Space: 1999 - A Hidden Sci-Fi Gem
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- Опубликовано: 13 мар 2021
- For this Hidden Sci-Fi Gem, we journey back to the mid-70s to look at one of Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson's post puppet productions, Space: 1999.
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For those asking, yes I will cover UFO as well, once I've actually seen it.
P. S Yes, I will also cover Blake's 7 too once I've watched that.
As for UFO, many of us look at the show as the prequel series to Space: 1999, since it took place in the futuristic 80's and wasn't quite as advanced, yet, as Space: 1999. It would have been very appropriate to have Ed Straker to have handed the reins over to John Koenig to kick off 1999.
Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969) aka Doppelgänger. Give us a review of a Gerry Anderson movie.
woohoo Blake's 7 hype!
@@morlockmeat It's been years since I've seen either show but I remember UFO being more advanced. Maybe it's time for me to do a double binge watch of them.
Sapphire and Steel is worth finding too.
The episode “Dragon’s Domain” scared the living crap out of me and my sister - genuinely scary monster even by today’s standards.
Terrified me as well. I was about 8yo. Shown on a Thursday at 7:15. I felt it was to scary to be shown in this time slot.
Agreed! I think what made it so horrifying was how it hypnotized its victims into coming to it, then sucking them into it's flaming underside and spiting out their smoldering lifeless corpses. This was brilliant horror.
I couldn’t get it out of my head. And shown on a Saturday morning!!! what where they thinking! Brilliant
In 1975 I was 5, I remember seeing this particular episode and being scared to death - other boys at school saw it as well and yea, it was a definite conversation piece the next day
The victims being pulled under the monster and coming out the other side a smouldering skeleton was absolutely frightening for me as a child - Star Trek did a similar sort of thing with the Horta episode - but not close to this level of horror - it was truly horrific
Great show!
@@trekkiedave7910 Devil in the Dark scared me as well. Terrified me. Much later on I understood that it was not a monster of the week episode but a morality tale about a Mother protecting her young. Brilliant. Dragons Domain has a good message, confronting ones fears.
At 9yo you cannot see that, only the horror.
S2 1999 was garbage in comparison. Silly. Totally inferior characters.
I’m only 19 but this show was my childhood. My grandmother had a bunch of old copied dvds and I loved exploring them all when I was over. This show quickly became one of my favorites when I was over there. A shame it only had 2 seasons. I need to give it a rewatch, it’s been years.
A serious classic which, when compared to its contemporaries has aged like a fine wine.
Also the fact model kits are still being produced is a thing of beauty
my most memorable Christmas was due to Space: 1999
we were financially.....strapped. so getting toys during the
70's at Christmas was very special. then to come downstairs
at age 10 (Christmas 76) seeing the Eagle One, comm device and laser gun
sitting there with name on them was so important that at 54
that Christmas is the only one to have those details burnt into
my mind. thanks for this.
WHAT??? You got a CommLock? Colour me green. Nice one. Although when I was 6 my Christmas present was a Johnny Seven O.M.A. - awesome!
I got the gun for Christmas 76. Sadly it was faulty and returned to the toy shop after Christmas. The shop couldn't get hold of any more, so that was the end of that. A heartbroken 6 year old.
Sorry to hear it. But there's good news - these days you can 3D print your own Space 1999 laser using free online plans.
I have two halves printed out in white plastic waiting for some fettling, paint and detail work.
I doubt it'll be show quality, probably won't even be close. But my inner child will be a happy bunny.
Cheers
I was 7 in 1975 and this show blew my mind . I absolutely love the style of it .
You old git....
....I was 6.
8 year old boy and loved this. Great series. Great cast.
A surprising aspect of Space: 1999 is its amazing, almost movie quality visual effects, when you compare it to the Andersons’ previous shows (and I don’t mean that in a disparaging way). The supermarionation projects were exactly that-puppet shows using ships and vehicles which looked equally toy-like. Even a more sophisticated series such as UFO, utilized very primitive, toy-like models. Along comes “Space: 1999,” a series initially intended as a direct sequel to “UFO,” and it’s a sophisticated space opera visually on par with Battlestar Galactica-with ship models which look realistic and modern. The previous sense of toys on strings is completely gone. These are SERIOUS visual effects. And that is an amazing step up from what came before. (And the Eagle...one of the coolest, most realistic shuttles ever designed for science fiction).
I like the description of the Eagle as the little ship that could. It has always been my favourite fictional spacecraft for its blend of good looks and practicality. You always felt that it would work as a real spaceship.
it would fit on "The Expanse" universe well.
It was modular in design. The center section could have a variety of modules attached, such as the crash recovery module, (seen in Earthbound; able to be dropped off, with the Eagle returning to Alpha), crane modules (seen in the pilot) and passenger transport (seen in Black Sun). As seen in Dragon's Domain, the pilot module could disconnect and attach to another ship. They were always adding laser modules, additional engine modules, etc. Ergo, you could mix and match as needed, in the hangar bay, for whatever mission arose.
I always thought that was a very well-thought-out design. Not the most aerodynamic (exposed trusses are, in fact, lousy for that) but ideal for operations outside an atmosphere. Like ... oh, I dunno ... the moon.
Great design the Eagle. My favourite tv spacecraft.
Also responsible for the redesign of the Milennium Falcon. The original Falcon being vaguely similar to the 1999 Eagle.
Derek (Meddings) said during an interview that no-one asked "Where's the Eagles onboard fuel?" until well into Season 1. His answer was something like "Just like Thunderbird 2, once it looks good, who cares?". Derek remans legend, R.I.P.
It also blew up and/or crashed really well too.
Two words and say it loud: BRIAN BLESSED
Death's Other Dominion (S1), The Metamorph (S2) AND.....Into Infinity (A.K.A. The Day After Tomorrow), also by Gerry Anderson and also starring Nick Tate (and narrated by Ed Bishop).
