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Date: Sat, 07 Feb 1998 09:35:40 -0400
From: mcevoyc (mcevoyc@rcsn.nb.44.ca)
Subject: Space1999: OT: chicken joke and tv
Last week some sent around a chicken joke (Why did the chicken cross the
road...), if anyone still has a copy of it could you send it to me?
Also, do any of our British list members remember a TV program from the
early seventies, maybe late sixites about a a duo who solved crimes--the
gimmick was that one of them was dead and appeared as a ghost?
Is this my imagination? Perhaps it was an American program? Any help?
From: jcg@vh.1.net
Date: Sat, 07 Feb 1998 13:38:40 -0500
Subject: Re: Space1999: OT: chicken joke and tv
In America it ran as "My Partner The Ghost." In Britain it ran as "Randall
and Hopkirk (Deceased)". In the first episode Hopkirk is killed and he
returns as a ghost to help his partner Randall solve the murder. But the
ghost stays past dawn and is cursed to remain for one hundred years. The
ghost hangs around with his partner and helps to solve crimes. Only
Randall can see or hear Hopkirk...not even Hopkirk's wife, who runs the
office, knows about him. It was syndicated in America in 1973, it was an
ITC show, and Edwin Astley did the music. It was a British show.
From: judas@netmatters.co.co.uk (B J Dowling)
Date: Sat, 7 Feb 1998 20:02:55 +0000
Subject: Space1999: Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)
No luck on that particular chicken joke, but I can tell you about the
series you mention. Called Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), the series
revolved around a private detective agency run by Jeff Randall (the late
Mike Pratt) and Marty Hopkirk (Kenneth Cope). In the pilot, Marty gets
killed by a car while investigating a case.
Much to Jeff's surprise, he gets a phone call from his deceased partner who
says that the auto accident was deliberate and to prevent further
investigation in this particular case. It turns out that, as a ghost,
Marty can stay on Earth awhile, before going to his final fate. If he
doesn't go back before the appointed time, he's stuck on Earth for a long
time (but I can't remember just how long), until the next window arrives.
Marty persuades Jeff to follow this case up and he hangs around to help
him.
With me so far? Jeff is the only person who can see Marty (in his new
white suit), and Marty can influence earthly things to a point.
Successfully solving the case, it turns out that Marty has passed his
deadline to return to the spirit world and so is stuck on Earth for quite a
while. He and Jeff decide that a ghost can be useful in investigations,
but this causes a few problems of its own...
It was transmitted in the US under the title "My Partner, The Ghost" and
consisted of 30 1 hour episodes. Several British actors of note appeared
in the series, Ray Austin directed several episodes and Donald James (I
think he wrote a couple of season 2 1999 stories) wrote a few episodes.
Another series from Lew Grade's ITC team, there is still a fan club in
existence, and R&H(D) has occasionally been seen on local ITV stations.
Issue 29 of Epi-Log (April 1993) has the kind of review I have rather come
to expect from that particular title. "If it's British, it's crap" seems
to be their philosophy.
From: "Robert Ashley Ruiz" (espresso@dnai.com.com)
Date: Sun, 8 Feb 1998 04:04:26 +0000
Subject: Space1999: Thoughts from Johnny Byrne
> Since I last wrote I've managed to contact my old friend Chris
> Penfold: we lost touch a couple of years back and he's now
> developing projects for Scottish Television. I particularly wanted
> to compare notes with him about Ed Di Lorenzo, mainly for Petter's
> benefit. Chris says that Ed was brought onto Space via Lee Katzin.
> His arrival on Space followed mine by about a month. The title of
> script editor largely involved no script editing work by either of
> us - it merely reflected the fact that we were working exclusively
> for Space. It was agreed at the time that all those episodes I
> wrote would bear Ed's name as script editor, while any of his, or
> (when Ed left) scripts by others, would bear mine. Neither of us
> ever edited each other's work. The front office didn't want writer
> and script editor credits to be the same - amazing, isn't it, how
> mundane these things can be?
