109-495: " War Games " is the fourth episode of the first series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by Christopher Penfold ; the director was Charles Crichton . The final shooting script is dated 15 October 1974. Live-action filming took place Thursday 24 October 1974 through Thursday 7 November 1974. The Moon is travelling through a binary star system, where sensors detect a habitable planet supporting an advanced civilisation. For days, introductory hails go unanswered. As
218-401: A US network sale, insisted the series have American leads and employ American writers and directors. George Bellak , a well-known American television writer, was brought on staff. As stated by series writers Christopher Penfold and Johnny Byrne , it was Bellak who created and polished the series' defining concepts. Bellak wrote a ninety-minute opening episode titled "The Void Ahead", which was
327-460: A barely noticeable courtship to a physically passionate, full-fledged romance, in which the devotion ran so deep that they offered to die for each other ("Brian the Brain"). In addition to Bergman, Year One supporting characters Paul Morrow ( Prentis Hancock ), David Kano ( Clifton Jones ) and Tanya Alexander ( Suzanne Roquette ) were also removed from the cast (Paul and Tanya's disappearance is explained in
436-450: A bunch of dialogue to say after. We had the Commlock. All of those things were on the verge of happening anyway. Now we're way past it. When we made it, 1999 seemed so far away." Following the completion of the first series, the production team prepared for a second series to commence production in the autumn of 1975. Gerry Anderson had staff writer Johnny Byrne prepare a critical analysis of
545-585: A certain "wow" factor to the newly revamped series. Maya had an impish sense of humour. When love-interest Tony Verdeschi offered her some of his home-brewed beer, Maya tried it, then turned herself into Mister Hyde . Schell had previously guest-starred as the Servant of the Guardian in the Year One episode " Guardian of Piri ". In addition to the cosmetic changes, the characters were "warmed up." Koenig and Russell went from
654-621: A close forerunner of " Breakaway ". Bellak also set up a writers' guide defining the three leads, the facilities of the Moonbase and potential storylines. At this point, the staff seemed to make creative changes that brought the series closer in concept and appearance to 2001: A Space Odyssey . Even the title Space: 1999 evoked comparison with Kubrick's film. (Before, the title of the new series had greatly varied: Space Journey: 1999 , Journey in Space , Menace in Space and Space Invaders —the invaders of
763-505: A completely electronic score for " Ring Around the Moon ", and Big Jim Sullivan performed a one-off sitar composition for " The Troubled Spirit ". Library music, classical compositions, and score excerpts from earlier Anderson productions augmented the five Gray scores and gave the impression of an expansive musical repertoire . The second series was scored by jazz musician and composer Derek Wadsworth ; American producer Fred Freiberger wanted
872-519: A floor-to-grid measurement of 30 feet (9.1 m). For the first series, Stage L housed the "standing sets"; such as Main Mission, the Eagle interior, the travel tube, and a small section of corridor. Due to the limited studio space, other sets depicting Alpha interiors, such as Medical Centre, were assembled as needed. Stage M was the "swing stage" – used for planet exteriors, spaceship interiors, and whatever else
981-479: A higher power, they will endure. Unmoved by his proclamation, the aliens go silent. Desperate, Koenig employs a different method of persuasion: he begins to vandalise the fragile artefacts around him. The two aliens are suddenly standing outside their columns, wielding heavy-duty Earth-style laser rifles . Koenig is caught in a cross-fire and falls to the floor, dead. A weeping Helena cradles his burned body. The aliens move toward her and she draws her stun-gun ;
1090-500: A more "driving, searing" score for his new action-adventure format. Aside from the new theme music, which was more synthesised than the theme for Year One, Wadsworth also composed original music for the episodes " The Metamorph ", " The Exiles ", " One Moment of Humanity ", " The Taybor ", and " Space Warp ". Much of this music was reused in other episodes. Other Anderson shows influenced the Space: 1999 spacecraft and elements. The cockpit of
1199-478: A noble example of mankind, they return him unharmed. They then use a beam to reduce the Moon's gravitational influence to zero, sending it careening out of orbit into deep space. The project continued forward. Group Three Productions, a partnership of the Andersons and production executive Reg Hill, was to produce the series; ITC Entertainment and Italian broadcaster RAI were to provide the funding. Grade, aiming for
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#17328730248881308-564: A one-hour draft first re-titled "Turning Point", then finalised as "Breakaway". One week before live action filming commenced, Visual Effects Supervisor Brian Johnson and his team began work on the visual effects sequences for the first episode at Bray Studios near Maidenhead , Berkshire on 5 November 1973. For the first six weeks, no usable footage resulted until the team discovered a dragging brake had affected film speed. Studio rehearsals commenced at Elstree Studios near Borehamwood , Hertfordshire on 12 November 1973. During filming of
1417-431: A perfectionist and demanded take after take of scenes; even coverage of reaction shots of the background extras required running a whole scene from beginning to end. His two-hour director's cut was assembled and sent to ITC New York for a viewing. Abe Mandell was horrified by the finished product. Anderson re-wrote several key scenes and, after three days of re-shoots, re-edited the pilot into a one-hour episode that appeased
1526-603: A romantic interest for Maya. No on-screen explanations were offered for the cast changes. One scene in " The Metamorph " mentioning Bergman's death was scripted and filmed, but cut from the final edit. The Moonbase Alpha Technical Manual produced by Starlog magazine picks up this explanation, stating Bergman died due to a faulty spacesuit per the scripted scene. Likewise, it was mentioned in this publication that Morrow and Kano had died in an Eagle crash between series and explained that Dr. Mathias, supposedly Alpha's psychiatrist (although he seems to be more Russell's assistant),
