The Metamorphosis of Space: 1999
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- čas přidán 5. 03. 2021
- Chris Dale takes us through the complete story of how the hit Gerry Anderson show Space:1999 transformed from season 1 to season 2; the how, the why, the what and "what were they thinking?".
This is the most in-depth analysis of the hotly-debated changes between the two seasons that we've ever done - featuring archive footage and analysis as well as Chris Dale's trademark humour.
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Season 1. No contest. The music, the sets, the stories - absolutely iconic.
YES...!!!!!!
Agree, one hundred percent.
@@simonacuthbert1 Yeah, but ----- would anyone EVER allow storage of nuclear waste on the Moon in such a fashion that it would explode & send it hurtling out of the solar system ?
Completely agree
@@DanielAppleton-lr9eq Maybe that's why THIS IS science fiction... No?
I really wish that Barry Morse had been part of the second season. He was one of my favorite characters.
Barry Moore (Prof.Bergman) was in negotiations with producers. But, they didn't want pay him decent salary.
he reappears in Farzar!
This deserves a remake. The Eagle is still my favourite spaceship ever.
As long as the UK do it NOT the US.
Someone previously suggested that crashing so many Eagles was the reason that they are so expensive on eBay.
Absolutely iconic!
Dinky Eagle Transporter 👊 My brother and I had one with the nuclear flasks and one with the accomodation compartment slung underneath 😎
I think a remake where the opening jumps back to the 60's where Kennedy is to be assasinated and show Dallas Police storm the shooter and stop the shooting. So Kennedy is not shot creating an alternate time line where one of Kennedys projects is an international moon base. So you wouldnt need to even change the name Space 1999.
The first season was kind of magic and thought-inducing. The second was an incoherent show. I was a young boy when the series aired; along the years, I watched the first season many times, but I never bothered to watch the second season again.
Forget space 1999, the amount of production gone into this CZcams video is a work of art!
Great editing.
Every cut and reaction from the space:1999 cast and especially the Star Trek scenes were hilarious
Only thing is, almost all of those actors speaking highly of Season Two were doing so while trying to sell Season Two, and that was never pointed out. Those actors were not speaking retrospectively or freely, they were trying to sell the show, boost ratings, and get their jobs renewed.
Apart from that, yes very good video, very tighly edited, and very well researched.
This opens very old wounds. I loved this show as a kid and was very confused by the second season changes. Every time I have tried to rewatch the series, I get part way into the second season and just get unhappy and can’t finish. My love for the first season and the changes they made trying to make the show more popular are a perfect metaphor for how different from “the crowd” I have always felt. I felt at home with that first season crew of Moonbase Alpha, it was painful to watch a family of wise, truth seeking, wanderers replaced by strange doppelgängers wrestling with rubber monsters.
No I loved the first season. Hated the second. Was too gimmicky.
I agree. The second season was light years away from the first series. It reminded me of the third season of Lost In Space.
Yes exactly
Like most SciFi programs of the era it became little more than a "monster of the week" show as networks tried to milk it for cash.
I have to wholeheartedly agree with this.
UFO, and Space 1999 1st season, were two of the best sci-fi adult oriented TV shows in the 70s
Adult-oriented?
@@proto-geek248 yes, a more mature approach to sci fi
TRUTH
UFO was just a dumb shoot 'em up/jiggle show. No comparison.
whatever makes you feel better@@user-uk8lf3bn4y
As a kid I thought the year 1999 was an eternity away and so far into the future as to be incomprehensible. Now it is the year 2021, I am 71 years old, and time now passes incredibly quickly. A scientist once remarked that as we perceive time to pass we live half our life by age 22. It is indeed true.
Season 1 was clearly superior. The production design alone still astounds me. The stories were clearly better and thought-provoking.
I agree when you watch it in order it feels like the show just went to shit and I didn’t know why til now because it’s free on CZcams
@@Mystery207
Season 1 was terrific
Season 2, not so much
And, the Command Center had a much bigger set. I miss those space windows.
@@heedmywarning2792 The command center was great--four levels including a balcony, rear doors that slid open to the adjacent set, Koenig's office. The cheap set they replaced it with in season 2 was dull, unexciting and unimaginative.
The drama and script in Season is the best. But Season 2 was campy(courtesy of Fred Friedburger) but the uniform was a much better improvement with more colors and (insignia)patches where finally added!
First season was a killer, the loss of direction in series 2 is very evident on screen. Get bad writers and kiss goodbye to your amazing TV show
Absolutely! The show had so much potential and they blew it.
Anyone been watching the complete rerun on Freeview (Horror) ? I can't believe how bonkers the whole thing appears to my grown-up self! The universe seems to be full of RADA trained thesps speaking the Queen's English and no one bats an eyelid at the absurdity of it all.
No weightlessness in space, nothing would be lit up in the depths of interstellar space and take 10s of millenia to encounter a new star system (bar the odd space warp which must happen eevry episode otherwise), every derelict alien spaceship has a universal docking port. Computers and calculators that print out onto punched cards, cheap black'n'white CRT monitors everywhere. Eagle spacecraft that are fully resuable with no heat shields or fly like aeroplanes. And some of the effects guys supposedly worked on 2001 - WTF were they thinking! Did they learn nothing from Kubrick ? The list of goofs goes on and on - neither credible science or fiction to be found.
