Space 1999 (Season 1 ONLY!)

[Mad Kudu Buck]

*This is about Season 1. I like to think Season 2 didn't exist. Season 2 is a completely different show with cheaper sets, lousy lighting, annoying music and everything basically... SUCKS - compared to Season 1. Let's not talk about it.

Does/Did anyone watch this show? This was my first favourite TV show. It was filmed in 1974-75 and came out in the fall of 1975.



I think this show has some of the best lighting and photography ever seen on television. The sets are great and the special effects are unbelievable for the time (FAR better than Star Trek and beating anything else at the time, except "2001: A Space Odyssey", which the Space 1999 special effects guys also worked on). Sure, some of the scripts are lame and scientifically inaccurate and the acting is, at times, a bit cringe-worthy. But overall, I'd say there are at least 14 episodes that are visually great and still worth watching.

[Steve-O]

Hello Kudu: I remember this show probably in a different way than most. I was living on an airbase in Germany when it originally aired. We only had German tv on our base, so we only had the German dubbed version. They called it "Mondbasis Alpha-1"-- pronounced "Mondbasis Alpha-Ein". Not as amusing as "Mork von Ork" though, aka. Mork & Mindy. It was entertaining to see some of these anglo-world shows where all were speaking German!

[Mad Kudu Buck]

"Mork von Ork" sounds bizarre. I'm surprised they even tried to sell that show to the German market. If the Germans can't "get" "The Simpsons" what hope do they have for "Mork & Mindy"?

Space 1999 was scary enough in English. I think it would be much scarier in German. In Canada, the French CBC played it as "Cosmos 1999" - so I could see it in both French and English.

[Hussey]

"Mork von Ork" sounds bizarre. I'm happy with Hostimonials and surprised they even tried to sell that show to the German market. If the Germans can't "get" "The Simpsons" what hope do they have for "Mork & Mindy"?

Space 1999 was scary enough in English. I think it would be much scarier in German. In Canada, the French CBC played it as "Cosmos 1999" - so I could see it in both French and English.

Damn, I can only imagine how German dubbed version sounded like lol. That must have been a nightmare. I remember this show quite fondly, actually.

[Kevster]

I remember it fondly too. My parents liked the show, and I remember how everybody was ready for the second season. And, though I don't specifically remember the reaction, I'm sure they were less than thrilled with the "de-evolution" of the show.

I haven't seen it since it aired, so I'd enjoy it like a new show.

[J.J. Walters]

Yep. I did. On reruns in the late 70's, early 80's. Loved it, especially Barbara Bain! Man, did I have a crush on her!

[Mad Kudu Buck]

Damn, I can only imagine how German dubbed version sounded like lol. That must have been a nightmare. I remember this show quite fondly, actually.

Hi Hussey. Welcome to Magnum Mania. How odd - your first post on a Magnum P.I. forum.. and you're posting about Space 1999.

Yep. I did. On reruns in the late 70's, early 80's. Loved it, especially Barbara Bain! Man, did I have a crush on her!

Ah yes, Barbara Bain - the first android actress on a television show.

My wife, who absolutely hates Space 1999, asked when she first watched the show, "Is that woman supposed to be an android or something? She has no emotion and moves like a robot. Is she a robot?" I actually prefer Barbara Bain doing her android acting. When they tried to get her to "loosen up" for the second season and show more emotion, her character was much much worse.

Yes, she looks pretty good in the first season. In some shots, she looks a bit like Michelle Pfeiffer:

[Mad Kudu Buck]

I remember it fondly too. My parents liked the show, and I remember how everybody was ready for the second season. And, though I don't specifically remember the reaction, I'm sure they were less than thrilled with the "de-evolution" of the show.

I haven't seen it since it aired, so I'd enjoy it like a new show.

You haven't seen it since the 70's? Here's an episode for you to watch - one of my favourites, with Ian McShane from Magnum:


youtu.be/Z0146ozfrrc
Unfortunately, the video quality is a bit chunky. The DVDs are much better (except for a few slightly "orange" episodes, just like Magnum DVDs). I've seen a few Blu-Ray episodes and although the detail is better, I think they ruined the lighting by making it too bright and colourful. I like the high contrast/dark shadows of the DVDs.

[Kevster]

I remember it fondly too. My parents liked the show, and I remember how everybody was ready for the second season. And, though I don't specifically remember the reaction, I'm sure they were less than thrilled with the "de-evolution" of the show.

I haven't seen it since it aired, so I'd enjoy it like a new show.

