Space: 1999 after 30 years?

[Truth66]

My wife bought me the 30th anniversary set of Space: 1999 containing both seasons for Christmas. So far I've watched the first three discs. It's interesting to see these episodes, many of which I literally haven't seen since I was a kid.
I'm just curious what people's take is on this series and how it measured up to other show's of its time. Also if this type series was produced today, whether it or not it would be well recieved?

[jonodan]

Well, I have to say, I really enjoyed SPACE:1999 as a kid and still enjoy many of the episodes today via the DVD's. The first season was full of promise and the special effects were quite good for network TV at that time. Some of my favorite episodes from that season include "Black Sun", "Dragon's Domain", and "Collision Course" to name a few.

As you probably know, drastic changes occurred for season two (including the unexplained loss of major supporting characters) and most fans agree the series suffered quite a bit leading to its cancellation.

Your set may include a special fan-made production called, "Message From Moonbase Alpha" as a special feature... which is a touching "mini-episode" with Sandra recording a final message in Main Command as Alpha is evacuated for the final time. Look for it!

I think the first season truly had the potential for SP1999 to have become a series that would have equaled Star Trek and B5... but alas, it did not really get the chance it deserved.

If the series was remade today, with decent, well-cast actors and quality writing (not to mention the technology now available) it would really have a good chance to live again and develop a major audience. That would really be great to see!

Anyway, if this is the first time you are seeing some of the episodes since its initial airing, you're in for a treat. Enjoy!

[grumbler]

I must admit the series always left me cold. It was as silly as, say, Stargate SG-1 without the endearing virtue of knowing it was silly.

It did have good acting (better, arguably, than B5 did) but was chockablock full of plot loopholes, physical impossibilities, and just-damned-silly concepts, like the moonbase windows that they could open in the episode where some aliens gave the moon an atmosphere!

I probably never saw half the episodes, so there may have been virtues to the show I never experienced, but I wouldn't buy the complete set for a buck today.

Now, if UFO was available for a buck...

[I love Lyta]

The Moonbase girls' dresses alone would be worth the buck.

[colonyearth]

This series could never be made today. We all know that the moon could never do what it did in the series. We're too well informed over such things today and no one would buy it.

And while the series was campy and fun, it never could've equaled Trek IMO. And the acting really wasn't better than that in B5. It was so over-dramatic it was laughable in most places.

My roommate owns the series but only for the lark it is and was.

CE

[JoeD80]

A couple of the episodes were re-edited into movie form which later ended up as one of the first episodes of MST3K:

http://www.mst3kinfo.com/daddyo/di_K10.html

[Truth66]

I just finished watching The Space: 1999 Documentary Part One & Two. It's amazing that history seems to almost always repeat it self with studios never learning the mistakes of the past.
In part two there's alot of references to the many changes that were made for season two to supposedly make it more appealing for the American market. One quote from the narator was, "The successful format of the first series (season one) had been taken off course with rampaging monsters and comic strip storyline."
There's this quote from Christopher Penfold who was the Story Consultant and Script Writer, "One of the, I think, destructive influences of ITC was to undermine the self confidence that we as a team had built up amongst ourselves that we were actually making something that was exciting, original and new."
One of my favourite quotes is from Martin Landau, "To get the second season going...they had to make some compromises...I don't think they should have. The style of our show was our own. We were not like Star Trek. There was no need to become more like it. I believe that without question that you have to stick to your guns and go the way that the show is meant to go."
Does any of this sound familiar. As many of us know that TNT was trying to make numerous changes to Crusade and JMS had finally had enough and cancelled the series himself.
A third disc called "Alphacon The Video" had intervies from many fans of Space: 1999 and nearly all of them had similar views about the second season.
Part One of the documentary had several quotes of various Critics of the time praising the series.
I'd like to see JMS produce a similar documentary with regards to the creation of Babylon 5, the rise and fall of Crusade, Legend of the Rangers and The Lost Tales. I'm sure that JMS along with Cast and Crew members have some similar stories to tell which the fans would love to watch.
After watching the Documentary on Space: 1999, I wonder when these studio execs are ever going to learn and let these writers and producers produce their visions as intended. Perhaps when that day comes we'll have good quality television and not have to rely on the endless creations of so-called reality TV. Perhaps it may take another 30 years before that happens.