According to the wiki at least Landau found the scripts dumb. They literally jumped the rubber monster costume ... er shark with Maya though. Series 1 is like Citizen Kane in comparison but that would be damning with faint praise
Doctor Who fans have felt that in the last few years... With the entire canon being wipeed out . 57 some years dusted...
We do feel your pain.
@@Docthewrench Yes, it wouldn't surprise me that Chris Chibnall based his whole career on this :)
@Newsbender its no coincidence it was made just before Star Wars - I seem to recall the British crew on that were lulled by what had gone before, into thinking it would be just another naff childrens fantasy (of course from the 2nd half of RoTJ onwards they were proven right !).
The first season had its flaws BUT you DO NOT fix British sci fi by Americanizing it. You destroy what made it unique in the first place by so doing.
You're not wrong. It was utterly destroyed in the second season.
They can't even get it right when they buy the rights to make their own version of a show. They bought the rights to Fawlty Towers and found no one liked their Basil Fawlty.
They also bought the rights to a New Zealand show, Outrageous Fortune. They changed it so much, it didn't last 2 episodes. It's called "Scoundrels". Funny thing is, Shameless would the closet to Outrageous Fortune in tone etc 😂😂
On and more recently, The Office. A UK short show from Ricky Gervais the Americans drew out for 12 years. Worse thing is, it's not even good 😂😂😂😂
Any British creation that the Americans get hold of generally turns to sh1te ! They even had a go at destroying the Inbetweeners and the IT crowd as well 😂
Season 1 was amazing, but season 2 was f##king shit.
I think the flaw in changing the original concept was that in the beginning, although few could articulate it, that made one feel as if they were there as either a passenger, observer or part of the crew. That was the key strength of the show, and I think it is for that reason that most say they preferred season 1.
Season 2 seemed like they were trying to convert it into a space soap opera, and the script and cast changes made it seem like they were running out of concepts to create scripts. They seemed to think that they needed to emotionalize and really deepen the characters, but their professional and spartan personalities were already admirable. These deviations uprooted the viewer from the show they grafted their minds to, and detached them from the illusion of actually being in the show. From the first episode, they had the formula down to successfully involve the viewer as part of the environment. They should never have disturbed that.
Bravo. WELL written.
1976 and I was 12 years old. I was so excited to see season 2 of Space:1999. I watched the premier episode of season 2 with my brother. When the episode ended I turned to my brother and asked what happened to the show? He simply shook his head.
I felt the same, season 2 look like a joke.
Finally, a succinct video that shows what actually happened to this great show. I got to talk with Martin Landau at length during a Con years ago.
He was everything I had heard about him, intelligent engaging and most of all self-deprecating about his triumphs and tribulations with the various.
My mom liked him as an actor for his very scary portrayal in the Hitchcock film North by Northwest. I admitted to him that I had never seen it and told me he was a peak Hitchcock film and I should definitely see it. I told him that I always saw his character as the good guy and that this would spoil that.
My wife is been watching parts of Thunderbirds, Stingray and a few other Gerry and Sylvia Anderson with me and you can see how their work evolved and had a firm grasp on what it was by the time space 1999 came to be.
I loved Martin Landau as an actor - I recently watched North By Northwest for the first time in years and his performance in that is suitably sinister . He was great as Rollin Hand in the original Mission : Impossible ( alongside the lovely Barbara Bain ) He was great in this and in the X-Files , among others .
@NickGillings-vf3ye I met Cris Carter when he was Scouting For locations just before X-Files got underway. He'd seen my photographs of industrial spaces at a gallery opening and wanted to know where they were, and I helped him on where to shoot stuff.
Through his connections I met Robert C Cooper and did work on Stargate Stargate Atlantis. And I also worked on the local production of Battlestar Galactica
The Fred Freiberger “Kiss of Death” graced the final season of many a show.
Known as the serial killer.
When Landu was plugging the second season, I bet he was biting his lip. He fought Freiberger over the changes and knew the series was heading in the wrong direction. We went from "character build up and great storylines to romance, monsters and oh, that Tony always plugging his Goddamn BEER.
Thank you for acknowledging Silvia Anderson's influence and importance to all of Anderson's shows. I find it bizarre how she is often ignored.
For my money the first season of Space 1999 was the best. It had all the Anderson trademarks.
Although my favourite Anderson live action show has got to be UFO.
Did you know that the proposed (and aborted) second season of UFO, with the action set mostly on an enhanced and expanded Moonbase, actually metamorphosed into the first series of Space 1999? Lew Grade has a lot to answer for. He never supported Anderson but was always looking for the next money-maker, which usually meant success in the US market. Even successful series were dumped to this end.
Purple wigs? Skydiver? Moonbase? SID? Hell yeah.....
in UFO... the aliens never sent any females to Earth.
Halting a second season of UFO to start Space 1999 was a very poor decision. Space 1999 was so lousy on so many levels
@@heedmywarning2792 Cause Earth Girls are Easy :)
I was 10 when the first season came out and an avid fan, I had two Dinkey Eagle Transporters which I treated like my children. I'd forgotten that the second season had changed so much but it was a long time from the first and at 10 - 12 you accept a lot of change. Still, thanks for the reminder of one of the highlights of my childhood.
I loved the series as a kid, but because of two standout episodes that blew my mind in the first season: Force of Life and Dragon's Domain.... there's no contest. Those two episodes scared the crap out of me and stuck out in my childhood throughout the 70s. Also the pilot was just ripping fun...you just knew what was coming with the inevitable explosion! Love that show!!
