From: David Acheson (dkach@hot44mail.com) Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1998 06:07:41 EDT Subj: Space1999: One Moment of Humanity
A new week and a new episode for us to discuss - ONE MOMENT OF HUMANITY. This episode, the third one to be produced in the second season, is one that I enjoy. Not so much from the average storyline but more from the actors involved who gave it life.
This story was written by Tony Barwick who, like Donald James of THE EXILES, was a newcomer to the 1999 universe. As with Mr. James, Tony Barwick was not a stranger to Gerry Anderson as he also contributed many scripts to UFO years earlier.
Here we get a more cohesive story than the cut-up feeling one got from THE EXILES which suggests that maybe the writer was more prepared for the second season changes or at least had more time to fit in the changes. Perhaps some list member here has more information on the production background of this particular episode? At least the embarrasing introduction of humour to the show was taken care of in the previous episode so no such need for a long comedy sequence in this one. The so-called "warm" and "fuzzy" moments were kept to a minimum, were very short and somewhat believable.
Charles Chricton comes back once again to direct this episode. One of his better year two efforts as he seems to have a good rapport with Barbara Bain who is given major screen time. Landau and Bain always seemed to have praised Chricton so he probably knows what makes them tick.
Again we get a man vs. machine storyline which we saw several times during year one. However, in many ways, this episode comes across more like Pinocchio. The androids who want to be human. An interesting tale but, as Mateo pointed out, not without its faults. Yes, they were interested in getting rid of the human Vegans but they did not necessarily have to view human violence to find a way to kill them off. Yet, they were almost child-like in their sophisticated ways and were probably more inqusitive than anything. They stared at every little action just like children (or even cats) fixed on something that interests them. Thus they may have actually wanted to see what violence looked like.
Although linked in a chain (a la WAR GAMES) the androids began to show their own individuality which, in the end, would destroy them. Zamara, wonderfully played by Billie Whitelaw, was the queen bee. Ms. Whitelaw, in my opinion, was one of the more memorable guest actors in year two. She is still around today but I will always remember her as the crazy nanny in THE OMEN.
The episode was one of the few second season showcases for Barbara Bain. Here, the new and improved Helena Russell, is the centre of attention. Granted she didn't need to wear the party dress all the way through the episode but it was part of that "lets make her glamorous" kick. At least, the part about preparing for the party at the beginning of the episode gives her a reason to be wearing it. Although only shown a few brief times in year one, we get to see Helena in a more leadership role rather than being a doctor. She clues into the hint that all on Vega may not be what it seems long before Tony does and it is her that makes the decision to seek out the "numbered ones". Although she first falls for the drugged coffee trick, she comes to realize that Zarl and Zamara are the culprits setting her and Tony up. Which begs the question of how good a security officer is Tony anyway?
Two minor irritants! One: if this is only the third episode in production why are Tony and Maya mentioned as being in love to Zamara. They never bothered to say anything to each other before and not until much later in the season (THE BETA CLOUD). Can they really be in love at this point?
Two: I like the idea of Vega having a thin unbreathable atmosphere (a move away from year one-type worlds) but how did a human colony develop on Vega? Was there some catastrophe in the planet's history after human life developed? Or did they settle there from elsewhere? Arkadia perhaps?
Trivia: Noticed that Vega's surface is really Ultima Thule without the snow!
That's my take on ONE MOMENT OF HUMANITY. Not a favourite but enjoyable nonetheless.
David Acheson
From: jcg@vh4tag.net Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1998 20:25:08 -0400 Subj: Space1999: One Moment Of Humanity
I like how Helena jumps forward medically and challenges Zamara about the danger of tampering with their nervous systems.
Koenig says "keep our line of communication open, as agreed", except that is not what Zamara said. Is it bad writing, or is Koening trying to get more out of her?
