Guide to the first series - Guide to the second series
Following the brief synopsis, each episode will be reviewed under the following headings. (Note that not every heading will appear under each episode - only when there's something relevant and interesting to say.) The information here is primarily based on what's on screen. A lot of "facts" about all Gerry Anderson's tv shows derive from background materials - writer's guidelines and publicity brochures, for instance - and got quoted in the annuals and comics so much that it took on the appearance of truth. Biographical details for the characters, technical details on the vehicles and equipment - most of this never gets mentioned in the series itself, and despite what certain hardline Anderson fans think, I don't regard such information as in any way official.
The headings are:
The fabulous future:
All the Anderson shows offer us a
vision of a future world, often laughably dated. Thunderbirds and the
others show us what is essentially the high society of the sixties with better
technology (although often quite ludicrously Heath Robinson-style technology
that would never get invented in the real world). This is most obvious when
the characters are not on duty. They all dress up in tuxedos to go out to
restaurants or the theatre, and the most popular records are jazz-tinged
Barry Gray compositions. Can you really imagine Cass Carnaby being a big star
in the 1990s, let alone the 2060s? Barry Gray, musical genius though he was,
couldn't have foreseen hip-hop or techno (although I have a sneaking
suspicion he'd have been quite good at the latter). The trouble is that
fashions, music and the popular arts move so fast, there's no way to predict
what they'll be like even five years ahead. Space: 1999 offends less
than most in this regard. Being set almost entirely off Earth, it doesn't
suffer in the way UFO did when it tried to predict what we would all
be wearing in the near future. Flared trousers aside, the uniforms look
suitably utilitarian in the antiseptic confines of the Moonbase, and Alpha
itself still looks quite believably futuristic - ironic when you consider
that the setting is now in the past! So, under this heading, I'll be
considering the way the future is depicted in Space: 1999 - where it
got things right, and where it got them wrong.
Aliens and strange worlds:
The first series presented
us with some unusual alien beings (and some bog standard B-movie aliens) -
they weren't necessarily hostile either. By the second series, this had
degenerated to some crudely presented men-in-suits monsters - all the more
surprising when you consider the monumental budget Space: 1999 had to
work with. The much cheaper Doctor Who always managed much better.
One obvious stand-out facet of the show was the production design by Keith
Wilson - in contrast to the starkness of Moonbase Alpha, he went crazy when
it came to designing alien worlds, producing some of the most fantastic
imagery ever seen on television. Under this heading, I examine both the look
and the nature of Space: 1999's aliens, and take note of the show's
most incredible design work.
Explosions:
Gerry Anderson's shows are justifiably
famous for their special effects. For years, Derek Meddings pioneered
filming techniques that were years ahead of what the cinema was doing. It
was perhaps inevitable that he would be poached by the film industry. One of
his former assistants, Brian Johnson, had worked as a technician on 2001,
and was convinced that he could produce effects of the quality that Kubrick
achieved, but on a television budget. He succeeded brilliantly. I think it's
fair to say that Space: 1999's effects are the best ever presented on
television, before the advent of CGI. In an Anderson series, effects always
mean huge explosions - just look at the oil refinery that blows up in the
Thunderbirds title sequence - it's only there because it looks
fantastic! Space: 1999 has more than its fair share of big bangs - so
under this heading, I look at the effects work, particularly any new and
unusual sequences, and note the most spectacular explosions.
Mysterious unknown force:
This term was coined in an
article in a 1976 edition of Starlog magazine, to describe the forces
that sometimes seem to influence the Alphans' destiny in the first series.
Though by no means a major facet of every episode, the existence of higher
powers than man, which intervene to determine the course of events, lends a
metaphysical (almost religious) edge to the programme, which certainly makes
it stand apart from other science fiction shows of the period. This is one
area which attracted a great deal of criticism from the science fiction
community at the time of original broadcast. (Though perhaps, after the
success of shows like Babylon 5, with its own metaphysical sub-text,
it's not such a problem for them these days...) To me, this is one of the
most interesting and wonderful aspects of Space: 1999; and like so
much else that was good, it was eradicated in the second series. Under this
heading, I examine the episodes for instances of mysterious forces at work.
Does science really work that way?:
Another area that
attracted considerable criticism is the show's lack of scientific accuracy.
Most popular science fiction programmes contain a few scientific errors, and
these can usually be overlooked for the sake of dramatic necessity. But
Space: 1999 seems so divorced from any trace of real science, that's
it's almost as if the show is revelling in it! This led many writers of
"serious" science fiction to deride it without considering any of the other
factors that conspire to make Space: 1999 what it is. A work of art
must be appreciated as a whole, not by singling out one particular element. My own
academic background is in maths and the sciences, and I'm well aware of the
glaring errors in Space: 1999, but the show is so captivating that a
few niggles can't detract from my viewing experience. Besides, the very nature
of Space: 1999 is such that pure science cannot be held accountable
for every single event. As the previous heading will indicate, there's far
more to this than meets the eye. Under this heading, I will highlight some of the
outrageous scientific errors and oddities that have struck me whilst watching
the show, and I'll try occasionally to put them into perspective.
