I think you have covered the major points more than adequately here. For all its strengths and weaknesses, we do like the show.

: - lack of character development

I could only identify with Roxton, Krux, and Summerlee.

: - lack of originality (Vikings, Medieval Knights, Samurai, Goths, Egyptians, Gypsies, Aliens...oops, sorry, that's next season ;-)

I think what they have done here is to mix Doyle and E. Rice Burroughs ( adventures less well known than Tarzan ), with a little H. Rider Haggard tossed in. It definitely doesn't work for me. I'd prefer to see a continuing conflict with a second mining expedition , whose members have reason to hate Marguerite, and /or a single ( beautiful ) people living primitively in the ruins of an ancient empire ( Eg., Tikal ).And they don't speak English. Other characters lost or escaping from the coast of South America occationally find their way to the top of the plateau by chance, giving the expedition hope, but something always prevents a return by the same route.

: - the growing disregard for Challenger and Summerlee over the course of season one (though some blame probably has to go to the producers for this).

Challenger and Summerlee should be the glue that holds the expedition together and points it in the right direction.

: - illogical plot devices (anyone remember how they killed the Pharao in "Birthright"?)

The horse drawn wagon actually broke me up. Logic is not the show's best suit.

: - an inability to accomodate the large main cast (just remember some of the "divided cast" episodes)

I disagree with you here. Subplots can make an episode more interesting. In fact, circumstances could easily lead to a divided cast.

: On the other hand, a number of episodes clearly showed that things can be done differently (=better). All the other elements are usually in place (acting, direction, camerawork, music etc.), so when a good script comes along, we get a very entertaining whole.

True enough.

: So, what should the TLW producers and writers do to improve the show next season? Here's a list of things that might help, most of them have been mentioned on this board before, some as early as late last year (Hey Michael and Fred, do you still remember? :-).

: 1. Introduce some original TLW coherence and continuity. Create a world in itself with recurring original tribes and characters, get rid of that wildly peculiar mixture of cultures from different places and times we saw in season one (Vikings, Egyptians...... you get the picture).

Definitely. I suggest two possibilities: Around 1912, Marguerite engages in a joint venture with a mining company in German East Africa. She has the money to buy into the venture, and a knowledge of languages and geology. While she's there, she has an affair with the ex - army engineer hired by the venture to look for diamonds. He is quite handsome, a Roxton rival.In the end, she swindles the group out of a fortune, to include a famous diamond ( star of something or other ), and leaves her lover. Several years later, her former associates track her down. She has to leave England for awhile, and so she finances the expedition ( why else would she go ? ). But, her colleagues are not put off so easily. Led by the engineer, who loves and hates Marguerite, they follow her with a second expedition. They know, from the supplies she's purchased, that she's not just runing away. She's on to a diamond field. Better equipt than the Challenger expedition, they too gain the top of the plateau, but are stranded as well. A deadly competition ensues.

In mountainous jungles by an inland sea at the middle of the Lost World are extensive ruins like those at Tikal or Ankor. A magnificant culture built them many years ago. Now they are peopled by the decendents of the builders, a primitive, but beautiful people, who do not speak English. All initially view the expeditions with suspicion, some want to use them, others want to learn from them. Both expeditions try to gain them as allies. There are no other cultures.

Just a thought.

: 2. Introduce a recurring nemesis for the group. This would give the show more direction and depth. That doesn't exclude a wide variety of different villains, of course.

How about one of Marguerite's former associates ( the one that hired the assassin )? How about her former lover driven by hate, but actually still loving her? She's his obcession. How about a tribal shamen? If it wasn't Krux's former lover, I'd recommend a screwd character, calculating, the kind that sets interesting traps. The Cardinal behind the throne.

: 3. Define some of the characters more clearly (Challenger, Malone and, to a lesser degree, Veronica). Have some temporary friction occur within the group in order to help bring the characters into better focus. Get Challenger and Summerlee(!) more involved in the storylines than they used to be in the second part of season one. Don't turn Veronica into some kind of invincible "Xena of the jungle". She and Roxton should remain vulnerable in order not to become too detached.

: 4. Keep up the cheesecake. (Don't complain, I know at least Troy behind me) :-)

: These are just some suggestions to start the discussion. I'm looking for many more to come from the rest of you. Maybe it would be a good idea to e-mail the TLW producers some sort of summary of what we eventually come up with, in case they don't follow this board. OK, now it's your time!

OK. Some of my suggestions are posted in the paragraphs above.

Steve Faust