The Surprising Connection Between The Curse Of Oak Island And Netflix's Lost In Space

It's hard to find two television series that are as different from each other as "The Curse of Oak Island" and "Lost In Space" –- which is saying something, considering just how many shows are out there these days. 

"The Curse of Oak Island," History's hit treasure-hunting reality series, follows brothers Rick and Marty Lagina as they search for a long lost treasure said to reside on the titular island. Each week, viewers get to experience the ups and downs of this quest for the island's mythical treasure hoard, and the show is as exciting as any reality series out there.

Netflix's "Lost in Space," on the other hand, is a science fiction series that follows the Robinson family: a shipwrecked group of interstellar colonizers who are attempting to make their way to Alpha Centauri, contending with murderous alien robots and treacherous crew members along the way. Much of the series is devoted to the Robinsons' attempts to make it safely to the new planet and build a colony for humanity's survival, but the show also focuses heavily on the friendship between young Will Robinson and a friendly alien robot. 

On the surface, "The Curse of Oak Island" and "Lost in Space" are, one might say, worlds apart (pun intended), which is why it may surprise some fans to learn about the significant connection that the two series share.

As it happens, the two series share an executive producer: the late Kevin Burns, who was incredibly passionate about both projects. 

Burns passed away in September 2020, and up until that point was the president and creator of Prometheus Entertainment: the company that produces "The Curse of Oak Island," as well as other History series like "Ancient Aliens” (via Deadline). During an interview with Monsters and Critics, "Oak Island" executive producer Joe Lessard revealed that without Burns, the show might never have existed at all. Lessard explained how the Laginas were just two brothers obsessed with finding the island's treasure, and that Burns was the one who convinced them to bring their story to the silver screen.

Similarly, Burns was instrumental in the creation of "Lost in Space." Burns was a longtime fan of the original 1965 "Lost in Space” series, and tried for years to produce a reboot of the series for modern audiences –- finally succeeding in 2018. Looking back, it's incredible to consider how Burns helped kickstart both shows, despite how different they were, and even more incredible to learn just how passionate he was about both projects.

Per Deadline, Burns died of cardiac arrest on September 27, 2020. He was 65 years old.