It is interesting that they have to see emotions in person, in order to learn them. How long has this been going on, where the real Vegans have to cover themselves? They were able to get 100 percent of their population to cooperate? Has it been going on for years? What about child birth? Medical treatments? The androids can't watch a recording and experience that? I had a cat which would sit and watch the tv when birds were on, but the androids can't? Which explains why even if the Vegans didn't have violent films, or got rid of them, why Zamara didn't watch whatever entertainment films were on Alpha (or even news footage...the Zapruder film, the execution in the street in Vietnam, etc.)
Someone on the list asked if Tony & Maya would be together already by the third episode. If you go by Helena's log, it is 173 days after planet Psychon, or almost 6 earth months. A relationship could have developed by then. I also think it is possible that Koenig was taking an opportunity to get Maya onto the planet (it looks like it is played that way) and that Maya is displaying a reserve that could be embarassed shyness, or trying not to react and alert Zamara. Since I advocate that these episodes were meant to run in any order (despite the log entries), it is very possible that it was deliberately staged so you could draw either conclusion, based on when it aired on your local station (of course you can also try to factor in Maya's changing her hair in the teaser casue she's told Tony liked it.)
Either Helena is not changing her dress for days or weeks, or the events on the fake Alpha took place in just a few hours, in which case it is questionable that despite the events that "had to have been done by the other," neither Tony or Helena would have jumped to those paranoid conclusions.
I know I mentioned this in regards to one of the year one episodes (can't remember which) but the air would not run out that quickly on the base (even the fake one), and if it did (because the aliens were causing it) Tony and Helena should have realized that.
Unfortunatly the doors are starting to open by themselves. One of my favorite things about the design of the show in year one was the commlock, and their door function. You didn't have to look at the set design and wonder where the electric eye or sensor was to make the door know when to open on its own.
When Helena and Tony realize it's a trick, there's a sudden cut of the aliens fading behind the panel, and then an awkward cut to our heros. I wonder if there was an extra scene cut from there, or if we are supposed to conclude that they caught a glimpse of the aliens behind the panel, and that confirmed that it was a trick. Also, how did Helena conclude that it was a fake Alpha? Cause she saw them behind what had to be a fake panel? I'm curious what happened there.
It doesn't look right for Koenig to be making googly eyes at Helena while the androids whisper to each other. They are prisoners, and they would not be making eyes at each other...they would be watching the enemy.
I have always found the whole "choreographed" love making scene very clumsy at the least, and stupid at the most...and Koenig's anger also, therefore, stupid. But I wonder if it's because they didn't want to risk being as blatant as would have been necessary to portray it realistically...which basically would be rape. So we are supposed to watch the scene and cast it into realistic terms in our own minds, which then would make Koenig's reactions more realistic. I would have liked to see Helena vocally stop Koenig in the middle when he jumps up in anger. Finally, towards the end, is Helena falling under Zarl's spell? What is that all about?
One of my favorite musical themes is the one at the end as the real Vegan's take their masks off now that the androids are deactivated (and I was very disappointed that it was not on the year two cd.)
I like the tag to this episode. They didn't always have to end with a humerous, reflective scene. It ends with another of my favorite musical themes (that was on the year two cd, and which I have had on my answering machine, and which is heard when my computer shuts down.)
From: David Acheson (dkach@hot44mail.com) Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1998 22:57:27 EDT Subj: Space1999: The Watchful Vegans/Trials of being Helena
Someone brought up the idea that Zamara and her android friends could have easily read Alpha's library to witness human violence. This is in response to my mentioning that they might have possibly wanted to witness actual violence as opposed to finding more mundane ways to kill off the human population. This is true but lets face it - its not as effective (or as exciting in their case) to read about it or look at pictures of it as it is to see in real life. This seemed to be the overwhelming desire the Vegan androids had. Notice when Zarl gets primed up to kill that there are several androids hanging around with almost orgasmic anticipation on their faces.
On another unrelated note. Favourite line in the episode: "You're a liar! It sticks in your throat, you decrepit hag". I often wondered if they did this scene many times over without once cracking a smile. Good opportunity for a blooper for sure. Poor Helena, first the clay face treatment in THE EXILES and now the insults from androids in ONE MOMENT OF HUMANITY. Apparently kissing her causes death too. Surprising she didn't develop a complex.
