Space: 1999 (1975–1977)

The crew of Moonbase Alpha must struggle to survive when a massive explosion throws the Moon from orbit into deep space.

Creators:

Gerry Anderson, Sylvia Anderson

Stars:

Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, Nick Tate

Cast

Series cast summary:
Martin Landau	...	Commander John Koenig (48 episodes, 1975-1977)
Barbara Bain	...	Dr. Helena Russell (47 episodes, 1975-1977)
Nick Tate	...	Alan Carter (42 episodes, 1975-1977)
Zienia Merton	...	Sandra Benes (35 episodes, 1975-1977)
Catherine Schell	...	Maya (25 episodes, 1975-1977)
Barry Morse	...	Prof. Victor Bergman (24 episodes, 1975-1976)
Tony Anholt	...	Tony Verdeschi (23 episodes, 1976-1977)
Prentis Hancock	...	Paul Morrow (23 episodes, 1975-1976)
Clifton Jones	...	David Kano (23 episodes, 1975-1976)
Anton Phillips	...	Dr. Mathias (23 episodes, 1975-1976)

Storyline

In 1999, Moonbase Alpha, nestled in the Lunar crater Plato, is a scientific research colony and watchdog over silos of atomic waste from Earth stored on the Moon's far side. On September 13, 1999, magnetic energy builds to cause an explosive chain-reaction of the waste, blasting the Moon out of Earth orbit and off the plane of the ecliptic, out of the Solar System. The inhabitants of Moonbase Alpha are unable to return to Earth and must survive on their wandering Moon as it is displaced further into unknown space by freak space warps. Along the way, they are joined by an alien woman with the ability to change herself into any living creature at will.

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Plot Keywords:

moon | space | alpha | explosion | moon base | 

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Taglines:

An Adventure As Big As The Universe!

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

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Details

Official Sites:

Carlton Video Ltd

Country:

UK Italy

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 September 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cosmos 1999

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Group 3, Incorporated Television Company (ITC), Radiotelevisione Italiana

Technical Specs

Runtime:

50 min 50 min (48 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono Dolby Digital (DVD Release)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

4:3

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Moon is blasted from Earth's orbit on Monday September 13 1999.

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Goofs

Early in the series, commlocks are required both to open and to close doors. However, by the middle of the first season, the doors close behind the Alphans automatically.

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Quotes

John Koenig: We're all aliens, until we get to know one another.

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Crazy Credits

During the first season, excerpts for each week's episode were incorporated into the opening credits, which was something of a Gerry Anderson trademark.

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Connections

Edited into Destination Moonbase-Alpha (1978)

User Reviews

The greatest thing on tv.... when you were eight years old....

I have intensely fond memories of this show. I always seemed to associate it with some of the best memories of my childhood, although sometimes I wonder if those memories were so good because I had a show I was so fond of to relate to in my memory.

As such, my expectations of this show were abnormally high. Years later, when I finally got my hands on the box sets of both series, I was destined to be.... disappointed? Not really. After all those years I'd come to understand that nothing my child's mind had interpreted as "great" was ever going to meet the standards of my adult point of view.

As with everyone who has commented on this show, it is almost impossible to watch S99 as a combined 48 episode tv show. The differences between the seasons are far too great. Season 1 is marvellously primal and epic in its intentions, earnest in its realisation and grim and depressing in its reflection. It was also class ham, far more 1960's than were most shows made in 1974. The characters were all a pretty grim lot, but after 24 episodes you start to warm to them, feeling for their predicament. The individual episodes really stood out, especially Dragon's Domain, The Infernal Machine, Black Sun, Force of Life, The Last Sunset, Earthbound, Mission of the Darians, The Last Enemy, Space Brain and End of Eternity. Season 2 was a necessitated shift away from this grimness, because without it there wouldn't have been a season 2, for better or worse. It doesn't have the same epic feel or the sense that things are quite as desperate for the crew of Moonbase Alpha, and carries with it a greater sense of character, without the sense of depth. It was too far in the other direction, in my opinion, which was why we didn't see a season 3. The producers just never managed to settle the show down into something that would both be dramatic and acceptable to the casual viewer.

But this was the first show I ever followed, in my memory, week after week without fail, and so I love it to bits, even with all of its faults. If made today, I wouldn't be anywhere near as forgiving for those faults. Times have changed, for everyone, I suppose.