>
> Ed wrote Missing Link and Ring Around The Moon, but they were
> heavily rewitten by Chris. Wonderful man though he was, and a
> writer with a delicate touch and philosophical feel, Ed had problems
> with the type of story needed for Space at the time. His great love
> was the book he was writing. I think it was called White Light, and
> like his script work, it was poetic, delicate, a sort of post hippy
> Jonathan Livingstone Seagull (Chris' description). According to
> Chris, Ed left because he was fed up with the rewrite demands, and,
> anyhow, his book was his first priority. I was very sad and
> disappointed when he left because I felt he would have grown into
> the series and thus make it all the more special.
>
> As for Alpha Child, the idea originated in a conversation Ray Austin
> had with Gerry Anderson. Chris was called over and asked to script
> it. Chris also heavily rewrote Black Sun and Guardian Of Piri.
>
> Trivia points - I hated the idea of Regina in ANAP having two
> physical brains. This was foisted upon me. I'd wanted two
> psychological states to make the point. Likewise Koenig saying at
> the end of Force Of Life, to the effect "A star maybe?" After what
> had happened around Zoref, a less crass and much more interesting
> thought could have been left hanging. But sometimes the powers that
> be would get a bee in bonnet about certain lines or thoughts, and
> unless absolutely outrageous, given the time pressure, the line of
> least resistance was the only one possible.
Date: Sun, 08 Feb 1998 15:36:11 -0400
From: mcevoyc (mcevoyc@rcsn.nb.nb.ca)
Subject: Space1999: Johnny Byrne!
Having just read the excerpt of Johnny Byrne's letter, I can now say
that you (Johnny Byrne) are totally forgiven for the line "You mean a
star?" from the episode Force of Life.
Date: Sun, 8 Feb 1998 13:40:50 +0100
Subject: Space1999: MOON BUGGY
From: Ekmar Brand (Ekmar.Brand@t-4-online.de)
Hi Alphans!
I discovered the moon buggy of SPACE: 1999 in the sci-fi movie "Der letzte
Detektiv". I don't know the original title of the movie ("The Last Detective"?).
The movie was aired in Germany on SF on the 18th January 1998. It was produced
in the USA 1977 and directed by Robert Michael Lewis. Joseph Cortese plays the
privat detective Michael Stringer.
I also dicovered a lamp of moonbase Alpha's main mission in the Drax space
station of the James Bond movie MOONRAKER.
Ekmar
Date: Sun, 8 Feb 1998 17:40:27 +0100
Subject: Space1999: BLOOPERS
From: Ekmar Brand (Ekmar.Brand@t-7-online.de)
Hi Alphans!
German television aired 1988 in the first episode of TV show "HOPPALA"
funny bloopers (outtakes) from the making of BRINGERS OF WONDER.
Does anybody have more information about the SPACE: 1999 bloopers. Does anywhere
extist an unofficial bloopers tape (simliar like the famous STAR TREK bloopers)?
Ekmar
If there is a blooper tape of S-1999. I want it !
But I don't think. They ever made one !
Chas P. LKJ1999
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 1998 02:43:43 +0100
Subject: Space1999: Re: BLOOPERS
From: Ekmar Brand (Ekmar.Brand@t-44-online.de)
Where one blooper is, must be more! I think, all almost all list members want
it. The questions are: Who has it (Gerry Anderson, Fred Freiberger...)? How can
we get it? I think the problem is the same like STAR TREK: The actors will not
allow to release a bloopers tape. All STAR TREK bloopers tapes are not official.
Many actors are to arrogant to speak about their own mistakes...
The crew of Alpha didn't run against a door? I don't believe it!
From: eagle1@mb.sympatico.ca.ca
Date: Thu, 12 Feb 1998 02:13:43 -0600
Subject: Space1999: Creation Theory: Imai Eagle kit...
Hi there.
Here is my explanation for how the Japanese IMAI Eagle kit came into
being...
The president of the IMAI model company saw seven seconds of "Space:
1999" during a part of the show where the Eagle was shown at a distance
on someone's commlock who was seen in the background. Twelve years later
he described it verbally to his young four-year-old daughter, who was
hearing impaired. The child, who was also visually challenged, made a
crayon drawing of it on an old newspaper the next week, and the IMAI
president then took the crude sketch to the moldmakers, who were
apprentices, showed it to them for one- and- a- half seconds and said,
"Make a kit that looks something like this, and make it so that the kids
can play with at the airport while waiting for the bus to take them
home!"