David Acheson
From: Marcy Kulic (mkulic@wizard4tag.com) Date: Tue, 30 Jun 1998 00:49:37 -0700 (PDT) Subj: Re: Space1999: One Moment of Humanity
Two minor irritants! One: if this is only the third episode in production why are Tony and Maya mentioned as being in love to Zamara. They never bothered to say anything to each other before and not until much later in the season (THE BETA CLOUD). Can they really be in love at this point?
They didn't seem to be very obviously close as they were in later episodes. I always thought it was just a ploy, a way for Koenig to get Maya down on the planet to help him. Perhaps it was even the beginning of their true relationship.
Although I don't have the talent to write fan fiction, I like having vagaries in the stories so I can fill in the gaps with my imagination. Philippa Sidle, David Welle and Ellen Lindow have all made wonderful use of these to create their stories.
Two: I like the idea of Vega having a thin unbreathable atmosphere (a move away from year one-type worlds) but how did a human colony develop on Vega? Was there some catastrophe in the planet's history after human life developed? Or did they settle there from elsewhere? Arkadia perhaps?
My take always was that they polluted their world in the drive for technology.
I liked most of this episode, but the seduction scene with Helena and Zarl makes me cringe, even just thinking about it. The whole thing seemed very staged and phony. I find it hard to credit that a man such a Koenig would jeopardize his people to stop Helena from doing a silly dance with an android.
Marcy
From: "Tom Miller" (tmiller@north44net.org) Date: Tue, 30 Jun 1998 07:12:14 -0400 Subj: Space1999: humanity ect...
I agree with Marcy. I rewatched this episode last night, I just received it from Columbia House, and I compare it to the Year one episode on the same tape Mission of the Darians. Just in story writting alone, the Daria has more pure evil slowly built up, where we are thrust into the androids world suddenly. Koenig does raise his hand as if to strike Joan Collins on the Daria, but the threat of vilonce seems just that, a threat. Would not the androids be more likely to get Koenig going by threatining the base itself, or even letting him come to the planet and seeing the base slowly freeze to death. I found the concept of Humanity to be great, but the story line slightly rushed and thus weak...
Tom....
From: "Simon Morris" (simes01@global44net.co.uk) Date: Wed, 1 Jul 1998 12:18:05 +0100 Subj: Space1999: One Moment Of Humanity
Hello All,
Well,this one premiered on ATV Midlands on Saturday 25th Sept 1976 at 5:40 pm. (Interestingly, "Journey to Where " had been screened the week before,and "The Exiles"the week before that. In fact,the entire running order adopted by Lord Grade's own tv station was not the one apparently recommended by ITC!)
Anyway,I never cared for this episode the first time around but have grown to like it more over the years. I suppose its not a terribly original story (robots looking for human emotions and "shortcircuiting" when they find them),and I have always been dubious about the premise that they can only learn to kill by observing the Alphans commiting violent acts. Nevertheless,the story is fairly well written and acted and the ending - although cliched - is suitably touching.
I always cringe at scenes in sci-fi shows which call for the actors to "freeze" as the Alphans do when Zamara appears on Alpha. I'm not even sure this was absolutely necessary,even if Zamara *did*want to wander around and examine each person in Command Center in turn. Presumably it was felt to be the msot *sci-fi* sort of thing to do. To me it always seems faintly ludicrous.
I thought there was some good acting by Martin Landau at the start. For example he almost loses his temper and has to force himself to bite back his words and regain control,i.e.:
"AND WHAT GUARANTEE DO I HAVE OF(pause for control)...your goodwill?"
There is also IMO an excellent performance by Billie Whitelaw (both at that time and today one of England's most respected serious actresses) which contains the right degree of underlying menace and even a degree of malice.(Are they sure they haven't got enough human-like emotions?!) Leigh Lawson's performance as Zarl seems less assured but in a way this contributes to a picture of an android who has some doubts within himself as to whether he is doing the right thing in "playing" with Tony and Helena
("But it seems so cruel...."). Lawson again was and still is a respected National Theatre actor,and it is gratifying to see such talent in the series.