Dragon's Domain... had nightmares off and on ever since. they should do a remake of S:1999 but not like the new Trek. make it more like ST:TNG and it would be amazing
Dragon's Domain was the most awesome episode to me. That furnace-alien was terrifying, and it was cool to see some backstory on some of the characters.
Season One stories were exceptionally good. My favorite was about Commissioner Simmons, the bureaucrat got stuck on Moonbase after explosion launched it out of orbit. Simmons was primarily reason for their situation first place. And what happens to him after hijacked ride aboard Sleeper ship was definitely poetic justice .
Yes Dragons Domain scared the sh1t out of me too. It still does!!
I have to admit, the fate of Simmons has a gruesome fascination.@@paulhunter6742
I much preferred the first series and as a 12 year old was most disappointed with series 2, especially with the loss of Dr Bergman,so much so I wrote in to the fan page at Lookin magazine to complain.I'm still waiting for the reply! Luckily this video answers many questions.
I agree as a 10 year old was most disappointed with series 2, especially with the loss of Dr Bergman as I watched in syndication.
Chances are they are still sifting through all the complaints to this day. Be patient...they might get to yours eventually!
I felt the same way, I always thought Bergman was the soul of season 1, even if I didn't understand what that was back then. Funny how they were trying to "Americanize" the show but use an English accented Maya as their "breakthrough" character! In any event the 1st season was the best and the 2nd not so much.
L
@@madmike8v72
And an English accented Italian.
Great documentary!
I‘ll say this much for season 2: It gave us Catherine Schell.
But that‘s about it.
More like Catherine McGuffin...as they often used her to resolve most any plot issues.
catherine schell was in series one guardian of piri
@@odinswolf1969 I was trying to think of that episode. I remember she looked pretty damn hot in it!
@@Nooziterp1 she was a Bond girl, on her majesty’s secret service 1969
Her character was horrible
At times, this whole _Space: 1999_ Season 2 debacle reminds me of the the current _Star Trek_ reboot. Particularly Fred Freiberger's conflict of interest regarding the show's characters (similar to J.J. Abrams and Alex Kurtzman's regarding their respective franchise as a whole), the difficulty of reconciling the two seasons (similar to the outright impossibility of reconciling the classic _Star Trek_ canon with the reboot), and the part about the ITC executives' failure to understand the show's appeal and desire to twist it into something it was never meant to be.
The last 3 Star Wars are a joke.
@@stevecam724 Yes, the Disney _Star Wars_ films also suffer from many of these issues, with the added bonus that many of the changes they made were there solely to appease a toxic minority of fans, namely the rabid prequel haters, thus trying to appeal to a crowd that would hate the end results anyway.
On another, sadder note, I realize she's not the only one with that name, but these days the name Sylvia makes me think specifically of that teenage girl in Indianapolis who died as a result of severe physical abuse by her babysitter.
Season 1 was special. I still love the look of main mission in season 1. I would love to replicate it at home for a man-cave but don't have the space or cash. It seemed more open. I liked the stairs that people could climb to look upon the landscape of the moon. I loved how those doors could be opened so that the commander's office could be part of main mission or closed to be his private office. I also have to say that Bergman was my favorite character. I have watched season 1 over and over again but it is very rare I ever play season 2.
imagine if there was a season 3?
Quite right, Sir: here insde of myself, there is only Season 1. All the rest was/is a nightmare... Closed matter
@@pedrotome9119 but you know season three had there been a season 3 would have been the nightmare to top all nightmares instead season two took that title by default
@@pedrotome9119 season one is like the first Robocop movie the best and after that they just simply could never match that level of writing ever again it was just crap after that
You have give credit to Season two set design and costume changes were very practical. I always thought Main Mission was way to cavernous, waste lot of energy could be used other things. And what point big bay windows when landscape just dull gray hills and craters?
The local station that ran 1999 didn't show the second season, I didn't see them for many years. Boy was I let down when I finally did.
You have automatically earned my respect for recognizing deep space nine as the best star trek show
I'm a huge fan of season 1 of Space 1999, which gave us some deep dive science fiction stories. Sesson 2 gave us monsters and too many unexplained changes. But it did give us more Catherine Schell so I don't hate it.
As a kid I was just amazed at the idea, the eagles, the sets, and who at that time could have foreseen the communicators... that we all take for granted nowadays. Yet another future vision from Gerry, god rest him.
I actully got a kick out of both seasons! When it ended with out warning, I was a broken hearted 9/10 year old. I'm happy that its here on youtube.
Okay so you got a kick out of it & you were broken hearted?
THE EARLY CANCELLATION CRUSHED ME AS WELL!!!!!!!!!
So the lesson is:
Don't trust your project to anyone whose name sounds like a cooking instruction.
Taken as a whole, the entire series is such a wonderful mixed bag. There's so much to love. There's so much to cringe embarrassingly at. There's so much distinctive style and tone. And there's so much unfulfilled potential, which is why so many fans still yearn for a new series (novels and the recent audio adventures are welcome efforts, I suppose, I haven't read or heard them yet). One was in development for awhile, even offered a forum for fans to join in the discussion, and one hopes it would aim for the original vibe while avoiding most of the oversights.