You cannot say the name BRIAN BLESSED any other way. ;-)
"Chiswick! FRESH HORSES!!!"
@PatchesRips "WHO WILL RID ME OF THIS TURBULENT PRIEST?!"
He played Maya's father when she was introduced into the series.
@@willmfrank We ride at once to rebellious Stoke, where it is my sworn intent to approach the city walls, bare my broad buttocks, and shout "Behold, I honor thee most highly!"
This is one of the shows that I used to run home from school to see in time. My mom, who liked to watch her soap operas, would allow me to interrupt with this show and others (Starblazers), so I could watch them. Love you Mom.
It was a show in which you could leave your sense of scientific realism at the door and just enjoy it for the story itself. Obviously the moon traveling in between galaxies in the space of weeks was fanciful but you were never meant to dwell on that...it just happened. It was tense, dramatic and thought-provoking. Then came series two and................yup!
Dragon´s Domain back in 1977 when I first saw it a 7 years of age traumatized me for life. It actually did the same to an entire generation of kids at the time as everyone remembers the "octopus" monster when someone mentions Space 1999. It scared the crap out of me back then and even today the entire haunted mood of the episode still sends some shivers up my spine. The new bluray edition of the series is incredible by the way.
Space 1999 remains to this day one of the most famous and popular TV shows here in Portugal where it was a big success back in the 70s and in reruns through the 80s. Everyone still has the stickers figures albuns somewhere in the shelve which were really popular back then tied in to the show on tv. Season one for me is absolutely fantastic, the variation in the episodes, the horror mood and the amazing alien planets are still one of the reasons I grew up to become a professional scifi/fantasy/childrens-book illustrator. I started drawing Eagles back in the 70s and never stopped.
Season Two i still cant stand it. Not because of the character changes but because it became dumb and they totally changed the sets , instead of the epic 2001 style main mission we got a small control center which was always filmed from the same angle and it clearly felt like a set. The best episode in season two is still Bringers of Wonder which is no surprise because it was actually written to be in season one before but was never made because it was a two part and so they used it in season two. My favorite episodes in season one are still dragons domain and also mission of the darians as i love the idea of lost arc-spaceships , Rama style like in the Arthur Clarke novel.
I liked the 2d and final season of 1999, especially the episode with the late Lynne Frederick as Shermeen. I feel that Fred Freiberger did a fine job.
E quando tínhamos de ficar à espera que ganhasse, no "Agora Escolha"?
... enfim, quando saiu a caixa da série 1 em DVD, fui logo, mas LOGO buscar uma!
🙂
Also agree with you on the second season, "Bringers of Wonder" is the only one I'm able to watch - those aliens scarred me when I was a kid.
😁
But the first season is just awesome.
Dragon's Domain atmosphere alone is hauntingly beautiful.
Mission of the Darians concept of a city in space was groundbreaking for me, at the time.
The Infernal Machine, Force of Life, End of Eternity...
Simmonds ironic, completely avoidable and horrible death in Earthbound...
Okay, I'll stop here before I list them all.
Except Space Brain.
😁😁
PS: e é mesmo, sou um dos que tem a caderneta guardada algures.
Mas realmente, e naquela altura, difícil era encontrar quem não fazia a coleção, esta e a dos recordes!
😃
Bem haja!
🙂
@@quantumskywalker6888 Tambem tinha a caderneta. Na verdade tive-a duas vezes. Quando a serie passou ca nos anos 70 e depois quando voltou a passar por volta do inicio dos 80s (ainda antes do Agora Escolha); A primeira caderneta foi-se há muito, mas ainda conservo a segunda edição quase completa e a cair de podre por todo o lado. :)
Eu tinha verdadeiros ataques de nervos com o Agora Escolha, quando o Espaço 1999 competia contra o Knight Rider, o Barco do Amor ou o McGiver nunca ganhava. E eu passava-me.
Agora tenho as duas seasons em bluray e a qualidade é simplesmente fantastica.
Não sei se sabes mas há um remake fabuloso do Espaço 1999 a passar despercebido já ha tres anos. Em Audiobook produzido pela companhia Inglesa Big Finish e é um reboot absolutamente fabuloso que ficaria perfeito se fosse uma nova serie de Tv. O novo elenco é excelente e a forma como modernizaram as historias classicas e adicionam novas é fantastica.
Recomendo vivamente : www.bigfinish.com/hubs/v/space-1999
O problema... é que se comprares é melhor comprares so os downloads... eu comprei o primeiro CD ainda a Inglaterra era CEE e a edição é excelente, mas tentei comprar os CDs novos depois do Brexit e a merda da alfandega tuga nao me deixou desalfandegar os cds e ainda me disseram que eu nao tinha nada que comprar coisas num pais fora da comunidade europeia e muito menos em inglaterra.
Infelizmente estas ediçoes nao estao a venda na amazon e só encontras no site ou no ebay a preço mais elevado, mas se queres ouvir um remake absolutamente fabuloso do Espaço 1999 onde agora o Simmons é um dos personagens principais , recomendo vivamente a compra nem que seja do download. O unico senao da nova versao é ter por lá uns vibes "Woke" pelo meio que eram totalmente desnecessarios. Mas de resto é fabuloso.
@@icreateworlds
"Eu tinha verdadeiros ataques de nervos com o Agora Escolha, quando o Espaço 1999 competia contra o Knight Rider, o Barco do Amor ou o McGiver nunca ganhava. E eu passava-me."
- IRMÃO!!!
😄😄😄
Brincadeiras à parte, comigo era mesmo tal e qual!
😁😁
Não tenho jeito para desenho, mas permite-me dizer que percebo perfeitamente!
A falta de jeito não me impedia de tentar reproduzir as Águias nos cadernos, nos livros, nas BD's que inventava...