What the hell happened there?:
Space: 1999 is
full of bizarre and extraordinary events. Unlike any other science fiction
show, the Alphans encounter alien races and powers quite beyond our
comprehension - their destiny is shaped by mysterious forces - and nothing is
quite what it seems. Several episodes, particularly in the first series, are
left completely open-ended and lacking in any sense of narrative closure.
This is the third area that totally alienated the hard science fiction critics
in 1975. Nowadays, given the popularity of The X Files - a show that
seems to offer no narrative closure at all - I suspect that Space: 1999
might be somewhat more acceptable. Under this heading, I look at the strange
events and incomprehensible endings, and try to offer my own explanations of
just what the hell happened. Obviously, this will feature a good deal of my
own speculation, and where possible it will tie together occurrences of the
mysterious unknown force and the more glaring scientific errors.
Order! Order!:
Film series like Space: 1999
don't have a set running order. Unlike modern shows, where events take place
in a specific order and the plot continues from episode to episode, the film
series of the sixties and seventies were designed to have as little continuity
between episodes as possible, since there was absolutely no way to guarantee
what order the episodes would be broadcast. What would usually happen is that
a series would be produced with an obvious first episode, which established
the format, and all subsequent episodes would be largely interchangeable. It
would be up to broadcasters to sort out a running order, and in the case of
Space: 1999 they seem to have done this completely at random. More
recently, there has been a movement in fandom to place the episodes in order
of production. Fanderson got the BBC to mostly show the first series in this order,
for instance. This just doesn't work. As a single example, it means watching
War Games and The Last Enemy - two episodes in which the base
comes under heavy military attack - back to back. Any responsible broadcaster
would separate these episodes to stop it looking like the programme is repeating
itself. (For the second series, the BBC abandoned the production order - I
guess they wanted to have the same fun as the ITV schedulers in the seventies.)
In compiling this guide, I decided to work out my own running order.
For the first series, this is based on what little continuity there is in the
show - lines of dialogue, and other hints that certain events might occur
later than others, changes in the characters' attitudes, and so on - but
overall, the aim is just to produce the most logical and watchable sequence
of events. I noticed that the episodes divide roughly into two categories -
ones where the Moon arrives at a new planet, and ones where the Alphans are
visited by aliens or encounter various space phenomena. Since one of the main
criticisms of the show was the regularity with which the Moon encounters a
new planet, it made sense to alternate the two different types of episode -
that way, they wouldn't arrive at a new planet every week. Meanwhile, I made
sure that episodes dealing with similar themes were moved apart, for the
reasons outlined above. The second series is relatively easier to order,
since most of the episodes are given a date at the beginning. However, this
can cause its own problems with regard to the continuity... So, under this
heading, I explain my reasons for the placing of each episode within the
running order, and the problems that might then arise from it.
Notes and observations:
In this section, I note anything
interesting about the episode that hasn't come up under the other headings.
So, I might pay attention to the music (which is always excellent - in the first
series at any rate); the guest cast and the quality of the acting; interesting
things in the script and direction; and maybe a few behind the scenes facts,
gleaned secondhand from books, magazines and other websites. This will be
kept to a minimum however - because I'm mostly interested in what happened
on screen.
Verdict:
Finally, what I thought of the episode. I try
to give an honest assessment.
Guide to the first series
Guide to the second series - coming soon
Back to Site index
Created by
Andrew Kearley.
Please email me with your
comments and suggestions.
Aliens and strange worlds:
The first series presented
us with some unusual alien beings (and some bog standard B-movie aliens) -
they weren't necessarily hostile either. By the second series, this had
degenerated to some crudely presented men-in-suits monsters - all the more
surprising when you consider the monumental budget Space: 1999 had to
work with. The much cheaper Doctor Who always managed much better.
One obvious stand-out facet of the show was the production design by Keith
Wilson - in contrast to the starkness of Moonbase Alpha, he went crazy when
it came to designing alien worlds, producing some of the most fantastic
imagery ever seen on television. Under this heading, I examine both the look
and the nature of Space: 1999's aliens, and take note of the show's
most incredible design work.
