Cosmos 1999

I have been a huge fan of Space:1999 since I was about 5 years old (yes, really) But whereas at that age it was mostly the special effects, and the Eagles that grabbed my attention, as time went by; I started to realize that most of the first season episodes were imbued with a metaphysical element that had totally escaped me before. I think this is by far the most well-conceived science-fiction series ever, and that the cast was not only diverse and representative but also acted very well. In some important ways Space; 1999 (having caught me at a most impressionable age) helped shape many of my thoughts on the future of humanity - and on the relevancy of Science-Fiction to our increasingly globalized culture - an absolute novelty back in 1975. My last words on this wonderful series: Please don't miss it!

I saw the show when I was a teenager and loved it instantly. And I still do, as I observed when I saw it again more than 20 years later. Sure, the environment and the tricks are looking a little cheap today, so what. Every show is aging. There isn't much action as in Star Trek, which at one point only seemed to discover planets with beautiful but strange women. Much of the action is between the characters, how to deal with fear,their situation and the loneliness... Love it or hate it, the show had something special. Till today I saved a huge crush on Martin Landau as an actor, I watch everything, even his weakest movies. And I saved a huge crush on Captain Alan Carter as a character of the show, I'd love to be an Eagle-Pilot! Forget that it's a 70s show and enjoy it.

The first science fiction work I ever saw was Space:1999, and i was six. Italian Tv had co-produced the stuff so it was aired around 6pm, not a very appropriate slot to broadcast scenes of people burned alive by their commander's lasergun... I probably had nightmares about it, but missing a single episode was out of the question. I got to see some first season episodes some twenty years later and I appreciated the show even more. I don't recall much of the second season apart Maya and Tony, so let me concentrate on the first one.

The electronic soundtrack and the opening credits (a kind of "Pulp Fiction" style guitar alternated with an orchestral version of the same theme) were very original, as it was the look of the Eagles: they are solid transport spacecrafts but at the same time one can see their pilots from the outside, so that Eagles seem vulnerable... well, they are, most of the time. Base Alpha is a large, well lit and comfortable place (some stylish seventies furniture, too) which is home and prison at the same time.

Anyway the most peculiar aspect is the atmosphere in Moonbase Alpha: The crew is shocked for what happened to them, unprepared to deal with the future, they don't agree with each other, they make mistakes, they often prefer not to show much emotion. No "Space as the last frontier" rhetoric, here. Space is cold and mistakes are lethal. That increases the realism even if 1999 is well past. Action progresses like a slowly unfolding bad dream.

Don't believe people complaining about bad acting. They just expect things that Space:1999 wasn't going to offer. The actors performed well. For example, Commander Koenig (the symbolism in the name is evident) is waiting for the "black sun" to swallow the base, he's talking with Prof. Bergman. He's about to break into tears but manages to restrain himself so that his eyes show only a little trace of what he's feeling underneath: A very good performance from Martin Landau, nearly impossible to find in better rated SF series/movies.