Ainda agora está a passar na Sic Radical, ao sábado.
A semana passada, em zapping, dei com o Dragon's Domain - e foi o episódio ideal para mostrar à minha mulher a capacidade modular dos Águias, e o tão "à frentex" que já eram na altura!
🙂🙂
Já para não falar do resto, aquela peça de música clássica que acompanha a missão... a forma como transmite a solidão, o silêncio e a inquietude do espaço, contrastado depois com os horríveis e brutais gritos do monstro...
"Ah e tal, rip-off do 2001, Odisseia no Espaço!"
Não me interessa, é um episódio que ainda hoje aguenta-se muito bem sozinho.
Adiante, que já estou a divagar!
🙂
Se me permites, só se NÃO der trabalho, gostaria de fazer uma pergunta específica.
Repito, só se não der trabalho, não quero chatear de forma alguma.
Na edição em DVD, em alguns episódios passados em planetas com atmosfera (como o Guardian of Piri), se olharmos com atenção vemos (às vezes) os fios a segurar os Águias.
Além do salto em qualidade, sabes se esse tipo de coisa foi limpa no Blu-Ray, e se vale a recompra?
De resto, não sabia dos remakes, e MUITO obrigado por isso!!!!
Também não gosto de "wokismos", mas pelo que estás a dizer acrescenta o suficiente ao "lore" para passarmos por cima disso... e há que tempos que queria algo assim!
Abraço!!
@@quantumskywalker6888 se só ainda viste a série em dvd….e nunca viste em Blu-ray…..my god….. prepara-te para apanhar o queixo do chão. É que não tem nada a ver em termos de qualidade de imagem. A série foi toda restaurada para Blu-ray e parece uma série filmada hoje. A diferença do dvd é tao grande que nem vais acreditar.
E sim vale a recompra…eu comprei a season 1 em Blu-ray e ea comprar a 2 , mas depois saiu outra caixa com as duas e comprei essa. Agora há uma terceira edição que contém “os filmes” que saíram em cinema na altura contendo várias montagens alternativas e deleted sequences de alguns episódios. Um destes “filmes” chegou a passar na rtp por volta de 1981 na noite declinem das quartas feiras e tudo.
A caixa é esta ruclips.net/video/I9_4Y2YNv4U/видео.html
É o mesmo restauro e é brutal. Não hesites se só viste a série em dvd. Tem bons extras, comentários áudio e muito conteúdo interessante.
E sim os fios nas naves continuam la , não foram removidos digitalmente e ainda bem que não foram.
Encontras a venda na Amazon Espanha e vale cada cêntimo dos 80 euros que custa. Na Amazon uk até consegues mais barata as vezes e com sorte os portes até compensam, porque a Amazon espanhola já tem o preço com o custo de importação uk em cima.
Mas pá, compra. Um dos extras é aquele episódio filmado em 1999 para a convenção em que a Sandra explica o que aconteceu no fim e liga a season 1 e 2.
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O remake em audiobook é simplesmente fabuloso. Toda a modernização da coisa resulta e os actores e efeitos de som estão perfeitos.
-
O espaço 1999 foi determinante na minha vida. Em puto não só morri de medo com o Dragons domain entre outros como foi a desenhar eagles que percebi que era a desenhar que eu queria ganhar a vida e hoje trabalho mesmo em ilustração la para fora. Muitos dos meus desenhos em www.icreateworlds.net tem a sua origem nos dias em que eu puto nos anos 70 desenhava eagles nos cadernos.
Voyager's Return was another great episode from season 1. The Queller drive was loosely based on the Project Orion propulsion system, ejecting and detonating atomic bombs behind the ship.
Remember dr.russels line "The road to hell is paved with good intentions"
Another great episode.
The Queller Drive seemed more akin to Project Daedelus rather than Project Orion. I recall reading how one problem connected to the theoretical explorations of the Daedelus concept was in choosing the right fusion reaction which would not result in excess neutron flux that would rob the drive of thrust potential.
@@LordZontar Good observation. I didn't dig too deep into Dadelus. Thanks for posting.
NERVA project
This was always my favourite show of all time :season 1 that is.
My hero was Professor Victor Bergman and I grew up to be a high calibre scientific researcher (I was just a little girl when I tuned into this in monochrome every Saturday morning) .
The episode "Dragon's Domain" was outstanding and apparently influenced Alien. Is sure scared the hell out of me. Especially the 2nd time I saw it as the opening sequence made more sense.
Aye, the flight deck looks like the Nostromo too.
Then James Cameron is a thief. I'm not surprised. Typical American.
Dragons Domain scared the crap out of me as a kid and I couldn't watch it again for years. Now its one of my all time favourite episodes, lol. The Eagle has to be one of the most underrated spaceships to ever appear on tv or film. It's such a perfect craft. It looks right, it looks like something humans would build now a days. It's tough, multifunctional and reusable. It's what the space shuttle should of been:D
The Eagle was tough, multifunctional, reusable AND modular ... which makes it even more believable.
Even now, it feels like the most believable craft on TV after the Babylon 5 Starfury.
The Eagles and their Hawk military counterparts are among my favorite sci-fi spacecraft.
The Eagle design and it's variants are timeless. I really liked the Swift and super Swift as a kid and I was lucky enough to have parents who brought me a Dinky Toys Eagle freighter back from England. Still have it today!
Agree about the Eagle. Practical space truck!
@@m.e.3862 Had one too back in the 70s, wish I still had it (and all my star wars figures....)
This is a series that is a gem in itself, not because you just found it. When I was a pre-teen it was one of my favorite series!
Well the moon being thrown into the deepest parts of space by some radioactive barrows of waste might be silly, at least the moon wasn't an egg
MOOOFFFAAAAAAAATTT!!!!!
