Space: 1999
Episode by Episode

Whole Series Afterword

Editor's Introduction:

The idea to have a two-week wrap-up discussion originated in an earlier episode's discussion, and was to begin after "The Dorcons" -- but got a start a few days early.

This discussion was complex and extremely long (~500K of raw material!), and varied widely, from summary analysis, best/worst rankings, detailed response on some of those, overall series notes, and whole notes mostly or entirely on single episodes. On top of that, some notes covered Y2 only, some covered the entire series, and some covered Y2 only and then S19 as a whole in a single note!

All of this made this thread very difficult to edit and separate cleanly, so I have spun off threads from this Afterword in a somewhat different manner than just about any other thread I have edited, in ExE or Thread Pages; though as usual, I mark those departure points with some brief explanation. 



From:  "Anthony D." (atd1999@yahoo44.com)
Date:  Thu, 26 Nov 1998 14:26:06 -0800 (PST)
Subj:  Space1999: ExE Kudos, Y2 Summary - Petter for a Day - Pt II

All:

First, before I summarize Year 2 as I see it, I'd like to join the kudo parade in honor of Mateo. I was not part of the list for the vast majority of ExE...but wish I had been. Why wasn't I here you ask? Glad you asked...let me tell you...

I'm not sure how long the majority of you have been here, but this list has been around for a long while. Back in 1996, I decided to unsubscribe because the list was getting too unwieldy. There were inane posts of little or no merit. (aside --- I am currently on the UFO fan list and find much of the mail there to be rather lacking too --- no offense to list provider Marc Martin who is a swell guy, huge UFO fan and keeper of the best UFO site on the Web: http://ufo.simplenet.com -- nor any offense to the list members there who are also huge UFO fans that love to have with one another).

I, and a few others, including Robert Ruiz of Cybrary fame, decided to abandon Alpha and get on a life raft Eagle...I was going to re-join at some point (I think the fall of '96) but forgot about it and never did...finally, sometime this year I hit the button and rejoined...actually, I think I saw the ExE transcripts at David Welle's site and thought I should come back on. I had always wanted an ExE thread but they never seemed to get off the ground. I'm glad Mateo was able to launch this important discussion forum and to keep it going for 48+ weeks. It's weird when something so familiar comes to an end...as many have expressed -- confusion, lack of staying power, etc. Those things will sort themselves out as we move ahead. We have the exciting Breakaway Convention to discuss...we need to start pouring ideas into the Convention coffers (along with cash, I guess ;-) to get things going. If we, a core group of loyal fans, don't offer input, then who will??? If we don't make it "our" Convention, then who's will it be??? So, as another post-ExE thread, perhaps we should chat about the Convention...and for those in Europe, it's time to save those pennies, work your butt off and use the Convention as an "excuse" to go to L.A. You are as much, if not more (was it not Europe that gave us Space:1999 -- England and Italy for season 1?) fans of the show. I hope as many Europeans can attend as Americans and Canadians...and others! Geez, after all that, I hope I can attend! Hehehehe...

Well, I went to far... Y2 summary to follow.

Anthony 



From:  "Anthony D." (atd1999@yahoo44.com)
Date:  Thu, 26 Nov 1998 14:46:03 -0800 (PST)
Subj:  Space1999: Y2 Summary (really) - Petter for a Day - Pt III

OK,

I'll make this brief as I rambled on too long in my other posts.

When Y2 first appeared 20 years ago, I was excited that a new season of Space:1999 was coming to television. I loved all apsects of the shows...the new sets, characters, etc. As a kid, I *sorta* missed Bergman and the others, but not for long. I loved the action episodes the best, especially Space Warp as we got to see all these "geez whiz" parts of Alpha. The stories were good for the most part, Maya was exicting and the humanity/humor added to the series was refreshing and welcomed.

As I grew older and went back to the series from time-to-time, I would watch Year One episodes and miss the granduer of it all...While Year Two had all the good elements of a series, it was also missing something important...the "thing" that made Space:1999. I don't know what that thing is/was...but it's there. Helena's "wooden" acting, Koenig's over the top acting, Bergman's non-science science...it's there...but I'm not sure where...but that's what is missing from Year Two...no grandeur, mystery, etc. No MUF...these people *need* a MUF -- there is nothing wrong with a MUF --- this was sort of a "religious" aspect added to the series either by intention or by fate...but it was there...to take this MUF away took away the very life of Space:1999 as portrayed in Year One.

I look at Year Two as an almost totally different series. Neither equal or unequal to Year One, just different. Watching the episodes back to back on the Columbia House tpaes allows one to see the contrasts so clearly. While I love Barbara Bain's performance in Year One, I also love her Year Two performance, though for very different reasons....Year Two was about human characters who happen to be on a moon adrfit in space. Year One was about a scientific community accidently thrust into a void. Very different. As someone somewhere said (either on this list or on a Web site), they were only seconds from death...in Year One. Year Two, being underground and all, didn't give the same impression. The grandeur in space was gone. No more could you go to a window in Main Mission and see a planet, stars, little satellites from another world give the Moon air. You couldn't see alien ships approach (or leave), a "force of life" leave Alpha as it continued its metamorphisis or life return to Piri...No, Year Two had everything come through a view screen...not quite the same...the taybor's ship was remarkable, but again it was viewed thru a TV screen only. Star light was not existent in this world, the awe and mystery of space was sheilded from its wanderers...safer? Perhaps...but perhaps too safe...too formulaic...

Was Year Two rubbish? Certainly not. Yes, it had its overwhelming share of rubber monsters, but if it added fans to the series, if it showed our beloved Alphans in all new adventures, it could not be rubbish.

As I get older (well at least for now), I will love Year One a bit more than Year Two...but respect Year Two for what it was...a "re-tuned" series that desparately needed to widen its audience to stay alive.

In the end, the operation was a success, but the patient died.

Anthony
ps: oops - I rambled! 



From:  South Central (Tamazunchale@webtv44.net)
Date:  Thu, 26 Nov 1998 20:29:26 -0800 (PST)
Subj:  Re: Space1999: Y2 Summary (really) - Petter for a Day - Pt III

That was an eloquent, wonderful summary of the series. And THANKS for the kudos!!

Though I must say it was a group effort--on all our parts!

Mateo 



From:  "Simon Morris" (simes01@globalnet44.co.uk)
Date:  Fri, 27 Nov 1998 18:59:45 -0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: Y2 Summary (really) - Petter for a Day - Pt III

Ref the Y1 versus Y2 issue,Anthony D. wrote:

As I grew older and went back to the series from time-to-time, I would watch Year One episodes and miss the granduer of it all...While Year Two had all the good elements of a series, it was also missing something important...the "thing" that made Space:1999. I don't know what that thing is/was...but it's there. Helena's "wooden" acting, Koenig's over the top acting, Bergman's non-science science...it's there...but I'm not sure where...but that's what is missing from Year Two...no grandeur, mystery, etc.

Yes I know what you mean Anthony! I prefer Y2 over Y1 but that said, some of my favourite episodes of any tv series come from Y1 and ,yes, there is no doubt that there was a profound grandeur about the first 24 episodes that was missing from the second 24. I didn't especially miss the grandeur,but re-watching a number of Y1 episodes recently remind me of why I was so hooked on SPACE 1999 in the first place.

I look at Year Two as an almost totally different series. Neither equal or unequal to Year One, just different.

Well this has always been my view,as List regulars will know. Saves ulcers!

....Year Two was about human characters who happen to be on a moon adrfit in space. Year One was about a scientific community accidently thrust into a void. Very different.

(Simon nods in agreement....)

Was Year Two rubbish? Certainly not. Yes, it had its overwhelming share of rubber monsters, but if it added fans to the series, if it showed our beloved Alphans in all new adventures, it could not be rubbish.

Supporter of Y2 I may be,but I have never really agreed that people who didn't like Y1 would like Y2 any better. A lot of people I knew thought Y2 was rubbish,but they also thought the same about Y1. I never thought Y1 was so bad that it needed changing to the extent that it * was* changed. In fact,I hoped that the second year would be a straight carry-on from Y1. When Y2 premiered,I remember thinking "What the hell is this?!" and being profoundly disappointed at the loss of so many names from before and behind the cameras,the loss of familiar sets and music etc. I grew to adjust of course,but I never liked the monster shows(still don't). I liked the pace and the characterisation,some of the humour,Maya and so on. I loved Barry Grays Y1 music but Derek Wadsworth's Y2 score was both so exciting,memorable and original that(for me anyway)it remains the highpoint of the Y2 changes. And I know that is true for many a fan. Apologies for those who disparagingly refer to it as "porno disco" !

As I get older (well at least for now), I will love Year One a bit more than Year Two...but respect Year Two for what it was...a "re-tuned" series that desparately needed to widen its audience to stay alive.

Its the other way round for me I suppose. Y2 had a lot of good ideas but they should have been executed differently to have made a good series great. I liked a lot of what Freiberger did but feel that in the end he was just too involved in the day to day side of things to see when it was going wrong. A great pity.

Simon 



From:  "Brian Dowling" (hellion@easynet44.co.uk)
Date:  Fri, 27 Nov 1998 23:54:18 -0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: Y2 Summary (really) - Petter for a Day - Pt III

Hi folks,

Year Two had all the good elements of a series, it was also missing something important...the "thing" that made Space:1999.

Hmm... reading this got me wondering what the aforementioned "thing" was. Something Sylvester McCoy said on Tuesday night comes to mind about what might be called "classic British sci-fi"... "when Doctor Who and Quatermass were around there was a sense of Britain changing and looking to the future...class differences were collapsing...there was a feeling of a classless future and a brave new world..." - there was a feeling of wonderment which accompanied this and the self-confident nay, arrogant attitude which Star Trek or Lost In Space humans exuded was nowhere to be seen. There is, methinks, a grittiness, a realism of our limitations and existence which runs through the best British sci-fi up to around 1989. Please note that I'm not saying "all" - there were some truly awful moments along the way as well.

Season 1 was promoted as being large - large budget and a large main set (Main Mission must have been awesome to encounter) helped create an atmosphere which was beautifully accompanied by the main theme, orchestral and grandiose. And in some stories, it worked beautifully. In some stories it didn't. Strange how stereotypes and mickey taking are often derived from negative moments, eh?

Science fiction tends to be split into two camps, those who prefer the science in the stories to be as real as possible, and those who really don't mind whether or not the science bit is possible. Is the Moon blowing out of orbit as unbelievable as man's development being influenced by an alien race who use a bloody great black lump to monitor us? Science snobbery in sci fi does tend to get up my nose, and I get the feeling that, good film as it is, 2001 really gave a boost to the science snobs. So Asimov slagged it off. I don't recall him saying much about Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles. Life on Mars? But it is accepted as a wonderful piece of sci fi writing - hell, there's a new film of it planned, so I hear.

And lo, we were left with 24 episodes which asked many questions about the future of mankind. Would we blow ourselves into oblivion? Would we see the error of our ways and try to head for a utopia? How much do we think about our place in the universe or in life itself? With many of its stories not ending "happily ever after", Space:1999 was laid open to accusations of being downbeat, depressive even, when all it was seeking to do was make points and ask intelligent questions of its viewers, but without being as preachy as Star Trek, some Doctor Who or Doomwatch.

Some people at ITC weren't happy with this and wanted the series refocussed. It takes guts to try and refocus something - such efforts tend to fail - and the decision was made to drop sme characters and redesign things.

I look at Year Two as an almost totally different series. Neither equal or unequal to Year One, just different.

Season Two is a different character to Season One.

....Year Two was about human characters who happen to be on a moon adrfit in space. Year One was about a scientific community accidently thrust into a void. Very different.

It finds us joining the Alphans at a point where the "let's get off this rock sharpish" mentality has gone - they are more accepting of their situation, have learned more about their environment and adapted. Just as one would expect humans to (any extra-terrestrials reading, please forgive my arrogance here) I wouldn't say they are more relaxed, but they are more comfortable that they were in the first season.

Had the character disappearances been explained in the story arc, the changes between the seasons might have been more widely accepted. Character disappearances without explanations suggested (to me) quickly or badly written changes. It would have made for a coherent storyline between the seasons.

New arrival is Maya. OK, drop dead gorgeous, well portrayed, and with nothing else to compare her to, the media compare her to the only other sci- fi main character to be *clearly* alien, Spock. Comparisons were inevitable because Fred Freiberger worked on Star Trek and Maya soon became "science officer", a title I always disliked. There are few similarities between Spock and Maya anyway, so the comparison was hardly valid. Having nothing else to compare to without thinking or researching hard, the mindless link to Star Trek was made by the media.

And it stuck. With that comparison, taking the mick became too easy.

Was Season Two total crap? Not in my book. A different direction to please the New York office of ITC showed us Alpha in a new light. With the more comfortable approach in evidence, much of the feeling of wonderment from season 1 vanished. The faster pace was a good move, Derek's score stands out for me as well, and *some* of the humour worked. When it didn't, it did say "American scriptwriters at work here" in farily large letters to me. Compare this with the humour injected by Douglas Adams into the 1979/80 season of Doctor Who, where the near definitive performance of Tom Baker is consilidated by the addition of wit in appropriate places.

I did have a couple of gripes...

I was always a hardware guy at heart, and did not understand why, when the Alphans were strapped for resources, they overhauled their computer systems to the point where they were unrecognisable from the Season One kit. And then they fouled up continuity even more by making the Swift ship computer kit look like the current kit on Alpha! And why had the Eagles suddenly had large boxes added to the cockpit interiors?

That's a production thing, I suppose. I cannot see any evidence to support the argument that Season 2 of Space:1999 was total crap, or even "not Space:1999". Some argue that intellectually, Season 1 is better than Season 2. To be totally honest, if I want to intellectualise about something, I go watch The South Bank Show or something of that ilk. Spotting similarities or themes connecting with other works is one thing, but thinking deeply and searching for hidden meaning from something someone says off the cuff in an episode of Space:1999, Blake's 7, Doctor Who, The Professionals or whatever is not my cup of tea at all. IMHO, if people overintellectualise about something, they can ruin its charm and value for other people as well as their own credibility, like ultra right wing Christian preachers who do their damndest to condemn hard rock as the work of the devil and produce "evidence" to back their arguments up. I haven't sacrificed any virgins since I started listening to the stuff. (Sits back and waits for Birmingham jokes... :-)

I'm getting off-track here...

Like Simon I think that Season 2 had some great ideas but was sadly lacking in execution. Season 1 also had some great ideas which didn't quite turn out as they might have. The ExE thread has helped me to appreciate both seasons more, and the direction Season 2 took. I think it worked somewhat as well - not only do people remember the Eagles, they also remember that gorgeous lass who could change into other creatures. Now if only there had been posters of Maya in magazines like Look-In... :-)

I vaguely recall Space:1999 getting well messed about by the independent tv companies over here. Anglia always seemed to be showing it whenever I read the tv guide - ATV (Lew Grade's own company) seemd to hardly ever show it! Had it been given better treatment over here, it might have justified sufficient funds for at least the start of a third season.

Time for bed, methinks...

Brian Dowling - Birmingham, England
Online Alphan #144 



From:  "Simon Morris" (simes01@globalnet44.co.uk)
Date:  Sat, 28 Nov 1998 14:07:01 -0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: Y2 Summary (really) - Petter for a Day - Pt III

You mentioning THE PROFESSIONALS reminds me of something I read a few years ago Brian.(Incidentally,for those who don't know,this series was a filmed action series created by Brian Clemens after the demise of THE NEW AVENGERS and featured the operations of an elite special police-type unit called CI5. Its currently being rescreened on satellite tv and also being released on video). Its actually germane to what we have recently been discussing with regards to intellectualising everything....

Clemens was being interviewed and was asked(and I quote exactly both the question and his reply): "Could the success of THE PROFESSIONALS be attributed to our insecurity,wanting to believe that Big Brother is looking after our interests while we sleep safe in our beds?" To which Clemens responded:

"No I don't really. I think it is successful because it is wild and violent. It has got two very modern heroes that fellas want to be like and the girls want to get into bed with. I think it is as simple as that and always has been."

Clemens is my sort of producer and writer!

Simon Morris 



From:  "Brian Dowling" (hellion@easynet44.co.uk)
Date:  Sat, 28 Nov 1998 23:49:54 -0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: Y2 Summary (really) - Petter for a Day - Pt III

In response to my witterings, Simon wrote

You mentioning THE PROFESSIONALS reminds me [....]

BTW, a new series *has* been made; negotiations are underway to it bought up by all the countries that picked up the original series. The Professionals website is sadly out of date, but I believe that Australia has bought the series, along with several Euorpean countries, except Britain. Now why am I not surprised at that? :-)

> "No I don't really. I think it is successful because it is wild and > violent. It has got two very modern heroes that fellas want to be like and > the girls want to get into bed with. I think it is as simple as that and > always has been."

I reckon that is spot on. OK, I was only a youngster when I first saw it, but there was no intellectualising it back then or now. Bodie (Lewis Collins) was my hero, they drove fast cars, got plenty of women and got to shoot people. PC it most definitely wasn't, and that is probably why it was such a success.

