Of all the reboots and revivals currently in development, few are more intriguing than the modernized update of the classic sci-fi adventure series Lost in Space. Currently being set up at Netflix, where pockets are deeper than the cosmos, Lost in Space hasn't had much by way of interesting reveals since its initial announcement, but now we know who the very first cast member will be: up-and-coming actress Taylor Russell.
Taylor Russell, who was relatively recently seen for a notable role in the final season of Falling Skies, has been tapped to take on the role of Judy Robinson, the oldest child within the space-faring Robinson family at the heart of the show. Assuming the character's attributes remain mostly the same - TVLine's report didn't get into any details - we can probably expect new Judy to have some theatrical ambitions, as well as an astute intelligence.
Above, you'll see actress Taylor Russell, who you might notice looks nothing like Marta Kristen, the actress who first played Judy Robinson in the original series. (Nor like Heather Graham, who portrayed Judy in the 1998 feature.) So unless there's some kind of adoption issues involved in the Robinsons' past, it looks like Lost in Space might have a black family at its center, and that would be about as groundbreaking as anything else happening on TV, considering the world of science fiction tends to focus on white folks a lot. If we could just get Blacula turned into a TV show, we could finally have all the major genres covered! Not really, but I would just really love Blacula on a weekly basis.
Beyond her role as Evelyn in Falling Skies, the Canada-born Taylor Russell doesn't have a ton of other credits to her name. I know her best from her portrayal of Lark Voorhies in Lifetime's completely ridiculous TV movie The Unauthorized Saved By the Bell Story, but she has also appeared in the shows Strange Empire and Dead of Summer. She's also a part of the supernatural Lifetime pilot Sea Change.
Netflix, which recently showed off some rare behavior in sorta-cancelling Bloodline, is full of TV shows that feature impeccable casting on all fronts, from the Marvel shows to House of Cards to the many comedies. Even though Russell might not have a lot out there to prove her worth as one of the first families of space, I have faith she'll be absolutely perfect.
It's going to be a long time before we actually get to see anything from Lost in Space, as it isn't supposed to make its way to audiences until it hits Netflix at some point in 2018. (Why must you need all the episodes finished, Netflix, why?!?!) In the meantime, a ton of new shows are coming very soon, and you can see what all of them are with our Netflix schedule and our fall TV schedule.
