The set includes six slender cased DVDs with twenty-two episodes. It is 16 hours and 8 minutes of entertainment. The first two seasons have all the original cast. The cast includes Peter McCauley as Professor George Challenger, Rachel Blakely as Marguerite Krux, Will Snow as Lord John Roxton, David Orth as Ned Malone, Jennifer O'Dell as Veronica, and Michael Sinelnikoff as Dr. Summerlee. After that the Australian TV industry intervened with tax laws at the the end of the second season, both Ned and Veronica had to be guest stars and the series started to go down hill after that. I highly recommend the first two seasons. The picture and sound quality is good and although the set does not includes any extras it is well worth the price.


Good entertaining loose adaptation of Conan Doyle work   September 1, 2004
 17 out of 19 found this review helpful

I had no idea what to expect from this show when I first programmed it into my TiVo as a Season Pass. The inclusion of one of my favorite filmmakers John Landis and the alluring physical beauty of Jennifer O'Dell (as Veronica) had attracted me to the title at my local video store. But I had resisted purchasing it, unsure of the quality and if the premise from the Conan Doyle story (which I read years ago) could sustain a full-blown weekly adventure series.
I need not have worried. Currently in syndication on the cable channel TNT, `The Lost World' is well acted and features some of the best dialogue written for the genre on television and although Peter McCauley receives top billing on the show, nearly every episode is stolen by William Snow as the adventurer Lord John Roxton and his interplay with Rachel Blakely as Marguerite.
Indeed Blakely's character goes through a transformation as the series continues. In the initial episodes she is a clearly motivated by self interest - she trades Veronica's freedom for her own in the second episode `Stranded' - yet later she becomes more of a team player and more sympathetic.
Of course the presentation of the impossibly beautiful Jennifer O'Dell on the cover of the DVD set (and down the spine of both the first and second season sets) highlights another attraction the show holds. Playing a character searching for lost parents she displays physical prowess and a defiant charm all the while skimpily clad - I don't recall such a character appearing in the work of Conan Doyle.
Another crowd pleaser is the dinosaurs and special effects which are quite well done by television standards. The team are menaced by everything from ape men to raptors to human eating plants and the occasional t-rex.
The story - for those that are unfamiliar with either the show, movies or Conan Doyle novel - concerns a group at the turn of the 20th century who travel to a mysterious plateau deep in the Amazon jungle. There they discover dinosaurs and embark on all manner of adventures.
Handsomely produced and endlessly entertaining this is a fun series and should please fans of the genre (and fans of Jennifer O'Dell).


Lover of "The Lost World" tv series   December 20, 2003
 16 out of 17 found this review helpful

How do you encapsulate a great series like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's: The Lost World?
I will certainly give it my best try.
This series has it all - action, adventure, romance, comedy and drama.
Season One starts things off with the aptly named episode "The Journey Begins". Our explorers Prof. George Challenger, Lord John Roxton, Ned Malone, Prof. Arthur Summerlee and Marguerite Krux are taken in by Veronica Layton (a young woman whose parents disappeared 11 yrs before and grew up alone on the mysterious plateau). The stranded group realizes getting off the plateau and back to London is no easy task (luckily for us). You'd think dinosaurs would be their biggest problem - think again. They encounter slavers, ape-men, cannibals, headhunters and raiders, just to name a few. I think all the episodes have something to offer but here are a few of my choices as standouts.
"Cave of Fear" delves into Roxton's guilt over his brothers' death by his own hand.
"Out of Time" sheds some light on Marguerite's destiny.
"Prodigal Father" Veronica is confronted with the possible return of her father.
"Absolute Power" Challenger is transferred extraordinary powers and the consequences are devastating.
"Birthright" finds Summerlee hunted by an angry T-rex.
"Camelot" takes you back to the days of jousting and dragon slaying or should I say dinosaur slaying.
"The Beast Within" Malone tries to rectify an error in judgment.
"More Than Human" introduces one of the more charismatic recurring characters named Tribune (he also shows up in "Barbarians at the Gate" and again in Season Two).

From "The Journey Begins" where they are still getting a feel for one another to "Barbarians at the Gate" where they would die for each other - you'll follow these characters through many trials of courage and strength. It's a journey you'll be glad you started.


The Lost World is great!   November 25, 2003
 10 out of 11 found this review helpful

I love the Lost World! The storyline is wonderful and the characters are fantastic! After seeing one episode I wanted to see more and more of the show! If you like action and adventure than this is the show for you! It's GREAT!
I would recommend this DVD to anyone!


Great Escapist Fantasy, Somewhat Mediocre DVD   February 1, 2004
 9 out of 14 found this review helpful

Lost World is, or now was, a great Saturday afternoon piece of escapist fantasy. The acting was perfect for the genre, the writing generally good, the camera work always splendid, the soundtrack right on target, the special effects and sets were always believable and never cheesy. If you appreciated the show at all, this set is worth picking up. If you missed the show (or the first season), you should find this set a good investment.

Now for comments on the technical aspects.

Unlike the standard accordion fold-out mismash, the LW box set comes with a thin case for each disc. I welcome this over the accordion. (Too bad we don't see many book-style sets like La Femme Nikta Season One).

Unforunately all is not well. I could care less about no extras. Generally actors receive no monetary compensation for DVDs, hence the lack of actor commentary on almost all tv dvds.

More important is the lack of chapter stops after the title sequence. You're force to fastforward through it 22 times. A minor annoyance. Less minor is the picture quality. The bitrate for the video is WAY TOO LOW, while the bitrate for the audio is WAY TOO HIGH. In general the PQ is acceptable. It is marred by some bluriness and fuziness--probably caused again by the variable video bitrate, which jumps up and down but mainly down. It would seem that whatever company was responsible for mastering LW did a terrible job. Hopefully these mistakes will be corrected for Season Two.