1635-565: A second series of the Century 21 production UFO to show-runners Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Grade had one stipulation: the new series would be set primarily on the Moon within the environs of an expanded SHADO Moonbase; the ratings indicated the Moon-centric episodes had proved the most popular with audiences. The Andersons and their team would quickly revamp the production, flashing ahead nearly twenty years for UFO: 1999 with Commander Ed Straker and
1744-409: A solution had to be worked out. Four of the later episodes produced (" The Troubled Spirit ", " Space Brain ", " Dragon's Domain " and " The Testament of Arkadia ") featured Italian guest artists. The necessity to telex story outlines and scripts to New York for approval caused further production delays. The incessant re-writing this brought about eventually caused Christopher Penfold to resign during
1853-508: A stethoscope, but a little beeping, all-purpose medical scanner similar to Dr McCoy's whistling medical "tricorder" on Star Trek . The opening credits for the first series featured a dramatic fanfare composed by long-time Anderson associate Barry Gray , whose scores for the series were his final compositions for an Anderson production. Gray scored five episodes—" Breakaway ", " Matter of Life and Death ", "Black Sun", " Another Time, Another Place ", and " The Full Circle " — Vic Elmes provided
1962-482: A technique that went back to the earliest days of visual effects: spacecraft and planets would be filmed against black backgrounds, with the camera being rewound for each successive element. As long as the various elements did not overlap, this produced convincing results. In technical terms, the advantage was that all of the elements were recorded on the original negative, as opposed to blue screen, which would have involved several generations of duplication. Another benefit
2071-409: A trace. His character was replaced by several recurring physicians. Alan Carter ( Nick Tate ) was to have been written out of the series, but he had become so popular with fans that he remained. Sandra Benes ( Zienia Merton ) remained with the series in an on-again off-again association, but the character only appeared in a fraction of the episodes, albeit more prominently in some than in many of those of
2180-446: A twenty-mile wide installation on the Moon. Maddox would view all aspects of Earth defence from Central Control, a facility at the hub of the base and accessible only by Moon Hopper craft, which would require the correct pass-code to traverse Control's defensive laser barrier. The Commander would also have access to a personal computer called "Com-Com" (Commander's Computer), which would act as a personal advisor, having been programmed with
2289-541: A working partnership, beginning with Supercar in the early 1960s and including the marionette fantasy programmes Fireball XL5 , Stingray , Thunderbirds , Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons , Joe 90 and The Secret Service , as well as the live-action drama UFO . Space: 1999 owes much of its visual design to pre-production work for the never-made second series of UFO , which would have been set primarily on
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#17328730248882398-420: Is considered to be one of the programme's most successful installments by actors, production staff and fans alike, exemplifying Space: 1999 ' s metaphysical approach to science fiction . ITC 's New York executives initially rejected the script as it seemed to them to kill off members of the regular cast; it was finally approved for production after Penfold explained the ending. At this point, frustrated at
2507-452: Is left somewhat enigmatic in the first series as episodes involving other planets invariably begin with the Moon having already reached a planet and in the first few episodes of this kind, such as "Matter of Life and Death" and "Missing Link", the episodes actually begin with the Alphans on their way back from a planet, an initial Eagle flight having taken place before the episode even begins. In
2616-408: Is nothing more than a contaminating organism, a plague of fear. A female alien appears, stating their presence on this world would destroy a billions-year-old civilisation. Koenig refuses to accept their verdict of extinction. He tells them how, against insurmountable odds, they have survived the rigours of space since leaving Earth orbit . Whether by the strength of the human spirit or the grace of
2725-571: Is put on stand-by, defence screens are activated, and rescue and emergency medical units prepare for action. In space, the Hawk squadron easily evades the defending Eagles. Flight One gives chase, but the Hawks' top velocity is twice that of the Eagles. Koenig is reluctant to fire pre-emptively, hoping his fear of an attack proves to be wrong. The interlopers continue to close on Alpha; just before they can move out of
2834-586: Is thanked in the ending credits of the Jonathan Glazer 2013 film Under the Skin . Penfold died on 29 July 2024, at the age of 83. Paul Morrow Space: 1999 is a British science-fiction television programme that ran for two series from 1975 to 1977. In the premiere episode, set in the year 1999, nuclear waste stored on the Moon's far side explodes, knocking the Moon out of orbit and sending it, as well as
2943-697: The Eagle space shuttle and the Moon Buggy, were represented with a mixture of full-sized props, photographic blow-ups, and detailed scale models . Dozens of models for the various alien spaceships and the Mark IX Hawk from the " War Games " episode were built by model maker Martin Bower , often at several different sizes to account for the intended use. Rather than relying on the expensive and time-consuming blue screen process, as for Star Trek , Johnson's team often employed
