I was never really a fan of SPACE 1999 despite looking forward to every broadcast every Thursday night in the mid 1970s . As an adult it's very easy to see the series flaws . It's an extremely deadpan show treated with total seriousness with aesthetics obviously inspired by 2001 and yet given any serious thought the science involved collapses . Even if you suspend any disbelief in the premise of the Moon being blown out of Earth orbit it becomes more and more implausible the number of alien planets and cultures the inhabitants of Moonbase Alpha meet on a weekly basis . Also a bit convenient that the Moon never flies in to a star or passes a supernova. That's always the problem with a serious SF show - you can't keep changing the goal posts
The problem with series one of SPACE 1999 is that it wants to have its cake and eat it . At least season two threw in its lot and became an international version of STAR TREK but not so its predecessor that concerned itself with mysticism , metephysics and reboot buttons . At least two episodes featured the entire cast being killed off only for them to be resurrected at the end of the episode , a massive cheat that seems to have influenced Steven Moffat's vision of DOCTOR WHO . I suppose Gerry Anderson can defend himself by saying it might have been more original in the mid 1970s but this " Aliens decide to give the Alphans a second chance " still isn't much different from someone woke up and found it was a dream type storytelling
Earthbound written by Anthony Terpillof and directed by Charles Chrichton is almost certainly the best story of season one despite - or more likely because of - its lack of astro-mysticism and metaphysics . It has a very simple story of an alien ship landing on the Moon and the aliens stating they're visiting the Earth , a journey that will take 75 years . There is one space available for an Alphan who they will take back to Earth and it's left for the Alphans to decide who will get the available space . Commissionar Simmonds decides no matter what he will be returning to Earth with the aliens
There are a couple of small problems with the episode . One is the obvious fact that the pay off is all important and not much happens action wise till this point . Another one is the episode might have worked even better is if Simmonds had been a better known character . He appeared in the first episode Breakaway but by the time Earthbound comes along I doubt if anyone would have remembered who he was . Perhaps if he'd appeared in a cameo in a couple of previous episodes abrasively clashing with Koenig his impact would have been assured
But this are slight problems and this episode has one of the most chilling endings in television as Simmonds awakens in his perspex casket only to realise things haven't worked out as planned . This episode is best remembered as having Christopher Lee as the alien leader . Lee is a rather wooden actor but his cold aloof performance seen here perfectly suits the character he plays . Roy Dotrice as Simmonds gives an absolutely superlative performance as Simmonds . A totally selfish and unlikable character but one whose fate is so cruel and terrible that despite being self inflicted not even the meanest viewer will be unmoved as to the character's slow drawn out lonely death . In fact this episode probably contains the worst , most distressing fate of any character featured in a telefantasy series
The problem with series one of SPACE 1999 is that it wants to have its cake and eat it . At least season two threw in its lot and became an international version of STAR TREK but not so its predecessor that concerned itself with mysticism , metephysics and reboot buttons . At least two episodes featured the entire cast being killed off only for them to be resurrected at the end of the episode , a massive cheat that seems to have influenced Steven Moffat's vision of DOCTOR WHO . I suppose Gerry Anderson can defend himself by saying it might have been more original in the mid 1970s but this " Aliens decide to give the Alphans a second chance " still isn't much different from someone woke up and found it was a dream type storytelling
Earthbound written by Anthony Terpillof and directed by Charles Chrichton is almost certainly the best story of season one despite - or more likely because of - its lack of astro-mysticism and metaphysics . It has a very simple story of an alien ship landing on the Moon and the aliens stating they're visiting the Earth , a journey that will take 75 years . There is one space available for an Alphan who they will take back to Earth and it's left for the Alphans to decide who will get the available space . Commissionar Simmonds decides no matter what he will be returning to Earth with the aliens
There are a couple of small problems with the episode . One is the obvious fact that the pay off is all important and not much happens action wise till this point . Another one is the episode might have worked even better is if Simmonds had been a better known character . He appeared in the first episode Breakaway but by the time Earthbound comes along I doubt if anyone would have remembered who he was . Perhaps if he'd appeared in a cameo in a couple of previous episodes abrasively clashing with Koenig his impact would have been assured
But this are slight problems and this episode has one of the most chilling endings in television as Simmonds awakens in his perspex casket only to realise things haven't worked out as planned . This episode is best remembered as having Christopher Lee as the alien leader . Lee is a rather wooden actor but his cold aloof performance seen here perfectly suits the character he plays . Roy Dotrice as Simmonds gives an absolutely superlative performance as Simmonds . A totally selfish and unlikable character but one whose fate is so cruel and terrible that despite being self inflicted not even the meanest viewer will be unmoved as to the character's slow drawn out lonely death . In fact this episode probably contains the worst , most distressing fate of any character featured in a telefantasy series