Haha oh god that was such a dumb episode 😅
It's not silly but yeah that egg episode of who was weird
At least, "1999" addressed the matter. In "Black Sun", Victor flat out says what happened to them is impossible, which leads to his theory of a "cosmic intelligence" intervening. And there are at least three (four if you count "War Games") that address the matter. It's a shame that idea was largely dropped in Season Two. As for 'Kill the Moon", that was just ridiculous.
I'm shocked that Who episode wasn't screamed into oblivion by the left fanbase. That script was an anti abortion message piece. The people of Earth chose to end the embryo/child to keep things as they are. Fear that new, unexpected life would inconvenience their own lives.
Despite their "choice" and The Doctor (an old white guy) having stepped out of the decision (ducking the female politics/morality) the child is born and the world or moon didn't come to an end. The fear of the future was not realised in the actual future resulting in new life, vs death.
Maybe the teen fangirls didn't notice, or they had already left after finding Capaldi wasn't as sexy as the last three.
Hard to believe there were only two seasons. I feel like I grew up with this show.
This is because back in the 'Day", a TV show season was more than only 10 episodes (smile...smile).
And, well I dunno how many episodes it had but it was a British show and those tend to have a lot fewer episodes then American shows.
I think Dragon's Domain and Testament of Arkadia are the best episodes.....nice to see so many people appreciate this series
I remember seeing the hyped up TV commercials for this show called Space: 1999 just prior to my 8th birthday. At that time, the only sci-fi shows I watched were re-runs of Star Trek, Lost in Space, and the Six-Million Dollar Man. One of my close friends had seen the pilot episode "Breakaway" and told me it was the most incredible show he'd ever seen, and that I had to watch it. I was like "eh." Then, I decided to turn it on one night on our little Sony black and white TV with the rabbit ears (pre-cable TV). The episode was "War Games." I was hooked. Then, after seeing the horror episode "Dragon's Domain," Space: 1999 was to become my absolute favorite sci-fi TV show of all time. There have since been great TV shows, but nothing quite measures up to the grandness. ambience and atmosphere of the first season of Space: 1999. The show possesses a cinematic quality rarely seen in a TV show, even by today's standards. I marvel at the pristine HD remastering of the series, which makes it hold up even with today's sound and FXs. If you haven't seen this show, I urge you to watch the pilot episode "Breakaway" in blu-ray HD with the sound system turned up. Sit back with a glass of wine or beer. You won't be disappointed. Gerry and Sylvia Anderson knocked this show out of the park. If you like Space: 1999, you'll probably also enjoy the Anderson's predecessor show "UFO," which has also been pristinely remastered in HD blu-ray. Happy viewing!
I find myself watching the episodes even today. I have never gotten sick of seeing it. It is still very impressive.
I confirm each word of it
Takes me back to my childhood. The Eagles are still my favourite space ships.
They aren't as cool as the ships on Battlestar Galactica. Or Buck Rogers. Or Star Trek. Come on, man.
Fun recap - that ship was classic
Absolutely. I had the Corgi Eagle waster transporter toy.
I had one. I like taking the front section and combining it with the engines for a leaner ship. I remember the astronauts were very dirty (I got it in trade not new) and I cleaned them with my grandfather's fizzy denture cleaner and it did the job.
Hi Eagle Moss has die cast Eagles for sale check it out😁
Making my own model of the Eagle with a 3D printer. Tons of work, but in the end it will (hopefully) resemble the original studio model.
@@CDP1861 it's nice to live in tbe actual future, huh?
I'm just making my way through most of Space 1999 myself. Seen bits and pieces over the decades, which turns out was entirely in S1. S2 was completely new for me. Some of the tweaks i liked, some not so (like the new uniforms, not so much the new command center, which looked more like the bridge of a ship, rather than control center of an installation, unlike the old). Maya was a very good addition, but I do miss Bergman, as he was a great character.
Although not explained on screen it was stated in a book that they moved mission command underground after constantly being attacked, lol. I too preferred the season one command centre, but the explanation makes sense I guess.
I am a huge hobby nut. Mainly models. When Space 1999 came out I built every model I could find from the show and even built a small moon base for some of my other space models. The joys of a preteen in the mid 1970's
And the new model kits are bigger and better.
I grew up watching this show with my late great Father. Great memories.
Same here. That goes to say how good that show was, jumping generations like this.
I remember seeing the episode "Dragon's Domain". It scared the crap out of me. The alien in it reminds me of the rathtar in Star Wars VII.
I saw the show when I was a kid and Dragon's Domain stuck clear as a bell in my mind. It was very creepy.
Nightmares for a long time after that. Mom hated sci fi so much I had bought my own B&W TV with birthday money just to watch it
A whole generation was scared the crap out of it!
Agreed this show is a gem (not so hidden for those of a certain age) Season 1 was fantastic, Season 2 not so much apart from Maya :)
Yeah. Maya made it for me.
Concur.
imo it was like a season was missing between 1 and 2. Maya and Tony were awesome.
I was seriously upset when in 1999 they were doing all the movies of classic 70's shows and skipped over Space 1999.
Great synopsis of my most loved show. I utterly worshipped Space 1999 when I was a kid in the 1970's and 1980's. I actually made a Commlock from wood with my Dad and wish I still had it now! I can remember us doing it together and then how I used to create all the various badges with felt tip on card and would stick them to a track suit I had which was the nearest thing to a Space 1999 uniform I could muster in those days!
The series certainly influenced my career and in part led to me becoming an airline pilot in real life - it's not quite the same as piloting an Eagle but there are some similarities! As an adult I was overjoyed when Network reissued the series remastered on blu-ray and because of the exceptional production values and the fact it was shot on film it looks absolutely spectacular! I've watched the series so many times over and over again and adore it just as much now as I did as an 8 year old in 1977. Now aged 53 I am just going through yet another cycle of re-watching the whole series. Catherine Schell was my very first crush and my goodness what an incredibly beautiful lady and talented actress, she brings such warmth and playfulness to the role. I find I can enjoy different things in the two series and so don't really have a strong preference between them.
