The original Arthur Conan Doyle LOST WORLD novel, in addition to being the first (or best-remembered) SF-stories to show prehistoric life enduring into modern times, is one of the most relentlessly macho novels published in the early 20th century. The novel stars one of Doyle's serial characters, Professor Challenger, as he and his all-male entourage penetrate the mysterious plateau, complete with cavemen and dinosaurs.
In contrast, the 1999-2002 LOST WORLD teleseries didn't have an original idea in its metaphorical head. However, the series does strike a blow for gender equity by having two strong women fighting dinos alongside the guys in the Lost World. Veronica's presence in the narrative is possibly influenced by a minor jungle-girl character in the 1960 movie-adaptation of the novel, but Veronica is in the tradition of tough leopardskin-ladies like Sheena, and actress Jennifer O'Dell sells that toughness with a lot of well-staged action scenes.
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