Land of the Lost "Tar Pit" Written by Margaret Armen Directed by Gordon Wiles Original airdate: September 6, 1975 This page last updated 5/29/2020

Dopey gets stuck in a tar pit near the swamp.

Read the complete story summary by Nels Olsen

Didja Notice?

Will is wearing a brown shirt in the second season episodes. Why did we never see it before and what happened to the light blue one (we do see a blue shirt drying on a rock in "The Zarn" and he wears a dark blue one in "Split Personality")? He's also wearing a vest, apparently homemade, of animal skin.

Ta is played by a different actor this season, Scutter McKay, who also appeared as various characters on H.R. Pufnstuf.

Didja Notice?

As the episode opens, Cha-ka is painting Ta's portrait on a rock and Will remarks, "Rembrandt is creating a masterpiece." Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669) was a Dutch painter and now considered one of the greatest artist's in history.

At 3:00 on the DVD there appears to be a jaggedly broken tree stump at the edge of the tar pit. And there is a broken piece of tree trunk next to Spot in the pit. Presumably, Spot broke the tree down when he fell in or while trying to get out!

As Cha-ka runs up to High Bluff at 6:37 on the DVD, the edge of the set can be seen at the left where the rock face of High Bluff in the background meets the tree in the foreground. There is also a strange line that runs straight over the cave and then curves down to the natural porch at the cave entrance. Was the cave entrance portion of the set removable, maybe so it could be shot in close-up on the stage floor?

Rick is wearing a watch, not seen in the first season of the series.

The scene running from 6:41-7:08 is a like a scene from Lassie where the people have to figure out what the dog is trying to tell them! "What's that, Lassie? Timmy fell in the well? Come on, let's go!" Listen: Something's happened to Dopey!

Speaking of dogs, a nice detail is that (almost) every time Holly mentions Dopey's name in his presence, Dopey bleets. Sort of like a dog that pricks up its ears at the mention of its name.

Rick says "let's try the old fly-swatter trick on Emily." But, it's not really the fly swatter trick they use; Rick and Will just wave torches at her to frighten her away.