I am so old and nerdy, I watched every episode as it aired new. I loved this show.
When I watched the second season during its airing, I did enjoy the show; it was only in later years, in maturity, that I found the second season lacking in depth. Oh sure, there were a few good episodes, but for the most part, I find the second season a shadow of the first.
Irrespective of plotting, no one could accuse the series of inferior production. The 'Dragon' is a bit ropey looking, but the lighting and camera work did a good job, and created a compelling episode. War Games certainly had a lot of impressive action for the model makers.
I did see a very interesting presentation for a 'remastering' and retitling to 2099, showcasing some interesting CG to enhance displays, hide inferior technologies and enhance star-fields around the exterior effect shots. I would have liked to see that, as it would , for the most part, be a visual polish for the series.
Another interesting proposal saw a third series with Juliette Landau as the commander of the moon-base in a next generation (all the more interesting considering who Juliette Landau's parents are).
I think the character of Alan Carter had a little more depth because he was able to play an Australian as an Australian. And as an Aussie, this is always a good thing!
Space:1999 is a Gem, and from my perspective, 'hidden' only from more contemporary audiences. Best thing since 'sliced bread'. And the Eagle is still 'best' spacecraft in Sci-Fi, even though it plays loose with physics sometimes (okay, often), it still looks like it should work.
Great Video Essay!
I know what you mean. As a kid I still liked season 2 ( as it was still sci-fi) but it just didn't feel the same. Season 1 used to scare the crap out of me as a 7 yr old, Dr Who style!)
Hey, the Dragon may be ropey to you but as someone who watched this as broadcast it was scary as hell. Comparing this to its competition it makes Dr who look like a joke. Even the mighty Star Trek best monster was probably the salt vampire from the third pilot. Seriously show me a better monster from '75 or before.
Oh No. In the context of the episode, and in part, the time of its production, the "Dragon" was very effective and intimidating. I thought the episode was one of the better ones of whole series.
the major problem was the "death" of several main characters. Then Tony shows up out of the blue.
A classic show that deserves more attention, I'm chuffed you covered it!
This is a fantastic show and still holds up today for my money, even if the concept of the moon meeting a new crisis/enemy every week is ridiculous, lol. I loved it as a young boy and as a 51 year old man still rewatch them on DVD and thoroughly enjoy them. Although season one is the highlight for me, season two had its moments, but I didn't like how they had made it more action and less smart to my way of thinking.
Poor Fred Freiberger. He oversaw the last, and worst season of Star Trek the Original Series before it got cancelled. He oversaw the last season of Space 1999 before it got cancelled and he oversaw the last season of Six Million Dollar Man before it got cancelled ... not a good track record. He is quoted as saying about Space 1999:
"They were doing the show as an English show, where there was no story, with the people standing around and talking. In the first show I did, I stressed action as well as character development, along with strong story content, to prove that 1999 could stand up to the American concept of what an action-adventure show should be."
Whereas the company producing the show wanted it to hit big in America, which the first season didn't, they then screwed the entire show by bringing in Freiberger who tried to make it more American and ended up not only failing to make it a success in the States, but alienating the fans from the first season.
Always loved this since my father showed it to me as a kid.
I haven’t seen this show since i was 7 years old. This has been a real trip down memory lane! Absolute belter of a video! Thank you :)
The best Space 1999 episode is called " Voyagers Return "
Great show. I always liked Wargames and Breakaway.
Gotta love the reuse of supporting cast members in this show. Catherine Schell was in The Guardian of Piri, an episode of series 1 before being cast as Maya for series 2. Similarly Isla Blair, Stuart Damon and BRIAN BLESSED each guested twice as different characters, with one of BLESSED's appearances being as Maya's father in her first appearance.
Man I remember watching the reruns of this as a kid. Fantastic show.
I originally watched this show with my Dad (an avid fan of all things sci fi) when the show was shown in the US in the late 70s-early 80s. He enjoyed it, but I was too young to appreciate it. The show has been running on cable recently and I definitely like it more than I remembered. I didn't mind Maya - in fact she reminded me very much of the kind of character who would have turned up on Star Trek or perhaps Lost in Space.
Over 19k views in six days says alot. This show was unique and ahead of its' time. Unlike many of its' successor series, Space was frequently presented as vast, strange and downright spooky. And yes it would have been terrific to watch Professor Bergman and Maya play off one another. That dynamic would have had alot of potential both serious and comedic. Tony Verdeschi also could have mixed it up a bit. And yes, Rowan you are spot on that a reboot would probably not be the best idea (to be kind). Still viewing the remastered copies is a real treat!
I think a reboot could and should be done. There is some tweaking to how the moon leaves orbit and as well it would have to be Space : 2099.
@@Bunbunfunfun Who would be responsible for Moon Base Alpha ? Russians or Chinese ?
“To everything that was”. That was my favourite line and my favourite scene in the entire series. An interesting twist on the Spock/McCoy dynamic of Russel and Bergman is that I felt that often Victor Bergman was the warmer character, a sort of beloved Father figure while Helena Russel was rather reserved and cold at times. I don’t buy into the criticism that Barbara Bain was a robot and wooden. I think she was subtle and reserved. It does give her some Spock-like characteristics.
Agree with everything you said!
My favorite episodes were:
Breakaway, Dragons Domain, Deaths Other Dominion and Space Brain. I loved the show and was really impressed with the visual effects at the time.