3052-435: The far side of the Moon , but when an unknown form of "magnetic radiation" is detected, the accumulated waste reaches critical mass and causes a massive thermonuclear explosion on 13 September 1999. The force of the blast propels the Moon like an enormous booster rocket, hurling it out of Earth orbit and into deep space at colossal speed, thus stranding the 311 personnel stationed on Alpha. The runaway Moon, in effect, becomes
3161-457: The "spacecraft" on which the protagonists travel, searching for a new home. Not long after leaving Earth's Solar System , the wandering Moon passes through a black hole and later through a couple of "space warps" which push it even further out into the universe. During their interstellar journey, the Alphans encounter an array of alien civilisations, dystopian societies, and mind-bending phenomena previously unseen by humanity. Several episodes of
3270-474: The 1960s espionage series I Spy ) and Katharine Ross (co-star of 1960s blockbuster movies The Graduate and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid ). Lee H. Katzin , a highly respected American television director with a speciality for pilot episodes, was selected to direct the opening segment and brought into the fold as a primary director for the remainder of the series. The show's vehicles, including
3379-434: The 311 inhabitants of Moonbase Alpha, hurtling uncontrollably into space. Space: 1999 was the final production by the partnership of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and was, at the time, the most expensive series produced for British television, with a combined £6.8 million budget. The first series was co-produced by ITC Entertainment and Italian broadcaster RAI , while the second was produced solely by ITC. Two series of
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3488-471: The Alphans, and the audience, have no concrete answers. Speaking about the show in 2010, Bain reflected: "We had some very good science fiction people as advisors who knew what they were talking about. For instance, they knew that sound up there wouldn't travel, and it would just be quiet up there. But then we wouldn't have a series, so we couldn't do that. There were various considerations that had to be made, but they were based on what is, or what was, known at
3597-497: The Commander's personality and moral sense. In the half-hour opening episode "Zero-G" penned by the Andersons, Earth's deep space probes have discovered an advanced extraterrestrial civilisation. Maddox is kidnapped for an interview with the aliens. Angered by humanity's innate hostility and WANDER's defensive posture, they travel to Earth with the intent of isolating mankind within the boundary of Earth's atmosphere. Having judged Maddox
3706-453: The Eagle has a slight resemblance to the cockpit of an earlier Anderson Supermarionation series, Fireball XL5 . Thruster and engine sounds were similar to those previously used in Fireball XL5 , Thunderbirds , and Captain Scarlet . Lighting effects for Moonbase Alpha were comparable to those from UFO , as well as the concept of the elevating spacecraft launch pad. After almost 30 years,
3815-457: The Eagles when filmed, Bray Studios technician Cyril Foster hurriedly painted orange details on the miniatures before the shoot. The model was used in a number of visual-effects publicity stills, including some where it can be seen attacking the Bethan gunship from " The Last Enemy ". Although it praised the episode's special effects and "sense of desperation", TV Zone magazine rated "War Games"
3924-453: The Eagles' weapons range, he gives the order to fire. The Hawk squadron is destroyed. After Carter expresses concern that his victory was too easy, a second Hawk squadron is detected approaching from the opposite direction. Koenig orders Flight Two into action. Eagle Four has barely cleared Alpha when it is struck; debris from the explosion smashes into the Main Mission building, bringing
4033-492: The February 28, 1976 edition of TV Guide , critic Cleveland Amory panned the series. In his review he noted, "[T]here was practically no dialogue for quite a while, which, in view of what was to come, was a terrific idea. Then came lines like... 'We're sitting on the biggest bomb ever made.' In a show like this, that's one line they should have avoided at any price." He criticized the acting, saying, "The special effects are good, but
4142-455: The Medical building is attacked, the overstressed window shatters. As the room violently decompresses, Koenig yanks Helena to safety through the closing door. An unlucky Mathias and one bed-ridden patient are swept outside to perish on the lunar surface. With Alpha in ruins, the Hawk withdraws. Koenig, worried about the aliens' next move, returns to Main Mission. Sandra Benes has his answer on
4251-519: The Midlands" and forbade any Earth-bound settings. Anderson responded that in the series opener, he would "blow up the Earth". Mandell countered that this concept might be off-putting to viewers, to which Anderson replied he would "blow up the Moon". The Andersons reworked UFO: 1999 into a new premise: Commander Steven Maddox controlled the forces of WANDER, Earth's premier defence organisation, from Moon City,
4360-460: The Moon and featured a more extensive Moonbase. Space: 1999 drew a great deal of visual inspiration and technical expertise from the Stanley Kubrick film 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). The programme's special effects director Brian Johnson had previously worked on both Thunderbirds (as Brian Johncock) and 2001 . In 1972, Sir Lew Grade, head of ITC Entertainment , proposed financing
4469-444: The Moon, and for its realistic production design. Asimov's responses were based on the pilot episode only. Subsequent episodes (such as "The Black Sun", third in production order, and "Another Time, Another Place", sixth in production order) suggest the Moon reaches the stars by passing through wormholes and hyperspatial tunnels, a plot point made more overt in the second series' episodes, notably "The Taybor" and "Space Warp". This issue
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4578-463: The Moonbase and regain viewer interest in the United States. On the strength of Anderson and Freiberger's proposal of adding an alien character from the planet Psychon named Maya, Mandell approved a renewal of the series for a second year. In addition to the alien Maya character, to be played by Catherine Schell , numerous other changes were made for what was branded Year Two. The most visible change