In my opinion, season 2 gutted the flavor of Space 1999, what made it so appealing to me despite its technical flaws. The first season had a spooky feeling-around-in-the-dark-unknown vibe. Season 2 was bright and happy and we’re-the-new-kids-in-deep-space vibe.
"We're going to try and put more humor in it " translates to; we're going to dumb it down !
and "more action" but no money to properly film it, so you get awkward wrestling with a guy in a rubber suit.
Translation, "americanise"!
"Lets make this show a joke!"
In summary: American market
always with that "do you guys want to try my new beer?" running gag.
Looking back, Series 1 "wooden" acting actually portrays the PTSD that the crew of Moonbase Alpha would be suffering from after being blown away from Earth.
Exactly!
Yea ....
No.
First season has no life.
Just stiff
That is some brilliant retconning, but it doesn't excuse the wooden behavior and aimless scripts.
@@jamesmac357 Not to mention that almost every episode, you have Eagles blasted out of space, buildings blown up and blown out, etc.
That’s the best fan doc I’ve seen in my life. My 14 year old inner geek can finally end the torment of understanding how Saturday afternoons had gone so weird. How serious a fan would you have to be able to drop in all those scripted moments for laughs. Thank you for this, it was so good.
If you want to see the best fan based review look up Clever Dick films, yeah I'm not kidding for doctor who and and you'll see something that is BBC level production.
I agree, this was masterfully made ! :)
I used to watch this on public broadcasting, what an underrated show
A very honest and sometimes humourous Video about the change in Space:1999 between the two series, Well Done Chris Dale!
As my uncle John was involved with series one i love the series. He also wrote episodes of Dr Who, Tales of the unexected, All creatures great and small and Heartbeat.
John Who?
@@janesmith5665 Johnny Byrne
Oh that's impressive. The only thing I hated about Heartbeat was that every episode in the last series ended with the policeman and his wife. That really irritated me. However, I was sorry that it ended so unexpectedly.
I loved "All Creatures Great and Small" .
Seriously, your uncle worked production staff Space:1999? I will be you have really Cool original props from series.
Season 2 was more familar to me as I was very young at the time, and I guess remembered that more fondly - however watching S1 again as a grown up it was clearly more intellegent and better thought out - that said I still prefer the S2 theme - it was banging.
Your sentiment mirrors my own EXACTLY; although not being familiar with season 1 robbed me of that conflicting space opera-disco opening theme that had my kids JAMMIN, when I watched episode 1 for the very 1st. time the other day!😆
As I thought, the mistake was trying to create a new series, which Season Two essentially was, but also trying to keep the old audience and old expectations. They might have had success inventing their own new universe rather than culturally appropriating that of Season One.
I was a 9 years young when Space 1999 was on TV and I really loved it! Everything looked so real that time without the new visual effects like we see now. Just fascinating!
Dragons Domain from season 1 still scares the crap out of me.
Thanks for this! I just wrote my own comment about this very episode as well but couldn't remember the title of it. Friggin' terrifying episode as a 10 year old and to this day still pops into my head every now and then.
Agreed. I watched it last month and even as a 53 year old I was still anxious. Great stuff.
An example of when monsters are done right.
It did the same to me at the age of 6.
That episode traumatized me as a child...
I was 13 when the show was first shown in the UK. I loved it - I loved it because quite a few of the episodes scared the shit out of me! The atmosphere, the music, the lighting were all creating a "feeling" to the show. And, I saw it in BLACK & WHITE! Colour TV's were very expensive at the time & our house didn't get one until 1978. I liked the characters - especially Koenig, Bergman & Morrow. They "seemed" to have depth because they were played with depth by the actors. As the show progressed, Victor Bergman became a favourite. His quirks, his earnestness - I loved the fact that he carried a wee shopping bag to gather samples in, etc. When Year Two started, I went "WHOAHH - What is THIS??" Bergman was gone, Morrow was gone, Kano was gone, the music was gone, most of the sets were gone & the atmosphere was gone. Year Two was a good action/adventure show, but it bore little resemblance to what had gone before. I hated the fact that that the dialogue in particular had been very americanised - it was obvious to me too, that the actors felt uncomfortable saying them. I have two examples : 1) Tony Anholt's line in "Seed Of Destruction" to Maya - "Will you take it easy? Or you'll have a fit & turn into some wild creature from far out space!" Not something anyone with a British accent would say. 2) Nick Tate's line in "The Lambda Factor" again to Maya -"Maya, you sure play rough, honey!" Now I know that Carter is Australian & given to casual speech & I know that "TLF" was written by Terrance Dicks - but these lines, among many others always jarred with me. Basically, they should've left well alone.
The most asinine dialogue. of Season II, in my opinion, was in episode, Dorzak. When Maya shape-shifting into Saya, member of crew holding Dorzak prisoner for crimes against her people. Dorzak looks at her saying" You're afraid, Saya wouldn't be afraid. You are not Saya, You are Maya," I found entire episode Stupid. But, I was mesmerized by Dorzak's costume.
It seemed like writers in Season two didn't even bother look at biographies or character personalities established in Season One. If you saw Space: 1999 first time Second Season felt entirely different show.
As a child I liked the second season and actually fell asleep during the first season episodes.
Watching them again as an adult it was reversed. The second season was silly but had its moments.
It's like the same thing that happened to " Lost in Space" when it transitioned from black and white to color. Even though the producers weren't the same as mentioned in this video, "Lost in Space lost its dramatic edge by not keeping Doctor Smith's evil and mysterious persona and making the show silly and campy with guys dressed up as giant vegetables.