Seeing the opening titles with the car bursting through the window and the Laurie Johnson theme tune accompanying it sure does get the testosterone going! Sure, Gordon Jackson would be the conscience of a particular story while espousing the values of a pure malt scotch ("There's no such thing as a particularly good malt scotch - they're all good!") and would even get to shoot a traitor in the back, but most guys wanted to be Bodie or Doyle.

Brian Clemens also provided some of the "pluspoints" which accompany The Avengers on video and the recent Granada Plus showings. Some of them are quite revealing and do serve to shatter the high brow ideas of those who chose to intellectualise this series as well. Evidently a talented writer and conceptualist, his answers show someone who is straight to the point. Now, if we could get some "pluspoints" for Space:1999....

Brian Dowling - Birmingham, England
Online Alphan #144 



From:  "Petter Ogland" (petter.ogland@dnmi44.no)
Date:  Mon, 30 Nov 1998 09:05:05 +0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: Y2 Summary (really) - Petter for a Day - Pt III

Simon Morris wrote:

Supporter of Y2 I may be,but I have never really agreed that people who didn't like Y1 would like Y2 any better. A lot of people I knew thought Y2 was rubbish,but they also thought the same about Y1. I never thought Y1 was so bad that it needed changing to the extent that it *was* changed. In fact,I hoped that the second year would be a straight carry-on from Y1. When Y2 premiered,I remember thinking "What the hell is this?!" and being profoundly disappointed at the loss of so many names from before and behind the cameras,the loss of familiar sets and music etc.

Completely new show, I'd say. Not only did they alter the music and visuals, including a "new" moonbase Alpha now small and cheap-looking, the only thing that was left of the characters were the names of John Koenig, Helena Russell etc., the characters were completely remodelled, and had nothing to do with the complex characters we got to new in the beginning of the first season.

In my opinion that change was not done completely over night as it sometimes appears. My feeling is that the first 3 cycles of Y1, the Crichton/Austin/Tomblin cycles, were highly experimental and creative, probably the main reason for SPACE:1999 becoming TV history, the second sequence of cycles, the Crichton/Austin/Kellett cycles, seemed to represent a more mature stage of the show, while the final 3 cycles seemed to bear the mark of death in more than one way, old scripts being reworked under strain, Penfold leaving the house, the ITC New York apparently beginning to worry about ratings and forcing more tasteless elements on the show, as can be seen in DRAGON'S DOMAIN.

Although there is a steep fall from DRAGON'S DOMAIN to THE METAMORPH, it is by no way as steep as the fall from BREAKAWAY I would say. I suppose the development of SPACE:1999 was in many ways quite a natural thing, probably not being very different if Freiberger had been replaced by another person in similar position.

Well, all things must pass. To me the life cycle of SPACE:1999 was more or less completely inherit within Year One. Year Two was a very different show with a life cycle of its own, beginning its first unsecure steps with THE METAMORPH, THE EXILES and so on, maturing perhaps as early as with JOURNEY TO WHERE and then slowing dying off as Freiberger grew less interested in the scripts in at least the three last episodes that were produced.

I grew to adjust of course,but I never liked the monster shows(still don't). I liked the pace and the characterisation,some of the humour,Maya and so on. I loved Barry Grays Y1 music but Derek Wadsworth's Y2 score was both so exciting,memorable and original that(for me anyway)it remains the highpoint of the Y2 changes. And I know that is true for many a fan. Apologies for those who disparagingly refer to it as "porno disco" !

I have no idea why the strange term "porno disco" has been used, enthusiastically so, about Wadsworth's music for Y2. To me it sounds a bit like the sort of thing that Miles Davis and Weather Report were doing in the early seventies, and I usually use the term "jazz rock" myself.

Nevertheless, the use of visuals and music in THE EXILES, the episode with the double Helenas in particular, is very similar to a passage in Just Jacklin's EMMANUELLE (1974), I remember. Perhaps Ray Austin was producing a hommage to Jacklin, soft focus and extremely seductive use of voice by Bain, at least her German voice was. Well done by Austin in any case, the top quality director as ever, even when producing THE EXILES.

On the other hand, the track called DEATH'S OTHER DOMINION on the RCA soundtrack, probably by Vic Elms and, of course, never used in that episode nor in any SPACE:1999 episode, was during our discussion of the album identified as incidental music to a pornographic film. The title of the film was not identified, however, but as both "Death's other dominion" and "Black Sun", along with "Breakaway", are composisions by Elms for the RING AROUND THE MOON episode, it was probably lifted from the ITC music library for use in thie particular film.

The music called "Black Sun" was not either used in any SPACE:1999 episode, but was, apparently, used as incidental music in an epiosde of the ITC series RETURN OF THE SAINT.

The "Breakaway" track, used to magnificently counterpoint the low gravity slow movements in RING AROUND THE MOON, has been labeled "disco" by some. It does have a strong beat, and gives an interesting effect, perhaps, of the astronauts "dancing" on the moon surface, but it is not "disco", I think, in the way the term was identified with Abba and Boney M. from 1976-79, but, in lack of a better term, "disco" is perhaps not all that bad.

The porno-music "death's other dominion" has little of this disco style to it, I think, it seems more like a paraphrase on "The house of the rising sun", I think, although there were some disco-versions of that topping the charts in the late 1970's.

Y2 had a lot of good ideas but they should have been executed differently to have made a good series great. I liked a lot of what Freiberger did but feel that in the end he was just too involved in the day to day side of things to see when it was going wrong. A great pity.

I look forward to the Y2 ranking and discussion. I believe that THE DORCONS will rate fairly high on my list, although I haven't put too much thought on the ranking yet. Some of my favourites so far are ALL THAT GLISTERS, NEW ADAM/NEW EVE and DEVIL'S PLANET. More on this later.

Petter 



From:  "Brian Dowling" (hellion@easynet44.co.uk)
Date:  Mon, 30 Nov 1998 20:38:53 -0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: Y2 Summary (really) - Petter for a Day - Pt III

Hi folks,

There's bubbles everywhere! Yes, it's Space Brain on BBC 2...

I have no idea why the strange term "porno disco" has been used, enthusiastically so, about Wadsworth's music for Y2.

Perhaps those who call it "porno disco" aren't too well up on the kind of music used in those kind of movies. One discussion I had with a musician revolved around the stuff he'd written and when the subject of adult movies came up, he said that slow sax based music was best for such soundtracks.

To me it sounds a bit like the sort of thing that Miles Davis and Weather Report were doing in the early seventies, and I usually use the term "jazz rock" myself.

Ahh, jazz rock. I have to be in a certain mood to really enjoy it, but the works of Alphonse Mouzon, the early Ian Gillan Band and the like come to mind. For me, Derek's scores do hit parts of jazz rock and some elements of disco, but not to the point where they sound as "dated" as some of the stuff on the Space:1999 Y1 original soundtrack.

Nevertheless, the use of visuals and music in THE EXILES, the episode with the double Helenas in particular, is very similar to a passage in Just Jacklin's EMMANUELLE (1974), I remember. Perhaps Ray Austin was producing a hommage to Jacklin, soft focus and extremely seductive use of voice by Bain, at least her German voice was. Well done by Austin in any case, the top quality director as ever, even when producing THE EXILES.

Wasn't the soft focus insisted on by Barbara Bain? It would be interesting to see how the dubbed versions compare to the original versions, to try and see how the soundtrack directors wanted the dialogue interpreted.

On the other hand, the track called DEATH'S OTHER DOMINION on the RCA soundtrack, probably by Vic Elms and, of course, never used in that episode nor in any SPACE:1999 episode, was during our discussion of the album identified as incidental music to a pornographic film.

I don't recall that one - did I miss it?

The music called "Black Sun" was not either used in any SPACE:1999 episode, but was, apparently, used as incidental music in an epiosde of the ITC series RETURN OF THE SAINT.

If you could get the episode title, I could look out for it on tv or video.

The "Breakaway" track, used to magnificently counterpoint the low gravity slow movements in RING AROUND THE MOON, has been labeled "disco" by some. It does have a strong beat, and gives an interesting effect, perhaps, of the astronauts "dancing" on the moon surface, but it is not "disco", I think, in the way the term was identified with Abba and Boney M. from 1976-79, but, in lack of a better term, "disco" is perhaps not all that bad.

*Visions of the Alphans doing YMCA on the moon's surface...* :-)

Brian Dowling - Birmingham, England
Online Alphan #144 



From:  "Petter Ogland" (petter.ogland@dnmi44.no)
Date:  Tue, 1 Dec 1998 17:34:46 +0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: Y2 Summary (really) - Petter for a Day - Pt III

Brian wrote:

Wasn't the soft focus insisted on by Barbara Bain? It would be interesting to see how the dubbed versions compare to the original versions, to try and see how the soundtrack directors wanted the dialogue interpreted.

In the case of Barbara Bain, both the French and the German dubbing perform miracles, I feel, it is almost as if you are watching one of the French or German European films that are works of art, although soft focus, and general bad taste features such as Mondrian as colour inspiration rather than Kandinsky and the soft-disco approach of Wadsworth in certain scenes makes the mind more likely to travel in the direction of Just Jacklin's films with Sylvia Kristel, Jane Fonda and Brigitte Bardot which is not really all that high-brow.

I don't recall that one - did I miss it?

During the discussion of the soundtrack album this was brought up by somebody as a piece of trivia, but neither title, director nor year of the film was mentioned, so it is a rather vague identification so far. Sadly I have not seen it myself, so I cannot provide any further information.

If you could get the episode title, I could look out for it on tv or video.

Actually, I haven't seen much RETURN OF THE SAINT since 1978 or there about. I believe that it was David Acheson that told us that the "Black Sun" title was used as background music during a scene in a dress shop. Perhaps he knows more.

Petter 




From:  South Central (Tamazunchale@webtv44.net)
Date:  Mon, 30 Nov 1998 09:02:42 -0800 (PST)
Subj:  Space1999: Episode by Episode

Well the discussion of the individual episodes is over. Now begins, as Simon suggested, week one of a two week period (appropriate, I think) of discussion of the series as a whole, final thoughts, summing up, season comparisons, episode rankings, continuity, character arcs, story arcs, etc.

I'd be curious to see what our favorites episodes are if we could only name ONE.

Mateo 



From:  Mark Meskin (plastic.gravity@newrock44.com)
Date:  Mon, 30 Nov 1998 12:08:35 -0600
Subj:  Re: Space1999: Episode by Episode

However, runners up go to

My top ten anyway(For Both seasons)....and the bottom ten(For Both Seasons), with the absolute worst at the bottom.........

Before anyone jumps on me for being a Y1 bigot, its worth noting that my absolute worst episode of both seasons is RATM, a season 1 epsode....Missing link clocks(or clunks in, as the case may be)at position 44, just beating the infamous Woodgrove Trilogy by a hair.

IF I were to break out the episodes by season, My Y1 list would be the same as my all time fav list, but Y2 had some standouts as well. Here are my Top Eight for Y2....yes, only eight.

Well, thats my take, feel free to pick it apart!

Mark 



From:  South Central (Tamazunchale@webtv44.net)
Date:  Mon, 30 Nov 1998 10:26:29 -0800 (PST)
Subj:  Space1999: Absolute favorite episodes

The Running Count:

Mark Meskin: Dragon's Domain
South Central (Mateo): The Troubled Spirit
Petter Ogland: Ring Around The Moon

Now, Petter hasn't actually responded, but I feel confident with this prediction! Why? Oh...I don't know....

Mateo 



From:  South Central (Tamazunchale@webtv44.net)
Date:  Mon, 30 Nov 1998 10:29:12 -0800 (PST)
Subj:  Space1999: ExE:  Absolute WORST episode

The Running Count:

Mark Meskin: Ring Around the Moon
South Central (Mateo): The Taybor

Please respond to the list or to me personally. I will update the running count daily.

Mateo 



From:  South Central (Tamazunchale@webtv44.net)
Date:  Mon, 30 Nov 1998 10:30:56 -0800 (PST)
Subj:  Space1999: ExE: Absolute favorite episodes

Please notify me or the list of your choices and I will update it daily. The current list is [above, instead of:] attached below.

Mateo

http://members.tripod.com/~tamazunchale/index-HOME.html 



From:  South Central (Tamazunchale@webtv44.net)
Date:  Mon, 30 Nov 1998 10:37:01 -0800 (PST)
Subj:  Space1999: ExE Best/Worst Update

Best Episode:

Mark Meskin: Dragon's Domain
Christina Perrins: One Moment of Humanity
South Central: The Troubled Spirit

Worst:

Mark Meskin: Ring Around the Moon
Christina Perrins: Devil's Planet
South Central: The Taybor 



From:  South Central (Tamazunchale@webtv44.net)
Date:  Mon, 30 Nov 1998 10:41:59 -0800 (PST)
Subj:  Space1999: ExE and Breakaway Convention

Perhaps our vote here on the ABSOLUTE BEST and WORST episodes should be reflected at the Convention. These two episodes could be shown back to back (WORST FIRST) for, alternately, derision and praise!

Mateo 



From:  South Central (Tamazunchale@webtv44.net)
Date:  Mon, 30 Nov 1998 10:54:22 -0800 (PST)
Subj:  Re: Space1999: ExE Best/Worst Update  11:00am PST

Best Episode:

Mark Meskin: Dragon's Domain
Christina Perrins: One Moment of Humanity
South Central: The Troubled Spirit
David Welle: The Metamorph

Worst Episode:

Mark Meskin: Ring Around the Moon
Christina Perrins: Devil's Planet
South Central: The Taybor
David Welle: Ring Around the Moon

http://members.tripod.com/~tamazunchale/index-HOME.html 



From:  South Central (Tamazunchale@webtv44.net)
Date:  Mon, 30 Nov 1998 14:31:55 -0800 (PST)
Subj:  Space1999: ExE Best/Worst Update  2:30am PST

Best Episode:

Mark Meskin: Dragon's Domain
Christine Perrins: One Moment of Humanity
South Central: The Troubled Spirit
David Welle: The Metamorph
Andre Beauchamp: Breakaway
Ellen Lindow: Black Sun

Worst Episode:

Mark Meskin: Ring Around the Moon
Christine Perrins: Devil's Planet
South Central: The Taybor
David Welle: Ring Around the Moon
Andre Beauchamp: Brian the Brain
Ellen Lindow: (no response yet)

Mateo 



From:  TERALISHA@aol44.com
Date:  Mon, 30 Nov 1998 18:57:21 EST
Subj:  Space1999: RE: 1999 best & Worst

Good evening all - hope everyone is doing well.

Dr. Russell still didn't show up with a good cure for the common cold so I have lost my voice entirely and my head feels like Alan landed an Eagle on it. And so it goes, but I still have my humor!

One question about Earthfall - does it involve Yr1 or Yr 2 characters? Anthony wrote that he thought it was distributed only in England - could explain why this American doesn't know about it, although I do have a few Tubb novelizations such as alien seed, collision course, and breakaway Odd but Breakaway I didn't obtain until 1985 so it's actually the newest of my collection of novelizations and in really good shape.(I won't tell you how I obtained Breakaway - rather bad of me.)

Earthfall isn't listed under any of the Books in series lists at front of my books.

I anxiously await viewing your discussions on this anyhow.

Now on to more amusing things. I will think about my favorite/least favorite episodes but so far I can't figure it out. There are so many Yr1 & 2 that contain a lot of good things (& some REALLY God-awful as well) but I will try to remain impartial.

Perhaps we could/should really make things interesting. How about telling us your favorite scene - it might be something from an episode that you otherwise totally hate.

Now let's include the worst/least favorite of all of the above.

Now let's move on to Yr2 - You get the idea...

Good God - I think I just created the Alphan Oscar Awards or something. (And no I haven't been indulging in Brew #29 - just antihistamines)

I probably haven't said anything intellectually stimulating in this but hey, who cares? To quote Cyndi Lauper - girls just want to have fun and I'm still having a good day despite being sick. (Maybe Vitamin C overload?)

By the way, I have still haven't received my cal. yet but I am anxiously awaiting. The transaction was posted on 10/20 so that's a month today. As long as they get here by the 23rd of Dec. One is to be a Christmas present!

Now that I have all my assignments/projects completed for classes tomorrow and have recovered from work I'm beaming back to fanfiction land.

Goodnight everyone! 



From:  David Acheson (dkach@hotmail44.com)
Date:  Mon, 30 Nov 1998 19:48:49 EST
Subj:  Space1999: Best and Worst of 1999

My vote for favourite episode: WAR GAMES.

My vote for worst episode: A MATTER OF BALANCE. 



From:  Ariana (ariana@ndirect44.co.uk)
Date:  Tue, 1 Dec 1998 11:53:45 -0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: ExE:  Absolute WORST episode

Absolute worst episode is easy to pick out for me:

- Missing Link

This is the only episode of Space:1999 where my boyfriend and I were actually cringing with embarrassment! I think we even found a more coherent, meaningful plot in RATM (well, only just).

