It’s early, and we don’t have particulars, however it looks as if a very good time to let you know that half a century later, I nonetheless desire a child dinosaur as a playtime buddy.
That’s the facility Land of the Misplaced had over me as a child.
In case anybody was questioning: sure, Gen X did rule the airwaves, and now our favourite prehistoric fever dream is perhaps clawing its means again into the cultural dialog.
Land of the Misplaced — the gloriously bizarre, barely terrifying Saturday morning staple — is formally in early growth at Netflix.
Cue the Sleestak hiss.
Whereas particulars are scarce, right here’s what we all know: the challenge is being shepherded by Legendary Tv, with authentic creators Sid and Marty Krofft on board as govt producers.
Marty’s daughter, Deanna Krofft Pope, may even produce, which frankly feels proper — if we’re reopening the time portal, it ought to keep within the household.
No writers or solid have been introduced but, however that’s not stopping these of us who grew up watching the Marshall household tumble via a crack in time from instantly imagining what this could possibly be — and hoping it honors the gonzo magic of the unique.
As a result of let’s be clear: Land of the Misplaced was bonkers in the easiest way.
Dinosaurs. Sleestaks. Time crystals. A tiny humanoid monkey pal named Chaka who appeared weirdly reliable. An epic banjo theme track.
And naturally, a child brontosaurus who felt just like the world’s best imaginary pet.
You don’t neglect issues like that — not once they imprint in your creativeness as a child.
You additionally don’t neglect how excessive that cave was.
No child of their proper thoughts would wish to scale a cliff to go house after a protracted day dodging lizard folks. And but… I needed to stay there.
I needed to forage for big strawberries and befriend a shaggy proto-human and watch Will (performed by Wesley Eure, swoon) do heroic issues with good ‘70s hair.
So yeah — I’ve obtained emotions about this.
Each weekend, my yard turned my playground, and a piece of my swingset transported me via time so I may stay on this imaginary world.
It’s too straightforward for somebody to screw this up. We’ve already witnessed it firsthand.
The final time Land of the Misplaced was resurrected, we obtained a Will Ferrell-led comedy that performed the entire thing for laughs.
It mocked as an alternative of embraced and winked when it ought to’ve questioned. And it was, to place it kindly, a dismal mess.
However there’s cause for hope this time round.
Netflix did pull off a respectful, thrilling reboot with Misplaced in Area — one other traditional rooted in sci-fi weirdness and household bonds. In the event that they take that very same strategy right here? We is perhaps in for one thing particular.
The trick, after all, is tone. This present labored as a result of it was earnest.
As goofy because it sounds on paper, Land of the Misplaced didn’t really feel like a joke. It was scary generally!
The Sleestak have been legit nightmare gasoline.
And the concept of a world exterior of time, with portals and creatures and historic tech you didn’t perceive — that stirred one thing in children. It made you wish to go exploring.
It made you consider within the wild stuff.
So please, Netflix. In the event you’re studying this: don’t chase irony. Don’t sand off the strangeness. Don’t cram it right into a restricted binge and stroll away earlier than the viewers has time to fall in love.
Let this be an journey that lives just a little, that breathes. One which feels prefer it got here from Saturday morning and never a company algorithm.
There’s magic in these rubber-suited monsters. There’s pleasure in a household trapped in time.
And there’s a complete technology of Gen Xers who would love nothing greater than to take a seat on the sofa and watch their very own children — or let’s be actual, their cats — get spooked by a Sleestak.
And if you happen to want a take a look at viewers for the dinosaur puppets? I volunteer, particularly if there’s a child one. I’m nonetheless not over that brontosaurus named Dopey.
Ought to I be cautious or cautiously optimistic about this potential reboot? Drop your ideas in a remark beneath!
-
Don’t Smash My Childhood, Netflix: Land of the Misplaced Is Again in Growth
Netflix is creating a reboot of Land of the Misplaced with the unique creators on board — and one Gen X fan has emotions. (Spoiler: It entails Sleestaks, strawberries, and a child dinosaur.)
-
Again Then, However Make It Now: How Gen X Nostalgia Is Fueling the Coolest TV
Discover how TV reveals like Pam & Tommy, Glow, and For All Mankind seize Gen X nostalgia with out the cringe. A have a look at the reveals that honor the previous whereas inviting in new generations in.
-
Carissa’s Nook: The Energy of Lengthy-Working TV — and Why We Ought to Revisit It Collectively
TV isn’t constructed to be disposable—and reveals like Six Ft Underneath show it. Let’s rediscover the worth of long-running sequence with a summer season rewatch that celebrates the type of storytelling streaming usually forgets.
The publish Don’t Smash My Childhood, Netflix: Land of the Misplaced Is Again in Growth appeared first on TV Fanatic.