4687-556: The Powys Media book The Forsaken by John Kenneth Muir. In the 2022 Space: 1999 Moonbase Alpha Technical Operations Manual he is revealed to be in a year-long coma following an accident. David Kano's job is assumed to be no longer based in Command Centre and no mention is made of Tanya). Dr. Bob Mathias ( Anton Phillips ) was present in the first two Year Two episodes, was mentioned in the third episode, and then also disappeared without
4796-455: The Technical and Maintenance departments. With the next solar system six months distant, Koenig reckons their only hope is to seek asylum on the planet. The surviving Alpha population makes preparations to evacuate. With Paul Morrow broadcasting their peaceful intent, Koenig and Helena fly down in an unarmed reconnaissance Eagle to attempt to open a dialogue with their aggressors. Approaching
4905-485: The actors are awful, even Martin Landau and Barbara Bain, whom you will remember from Mission:Impossible; and Barry Morse, of The Fugitive. Miss Bain's part is the zombiest, which is some distinction, as the cast is huge." Gerry and Sylvia Anderson were surprised and disappointed that the public (and critics) never granted them the suspension of disbelief given to other science-fiction programmes. The characters seem aware of
5014-495: The alien language, but Koenig reminds her of the voice contact. A humanoid male with an enlarged cranium materialises inside a transparent column. Both face and voice are emotionless as he tells the Earthmen to state their case. Koenig accuses the alien of ignoring their peaceful hails, launching an unprovoked attack, and leaving them without the means to live. The alien's response is simple: they have no place in space. Humankind
5123-475: The apparent implausibility of their situation. In "Black Sun", Victor Bergman asserts the chances of their surviving the explosion which knocked them from orbit are "just about infinite." In "Matter of Life and Death", Koenig remarks "many things have happened since we broke away from our own solar system, unexplainable things." How they survived and are able to travel the Universe seems to be a central mystery to which
5232-429: The approaching Hawks from an undamaged Main Mission. They are at the moment before Koenig gave the order to fire. When events seem doomed to follow the same cycle of destruction, Helena enters and she and Koenig lock eyes. Struck by a sudden flash of insight, he commands Carter to stand down...after which the Hawks literally vanish from existence. When Bergman wonders if this is a sign they will be permitted to land on
5341-510: The audience some thirty-plus fast-cut shots of the forthcoming episode. The second series eliminated this montage. The programme would then offer four ten-to-twelve minute long acts (allowing for commercial breaks in North America) and finished with a short (and, in the second series, often light-hearted) "epilogue" scene. The headline stars of Space: 1999 were American actors Martin Landau and Barbara Bain , who were married to each other at
5450-414: The big screen: a massive (and oddly familiar) space battleship is approaching, accompanied by a flotilla of Hawks. Having knocked out Alpha's fighter defences, the aliens are now sending in the bombers. The alien task force passes the drifting hulk of Eagle One. Carter knows he is the only one who can prevent the coming massacre; he and co-pilot Pete Johnson power up and fire a concentrated laser charge at
5559-459: The brain...a world without fear. With this heightened awareness, she senses Koenig's dilemma—adrift in space with a dwindling oxygen supply. Her love for him abolishes the aliens' influence; using their power, she intends to rescue him. The aliens protest; Koenig has accepted death, thus conquering fear. In bringing him back, his fear would also return—fear which will destroy them all. 'We are what we are,' she affirms, and Koenig plummets toward
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#17328730248885668-637: The ceiling down on the staff. Eagle Five is two metres off the deck when struck. Eagle Six is still rising on its lift as a Hawk destroys the launch pad. An adjacent building is hit and the occupants of its breached compartments are swept out into space. The Hawk squadron regroups, giving Eagles One, Two and Three time to intercept. The dogfight is short and brutal. Carter is the only member of Flight One to escape destruction. His ship damaged by flying debris, he powers down and plays dead. The surviving Hawk descends on Moonbase. Emergency bulkhead doors seal off all sections as non-essential personnel are sent to
5777-402: The character of Mr. Spock on Star Trek . Maya shared Spock's logical approach to problem-solving and advanced intelligence, but differed in that she was a charming, fully emotional person. Most importantly, however, her Psychon abilities as a metamorph with the power of "molecular transformation" allowed her to convert herself into any living thing for an hour at a time, were designed to add
5886-416: The co-pilot. Johnson flies the reconnaissance Eagle back to the Moon while Koenig and Carter set course for the planet. During this, the evacuation is completed. Bergman is among the last to leave. He records a poignant message for any future travellers that might land on the wandering Moon, giving a brief history of their voyage and their uncertain fate. He departs, bidding Alpha a heartfelt farewell. On
5995-458: The coal shortages due to industrial unrest of the early 1970s did not delay filming, for Pinewood had its own generators, but it affected film processing because the lab was an off-site contractor. Group Three's commitment to its financial partner, RAI , to include Italian actors in the cast also had to be addressed. Originally, two supporting roles were intended for Italian actors; with the casting of Nick Tate and Zienia Merton in those roles,
6104-423: The concept of the macro-brain—seen later in " Space Brain ". Barry Morse felt it showcased George Bernard Shaw 's belief that mankind's worst destructiveness comes either through anger or from fear, which usually prove to be without foundation. Actress Zienia Merton affirms this episode furthered her belief that director Charles Crichton owned significant shares in the company which produced Fuller's earth ,