You hit the nail on the head. Kids loved the show. There were Star Trek reruns around then that every kid (who watched SiFi) almost knew every word to so this was new and fresh. It had that 70s Dr Who hide behind the couch feel but it looked 10 times better. The stories were generally good but had a British feel to them which was a novelty at the time. I don't know what happened, maybe it wasn't sold well when it was being made but I can remember talking to American and Canadian kids well into the 80s who had seen and loved the show. Maybe it was just a tiny bit before it's time, like original Star Trek.
Series one....truly superb stuff. Can see it over and over - no problem.
I was born in 1980, so missed the show when it was made. had the opportunity to watch it here in Canada in the early 90s, but decided to pass on it in favour of Blake's 7 (there was only one TV in the house of course, so everyone had to be fair with their viewing choices to make sure the rest had a turn). I finallyw atched Space: 1999 in 2018. I think it's a great, unique and really interesting show and I'm now showing it to a younger friend who is also really getting into it. I think it's fascinating to learn about all the behind the scenes stuff, and how much of a challenge this show was to make for all involved. I got in touch with a fan group online and was kind of blown away by how much people hated year 2. I get it, kind of. Professor bergman is one of my favourite characters and to just have him disappear without explanation is really jarring. Also the scripts definitely get sillier. I like Maya though, and actaully wonder if her character was an influence on Deep Space 9's odo -- not just because she's a shapeshifter, but she seems to be the only one of her kind, and the subject of her lonliness does come up a couple of times in the show (I'm sure if it was more like year 1, it's something they would have turned to more often, but as it is, year 2 is less cerebral).
I read about Johnny Byrne's "Children of the Gods" script though, which was never made, and from the brief synopsis, it sounds like it would have been a pretty satisfying way to end the series, while still leaving things open for the possibility of further adventures. It seems like Fred Frieberger or someone was dead set against making the kind of high-concept mindbending stories that you occasionally see in the first season.
Anyway, it's easy to chuckle a bit at this show and it's crazy ideas about space exploration getting so far by 1999, the moon flying off into interstellar space, and all that. But then you watch it,a nd there's just something about it. It does remind me a bit of the original Star Trek, but with a weirder, semi-mystical feeling to it -- or maybe if Star Trek was a little bit more like the "Cage" pilot. I love the main cast and I think the performances really sell the characters. Iv'e heard people complain about barbara Bain's 'Wooden" acting but I think she is just cool -- as in, a cool personality who doesn't always display her emotions. Bergman and his curious optimism is a delight. And Koenig: yes, a bit Kirk-like, but also a tad vulnerable; not always as firm as he needs to be, which gets the Alphans into trouble.
And unless I missed it, you didn't mention all the cool guest stars who show up in many of the episodes, especally in year 1. I particularly love teh episodes with Peter Cushing and Christopher lee.
Fun fact: "Space:1999" was one of three Anderson productions featured during the original, UHF season of MST3K. Their first two shows featured compilation "movies" from "Stingray" and "Captain Scarlet", while another compilation of two "1999" Season Two episodes was shown later. I'm pretty sure all three are on RUclips. Oh, and there's also a good graphic novel called "Aftershock and Awe" which tells what was happening back on Earth before & after the Breakaway (like a limited World War III).
I will never forget that tragic day and if you still see the moon in the sky you are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder
*Heavy breath after a good laugh*... Or... Maybe you have dimensionally shifted into the universe where mankind was so lazy that NASA never achieved its plans for a moon base. Not only late for the 70s, but also in the 90s; which were finally completely forgotten with the internet revolution and financing going everywhere but space for a few decades.
If you know how to go back to your previous universe, do so... it might well be a better one.
Good video! I'd love to see your take on "UFO". That show was really ahead of its time; the good guys don't always win, the conflict takes a toll on the protagonists and the alien's motives are never really explained.
Oh, I love UFO. Talk about a show where they are always behind the 8-ball. I really, really enjoyed it though and wished there was more.
I tell you,this show was way way 10 times better than the sets of scifi tv shows during their time. I love this show very and thanks to the internet.
The Eagle is IMHO to this day one of if not the most realistic and most thought-through SciFi craft.
I was enthralled by this show on its first run. It ran on channel 11 in NYC.
I now have many episodes on pioneer laserdiscs purchased in the early 1990's. My 1991 player still works.
I had the Eagle ship when I child and this was on TV. I think I also had the hand-held laser gun which was a squirt-gun.
Same here. I was 4 years old when this came out. Probably my first sci-fi show, no wonder I love sci-fi to this day.
Love those Eagles👍🏾
When discussing their live action projects, you must include the feature film Doppelgänger, aka Journey to the Far Side of the Sun. Filmed in 1968, it really set the stage for UFO and Space:1999.
Hell, it underwrote the startup costs for UFO.
My favorite season 2 episode was "Brian the Brain" because it explored artificial intelligence, and how that intelligence can be prone to insanity like living creatures. That theme was later explored in 2010, The Terminator, Bungie's Marathon games, Halo etc.
As well as the idea that (much like Lore) if a machine developed/was given individual intelligence, it would be akin to a child.
Either it’s going to turn out to be inquisitive (like Data), or needy, petulant and immature (like Brian and Lore).
Great commentary. Other favourites of mine from Series 1 were "Death's Other Dominion" and "Another Time, Another Place." I was a kid when the series first came out and loved Series 1. I watched Series 2 but was very disappointed, even at that time. It just wasn't the same show.
Season 1 was highly enjoyable....agree with the two episodes you called out, but would also give honourable mention to Testament of Arcadia which was a thematic bedfellow to Black Sun. Season 2 was, in my opinion, unfortunately just awful. Glad you could enjoy some of it, but I just thought it was a shocker start to finish. But I will always hold first season in very high regard.
Loved the video! I watched Space:1999 back in the 1970s. I never knew how close to the release of Star Wars the second season was. Oh what might have been!