I think that about sums it up!!!!!
What a horrible monstrosity that kit is! IMAI should be ashamed!!! The
only thing that's good about the kit is the small photo of the original
rescue Eagle on the side of the box cover!!!! Sheeesh! Didn't they look
at that picture and wonder why the damned kit didn't look anything like
it?????????
Yes, I've seen it. No, I don't own one. I refuse to! Gads!!!! It's got
WHEELS!!!!!!
Date: Thu, 12 Feb 1998 21:36:52 +0100
Subject: Space1999: METAMORPH
From: Ekmar Brand (Ekmar.Brand@t--online.de)
Hi Alphans!
Long before Odo in DS9, long before Maya in SPACE: 1999, there were other
metamorphs...
The question is:
Who was the first metamorph in a science fiction series?
I think it was Otho from CAPTAIN FUTURE.
SAT.1 is rerunning CAPTAIN FUTURE (the Japanese animated series) in Germany
every Saturday morning at 8.30 a.m.
Like SPACE: 1999 all German episodes were cut very much. Where can I get English
episodes of CAPTAIN FUTURE?
I have found a CAPTAIN FUTURE HOMEPAGE:
http://sunserver1.rz.uni-duesseldorf.de/~goto/Captain_Future/
But I think Maya was the first metamorph as a regular character in a TV series.
Is this true?
Ekmar
Date: Sun, 15 Feb 1998 19:05:28 -0800
From: Michael Bromm (bucky@ulam.generes4tag.ca)
Subject: Space1999: TONS OF 1999 NOVELS
Hi all,
I was downtown today and stumbled across a bookstore with a whole drawer
of 1999 novels. Prices range from $4-$10, depending on the title and
the condition. I bought "The MAking of Space:1999" by Tim Heald (really
cool; lots of photos of the ships and sets and stuff), and "Breakaway"
by EC Tubb.
There are many many other 1999 books there as well, but unfortunately, I
wasn't prepared and couldn't write all the titles down. However, there
are tons of the first series, the ones which have a different color for
each novel. There are also tons of the purple ones that have photo
inserts. Finally, they have a couple of year 2 books as well. There
are perhaps 4 of the "Making of..." books left, and several copies of
Breakaway.
One funny thing. In the Dragon's Domain part of one of the books, they
guy who was Tony Cellini in the show was called Jim Calder. Go figure.
MY POINT: if anyone has a wish list of 1999 books, email me and I'll
see if this place has what you want. I'll get back to you with the
prices, and if you want them, I'll get them for you.
Mike
Date: Sun, 15 Feb 1998 23:51:39 -0800
From: Paul Dorion (pdorion@mediom4tag.qc.ca)
Subject: Re: Space1999: TONS OF 1999 NOVELS
Forgive me for intruding, but I would like to point out that people
interested in buying any space: 1999 novel (even those which may not be
available at the bookstore Mike discovered) can access the following URL:
http://www.mxbf.com
This site search the inventory of over two thousands second-hand
bookstores all across North America, Europe (mainly England) and
Australia. When I last checked (Sunday evening), ALL of the space:1999
novels (including the very rare Earthfall, written by E. C. Tubb), both
Year One and Year Two, were available. Prices range from US$4 to US$27
(the only copy of Earthfall was available at US$22).
Using this web site made a few weeks ago made it possible for me to find
and buy books I had been searching for the past twenty years (includind
all the 1999 novels, the two UFO novels, the four original (60's)
Mission Impossible novels, ...)!
By the way, I would like to say a friendly Hi! to everybody on the list.
I suscribed to the list a few weeks ago and am sort of a newbie. My name
is Paul Dorion; I live in Quebec City, Canada, and have been a fan of
both Year One and Year Two since it was shown on the french network of
the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (Radio-Canada) in 1975.
So long for now ...