Pakuni translations
Time on DVD	Pakuni	English
2:00	Ta says, "Co de ta wachi?"	I'm not sure what this sentence is. "De"=do "wachi"=now. Possibly Ta is asking "Are you done now?"
2:01	Cha-ka says, "Anu, an wachi! Anu, an wachi! An wachi!"	"No, not yet! No, not yet! No yet!"
2:22	Cha-ka says, "Tusa! Tusa! Cumu!"	"Bad! Bad! Cumu!" "Cumu" is unknown.
2:37	Ta says, "Yeni ku! Ye ban. Ye ban."	"You go! You paint. You paint." Ye ban is not in any known glossary, but it would seem to be the verb "paint" from the context of this scene. And "you go" does not seem to make sense in the context; Ta should be saying "Come back!"
2:50	Ta says, "Cha-ka, ye ban. Ye ban Ta."	"Cha-ka, you paint. You paint Ta."
3:48	Ta says, "Fusachi."	"Quickly."
4:02	Sa says, "Hey! Sa a eshi agigo."	I'm not sure what this sentence is.
4:04	Cha-ka says, "Me nanda."	"I'm sorry."
4:08	Ta says, "Sa opari a bu ka duchi?"	"Why did you get down?"
4:12	Ta says, "Sa efi Dopey?"	"What is Dopey?"
4:14	Cha-ka says, "Dopey abu Emily."	"Dopey is Emily's child."
4:16	Ta says, "Sa efi Emily?"	"What is Emily?"
4:18	Cha-ka says, "Emily agamba besa. Emily amu Dopey."	"Emily is a big dinosaur. Emily is Dopey's parent."
4:24	Ta says, "Wesasa opari. Ye ban."	"Very good reason. You paint." In context, it seems like the first sentence should be "Not a very good reason."
4:28	Ta says, "Ye ban."	"You paint."
4:29	Cha-ka says, "Me casa."	Me=I, casa is unknown.
4:32	Ta says, "Ye ban. Ye ban Ta! Cha-ka pu ay?"	"You paint. You paint Ta. Cha-ka (pu ay)?" I cannot find anything similar to "pu ay" in any known glossary.
4:37	Cha-ka says, "Cha-ka pu."	"Pu" is not in any known glossary.
4:51	Ta says, "Fusachi! Fusachi!"	"Quickly!"
5:12	Cha-ka says, "Ye de ego aguka. Cha-ka nanda. Cha-ka doro ban ra shi ay Cha-ka no bu otu. Cha-ka no bu otu.	"Ye de ego aguka. Cha-ka sorry. Cha-ka could not help spilling the paint. Cha-ka can't do it. Cha-ka can't do it." This translation is an educated guess. "Aguka" and "doro" are not in any known glossary.
5:24	Ta says, "Cha-ka busachi."	"Cha-ka (acts) childishly."
5:28	Cha-ka says, "Me busachi. Cha-ka bo ku puchi ban maitch. Cha-ka ko ku."	"I'm childish. Cha-ka (bo) go (puchi) paint (maitch). Cha-ka (ko) go." Most of these words are not in any known glossary. Presumably, Cha-ka is saying he is going to make some more paint.
5:52	Cha-ka says, "De bu. Me nanda."	"Can do. I'm sorry."
6:41	Cha-ka says, "A ba tusa! A ba tusa! Fusachi!"	"Come on, danger! Come on, danger! Quickly!"
6:46	Rick says, "Sa ego?"	"Where?"
6:47	Cha-ka says, "Ego tusa. Ego bisa. Dopey dochi oo ego tusa."	"Dangerous place. Big place. Dopey is at black dangerous place." I think the second sentence was mispoken and is supposed to be "Tusa bisa", big danger. "Oo" is unknown.
6:55	Holly says, "Ye oo fu?"	Ye=you, fu=happen, "oo" is unknown.
6:57	Cha-ka says, "Yeni ba! Yeni ba!"	"You come! You come!"
7:01	Rick says, "Cha-ka, sa paku?"	"Cha-ka, what paku?"
7:02	Cha-ka says, "None paku. Dopey!"	"No paku. Dopey!" Cha-ka seems to be using an English word he must have learned from the Marshalls: "none".
7:09	Cha-ka says, "Ego tusa! Ego tusasa!"	"Bad place! Very bad place!"
7:50	Cha-ka says, "Sa efi achika?"	sa efi=what is that? achika is unknown.
7:56	Cha-ka says, "Sa efi lasso?	"What is a lasso?"
8:04	Cha-ka says, "Meni a de adora Dopey. Meni a de ching Dopey."	I think the first sentence is meant to say "We don't need to tie Dopey." The second is "We need to pull Dopey."
8:42	Cha-ka says, "Dopey, ye ma finga. Tiri!"	"Dopey, you give..." the rest is unknown. "Finga" and "tiri" are not in any known glossary.
10:56	Cha-ka says, "Cha-ka tusa. Cha-ka shay Dopey. A ego tusa."	"Cha-ka is bad. Cha-ka (shay) Dopey. In the bad place." "Shay" is not in any known glossary; possibly means "push".
11:09	Cha-ka says, "Cha-ka ban Ta. Ban Ta."	"Cha-ka paint Ta. Paint Ta."
11:15	Holly says, "Ban? Ye ban Ta?"	"Paint? You paint Ta?"
11:19	Cha-ka says, "Cha-ka todari."	"Cha-ka the first."