Composing a bottom 10 list isn't all that difficult, but I have a feeling I'll have some difficulty getting a top 10, as I do like a lot of the episodes... but more on that later. Here's my bottom 10: 

48. Missing Link
    Embarrassing, slow, plotless... ick. I will forgive an episode for
    being silly (hey, I like Y2! :), but I will not forgive anything
    for being *boring*.

47. Ring Around The Moon
    Victor becomes psychic and Helena talks to Christmas lights in her
    nightie -- plus that trademark alien-influenced person typing very
    fast on those unmarked keys on the computer, a theme reprised in
    "Space Brain" (which narrowly missed this list despite the fact
    the Moonbase Alpha cleaners obviously put too much Persil in their
    washing machines...)

46. Matter of Life and Death
    Just click your heels three times and you'll be back in Kansas...
    Helena the robot fails to register any emotion whatsoever at meeting
    her dead husband again, and the technobabble is excruciatingly awful.

45. Space Warp
    You want cartoonish Y2? Here you go. The production schedule splits
    the cast, forcing both halves into pointless run-arounds which even
    *I* get tired of! (you all know what *will* be in my top 10 ;)

44. The Full Circle
    De-evolving cavemen with metamorphic clothes. Nice one. No wonder so
    many people hated Space:1999 with rubbish like this around.

43. A Matter of Balance
    Shermeen is cute as a bug on a rug, and there's a little interplay
    between my favourite characters -- and that's just about all I can
    think of to save this episode from the absolute bottom. Aside from
    that, this episode is like a broken pencil... pointless.

42. All That Glisters
    Tony the Zombie vs the Space Cowboy. No wonder Martin Landau nearly
    had a nervous breakdown. Still, like Petter, I'll give it points for
    camp value and I rather liked the rock.

41. Death's Other Dominion
    Pointless Shakespeare rip-off with scantily-clad cavewomen and the
    usual half-baked technobabble. Every time I see Jack, I'm reminded
    of Baldrick hopping around the cemetary in BlackAdder II -- and I
    wish someone would push Jack into a puddle too...

40. The Troubled Spirit  and  Voyager's Return
    Frankly, I couldn't care less whether Mateo's ghost catches up with
    him or Linden is Queller or not. Give me stories about people I care
    about: the main characters! They're not bad episodes, just ones I
    won't watch again if I can help it.

BTW, the following episodes are out of the race for me because I haven't seen them yet: The Infernal Machine, Mission of the Darians, Dragon's Domain, Testament of Arcadia (still waiting for the BBC to show them).

Favourite episodes coming up later...

Editor's Notes: The prior email receives a detailed response from Petter, which and triggers another thread about one episode. Though the response is about various episodes, it is too entangled in the thread it triggers, so it is all in this separate thread:
Red Wine and RATM Anonymous 



From:  LKJ1999@aol44.com
Date:  Tue, 1 Dec 1998 06:53:33 EST
Subj:  Re: Space1999: ExE Best/Worst Update  2:30am PST

My favorite episode is SPACEWARP...

FORCE OF LIFE is my least liked episode..

Chas P. LKJ1999 



From:  relax@videotron44.ca
Date:  Tue, 01 Dec 1998 09:12:46 -0500
Subj:  Re: Space1999: ExE:  Absolute WORST episode

Ariana wrote:

BTW, the following episodes are out of the race for me because I haven't seen them yet: The Infernal Machine, Mission of the Darians, Dragon's Domain, Testament of Arcadia (still waiting for the BBC to show them).

Hi Ariana !

Those 4 episodes are in my season one top 5 list (including BREAKAWAY at the very top).

Dragon's Domain is a (both seasons) classic, and Testament of Arkadia is the season one last epsiode with a special final touch in it.

Please, DON'T MISS THEM !

Hopefully for you, the BBC will not cut important scenes for their %^*#*~@#* commercial breaks.

Andre Beauchamp 



From:  "Brian Dowling" (hellion@easynet44.co.uk)
Date:  Tue, 1 Dec 1998 19:29:58 -0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: ExE:  Absolute WORST episode

The BBC don't seem to be cutting any scenes (as far as I can tell), and although there aren't supposed to be any adverts on the BBC, there are plenty for BBC related products. They are between programmes rather than in the middle of them, so they can argue that there aren't any adverts per se...

Brian Dowling - Birmingham, England
Online Alphan #144 



From:  Jim Small (Eagle1@mts44.net)
Date:  Mon, 30 Nov 1998 19:51:09 -0600
Subj:  Re: Space1999: Episode by Episode

#1- Dragons Domain....see, that was easy. :-)

However, runners up go to

2- WarGames
3- Black Sun
4- The Troubled Spirit
5- Collision Course
6- Breakaway
7- Force of Life
8- Testament of Arkadia
9- Guardian of Piri
10- Voyagers Return

Were you reading my mind Mark? Those are just about the top ten I would have chosen too, with few exceptions! I'd have left out Troubled Spirit and Force of life though. Dragon's Domain is definitely right up there for sure!

Before anyone jumps on me for being a Y1 bigot, its worth noting that my absolute worst episode of both seasons is RATM, a season 1 epsode....Missing link clocks(or clunks in, as the case may be)at position 44, just beating the infamous Woodgrove Trilogy by a hair.

Heh heh heh... I couldn't agree more!

IF I were to break out the episodes by season, My Y1 list would be the same as my all time fav list, but Y2 had some standouts as well. Here are my Top Eight for Y2....yes, only eight.

[Editor's Note: Proceeds to Mark's list with some comments, which I will shorten here: #1 The Seance Spectre, #2 The Immunity Syndrome, #3 One Moment of Humanity, #4 Journey To Where, #5 Devils Planet, #6 Bringers of Wonder P1, #7 AB Chrysalis, #8 Dorzak]

Well, thats my take, feel free to pick it apart!

Pretty good! Not much picking apart necessary there, except that I must say I kinda liked "The Taybor" episode as one of my faves in Y2. It was quite funny in spotsa and generally entertaining.

E. James Small 



From:  Petter Ogland (petter.ogland@dnmi44.no)
Date:  Tue, 1 Dec 1998 17:17:02 +0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: Episode by Episode

Mark Meskin wrote:

#1- Dragons Domain....see, that was easy. :-)

No surprise there, for those of us who read Mark's comments on a regular basis. It is not one of my favourties, though, the plot obviously derived from a STAR TREK like script conceived long before production of BREAKAWAY, then changed somewhat radically by first Penfold and then perhaps more slightly with Byrne during production stage.

In my opinion it is closer to the middle level of Y1, or slightly below, as Landau and Bain change acting style 180 degrees and sound like Y2 sit-com characters, adding to insulty a "motherly" soft-spoken Barbara Bain voice-over during most of the episode. Yuck!

Negative points apart, the minature work by Bowers and Johnson accompanied by Albinoni's is probably the best of it's genre since 2001:A SPACE ODYSSEY, and Charles Crichton's direction of scenes that do not include the regulars are among his most impressive work on the series as a whole, I feel. If one does not mind using the fast-forward button, there is much to enjoy in this episode, it's only sad that it was made so late in the series. With better rewriting by Byrne and Penfold, more comprehensible contributions by Landau, Bain and Morse this episode could easily have earned the high mark of being as enjoyable to the rest of us as it apparently is to Mark. This is how I view it anyway.

#1- Dragons Domain....see, that was easy. :-)

However, runners up go to

2- WarGames
3- Black Sun
4- The Troubled Spirit
5- Collision Course
6- Breakaway
7- Force of Life
8- Testament of Arkadia
9- Guardian of Piri
10- Voyagers Return

On the rest of the top-ten list I feel a much greater correspondance with Mark, great episodes all, except that I would perhaps have RING AROUND THE MOON in there somewhere, preferably on the top, and I also miss MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH and MISSING LINK on the list. If we swapped THE TROUBLED SPIRIT and COLLISION COURSE for MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH and MISSING LINK then we would be more or less in perfect agreement.

...and the bottom ten(For Both Seasons), with the absolute worst at the bottom.........

38- The Taybor
39- Brian the Brain
40- The Dorcons
41- Catacombs of the Moon
42- The Lambda Factor
43- A Matter of Balance
44- Missing Link
45- Beta Cloud
46- Space Warp
47- Rules of Luton
48- Ring Around the Moon

While not a bad list, I see RING AROUND THE MOON and MISSING LINK, some of the best episodes of SPACE:1999 ever, incongruently among some of the more tiresome contributions. It is more difficult to make a list of worst episodes than best, I think, but RULES OF LUTON and MATTER OF BALANCE are definitely among the episodes that I don't enjoy watching every second day.

Top Eight for Y2....yes, only eight.

#1 The Seance Spectre [....]

I'm a bit surprised at the top episode here, just like in the Y1 + Y2 ranking, THE SEANCE SPECTRE being a candidate for the bottom row in according to my taste, but otherwise it is not unlike how I perceive the series. NEW ADAM/NEW EVE would perhaps be on my list among the ones mentioned, and the list would probably include ALL THAT GLISTERS as well.

Petter 



From:  Horst Noll (HNoll@t-online44.de)
Date:  Tue, 01 Dec 1998 18:21:29 +0100
Subj:  Re: Space1999: ExE Best/Worst Update

Best Episode : Dragon's Domain

Worst Episode : Brian the Brain

Horst 



From:  Brian Dowling (hellion@easynet44.co.uk)
Date:  Tue, 1 Dec 1998 19:59:01 -0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: ExE Best/Worst Update

Hi,

I go with Horst on this one. 



From:  "Robert Gilbert" (bcpgd@shaw.wave44.ca)
Date:  Tue, 01 Dec 1998 16:13:56 -0600
Subj:  Re: Space1999: ExE:  Absolute WORST episode

Ariana wrote:

40. The Troubled Spirit and Voyager's Return
Frankly, I couldn't care less whether Mateo's ghost catches up with him or Linden is Queller or not. Give me stories about people I care about: the main characters! They're not bad episodes, just ones I won't watch again if I can help it.

No kidding, eh??? I feel the same way! Like --- who actually cares if an *EXTRA* gets killed?

BTW, the following episodes are out of the race for me because I haven't seen them yet: The Infernal Machine, Mission of the Darians, Dragon's

The Infernal Machine is rather Kewl in its own rights (in it --- this *MASSIVE* spaceship comes along looking for a companion to replace the one who is dying).

--
Robert C. Gilbert 



From:  South Central (Tamazunchale@webtv44.net)
Date:  Tue, 1 Dec 1998 14:41:17 -0800 (PST)
Subj:  Space1999: ExE Best/Worst Update  12/1

Best episode: (14 responses)

Mark Meskin: Dragon's Domain
Horst Noll: Dragon's Domain
Brian Dowling: Dragon's Domain
Christine Perrins: One Moment of Humanity
David Welle: The Metamorph
Andre Beauchamp: Breakaway
Ellen Lindow: Black Sun
Janet "Schill?": Missing Link
Guiseppe Medulla: Another Time, Another Place
Chas P: Space Warp
Petter Ogland: Ring Around the Moon
Robert Gilbert: Space Brain
David Acheson: War Games
South Central: The Troubled Spirit
Ariana: (NO RESPONSE YET)
Pelle: (NO RESPONSE YET

Worst episode: (16 responses)

Mark Meskin: Ring Around the Moon
David Welle: Ring Around the Moon
Andre Beauchamp: Brian the Brain
Brian Dowling: Brian the Brain
Horst Noll: Brian the Brain
Ellen Lindow: Missing Link
Ariana: Missing Link
Janet "Schill"?: A Matter of Balance
David Acheson: A Matter of Balance
Christine Perrins: Devil's Planet
Guiseppe Medulla: The Rules of Luton
Chas P.: Force of Life
Pelle: Full Circle
Robert Gilbert: The Troubled Spirit
South Central: The Taybor
Petter Ogland (NO RESPONSE YET)

http://members.tripod.com/~tamazunchale/index-HOME.html 



From:  Paulo Pereira (starblade@technologist44.com)
Date:  Tue, 01 Dec 1998 19:40:22 -0800
Subj:  Space1999: ExE Best/Worst

Related to the discussion of the degree of intelectualization in S1999 I wish to point this. There are more reasons for intellectualization in S1999 than in ST:Any Generation, Stargate McGuyver, Battlestar Bonanza or even Earth:Final Conflit. Babylon 5 is another matter. We all know that the main purpose of S1999 is entertainment, but that doen't mean it was just plain fun without having some good ideas behind. Most of the plots contain fresh new ideas and at the same time trying to get the best of old ones. I think there was a real efford to produce a good series, with some philosophical ideias behind it. Otherwise it was just cowboys in space. Of course S1999 is not Shakespeare or a greek classical play, and so we must not extrapolate that much, but episodes like Black Sun, End of Eternity, Voyager's Return, etc, did raise questions about human nature. As I see it everyone is free to see the episodes on any way he likes.

It's like saying that "Starship Troopers" and "Dark City" are both films of entertainment, when there's a major difference; the 1st one is just a happy-trigger fast action SF movie with tons of SX effects, while the second one has also tons of SX effects but raises lots of questions like what really makes a human being, his past experiences and memories, or his natural soul ? And believe me we can achive this degree of intellectualization and still have a fast action SF movie without making a boring plot like "The Shpere".

And now the episodes,

Favorite Episode:
Dragon's Domain

Like in Voyager's Return or Force of Life the main role is not at the hands of a regular character (Alan, Koenig, Russel), but on an unknow alphan. At least the series is not so dry on ideias that all episodes must be around one of the main characters.

The way the story is told on a flashback works very good on this episode and Helena Russel makes a great storyteller. Also we get to know better what were Alpha's tasks before the separation from Earth and how the space exploration was handled by those days. The monster is a master piece, the special and sound effects a must, the plot and the narrative structure are very good. This episode suffers from one or two bloppers, but not as bad as the bloppers from the average S1999 episode.

An unknown life form waiting dorment for a long periode only to wake up when the preys were nearby, always lurking in the dark, that uses other races's ships to move, an escape pod that takes a sole survivor and returns to Earth, a character that everybody says he's a liar or a lunatic, and a comeback to face the enemy that has killed all the crew. I'm not talking about Ripley and the Alien, but Cellini and his alien. Both stories have tons of similarities. So I think S1999 producers should write a letter to the guys that make Aliens films telling them they are violation copyright laws. ULTRAPROBE style...

If I don't call "Dragon" to the monster it's because I think the title is more related to the tale of S. Jorge (Cellini) and the Dragon (alien), like on a futuristic version of the legend. After all the monster didn't look like a dragon.

If you add lots of special effects and a kick ass story... we have a winner in here. Force of Life also cames very close.

Worst Episode (that I can remember):
Brian The Brain

It'a very stupid and a very embarassing episode. If someone is used to work with computer as I do will know how stupid this machines are. If you don't tell them EXACTLY what to do they will not do it at all. Even if you consider the advent of Artificial Intelligence, no one will program a computer to display emotions and then sent it in a exploration party. An emotive computer programmed for study purposes or research purposes I can cope with, but for a deep space exploration, no way. Human emotions are a source of problems in exploration mission, why add more emotions and raise the potencial of problems?

And before someone says something there's not much ground to put 2001 HAL and Brian the Brian side by side. Although they both threathen human life, HAL's decision is driven to protect the secret mission (exploration of the monolith) like he was instructed to do. HAL doesn't have any emotions, BB does. BB is a selfish and arrogant piece of junk. I guess someone has forgot to stuff him with the Asimov's laws of robotics.

Besides that crying act of the computer at the end is one of the most embarassing thing I ever saw in sci-fi. And *again* Maya was there *again* to save the day. My father has watched this S1999 episode with me when I was a kid and let me say, it was (sadly) one of the few episodes that he has ever seen and the last one. Guess why...

Paulo Pereira 



From:  "Mark Meskin" (plastic.gravity@newrock44.com)
Date:  Tue, 1 Dec 1998 21:14:37 -0600
Subj:  Re: Space1999: ExE Best/Worst

Related to the discussion of the degree of intelectualization in S1999 I wish to point this. There are more reasons for intellectualization in S1999 than in ST:Any Generation, Stargate McGuyver, Battlestar Bonanza or even Earth:Final Conflit. Babylon 5 is another matter.

I think we'd all agree with that statement Paulo. I think Space:1999's Y1 is in good company with Babylon 5. Some people poke fun at B5 saying its just too complicated for the average viewer....and Ive heard similar comments about Space 1999.....and that makes them all the more special to me.

so we must not extrapolate that much, but episodes like Black Sun, End of Eternity, Voyager's Return, etc, did raise questions about human nature.

Space1999 always has had heavy doses of the metaphysical and philosophical aspects of SciFi. Another thing that sets it apart from the other Space Cowboy shows.

And now the episodes,

Favorite Episode:
Dragon's Domain

Very Cool, my friend.

Like in Voyager's Return or Force of Life the main role is not at the hands of a regular character (Alan, Koenig, Russel), but on an unknow alphan. At least the series is not so dry on ideias that all episodes must be around one of the main characters.

