Review of The Swiss Family Robinson

The TV series "Swiss Family Robinson" which premiered on Canadian television in 1976 was a short lived but precious family drama that gave its network, CTV, some credibility in terms of TV productions. The parts of the parents were ideal for veteran stage and screen icons Diane LeBlanc(now a respectable director) and the ever popular Chris Wiggins. The child actor Ricky O'Neill played Franz starred in the TV film "Tom Sawyer" with Wiggins three years earlier. The other two child actors are virtual unknowns but will stay forever young(albeit forever marooned)thanks to syndication. The plots were certainly hackneyed with danger every episode but the charm of this series is undeniable and is a throwback to the days when TV series were actually made for children.