Explosions:
Gerry Anderson's shows are justifiably
famous for their special effects. For years, Derek Meddings pioneered
filming techniques that were years ahead of what the cinema was doing. It
was perhaps inevitable that he would be poached by the film industry. One of
his former assistants, Brian Johnson, had worked as a technician on 2001,
and was convinced that he could produce effects of the quality that Kubrick
achieved, but on a television budget. He succeeded brilliantly. I think it's
fair to say that Space: 1999's effects are the best ever presented on
television, before the advent of CGI. In an Anderson series, effects always
mean huge explosions - just look at the oil refinery that blows up in the
Thunderbirds title sequence - it's only there because it looks
fantastic! Space: 1999 has more than its fair share of big bangs - so
under this heading, I look at the effects work, particularly any new and
unusual sequences, and note the most spectacular explosions.
Mysterious unknown force:
This term was coined in an
article in a 1976 edition of Starlog magazine, to describe the forces
that sometimes seem to influence the Alphans' destiny in the first series.
Though by no means a major facet of every episode, the existence of higher
powers than man, which intervene to determine the course of events, lends a
metaphysical (almost religious) edge to the programme, which certainly makes
it stand apart from other science fiction shows of the period. This is one
area which attracted a great deal of criticism from the science fiction
community at the time of original broadcast. (Though perhaps, after the
success of shows like Babylon 5, with its own metaphysical sub-text,
it's not such a problem for them these days...) To me, this is one of the
most interesting and wonderful aspects of Space: 1999; and like so
much else that was good, it was eradicated in the second series. Under this
heading, I examine the episodes for instances of mysterious forces at work.
Does science really work that way?:
Another area that
attracted considerable criticism is the show's lack of scientific accuracy.
Most popular science fiction programmes contain a few scientific errors, and
these can usually be overlooked for the sake of dramatic necessity. But
Space: 1999 seems so divorced from any trace of real science, that's
it's almost as if the show is revelling in it! This led many writers of
"serious" science fiction to deride it without considering any of the other
factors that conspire to make Space: 1999 what it is. A work of art
must be appreciated as a whole, not by singling out one particular element. My own
academic background is in maths and the sciences, and I'm well aware of the
glaring errors in Space: 1999, but the show is so captivating that a
few niggles can't detract from my viewing experience. Besides, the very nature
of Space: 1999 is such that pure science cannot be held accountable
for every single event. As the previous heading will indicate, there's far
more to this than meets the eye. Under this heading, I will highlight some of the
outrageous scientific errors and oddities that have struck me whilst watching
the show, and I'll try occasionally to put them into perspective.
What the hell happened there?:
Space: 1999 is
full of bizarre and extraordinary events. Unlike any other science fiction
show, the Alphans encounter alien races and powers quite beyond our
comprehension - their destiny is shaped by mysterious forces - and nothing is
quite what it seems. Several episodes, particularly in the first series, are
left completely open-ended and lacking in any sense of narrative closure.
This is the third area that totally alienated the hard science fiction critics
in 1975. Nowadays, given the popularity of The X Files - a show that
seems to offer no narrative closure at all - I suspect that Space: 1999
might be somewhat more acceptable. Under this heading, I look at the strange
events and incomprehensible endings, and try to offer my own explanations of
just what the hell happened. Obviously, this will feature a good deal of my
own speculation, and where possible it will tie together occurrences of the
mysterious unknown force and the more glaring scientific errors.
Order! Order!:
Film series like Space: 1999
don't have a set running order. Unlike modern shows, where events take place
in a specific order and the plot continues from episode to episode, the film
series of the sixties and seventies were designed to have as little continuity
between episodes as possible, since there was absolutely no way to guarantee
what order the episodes would be broadcast. What would usually happen is that
a series would be produced with an obvious first episode, which established
the format, and all subsequent episodes would be largely interchangeable. It
would be up to broadcasters to sort out a running order, and in the case of
Space: 1999 they seem to have done this completely at random. More
recently, there has been a movement in fandom to place the episodes in order
of production. Fanderson got the BBC to mostly show the first series in this order,
for instance. This just doesn't work. As a single example, it means watching
War Games and The Last Enemy - two episodes in which the base
comes under heavy military attack - back to back. Any responsible broadcaster
would separate these episodes to stop it looking like the programme is repeating
itself. (For the second series, the BBC abandoned the production order - I
guess they wanted to have the same fun as the ITV schedulers in the seventies.)
In compiling this guide, I decided to work out my own running order.
For the first series, this is based on what little continuity there is in the
show - lines of dialogue, and other hints that certain events might occur
later than others, changes in the characters' attitudes, and so on - but
overall, the aim is just to produce the most logical and watchable sequence
of events. I noticed that the episodes divide roughly into two categories -
ones where the Moon arrives at a new planet, and ones where the Alphans are
visited by aliens or encounter various space phenomena. Since one of the main
criticisms of the show was the regularity with which the Moon encounters a
new planet, it made sense to alternate the two different types of episode -
that way, they wouldn't arrive at a new planet every week. Meanwhile, I made
sure that episodes dealing with similar themes were moved apart, for the
reasons outlined above. The second series is relatively easier to order,
since most of the episodes are given a date at the beginning. However, this
can cause its own problems with regard to the continuity... So, under this
heading, I explain my reasons for the placing of each episode within the
running order, and the problems that might then arise from it.