Pretty cool video. I saw finished this show with my uncle a couple of months ago. He remembered it from his childhood and, since we had nothing else to watch, we finished it in about 3 days. It's definitely a very cool show.
Series 1 is simply stunning, my fave sci fi show of all time
I completely agree with you!
@@Julie-um5yu It's right there with original BSG.
remember this tornado alien....thing in the ship graveyard that trys to suck in everyone?
that was so scary!
God I love this program from the first time watching on Saturday mornings until now. I've just started to rewatch on Blu-ray which looks bloody awesome. I'm not so hot on the 2nd season which dumped most of the good from season 1. This and Battlestar Galactica are my ultimate 70s scifi heaven with the six million dollar man. Nice review as always. Thank you. 🤪
That was my favourite show in the 70's and 80's.
Again, Rowan has hit the nail on the head. 100% agree with everything said here. Space 1999 is on my "yearly" watch list, those shows/movies I watch at least once a year. Also included is the old show "UFO" so GET ON IT ROWAN.. it's worth your time and consideration.
Season One was the more cerebral of the seasons... And beautiful sets!
Season Two had Maya. But the episodes were a bit more action packed.
Alan has always been my favorite character!! Nick Tate nails it!
This series influenced me a lot I watched around my 7-8 years of age. It influenced me to be an architect too. I watch it again from time to time it is so good. The first season.
I've been watching this show on Prime Video for the first time since it aired. It's like a time machine to my childhood.
Jesus Christ, I never realized that was Ian McShane in that episode!
An he never used the word "cocksucker" even once!
force of life was episode it was great
I have a lot of nostalgia for Space:1999. As a child, 'Dragons Domain' and 'Death's Other Dominion' scared the crap out of me. To watch them in the cold light of adulthood gave me a laugh. I still love season one, as silly as it is. I still find some of the performances and ideas hold up, even if the science didn't. I have little affection, however, for season 2. Even as a kid, the idea that Bergman wasn't there, or even addressed, really irritated me. (I loved his performance in 'Black Sun') Right or wrong, I have had a less than stellar opinion of Fred Frieberger as a result of his involvement with Space:1999 and Star Trek.
Obviously a reboot is not needed, but I'm curious just the same. So far the only casting I have in my head is an odd one: Gary Oldman as Commissioner Simmonds.
Many an hour was spent as a kid playing with the Giant Eagle 1 I got for Christmas. What a lovely utilitarian vehicle.
Same here, Dragons Domain and Deaths other Dominion gave me nightmares as a kid, lol. Got to give it to the production team for those damned burnt corpses As a boy I could forgive season two it's more action, less intelligent plots, but as I grew older I gravitated toward season one more and more. The same way I rewatch seasons one and two of Star Trek TOS all the time but hardly touch season three. But I have so many favourite episodes of season one of Space 1999, it would be hard to pick any out really, although Voyager's Return and The Last Sunset stick in my mind.
@@ukmediawarrior Voyager's Return had a nice performance by Jeremy Kemp as Ernst Queller(Also Robert Picard in TNG's 'Family') I also enjoyed 'Earthbound' quite a bit, with Christopher Lee. I go back and watch every few years, but I think it's telling that I generally skip season 2.
@@RonG40 I have them all on DVD and dip in and out when the mood takes me, but yeah, I rewatch more season one that season two, lol:)
Death's Other Dominion is one of the better episodes. But... it came out about a year after Zardoz and has precisely the same plot. Which is bizarre because Zardoz was so strange and nonsensical you would think no one would try to steal its storyline.
It's possible that by the time ITC Entertainment cancelled the show, the writers were already running out of fresh ideas for new episodes.
Space: 1999 (S-1) was my favorite Sci-Fi show at the time. One of the main reasons was the horror aspect it would slip into almost every episode.
The out-and-out horror episodes were: Dragon's Domain, Force of Life and The Troubled Spirit; but one of the most horrific little tidbits (to me) in that series was the very end of "Earthbound" where Commissioner Simmonds' fate is revealed. My brother and I both realized what was about to happen a couple of minutes before it was shown and looked with horror at each other. Then, when Koenig reads out the name the computer picked to return to earth, the irony was complete. So well written.
Truly a horrorific and mocking ending!
For a long time I associated the ITC logo with Space:1999 because they played it just before every episode. As a kid I'd stay up until midnight to watch it on UHF. Even as a kid the ludicrous physics annoyed me, but I still loved the show. I was totally in love with the alien woman with bumps for eyebrows. :) Thanks, Rowan, for this retrospective.
Edit: Here's the logo they played: ruclips.net/video/exqBIt_NEiA/видео.html
Me too! I also thought the 20th century fox trumpet flourish was actually part of the Star Wars main theme.
I remember associating the ITC logo/fanfare with Space: 1999 too, which initially confused me when they’d play that intro before The Muppet Show too.
@@BrianGeers 🤣🤣🤣
I experienced the _same exact thing._
ITC Entertainment produced the series, hence the logo display at the start of each episode.
I just started watching this series within the past couple of weeks. I'd been aware of it for a little over a dacade or so, but I've been blown away how ambitious and ahead of its time it was. The set design and shockingly slick camerawork and editing are unparalleled.
That intro is PERFECTION; bombastic, funky, yet respectful of its space opera roots.
As a kid this was my favorite show. I was so mad when Victor Bergman was dropped in the second season.
Back in the day, this was my second favorite sci-fi show after Star Trek (no bloody TOS). I was very sad to see it go.
"Black Sun" was my favorite episode. It was the first time I'd ever heard of a black hole. Martin Landau and Barry Morse's talk as they are 'sucked in' was a particular favorite moment of mine.
Obscure little fact: George Lucas had to change his original design of the "Millennium Falcon" because it looked almost exactly like "Space : 1999's" Eagles, and he didn't want something that would be perceived as a copy of another fictional spaceship.