6213-537: The direction he felt ITC's creative decisions were taking the show, Penfold began to consider leaving the series. The episode incorporated several themes Penfold frequently visited in his work. He felt mankind could be seen as an invading virus, spreading destruction in space akin to the Spanish conquistadores ' devastation of the New World . It also included anti-war sentiments, his distrust of nuclear technology and
6322-626: The dreadnought. The ship and its fighter screen vanish in a massive fireball. Mission accomplished, Carter returns to base. Standing in his wrecked command post, Koenig has little optimism of restoring the base to operational status. At a command conference, the senior staff passes final judgment on Alpha. All vital systems—food production and recycling facilities, water purification plant, main generators—are heavily damaged and will require weeks to repair... but only eight days of battery power remain . Fatalities number 128 dead or missing—many blown out into space by explosive decompression and most from
6431-705: The dust-like substance used in films to simulate explosions, create sand- or dust-storms, or age props or costumes. After the dust-storms in the Crichton-helmed " Matter of Life and Death " and " The Last Sunset ", the product was mixed with falling debris during the attack on Alpha. Trays were suspended above the Main Mission and Medical Centre sets and tipped onto the cast. Merton avoided the mess by diving under her desk; others, including Martin Landau and Prentis Hancock , were not as fortunate. The alien battleship seen here, designed by Martin Bower , made its debut in
6540-887: The end of the episode it appeared that he would be a regular character; by the second (transmitted) episode the character vanished, reappearing partway through the first series in the episode " Earthbound ", his only other appearance on the show, in which it is implied that he dies from asphyxia inside an alien spacecraft. Over its two series, the programme featured guest appearances from Christopher Lee , Margaret Leighton , Joan Collins , Jeremy Kemp , Peter Cushing , Judy Geeson , Julian Glover , Ian McShane , Leo McKern , Billie Whitelaw , Richard Johnson , Patrick Troughton , Peter Bowles , Sarah Douglas , David Prowse , Isla Blair , Stuart Damon , Peter Duncan , Vicki Michelle and Brian Blessed . (Blair, Damon and Blessed each appeared in two episodes portraying different characters.) The English actor Nicholas Young (who portrayed John in
6649-630: The episode " Alpha Child "; it would later appear in " Dragon's Domain " and " The Metamorph ". The brain-complex instrumentation was originally constructed for the Kaldorian ship in " Earthbound ". The aliens' transparent column-habitats would be re-vamped into growing compartments for " The Troubled Spirit " and other episodes set in Alpha's Hydroponics department. The Hawk spacecraft, also designed by Bower, made its first and only appearance in this story. In response to concerns that it would appear too similar to
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#17328730248886758-540: The episode about to unfold was dropped in favour of a special-effects sequence depicting the Moon being blown out of orbit into space. With Morse gone, Schell was featured in his place as a regular alongside Landau and Bain, and all three were depicted in action-oriented images as opposed to the mannequin -like stances Landau and Bain had assumed in the Year One main titles. New series composer Derek Wadsworth 's new theme dropped Barry Gray 's alternation between stately, orchestral passages and funky rhythmic ones in favour of
6867-472: The fears of ITC. Katzin was not asked back to the programme after the filming of his second episode "Black Sun", which also ran over schedule. Scheduled for a twelve-month shoot, the twenty-four episodes took fifteen months to complete, with the production experiencing a number of difficulties. Britain's mandatory three-day work week in the early months of 1974 and the unplugging of the National Grid during
6976-416: The female informs her that any force she uses will be turned against herself. One instant, she is backed into a corner; the next, she is clad in the same robes as the aliens and seated in one of their column-habitats...completely at peace. As if reading her thoughts, the male informs Helena this world has evolved beyond fear. Regarding Koenig, the female states it was fear that killed him. She offers Helena
7085-474: The film Take Me High . Penfold is perhaps best known for being one of the brains behind Gerry Anderson 's science fiction series Space: 1999 . He worked as story consultant for the original series (first 16 episodes of the 24-part series) and is credited for writing " Guardian of Piri " (based on a script by David Weir ), " Alpha Child " (based on a script by Edward di Lorenzo ), " The Last Sunset ", " War Games ", " Space Brain " and " Dragon's Domain " for
7194-450: The final season of The Six Million Dollar Man . His writing credits included Slattery's People , The Iron Horse , All in the Family , Petrocelli , and Starsky and Hutch . Though Anderson and Grade were satisfied with this choice, Abe Mandell had concerns about why he was unemployed and available at the time. Then ITC Entertainment President Sir Lew Grade abruptly cancelled
7303-401: The first episode, it became apparent that the troubled Elstree was under the threat of imminent closure. One weekend, the company secretly relocated sets, props, costumes, etc., to Pinewood Studios at Iver Heath , Buckinghamshire , resulting in a union blacklisting of the production. Scheduled to be completed in 10 days, filming on "Breakaway" overran by more than two weeks. Lee Katzin was
7412-500: The first series and " Dorzak " as a freelance contributor for the second. Penfold was uncredited for re-writing the series' premiere " Breakaway " as well as David Weir's " Black Sun " and fellow staff member Edward di Lorenzo's " Missing Link ". In 2010, Penfold contributed a foreword to the novel Space: 1999 Omega and its sequel novel Space: 1999 Alpha . Both novels were written by William Latham and published by Powys Media, and were released simultaneously on 27 February 2010. Penfold