Yessss! True! Limiting your focus ultimately reduces the scale of the show. And one of the things we all like in Space1999 is the large scale, the sense of show have a big, grande purpose. The same thing can be said of the sets......in Y1 the sets were large and many......Alpha seemed huge and majestic. The Y2 sets were small and crowded, even the corridors seems shorter in Y2. And in effect, Alpha seemed small and cheap, more of a congressional compromise than man's crowning acheivement. One of the things I always disliked about Trek(except DS9, which in free of this affliction) is that the rest of the crew are only there to provide dead crewman fodder or for "bit" parts. Not so in Y1! We see Qeuller, Jim Haines, Tony Cellini, Mateo, etc. in the center stage! The moonbase always seemed to me that 311 people lived on it. On Vooyager it seems as if you can run the whole ship with 20 people and a trained Borg. I never get the impression that its a starship in deep space. Another show with bad sets.....look at the size of their cafeteria! maybe 20 people can fit in there.....the ship supposed to hold over 150! Next Gen's first year did a very good job of making 1701-d seem to be a bustling place filled with 1000+ people cruising between the stars. As the show went on they narrowed the focus too much on just the bridge crew, and it made the show seem small.

The way the story is told on a flashback works very good on this episode and Helena Russel makes a great storyteller. [....]

[Editor's Note: Mark quotes the entire rest of Paulo's note, starting from the text quoted above, regarding "Dragon's Domain," as well as proceeding through comments on "Brian the Brain" as the "Worst Episode," then comments:]

Nicely said Paulo!

-Mark 



From:  Mark Meskin (plastic.gravity@newrock44.com)
Date:  Tue, 1 Dec 1998 20:49:20 -0600
Subj:  Re: Space1999: Episode by Episode

#1- Dragons Domain....see, that was easy. :-)
No surprise there, for those of us who read Mark's comments on a regular basis.

Also no surprise if you read *any* of Petter's posts..hehe...

It is not one of my favourties, though, the plot obviously derived from a STAR TREK like script

Show me how you think this is a Trek script Petter. Its a modern telling on an old story, and aside from a rather poorly convcieved monster, a damn scary one. This is Space:1999's finest moment! In addition to the fine story we have great music, dialogue that is free of technobabble, a plot that advances itself briskly to its inevetable tragic ending, and some of the best model work of the whole series! How can you dimiss this episode because of the "toothbush" comment? Oh well, we all agree to disagree........

conceived long before production of BREAKAWAY, then changed somewhat radically by first Penfold and then perhaps more slightly with Byrne during production stage.

Who cares? The final episode is a masterpeice of Sci-Fi and TV terror. This is the pentultimate Space:1999 story. I find much in common between this episode and The Troubled Spirit........not so much in what the stories are about, but more in how they are handled. Both episodes have a mysterious creepienss to them(something that seems to be a trademark of all the good episodes) that grabs your attention, in both the fate of the main characters is inevetable and heavily foreshadowed with tragic endings, both episodes make excellent use of non Gray music, and they are 2 very engrossing episodes.

-com characters, adding to insulty a "motherly" soft-spoken Barbara Bain voice-over during most of the episode. Yuck!

That's your take anyway. I enjoy the voiceover.....it stands out from the rest of the episodes, and ties the flashback sequences to the present very effectively.

much to enjoy in this episode, it's only sad that it was made so late in the series. With better rewriting by Byrne and Penfold,

I agree that it would have been helpful to the series as a whole if episodes of this high of a calibre showed up earlier in the series, but like so many things in life, finding your footing takes time. This is how the show could have been if ITC new York and Freddie hadn't gone for the Trek:1999 theme of Y2.

more comprehensible contributions by Landau, Bain and Morse this episode could easily have earned the high mark of being as enjoyable to the rest of us as it apparently is to Mark.

Just informally based on the Best/Worst poll running on the list right now, I'd say youre dead wrong on that last point Petter. Dragons Domain has the most votes for Best Episode, where as RATM and ML are only surpased by Brian the Brain in the worst episode category.

While not a bad list, I see RING AROUND THE MOON and MISSING LINK, some of the best episodes of SPACE:1999 ever,

No kidding, eh?

incongruently among some of the more tiresome contributions. It is more difficult to make a list of worst episodes than best, I think, but RULES OF LUTON and MATTER OF BALANCE are definitely among the episodes that I don't enjoy watching every second day.

Missing Link beats out The Woodgrove trio only because inspite of bad dialogue, insipid acting by EVERYONE, and a way too implausible romance, there is a great story concept hiding in there. Too bad it was so poorly realized.

mentioned, and the list would probably include ALL THAT GLISTERS as well.

All that Glisters would have made #9 in my list, but overall there weren't enough standouts in Y2 for me to go to 10. A great set and a cool prop can't save this episode from the Irish Texan and Zombie Boy Tony....

Mark 



From:  Mark Meskin (plastic.gravity@newrock44.com)
Date:  Tue, 1 Dec 1998 20:14:14 -0600
Subj:  Re: Space1999: Episode by Episode

Were you reading my mind Mark? Those are just about the top ten I would have chosen too, with few exceptions! I'd have left out Troubled Spirit and Force of life though. Dragon's Domain is definitely right up there for sure!

Microsoft Internet Telepathy, its a new plug in for your browser......hehehe

Pretty good! Not much picking apart necessary there, except that I must say I kinda liked "The Taybor" episode as one of my faves in Y2. It was quite funny in spotsa and generally entertaining.

It was a tuff call on the Taybor......somehow the combination of the hammy acting and sudden crowding(the galactic trading network idea....it seemed too trekish and seems to have been shoved into this episode just to please freddy....)of the "space lanes" was too much to keep this one afloat I'm afraid to say. I did think the jump drive idea was kinda neato, and was a nice change from Space 1999's general ignorance of the speed needed to travel between stars in a reasonalble amount of time.

-Mark 



From:  Petter Ogland (petter.ogland@dnmi44.no)
Date:  Wed, 2 Dec 1998 10:36:38 +0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: Episode by Episode

Mark made a comment on something I wrote:

[DRAGONS' DOMAIN] is not one of my favourties, though, the plot obviously derived from a STAR TREK like script
Show me how you think this is a Trek script Petter. Its a modern telling on an old story, and aside from a rather poorly convcieved monster, a damn scary one. This is Space:1999's finest moment! In addition to the fine story we have great music, dialogue that is free of technobabble, a plot that advances itself briskly to its inevetable tragic ending, and some of the best model work of the whole series! How can you dimiss this episode because of the "toothbush" comment? Oh well, we all agree to disagree........

The basic premise of DRAGON'S DOMAIN seem like more or less a perfect mirror of the STAR TREK season 3 episode OBSESSION, written by Art Wallace, although the realisation, of course, is far superior in the SPACE:1999 version. Instead of a dragon, the episode OBSESSION deals with a BETA CLOUD similar type of entity. In a way very similar to the first drafts of MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH also by Art Wallace to be found on Martin's Catacombs sites and FULL CIRCLE, also made by the Americans Laskey and wife who probably also thought that TV science fiction was identical to STAR TREK, DRAGON'S DOMAIN seem be one of the scripts that was written on comission and should have been much more thoroughly rewritten in my opinion before it was produced.

After Penfold had left production, I suppose Johnny Byrne was more interested in developing his own ideas than reworking those of others, and from his comments about how he systematically aired his dogs and let them set their mark on the Octopus-monster, I don't think I really fancied that episode all that much.

On the other hand, on the list statistics so far, DRAGON'S DOMAIN seem to score fairly high, and even though I think the dramatic elements in the episode, notably those concerning Landau, Bain and Morse are close to their least successful contribution to Y1, I certainly agree that much of the directon by Crichton was handled in an elegant manner, surprisingly suspenceful in parts, and, of course, miniature work and use of Albinoni's Adagio as a leitmotif is next to brilliant.

...conceived long before production of BREAKAWAY, then changed somewhat radically by first Penfold and then perhaps more slightly with Byrne during production stage.
Who cares? The final episode is a masterpeice of Sci-Fi and TV terror. This is the pentultimate Space:1999 story. I find much in common between this episode and The Troubled Spirit........not so much in what the stories are about, but more in how they are handled. Both episodes have a mysterious creepienss to them(something that seems to be a trademark of all the good episodes) that grabs your attention, in both the fate of the main characters is inevetable and heavily foreshadowed with tragic endings, both episodes make excellent use of non Gray music, and they are 2 very engrossing episodes.

Interesting thoughts here, I think. As a child I found THE TROUBLED SPIRIT rather tense. Unfortunately I did not see DRAGON'S DOMAIN until many years later, so not being exposed to it at a very young age it did not make the same "car-wash monster from hell" impression on me as it did on so many else, apparently not being able to sleep quietly for weeks.

Like Paulo said, however, there are many similarities between the episode and ALIEN (1979), just like there are similarities between ALIEN and END OF ETERNITY and perhaps THE TROUBLED SPIRIT as well. It seems likely then that DRAGON'S DOMAIN is TV history in that it scared the wits out of so many of my generation, people born in the mid sixties, and may quite possible have anticipated the fusion of Gothic and Science Fiction that became so immensly popular with ALIEN and its parasites.

Nevertheless, even though the episode is interesting on its own part, I do not feel that it conveys too much of the SPACE:1999 feeling as such, at least not to the same extent as more substansial episodes like RING AROUND THE MOON or any of the first nine episode that was the product of the first three cycles of the series. If DRAGON'S DOMAIN represents SPACE:1999 as a whole, the it surely represents the third wave of cycles, episodes 19 to 24, when Tomblin rejoined the team of alternating directors. It is quite possible, I suppose, that Crichton's ghost story approach to the episode was influenced by Austins work on THE TROUBLED SPIRIT.

Petter

Editor's Note: The following email discusses two threads; and is split between this thread and Red Wine and RATM Anonymous. 



From:  "Monica M. C. Pereira" (nick@msm44.com.br)
Date:  Wed, 02 Dec 1998 13:42:06 -0200
Subj:  Space1999: RATM - again and Always;-)

[moved part of note to another thread]

MY FAVORITE EPS: Breakaway, Matter of Life..., Black Sun, RATM(!;-) ),

EARTHBOUND (KOENIG/SIMMONDS ARGUMENTS ARE SUPERB, PRICELESS!!!),

Another Time..., War Games, The Full Circle (save for Barbara Bain's screams<cringe>), JOURNEY TO WHERE(!!!), Immunity Syndrome (Helena/Maya dialogues are really nice!).

Worst Eps: Missing Link, Space Warp, Rules of Luton, A Moment of Humanity, Brian-the Brain, All that Glisters....

...But, I still watch 'All that Glisters' and 'Brian', and they make me ROFL... That is, I have a kick out of this show even 'with' the worst eps...

As for DRAGON'S DOMAIN... I still laugh at Helena's complete disregard for the Commander's order("Helena. Maybe you'd better stay here."), just like in "Mission of the Darians" and "Immunity Syndrome". Check them out!...

DOES ANYBOBY REMEMBER ANY OTHER OF RUSSELL'S INSUBORDINATIONS???

Oops! Look at the time! Gotta get some serious work done. See U later, friends.

Bye, Alphans.

Monica (Mônica) 



From:  Ariana (ariana@ndirect44.co.uk)
Date:  Wed, 2 Dec 1998 12:43:44 -0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: ExE Best/Worst

congressional compromise than man's crowning acheivement. One of the things I always disliked about Trek(except DS9, which in free of this affliction) is that the rest of the crew are only there to provide dead crewman fodder or for "bit" parts. Not so in Y1! We see Qeuller, Jim Haines, Tony Cellini, Mateo, etc. in the center stage! The moonbase always seemed to me that 311 people lived on it.

And in Y2, we see Bill Fraser, Alibe, Yasko, Carolyn Powell, Greg Sanderson and Co, Patrick and Michelle Osgood, Ehrlich, Bartlett, Dr Vincent, Dr Spencer, Raoul... Yes, I agree wholeheartedly that seeing these bit part characters help build the impression of a base with 300 people on it (and they're also a lot more useful in fanfiction than Star Trek's Ensign Expendable! ;). However, I am not sure that letting a different character have center stage every week is such a fine example of thoughtful writing, especially in the first season of a series.

I do agree that the dogged determination to involve no-one but the main characters every single week was a flaw in Star Trek TOS, and to some extent, TNG (the latter did have more characters, but as they were all cardboard cutouts compounded by wooden acting, that did little good -- eps like "Lower Decks" were intriguing, though). And indeed, when a series spans seven seasons, there comes a point when you get tired of the same old characters doing the same old things, especially when you're supposed to be on a ship with 1400 people on it.

As you point out, DS9 does not suffer from this problem, and as a fan of that show, I agree that this is one of its great strengths. The writers on DS9 have a large variety of fascinating, well-rounded characters to work with, and they use that to great advantage in episodes that focus on Garak, or Dukat, or Quark, or Weyoun, and so on. And these characters are at their best when they are played against DS9's main characters, as they give the writers a chance to view the Federation "goodies" from a different angle. Dukat brings out aspects of Kira's personality which she typically does not display under "normal" circumstances (bigotry, stubborness, you name it...); Quark's unashamedly capitalist approach to life casts a different light on the Federation's "moneyless" society; Garak's deviousness shows up the Federation's complacency.

But Space:1999's secondary characters rarely get an opportunity to do anything so grand. The reason the characters I mentioned above are one of the strengths of DS9 is that they are *recurring* characters. The audience cares about Dukat's actions and Kira's reactions to him because we already know Dukat. When he beams into Ops to accompany Kira on a mission in "Indiscretion", we know who Dukat is, and the subsequent revelations about his illegitimate daughter and the Bajoran woman he loved mean a great deal more to us because they build on a base contructed by previous episodes. If he was just the Guest Star of the week, I think we would just shrug our shoulders and think "hmm, we'll never see him again -- who cares?".

IMO, this was a bit of a problem in Space:1999. Not something I would go on a crusade against, but not one of its strong point anyway. Except for Jim Haines, all the secondary characters you mentioned were brought in for one episode, developped and then killed off. We never saw them before, we never see them again. Ultimately, they're just tools created for the story, like Eagle boosters we never see again, and the alien/monster of the week.

Now, I'm not pretending that all the stories like this were failures. "Force of Life" was fascinating, and indeed "The Lambda Factor" and "The Seance Spectre" were both examples of the way guest characters can be used to good effect to draw reactions from the main cast. I just don't agree that bringing in a new character every week just for the sake of having someone to kill off is the epitome of story-telling.

It's a lot easier to create a character to fit the story rather than fit the story to existing characters, so that bringing in the Guest Star of the week can be akin to laziness and lead to uninteresting story-telling. I believe someone once said that episodic television should be about the characters' reaction to the gizmo of the week, not the gizmo of the week itself (by gizmo, read previously unmentioned space probes, experiments with plants, large aliens in bell-bottom trousers... ;). IMHO, new characters need introduction to be really interesting, and 50 minutes packed with the technobabble of the week aren't always enough.

Take "End of Eternity" for instance. Good, ponderous, episode in the tradition of Y1 (my boyfriend fell asleep during it). Loved Peter Bowles, the eerie atmosphere, the desperate attempts to get rid of Balor... but who gives a toss about the twerp with the Dinky Toy aeroplanes? If it had been Alan, I'd have been rooting for him to recover, but I was just waiting for Mr Expendable to snuff it -- and, sure enough, he promptly did. Woe betide hitherto unseen characters sudden thrust upon center space.

BTW, for all my ranting here, this is by no means a characteristic specifically imputable to Space:1999, and so I'm not going to start pointing this out as a great failing (any more than, say, the plethora of scantily clad ladies and those noisy explosions in space ;). I'm just reacting to what was said about this characteristic being a great success which, imho, it wasn't.

It was the style of the time to have unchanging, static main characters with non-evolving characterisation, placed in situations where they react to various guest characters (whether the alien of the week or hitherto unseen colleagues and "buddies"). Until recently, most TV series didn't bother with character arcs or recurring characters because it is cheaper and simpler to wrap up the story of the week with the guest stars of the week and then move on to the next show. This way, there is no need to worry about the order in which the stories are broadcast, and consistency in characterisation is easier to maintain. The Reset Button reigned supreme and it was rare for a new character or event introduced in one episode to survive to be seen/mentioned in another episode (it did happen, but not often).

I'm glad that shows like DS9 and, even more so, Babylon 5, are breaking the mould with their evolving characters and on-going story arcs. It is very rewarding for a viewer to be able to watch an event on the show and then think "aha! this happened because so-and-so did such-and-such a few weeks ago". But I digress -- it's bad enough trying to compare Y1 to Y2, but compare Space:1999 to Babylon 5 is definitely apples vs oranges territory! :)

In conclusion, I think the shows which focus on guest stars are useful to add variety to a series, but they're not the epitome of the series (or else there's something seriously wrong with the series' premise/main cast). Boy, I did have to waffle a lot to get there, didn't I? <g>

Emma 



From:  Ariana (ariana@ndirect44.co.uk)
Date:  Wed, 2 Dec 1998 16:48:35 -0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: ExE: Absolute favorite episodes

My favourite episode is (still!):

- The Beta Cloud

I have already waffled on enough about what I happen to like about this episode. In a nutshell: Tony and Maya have a runaround, a snog and a tif. It's silly, it's shallow, it's in the bottom 10 of most people, but I like it.