Notes and observations:
In this section, I note anything
interesting about the episode that hasn't come up under the other headings.
So, I might pay attention to the music (which is always excellent - in the first
series at any rate); the guest cast and the quality of the acting; interesting
things in the script and direction; and maybe a few behind the scenes facts,
gleaned secondhand from books, magazines and other websites. This will be
kept to a minimum however - because I'm mostly interested in what happened
on screen.
Verdict:
Finally, what I thought of the episode. I try
to give an honest assessment.
Guide to the first series
Guide to the second series - coming soon
Back to Site index
Created by
Andrew Kearley.
Please email me with your
comments and suggestions.
Explosions:
Gerry Anderson's shows are justifiably
famous for their special effects. For years, Derek Meddings pioneered
filming techniques that were years ahead of what the cinema was doing. It
was perhaps inevitable that he would be poached by the film industry. One of
his former assistants, Brian Johnson, had worked as a technician on 2001,
and was convinced that he could produce effects of the quality that Kubrick
achieved, but on a television budget. He succeeded brilliantly. I think it's
fair to say that Space: 1999's effects are the best ever presented on
television, before the advent of CGI. In an Anderson series, effects always
mean huge explosions - just look at the oil refinery that blows up in the
Thunderbirds title sequence - it's only there because it looks
fantastic! Space: 1999 has more than its fair share of big bangs - so
under this heading, I look at the effects work, particularly any new and
unusual sequences, and note the most spectacular explosions.
Mysterious unknown force:
This term was coined in an
article in a 1976 edition of Starlog magazine, to describe the forces
that sometimes seem to influence the Alphans' destiny in the first series.
Though by no means a major facet of every episode, the existence of higher
powers than man, which intervene to determine the course of events, lends a
metaphysical (almost religious) edge to the programme, which certainly makes
it stand apart from other science fiction shows of the period. This is one
area which attracted a great deal of criticism from the science fiction
community at the time of original broadcast. (Though perhaps, after the
success of shows like Babylon 5, with its own metaphysical sub-text,
it's not such a problem for them these days...) To me, this is one of the
most interesting and wonderful aspects of Space: 1999; and like so
much else that was good, it was eradicated in the second series. Under this
heading, I examine the episodes for instances of mysterious forces at work.
Does science really work that way?:
Another area that
attracted considerable criticism is the show's lack of scientific accuracy.
Most popular science fiction programmes contain a few scientific errors, and
these can usually be overlooked for the sake of dramatic necessity. But
Space: 1999 seems so divorced from any trace of real science, that's
it's almost as if the show is revelling in it! This led many writers of
"serious" science fiction to deride it without considering any of the other
factors that conspire to make Space: 1999 what it is. A work of art
must be appreciated as a whole, not by singling out one particular element. My own
academic background is in maths and the sciences, and I'm well aware of the
glaring errors in Space: 1999, but the show is so captivating that a
few niggles can't detract from my viewing experience. Besides, the very nature
of Space: 1999 is such that pure science cannot be held accountable
for every single event. As the previous heading will indicate, there's far
more to this than meets the eye. Under this heading, I will highlight some of the
outrageous scientific errors and oddities that have struck me whilst watching
the show, and I'll try occasionally to put them into perspective.
What the hell happened there?:
Space: 1999 is
full of bizarre and extraordinary events. Unlike any other science fiction
show, the Alphans encounter alien races and powers quite beyond our
comprehension - their destiny is shaped by mysterious forces - and nothing is
quite what it seems. Several episodes, particularly in the first series, are
left completely open-ended and lacking in any sense of narrative closure.
This is the third area that totally alienated the hard science fiction critics
in 1975. Nowadays, given the popularity of The X Files - a show that
seems to offer no narrative closure at all - I suspect that Space: 1999
might be somewhat more acceptable. Under this heading, I look at the strange
events and incomprehensible endings, and try to offer my own explanations of
just what the hell happened. Obviously, this will feature a good deal of my
own speculation, and where possible it will tie together occurrences of the
mysterious unknown force and the more glaring scientific errors.