7521-492: The first series hinted that the Moon's journey was influenced (and perhaps initiated) by a "mysterious unknown force", which was guiding the Alphans toward an ultimate destiny. The second series used simpler action-oriented plots. The first series of Space: 1999 used a "teaser" introduction, sometimes called a "hook" or " cold open ". This was followed by a title sequence that managed to convey prestige for its two main stars, Landau and Bain (both billed as 'starring') and to give
7630-429: The first series) and Hungarian-born, US-raised Catherine Schell (as the alien Maya in the second series). Before moving into the role of Maya during the second series, Catherine Schell had guest-starred as a different character in the Year One episode " Guardian of Piri ". The programme also brought Australian actor Nick Tate to public attention. Roy Dotrice appeared in the first episode as Commissioner Simmonds and at
7739-413: The first series. Security Chief Tony Verdeschi also joined as a new character, played by Tony Anholt . Verdeschi, who assumed the base's second-in-command role, neither appeared, nor was ever mentioned, in Year One. However, Moonbase Alpha personnel treated Verdeschi as if he had been in their midst since "Breakaway". His character was designed to serve primarily as a secondary male action hero, and became
7848-538: The first time—on Stage L—into a standing complex of interconnected sets (the first series' sets had been assembled as needed and the size of the Main Mission/Command Office complex was prohibitive for the construction of a lasting series of rooms.) Vibrant colour was much more evident in this series' Moonbase sets. Gadgets and equipment with a futuristic appearance typical of contemporary science fiction were also more evident. For example, Helena no longer used
7957-461: The first twenty-four episodes, assessing their strengths and weaknesses in order to mount a new and improved second year. Byrne then commenced writing scripts in an improved first-series format: "The Biological Soul", "The Face of Eden", and "Children of the Gods". He engaged British writer Donald James to develop his first-series format story "The Exiles". Director Ray Austin was again contracted as one of
8066-534: The forces of SHADO fighting their alien foes from a large new Moonbase facility. However, toward the end of its run, UFO experienced a drop in ratings in both the US and the UK; nervous ITC executives in both countries began to question the financial viability of the new series, and support for the project collapsed. In the meantime, production designer Keith Wilson and the art department had made considerable progress in envisioning
8175-570: The last title being the Earthmen trapped on the runaway Moon.) For the lead characters of John Koenig and Helena Russell, Gerry Anderson approached the husband-and-wife acting team of Martin Landau and Barbara Bain. Landau and Bain were high-profile stars in America after three years in the popular CBS espionage series Mission: Impossible . Producer Sylvia Anderson let it be known that she would have preferred British lead actors; since Grade insisted on Americans, she would have chosen Robert Culp (star of
8284-469: The life-force of the collective population. When Helena comments that it is the brain they are protecting with their warships, the female corrects her—they have no fear, thus no need of fighting machines. Helena protests; the ships that destroyed Alpha must have originated here. The male only replies that Mankind is full of fear. The aliens bring Helena into communion with the brain, showing her their world of balance and harmony, regulated and perfected by
8393-465: The look and design of the new series. Their work was then shelved for the foreseeable future. Anderson would not let the project die; he approached Grade's number two in New York, Abe Mandell , with the proposal for taking the research and development done for UFO: 1999 and creating a new science fiction series. Mandell was amenable, but stated he did not want a series set featuring people "having tea in
8502-463: The main directors of the show and stayed with the show until leaving to direct in America. The largest stumbling block for the staff had been having all material vetted by ITC's New York office. ITC's compromise was to hire a high-profile American staff writer-producer. At this time, Sylvia Anderson left her role as producer when she and Gerry Anderson formally separated (and subsequently divorced). Fred Freiberger , whom Gerry Anderson had considered for
8611-492: The male extras. The female characters tended to wear skirts and knee-high boots throughout the second series rather than the flared trousers used in Year One. The costumes for Year Two were designed by Emma Porteous, who later designed the wardrobes for several James Bond films. The Moonbase interiors were also upgraded for the second year, with the existing stock of wall panels, doors, and computer panels (along with some bits from other Anderson productions) being assembled for
8720-495: The mood on Alpha grows apprehensive, tracking radar picks up three objects speeding toward the Moon without advance warning from long-range scan. The staff is stunned when the craft are seen to be Mark IX Hawks —space fighter-ships developed on Earth. With recognisable war machines approaching from an unresponsive planet, John Koenig deploys Combat Flight One. Led by Alan Carter , three armed Eagles lift off to intercept. Moonbase Alpha mobilises for battle: Combat Flight Two
8829-414: The nearest star. He also noted that describing Moonbase Alpha as being on the "dark side" of the moon was an error as no part of the Moon is permanently dark. If the far side was meant rather than the dark side, Asimov points out, then the explosion would drive the Moon towards Earth, not away from it. He praised the programme for the accuracy of the representation of movement in the low gravity environment of