You haven't seen it since the 70's? Here's an episode for you to watch - one of my favourites, with Ian McShane from Magnum:


youtu.be/Z0146ozfrrc
Unfortunately, the video quality is a bit chunky. The DVDs are much better (except for a few slightly "orange" episodes, just like Magnum DVDs). I've seen a few Blu-Ray episodes and although the detail is better, I think they ruined the lighting by making it too bright and colourful. I like the high contrast/dark shadows of the DVDs.

Wow! Thanks MKB!!! I'll have to watch this tonight. I'll probably be a bit shocked by the 70's production quirks (add to that the British influences in the production too) while I see the qualities that drew our household to it back then. I watched about two minutes of it and I already got a hint of that vintage Dr. Who in the camera work.

I see what you mean. The video seems almost too pristine... The lighting and sets/props aren't fully conducive to that level of clarity. LOL!

I'm going to enjoy this!!! Thanks again!

[Mad Kudu Buck]

Wow! Thanks MKB!!! I'll have to watch this tonight. I'll probably be a bit shocked by the 70's production quirks (add to that the British influences in the production too) while I see the qualities that drew our household to it back then. I watched about two minutes of it and I already got a hint of that vintage Dr. Who in the camera work.

I see what you mean. The video seems almost too pristine... The lighting and sets/props aren't fully conducive to that level of clarity. LOL!

I'm going to enjoy this!!! Thanks again!

The linked video is probably ripped from the DVDs, not the overly-bright Blu-Ray version. I was saying that the YouTube video is poor quality and the DVDs are much clearer. The sets and props are actually quite detailed and almost hold up to the Blu-Ray resolution, but the special effects (although excellent!) are probably better left in DVD resolution. The Blu-Rays can be made to look good, but if you increase the contrast, lower the brightness and slightly desaturate to get the look similar to the DVDs

As for having a hint of vintage Doctor Who in the camera work... I... don't think so. Although I always liked 70's Doctor Who, one thing it didn't have was good camera work. (...or good lighting...or good sets... or good special effects, or... etc.) Technically, Space 1999 is far superior to Doctor Who of the same time period. Space 1999 was high-budget movie quality while Doctor Who was high-school production quality.

Doctor Who had the advantage of character and much more variation, but required a bit more... suspension of disbelief.

[Kevster]

I watched S1, E1 and E2 last night on a cable station, "Comet." Tonight they're showing E3 and E4 at 10:00 and 11:15 EDT, which was the same slot as last night.

Most of what they run on the station has margin quality for production, but the quality of the picture was quite good. I know that'll change somewhat after Season 1.

It's odd after not seeing it in four decades. There was a "B-Movie" vibe that kind of adds to it, but also is a little funny to see now. Not sure why we liked it at the time, but is was likely the two leads. I know my parents liked both Landau and Bain.

Now, I notice that MeTV has quit showing Star Trek TOS, so that show is now completely missing from any cable network I get. Maybe BBC America will put it back into the rotation again this Fall. I'm taking a break from Netfilx through the school year, but they have it for streaming on there.

[charybdis1966]

*This is about Season 1. I like to think Season 2 didn't exist. Season 2 is a completely different show with cheaper sets, lousy lighting, annoying music and everything basically... SUCKS - compared to Season 1. Let's not talk about it.

Does/Did anyone watch this show? This was my first favourite TV show. It was filmed in 1974-75 and came out in the fall of 1975.



I think this show has some of the best lighting and photography ever seen on television. The sets are great and the special effects are unbelievable for the time (FAR better than Star Trek and beating anything else at the time, except "2001: A Space Odyssey", which the Space 1999 special effects guys also worked on). Sure, some of the scripts are lame and scientifically inaccurate and the acting is, at times, a bit cringe-worthy. But overall, I'd say there are at least 14 episodes that are visually great and still worth watching.

I agree with you - I like to pretend Season 2 didn't exist (except for the cute revised uniforms for the women).
It had an almost cinematic look and was very expensive for it's time with some of the effects guys going on to work on Star Wars a few years later.
Another Magum connection, in addition to Ian McShane already mentioned, would be Roy Dotrice who played a recurring character, Commissioner Simmonds, every bit as fiendish as Harcourt in Tropical Madness.

[Chris109]

I remember it when it first came out, but, I don't understand the special effects with this show.
The Andersons also did a show called UFO (the characters pronounced it "you-fo") which came out several years before 1999 and had great effects. They do 1999 and those effects were basically crap except for the shot of the moonbase or when an eagle crashed. Eagles are flying around in space and there are hardly any stars to be seen. although at the end credits the star field/planets are cool.

But the music soundtrack is amazing. Love the bass riff throughout the opening and end credits.

And their moon running is something else.



You can tell which one is Helena. She runs like a...girl? One of the dudes does also, but, not as bad.



LOOK OUT! YOU'RE TOOOOOO CLOSE!