Order! Order!:
Film series like Space: 1999
don't have a set running order. Unlike modern shows, where events take place
in a specific order and the plot continues from episode to episode, the film
series of the sixties and seventies were designed to have as little continuity
between episodes as possible, since there was absolutely no way to guarantee
what order the episodes would be broadcast. What would usually happen is that
a series would be produced with an obvious first episode, which established
the format, and all subsequent episodes would be largely interchangeable. It
would be up to broadcasters to sort out a running order, and in the case of
Space: 1999 they seem to have done this completely at random. More
recently, there has been a movement in fandom to place the episodes in order
of production. Fanderson got the BBC to mostly show the first series in this order,
for instance. This just doesn't work. As a single example, it means watching
War Games and The Last Enemy - two episodes in which the base
comes under heavy military attack - back to back. Any responsible broadcaster
would separate these episodes to stop it looking like the programme is repeating
itself. (For the second series, the BBC abandoned the production order - I
guess they wanted to have the same fun as the ITV schedulers in the seventies.)
In compiling this guide, I decided to work out my own running order.
For the first series, this is based on what little continuity there is in the
show - lines of dialogue, and other hints that certain events might occur
later than others, changes in the characters' attitudes, and so on - but
overall, the aim is just to produce the most logical and watchable sequence
of events. I noticed that the episodes divide roughly into two categories -
ones where the Moon arrives at a new planet, and ones where the Alphans are
visited by aliens or encounter various space phenomena. Since one of the main
criticisms of the show was the regularity with which the Moon encounters a
new planet, it made sense to alternate the two different types of episode -
that way, they wouldn't arrive at a new planet every week. Meanwhile, I made
sure that episodes dealing with similar themes were moved apart, for the
reasons outlined above. The second series is relatively easier to order,
since most of the episodes are given a date at the beginning. However, this
can cause its own problems with regard to the continuity... So, under this
heading, I explain my reasons for the placing of each episode within the
running order, and the problems that might then arise from it.
Notes and observations:
In this section, I note anything
interesting about the episode that hasn't come up under the other headings.
So, I might pay attention to the music (which is always excellent - in the first
series at any rate); the guest cast and the quality of the acting; interesting
things in the script and direction; and maybe a few behind the scenes facts,
gleaned secondhand from books, magazines and other websites. This will be
kept to a minimum however - because I'm mostly interested in what happened
on screen.
Verdict:
Finally, what I thought of the episode. I try
to give an honest assessment.
Guide to the first series
Guide to the second series - coming soon
Back to Site index
Created by
Andrew Kearley.
Please email me with your
comments and suggestions.
Mysterious unknown force:
This term was coined in an
article in a 1976 edition of Starlog magazine, to describe the forces
that sometimes seem to influence the Alphans' destiny in the first series.
Though by no means a major facet of every episode, the existence of higher
powers than man, which intervene to determine the course of events, lends a
metaphysical (almost religious) edge to the programme, which certainly makes
it stand apart from other science fiction shows of the period. This is one
area which attracted a great deal of criticism from the science fiction
community at the time of original broadcast. (Though perhaps, after the
success of shows like Babylon 5, with its own metaphysical sub-text,
it's not such a problem for them these days...) To me, this is one of the
most interesting and wonderful aspects of Space: 1999; and like so
much else that was good, it was eradicated in the second series. Under this
heading, I examine the episodes for instances of mysterious forces at work.
Does science really work that way?:
Another area that
attracted considerable criticism is the show's lack of scientific accuracy.
Most popular science fiction programmes contain a few scientific errors, and
these can usually be overlooked for the sake of dramatic necessity. But
Space: 1999 seems so divorced from any trace of real science, that's
it's almost as if the show is revelling in it! This led many writers of
"serious" science fiction to deride it without considering any of the other
factors that conspire to make Space: 1999 what it is. A work of art
must be appreciated as a whole, not by singling out one particular element. My own
academic background is in maths and the sciences, and I'm well aware of the
glaring errors in Space: 1999, but the show is so captivating that a
few niggles can't detract from my viewing experience. Besides, the very nature
of Space: 1999 is such that pure science cannot be held accountable
for every single event. As the previous heading will indicate, there's far
more to this than meets the eye. Under this heading, I will highlight some of the
outrageous scientific errors and oddities that have struck me whilst watching
the show, and I'll try occasionally to put them into perspective.
What the hell happened there?:
Space: 1999 is
full of bizarre and extraordinary events. Unlike any other science fiction
show, the Alphans encounter alien races and powers quite beyond our
comprehension - their destiny is shaped by mysterious forces - and nothing is
quite what it seems. Several episodes, particularly in the first series, are
left completely open-ended and lacking in any sense of narrative closure.
This is the third area that totally alienated the hard science fiction critics
in 1975. Nowadays, given the popularity of The X Files - a show that
seems to offer no narrative closure at all - I suspect that Space: 1999
might be somewhat more acceptable. Under this heading, I look at the strange
events and incomprehensible endings, and try to offer my own explanations of
just what the hell happened. Obviously, this will feature a good deal of my
own speculation, and where possible it will tie together occurrences of the
mysterious unknown force and the more glaring scientific errors.