Paul Dorion
pdorion@mediom.qc.ca
Date: Thu, 19 Feb 1998 21:01:16
From: David Welle (dwelle@online.dct.dct.com)
Subject: Space1999: TV Guide Special Revisited (semi OT)
Hello all.
Well, I've been quiet due mainly to two words: work, Olympics. No time
left for analyzing "The Last Sunset" last week, though I'll probably write
something up at a later point. What time hasn't been soaked up by a sudden
emergency at work has gone to watching the Olympics (always enjoyable IMO).
Today, I looked for a remix single of The Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony"
song I've heard as background on some features on the Olympic broadcasts
here. I didn't find that, but I did stumble on a video tape.
It's called "TV Guide Looks at Science Fiction," and while I'm not usually
inclined to buy these sort of general "looks at" or "best of" items,
especially ones slapping a self-labeled "Collector's Edition" statement and
making a point of having a celebrity host (in this case, William Shatner),
the back blurb did catch my attention, saying in part "... high speed ride
through the greatest science fiction televisions shows ever, including The
X-Files, Star Trek, Lost in Space, The Outer Limits, Space: 1999, My
Favorite Martian, The Time Tunnel, Babylon 5, Planet of the Apes and more."
There was also a picture from S19 (an Eagle lifting off from a pad).
Considering their poll last year, and the 1997 copyright on the video, and
the fact it was listed as 60 minutes long for $15 (instead of some short 30
min. for $25 or something), I popped for it.
After watching it, and then checking out my S19 mailbox from 1997, it turns
out it was that USA/Sci-Fi broadcast special back in June or July that I
had totally missed (plus 12-15 "bonus" minutes of interviews, mostly of
"Lost in Space" actors), so this is somewhat old news....
Anyway, it spent about 1-3 minutes on each show it mentioned. Shatner used
the phrase "languished in the ratings" in regard to the original Star Trek.
After the spot on ST:TOS, Shatner mentioned that "networks still saw
science fiction as a genre for children," and showed "Lost Saucer" as an
example. Then came S19, and the first thing Shatner said was, "one noble
attempt to prove the networks wrong was this popular British series Space:
1999...."
As he spoke further, it first showed the spinning Eagle crashing into the
Moon's surface, then some excellent "This Episode"-type shots (mostly but
not exclusively of "The Infernal Machine"). Additionally, there was a clip
from "Dragon's Domain" (Koenig against the monster), and a few other great
special effects shots to round out the minute-long spot on S19. "Star
Wars" briefly followed, to set a context to the series that followed
afterwards.
Anyway, the whole video was generally well-balanced and fair, if not deep
or critical (except for a few sly or occasionally overt comments here and
there -- which S19 escaped), about all the shows it reviewed, making for a
generally good if not thorough overview of SF TV, because I think S19 was
the only non-U.S. show mentioned (even Doctor Who went unmentioned, despite
a "Time Travel" section to the show). I suppose that's because TV Guide
itself covers American shows, though the tvguide.com poll that followed had
more than that.
Space: 1999 certainly got noticed in the U.S. for having some unexpected
success in American syndication, which in that day was a virtually
untouched market for first-run series, I think; which is probably why it
received inclusion in this special, even though a few semi-prominent U.S.
series were *not* mentioned.
I took this all as a short but respectible treatment of S19 (as I think
someone mentioned last year), which may have aroused some new curiosity
about the series -- along with the poll tvguide.com ran for a month.
Date: Tue, 24 Feb 1998 19:25:40 +0100
Subject: Space1999: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
From: Ekmar Brand (Ekmar.Brand@t-4-online.de)
Hi Alphans!
Today I watched BREAKAWAY, WAR GAMES and the "movie" ALIEN ATTACK for comparing
the two different versions.
I have a question: What is the "dark side of the moon"? The backside of the
moon? Then you would not see the Earth in the black sky. Otherwise the moon
would crash in BREAKAWAY on the Earth....?
Ekmar
From: South Central (Tamazunchale@web960tv.net)
Date: Tue, 24 Feb 1998 11:43:35 -0800
Subject: Re: Space1999: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
The "dark side" obviously refers to the "'far side" of the moon.