I loved this show. Every Saturday at 2pm the reruns aired and I'd stop whatever I was doing. My parents let me watch on the big TV!
I love Dragon's Domain. I really like it's depiction of Dr. Russell as a skeptic, but NOT a cynic. When Koenig suggests she stay behind, the acting is really well done as you can see her thinking 'Maybe I should do as he suggests. NO. I need to know the truth.' and follows on with Koenig and the rest of the team.
Gerry Anderson was my whole childhood. If UFO and Space:1999 had a problem it was that they didn't know if it wanted them to be a kids show or an adult show. Both those shows have gorgeous visuals and top notch actors, let down by the scripts.
still love this series. Working on collecting the full set of dvds. Hope they won't try rebooting, so many of those fall flat. The episode Black Star was a deeper episode than many realized, in my own opinion. Had a model of an Eagle I built and kept for yrs after the show went off the air.
Sorry, nothing beats the UFO theme song.
I think it was the last of the 60s MOD club style themes like in Matt Helm, Our Man Flint, The Saint, 007, ....
in your opinion
Space 1999 & Captain Scarlet are still 2 of the best theme tunes I've heard
I do adore this show, in particular season one. The sets and the lighting are fantastic. What no one ever ever mentions though is the fact that the Alphans are initially trying to return to earth, but none of the scientists on Alpha explain that as the moon was ripped from Earth's orbit, the devastation caused on the earth would have been catastrophic!!
Great review! Thanks for doing it!
Space 1999 is still one of my top favorite shows, right up there with Star Trek.
The EAGLE platform is the greatest utilitarian space platform ever designed. Atmosphere and space operation, modular "minivan" usefulness,, why have we not actually built one, or something similar... great show.
Joe Biden is hard at work devising such a platform right now.
Space 1999 has some of the most iconic imagery for me. The Eagles were one of my favourite space ship designs, utilitarian, multipurpose but still beautiful. The comms panel columns, such a good use of space. The uniforms, functional and clean. I also appreciated that Dr Russell was a competent scientist and not just a foil for the adventures or there to get into trouble. It was a great show but I think a bit ahead of its time and didn't really know where it wanted to go after the basic premise. It always felt a bit cold to me, but I also appreciate that, it was pretty unique.
Grew up with this wonderful series despite its troubles i loved every minute and I did have an Eagle toy and loved the theme tube ,,,,,
Dragon's Domain is also my top favorite. That's saying a lot because I loved all of them.
I just recently watched season 1 of Space: 1999 on Blu-ray (I bought the Complete Series). I actually quite enjoyed it. It was a rare case of a show I remembered watching as a kid actually being better than I remembered. And I thought the visual effects were rather good, especially for 1975. There were touches that I really appreciated, such as having two doctors, having major characters that were women as well as People of Color, and the sense that the entire series was a good example of the Failure is the Only Option trope since they weren't ever going to find a nice cozy, livable planet to settle down on.
I agree with you 110%. I miss this show very much. Excellent on so many levels.
I was super-geeked about Space:1999 as a young kid in the 70s. I can't even remember how many Eagle model kits I built including some rather bizarre custom creations. The action scenes of explosive decompressions and Eagle crashes were the highlights of the show to me LOL. But even as a kid I was put off by the wooden acting of Barbara Bain and the sometimes bewildering inconsistencies in Landau's portrayal of Koenig. The Maya character seemed dumb and the unexplained absence of Barry Morse in season 2 was puzzling and disappointing. The budget cuts in the second season were quite obvious, even to a kid. Especially since the sets were so much grander in season 1. I remember how awed I was by the episode "Force of Life". Anton Zoref turned heat sucking vampire was an unforgettable performance, especially the show's climax in the nuclear reactor. The sets were impressively realistic looking and elaborate. Neat stuff! The season 2 producer's name is pronounced FRY-burger. Same guy who produced the 3rd season of the original Star Trek and got a lot of flak for it....
Absolutely agree. When I first started making an adult paycheck once I got an adult-type job, I went out and bought all the Sci-Fi shows I possibly could. I truly enjoyed most all of them, but Space:1999 was my favorite. Great little show. UFO was also really good, and its sad that UFO was canceled much the same way and for the same reasons, and Space:1999 was supposed to be a continuation of UFO (upgraded Moonbase, etc.).
"The Last Sunset" and "Dragon's Domain" are superb sci-fi; and "Earthbound" has a horrifying twist ending!
Indeed. Simmonds turns villain in this episode and pays for having done so!
Loved this show as a kid, the Eagle is Iconic, this show needs to be redone and re aired, so much promise,
Another science fiction show with a groovy theme was Australia's 'Phoenix Five.' The theme song was Jack Arel's and Jean-Claude Petit's "Strange Galaxy." There's some episodes on RUclips.
Dragon's domain still scaring now as 46 years ago. Totally agree with that two favorites episodes, Black hole unforgettable.
Io aggiungerei anche Forza vitale
It's like you're plugged into my head. Your views on this shows strengths and weaknesses are perfectly aligned with mine, and we seem to have the same fave episodes ("Black Sun", "Dragon's Domain", and "Bringers Of Wonder" - I'd add "Breakaway" into that conversation). Thanks for doing this!
That said, it's "Professor" Bergman, not "Doctor" Bergman. And unlike most Koenigs, this show pronounces the commander's name "KOH-nig" :) So 9.5 out of 10 lol!
It's good to see so many fans of Dragon's Domain. Whenever I've found someone who remembers to show, that's the episode EVERYONE remembers. For the young me it was scary because the thing stipped the bones in just seconds. The show had a unique tone: a Gothic horror in space. Season 2 had Maya, but it was way too childish.
Loved this series. I was still at the age where I could run
around hold my model Eagle making laser and engine sounds.
Now that I think about it, at 55+ I still enjoy that. "0_o"