8938-493: The opportunity to share their power and bring substance to her desire that he live. The doctor concentrates, and Koenig stands alive and unmarked. He moves to free her, but is repelled by an energy field. Helpless, Koenig returns to the Eagle and takes off. Contacting Alpha, he tells Bergman they can live on this planet—but will have to fight for a foothold. He orders the last laser-equipped Eagle launched to rendezvous with him in space. Upon docking, Koenig changes places with
9047-592: The original Moonbase Alpha model reappeared in the public eye online when a site gained exclusive access to photomap the model and solicit its sale. As the November 1973 start date approached, George Bellak fell out with Gerry Anderson over creative issues and left the production. Story consultant Christopher Penfold acted as head writer, bringing in American writer Edward di Lorenzo and Irish poet Johnny Byrne as script editors. Penfold reworked Bellak's opening episode into
9156-528: The original version of The Tomorrow People ) appeared in a Year Two episode, "The Bringers of Wonder". Several guest stars went on to appear in the Star Wars films, including Cushing, Glover, Lee, Blessed, Prowse, Michael Culver , Michael Sheard , Richard LeParmentier , Shane Rimmer , Angus MacInnes , Drewe Henley , Jack Klaff and Jack McKenzie . Space: 1999 was the last in a long line of science-fiction series that Gerry and Sylvia Anderson produced as
9265-462: The part of Barbara Bain ("the plots and characterisation on Space: 1999 have been primitive..." and "A disappointing collage of wooden characters, boring dialogue and incomprehensible plots..."). Isaac Asimov criticised the scientific accuracy of the series by pointing out that any explosion capable of knocking the Moon out of its orbit would actually blow it apart, and even if it did leave orbit it would take hundreds of thousands of years to reach
9374-411: The planet, Helena tries to decipher her captors' abstractions. Though confined in the column, they insist she is not a prisoner...free to go where her mind can lead her. Impassive as ever, they inform her of Koenig's bid to rescue her and win living space on this planet. When she asks if he will succeed, the male's enigmatic reply is that Koenig is very much afraid of their stopping him. Approaching
9483-480: The planet, the Eagle encounters an energy barrier. Koenig forges on, but the Eagle cannot withstand the powerful force-field. The two men eject as the ship breaks up. Floating in space, Koenig calls out to Carter—but the astronaut is dead, his space-helmet visor shattered in the explosion. The aliens begin indoctrinating Helena to their world. The complex around her is a macro-brain, developing and growing with each generation of attendants who reside within and fed by
9592-409: The planet, the aliens reply with a resounding negative. The entire sequence of events has been an illusion, played out in an instant of time to show them the consequences of contact with this civilisation. As demonstrated, humanity's mere presence would destroy this perfect world. To keep them away, the aliens' only defence was to make the Alphans' worst fears appear real—the Hawks, the dreadnought,
9701-475: The planet. Materialising in the brain centre, he fires on the alien male. His one shot sets off a chain reaction that destroys the entire complex. Searching the rubble, he finds Helena. As they exchange a loving glance, the destruction continues until the entire planet is laid waste. Now faced with certain defeat, Koenig contacts the approaching Eagles and tells them to turn back. As they are going to die, they should die on Alpha. There, Koenig and staff watch
9810-419: The planetary force-barrier. As each diversionary measure failed, another was created from the fear dominating their minds. The aliens hope they will voluntarily choose to stay away. Feeling like chastised children, the staff looks to Koenig and Helena as they try to make sense of the experience. Helena can only recall the lingering memory, both strange and beautiful, of a world without fear... In addition to
9919-449: The process they worked under made "good scripts less than they had been" and forced them to waste time re-writing "bad scripts to make them acceptable". Byrne remained until the end of production; his last tasks were writing filler scenes for the desperately short " The Last Enemy " and a re-shoot for the troublesome "Space Brain". The scenes re-mounted for "The Last Enemy" concluded principal photography on 28 February 1975. Countries where
10028-462: The programme were produced, each comprising 24 episodes. Production of the first series was from November 1973 to February 1975; production of the second series was from January 1976 to December 1976. The premise of Space: 1999 centres on the plight of the inhabitants of Moonbase Alpha, a scientific research centre located within the crater Plato in the Moon's northern hemisphere. Humanity had been storing its nuclear waste in vast disposal sites on
10137-469: The regular Barry Gray score (drawn primarily from " Breakaway " and " Another Time, Another Place "), Mike Hankinson's composition 'The Astronauts' is used during the dogfight sequence as well as the Alpha attack scenes. Originally proposed in George Bellak 's list of potential stories, "War Games" was penned by story consultant Christopher Penfold . Along with " Black Sun " and " Collision Course ", it
10246-400: The series' production in late 1975 when ratings in the United States had dropped during the later autumn months of the year. Grade had already been disappointed by the lack of an American network broadcast sale. Gerry Anderson and Fred Freiberger rallied and pitched the idea of a new series with the addition of an alien character to Moonbase Alpha, who would shake up the dynamic of interaction on
10355-478: The shooting of " Space Brain ", after completing his writing commitment with the script "Dragon's Domain". In a later interview, Johnny Byrne stated that "one episode they (New York) would ask us to speed things up, forcing us to cut out character development; then the next episode, they asked for more character moments, which would slow down the action; then they would complain there weren't enough pretty girls in another." Years later, Byrne and Penfold would agree that
