which is occupied by only one person, a boy who is lonesome for companionship.

Director: Nathan Juran

Writer: Jackson Gillis

#8 - The Prisoners of Space

Season 2 Episode 6 - Aired 10/19/1966

The Robinsons and Major West are imprisoned in their camp, after being indited to appear before the a trial in court space crimes. As the trial begins, Dr Smith's name begin's to appear and it is not long before it is realised that all of the Robinson's crimes are due to Dr Smith, and he is indited to appear before the court. Will he be found guilty?

Director: Nathan Juran

Writer: Barney Slater

#9 - The Wreck of the Robot

Season 2 Episode 13 - Aired 11/14/1966

While playing a outdoor match, Will and Smith's ball explodes, and as the smoke clears there ball has turns into gold. the ball rolls into the cave which has 3 aliens inside, the alien wants the robot , which is later stolen when Will refuses to let them have it and Smith does. Can the crew get there robot back.

Director: Nathan Juran

Writer: Barney Slater

#10 - Condemned of Space

Season 3 Episode 1 - Aired 9/6/1967

The beginning of the third season finds the Robinsons having to quickly leave the planet they are on, which is a similar plot to the beginning of the second season. Once in space, the robot is swept overboard and has to be rescued. Then the Robinsons find a prison ship filled with cryogenically preserved prisoners. The prisoners have been interred past their normal sentences due to a malfunctioning timepiece on the prison ship. Professor Robinson repairs the timepiece and frees the prisoners. Robby the Robot makes another appearance, threatening Professor Robinson and Major West.

Director: Nathan Juran

Writer: Peter Packer

#11 - The Space Primevals

Season 3 Episode 5 - Aired 10/4/1967

The primitive beings are actually wards of a computer, Protinius, which can confer temporary advanced sentience on the leading man in order to communicate Protinius' will. The episode also features a temporary camaraderie between Don and Smith, a burying of the hatchet, when Don is rescued by Smith from a pit, and then says ""Doctor Smith"" - using the word Doctor for the first time unknown ages. However, their camaraderie dissolves and the characters are back to ""normal"". Not the first time Smith has become selfless and a man of some integrity, but as usual, Smith returns to normal.

Director: Nathan Juran

Writer: Peter Packer

#12 - Target: Earth

Season 3 Episode 16 - Aired 1/3/1968

The Space Pod lands on a planet that is inhabited by creatures who all look alike, and aspire to be different. They capture the Robinsons and make duplicates of them with the objective of using the duplicates to fly the Jupiter II back to Earth. Will is not duplicated, and he thwarts their plan.

Director: Nathan Juran

Writer: Peter Packer

#13 - Land of the Lost

Season 2 Episode 13 - Aired 12/14/1969

Barry and Valerie are carried off in a balloon to a distant land ruled by a malevolent dictator.

Director: Nathan Juran

Writer: William Welch

#14 - Gambling Story

Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 10/3/1959

Director: Nathan Juran

Writer: Richard Carr

#15 - The Space Trader

Season 1 Episode 23 - Aired 3/9/1966

After the entire Robinson food supply is wiped out in a freak storm a trader arrives to trade food for equipment the Robinson's possess. Dr. Smith trades the robot for food and hoards the supplies for himself. Later, after the Robinson's discover his transaction he gets the robot back but in exchange for his own self. The Trader then wants to take Smith as a slave, to another planet.

Director: Nathan Juran

Writer: Barney Slater

#16 - The Ghost Planet

Season 2 Episode 3 - Aired 9/28/1966

Due to Smith's actions the crew has had to land there ship on an alien planet which is run by cyborgs. Meanwhile the crew try to break free for the captors who promise them power and luxury and they have to save there robot who was crippled by a ray gun.

Director: Nathan Juran

Writer: Peter Packer

#17 - The Deadly Games of Gamma 6

Season 2 Episode 8 - Aired 11/2/1966

When a troope of Galactic Gladiators arrive on the planet, they challenge Professor Robinson to a duel, which will be aired all of the galaxy. John declines saying he isn't interested in physical combat. Dr Smith takes up the offer when he makes a deal that if he wins, he will be returned to Earth. Unbeknownst to him, if he loses, which is a near-certanty, Earth will be destroyed.

Director: Nathan Juran

Writer: Barney Slater

#18 - West of Mars

Season 2 Episode 11 - Aired 11/11/1966

Dr Smith is confronted by an identical look-alike called Zeno, who is on the run from the law. Zeno makes him trade places and Dr Smith, out of fear confesses to Zeno's crimes. He is arrested and he and Will taken away to appear in court. Will the real Zeno be caught before Dr Smith is boiled in oil?

Director: Nathan Juran

Writer: Michael Fessier

#19 - The Walls of Jericho

Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 1/27/1967

Tony and Doug arrive outside the tent of Joshua on the sixth day of his seven-day assault on Jericho. With their future knowledge of the Bible they are able to convince Joshua that they are emissaries of the Lord, and he basically forces them to go into Jericho as spies. Doug is captured and tortured after they try to stop an exection, and Tony befriends a harlot, Rahab. With the help of Rahab and her father, a blind architect, they manage to free Doug. Tony and Rahab are set up for execution, but when a skeptical Anne tries to use the Tunnel to free them in opposition to how the Bible describes the incident, the Tunnel shuts down as if by some outside (dare we say Divine?) force. Tony and Rahab are spared when Joshua launches his attack and both the guys and the Project team witness the miracle just before they are whisked away once more.

Director: Nathan Juran

Writer: Ellis St. Joseph

#20 - The Girl From the Green Dimension

Season 2 Episode 16 - Aired 1/4/1967

Athena the girl from the green dimension who hypnotised Dr Smith during thier space flight arrives on the planet. She still is in love with Dr Smith, which he uses to bribe her to help him see the future. However, he promises to go back to the green dimension with him, and when Athena's previous suitor arrives and turns Will green, Dr Smith must find a way to save himself and Will. Urso, Athena's suitor challenges Dr Smith for the lady, customary in the Green Dimension, and after seeing the future, Dr Smith fears the worst. Athena realises he cannot be with her, and leaves with Urso, but not before Urso restores Will's colour.

Director: Nathan Juran

Writer: Peter Packer