I always find it amusing the way Tony can barely control his temper when he tastes the awful food and jumps up ready to throw it at Zarl(also the way he spits it out in anger). Considering the insults thrown at him I think Tony Anholt plays the scene well and it doesn't go over the top. I'm not sure that these sort of insults would provoke a man to kill,and neither do I think that anyone swinging a punch or two is actually going to teach an android how to kill! Still,I suppose a certain suspension of belief is called for in these circumstances.
The erotic dance didnt work for me,unsurprisingly as I should think this would be very difficult to tackle on a family show. The movements were worked out by Lionel Blair,well known as a dancer and entertainer on stage and screen in England but I fail to see how Koenig got stirred up so much. Zarl barely touched Helena(he regained his senses just in time heh heh.....just kidding)! Also,while being a self-confessed supporter of Derek Wadsworth's music as the most positive aspect of Y2,I didn't really like the pieces that accompanied the dance(particularly the mad zylophonist playing through the piece). Even hearing the full length version on the Wadsworth CD failed to convince me. However I did enjoy the music that accompanies the scenes of the Vegan computer shutting down and the humans taking off their masks,and the music that closes out the episode as Zarl dies. Appropriately sad and touching and one of Wadsworths best themes.
Speaking of the humans taking off their masks,did you notice number 16,the gorgeous dark haired girl I mentioned in a previous post,who appeared as an Alphan in episodes like THE EXILES and BRINGERS OF WONDER! Good grief! What was she doing on Vega? Or does she have a twin sister? Or a Doppelganger in another dimension? (Or were the production team saving money using the same roster of extras for a multitude of roles?) In my opinion a slapdash piece of continuity with other such examples popping up in the season.
I'm aware that in the original script(or at least one version) there was the usual humorous epiloue involving Koenig and Helena. Some of this appears in the Michael Butterworth novelisation of the episode. Thankfully commonsense prevailed and this was cut from the final episode, resulting in quite a touching finish to the episode,"freeze-framing" on Helena's grief-stricken face as Zarl dies. Together with the music which accompanies the scene,this makes the epilogue one of the most effective of Y2 in dramatic terms even if its not terribly original. Any of the added humour in the original script would have diluted the power of the final scene as transmitted and maybe this final scene is the one that fans remember most in the episode. All in all, a well acted story while not being terribly original...but enjoyable all the same.
Simon Morris
From: jcg@vh4tag.net Date: Wed, 01 Jul 1998 10:36:51 -0400 Subj: Re: Space1999: One Moment Of Humanity
In fact,the entire running order adopted by Lord Grade's own tv station was not the one apparently recommended by ITC!)
That is one list I did not see. Can somebody point me to a list showing ITC's official running order?
From: djlerda@juno4tag.com Date: Wed, 01 Jul 1998 16:35:17 EDT Subj: Re: Space1999: One Moment Of Humanity
There is also IMO an excellent performance by Billie Whitelaw (both at that time and today one of England's most respected serious actresses) which contains the right degree of underlying menace and even a degree of malice.(Are they sure they haven't got enough human-like emotions?!)
I've always liked her even though I've never seen that much of her in American shows. She played Marie Antoinette in a movie called "Start the Revolution Without Me" which was a parody of the French Revolution. I would recommend it, if you can find it anywhere.
Leigh Lawson's performance as Zarl seems less assured but in a way this contributes to a picture of an android who has some doubts within himself as to whether he is doing the right thing in "playing" with Tony and Helena
Well, my only complaint is with the costumer - Lawson's chest could have done with substantially less exposure.
The erotic dance didnt work for me,unsurprisingly as I should think this would be very difficult to tackle on a family show.
I have to agree that the "erotic" dance, wasn't. Mostly due to that awful jazz which accompanied it.
