the show was created by irwin allen. with a budget of us$250,000 per episode, "land of the giants" set a new record. the actors had to be physically fit, as they had to do many stunts, such as climbing giant curbs, phone cords, and ropes. don marshall, who played the part of dan ericson, credited his previous football, track, and pole vaulting work for helping him with the stunts required.