Now, I know this is not the *best* episode by a long shot -- indeed, it wouldn't make the top 10 based on any semblance of objective criteria -- but we were asked to vote for our *favourite* episode, and that's mine. If I were trying to determine a BEST episode, based on pseudo-objective criteria, I'd vote for New Adam, New Eve. :)

So without futher ado, here's my top 10+1 of favourite S1999 episodes, complete with ramblings courtesy of Sudafed Cough Medicine: 

10. Breakaway
    Space:1999 starts off with a bang. There's some weak technobabble to wade
    through, but on the whole the first episode is a good introduction to the
    premise of the series, and definitely deserves a place in the top 10. It's
    sitting at number 10 mainly because I haven't seen it for a while, and my
    main recollection is that the technowaffle let it down somewhat.

09. Black Sun
    IMO, this episode is the epitome of early Year 1; it features the same
    talking-to-Christmas-decorations concept which is so annoying in RATM, but
    makes up for it by a good portrayal of the Alphan's desperate attempts to
    protect themselves (aha! technobabble that fails!), and their eventual
    resignation to their fate. I'm personally not very keen on mystical mumbo
    jumbo, but the possibility that the Voice was simply a wormh-- uh, black
    hole alien was sufficient to make me comfortable with this scene. However,
    the Xmas garlands are still the reason the episode is only number 9.

08. The Last Sunset
    This is the sort of story I like Y1 for. The unexpected gift of an
    atmosphere turns out to be a mixed blessing; the fact that the gift was
    withdrawn by the end of the episode was to be expected due to the Rule of
    the Reset Button, but the interim, with all the problems caused by new
    weather patterns on the Moon, was intriguing. Two things stop this episode
    from being a top 5 one. I could have done without the Mr Exposition voice
    at the end; yes, we needed some kind of explanation, but I can't help
    thinking of Pigs in Space -- which, obviously makes it a bit difficult to
    take seriously. And then, there's the unforgivable opening windows in Main
    Mission... whatever klutz thought that one up deserves to be shot! :)

07. Collision Course
    Faith, treachery and a big beach ball. ;)
    I'll forgive the episode for the beach ball, because this was well paced
    and suspenseful, bringing up issues which it did not attempt to answer
    straight away. The main concept here is trust -- not so much the trust
    that Arra inspired in Alan and Koenig, but the trust Koenig asks the
    Alphans to have in him as a leader. To be honest, Collision Course and
    Journey to Where were the last two contenders for a place in my top 10 --
    Collision Course won the place mainly for the scene where Koenig's seem to
    agree with him, only to immediately about-face and knock him out. I admire
    originality like this (when used sparingly -- it could get tiresome).

06. The Metamorph
    For all the unexplained disappearance of virtually all the old Main
    Mission staff, Maya's introduction itself was well handled, coming as it
    did in a well plotted and fast paced story which produced threads that, in
    unusual style for series of the time, were actually picked up later in
    episodes like The Rules of Luton or Dorzak. Maya's gradual loss of
    confidence in her father is beautifully portrayed by Catherine Schell (as
    always, of course: but then, she could even act her way out of that wicked
    rock In All That Glisters!).

05. Seed of Destruction
    Mutiny on Moonbase Alpha as Koenig's senior staff gradually realise their
    commander isn't what he seems. The variety of reactions to this is what
    makes the episode so strong; from Maya's initial suspicions and Tony's
    relatively rapid agreement with her, to Helena's hesitations and Alan's
    dogged loyalty, all the portrayals are on target and well studied, as is
    essential to this type of story. Like the Seance Spectre (relegated to
    the limbo of positions 11-37 because of the unnecessary mystical waffle),
    this story posits the problem of what would happen if the commander came
    to falter. No fun epilogue for this one, and the dimmed lighting as the
    energy beam drains power from Alpha adds to an unusually dark tone for a
    Y2 episode (I like some variety in life :).

04. The Last Enemy
    Y1 at its best -- dark, depressing and unexpected. With no prime directive
    nonsense at his back, Koenig is free to do anything necessary to save his
    base, even if it means playing dirty. I hadn't seen this episode before,
    and I must say, I was very pleasantly surprised at the outcome. Maybe once
    I get over my surprise, I'll move this episode further down the list, but
    right now, I'm too busy being impressed. ;)

03. The Bringers of Wonder (I&II)
    It's a pity Terence Feely didn't write more for S1999; he imbued the
    characters with a humanity and a fullness which wasn't always apparent
    in other episodes. With the time granted by a two-parter, the writer can
    finally give us a larger view of the Alphans, not only as a community
    living on the Moon, but as people who left friends and loved ones behind,
    an issue they somehow managed to avoid for all of Y1 and most of Y2! I'm
    glad to see that the Alphans lived in the real world before joining Alpha.

02. The Lambda Factor
    An excellent episode which pitches the Alphans against themselves for a
    change, relegating the "whirly-gig thing" to the role of a catalyst for
    human emotions to run rife on the station. Like "The Bringers of Wonder",
    this episode deserves its high score, imo, for portraying Alphans as
    human beings again, subject to the same desires and failings as we are.
    No happy end for Carolyn Powell and we're left with the uncomfortable
    knowledge, so often repeated in both seasons of S1999, that no matter how
    far away humans go, we'll still carry the same plague of violence with us.
    All it takes is a spark (or, alternatively, a whirly-gig thing <g>)

01. New Adam, New Eve
    Depending on whether you have a sense of humour or not, you'll see this as
    the pits or a brilliant episode. I happen to think the latter, whence its
    very high placement on my list. The author has a sharp wit, and it's nice
    to think that Koenig and Verdeschi might share this characteristic: I
    admire that in people ;). Good dialogue, interesting story and a little
    bit of romance. Like the Beta Cloud, and probably more deservedly, this
    was one of the episodes I remembered best in all the years when I didn't
    see S1999. I even considered applying this storyline to some of the TNG
    cast in a fanfic story... having seen the original again, I'm glad I
    didn't: I would never have done it justice.
    (Anyone know if this spawned any "morning after" fanfic? Considering how
    violently jealous both Koenig and Russell have proved to be in the past,
    I wonder if everything was hunky-dory between them and Tony & Maya...)

00. The Beta Cloud
    Not the best, so I won't actually put it in my top 10, but the favourite
    nonetheless. :)

As anyone else who has attempted to draw up a top 10 will know, it's difficult to compare Y1 and Y2 episodes, but I somehow managed to get 5 of each, so I guess I'm not as biased as I may often seem (though the positioning is significant). For die-hard fans of either series, here are my top 10s by season (considerably easier to do, given there are only 24 episodes to choose from in each season!) 

Y1 Top 10:

01. The Last Enemy
02. Collision Course
03. The Last Sunset
04. Black Sun
05. Breakaway
06. Testament of Arkadia
07. Force of Life
08. Guardian of Piri
09. Alpha Child
10. Earthbound

Y2 Top 10:

01. New Adam, New Eve
02. The Lambda Factor
03. The Bringers of Wonder
04. Seed of Destruction
05. The Metamorph
06. Journey to Where
07. One Moment of Humanity
08. Dorzak
09. The Seance Spectre
10. The Taybor

+ honourable to mention to you-know-what ;)




From:  "Simon Morris" 
Date:  Wed, 2 Dec 1998 18:16:31 -0000
Subj:  Space1999: Best and Worst Episodes

I'm never really keen on this "fave episode"/"least fave episode" stuff,but I'll try and enter into the spirit of things by saying that my favourite episodes are:

  1. Deaths Other Dominion - Y1 I know,and not on many peoples favourite list but frankly I don't care :-)
  2. New Adam New Eve - and certainly the best of Y2 for my money.
  3. Mission of the Darians - splendid epic and never quite matched in scale by Y2 I have to admit.
  4. Seed of Destruction- loads of character conflict and a better than normal script.
  5. Bringers of Wonder(part 1)-like Mark,I found part 2 to be a more boring runaround episode.
  6. The Immunity Syndrome- Y2 style with Y1 substance...a good mix.
  7. The Metamorph-a better script than some Y2 episodes without embarrasing humour.
  8. Testament of Arkadia- spooky sort of episode which always made an impression on me for a few reasons.
  9. The Mark of Archanon- intelligently written and performed piece.
  10. All that Glisters- yes,believe it or not I found it quite amusing(even though it wasn't meant to be)and as a result,very enjoyable.

Least favourite?

  1. Missing Link- boring,pretentious crap.
  2. Ring Around The Moon- watched it last night and while I don't think its crap I just think its boring.
  3. Collision Course - sorry, can't stand the episode or Margaret Leighton...
  4. The Full Circle- the closest that Y1 came to Y2,but even bad Y2 was better than this one...
  5. The Last Enemy- I think this one was probably more interesting in its original draft than the one screened...
  6. Matter of Life and Death- resurrection and death(again)of Lee Russell tackled completely wrong. Cop-out.
  7. AB Chrysalis- bouncing balls, lots of fog, a handful of good lines for Koenig but otherwise bugger-all...
  8. Space Warp/ Beta Cloud- lots of pace and great Wadsworth music,but otherwise of waste of airtime.
  9. The Taybor- whimsy which was badly misconceived.
  10. The Dorcons- disappointment considering Johnny Byrne wrote it.

While I'm in the mood I'll shortly post a quick summary of my Y2 episode ratings...but in a separate post.

Simon Morris 



From:  "Simon Morris" 
Date:  Wed, 2 Dec 1998 19:25:00 -0000
Subj:  Space1999: Year Two in  a Nutshell

Ratings are Excellent,Good,and Fair. I don't think there would be many that I could rate excellent,whilst one or two that I rated "fair" would better be described as "crap". This doesnt mean to say that I didn't enjoy Y2,because as you all know by now I rate Y2 overall more highly than Y1 on sheer entertainment value,and I think the characterisation of Y2 outshone anything in the first 24 episodes.

Anyway: here goes:

  1. The Metamorph- fairly intelligent script,good guest characters,lots of action. Excellent(and a better start to Y2 than "Breakaway" was for Y1 IMO...). Excellent.
  2. The Exiles- nasty alien guests and a strong story which flags a bit for me once Helena and Tony are on Golos. Good music score. Good.
  3. One Moment Of Humanity- not especially original and terrible dancing scenes. But a good episode for Barbara Bain and a touching ending. Good.
  4. All That Glisters- Well, I quite liked it for being amusing without meaning to be. A bit like Patrick Mower in fact... Good.
  5. Journey to Where- I always find it a bit tedious to be honest..a well worn time travel story which was quite entertaining but nothing new. Fair.
  6. The Taybor- nice to see them try a less serious and more whimsical episode,but fails in just about every area. Nice light hearted score by Wadsworth but thats about it. Fair (aka "crap")
  7. The Mark of Archanon- intelligent,good characterisations and performances,sympathetic aliens. Not bad at all. Could almost have been Y1. Excellent.
  8. The Rules of Luton- a stupid premise from the word go. Saved only by some exchanges of dialogue between Maya and Koenig and some nice location work. Fair (and I *do* mean Fair,as I've never regarded this episode as crap. For one thing,unlike some Y1 episodes I don't think it ever aspired to be anything special..)
  9. Brian the Brain- the title was a mistake . Brian is of course a noble name(in case a missile is launched at me from the Birmingham area..)but this was too much like LOST IN SPACE for me. Fair.(Got that Brian? Its not crap. Really. It isn't. OK,Bernard Cribbins isnt going to play King Lear,but......!)
  10. New Adam New Eve- great!!! Best Y2 episode. Witty script,great acting by Guy Rolfe and Martin Landau. Some dubious aliens and lizard-type SFX,but who cares? One of the best of all 48 eps IMO. Excellent.
  11. Catacombs of the Moon- well,Fanderson always praises this as the most literate of Y2. Well its not...its a poorly edited or patched together episode which may well be a poor version of Terpiloffs original script. I didn't enjoy being heavy-handedly battered over the head with its theme of FAITH. Yeah,I got that much. Crap dialogue is crap dialogue regardless of whether Terpiloff or Freiberger wrote it,and theres quite a bit here. Fair(and close to "crap").
  12. The AB Chrysalis. Crap. (Uhm,sorry. I mean: a boring load of tripe. Bouncing balls,lots of fog and supposedly naked ladies-nice though they were,couldn't save this one.) Nice "Hope is better than despair" speech etc. Faintly amusing epilogue,but that about it. Crap.(And if you ask how I can rate ALL THAT GLISTERS higher than this, I can tell you it was quite easy thanks)
  13. Seed Of Destruction- strong story,even if the Doppelganger idea isnt very original. Loads of conflict between characters,a fine dual performance from Landau,and a refreshing lack of an unfunny epilogue. Excellent.
  14. The Beta Cloud- all sound and fury. Plenty of pace and action and a cracking score from Derek Wadsworth but depresses me more each time I view it. The brief interlude where Maya and Tony start kissing is utter bollocks(sorry Emma,but it is...it comes at the wrong point in the script and is plain embarrassing). Amusing epilogue though. That and the music lifts this to a "Fair" rating.
  15. Space Warp- as above. Depressing use of Maya's metamorphic abilities and a piss-poor story solely designed to fulfil production needs(eg cast availability while an episode is shot back to back). Same score as previous episode and again it lifts the rating just about to "Fair". (Though "crap" is probably closer...)
  16. A Matter of Balance- Not bad in my opinion. Hilarious costuming for Vindrus, naive acting by Lynne Frederick and a ludicrous monster. But rather enjoyable all the same. Good
  17. The Lambda Factor- an effective episode quite intelligently written on the whole. I'm not sure I go along with the view that Landau's performance was any better than normal in this one but I was quite impressed with Deborah Fallender as Carolyn. Good.
  18. Seance Spectre- stupid title,but quite a good idea behind the usual chase scenes and Koenig acting the superhero. Ken Hutchison hams it up a touch but basically I liked his performance. Good.
  19. Dorzak- interesting story and quite a good performance from Lee Montague. Suffers from the loss of Martin Landau and I never found the romance aspect between Sahala and Carter entirely convincing. Fair
  20. Devils Planet- melodramatic title but theres more to this episode than the catsuits and whips. Some nice dialogue for a relatively minor character(Roy Marsden as Craal),spicy exchanges between Elizia and Koenig and a fairly interesting premise to begin with. Good(better than I always expect when I come to watch it...)
  21. The Immunity Syndrome- welcome back Johnny Byrne. Y2 atmosphere and character,with thge heart and substance of Y1 and a genuinely sympathetic and intelligently-written alien. Excellent.
  22. The Dorcons- sorry,not impressive. Standard adventure and not even especially amusing. Fair.
  23. /24 The Bringers of Wonder- part one was by far the best segment,but this 2 parter had action,humour,characters,romance,alien menace, etc etc. It looks better on the big screen and I have to give it an "excellent" rating just for its scale. I bet Feely's original draft was even better.

I have to say that,on balance,when I want to watch a SPACE 1999 I tend to pick up a Y2 episode than a Y1 as I simply find them pacier and more entertaining generally. Thats not to say that I don't find several Y1 episodes very good as well...Johnny Byrnes scripts are some of the best tv ever IMO...just that I preferred *some * of the Y2 ingredients preferable to those of Y1. It would have been great for all if there had been more attempts(perhaps by Gerry Anderson himself) to meld the best aspects of Y1 with some of the better ideas that Freiberger had for Y2...especially characterisation).

And now I'm off for a pint of foaming ale.(Purely medicinal of course).

Simon 



From:  Mark Meskin (plastic.gravity@newrock44.com)
Date:  Wed, 2 Dec 1998 21:36:08 -0600
Subj:  Re: Space1999: ExE Best/Worst

... Yes, I agree wholeheartedly that seeing these bit part characters help build the impression of a base with 300 people on it (and they're also a lot more useful in fanfiction than Star Trek's Ensign Expendable! ;). However, I am not sure that letting a different character have center stage every week is such a fine example of thoughtful writing, especially in the first season of a series.

Yes, but it didn't happen every week in either season. I LOVE shows with BIG casts....one of the things I like about Babylon 5.

I do agree that the dogged determination to involve no-one but the main characters every single week was a flaw in Star Trek TOS,

Anyone else on board in TOS was there to A)where a red shirt and get killed while on the planet(usually 5 minutes after beaming down) or in some engineering accident B)someone for Kirk to have sex with C)populate the mess hall(first season only)

and to some extent, TNG (the latter did have more characters, but as they were all cardboard cutouts compounded by wooden acting, that did little good -- eps like "Lower Decks" were intriguing, though).

I'd disagree about the blanket Cardboard cutouts comment, Picard and Data were extremely complex characters in TNG. Picard was fully realized through some brilliant acting and decent writing, whereas Brent Spinners characters unique nature lends itself to many aspects of many different types of stories. He can be the center of attention in stories about what it means to be human, he can be the ultimate scientist or the impartial observer, Data's character is always flexible. I'm rather dismayed with his character in Generations and the New Trek flick, Insurrection. But Riker was Kirk 2, and don't even get me started on Weasely Crusher or Troi.

especially when you're supposed to be on a ship with 1400 people on it.

They really needed to expand earlier in the series, the season 7 stories are just stinkers. Season 3 did a decent job of trying to expand the series a little.