Depending on where Area Two is located it might push the moon "toward
the Earth's gravity well but at an oblique enough angle to actually give
the moon added velocity as it slingshots past the Earth. A collision is
not a necessary occurrence.
Mateo
From: LKJ1999@aol4qever.com
Date: Tue, 24 Feb 1998 17:01:38 EST
Subject: Re: Space1999: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
The dark side of the Moon. Is the side we never see from Earth !!!
But I would love to see it. With one of My telescope's
Chas P. LKJ1999
From: South Central (Tamazunchale@web744tv.net)
Date: Tue, 24 Feb 1998 14:28:15 -0800
Subject: Re: Space1999: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
But dark side is a misnomer. When the moon is between the Earth and the
Sun directly, the side facing the Earth is dark and the far side (the
so-called "dark side") is fully illuminated by the sun.
Mateo
From: LKJ1999@aol4qev.com
Date: Tue, 24 Feb 1998 18:12:35 EST
Subject: Re: Space1999: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
Yep. That's true.
Hi Alphans!
I discovered many great artworks in the book THE MAKING OF SPACE: 1999. Perhaps
it's possible to release a new book "THE ART OF SPACE: 1999"? I have "THE ART OF
STAR WARS" and "THE ART OF STAR TREK" books. These books are very great! I think
a book "THE ART OF SPACE: 1999" would also be great!
Here are some news from Germany:
SPACE: 1999 is now back on German TV. Kabel 1 reruns ALIEN ATTACK ("Alien
Attack - Die Ausserirdischen schlagen zu") on 21st March 1998 and JOURNEY
THROUGH THE BLACK SUN ("Back Sun - Der Todesplanet greift an") on 28th March
1998.
Ekmar
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 1998 18:27:30 -0500
From: Floyd Resler (floydresler@earth777link.net)
Subject: Space1999: Mentioned in Star Wars Screenplays
Here's a quote from "Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays":
"The Millennium Falcon was originally the Rebel blockade vessel you
see in the opening scene. The long ship with the engine in the back was
the Falcon. The model had been designed based on one of Ralph
McQuarrie's designs, and George had signed off on it. Then, during
production, this show came out on TV called Space 1999, and one of the
ships they had was similar to the Falcon. It was a long ship with a
pointed front end and a bunch of rockets in the back; in a way, it was
your basic spaceship design: long and thin, cockpit in the front, engine
in the back, cargo in the middle. And the two designs looked similar
enough that George said, 'We don't want to look like we're coping
anybody, so let's change the design.'
The truth is, we designed our ship first, but the TV show got into
production before we did."
I wonder what would have happened if Star Wars did come out before Space
1999. Would the creators have redesigned the Eagle?
Floyd
From: eagle1@mb.sympatico4gat.ca
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 1998 18:18:38 -0600
Subject: Re: Space1999: Mentioned in Star Wars Screenplays
That is a very interesting point, but I would like a bit of proof that
they designed it first as the Falcon. I may be wrong, but I THINK Star
Wars went into pre-production in '74 and 1999 went into pre-prod. in
'73, when the Eagle may have been designed. I will have to check on that
with some of my sources, but meanwhile does anybody else out there have
any concrete evidence to either support or destroy my theory?
I know the drawing they're referring to. It's in several books, and it
DOES look a lot like an Eagle! In fact it looks even more like the Swift
from Brian the BRAIN!!
Date: Tue, 03 Mar 1998 20:36:58
From: "Phillip C. Merkel" (captphil@unix.asb4tag.com)
Subject: Re: Space1999: Mentioned in Star Wars Screenplays
If Star Wars had come out before 1999 did I'm sure a network would have
picked up the show. Star Wars was the reason BSG got on the air and at a
million dollars an hour it could have been much better. While I don't want
to insult any Battlestar fans out there you have to admit the scripts could
have used a little help, especially after the Lords of Kobol stories and
the use of stock footage was just too much!
1999 was at least, at least on par with that show technically and ahead in
script quality. The only problem would have been if the network (Like Abe
Mandel) would have interfered with the show more than 1999 was already
interfered with.
Sorry this reply is going out late, I wrote it on Saturday and didn't get
a chance to send until tuesday.