11:25	Cha-ka says, "Spot na ting Cha-ka. Cha-ka ku Spot. Spot na ka duchi. Ari pu?"	"Spot push Cha-ka. Cha-ka go Spot. Spot go down. Holly understand?" A strange comment since we never see Spot push Cha-ka or see Cha-ka do anything to Spot.
11:37	Cha-ka says, "Dopey ku nu Spot, eh? Dopey ku duchi."	"Dopey go to Spot, eh? Dopey go down."
11:42	Holly says, "I pu."	"I understand."
12:16	Cha-ka says, "Dinda. Dinda!"	"Eat. Eat!"
13:36	Cha-ka says, "Sa efi "help'?"	"What is 'help'?"
13:40	Will says, "Yumani meche. Pakuni meche. More! Meche."	"More humans. More Pakuni. More! More."
13:47	Cha-ka says, "Eh? Pakuni meche?"	"Eh? More Pakuni?"
13:54	Will says, "Pakuni meche!"	"More Pakuni!"
15:18	Ta says, "No wu wesa! No wesa!"	"It's no good! No good!
15:21	Sa says, "Sa coben. Wasi wash."	"Sa finish." I'm not sure what the second sentence is.
15:23	Ta says, "Anu! Sa no wesa. Sa no wesa."	"No! Sa no good. Sa no good."
15:30	Ta says, "Cha-ka. Sa ego ye ku?"	"Cha-ka. Where did you go?"
15:33	Cha-ka says, "Ta, Sa. Ye ba fusachi. Dopey o ego tusa.	"Ta, Sa. You come quickly. Dopey at dangerous place."
15:39	Ta says, "Ye ban eban Ta."	"You paint Ta's painting."
15:41	Cha-ka says, "Me coben Ta, Sa omika. Dopey no en ego tusa."	"Cha-ka finish Ta, Sa omika. Dopey in dangerous place." "Omika" is not in any known glossary.
15:48	Ta says, "Ye eban Ta wachi."	"You Ta's painting now." Ta seems to have omitted the word "ban" for "paint".
15:50	Cha-ka says, "Anu! Noo. Pu, Ta, meni den ching Dopey. Paku de ching. Paku pa."	"No! No. Understand, Ta, we pull Dopey. Paku pull. Paku now."
16:00	Sa says, "Sa pu. Sa hogen me ko ching."	"Sa understands." I don't understand the second sentence other than "Sa" and ching=pull.
16:03	Ta says, "Anu! Sa un ko ku. Pakuni un ko ku."	"No! Sa not go. Pakuni not go." This is an educated guess. Ku=go. "Un" may mean "not".
16:10	Cha-ka says, "Pakuni un ching. Cha-ka un coben eban Ta."	"Pakuni not pull. Cha-ka not finish Ta's painting."
16:19	Cha-ka says, "Pakuni un ching. Cha-ka un coben eban Ta."	"Pakuni not pull. Cha-ka not finish Ta's painting."
16:25	Ta says, "Cha-ka ban Ta?"	"Cha-ka paint Ta?"
16:29	Cha-ka says, "No."	"No."
16:32	Ta says, "Cha-ka. Cha-ka, amurani, abu. No, amurani abimi. Cha-ka. Cadaru nu ma Ta abu?"	"Cha-ka. Cha-ka, friends, portrait. No, friends, men. Cha-ka." The final sentence is possibly "Give Ta a portrait?" Ma=give, abu=portrait.
17:00	Cha-ka says, "Paku un ching, Cha-ka un coben eban Ta."	"Pakuni not pull, Cha-ka not finish Ta's painting."
17:16	Ta says, "Yo...Paku ching."	"Yes...Paku pull."
17:36	Ta says, "Dopey. Ye ku wasachi."	"Dopey. You go (wasachi)." "Wasachi" is not in any known glossary; from the context, it seems like "good-bye" but the "-sachi" in the word suggests an adverb that would end "-ly" in English.
17:45	Ta says, "Ta un ko. Ching wu. Dopey ko ku duchi."	"Ta will not pull it. Dopey will go down."
17:54	Ta says, "Dopey ko ku duchi."	"Dopey will go down."
17:59	Ta says, "Dopey ko ku duchi. Pakuni ku wachi."	"Dopey will go down. Pakuni go now."
18:06	Cha-ka says, "Ye un ching, no eban."	"You not pull, no painting."
18:10	Ta says, "Sa efi ching?"	"Pull with what?"
18:59	Ta says, "Wachi. A un wachi."	"Now. Will not now."
19:05	Ta says, "Dopey ku duchi."	"Dopey go down."
20:00	Ta says, "Dopey ko ku duchi."	"Dopey will go down."
20:03	Cha-ka says, "Cha-ka ko ching."	"Cha-ka will pull."
20:06	Ta says, "Pakuni ko ku wachi."	"Pakuni will go now."
20:10	Cha-ka says, "Yeni ching. Yo. ching."	"You pull. Yes, pull."
20:14	Ta says, "Meni un ko ching wachi. Cha-ka ko ban eban. Ye ban eban."	"We will not pull now. Cha-ka will paint painting. You paint painting."
21:19	Cha-ka says, "Fusachi! Fusachi! Emily fusachi!"	"Quickly! Quickly! Quickly, Emily!"
21:49	Cha-ka says, "Emily ko ching Dopey."	"Emily will pull Dopey."
22:23	Cha-ka says, "Ku, ku, ching!"	"Go, go, pull!"

Memorable Dialog

Rembrandt.wav
two tons of fun.wav
something happened to Timmy.wav
take it easy.wav
too dopey.wav
about as easy.wav
Cha-ka don't cry.wav
wouldn't even wish that on Grumpy.wav
poor little Dopey.wav
the old fly-swatter trick.wav
eeeyow.wav
did it together.wav
how do you like them apples.wav