As you point out, DS9 does not suffer from this problem, and as a fan of that show, I agree that this is one of its great strengths. The writers on DS9 have a large variety of fascinating, well-rounded characters to work with,

I like DS9 a lot, its sad to see it ending, (although the end of B5 is more of a loss, I don't see Crusade as being able to fill B5's shoes)

When he beams into Ops to accompany Kira on a mission in "Indiscretion", we know who Dukat is, and the subsequent revelations about his illegitimate daughter and the Bajoran woman he loved mean a great deal more to us because they build on a base contructed by previous episodes.

Dukat has been overused in my opinion, hes just gone thru too many transformations to be considered anything more than the convienent Cardassian. Garok is a much better character, too bad it took the writers 4 years to use him effectively.

Except for Jim Haines, all the secondary characters you mentioned were brought in for one episode, developped and then killed off.

Fair enough, but my point was they weren't introduced 5 minutes earlier only to die senslessly.

and the alien/monster of the week.

With the Y2 monsters, its fair to say Less is Better.

Take "End of Eternity" for instance. Good, ponderous, episode in the tradition of Y1 (my boyfriend fell asleep during it).

Balor goes evil too quickly, and the crew accepted him too fast, it makes the rest of the epsiode rather tedious.

Until recently, most TV series didn't bother with character arcs or recurring characters because it is cheaper and simpler to wrap up the story of the week with the guest stars of the week and then move on to the next show.

This is the Babylon 5 effect.......its impact on Voyager has been very obvious.

I'm glad that shows like DS9 and, even more so, Babylon 5, are breaking the mould with their evolving characters and on-going story arcs. It is very rewarding for a viewer to be able to watch an event on the show and then think "aha! this happened because so-and-so did such-and-such a few weeks ago". But I digress -- it's bad enough trying to compare Y1 to Y2, but compare Space:1999 to Babylon 5 is definitely apples vs oranges territory! :)

I think Y1 of Space 1999 compares favourable with B5's first and early second seasons. In both shows, its obvious that something larger is at work than what is shown in individual episodes. Y2 has too much 3rd season TOS Trekishness(no doubt the Frieburger effect) for me.

Boy, I did have to waffle a lot to get there, didn't I? <g>

Who cares, sometimes the route is just as enjoyable as the destination :-)

Mark

Editor's Notes: At this point, Petter Ogland responded to several prior notes with five of his own, and then there was some subsequent response to those. Due to the length of this series of notes, they have been threaded separately, but in the usual ExE editing format. That thread rejoins this main thread several notes down in this thread. 



From:  Ariana (ariana@ndirect44.co.uk)
Date:  Thu, 3 Dec 1998 11:30:44 -0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: ExE Best/Worst

I'd disagree about the blanket Cardboard cutouts comment, Picard and Data were extremely complex characters in TNG.

Although I realise that wasn't clear in what I said, I was still thinking on the lines of "secondary characters". I do agree fully that Picard and Data weren't flat, but the cardboard characters I had in mind were more specifically Crusher, Troi, Riker and La Forge, none of which interested me.

Dukat has been overused in my opinion, hes just gone thru too many transformations to be considered anything more than the convienent Cardassian.

His character has suffered a lot of unnecessary blackening in the last year (well, since the beginning of Season Six, really), but he was at one time one of the most complex recurring characters on the show. OTOH, I hear he's gone from being a mad man to being a guru, so the writers may be dropping the ball completely...

Fair enough, but my point was they weren't introduced 5 minutes earlier only to die senslessly.

No, they took 50 minutes to die instead. <g> I'm not against these stories per se, but I just wish a little more time had been given to develop, say, Victor or Kano. Ah well, more food for fan imagination...

This is the Babylon 5 effect.......its impact on Voyager has been very obvious.

Mind you, you can already see the change of direction in TNG, which did gradually introduce story arcs and recurring characters, but I definitely agree that Babylon 5 is the pioneer as far as a coherent plot is concerned. Now, if some channel over here would just rebroadcast it at a decent time, I might be able to follow it properly! (I've only seen season 4 :)

Who cares, sometimes the route is just as enjoyable as the destination :-)

Glad to know my waffling wasn't too annoying. I was aware, after sending the mail, that I seemed to go on about Kira and Dukat a lot, but then, that's my specialisation in the DS9 universe.

Emma 



From:  Ariana (ariana@ndirect44.co.uk)
Date:  Thu, 3 Dec 1998 12:23:48 -0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: RE: 1999 best & Worst

Catching up a bit -- looks like my e-mail access to this account is going to be scrapped at work... <shudder>

Perhaps we could/should really make things interesting. How about telling us your favorite scene - it might be something from an episode that you otherwise totally hate.

Hmm... let's see: the epilogue of the Beta Cloud -- the scene where Magus declares his intentions in New Adam, New Eve -- the volley ball scene in The Last Sunset -- the blob-induced illusions in Bringers of Wonder -- the dinner scene in the Taybor... well, lots of things really.

What about your least favorite scene?

Helena or Kelly typing really fast on vertical, unmarked keyboards do very little for me. Just about any scene in Missing Link qualifies as well.

Your absolute favorite character?

Oh, I think everyone can guess which pair would qualify in my opinion. ;)

Least favorite( and - not to try to influence your voting in any way - but Yasko, Yasko, Yasko, for least favorite - not Tony, Please??)

I don't really mind Yasko; she's solid wood, but at least she didn't get to do much and she wasn't irritating on the lines of Wesley Crusher (though he had his moments: watched "The Game" again last night -- very nice). Can't really think of anyone I actually didn't like, though I wasn't particularly struck by Mateo, for instance. But I can't say I didn't like him; I just didn't really care.

Your favorite planet?

Hehe. Piri, perhaps?

Your favorite alien (Other than Maya - she can't count because she's an Alphan now ok?)

Probably Dionne from "The Last Enemy", the biker girl from space. :)

Your favorite alien spaceship?

Taybor's ship, no doubt about it. Looks like a pressure cooker, but pretty flash decor.

Your favorite costume? Puke - but Vindros' is the WORST imho.

Maya's Psychon dress. <g>

Your favorite line(s)? 

KOENIG: "We're a bit low on sacrificial goats."
            -- New Adam, New Eve

MAYA:   "Imagine light travelling at hundred and eighty six thousand miles per second."
TONY:   "For you I'll try anything."
            -- New Adam, New Eve

MAYA:   "Resistance - is futile."
            -- The Dorcons (couldn't resist ;)

TONY:   "Psychon's my favourite planet."
            -- The Beta Cloud (pathetic chat-up line #874)

Obviously, my memory is a bit biased -- I'd be interested to see what anyone else comes up with.

Now let's include the worst/least favorite of all of the above. 

MAYA:   "Red is death! Red is death!"
            -- All That Glisters

I'm sure I'll think of lots more once I set my mind to it.

Best Actor (Yr1)

Presumably Barbara Bain and Martin Landau for Y1, and Tony Anholt and Catherine Schell for Y2. I'd vote for Catherine Schell overall, though.

Now that I have all my assignments/projects completed for classes tomorrow and have recovered from work I'm beaming back to fanfiction land.

I'm looking forward to the fallout from that trip... :)

Emma 



From:  "Anthony D." (atd1999@yahoo44.com)
Date:  Thu, 3 Dec 1998 12:08:26 -0800 (PST)
Subj:  Space1999: Quick Note

Hi all!

Just wanted to say that the Y2 summaries and fave/least fave episodes listing are really great reading!

So far, I love everyone's thumbnail sketches on either their top 10 favorites or Y2 episode summaries. I hope to add mine to the mix soon. Reading these threads reveals how few episodes of the series I have (even though I have all the Columbia House tapes and about 8 episodes on laser from year 1)...I am missing too much of year two, but from memory and reading other's notes I should be able to salvage something decent!

Also, on the favorite episode thread...I am having a really tough time with this one. There are a few Year One episodes that I would like to see again before making my pick. I took this "assignment" to the extreme...I am *trying* to pick an infinitely watchable episode. That is, if I had to throw out any and all episodes of Space:1999 save one, which could I keep on watching an infinite amount of times without wanting to throw it out too! I would need one that shows as much as Alpha as possible (especially Medical as I loved those sets the most!)...perhaps even a shot of living quartersn (so rarely shown in either series, but so much nicer in Y1 -- IMO)...so, I'm having trouble coming up with one episode, but I hope to soon. As Teralisha said, it's more a "collage" of scenes that would do it for me...btw, I "found" the last 15 minutes of PIRI on a tape I was using the other day...it was great watching the last part of that episode...it might have all the elements I want as a favorite...not sure yet though...I'm trying to get a complete copy to view! The next episode on this tape that I was re-using was RATM...I don't hate this episode as much as others but nor do I drool over it either...so I decided to skip it. I hope to get to see some more Y1 episodes soon!

Whew...I just thought I'd say 'hi' and to let you all know that I do want to participate in these summaries, etc. Can we keep the "favorites" summary alive for a bit more before we get a final tally???

Thanks!

Anthony 



From:  actingman-jc@Worldnet.att44.net
Date:  Thu, 03 Dec 1998 11:22:58 -0500
Subj:  Space1999: Open window

I just looked at Last Sunset, and the open window is not in MM. I think it is the lab where the window burst open when the probe released the atmosphere. Also, didn't someone awhile back write that the original script had a scene where Koenig orders an opening window to replace the non-opening one that broke?

Editor's Notes: Reformatted next note with bullet points. The plus + signs were preserved as it seemed Tera may have been conveying "this is a positive point" -- though I am not sure. 



From:  TERALISHA@aol44.com
Date:  Thu, 3 Dec 1998 19:33:19 EST
Subj:  Space1999: RE: 1999 good stuff

How hard is it to sum up Yr2? Well.............hmmmm............ah......

Ok here goes my attempt (for better or worse) Nice season opening - The Metamorph was excellent (IMHO) because finally 1999 got a resident alien. And of course, my theory being they're in space, space = aliens, Maya = alien, Maya = Good plot move!

The Exiles - Not a bad episode, but well my negative on this one is the scene with Maya/Helena trick on Koenig. Never really was amused with this one. Also, how the heck did Maya adjust so rapidly to Alpha? Somehow just seemed like we missed an episode in between events.

One Moment of Humanity - Well what can I say - I always fast forward the dance section on this one - shivers, nausea, blah!

Journey to Where - One of my favorites! Even though my mother questioned who the screeching old hag was at the stake burning part (hee hee - the only episode of 99 she has ever watched) Sure the neutrino transmission thing is a lttle unscientific - definetly should have been a communication lag but oh well, I'll ignore this point(& a few others).

All that Glisters - Well I can't say anything on this one - I don't remember watching it as a child and it's one of only 2 from Year 2 that I don't have copy of (Yet?)

The Taybor Well, hmm....the spaceship is interesting, Taybor's getting drunk is certainly amusing, seeing other Alphan hobbies is good, Maya breaks out Psychon dress from mothball closet, Helena shows off "another" dress (she must have damned good wardrobe on Alpha)

The Mark of Archanon - Interesting script but alas that damned production schedule was beginning to show itself - limited Koenig/Maya involvement but at least this episode did explain their MIA status sufficienlty.

The Rules of Luton - Can't say too much here. Nice that Verdeschi wants to hang around in space forever waiting for his girl & Commander (although kind of stupid)

New Adam/New Eve - Well all right now, an amusing (if not slightly messed up sexually)

Beta Cloud - Hey I enjoy this one! Even though some might think that Maya/Tony thing is at wrong part - no- I think of it as real life - sometimes things like that don't hit you at an opportune/perfect moment. And then afterward you feel like an idiot - of course Verdeshci doesn't handle this well but then that's a man for you!

Ok - that's enough for now - This is probably Too huge a transmission! I will think of my #5 for top 5's and send it later. bottom 5 worst coming up too - which will leave the rest somewhere in the middle of deep space

Here's hoping everyone had at least one smile today!

T. 



From:  Mark Meskin (plastic.gravity@newrock44.com)
Date:  Thu, 3 Dec 1998 20:36:20 -0600
Subj:  Re: Space1999: ExE Best/Worst

I do agree fully that Picard and Data weren't flat, but the cardboard characters I had in mind were more specifically Crusher, Troi, Riker and La Forge, none of which interested me.

The whole Laforge Data friendship thing worked well until Berman decided that trying to recreate the Kirk Spock synergy with Picard and Data was better......Berman and Brannon Bragga(the most cocky idiot Ive seen in years) have dragged Trek down several notches in recent years.

OTOH, I hear he's gone from being a mad man to being a guru, so the writers may be dropping the ball completely...

Youre missing his two latest ones.....wizard and high preist of a Bajoran cult.

Mind you, you can already see the change of direction in TNG, which did gradually introduce story arcs and recurring characters, but I definitely agree that Babylon 5 is the pioneer as far as a coherent plot is concerned. Now, if some channel over here would just rebroadcast it at a decent time, I might be able to follow it properly! (I've only seen season 4 :)

Most of season 5 leaves you wanting, however, do not miss Day of the Dead and Sleeping in Light at all costs.....and bring tissue.

Glad to know my waffling wasn't too annoying.

Not at all.

Mark 



From:  Petter Ogland (petter.ogland@dnmi44.no)
Date:  Fri, 4 Dec 1998 11:11:58 +0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: RE: 1999 best & Worst

Ariana wrote:

[Editor's Note: Regarding favorite scene...]

Hmm... let's see: the epilogue of the Beta Cloud -- the scene where Magus declares his intentions in New Adam, New Eve -- the volley ball scene in The Last Sunset -- the blob-induced illusions in Bringers of Wonder -- the dinner scene in the Taybor... well, lots of things really.

My favourites include Koenig talking to Simmonds on the screen in the prologue to BREAKAWAY, the first encounter between Koenig and Helena in BREAKAWAY, Koenig shouting up the nose of Simmonds in BREAKAWAY, the scene in RING AROUND THE MOON where Victor explains that the Tritons might possibly be humanoid, Helena typing incredibly fast in RING AROUND THE MOON, Helena inside the Triton sphere, Helena walking the corridors in RING AROUND THE MOON, Helena and John discussing while being watched by the Triton sphere in RING AROUND THE MOON, in fact, RING AROUND THE MOON is almost a collage of excellent scenes, I could go on ad infinitum.

Other favourite scenes include the scenes of joy in LAST SUNSET when they realise that they are, in fact, paradise is where they are right now, slightly beaten by the even better final scene of the episode where the Ariel probe ship explains that it all was a trick in order to prevent the Alphans from invading the planet, after all human kind is nothing but a virus as writer Chris Penfold would not hesitate to explain to us.

In fact, Anthony Valantine's monlogue in WAR GAMES is a magnificent scene, I feel, a highlight of the series, just like Victor's monologue in the same episode.

MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH contains a great many magnificent scenes. Victor explaining the change in heat level on the body of Lee to Koenig is a super scene, I think, just like most of the scenes involving Helena prior to the landing party. Bergman explaining calmly through the commlock to Koenig on Terra Nova that they seem to have some problems on Alpha is absolutely great, the discussion with Alan via commlock ditto. Koenig watching the moon being blown to pieces is also a highlight of the series, I feel.

Lots of magnificent scenes in THE END OF ETERNITY too. Watching the eyes of Peter Bowles is a tremendous experience, wondering what he might be up to now.

Come to think of it most every Y1 episode contain magnificent scenes, some of them, like RING AROUND THE MOON, being nothing but a collage of splendor.

Although there is not all that much to rejoice about in Year Two, inspired by the Y2 summary by Simon and me yesterday I went to watch DEVIL'S PLANET and ALL THAT GLISTERS again. ALL THAT GLISTERS, in particular, struck me as a rather remarkable episode. In fact, I think this is the best of Y2. It is camp and stupid, I'll go with that, but it has such tremendous STYLE, thanks to Ray Austin, of course. The rewatch was definitely worth it, quite a few memorable moments in that one, in fact, it almost comes across as a minor masterpiece of the series, being to Y2 what RING AROUND THE MOON is to Y1.

[Editor: least favorite scene...]

Helena or Kelly typing really fast on vertical, unmarked keyboards do very little for me. Just about any scene in Missing Link qualifies as well.

Kelly typing away in SPACE BRAIN is a good example of the importance of the director. While it is obviously written partly as a hommage to RING AROUND THE MOON, BLACK SUN and his own previous contributions to the series such as LAST SUNSET and WAR GAMES, SPACE BRAIN fails mostly by the stale direction of Crichton, I think. While Helena's typing in RING AROUND THE MOON is one of the most poetic or at least fascinating moments in the series, Kelly doing the same seems like an uninspired reprise.

In the case of MISSING LINK, I feel quite the contrary to Emma. To me that episode is a movement from highlight to highlight, magnificent encounters between people displaying the series vast capability to deel with complex psychological situations during the di Lorenzo period.