In their defense, They were able to get a third season.
Well hold on about LIS. It was not the writers who dreamed up Smith’s popularity, it was the fans who loved his interaction between the robot and himself. And with the robot the other side is Will Robinson. So the three of them took over the show. Because of the fan draw. Remember LIS was offered a fourth season by CBS but Irwin Allen turned it down for budget reasons.
As you recall, almost all the later shows started with "last week, as you recall, we left Will, Dr. Smith and the robot..." The other cast members got very fed up with it and insisted on episodes with something to do. Judy's best episode is Space Beauty, which also features the gorgeous Dee Hartford and a currency called Squandros.
@@anthonyfalzon2100, Can you cite any siurce material that definitively validates that explanation? I've seen and read quite a lot about the matter, including CBS documents which USC has archived, and have never found an incontrovertible answer, with several plausible possibilities being in play.
It really seems quite startling, IMO, as we're not talking about a show from network TV's earliest days, but rather from the late 60's when a clear paper trail would seem much more likely to be expected, even if the major players may have departed the scene.
I think the loss of Barry Morse is what really ruined the show for me.
Truly he created the biggest whole. The 2nd season wasn't terrible, it wasn't great, but it had a few moments. If it had continued on in the vein of season 1, it would have been another Star Trek in terms of legacy and impact.
Absolutely agreed. Barry Morse lent an air of credulity to the show. Without him, the show was as good as Blake's 7 (the earliest ones).
Barry showed up later in Winds of War & War and Remembrance in the 80s as a couple of different Nazis. He kicked ass love the man
@@thecocktailian2091 I agree that losing Barry was one of the biggest reasons....but the show's second season - especially the addition of Maya - was pretty cringe-worthy in its own right.
@NikTheFix nice
You hit the nail on the head. The "Americanizing" was bad, and I feel like Space 1999 season 2 and the new Doctor Whos also added a lot of unnecessary manic "action" as filler at the expense of good storytelling and character development.
Torchwood also lost its way and became unwatchable when it went all 'usa' in the final episodes/season.
when you start seeing actors running a lot more yuo know its in trouble
Really great documentary - appreciate all the work gone into it. I was around 8 years old and vividly remember watching the very first Season 1 Episode. The production values were so good - I remember being scared to death! Season 2 (I felt at the time) was OK, but as I have re-watched both seasons again and again over the years - clearly Season 1 stands out as representing a mixture of elements that is so much more compelling than its successor - it was darker, more mysterious, atmospheric, spooky and the scripts and narratives were much more interesting and ironic. The basic premise is also extremely sound and surely it could be picked up again and reworked into a whole new Space 2099 !! One hopes that this venture might once again be rekindled, as I understand in 2015 the Space 2099 project that was being worked on was eventually scrapped :(
I had to laugh how positive about the changes the younger Martin Landau was with how honest he was when interviewed as an old man.
I loved Space:1999 and wished they had more seasons. Hopefully a reboot will be made one day.
I'll just drop that here: czcams.com/video/wVCrmIOqvcU/video.html OK, it's "only" an audio drama. It had my doubts about it at first, but I went for it anyway, and it works really well!
Hopefully a reboot would have an aerodynamic eagle variant sensible for atmospheric travel.
Wouldn't a remake have to be called-Space 2099 ?
@@loanaoftheshellpeople5627 maybe they could just call it Moonbase Alpha and do away with the year?
@@williamroberts5716 Please no.
Brilliant the way the clips so aptly illustrate the narration, Morse's lift to work being a lol moment for me
loved this show when i was growing up
I've never seen the cast interviews before. This felt like a bonus episode!
As a nine and ten year old American child between late 75 and late 77, I actually did prefer the cold, aloof, sterile, mysterious and forboding first season to the cozy "humanized" action-adventure format of Year Two. My opinion even at the time was, even if I could not articulate it in the words I would use as a mature adult, it's science fiction. It's supposed to have elements that are weird and inexplicable and being thrust into the unknown is supposed to be vaguely unsettling.
Year Two was barely a step up from Saturday morning live-action kidvid.
100% totally agree mate. Season 2 was just bloody awful.
As someone the same age as you but from Britain I have to agree.
Just to add
Looking back at the TV I watched as a kid I'm shocked at how slow it was in Britain but I could sit still and watch it lapping it up.
Kids today would find even season 2 slow
I am exactly the same age but I was somehow too much of a Stark Trek snob fan to even give 1999 a chance. My favorite aunt loved it so I did actually try to watch it. I think the only thing I liked was the intro.
@@stevenStampper For me it was anything space so as long as it was in space id watch lol
Later even blakes 7
I was the reverse. I liked both seasons but really dug season 2 because of the increase in action. I was under 10 at the time and all the cerebral stuff could get boring. I bet if I went back and watched it as a mid fifties adult, I’d prefer season 1.
Freiberger was once quoted as saying the show was finally cancelled not because of the quality of the episodes he produced, but rather that not enough people were watching the program. I have to really ponder that one!
What a great report! The use of stock clips in humor and other point making alone is laugh a minute par excellence.
There was no second series. It was a different show. The original remains as a precious relic…and I still think that opening sequence is the best ever.
That opening sequence is absolutely the best ever!
