SpuffyWeb
Sadly Over-hyped
Zandra
The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.
Kayden
This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama
jim-01568
Just a few notes about a program I saw once or twice on local TV but which is now available on the 'net. Space 1999 like many science fiction programs is about predicting the future. What will technology be like? How will people live? What will they wear? And will going to the bathroom be the same? (they never answer this) Some things the program does pretty well. There are a lot of monitors and information kiosks though the analogue clock is quaint. The computer is well acted, but the method of communicating via small slips of paper reminds me of grocery receipts. While Star Trek had communicators, Space 1999 had video communicators, more in line with smart phones used at the time of this writing. The opening premise of the program where Alpha is tasked with disposing of nuclear waste which ultimately has a chain reaction, correctly notes that the problem of nuclear disposal would span generations. When the show was produced, 1999 seemed a log ways off, easily distant to accept a moon base. As of this writing 17 years after the time of Space 1999, in a way it is sad we've seen such little space exploration. But space travel is expensive and with few immediate rewards.
brian_m_hass
"Space: 1999" could best be described as a British version of "Star Trek." It was comparable to "Star Trek" in that it featured a crew which visited different worlds each week and experienced various adventures along the way. However, it differed from "Star Trek" in terms of premise. In "Star Trek," the crew traveled to different worlds in a ship which traveled faster than the speed of light because of warp drive. In "Space: 1999," the crew of Moonbase Alpha traveled to different star systems as a consequence of the moon having been blasted out of Earth orbit because of an accidental explosion."Space: 1999" was easily one of the most visually impressive science fiction series from the 1970's. The special effects were far above average by 1970's standards. The sets and costumes were among the best to be featured in a science fiction series. Overall, the series' visuals appeared to have been inspired by the movie, "2001: A Space Odyssey," which had been released only a few years prior to the launch of this series.One of the show's frequent shortcomings was its weak science. For example, the explosion in the first episode explained the moon's departure from Earth orbit; but in some respects, the series never fully explained how the moon and Moonbase Alpha were able to reach other star systems within short time periods without exceeding the speed of light. In another example, Maya's shape-shifting abilities introduced a number of science and logic issues. Weak science was common in 1970's science fiction television shows.The show underwent a few changes between seasons one and two. The show's atmosphere in season one was often much darker compared to that of season two. The costumes and sets were also slightly different between the two seasons. In some regards, the show's execution seemed to be stronger in season one than in season two.Overall, "Space: 1999" was an enjoyable series to watch. Although the show's science might not have always withstood close scrutiny, the show was still filled with memorable moments and unforgettable imagery. When the show's science failed, style generally triumphed over substance. "Space: 1999" was a fun and atmospheric science fiction series.
Peter Plasticon
with it's plastic garden furniture chairs and it's wooden actors, space 1999 falls on it's arse cos of the characters, what characters?, and it looks 70s and it's supposed to be one of the most expensive shows ever made on British television at the point it was made! It's saving grace is the unlikely guest actors, you know like Peter Bowles all in black and big shoulders throwing people around who need a darn good shake! I didn't watch the second series cos of Maya's shape changing and no Barry Morse whose hair i liked, not as much fun as UFO in my opinion. I've got to do ten lines on this, it's like a punishment or something, I've nothing more to add OK, twitter doesn't give you enough and this too much
Mark L. Kahnt
What stands in my mind is how, eight to ten minutes before the end of nearly every episode, the society on a new planet encountered by the Alphans ends up being destroyed, usually at the hand of Commander John Koenig, because what it seeks does not meet with the life Alphans are used to. This was a weakness to otherwise intriguing stories that were not going to be mistaken for Star Trek.Although I remember too many things that left me scratching my head, even from the superior first season - why did the command centre have exterior windows that could be opened when the Moon was given an atmosphere? With all of the Eagles that crashed or were otherwise disabled, how did they always seem to be able to get another one aloft, and how were they fast enough, given the scramble of Alan Carter to keep up with the Moon when it first left Earth's orbit, to reach the base again when outside the gravity of the orb.The local TV station aired the first season Fridays at 7 pm, the same time slot that it had used for Star Trek a decade earlier. The second season was picked up by the CBC, but they threw it away by airing it Saturday afternoons at 3 pm. In the late 80s, it ended up on the children's channel YTV at about the same time, grouped with Blake's 7 and Red Dwarf. The TV regulator felt Space 1999 and Blake's 7 were too violent for a children's channel, and Red Dwarf being possibly too racy for daytime airing on that channel.It had potential, but it just seemed to have the need to sell in many markets so that it could pay its bills, rather than just to tell great stories. If it had told great stories consistently, it would have sold solidly and been a franchise comparable to Star Trek.