The most emabarrasing moments arise perhaps more often during Y1 than Y2 as our expectations of Y1 are so much greater. The sulking of Helena during the very end of MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH is a sad departure from her usual restrained self, although perhaps not the worst scene in the series. Most of EARTHBOUND is embarrasing, I feel, badly written and badly directed, but not half as bad as Terpiloff's final entry, THE INFERNAL MACHINE, which is close to unwatchable in my opinion. DRAGON'S DOMAIN and FULL CIRCLE are also bad examples of American influence on British sci-fi, obviously originally written with STAR TREK in mind and then slightly adapted to the SPACE:1999 format.

[favorite character...]

Helena and Victor are my favourites, the way they were portrayed early on in the series like in BREAKAWAY, MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH, BLACK SUN and RING AROUND THE MOON.

I also like Koenig, but he is far to much a "doer" than a "thinker", and although his intuition and emotional understanding of the situation is often what solves the problems, a feel more comfertable with Helena's systematic and scientific approach to things and Victor humanistic-scientific attitudes. As a trio, however, they are dynamite.

[least favorite character...]

I don't really mind Yasko; she's solid wood, but at least she didn't get to do much and she wasn't irritating on the lines of Wesley Crusher (though he had his moments: watched "The Game" again last night -- very nice). Can't really think of anyone I actually didn't like, though I wasn't particularly struck by Mateo, for instance. But I can't say I didn't like him; I just didn't really care.

Like Emma I didn't find Yasko all that annoying either. I thought the Irish Cowboy character in ALL THAT GLISTERS was pretty annoying, but, very much like Balor in END OF ETERNITY, he is a wonderful ignitor of drama, totally unpredictable, and, having just rewatched the episode, perhaps one of the most fascinating villains of the series.

I believe Alan was supposed to behave more erratically in the original conception of the series. At least there are many traces of this in episodes like BREAKAWAY, BLACK SUN, RING AROUND THE MOON, ANOTHER TIME/ ANOTHER PLACE, MISSING LINK until he evolved into a loyal follower in ALPHA CHILD. Nice of Ray Austin to put some more dramatic elements into the series again with ALL THAT GLISTERS. Quite enjoyable.

No. Least favourite characters must be people like Anton Zoref, Jim Hains in VOYAGER'S RETURN, the CHARLIE'S ANGLES sort of alien crew in THE LAST ENEMY, Kelly and wife in SPACE BRAIN, Gwent, the mutants in MISSION OF THE DARIANS, Koenig, Helena and Victor in DRAGON'S DOMAIN.

I don't think I would describe any of the above as "bad", but least favourite or least interesting should cover it, I suppose. In Y2 there is, of course, great difficult finding anyone of interest at all, although I admit there are some.

[favorite planet...]

Hehe. Piri, perhaps?

Piri is nice. I also like seeing Earth in BREAKAWAY and ANOTHER TIME/ ANOTHER PLACE. The internal shots with the aliens in WAR GAMES is quite nice, I think, although not much use is made out of the models representing exteriors.

[favorite alien other than Maya...]

Quite many favourites here, actually. The voice in BLACK SUN is excellent, and so is the voice of the probe in RING AROUND THE MOON and the voice of the probe in THE LAST SUNSET. I liked Peter Cushing quite a lot in MISSING LINK, and thought the girl was quite all right too.

My absolute favourties would have to be Peter Bowles as Balor in END OF ETERNITY and Anthony Valantine in WAR GAMES. Very different, but outstanding performances by both, I feel. Excellent.

[favorite alien spaceship...]

Taybor's ship, no doubt about it. Looks like a pressure cooker, but pretty flash decor.

The ultraprobe space ship would perhaps not count as an alien spaceship, but apart from the eagles, I think DRAGON'S DOMAIN is the episode that makes the most out Brian Johnson's and Martin Bower's expertice.

[favorite costume...]

Maya's Psychon dress. <g>

I like the Rudi Gernreich moon city costumes. They remind me of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY and all the best things with SPACE:1999. Most of the costumes for aliens fitted with their characters, I feel, during Y1, although to me it worked better if no aliens were displayed.

Y2 was, of course, bad taste from beginning to end, trying to make everything as camp, loud and tasteless as possible. The only episode that I think really made full use of this new style was DEVIL'S PLANET. The visuals are particulary strong in this one, I feel, although the directon is somewhat weak, and could have been improved upon enormously by having someone like Ray Austin leading way. The actors are not bad, though, Landau, Marsden and particularily Hildegard Neil and her female companions save the day. Another nice point about the episode is that Maya is not included.

[favorite line(s)...]

BLACK SUN contains very much good dialogue, so does BREAKAWAY, RING AROUND THE MOON, MISSING LINK, WAR GAMES, LAST SUNSET too, I think.

My favourite lines must be, however, Helena explaining that she cannot remember when being asked by Koenig what the Tritons were like. Usually it is Victor who goes around saying that he does not know, does not understand, things being impossible, contradicting every known priciple and so on. In RING AROUND THE MOON Helena does much of the same thing, and very well too. A magnificent episode.

[best actor...]

Presumably Barbara Bain and Martin Landau for Y1, and Tony Anholt and Catherine Schell for Y2. I'd vote for Catherine Schell overall, though.

In Year One the interplay between Bain, Landau and Morse is fantastic. Quite impossible to think the series without any one of them, I think.

In Year Two it is Catherine Schell and Tony Anholt that give the series a face, I think. I think they match quite well, although Catherine has the most versatile style of acting and range of emotions, I feel, even though Anholt is not bad at all.

Petter

Editor's Note: The following is a continuation of Tera's earlier note on the same subtopic. 



From:  TERALISHA@aol44.com
Date:  Fri, 4 Dec 1998 18:35:03 EST
Subj:  Space1999: RE: 1999

Warning: 20 shopping days until Christmas!

Hi everyone, hope all is good in your sector of the universe.

Let's see..we were wrapping up Yr2

Devil's Planet - can't comment on this one - I did manage to watch it, but I just don't like it. Hopefully I don't offend anyone by saying that.

Dorzak - Well after reading someone's comments on Dorzak reminding them of Dracula, I'm going to try to watch this one again. So, so episode. The peice of cardboard that Clea or whatever her name is hits Yesta on the head with is a bad special effect.

Brian the Brain - won't comment on this one either, been a long time since I've seen it and all I managed to get from Sci-you know what was up to the 1st commercial break - maybe it is on the col. house tapes?

Catacombs of the moon - damned production schedule again!

A Matter of Balance - Shermeen crush on Tony still bothers me and Vindrus - well now there's a real winner of a costume for you - not to mention the antimatter/matter lecture - I sometimes think Tony just pretended to be stupid around Maya just for a kick or something. Oh well, nough said.

Space Warp - mm.................................. Interesting mysting on the fan-fic side Always did wonder why Maya got sick just when Tony gets flipped to another section of the universe, thanks to Mysting this episode might actually make sense except for Carter's miraculous ability to survive with floppy visor. No offense to, I think lkj1999 - I do like to watch this episode because it's just pure fun, just not one of the best

AB C....d, e, f , g........ha ha - ok episode, I think I liked the ending the best where Maya left the Commander bewildered with her formulas and then ran off to get Tony..obviously her mind wasn't on the job but was ... well ... anyhow

BOW 1 &2- oh boy, what fun - just what ship are we watching on the screen Helena? Just to amuse you all - my little nephew watched this one and wanted me to explain why those alien munster (that's how he says it) had what looked like hot dogs and saurekraut on them? I told him that money was a tight factor in those days.

Seance Spectre - I like this one, I really do. Only thing that bothers me is why in the name of any universal creator didn't Tony send out Alan or Bill on an Eagle to intercept the Comm/Maya when they knew it was 3 hr return trip and that they might be SERIOUSLY injured. My only complaint with this one.

Lamda Factor - I like this one too. brings back a little bit of the eeriness factor from Yr1. Only thing is sci-fish.. struck again & this one is edited..I want the uncut version.

Seeds of destruction - Love the scene with Alan/Maya/Tony arguing - by the way I think this is the only time we ever see Maya's room, isn't it? Best line of this show - How can you be such a dumb blind kangaroo? again a little bit creepy. Alan & Sandra scene where evil imposter wants to blow T/M out of orbit very good too!

Which leaves me with The Dorcons & The immunity Syndrome - I really like both of these and I can't decide which I like better so they tie for the 5th place spot. Damned good acting (IMHO) of both Anholt & Schell in both episodes. Some good ear piercing screaming too. I think Russell looked good in black for some reason, don't ask me why I just thought that jumpsuit suited her. Nice use of Alphan extras too in both episodes. 

My Favorites then are:
1 - the metamorph
2 - The beta cloud
3 - Journey to where
4 - New Adam/new eve
5 - tie - Dorcons/Immunity syndrome

and now for the bad news:
Absolute worst of Yr2 - even I have a few I don't like & I'm a big Yr2 fan
5 - All that Glisters - I place it here since I haven't viewed it yet
4 - A matter of balance
3 - Brian the Brain
2 - Yacking flowers & trees, "she'll be crushed?"
1- and the absolute worst one of them all (IMHO) Devil's Planet

Note: These results are purely my own and don't wish to infringe on anyone's copyright or offend personal beliefs. Are purely for fun and enjoyment purposes only.

Weekend's here - SMILE!

And remember: It is good to have a least one laugh a day! 



From:  Bill Adkins (camillus@earthlink44.net)
Date:  Sat, 05 Dec 1998 00:55:03 -0500
Subj:  Space1999: Best and Worst

From: TERALISHA@aol44.com

Nice season opening - The Metamorph was excellent (IMHO) because finally 1999 got a resident alien. And of course, my theory being they're in space, space aliens, Maya = alien, Maya = Good plot move!

Excellent comment, I think Metamorph would stand up as one of the finest of the 1999 episodes of either year. As for the "good plot move" you may be right but the unexplained loss of Victor and the others never sat well with me in terms of storyline. While the plot argument might be debatable, bringing Maya onboard certainly got the show alot of attention. Catherine Schell did a guest spot on the TONIGHT SHOW, I remember they showed the clip where Koenig wakes up to find himself facing a lion (which becomes Maya). Johnny Carson kept refering to the show as "SPACE 99" and hers was an all to brief segment, but as I said publicity. If only the quality of Metamorph had been maintained, but when Taybor shows up the next week and Brian the Brain not long afterward, I knew then that the show was in trouble.

For what it's worth, here's my list of best episodes:

  1. BREAKAWAY
  2. WAR GAMES
  3. BLACK SUN
  4. DRAGONS DOMAIN
  5. DEATHS OTHER DOMINION
  6. SPACE BRAIN
  7. METAMORPH
  8. JOURNEY TO WHERE
  9. BRINGERS OF WONDER
  10. DEVILS PLANET

I think I'd have to rank them pretty much in that order, #1 being the best of them and #10 squaeking in as a guilty pleasure. If the Y2K bug destroyed everything but a betamax and a tape with two episodes, my choice would be BLACK SUN and WAR GAMES---I'd have a devil of a time trying to pick just one of those two. 



From:  Ariana (ariana@ndirect44.co.uk)
Date:  Fri, 4 Dec 1998 19:06:41 -0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: RE: 1999 best & Worst

Y2 was, of course, bad taste from beginning to end, trying to make everything as camp, loud and tasteless as possible.
...
Another nice point about the episode is that Maya is not included.

There we go, the usual sweeping judgments without so much as an IMHO in sight. I have a feeling I'll be writing an Einar Haraldson or something into one of my stories, only to kill him off with relish. <g>

In Year Two it is Catherine Schell and Tony Anholt that give the series a face, I think. I think they match quite well, although Catherine has the most versatile style of acting and range of emotions, I feel, even though Anholt is not bad at all.

<*crash* -- Ariana faints on the spot>

You mean we actually agree on something?

Emma 



From:  South Central (Tamazunchale@webtv44.net)
Date:  Sat, 5 Dec 1998 13:12:58 -0800 (PST)
Subj:  Space1999: ExE Best/Worst Update  12/5

Best Episode:

Bill Adkins--Breakaway
Teralisha--The Metamorph
D+K Dunday--Journey to Where
Stefano Alpa--The Troubled Spirit
Simon Morris--Death's Other Dominion
Ariana--New Adam, New Eve
Paolo Pereira--Dragon's Domain
Mark Meskin--Dragon's Domain
Horst Noll--Dragon's Domain
Brian Dowling--Dragon's Domain
Christine Perrins--One Moment of Humanity
David Welle--The Metamorph
Andre Beauchamp--Breakaway
Ellen Lindow--The Black Sun
Janet "Schill" (?) Missing Link
Guiseppe Medulla--Another Time, Another Place
Chas P--Space Warp
Petter Ogland--Ring Around the Moon
Robert Gilbert--Space Brain
David Acheson--War Games
Pelle--(no response yet)
South Central--The Troubled Spirit

Worst Episode

Teralisha--(no response yet)
D+K Dunday--A Matter of Balance
Stefano Alpa--The Rules of Luton
Simon Morris--Missing Link
Paolo Pereira--Brian the Brain
Mark Meskin--Ring Around the Moon
David Welle--Ring Around the Moon
Andre Beauchamp--Brian the Brain
Brian Dowling--Brian the Brain
Horst Noll--Brian the Brain
Ellen Lindow--Missing Link
Ariana--Missing Link
Janet "Schill" (?)--A Matter of Balance
David Acheson--A Matter of Balance
Christine Perrins--Devil's Planet
Guiseppe Medulla--The Rules of Luton
Chas P--Force of Life
Pelle--Full Circle
Robert Gilbert--The Troubled Spirit
Petter Ogland (no response yet
South Central--The Taybor

Tamazunchale@webtv.net

Editor's Notes: The following note originated from near the end of a series of notes threaded separately. This is a rejoining point. The quote in the first note comes from near the end of that other thread. 



From:  Paulo Pereira (starblade@technologist44.com)
Date:  Sat, 05 Dec 1998 23:23:39 -0800
Subj:  Space1999: Absolute favorite episodes

Petter, something must be wrong with your tapes then, both episodes are production side disorganized distasters. In addition to weak FX and bad "location" sets, the props and visuals are awful. Combine this with the weak scripts(Ring around the Moon is the bigger stinker of the 2), the ridiculous Astronomical references and awful performances by everyone(except for Morse and Landau in MOLAD....in ring they stink just as bad

In here a think that must be a more balanced point: Both RATM and MOLAD are far from being on my top 5, but also far from being on my worst 5 either. The way I see it both are episodes have some good ideias, like almost every Y1 plot, but those ideas were not developed or perhaps set aside by restrictions like the duration of the episode (what can you do in just 50 m?) or too expensive in terms of special effects. A proof of this is the original script of MOLAD, called Planet Siren much more interesting that the episode itself. It has a heated discussion related to Helena's fellings for her deceased husband or toward Koenig, also the planet itself is presented like a pool of lost souls that are coming back to haunt the livings and exploring their heavy consciences. On that part the script resembles to an old french film called "J'accuse" (do not spell it "Jacuzzi" :-) that was made shortly after the end of 1st World War. But Planet Siren was butcher in such a way that almost none was left apart the coming back from Lee Russel. And didn't had that moon exploding stuff and the characters reviving on the end of the episode that is a very idiot way for fixing things. I wish that could remake that episode but with the original script.

One of the biggest problems with S1999 episodes are the embarassing things that come out of nowhere. I've already pointed out the reviving in MOLAD, but there are other things. In Force of Life (one of my favorites) I don't like those motionless people at the beggining, in War Games (another favorite) I don't like that explanation about "a world without fear...", in Brian the Brian the crying computer is a very embarassing scene, etc, etc, etc. But even so they are minor things comapred with the very good things that S1999 had, I thing they are the price to pay for experimenting in a new area of Sci-fi: the survival in deep space, instead of the universal cowboys in space.

Of course nowadays any director no matter how rookie he is on the job would correct this kind of things, the problem is that they don't have a plot whatsoever. The latest sci-fi series that I saw was ST:Voyeur and it was so thin on new ideias that the outcome is nothing but 50 m of boring TV that pretend to be SF. What's the point of making a sci-fi series if the stories are "deja vue" and an excuse for situations that can be found somewhere else ? Even the actores are awful, starting with the "plastic" acting of Capitan Freeway. No matter the situation that woman present us always the same face ! Even on her worst days Barbara Bain had more emotions than her.

Thank god that in S1999 we are spared from many of this things like the pathetic humor, the crappy "love" scenes between different aliens species and the moralist ending of each episode.

That's why I say although RATM and MOLAD (and also Missing Link) are far from being perfect episodes they still have some good ideias on the script but for one reason or the other were not well developed or fully explored. It's always a bigger risk to produce something new, rather than copy something that already exists. That's why Y1 had fresh ideas and any failure in the argument would be almost a desaster. Y2 were just old trekkish ideas stuck into was once a very different SF series.

Paulo Pereira

(Mateo, where is the score of the best/worst episodes ??)

From: South Central (Tamazunchale@webtv44.net) Date: Sat, 5 Dec 1998 19:32:05 -0800 (PST) Subj: Space1999: ExE Best/Worst conclusions

I think it is readily noticeable that there is no clear majority opinion about either the best or worst episode.

I think that there is certainly a top five in each (PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THAT AS A REQUEST FOR EVERYONE TO LIST THEIR TOP FIVE EPISODES!!), but no clear winner. Certainly, a few people seem to prefer Dragon's Domain as the best episode--but these people do not count for more that 50% of the respondents (sp?).