Space:1999 and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century had similar fates. Season 1 were fan favorites. Season 2 was taken over by a producer that changed the series basic plot setups, eliminated some actors in favor of others, and had a new character designed to be a new fan favorite (Maya for Space:1999 and Hawk for Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.) Both series had such radical changes with little to no explanation, most people couldn't watch the show from that point on, not able to both absorb, and accept the changes, and yet, both series had their segments of fans that actually preferred the second season over the first. I actually met Gil Gerard at a ComiCon style convention, and spoke with him about it. He said he's seen a few episodes of Space: 1999, but wasn't aware of this fact. I also told him the Buck Rogers second episode, "Mark of the Saurian," had the same basic plot as the Space: 1999 second season two-part episode, "The Bridges of Wonder." I don't think he was familiar with this. I will say, though, that Gil Gerard is a class act. His personality in real life, IS Buck Rogers. Kind, and fun.
Yes I also met Both Gil Gerard And Co,- 🌟 Erin Gray (Wilma) at the Comic Con as well both me and my wife. They were so incredibly kind and nice they also took pictures with us and we Talked briefly about the series .. very kind and nice people!!!!
With Buck Rogers it was clear budgets had been slashed all over the place. It also wasn't helped when there are some episodes where it is very clear Gil Gerard was inebriated and his dialogue was put together at the end of the day using just him on the set.
@@martinwright1358 Battlestar Galactica 1980 had a similar fate as did Lost in Space in color seasons.
@@martinwright1358 When is Gil inebriated? I've never noticed this.
@@ElectoneGuy Towards the end of the second season it ewas clear they were shopotinbg dscenes where they only needred one camera set up and they were obviously shooting him on his own with a seconfd AD feeding him lines. One of these he was clearly slurring - he was remembering his lines and got them completed but there was a lack of engagement. He actually spoke about how his drinking had started to get out of hand at this time due to the way the studio was efffectively shooting scenes for differnt epiosdes at the same time when the set ups could be used. Luckily he got that sorted out.
Season 1 indeed, the real and best one. I was a kid when I saw it, now I'm 53 years old and I enjoy replying season 1
Space 1999 jumped the shark with season 2 a full year before Fonzie. The season 1 intro is still iconic.
1 was horror and drama is space. 2 was action adventure. I loved both of them , and they both had awesome episodes.
I agree.
I haven't ré watched two yet. But 2 is mainstream, 1 is hard core. Different strokes for different audiences. I enjoyed 2, but 1 is lifechanging. (For me)
freddie frieburger did for S1999 what he did for star trek's last season- populated it with shite monsters and crap preposterous stories which totally destroyed the credibility of both
Star Trek, Space:1999, Six Million Dollar Man...all died under his stewardship. Obviously science fiction was not his strong point.
You’re wrong.
I know all the cool people say the first season was best and Obedience is required if you want to be cool.
But you’re all wrong.
@@honeysucklecat No - Season 2 was just an awful monster of the week kids show.
'It turned into just another sci-fi action series.' Just about sums it up.
Season 2 of Space 1999 was absolute shite! Grotesque shite. Just like Star Trek's Season 3. Embarrassing to watch. Both Anderson and Roddenberry should have been prosecuted for turning their shows over to that utter hack Freiberger. The guy was an incompetent fool. I often wish Star Trek TOS had ended at Season 2 and Space 1999 at Season 1. Instead, both ended as piles of excrement molded in the image of Freiberger's simple-minded, crap vision.
Year One for me, which I have on DVD and Blu-ray. Hated the change of tone and the loss of Barry Morse and the Main Mission set.
I always wonder why Barry Morse wasn't in season 2. Just wondered if you recommend the Blu-ray? thinking of picking up season 1 of Space 1999, won't bother with season 2.
Great overview and your dig-deep footage choices for bits of humor and prodding dialog interjections is AMAZING!!
Martin Landau has got to be THE most underrated actor ever. I had a Space 1999 annual as a kid.Remember those.
The first season was so stylish and unique. It also had subtle horror elements. The second season just doesn't work for me.
I preferred season 1, but there are aspects of season 2 that I really loved.
This explains a lot. While I didn't view the original US release, I was a dedicated fan when the series hit late night cable. I could never understand why some of the episodes seemed to be so good while others essentially stunk. There were so many potentially good show ideas in that era of TV of which many ere destroyed by the whims of the power hungry financial backers who thought they knew the viewers best. Same thing in the record industry. Goes to show why Steven Spielberg and George Lucas insisted on holding absolute control of the product.
This is brilliant stuff Mr Chris Dale - insightful, historically interesting and a lovely touch of humour (those quotes/outtakes) running through it.
Best doco on the show I've seen in years, really enlightening. Poor Morse, losing his wheels.
Plus the first series theme music ad opening sequence format was (Still Is) fantastic
Second season when I was young but for years now, the first season reigns supreme :)
Space 1999 was very popular en México, when I was teenager in the 70's ...... and yes season 1 was great !!!!
Count me in as someone who enjoyed series 1 more. Some of the episodes were thought-provoking sci-fi storytelling even adding some creepy horror elements, and the musical score was top-notch. Series 2 was kind of a letdown for me with the monster of the week and some of the lines between characters were just downright laughable and cringe worthy. I will say that adding the character of Maya Is what kept me watching every week, what can I say Catherine Schell Is a beautiful woman. It does have its moments I suppose but I have them both on bluray and guess which one I watch the most. lol
I do enjoy some of season 2 in a pulp fiction sort of way; first couple of eps are pretty good, I liked Bringers of Wonder and Brian the Brain. The one where they end up at the Battle of Hastings comes to mind. Then, we get truly cringe-worthy stuff like The Rules of Luton, All That Glistens, and that mind boggling one where the android starts dancing around Helena to make her horny, LOL, One Moment of Humanity I believe it was called. And, it certainly didn't end on a high note: "The Dorcons", indeed!