Order! Order!:
Film series like Space: 1999
don't have a set running order. Unlike modern shows, where events take place
in a specific order and the plot continues from episode to episode, the film
series of the sixties and seventies were designed to have as little continuity
between episodes as possible, since there was absolutely no way to guarantee
what order the episodes would be broadcast. What would usually happen is that
a series would be produced with an obvious first episode, which established
the format, and all subsequent episodes would be largely interchangeable. It
would be up to broadcasters to sort out a running order, and in the case of
Space: 1999 they seem to have done this completely at random. More
recently, there has been a movement in fandom to place the episodes in order
of production. Fanderson got the BBC to mostly show the first series in this order,
for instance. This just doesn't work. As a single example, it means watching
War Games and The Last Enemy - two episodes in which the base
comes under heavy military attack - back to back. Any responsible broadcaster
would separate these episodes to stop it looking like the programme is repeating
itself. (For the second series, the BBC abandoned the production order - I
guess they wanted to have the same fun as the ITV schedulers in the seventies.)
In compiling this guide, I decided to work out my own running order.
For the first series, this is based on what little continuity there is in the
show - lines of dialogue, and other hints that certain events might occur
later than others, changes in the characters' attitudes, and so on - but
overall, the aim is just to produce the most logical and watchable sequence
of events. I noticed that the episodes divide roughly into two categories -
ones where the Moon arrives at a new planet, and ones where the Alphans are
visited by aliens or encounter various space phenomena. Since one of the main
criticisms of the show was the regularity with which the Moon encounters a
new planet, it made sense to alternate the two different types of episode -
that way, they wouldn't arrive at a new planet every week. Meanwhile, I made
sure that episodes dealing with similar themes were moved apart, for the
reasons outlined above. The second series is relatively easier to order,
since most of the episodes are given a date at the beginning. However, this
can cause its own problems with regard to the continuity... So, under this
heading, I explain my reasons for the placing of each episode within the
running order, and the problems that might then arise from it.
Notes and observations:
In this section, I note anything
interesting about the episode that hasn't come up under the other headings.
So, I might pay attention to the music (which is always excellent - in the first
series at any rate); the guest cast and the quality of the acting; interesting
things in the script and direction; and maybe a few behind the scenes facts,
gleaned secondhand from books, magazines and other websites. This will be
kept to a minimum however - because I'm mostly interested in what happened
on screen.
Verdict:
Finally, what I thought of the episode. I try
to give an honest assessment.
Guide to the first series
Guide to the second series - coming soon
Back to Site index
Created by
Andrew Kearley.
Please email me with your
comments and suggestions.
Does science really work that way?:
Another area that
attracted considerable criticism is the show's lack of scientific accuracy.
Most popular science fiction programmes contain a few scientific errors, and
these can usually be overlooked for the sake of dramatic necessity. But
Space: 1999 seems so divorced from any trace of real science, that's
it's almost as if the show is revelling in it! This led many writers of
"serious" science fiction to deride it without considering any of the other
factors that conspire to make Space: 1999 what it is. A work of art
must be appreciated as a whole, not by singling out one particular element. My own
academic background is in maths and the sciences, and I'm well aware of the
glaring errors in Space: 1999, but the show is so captivating that a
few niggles can't detract from my viewing experience. Besides, the very nature
of Space: 1999 is such that pure science cannot be held accountable
for every single event. As the previous heading will indicate, there's far
more to this than meets the eye. Under this heading, I will highlight some of the
outrageous scientific errors and oddities that have struck me whilst watching
the show, and I'll try occasionally to put them into perspective.
What the hell happened there?:
Space: 1999 is
full of bizarre and extraordinary events. Unlike any other science fiction
show, the Alphans encounter alien races and powers quite beyond our
comprehension - their destiny is shaped by mysterious forces - and nothing is
quite what it seems. Several episodes, particularly in the first series, are
left completely open-ended and lacking in any sense of narrative closure.
This is the third area that totally alienated the hard science fiction critics
in 1975. Nowadays, given the popularity of The X Files - a show that
seems to offer no narrative closure at all - I suspect that Space: 1999
might be somewhat more acceptable. Under this heading, I look at the strange
events and incomprehensible endings, and try to offer my own explanations of
just what the hell happened. Obviously, this will feature a good deal of my
own speculation, and where possible it will tie together occurrences of the
mysterious unknown force and the more glaring scientific errors.