10464-629: The show was sold include France, Italy, Yugoslavia, Poland, Hungary, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa, Turkey, Iran, Greece, the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Peru, Japan, Malaysia, Canada, Mexico, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. One of the first previews of the series was in Australia on the Seven Network in July 1975, but the station later split the first series into two series. The second series
10573-403: The surface, Helena marvels at the verdant landscape and advanced cities. Koenig notes the ship is veering off course; manual corrections make no difference and contact with Alpha is severed. A voice tells them they are under ground control and to prepare for touchdown. They are conveyed to an advanced, decidedly surreal control centre. Helena muses if the surrounding lights and colours could be
10682-547: The time and had previously appeared together in Mission: Impossible . To appeal to the American television market and sell the series to one of the major U.S. networks, Landau and Bain were cast at the insistence of Lew Grade over the objections of Sylvia Anderson, who wanted British actors. Also appearing as regular cast members were the Canadian-based British actor Barry Morse (as Professor Victor Bergman in
10791-499: The time. For all I know now it's out of date. I don't really know." She added that some of the technology on Space: 1999 has come to pass: "We made up a scanning device for Dr Russell. Someone would simply be lying on the floor half dead, and I would [scan them] with this funny little thing that was a prop. I could read all his vital signs. They can pretty much do that [with a medical device] nowadays. There were times that we were playing with props that didn't read anything — I just had
10900-478: The underground shelters. Koenig and a skeleton crew hold out in Main Mission while the attack rages. Alpha is devastated as the Hawk makes multiple strafing runs across the defenceless base. Shrapnel punctures a window in the Medical Section's overwhelmed casualty reception ward. Helena Russell orders the room cleared as Bob Mathias tries to seal the dangerous leak. Koenig and the men rush to assist. When
11009-495: The worst instalment of Space: 1999 ' s first series, commenting that its use of illusion as a narrative technique "feels like a cheat" and criticising the "frankly bizarre" guest performances of Blair and Valentine, describing these as "a textbook example of how not to 'act alien'." The episode was adapted in the fifth Year One Space: 1999 novel Lunar Attack by John Rankine , published in 1975. Christopher Penfold Christopher Penfold (9 March 1941 – 29 July 2024)
11118-407: The writing position, was then brought on board to help guide the series as a producer and acted as show-runner. Freiberger had produced the third and final season of Star Trek in 1968–1969 and eight episodes of the first season of The Wild Wild West (including one in which Martin Landau guest-starred) before being dismissed. Immediately after Space: 1999 he would go on to produce what would be
11227-542: Was a British scriptwriter and editor. Penfold was born in Bristol , England on 9 March 1941, to Leonard and Kathleen Penfold. His father was a local vicar, and his mother worked as a lab technician. Television shows on which he worked on included Pathfinders , One by One , All Creatures Great and Small , EastEnders , Casualty , The Brack Report , the second season of John Christopher 's The Tripods , and thirteen series of Midsomer Murders . He also wrote
11336-472: Was needed for a given episode. The unisex "Moon City" uniforms for the first series were created by Austrian fashion designer Rudi Gernreich , a personal friend of series star Barbara Bain. Other costumes were designed by Production Designer Keith Wilson, who was also responsible for set design. Wilson's innovative Moonbase set construction, using 4-by-8-foot (120 by 240 cm) plastic foam-board panels, linked together Lego-like into whatever room configuration
11445-435: Was on sabbatical doing research. Fred Freiberger felt that these characters were one-dimensional and had no fan support; he told Nick Tate that the audience would not remember them and that, as far as he was concerned, they were just "somewhere else" on Alpha, lost in the crowd of three hundred other people. Other changes included the main titles and theme music . Year One's opening montage of events from " Breakaway " and
11554-411: Was required, made for a uniform and realistic appearance for the Alpha interiors (not to mention being relatively cheap and quickly assembled). For the second series, the Moonbase uniforms were updated and coloured decorative stitching and turtleneck collars were added, as were various badges and patches. Red, navy, or dark-green jackets also appeared, originally on just the senior staff, then on many of
11663-424: Was shown in 1979. Response to the series varied: some critics praised it as a classic, citing the production values and multi-layered storytelling (" Space: 1999 is like Star Trek shot full of methedrine . It is the most flashy, gorgeous sci-fi trip ever to appear on TV..." and " Space: 1999 is a visually stunning, space-age morality play..."); others panned it for poor plotting and wooden acting, especially on
11772-632: Was that the camera's exposed negative contained completed effects thereby avoiding the costs of the blue screen "optical" technique. The disadvantage was that the number of possible angles was more limited. For instance, a spaceship could be seen approaching a planet from the side, but could not move in front of it without the elements overlapping. Special effects director Brian Johnson and most of his team went on to work on Ridley Scott 's Alien and, later, The Empire Strikes Back . Space: 1999 used Pinewood Studios sound-stages L and M. Each studio measures 90 by 105 feet (27 m × 32 m), with
11881-484: Was the absence of Professor Bergman ( Barry Morse ). Morse's departure was due to a salary dispute, but he later claimed that he was glad to leave, and he had told Anderson: "I would rather play with grown-ups for a while." With Morse gone, the role of the boffin on Alpha was filled completely by Maya, whose people's science was far in advance of mankind's. Also, her character was conceived to be able to provide "outside observation of human behaviour" as had been provided by
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