The Great Vegetable Rebellion

Needing to rescue Dr. Smith, the Robinsons land on a planet covered with plant life that can feel pain (and scream accordingly), which is ruled by Tybo (Stanley Adams) a giant talking carrot with the power to change animal life-forms into botanical beings. By the third season, Irwin Allen's space-series was becoming increasingly tongue-in-cheek but reached the pinnacle of 'camp' in this, its penultimate episode. Clearly intended to be a comic, kid-oriented outing (lots of Robot and Dr. Smith banter), 'The Great Vegetable Rebellion' is neither particularly clever nor humorous and is likely remembered primarily for its ludicrous characters and imagery. Its only saving graces are some better than usual special effects (notably when John Robinson touches Tybo's force field) and the giant carrot costume (which, as far as I know, even notoriously frugal Irwin Allen couldn't figure out to re-use in one of his other series). Awful but essential viewing for fans (or detractors) of the series or for diehard Allen aficionados searching for the double feature to highlight the producer's colourful taste in cheese: 'TGVR' would pair perfectly with 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea's' infamous 'leprechaun episode'.

☺UNFORGETTABLE T. V. 📺 This LOST IN SPACE camp classic episode once seen is never forgotten. Imagine a jungle filled with plants and vegetables that feel pain when you cut thru them... A giant carrot man who turns humans into trees and plants... A puple headed helper with a lettuce heart... Dr. Smith turned into a human stalk of celery while the purple headed guy nibbles on him... A CAST of stars who were penalized by the producer because they couldn't keep a straight face while filming their scenes so multiple expensive retakes were necessary... Moments are so funny you gotta love them... The carrot man has to water himself with a gas pump style watering device that measures his water intake... Judy has to talk Smith into letting her dry up his celery juices... John and Don threatened to be changed into oak trees... A MUST SEE EPISODE TOO ENTERTAINING TO MISS... (Try watching it uncut on bluray or xumo tv) 😊😊😊

An episode that has gone down in history as one of the most notorious of the entire show, it's not actually the absolute worst though. I'd say there are a number of series two episodes that are quite a bit worse than this one.

Certainly the episode is remembered most for the life-size talking carrot named Tybo, played by Stanley Adams (who also played Cyrano Jones in the Star Trek:TOS episode "The Trouble with Tribbles").

At least we have an underlying sci-fi concept here, in that the possibility of intelligent, vegetable-based life forms is examined. But of course not in any seriously scientific way - after all this is Lost in Space! Parts of the episode are quite enjoyable, although it does drag a bit in the middle.

Yet again, Dr Smith drives the action by sneaking off in the shuttle pod down to the planet of vegetation, against the wishes of the rest of the crew. Meanwhile it's party-time on the Jupiter 2 as the Robot's birthday is celebrated. Although I'm thinking since the Robinson's have been in outer-space for so long, where (not) on Earth did they get those excellent 60s paper decorations, party blowers and hats from? I quite like them! After the party's over, John Robinson again does the right (or perhaps wrong) thing by yet again going out of his way to rescue Smith from yet another scrape of his own making. Much hacking and slashing through the planetary jungle occurs, causing cries of pain from the lesser plants throughout the episode.

Smith gets turned into a stick of celery and becomes a real tree-hugger, whilst the Robinsons get trapped in a kind of pleasant greenhouse-like jail by the uncompromising Tybo, who also wishes to transform them all into lifeforms of the vegetable kingdom.

It also looks as if part of a set from "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" is re-used here, which jars quite a bit compared to the Jungle scenes.

Penny sleeps through most of the episode but at least Judy gets a few lines in this one.

There's also a completely forgettable sidekick called Willoughby and a dancing, feral plant rather reminiscent of a life form seen in the preceding episode.

Overall though, a must-watch for any real LIS fan, and rightly or wrongly an episode which defines the more outlandish aspects of the show.

I have the entire series on DVD. In interviews, the cast members trash this episode. I disagree. Yes, the episode is quite silly-but so were a few other episodes. Dr. Smith has some of his best lines here. For example, Prof. Robinson says: "Smith, do you read me?" Smith replies: "I read you with abundant clarity, Professor." He also calls the robot an insensitive clump. All this, and Stanley Adams as a giant carrot. What's not to like?

This episode has earned the fame of being the worst episode of the entire series, especially for the ridiculous villain in a carrot suit. It is true that the episode is not good, but in my opinion The Questing Best, Princess of Space, Castles in Space were worse than this one. Here the Robinsons descend on a plant planet, the environment is jungle so they have no other way to advance than to make their way cutting plants with a machete, it is a bit sad to hear the lament of the plants when they die, the leader is a man carrot that imprisons them for committing crimes against plants by cutting them, another characteristic of the episode has to do with the danger that earthlings run when they stop moving as they begin to take root and can end up becoming vegetables.