Order! Order!:
Film series like Space: 1999
don't have a set running order. Unlike modern shows, where events take place
in a specific order and the plot continues from episode to episode, the film
series of the sixties and seventies were designed to have as little continuity
between episodes as possible, since there was absolutely no way to guarantee
what order the episodes would be broadcast. What would usually happen is that
a series would be produced with an obvious first episode, which established
the format, and all subsequent episodes would be largely interchangeable. It
would be up to broadcasters to sort out a running order, and in the case of
Space: 1999 they seem to have done this completely at random. More
recently, there has been a movement in fandom to place the episodes in order
of production. Fanderson got the BBC to mostly show the first series in this order,
for instance. This just doesn't work. As a single example, it means watching
War Games and The Last Enemy - two episodes in which the base
comes under heavy military attack - back to back. Any responsible broadcaster
would separate these episodes to stop it looking like the programme is repeating
itself. (For the second series, the BBC abandoned the production order - I
guess they wanted to have the same fun as the ITV schedulers in the seventies.)
In compiling this guide, I decided to work out my own running order.
For the first series, this is based on what little continuity there is in the
show - lines of dialogue, and other hints that certain events might occur
later than others, changes in the characters' attitudes, and so on - but
overall, the aim is just to produce the most logical and watchable sequence
of events. I noticed that the episodes divide roughly into two categories -
ones where the Moon arrives at a new planet, and ones where the Alphans are
visited by aliens or encounter various space phenomena. Since one of the main
criticisms of the show was the regularity with which the Moon encounters a
new planet, it made sense to alternate the two different types of episode -
that way, they wouldn't arrive at a new planet every week. Meanwhile, I made
sure that episodes dealing with similar themes were moved apart, for the
reasons outlined above. The second series is relatively easier to order,
since most of the episodes are given a date at the beginning. However, this
can cause its own problems with regard to the continuity... So, under this
heading, I explain my reasons for the placing of each episode within the
running order, and the problems that might then arise from it.
Notes and observations:
In this section, I note anything
interesting about the episode that hasn't come up under the other headings.
So, I might pay attention to the music (which is always excellent - in the first
series at any rate); the guest cast and the quality of the acting; interesting
things in the script and direction; and maybe a few behind the scenes facts,
gleaned secondhand from books, magazines and other websites. This will be
kept to a minimum however - because I'm mostly interested in what happened
on screen.
Verdict:
Finally, what I thought of the episode. I try
to give an honest assessment.
Guide to the first series
Guide to the second series - coming soon
Back to Site index
Created by
Andrew Kearley.
Please email me with your
comments and suggestions.
What the hell happened there?:
Space: 1999 is
full of bizarre and extraordinary events. Unlike any other science fiction
show, the Alphans encounter alien races and powers quite beyond our
comprehension - their destiny is shaped by mysterious forces - and nothing is
quite what it seems. Several episodes, particularly in the first series, are
left completely open-ended and lacking in any sense of narrative closure.
This is the third area that totally alienated the hard science fiction critics
in 1975. Nowadays, given the popularity of The X Files - a show that
seems to offer no narrative closure at all - I suspect that Space: 1999
might be somewhat more acceptable. Under this heading, I look at the strange
events and incomprehensible endings, and try to offer my own explanations of
just what the hell happened. Obviously, this will feature a good deal of my
own speculation, and where possible it will tie together occurrences of the
mysterious unknown force and the more glaring scientific errors.
Order! Order!:
Film series like Space: 1999
don't have a set running order. Unlike modern shows, where events take place
in a specific order and the plot continues from episode to episode, the film
series of the sixties and seventies were designed to have as little continuity
between episodes as possible, since there was absolutely no way to guarantee
what order the episodes would be broadcast. What would usually happen is that
a series would be produced with an obvious first episode, which established
the format, and all subsequent episodes would be largely interchangeable. It
would be up to broadcasters to sort out a running order, and in the case of
Space: 1999 they seem to have done this completely at random. More
recently, there has been a movement in fandom to place the episodes in order
of production. Fanderson got the BBC to mostly show the first series in this order,
for instance. This just doesn't work. As a single example, it means watching
War Games and The Last Enemy - two episodes in which the base
comes under heavy military attack - back to back. Any responsible broadcaster
would separate these episodes to stop it looking like the programme is repeating
itself. (For the second series, the BBC abandoned the production order - I
guess they wanted to have the same fun as the ITV schedulers in the seventies.)
In compiling this guide, I decided to work out my own running order.
For the first series, this is based on what little continuity there is in the
show - lines of dialogue, and other hints that certain events might occur
later than others, changes in the characters' attitudes, and so on - but
overall, the aim is just to produce the most logical and watchable sequence
of events. I noticed that the episodes divide roughly into two categories -
ones where the Moon arrives at a new planet, and ones where the Alphans are
visited by aliens or encounter various space phenomena. Since one of the main
criticisms of the show was the regularity with which the Moon encounters a
new planet, it made sense to alternate the two different types of episode -
that way, they wouldn't arrive at a new planet every week. Meanwhile, I made
sure that episodes dealing with similar themes were moved apart, for the
reasons outlined above. The second series is relatively easier to order,
since most of the episodes are given a date at the beginning. However, this
can cause its own problems with regard to the continuity... So, under this
heading, I explain my reasons for the placing of each episode within the
running order, and the problems that might then arise from it.
