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SPACE:1999

Started by Tiplodocus, 25 September, 2015, 12:33:04 PM

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Tiplodocus

Annoyed that, twelve days back, I missed the 16th anniversary of our moon blasting out of orbit, I thought I'd check out some Space:1999 stuff.

I recall (and I haven't watched it since I was a kid so could be wrong)  absolutely loving Season 1 as a kid - oddly I liked Season 2 less even though, if I recall, it had more monstery stuff in it and was a bit more run down corridors.

So I watched Episode 1: Breakaway and actually quite enjoyed it. 

The Production Design (and effects) are pretty much top-notch and still mostly stand-up. The pacing is a little off but, hey, that's how they did telly back then. 

Things I didn't remember: 

  • The whole focus on the planet "Meta" and how that might be a home for them.
    The whole "space radiation madness" plot which led to the blast off.
    Philip Madoc!
    How interchangeable all the leads are: they struggle to display much emotion and characterisation apart from the avuncular Barry Morse. 
    How little effort they make to try get back to earth. "Oh, we blasted out of orbit. The computer says we're screwed. Never mind." was about the level of it. They could have at least shown an effort by earth to reach them or vice versa.
    How completely stupid the concept is. But, fuck it, I ran with it.
    How, if you didn't know what the concept was, and if they hadn't given it away in the titeles, you'd have been suckered into it being a space mystery stopping us starting a Star Trek mission and then "Bang! Bloody hell! The whole moon has gone"

Things I did remember:

  • How fucking cool is the "electroknux" style phaser and the Eagle!
    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 shall be watching more. Which season is it that has an alien beastie in the back of an Eagle?  And when do Christopher Lee and Brian Blessed turn up.

Oh and any good "Making Of" documentaries that people would recommend? 
Be excellent to each other. And party on!

Proudhuff

But It doesn't beat UFO for madness, design and paranoia
DDT did a job on me

Richmond Clements

Did the alien lady only appear in the second season?

Satanist

Should've opened with the theme tune fucking ROCKS!
Hmm, just pretend I wrote something witty eh?

johnnystress

I love the gun and spaceship designs

This is still knocking around at home somewhere



My abiding memory however, is this..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WKfEj5JpwA

Richmond Clements

Oh! I remember that toy gun - didn't it fire little plastic discs?

von Boom

Yes, yes it did. My sister knows all too well the sting of my mighty Stun/Kill gun. I always used the kill setting on her. :)

Colin YNWA

Quote from: Tiplodocus on 25 September, 2015, 12:33:04 PM

How fucking cool is the "electroknux" style phaser and the Eagle!


Completely this... well except the part about the Eagle being better than the Falcon, which is clear baloney. I worthy runner up to the Falcon, is I assume what you meant!

I seem to recall it was genuinely scary at times too? I was young and haven't seen it since, but I seem to remember being haunted two things (both of which dominated doorways creepily) one was some kinda giant space spider, that in my head seem to devour crew members in a quite terrifying manner.

Secondly was there some kinda space foam that rotted people.

Both of those I can picture in my head... but then my head has been through quite a lot since then, but yeah it was scary to a small kid.

Tiplodocus

Quote from: Satanist on 25 September, 2015, 01:15:00 PM
Should've opened with the theme tune fucking ROCKS!
I apologise. I assumed this was already accepted as one of the immutable facts on which the universe is built.
Be excellent to each other. And party on!

Grant Goggans

Quote from: Tiplodocus on 25 September, 2015, 12:33:04 PM
I shall be watching more. Which season is it that has an alien beastie in the back of an Eagle?  And when do Christopher Lee and Brian Blessed turn up.


I think the alien you mean is the one from Dragon's Domain in season one.  Lee and Blessed are both in season one, and Blessed plays another character in season two.

Colin YNWA

Quote from: Grant Goggans on 25 September, 2015, 02:22:37 PM
Quote from: Tiplodocus on 25 September, 2015, 12:33:04 PM
I shall be watching more. Which season is it that has an alien beastie in the back of an Eagle?  And when do Christopher Lee and Brian Blessed turn up.


I think the alien you mean is the one from Dragon's Domain in season one.  Lee and Blessed are both in season one, and Blessed plays another character in season two.

Okay right, so it turns out it wasn't a space spider but this. Am I right in thinking that it sucked people in and kinda liquefied them?

Bloody terrifying!

blackmocco

If ever there was a Blu-Ray set worth buying to show how an old TV show can be brought to vibrant life, it's Space: 1999. Look, the show can be a bit of a snore sometimes. Some of these episodes feel like a looooooooonnng hour but they've done such a spectacular job restoring it, it's pretty astounding. I was amazed there actually is color on the show! I'd always remembered everything being washed out shades of white and beige. They've restored the discs from the original film stock so the truth is, the show looks better now than when it aired on TV. Well worth your money. Seriously, can't recommend it enough.

Also, Dragon's Domain has the scariest TV creature of all time.
"...and it was here in this blighted place, he learned to live again."

www.BLACKMOCCO.com
www.BLACKMOCCO.blogspot.com

Satanist

Quote from: Tiplodocus on 25 September, 2015, 01:52:25 PM
Quote from: Satanist on 25 September, 2015, 01:15:00 PM
Should've opened with the theme tune fucking ROCKS!
I apologise. I assumed this was already accepted as one of the immutable facts on which the universe is built.

That's good to hear as I wasn't actually aware of this show until about 20 years ago. I shared a flat with a mate who was a massive fan as a kid and BBC2 started showing an episode every weeknight at 6pm. It quickly became a post work/pre pub staple.
Hmm, just pretend I wrote something witty eh?

Dandontdare

I'll be back later when I've more time to gush about the show that came a very close second to Dr Who as THE BEST THING ON TELLY WHEN I WAS A KID, but I'll drop in now to mention those  chunky little remote-control /communicators with the tiny telly screen in the top.

Grant Goggans

I don't know how many of you good people are reading my classic TV blog Fire-Breathing Dimetrodon Time, but I'm watching some great 1960s-1970s adventure shows with my four year-old.  I'm totally planning to drop "Dragon's Domain" on him when he's seven or so, and plan for him to sleep in our bed that night.

https://firebreathingdimetrodon.wordpress.com/