Lost in Space - The Time Merchant (1968)

Lost in Space was a American television series that ran between 1956 and 1968. It is loosely based on the 1812 novel The Swiss Family Robinson, and on a comic book published by Gold Key Comics titled The Space Family Robinson. The series follows the adventures of the Robinsons, a pioneering family of space colonists who struggle to survive in the depths of space. The show ran for 83 episodes over three seasons, the first of which was filmed in black and white.The journey for the Robinson family began on October 16, 1997 when their ship, the Jupiter 2 lifted off.

The Time Merchant episode first aired on January 17, 1968. It is interesting for a few reasons. The concept of magnetic tape holding information is exploited in the plot of the episode. The time a person has in their life is kept on magnetic tape. These are the property of the time merchant of the title. Secondly, The subtext of family over business, love over capital is strong within the narrative. Finally, there is a strong reference to Salvador Dali's painting The Persistence of Memory (1931) in the visual presentation:

Early computing is frequently invoked in Lost in Space. Interestingly the computer on the Jupiter was a non-working Burroughs B205 computer.The Time Merchant also has the added dimension of frequent visual references to Surrealism. Reflective surfaces, a collapsing time continuums and the bizarre character of the time merchant himself make this episode one of the most psychedelic in the entire Lost in Space story. With lots of purple in the set.

The Psychedelic Computer keeping time in check.