Land of the Lost "Cha-Ka" TV episode Written by David Gerrold Directed by Dennis Steinmetz Original airdate: September 7, 1974

Finding themselves trapped in a strange, pre-historic world, Rick Marshall and his children Will and Holly encounter the Pakuni, a race of ape men.

Read the complete story summary by Nels Olsen

Didja Know?

There is a slight difference in the opening theme song in this episode from that heard in the rest of the episodes of seasons one and two. Wesley Eure's voice hits a slightly different tone on a few words (such as "Holly" in "Marshall, Will, and Holly" and "down" in "plunged them down") and he sings only "the Land of the Lost" at 52.5 seconds into the song instead of "to the Land of the Lost". Listen: theme song in "Cha-Ka", theme song in later episodes.

I've also tweaked my own version of the title song...it's the same recording that appears at the beginning of most of the first and second season episodes, but I've added a couple touches in keeping with the spirit of the show. See if you can notice them: theme song (modified)

Characters appearing or mentioned in this episode

Spot
Emily
Spike
Rick Marshall
Will Marshall
Holly Marshall
Grumpy
Ta
Sa
Cha-Ka

Didja Notice?

Will's blue shirt is relatively clean in this episode. In later episodes it is marked with dirt marks. It's a realistic touch that the Marshall's clothes would get grimier the more time they spent in this primitive world.

Rick Marshall says he saw three moons in the sky "last night", telling him he and his family are in another world from Earth. How long have they been in the Land of the Lost at this point? His remark makes it seem like only one day and night, yet they've managed to make a respectable home out of their cave at High Bluff and even build a large bamboo basket to haul supplies up to it and carve a point onto a wooden log as the "fly swatter" to combat Grumpy (as seen a bit later in this episode). I speculate on this in the Marshall Timeline.

The pylon discovered by Will and Holly in this episode does not appear to have a key on it (unless it's on one of the two sides visible from the camera point of view). Possibly this is the keyless Moongiver pylon that later opens under the influece of an eclipse in the season two episode "The Pylon Express".

The Pakuni have their ears set higher and further back than humans.

At the beginning of the episode, Holly is carrying the canteen on her belt. After the Marshalls run from Grumpy, Will asks for some water and then he puts the canteen on his belt when Holly runs off to investigate the chanting of the Pakuni. Then Grumpy chases the Pakuni and Will and Holly rescue the injured Cha-ka, with the canteen still on Will's belt. Yet, when they stop to tend to Cha-ka at 6:50 on the DVD, the canteen is suddenly on Holly's belt again. When the three Marshalls arrive back at High Bluff carrying Cha-ka, Will has the canteen again! He doesn't hand it back to her, yet after she and her father chase off Grumpy with the flyswatter, she is wearing it again!

One of the first things Will and Holly do to show friendship to Cha-ka (after rescuing him from Grumpy, of course) is to offer him water. Several times thereafter, in this episode and the next, Cha-ka asks for water. Was he really that thirsty all the time? This is a tactic often used by young children, asking for a repeated small gesture of kindness, to increase a bond with a new person in their lives.

At 11:50 on the DVD, a small hole is seen in the cliffside of High Bluff, affording a "window" for the Marshall's cave (seen from inside at 12:03).

The Marshalls go to sleep in their sleeping bags in full clothing...even their shoes!

The rope is not present hanging on the tree branch from the cliffside of High Bluff is not present when the Marshalls run into their cave in retreat from Grumpy at 19:59 on the DVD, but is suddenly there at 20:14. Then, the rope shifts positions several times without being touched starting at 20:18! As far as the shifting positions, maybe there was a wind blowing!