One thing nobody can take away from the first season is that it was truly unique. For every drawn out snooze-fest episode, it countered with a truly spectacular one. And I never felt like an effing idiot for watching it, which, for anyone with a brain, can't be said for most of television.
Maya was what kept me watching, I loved her metamorph powers and the monsters she fought.
Been watching a complete run of both series on Horror (UK free to air) for the first time since their original airing and episode 8 The Dragon's Domain was up there with Alien - and this was supposed to be harmless primetime family viewing!
It's been decades since I've seen this show but I do remember there was one particular episode from the first season that had some space craft or something that in one section contained a device or creature of some sort that would completely drain the life force of the person it cocooned. The visuals of the bodies being ejected as if from a crematorium to this day still come back every so often in nightmares. I was 10 when I saw it and it was absolutely terrifying. Great episode. I remember nothing from the second season other than the Maya character (later to be brought into Voyager as Seven of Nine, and for the very same production reason) for obviously specific reason as an 11 year old.
You are thinking of "Dragon's Domain."
DD scared the crap out of me. What a fantastic episode!
@@nicklassard9090 And they put the "Dragon" on the lunchbox, so kids would always be reminded of it!
I really appreciate this behind the scenes story. It explains why the show took that weird right turn and went from being a mind-bending metaphysical experience to a Saturday morning kids show. It was very sad. I loved how the first season gave nods to Kubrick and the quiet stark realty of 2001 and its transition into the metaphysical. While I enjoyed the second season and I enjoyed Maia and the addition of playfulness and love to the characters, it didn't make me think.
The first season was the only show of its kind. Sadly, there's never been anything else like it since virtually every science fiction show created ever since follows either the path of Star Trek or horror with hopeless apocalyptic futures. The first season of Space 1999 was about human fortitude and transcendence.
The first season was enough to ensure the program's status as one of the greatest works of TV Sci Fi ever created. The focus should then have turned to a series of Space: 1999 movies that could have explored many different scenarios while retaining the basic essence of the original series that made it so great. It would have been a great way to retain the original core cast with ongoing opportunities to introduce new significant characters that could come and go. And adopting the movie format always made closing the story a possibility before the main actors passed on.
If Season Two had never existed, it would be easier to revive the Season One theme.
As it now is, I fear reviving the Season One Space 1999 is likely to outrage and grossly disappoint those who only ever saw Season Two. They'll think their (silly) cultural icon has been stolen from them if there is no Mya. Mya is too overpowered, and overpowered characters prevent intelligent plots and real suspense.
Great Comment's from Martin Landau latter on in the video! and so true
As a kid, the second season was the easy winner, along with Jason of Star Command and reruns of the later seasons of Lost in Space. As and adult, the first season (same with Lost in Space's 1st season) is the clear winner. No critcal judgement being made though; I'm happy across the time continuum.
Please GOD, don't bring up 'Jason Of Star Command'. My 54 y.o., early Gen X mind can't take THAT reminder...😩🤮
I love retro sciencefiction from Blakes7, U.F.O and the first season of Space 1999. I always felt season 2 of Space 1999 was aimed at kids and it was strange that Barry Morse unexplained absence was never mentioned in season 2. Overall season 1 of Space 1999 was excellent, but I prefer U.F.O.
As a kid, I liked this show. I had the toy ship. I didn't know this didn't originate in the States. But, I was seven.
Thank you so much! The answer was American Studios apeasment! I have been rewatching recently and I'd forgotten the stark differences between season 1 and 2. After only less than 2 eps into S2 I could barely even cintunue with that drek. It had me wondering why they would have taken all that was good about S1 and tossed it out. I could not fathom why they would replace the best opening score and montage of any show past or present and future and turm it comic book parody of it's self? That was just asthetic, but then continuity-wise add characters crew we have never met prior with zero explanation? Then while I frequently questioned the science used for the entire series, Season 2 made zero effort to even attempt to employ even a hint of science to explain the solar system of the week. But now I get it. The condescending American studios underestimating its audiences. Add lilting happy tunes and other nonsense. Sorry Gerry Anderson I always blamed you but now you've revealed the true villain. To bad you couldn't put him in a suspended animation chamber to like that azz in season 1 that wanted to return to earth so badly he threatened the existence of the entire moon base alpha. I am just going to watch season one again and forget S2. Sorry Maya. You were all that was good about S2.
That was excellent. Has it changed my mind about Fred Freiberger? Let me think...
No. I was watching Star Trek series three, and marvelling at 'Spock's Brain', and thinking:
"Where did it all go wrong, so quickly?" (Two Words: 4,10).
Oh yes. 'Spock's brain' was terrible!
@@Nooziterp1 Most of season 3 was terrible, I remember watching as a kid and cringing at these episodes.
Nothing wrong with Spock's Brain.. Except he should have kept it in his head and skipped that episode :)
This and Blake's 7 were my favourite shows when I was 8-9 years old ! Ah, the memories of hiding my face behind a pillow whenever something spooky happened 😂
I don't think he really believed nobody would notice. There was a huge explanation in STARLOG magazine about the changed Main Mission to Command Center and even a looseleaf binder that explained Victor, Kano, and Paul had died!