Notes and observations:
In this section, I note anything
interesting about the episode that hasn't come up under the other headings.
So, I might pay attention to the music (which is always excellent - in the first
series at any rate); the guest cast and the quality of the acting; interesting
things in the script and direction; and maybe a few behind the scenes facts,
gleaned secondhand from books, magazines and other websites. This will be
kept to a minimum however - because I'm mostly interested in what happened
on screen.
Verdict:
Finally, what I thought of the episode. I try
to give an honest assessment.
Guide to the first series
Guide to the second series - coming soon
Back to Site index
Created by
Andrew Kearley.
Please email me with your
comments and suggestions.
Order! Order!:
Film series like Space: 1999
don't have a set running order. Unlike modern shows, where events take place
in a specific order and the plot continues from episode to episode, the film
series of the sixties and seventies were designed to have as little continuity
between episodes as possible, since there was absolutely no way to guarantee
what order the episodes would be broadcast. What would usually happen is that
a series would be produced with an obvious first episode, which established
the format, and all subsequent episodes would be largely interchangeable. It
would be up to broadcasters to sort out a running order, and in the case of
Space: 1999 they seem to have done this completely at random. More
recently, there has been a movement in fandom to place the episodes in order
of production. Fanderson got the BBC to mostly show the first series in this order,
for instance. This just doesn't work. As a single example, it means watching
War Games and The Last Enemy - two episodes in which the base
comes under heavy military attack - back to back. Any responsible broadcaster
would separate these episodes to stop it looking like the programme is repeating
itself. (For the second series, the BBC abandoned the production order - I
guess they wanted to have the same fun as the ITV schedulers in the seventies.)
In compiling this guide, I decided to work out my own running order.
For the first series, this is based on what little continuity there is in the
show - lines of dialogue, and other hints that certain events might occur
later than others, changes in the characters' attitudes, and so on - but
overall, the aim is just to produce the most logical and watchable sequence
of events. I noticed that the episodes divide roughly into two categories -
ones where the Moon arrives at a new planet, and ones where the Alphans are
visited by aliens or encounter various space phenomena. Since one of the main
criticisms of the show was the regularity with which the Moon encounters a
new planet, it made sense to alternate the two different types of episode -
that way, they wouldn't arrive at a new planet every week. Meanwhile, I made
sure that episodes dealing with similar themes were moved apart, for the
reasons outlined above. The second series is relatively easier to order,
since most of the episodes are given a date at the beginning. However, this
can cause its own problems with regard to the continuity... So, under this
heading, I explain my reasons for the placing of each episode within the
running order, and the problems that might then arise from it.
Notes and observations:
In this section, I note anything
interesting about the episode that hasn't come up under the other headings.
So, I might pay attention to the music (which is always excellent - in the first
series at any rate); the guest cast and the quality of the acting; interesting
things in the script and direction; and maybe a few behind the scenes facts,
gleaned secondhand from books, magazines and other websites. This will be
kept to a minimum however - because I'm mostly interested in what happened
on screen.
Verdict:
Finally, what I thought of the episode. I try
to give an honest assessment.
Guide to the first series
Guide to the second series - coming soon
Back to Site index
Created by
Andrew Kearley.
Please email me with your
comments and suggestions.
Notes and observations:
In this section, I note anything
interesting about the episode that hasn't come up under the other headings.
So, I might pay attention to the music (which is always excellent - in the first
series at any rate); the guest cast and the quality of the acting; interesting
things in the script and direction; and maybe a few behind the scenes facts,
gleaned secondhand from books, magazines and other websites. This will be
kept to a minimum however - because I'm mostly interested in what happened
on screen.
Verdict:
Finally, what I thought of the episode. I try
to give an honest assessment.
Guide to the first series
Guide to the second series - coming soon
Back to Site index
Created by
Andrew Kearley.
Please email me with your
comments and suggestions.
Verdict:
Finally, what I thought of the episode. I try
to give an honest assessment.
Guide to the first series
Guide to the second series - coming soon
Back to Site index
Created by
Andrew Kearley.
Please email me with your
comments and suggestions.
Guide to the first series
Guide to the second series - coming soon
Back to Site index
Created by
Andrew Kearley.
Please email me with your
comments and suggestions.
|
Back to Site index | Created by
Andrew Kearley. Please email me with your comments and suggestions. |