Let the experiment begin!
"Turn Down Your Lights (Where applicable)"
Experiment #208 ~ LOST CONTINENT (1951)
Original Air Date: November 24, 1990
Genre: Sci-Fi
Studio: Lippert Pictures, Incorporated
Starring: Cesar Romero, Hillary Brooke, Chick Chandler, Acquanetta, Sid Melton, Whit Bissell, Hugh Beaumont
Directed By: Samuel Newfield
Theatrical Running Time: 83 Minutes
Tagline: "The INCREDIBLE Speed of Atomic Power! The FANTASTIC Thrills of the Prehistoric Past!"
Film Synopsis: A rocket, testing atomic propulsion crashes and must be recovered for the sake of U.S. national security. A team consisting of Major Nolan (
Cesar Romero), Bob Phillips (
Hugh Beaumont), Sgt. Willie Taslow (
Sid Melton) and assorted other characters is assembled to retrieve it. After the magnetic controls of the plane are knocked out of commission, the expedition crash lands on an island where the rocket happens to be. After talking to the natives, the group discovers that the rocket is on the top of their "sacred mountain". Thus begins a series of tedious "rock climbing" sequences by the expedition to recover and dismantle the rocket. Members of the group are killed along the way as they encounter dinosaurs and climb rocks.
Intro: Joel gives a locker room style psychological pep talk to the bots Tiny (
Crow), Super-Destroyer (
Tom) and their star center Gypsy as to how to beat the Mads at their own game. (Last week was an SOL victory surviving watching
'Wild Rebels, but the week before
at 'Homecoming' their spirit was almost crushed watching
Rocket Attack USA).
Invention Exchange: Frank presents a stationary treadmill on wheels (why not just walk?), and also invents the staircase (yep, a flight of stairs). The Mads state that there is not enough time for Joel to present his invention this week. Joel proclaims "I absolutely refuse to go into the theater against my will!" He receives a series of electrical shocks to his underpants and heads off (against his will) into the auditorium.
Host Segments:
Host 1: Hugh Beaumont as Ward Cleaver (
Mike Nelson) appears on the 'Hexfield Viewscreen' and proclaims that he is one of the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" bearing a message of unholy death (and he's really gonna give you the business). But first, a stern talking to. Joel, the bots and "Ward" all learn a valuable life's lesson. "What a nice guy!".
Host 2: "The Explorers" (a sketch that tries to combine elements of today's experiment, with a 'Quinn Martin' production, i.e.:
'Barnaby Jones', 'Cannon', etc...) goes nowhere. Thankfully, it ends quickly. Not BBI's best writing.
Host 3: Joel and the bots see 'The Cool Thing'. (A reference to today's experiment where something fantastic or exciting is happening, but the film's budget won't allow it to actually be shown, so it's described rather than put on film).
End: Joel and the bots briefly review the movie. Joel reads a fan letter. The Mads claim that they won this week.
Stinger: "Well, thanks for straightening the whole thing out. You took the words right out of my mouth."
Items of Note:
~ The stock footage rocketship scenes are from 'Experiment #201 '"Rocketship XM".
Personal Notes:
~ Cesar Romero portrayed 'The Joker' on the television series 'Batman".
~ Hugh Beaumont portrayed Ward Cleaver on the television series "Leave it to Beaver".
~ Sid Melton is probably best known as 'Alf Monroe' on the television series "Green Acres".
The 'Riffs':
~ (
Crow, doing his best Dean Martin impression)"Hey, Jerry! There's something wrong with the stock footage simulator!"
~ (
Man and woman kissing) "Mmmmm, you taste like Bud Abbott."
~ "Just remember the rule. If you don't understand it, shoot it!"
~ (
After the team's plane crashes) "Let's form a soccer team and eat each other!"
~ "Hey, we crashed on a witch! Maybe the film will be in color from now on".
Pop culture references spanning 'The Jetsons'' to 'Martin and Lewis' to 'Hogans Heroes', 'The Wackiest Ship in the Navy' and 'Carlos Castaneda', another solid episode.
Rating: 2-1/2 "Stock Footage Dinosaurs" out of 5
"Keep Trading the Discs (and Tapes)"
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