The humor of the second season wrecked it . Naturally the end is always uncertain when the earths moon is on a hell ride across the universe. And my ten year old self had a crush on Sandra
Sorry, but Sandra was already taked by me. Try the doctor.
I can see why. Something about that slightly boyish short hair.
Funny you say that about Sandra... Watching this video gave me a weird little kick - seeing an old crush I'd forgotten about for forty years! So you and me both...
@@originalmossman Get in line. I still have a picture of her I took off the TV screen. Major crush. Amazingly I only found out in the last year or so about that little Norwegian film she did just after Space 1999.
@@GregInTokyo Norwegian film? Tell me more.
An Idiot in charge killed! the best sci-fi ever (at least in terms of fx and sets)!
I am waiting for someone to reboot Space 1999 since everything is being rebooted and reimagined because there is a total lack of original ideas today🤦♂️
@charles King - we need a 2099 now..
I treat them both as separate - There are some items I enjoyed in 1 and then there was some good stuff in 2. But for the most part - as Isaac Asimov has said "Good Stories - Bad Science". Season 2 just turned into Let's chase monsters around the station if we have nothing.
I loved Space 1999. They had some great episodes
Season two is awful compared to season 1. I do like some episodes but I missed the season 1 style.
The new intro theme and Catherine Schell were the best things about Season 2. Other than that, Season 2 was very hit and miss. As stiff and wooden as Season 1 could be at times it was better overall in quality.
Is it true that many of the animals from S2 are from Brian Blessed's zoo? My theory is that his closeness to the production and love of animal husbandry could have even influenced the format of the shape-shifting Maya. I too find S2 hard to watch: S1 has a Kubrick's "2001" vibe. S2 feels like the "Banana Splits". Great video, btw!
Wonderful stuff. I absolutely adored this show as a kid and even now I still love it. But the first season was definitely the one. So dark, weird and sparse is a way and visually just stunning. Loved UFO of course too!
Year One of the show was unique - on many occasions it had an almost surreal feel to it. You really did get the impression that Alpha was adrift in a very strange and often hostile universe. The stories made you think. Character stuff took second place. Production values were magnificent. It was very "British" and very far away from standard science fiction television. It had a huge gravitas about it, closest thing I can think of it was a TV equivalent to 2001: A Space Odyssey. Sure, the science was often dodgy but the concepts were big and ambitious.
Year Two was nothing other than bog standard American sci-fi. It wasn;t the same show at all. All rubber monsters, forced "humour" and "romance" and laughably bad stories. A couple of decent ones but it was mostly garbage of the level of shows like Buck Rogers. I wish they hadn't made it at all, it completely desecrated the show. The cast, being professionals, did their best with rubbish material. On it's own it was "Okay" but following on from Year One it looked cheap and tacky.
Main Mission was a huge and futuristic set, we exchanged that for the cramped Command Centre which in contrast dated very badly (being mostly dressed up oscilloscopes and the like). All that "romantic interest" between Dr Russel/Koenig and Maya/Verdeschi, the painfully awful "humour" like the beer jokes, hilariously dire rubber monsters used over and over again and dross stories.
The first time I saw Year Two I was absolutely shocked at what they'd turned my much loved show into. Garbage.
b r a v o
@@billhosko7723 I thought the same thing about "War of the Worlds - the Series ". A good 1st season followed by a 2nd season without explanation for the new alien species. & they killed off 2 popular characters.
Thank you Chris that's an brilliant mini documentary with great research and excellent use of clips from the series. The kind of documentary you'd love to find as a dvd/blu ray extra!
A well made documentary, thank you.
I think this is one of the most beloved sf tv show in Italy.
Such a brilliant storyline. I am sad everyday that someone does not remake this series.
There there
Honestly, if they remade this show it would be horrible.
Bonjour et merci de me refaire vivre mes souvenirs d'enfants avec cosmos 1999 ainsi que les sentinelles de l'air, capitaine Scarlet...etc...longue vie à votre chaîne...longue vie et prospérité...un fan...
Oui oui. S2 et merd.
I've made peace with both seasons being two separate entities, driven primarily by the idea that at some point one of the space warps that S01 Alpha went through created a second reality version of Alpha and its inhabitants, accounting for the deletion and addition of characters and the revised sets and uniforms. Sure it's not a firm fix for the problem, but it makes it a little more palatable. Despite it's shortcomings, still have a soft spot for this show (both seasons) and revisit it more often than others.
Me too. I love the entire series, Both Seasons Included.
I agree. I don't have 2 and am inspired to order it for Christmas. There's a fan page Order out of Chaos I think that gives an order to watch 1. Highly recommended, it will move you to the core.
Moving from MAIN MISSION to Command Center was like moving from the Penthouse to a cramped basement apartment with no windows.
That's something I always liked in season 1, the main mission n them often being able to see whatever closeup action was going on.
But the rent is cheaper..
Americans in the corporate world who *manage* music, movies, TV series, are still unconscious of nuance, and rely on formulas that have already been used.
Thanks for this particular insight into Space 1999. I loved the 1 season.. I recall seeing the second plod along.. I had Dinky die cast Eagles, and played all day in the sci-fi world. I miss those days.