All in all, a well acted story while not being terribly original...but enjoyable all the same.
I was reminded of the ending in Star Trek's "Requiem for Methusaleh" in which the android dies. This was one of the better episodes of Year 2, IMO. I'd give it a B- / C+.
David J Lerda
From: Simon Morris (simes01@global44net.co.uk) Date: Thu, 2 Jul 1998 00:38:46 +0100 Subj: Re: Space1999: One Moment Of Humanity
The video releases of Year 1 and Y2 in the UK(with the exception of the compilation features,which were eventually released properly some time later in their"episodic"format)were released by ITC Home Video according to their own preferred order. I'm not sure how long this preferred order has been around or on what basis ITC decided on it. The lists have been published by Fanderson before and they may be on the Fanderson website though I really wouldn't know. Offhand I can't find the Y1 order,but briefly(as provided by Fanderson)the Y2 order is(and I'll abbreviate because its a tedious task!):
The Metamorph
Exiles
Journey to Where
Moment/Humanity
Glisters
Archanon
Taybor
Brian the Brain
Luton
New Adam
Seed of Destruction
AB Chrysalis
Catacombs
Space Warp
Matter of Balance
Beta cloud
Lambda Factor
Bringers 1
Bringers 2
Seance Spectre
Dorzak
Devils Planet
Immunity Syndrome
Dorcons
Personally I doubt there is much hard logic or any real substance to the way ITC decided on the "preferred order", but I wonder if Brian Dowling might have more info on his website?
Simon
From: "Brian Dowling" (brian@hellion4tag.prestel.co.uk) Date: Thu, 2 Jul 1998 20:54:48 +0100 Subj: Space1999: Space:1999 video release order
Personally I doubt there is much hard logic or any real substance to the way ITC decided on the "preferred order", but I wonder if Brian Dowling might have more info on his website?
And I got rid of the brief sumamry/breakdown page a while back! Ah, c'est la vie. The video release order is as per the UKVL; the only thing I am aware of which influenced the order was that PolyGram (who didn't own ITC at that time) had the rights to the 8 episodes comprising vols 21 to 24, which prevented a timely ITC release continuing after Vol 20. Anything else which helped influence the order is known only to the people at ITC Video at the time.
Here are the Volumes and their episodes...
Season One
Vol 1: A Matter Of Life And Death / The Infernal Machine
Vol 2: Dragon's Domain / The Testament Of Arkadia
Vol 3: The Last Enemy / Mission Of The Darians
Vol 4: The Troubled Spirit / Space Brain
Vol 5: End Of Eternity / The Full Circle
Vol 6: Death's Other Dominion / Voyager's Return
Vol 7: Alpha Child / The Last Sunset
Vol 8: Force Of Life / Guardian Of Piri
Vol 9: Missing Link / Another Time Another Place
Vol 10: Earthbound / Ring Around The Moon
Vol 21: Breakaway / War Games
Vol 22: Collision Course / Black Sun
Season Two
Vol 11:The Exiles / Journey To Where
Vol 12: One Moment Of Humanity / All That Glisters
Vol 13: The Mark Of Archanon / The Taybor
Vol 14: Brian The Brain / The Rules Of Luton
Vol 15: New Adam New Eve / Seed Of Destruction
Vol 16: The A-B Chrysalis / Catacombs Of The Moon
Vol 17: A Matter Of Balance / The Beta Cloud
Vol 18: The Lambda Factor / The Seance Spectre
Vol 19: Dorzak / Devil's Planet
Vol 20: The Immunity Syndrome / The Dorcons
Vol 23: The Metamorph / Space Warp
Vol 24: The Bringers Of Wonder I & II
On a personal note, my favourite tape is volume 2 - Dragon's Domain and Testament of Arkadia. This is because they are both told in the same style, but are both thought provoking and damn fine stories. My least favourite tape of the set is a tie between vols 14 and 18, my criticisms of these stories (as well as their good points) coming soon in the ExE thread.
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