Space: 1999 to me is a truly excellent series. Produced and created by the great Gerry Anderson, it was the most expensive science fiction series of it's time and looks it!! The first Season provided us with some excellent episodes, and some excellent performances from the series leads - Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and Barry Morse. Some of the best episodes of Season One include the wonderfully dark and menacing 'Dragon's Domain', 'The Alpha Child', 'Voyagers Return', 'The Last Enemy', 'Breakaway', 'The War Games', 'Space Brain' and many others. The series writing was, despite the bad press it has often received since, pretty exceptional, although there are a few let downs. Despite the series brilliance occasionally in the Season you will see episodes that suffer from poor pacing - 'The Troubled Spirit' for example, but these episodes are few in number only about 2 or 3 really, so they are easy to overlook, and all series will usually slip up somewhere!!! It is entirely forgivable. I mention this because I am trying to be a reasonable critic to the series, and not just include all the qualities I love about it!! Unfortunately the first season didn't really take off, but a surprisingly generous I.T.C backing allowed a Second Season to be made. I say this because I.T.C's usual concern about how British programmes appealed to the American audience led certain series to have a very short life. Many Gerry Anderson series have been affected by this, The Secret Service seems to be the best example. Due to the marital breakup of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, Gerry had to hire a new producer. He chose Fred Freiberger, ex- producer of the final series of Star Trek. He changed the series already shaky continuity completely and made the show more Action orientated. This idea appealed to some, but Martin Landau has gone on record for saying that although Freiberger may have helped the show in some aspects, his ideas were (in the opinion of Landau) very boring compared to the way that Season One had been produced. Johnny Byrne the series regular script editor has gone on record in saying (in his words) that Season 2 was 'complete rubbish'!, even basing the story 'The Dorcons' on his dislike to the way that Season 2 was produced. Whatever your views on the Second Season (I personally like it very much, although it takes time to adjust to Season 2 compared to Season 1) some classic stories were produced during it's time. 'The Metamorph' introducing Maya a wonderful character that can change into most forms of living matter, played superbly by Catherine Schell, 'The Rules of Luton', 'The Dorcons', 'The Immunity Syndrome', 'The Lambda Factor', 'The Exiles', 'New Adam New Eve' and many others. The second season was arguably though, the most exciting, with upbeat music and lots of action, the flaw being that some of the scripts were pretty poor. Although 'The Beta Cloud' is a good episode in many aspects, the script is admittedly lousy. As he had done in the First Season, excellent Sci-fi writer Johnny Byrne provides some of the best scripts in Season 2, usually much more serious than other stories, obviously refusing to bow down to Freiberger's 'Scooby Doo action' idea as Freiberger himself described it, lots of action with lots of often silly humour. 'The Bringers of Wonder' despite being very exciting is a ludicrous story in places, and 'The Taybor' despite having some good qualities also suffers from this weakness. However overall I feel Season 2 was a good Season, and it is deeply sad that a third season never got past the drawing board stages. However we must be grateful for what we have got. All the episodes are now provided on shiny DVD's for the enjoyment of all who remember or have come to like the series over it's 30 years existence. Season 1 provided us with lavish and menacing stories, often with hidden morales and examples of the failings of human nature and it's fight to survive in a frequently hostile environment. Season 2 provided us with upbeat and exciting stories, exploring often the most bizarre and intriguing aspects of Science fiction 'The Rules of Luton' for example - highly evolved plants!!! Overall an excellent series, one which belongs with all of the Science fiction greats.

The hands down best Gerry Anderson TV series ever made. Better than all his puppet shows put together.

Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, Barry Morse, great music cues, eagle miniature effects, disaster plot lines, The Beta Cloud, more great music cues...this series is a knockout!

Here are some series highlights...

EPISODE ONE: BREAKAWAY: Shades of Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) with a new commander taking over things, shades of a disaster movie, shades of Lost In Space (1965), but best of all - that Barry Gray score!

EPISODE TWO: MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH: This episode has a highly touching scene where the music steals the scene. Barbara Bain glares out of a moonbase window at a distant planet, the commander walks up to her, note the music playing here...a simply outstanding work of art!

BLACK SUN: Very memorable work of art. It resembles 2001 in general presentation. I have made an estimated 100 viewings of this hour. Knockout acting from Barry Morse, Landau and Bain.

COLLISION COURSE: This plays like a disaster movie and for that reason it is well worth a look. Some great moments here.

WAR GAMES: Great battle scenes in space filmed with great music playing over it.

SPACE BRAIN: Someone let the washing machine go for too long and this also happened in Land of the Giants episode Brainwash. Great music and disaster...again!

YEAR TWO OPENER: THE METAMORPH: What a start! What a teaser! I was at the edge of my seat in the 1970s!

THE MARK OF ARCHANON: Attention Australian fans! Alan Carter lets out a few Aussie terms and ideas that make this one a Down Under treat!

SEEDS OF DESTRUCTION: Landau goes nuts, which bring back memories of 1960s Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea when the leads would also go nuts.

THE BETA CLOUD: This episode is reviewed by me in detail on this site...the second best episode of the whole series!

SPACE WARP: Great space warp start, great monster, great eagle action.

THE BRINGERS OF WONDER: Two-parter. Out-of-control Landau in out-of-control eagle.

THE SEANCE SPECTRE: Dust planet eagle effects coated with action music.

DORZAK: "Is being Australian important?" asks an alien. "It is to me" responds Alan Carter.

Another outstanding 1970s science fiction TV series was Filmation's Ark II.