TV SERIES · 1968– · USA
Land of the Giants
17 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
17 Interesting Facts About Land of the Giants
Interesting Facts (11)
- #001
At the time of its original broadcast, Land of the Giants was the most expensive program produced for television.
- #002
Although it is supposed to be another planet, the nameplates visible on the cars and trucks in the series clearly show that they were manufactured by the Chrysler Corporation (the automaker was then under contract with the series' studio).
- #003
Heather Young, who played the flight attendant Betty Hamilton, was pregnant for much of the series' second season, which meant she was mostly filmed from the waist up, wore loose clothing, or was written out of several episodes entirely.
- #004
Although the series ran for two years (1968-70), the first twelve episodes were shot in the summer and autumn of 1967 to meet its originally planned January 1968 launch. The network had initially intended to use the series as a mid-season replacement, but since nothing in its schedule needed replacing, the premiere was pushed back to autumn 1968, where it took the place of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964). The fact that filming began in 1967 helps explain the difference in Stefan Arngrim's appearance between the first and second years, since three years had actually passed over the course of the series' fifty-one episodes.
- #005
The series is often rejected by "purist" science fiction fans such as Harlan Ellison, on the grounds that the existence of such "giants" is completely physically impossible. Purists believed that the giants' mass (which would increase geometrically, while their strength would increase only proportionally) would crush them. Murray Leinster's novelization of the series attempted to explain this, but no such explanation was ever given in the series itself.
- #006
To reduce both production costs and the need for long-term storage space, most of the oversized props (the telephone, the spool of cotton and needle, the matchbox, the paintbrush and others) were rented from the Universal Studios prop store, where they had been built eleven years earlier for Universal Pictures' feature film The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957).
- #007
In the second season, the castaways used devices such as a laser torch and a periscope.
- #008
Although the names of certain cities are mentioned, the name of the giants' planet is never given.
- #009
Comic book artist Alex Ross used Gary Conway and Deanna Lund as the visual basis for Reed Richards and Sue Storm in Fantastic Four: Full Circle (2022).
- #010
The character Fitzhugh carries some obvious influences from Dr. Smith in Irwin Allen's other science fiction series Lost in Space. He is cowardly, greedy, has questionable motives, has a mysterious past, and shares a strong bond with the young boy.
- #011
The series is set in the year 1983.
Production Story (3)
- #012
In an interview, Deanna Lund stated that if the series had returned for a third season, the producers would have explored a possible romance between her character, Valerie Scott, and Mark Wilson (Don Matheson).
- #013
The series was still moderately successful when it was cancelled. However, its budget of roughly $250,000 per episode was a factor that contributed to the cancellation.
- #014
It was cancelled because of its cost.
Behind the Scenes (1)
- #015
Throughout the series, the actors and actresses performed their own stunts, and doubles were rarely used unless absolutely necessary.
Characters & Cast (1)
- #016
Before the series was greenlit for production, Irwin Allen showed network executives a six-minute presentation film featuring Allen's pilot script. There were some differences, however. First, Burton's name was Tim rather than Steve. The character who would become Fitzhugh was actually named Peter Lingelhopper. The biggest difference, though, was the absence of Valerie. The second female castaway was to be a woman doctor named Joan Templeton, travelling to London to attend an international science conference.
Easter Eggs & References (1)
- #017
In "Wild Journey" (1970), Steve and Dan travel back through space and time to before they left Earth and try to change history by convincing any of the passengers not to board the doomed craft. Stefan Arngrim (Barry Lockridge) had entered puberty and could not re-create his younger appearance, so a stand-in actor (with his face hidden) was used.
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- IMDb
Information from external sources is independently selected, consolidated and edited by Arka Evren. Sources are listed for verification and further reading. Encyclopedia text is used under its licence (CC BY-SA). How we work