SPACE:1999

[Zanti Misfit]

I think the astronomer John Archibald Wheeler came up with the term Black Hole in 1967, and the first one was discovered in '71.

Black Sun is a great episode though (back in the 90's I had a truncated video version of this story, spliced with another episode, and pitched as a Space 1999 movie release - alas, I didn't know any better).
I'm liking all the SP1999 adoration on display here, and am having a few like-minded (sad ) friends around this weekend to watch selections from the new remastered Season 2 set, plus a Blake's 7 & Pertwee-era Doctor Who boozy night.
God, I love the 70's!

[Grugz]

anyone else scared shitless as kids by the blobby one eyed aliens pretending to be humans?

[I, Cosh]

Like many others, it seems, I have very fond, if vague, memories of the programme but have never attempted to watch it as an adult. Must give it a try.

As much as I love the Enterprise and the Millenium Falcon, the Eagle is gorgeous piece of design. Possibly my favourite spaceship as a child (until the real Shuttle came along).

I'd put it a close second to the Liberator but it is a beauty. Despite having a ludicrous amount of Star Wars crap as a kid I was always insanely jealous of the couple of friends who had the toy Eagle with the detachable mid section.

[TordelBack]

I was that kid, although it was picked up at a parish sale and the attitude jets were a bit chewed.. I had the conventional green diecast hab-pod model, but oh how I coveted the white cargo freighter version for the full effect  The whole modular thing was the very definition of play value, but the best bit being the spring-mounted landing legs that bounced as it landed, unloaded the pod and rocketed off again.  Man, that was a toy. Way better than the show, in fact...

[IAMTHESYSTEM]

It was one of those shows that was caught between times. In the mid seventies realism on Tv was still the vogue so to produce a Sci Fi show was always going to be a tough call. The computer effects that made Star Wars into the mega bucks spinner weren't available for Tv and the production design looks very dated now with glitter and flowing capes for aliens, plastic walls, flared trousers etc. Still nostalgia has given it some charm but Star Trek did it better with better storylines and characters that's why there's plenty of spin offs and new Movies about Star Trek- and why there's only 2 seasons of Space 1999. I still enjoy them though and like all cheap people I watch them on YouTube.

[DaveGYNWA]

anyone else scared shitless as kids by the blobby one eyed aliens pretending to be humans?

Yes - genuine 'hide behind the sofa' moment for me.

[Tiplodocus]

The computer effects that made Star Wars into the mega bucks spinner weren't available for Tv...

Computer effects were not really available to movies in the seventies either.

Oddly I think the production design, certainly of moonbeam, still holds up. Haven't hit any silver caped aliens yet though.

What has been slightly disappointing are some of the optical effects for swirly space anomaly things and force fields. You can almost see the coloured light shining through greaseproof paper.

But so far, so spiritual and philosophical. They almost don't care about the resolution of the threat and tend to finish episodes with a "Makes you wonder, doesn't it?"

[SIP]

anyone else scared shitless as kids by the blobby one eyed aliens pretending to be humans?

Yes - genuine 'hide behind the sofa' moment for me.

Oh god yes, had forgotten about those........

[Grant Goggans]

anyone else scared shitless as kids by the blobby one eyed aliens pretending to be humans?

I missed those guys until I was too teenage to be frightened by them, but yeah, I can believe those were world-ending to the under-eights.

[blackmocco]

Surely the thing Space: 1999 achieves better than most other sci-fi shows is an overpowering sense of loneliness and desolation. Even as a kid, it struck me as a pretty haunting show. At least there's shit to do on the Enterprise and there's huge splashes of warm colors. Moonbase Alpha looks like an Apple store crossed with a mental asylum. It's cold and sterile and that's before you even look out the window (The window that you can smash with your bare hands and a space helmet if you so desire, just to remind you all). On top of that, you always get the feeling that before the particular episode you're watching began, everyone sat around for months, bored shitless, waiting for something to happen. It's an interesting atmosphere to set a show like this in.

[blackmocco]

I was that kid, although it was picked up at a parish sale and the attitude jets were a bit chewed.. I had the conventional green diecast hab-pod model, but oh how I coveted the white cargo freighter version for the full effect  The whole modular thing was the very definition of play value, but the best bit being the spring-mounted landing legs that bounced as it landed, unloaded the pod and rocketed off again.  Man, that was a toy. Way better than the show, in fact...

I have the green one as well. Never had it as a kid though. One of the first things I bought with my first paycheck when I moved to LA. (Along with some other goodies I could never afford as a kid...)

[Professor Bear]

On top of that, you always get the feeling that before the particular episode you're watching began, everyone sat around for months, bored shitless, waiting for something to happen.

Doesn't season 2 supposedly take place over something like 19 years?

[TordelBack]

I have the green one as well. Never had it as a kid though. One of the first things I bought with my first paycheck when I moved to LA. (Along with some other goodies I could never afford as a kid...)

Nice!

Until I saw your pic there I'd forgotten that the little red door on the side of the module opened up, and there were stairs on the reverse. Or was that only in my head?  Alas, the Eagle was recycled to another jumble sale decades ago by well-meaning parents, so some collector has probably paid silly money for my one now.   If anyone here has one with teeth marks on the rear red attitude thrusters, please return it immediately.   

[auxlen]

anyone else scared shitless as kids by the blobby one eyed aliens pretending to be humans?

yeah those were the one i mentioned in my post (albeit less eleoquently)

http://i.stack.imgur.com/HvyM2.jpg

[blackmocco]

I have the green one as well. Never had it as a kid though. One of the first things I bought with my first paycheck when I moved to LA. (Along with some other goodies I could never afford as a kid...)

Nice!

Until I saw your pic there I'd forgotten that the little red door on the side of the module opened up, and there were stairs on the reverse. Or was that only in my head?  Alas, the Eagle was recycled to another jumble sale decades ago by well-meaning parents, so some collector has probably paid silly money for my one now.   If anyone here has one with teeth marks on the rear red attitude thrusters, please return it immediately.

Nope, you remember correctly. The doors open. There's quite a few of them on eBay at reasonable prices if you feel the need to revisit your childhood...