Only my memory is that Land of the Lost was better. Better written and in this game of course that means better ideas as this is an idea medium--science fiction.A good cast couldn't really save a show limited by budget and by not so great writing and directing.I was sad when it was canceled as I routed for the show to get better, but in truth it never took off creatively, or was given much of a chance to.McDowell was sort of LOST IN SPACE, Dr. Smith character only not, thankfully, played for laughs. Nonetheless Dr. Smith became a pop culture figure.Of course this show had more potential than Fantasy Island--sort of a non romantic, or schmaltz, version of that concept--and somehow again that show took off in the ratings and this barely had a run.

Fantastic Journey was another of the sci-fi TV series which were quickly developed in the wake of the success of Satr Wars in the mid-to late 1970s, and one of the more unusual. I believe it was the only (U,S.) TV series to be in the Triangle, which was such a popular subject at that time.Others here have pretty well summed up my own feelings about the series, which I tried to catch every week - th network(NBC?) may have contributed to its demise by changing the time slot very often, my memory is a little fuzzy on that point by now. I did find the concept intriguing, and wish the show had been given more of a chance to catch on with the public. The notion of walking from one world literally to another each week was a nifty one for certain! True enough, by today's standards the effects are a little cheesy, and it no doubt looks very 1970-ish, but what the heck. Still a good effort, I feel, and one which featured a number of fine guest stars. Christina Hart and Ellen Weston were two more lovely ladies who often showed up on 1970s sci=fi/horror television who deserve mention.I also recall that cobbled-together TV "Movie," which was my only chance until the early years of the Sci Fi Channel to see FJ, better than nothing. I'm not sure if the show has yet been issued on DVD - I think it has not been - but hope somebody will do so fairly soon.

A group of boat castaways get lost in time or lost in vortex on a mysterious island. Strong shades of Irwin Allen's Time Tunnel (1966), Irwin Allen's Lost In Space (1965) and classic Star Trek (1966) in this production.The theme music gets 10 out of 10. The pilot is well done. Note the music when the boat is sucked into the mysterious sea cloud. Note the photography in this opening scene. If only this level of film-like production remained for the whole ten episodes. This series shined in the episode titled, Beyond The Mountain, this is the one where Roddy McDowall was introduced and he was a horrible guy at the start. He became nicer after this hour. Too bad the writers did not spend more time "beyond the mountain" as this setting was just so powerful, all thanks to the acting talents of McDowall.Another episode about children making trouble for adults was well done as well.Go on this journey for McDowall's acting and shades of 1960s Irwin Allen.

THE FANTASTIC JOURNEY found some after-life as an edited and syndicated TV film called LOST IN TIME,dated (1980). I saw this once, on a UHF channel in the early to mid-90's on a Sunday afternoon. What they did was edit the first 90 minute pilot, and second hour long show into something like an hour and 45 minute movie to play in two-hour time slots in syndication and thus have a complete movie. It also had a narration of sort at the end, as the group walked off to the usual "time zone" beam-out effect, and as I recall that said something like "And so their quest to find their rightful place in time, is just beginning" or something like that. It was a terrific show in it's day and for the fact we had almost no SF shows at all on TV aside from the re-runs of STAR TREK and SPACE:1999.