Not even one episode stands out as the Worst, although I think it is clear that Ring Around the Moon, Brian the Brain, The Taybor and A Matter of Balance would probably rank in the top five (please see above-mentioned desperate request) worst.

After next week--the end of ExE (on 12/13/98) I will post a TOP FIVE BEST and WORST list (not mine) from all those that responded to the initial post.

IF I have not posted your selection, or if I misunderstood you, please let me know. OTHER THAN THAT PLEASE DON'T BE CHANGING YOUR MINDS. Sorry, but I can't actually cut and paste, and updating this means opening and closing a new file while I go back and forth between your posts, and retyping all the information again and again and AGAIN! :-)

Mateo 



From:  Tamazunchale@webtv44.net (South Central)
Date:  Sat, 5 Dec 1998 19:44:57 -0800 (PST)
Subj:  ExE B/W Correction

I think I made a mistake, so far the top five WORST episodes seems to include, Missing Link, Ring Around the Moon, A Matter of Balance and Brian the Brain. Only I nominated The Taybor--it must be a mental block.

I LOVE Missing Link and DESTEST The Taybor. Now that's scary!

Mateo 



From:  Petter Ogland (petter.ogland@dnmi44.no)
Date:  Mon, 7 Dec 1998 10:24:47 +0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: ExE Best/Worst Update  12/5

Hi Mateo,

Thanks for displaying the groups best/worst update. I see that DRAGON'S DOMAIN takes the lead in the best episode category, four people voting for that, followed by a group of episodes, BREAKAWAY, METAMORPH and THE TROUBLED SPIRIT, all getting two votes each.

It's nice to notice that your view about THE TROUBLED SPIRIT being the episode that gives you the most is shared with others. Personally I think BREAKAWAY is the best of the four episodes in the lead.

As worst episodes go, I wanted to add RULES OF LUTON on my account. It is signficantly to pick a worst episode, I think, as they, at least in my opinon, are more clustered. I finally had to decide on either MATTER OF BALANCE or RULES OF LUTON, neither of them remarakbly worse than the Y2 average, but definitely in the lower range of the series, and the combination of mindless running around and an embarrasingly sentimental discussions on past Earth and Psycho history seem to make RULES OF LUTON the most hopeless episode in the series.

I see there are at least two who also place it on the bottom row. The statistics seem to indicate that BRIAN THE BRAIN is a more likeable episode to win the title of least liked episode. To me that was more of an average Y2 episode, typical of the first half of the series when they were interested in adding humour to the series.

Nevertheless, it's nice to see that there is such a wide distribution among best liked and least liked episodes, including at least two episodes, RING AROUND THE MOON and MISSING LINK, that are included on both lists.

Petter 



From:  Petter Ogland (petter.ogland@dnmi44.no)
Date:  Mon, 7 Dec 1998 12:20:53 +0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: RE: 1999 best & Worst

Ariana wrote:

There we go, the usual sweeping judgments without so much as an IMHO in sight. I have a feeling I'll be writing an Einar Haraldson or something into one of my stories, only to kill him off with relish. <g>

Have you written anything with the Tritons or other themes from RING AROUND THE MOON, Emma? I would really like to read something like that.

Sorry about making personal opinions sounding like stating obvious fact. I must been carried away as usual. Please interpret every comma and puncture mark as a IMO if you are feel like that. Most of what I contribute to this list anyway is my personal opinion. The only way to speak on behalf of a group was to draw some statistical inferences, but I'm not all that interested in that really.

How anyone could disagree with Y2 being camp, loud and tasteless is beyond me, however, personally finding the most camp episodes like ALL THAT GLISTERS and DEVIL'S PLANET being the most successful of the series. ALL THAT GLISTERS is in particular a fine episode, I think, very much like RING AROUND THE MOON an episode that does not seem to loose impact on repeated viewing.

While the visuals in DEVIL'S PLANET are extremely creative and striking, often using camera angles to exploit the curves of the female body against the rigid geometry of Wilson's magnificent sets. Where the episode suffers, in my opinion however, is by a somewhat stale directon by newcomer Tom Clegg who does his craft but not more than that.

In comparison ALL THAT GLISTERS is a masterpiece, I think, Ray Austin creating something that almost amounts to art from the most absurd premises. Just think what Austin could have done with something like DEVIL'S PLANET. Quite a shame to think of it really, all these wonderfully abstract sets, magnificent actress Hildegard Neil and a much better supporting cast of non-speaking beauties than the normal low level quality in acting terms as was the case of the window display in THE LAST ENEMY, DEATH'S OTHER DOMINION, DORZAK and so on.

You know, Emma, I watched Claude Sautet's UN COEUR EN HIVER (1991) for the third time on video last night. And while this is one of the most spectacular films I've ever seen, Sautet does not have the same rapport with the actors as Austin does, now does he? To me he seems much more like Crichton or Guest in the apparently calculated matter he moves the camera from point to point.

As I rewatched this I constantly mumbled silently to myself what it would have been like if Austin had been responsible for direction here. Well, we all know, don't we, it would have been like RING AROUND THE MOON, wouldn't it?

<*crash* -- Ariana faints on the spot>

You mean we actually agree on something?

I often agree with you, Emma, as you are one of my favourite posters to this list. I thought you knew that.

Even though I find Y2 to be mindless junk mostly, I still admire Catherine Schell. Wonderfull actress, I though everybody agreed on that. I even think Tony Anholt fits in quite nicely, definitely better than Landau and Bain who really were quite too old and experienced for this kind of trash TV, I think, although they all work quite well together in what I more and more see as the epitome of Y2, the wonderful chamber play ALL THAT GLISTERS.

Tony as a zombie in that episode also worked quite remarkably well, I think. In fact, I kept thinking of RING AROUND THE MOON quite a lot of the time, many quite interesting parallells in the episodes, I think, although RING AROUND THE MOON is an intelligent episode and ALL THAT GLISTERS is not. In the long run it doesn't matter all that much really, just like with classical music, effects based on surprise seem to erode away after a few turns of repeated watching and what is left as solid rock is the constallations of people discussing.

Just like in RING AROUND THE MOON there are supreme moments of character conflict in ALL THAT GLISTERS. Take the wonderful scene where Maya changes into a rock, for instance, and then Reilly suddenly gets this idea of shooting the rock while it is in a confused state. Just watch the reaction from Koenig and Alan. Magnificent.

In fact, the episode remind me increasingly of a Monty Python sketch. While their jokes were not always all that funny, they had an incredible way of creating absurd psychological spaces of character conflict which don't really erode the FLYING CIRCUS episodes all that much in spite the friction of time.

It is the same with SPACE:1999, I think. Obviously it is the case with Year One, which is a complete set, more or less, of 24 classics, but at least with ALL THAT GLISTERS, and perhaps on a smaller scale with episodes like THE EXILES, DEVIL'S PLANET and NEW ADAM/NEW EVE and perhaps even the Texas City scenes from JOURNEY TO WHERE, at least the wonderful contribution by Freddie Jones and the magnificent visuals by Keith Wilson, we have things of the past that feel refreshing today, and perhaps even more today as the general quality of TV output seem to have sunk so significantly during the last ten or twenty years. This is the way I see it anyway.

Petter 



From:  "Petter Ogland" (petter.ogland@dnmi44.no)
Date:  Mon, 7 Dec 1998 13:36:55 +0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: RE: 1999

Tera Lisha wrote:

My Favorites then are:

1 - the metamorph

If only they had changed the order of directors during these four first episodes. To me METAMORPH is more of an anti-climax than a promise of a new and exiting series, I feel. The second episode, THE EXILES is a much better one in my opinion, Donald James writing from premises of Y1, more or less, with apparenly only minor adaptions by Fred Freiberger and a magnificent focus on character as usual by top director Ray Austin.

2 - The beta cloud

Definitely the best of the Woodgrove trilogy, although the Woodgrove scripts are some of the worst TV scripts ever according to some. I can understand, to a certain extent I believe, why Emma, you and others like this episode, and I agree that the Woodgrove episodes are interesting as phenomenae if not as something to watch. The entertainment value of this one as similar to that of watching construction workers, I think, they do not run around all that much, but build, lay out cables, drive machines and so on. Much movement.

3 - Journey to where

Of this episode I like the scenes with Freddie Jones only, but, as they are quite terrific, I think they are worth the price of the tape alone. We have no idea what this scientist really thinks, now do we? He looks bewildered around, smiles nervously, eats a piece of candy. Is he friend of foe?

Excellent character conflict, I think, and one of very few that manages to match some of the complexity that we had gotten so used to with Y1.

4 - New Adam/new eve

The episode that everybody likes, it seems. A perfect match, in my opinion, in Feely's elegantly witty play and Keith Wilson's daliesque designs. One of the episodes that really has a message, Feely obviously following the path of John Fowles, one of the most well-known British writers at the time, of equal statue as Anthony Burgess I suppose, and works with a format that handles the message elegantly. While Maya is often portrayed as a five year old, in this episode she appears as almost a Victor Bergman in disguise.

5 - tie - Dorcons/Immunity syndrome

Yes, after recent discussions on this list I too am not sure how much sense it makes to differ too much between these two episodes. It is a matter of fact, of course, that the inital IMMUNITY SYNDROM (FACE OF EDEN) was written before the series went into production, and THE DORCONS quite probably was one of the latter scripts. They both seem to reflect Johnny Byrne, I think, and as such put an interesting light ober both Y1 and Y2.

and now for the bad news:

Absolute worst of Yr2 - even I have a few I don't like & I'm a big Yr2 fan

5 - All that Glisters - I place it here since I haven't viewed it yet

Ah, then you should be prepared for a pleasant surprise. In my opinon ALL THAT GLISTERS is far from the worst of episodes. In fact, I think it is one of the very best of the season.

Of course it is completely absurd, but, then again, most of the season was, wasn't it? In fact, I think the meaningless script only makes the episode better as it then speaks directly to our emotions rather than going the long way around via the intellect. As usual Ray Austin makes the most out of giving the characters life, and while the living rock is a totally ridiculous idea, it functions marvellously in order to bring out the worst in Irish Cowboy O'Reilly, who really excell in magnificently stupid behaviour that put everybody in jeapordy.

To me it is almost reminicent of the original and best version of INVATION OF THE BODYSNATCHERS (1956) in that it seems almost as if O'Reilly is obsessed, definitely out of control at least, just like Tony. We have many nice things here, then, that ties the episode in with the arguably finest hour of SPACE:1999 all in all, RING AROUND THE MOON.

Interestingly, as I listened to a sixtyone-minute piece of music by Brian Eno ("Thursday Afternoon", 1984) yesterday, that seems completely without structure in terms of harmony, melody and rythm, inspired by John Cage, I understand, I was thinking how wonderful it would have been if we had an extended version of RING AROUND THE MOON. As this episode is almost over the moment you have started it, I think it would have been even better in an augmented version running three hours, or perhaps six, although six would then again be perhaps a little bit too long for an evening. A Wagner opera often runs between four and five hours, however, so perhaps something similar could have worked well on RING AROUND THE MOON.

Instead of adding more action, I think the episode could have explored the posibilitis that were already present more deeply, like say, more and longer sequences of Helena being activated at random, walking down the corridors and punching on the keyboard on the wall. To me this part of the episodes passes all too quickly making me sometimes rewind the tape in order to extend the episode and enjoy it more.

I believe this could have worked quite well for ALL THAT GLISTERS too, definitely an episode that have this same kind of quality to it that makes it splendid for repeated and prolonged viewing.

[Editor's Note: This triggers Another RATM Thread, starting with criticism.]

4 - A matter of balance

I think Barbara Cartland whenever I hear this. Emma had a wonderful analysis of it in the spirit of Cartland once. Did you catch that, Tera Lisha? Quite magnificent. It is stored somewhere in David Welle's archives.

3 - Brian the Brain

An episode very few tend to like, perhaps being reminded at the time that they had passed the age when this kind of thing was funny. I get the impression that people dislike it because they feel embarrased by it. Personally I don't think it was all bad, at least not worse than average, and Jack Ronder's previous strong assosiation with the SURVIVORS scripts makes it all the more interesting. In a way it seems like a childrens version of the HAL sequence in 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, and is in it's philosophical implications equally interesting, I think, although the style is as childish as that of the computer-robot episode INFERNAL MACHINE.

The two episodes that handled computer-robot philosophy in the most interesting fashion, in my opinion, were BLACK SUN and GUARDIAN OF PIRI, both written by David Weir, with GUARDIAN OF PIRI being more focused on the computer-robot elements that didn't make it through to production in BLACK SUN.

BLACK SUN and GUARDIAN OF PIRI was intelligent writing for grown up people, I think, both intellectually and emotionally stimulating in very much the same manner as RING AROUND THE MOON and MISSING LINK.

2 - Yacking flowers & trees, "she'll be crushed?"

All time low, I agree. Even Gerry Anderson pin-points this as completely hopeless in the SPACE:1999 documentary, even though he was responsible for it himself in a way, well, responsible in the way that when Freiberger told him of this new idea he had gotten about talking trees and so on, Anderson reponded by thinking "uh-oh" rather than suggesting something constructive. Well, I suppose he didn't want to argue with Freiberger, understandable as that is.

1- and the absolute worst one of them all (IMHO) Devil's Planet

This, on the other hand, is surprising, I think. You have, of course written earlier about having difficulty in watching this episode in one sitting, but the absolute worst? To me it is rather the other way around, one of the more successful episodes the way I see it.

It would have improved enormously, I believe though, if it had been directed by Ray Austin, who probably would have emphasised the psychology of the episode more deeply and entered more deeply into the world of sexual perversions.

There are some attempts at this, but far to feeble in my opinion, and as Austin had shown his proficiency in creating a rather teasing mood in a sequence in THE EXILES, very much in the style of Roger Vadim and even more of Just Jacklin, a more hard-core approach would defintely have suited DEVIL'S PLANET, I think. It was a great loss to the series, I feel, that Austin left it so early on. I hope he was able to put his talent into something worthwhile.

Petter 



From:  "Petter Ogland" (petter.ogland@dnmi44.no)
Date:  Mon, 7 Dec 1998 14:15:53 +0000
Subj:  Space1999: Re: Absolute favorite episodes

Paulo Pereira wrote:

In here a think that must be a more balanced point: Both RATM and MOLAD are far from being on my top 5, but also far from being on my worst 5 either. The way I see it both are episodes have some good ideias, like almost every Y1 plot, but those ideas were not developed or perhaps set aside by restrictions like the duration of the episode (what can you do in just 50 m?) or too expensive in terms of special effects.

While I feel that each 50 minutes was perfectly used in these two cases, I still think Paulo has a very good point. Whenever I see these episodes, RING AROUND THE MOON in particular, it strikes me how short it is. How much better wouldn't it have been if it were twice as long?

The way I see it at least there is by far enough content in this episode to make it twice as long or perhaps even three times as long as it actually was. A five hour spectacular would really have been something, I feel, and not too far fetched either, I believe, as 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY used two hours on a much more simple story.

MOLAD, called Planet Siren much more interesting that the episode itself. It has a heated discussion related to Helena's fellings for her deceased husband or toward Koenig, also the planet itself is presented like a pool of lost souls that are coming back to haunt the livings and exploring their heavy consciences. On that part the script resembles to an old french film called "J'accuse" (do not spell it "Jacuzzi" :-) that was made shortly after the end of 1st World War. But Planet Siren was butcher in such a way that almost none was left apart the coming back from Lee Russel. And didn't had that moon exploding stuff and the characters reviving on the end of the episode that is a very idiot way for fixing things. I wish that could remake that episode but with the original script.

No doubt THE SIREN PLANET was very different from MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH, I've read the comments on the Catacombs site too. My impressions, contrary to Paulo however, is that what Johnny Byrne did was actually a splendid job pasting together a typical STAR TREK like script into something with the depth of SPACE:1999. In fact, judging from my previous experience of Art Wallace, writing the episode OBSESSION for third season STAR TREK, this could easily amount to hysterical camp a la the character play in DRAGON'S DOMAIN. Now, we wouldn't really want that, now would we?

One of the biggest problems with S1999 episodes are the embarassing things that come out of nowhere. I've already pointed out the reviving in MOLAD, but there are other things. In Force of Life (one of my favorites) I don't like those motionless people at the beggining, in War Games (another favorite) I don't like that explanation about "a world without fear...", in Brian the Brian the crying computer is a very embarassing scene, etc, etc, etc. But even so they are minor things comapred with the very good things that S1999 had, I thing they are the price to pay for experimenting in a new area of Sci-fi: the survival in deep space, instead of the universal cowboys in space.

Cowboys in space, ugh! I definitely agree on all this, but you can't make an omelette without breaking some eggs, I suppose, and personally I thought the ending of MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH was quite all right. If not by an ending like this how would it then have been possible to kill of Alan, blow up the moon and so on, some of the best sequences in all of the series?

Of course nowadays any director no matter how rookie he is on the job would correct this kind of things, the problem is that they don't have a plot whatsoever. The latest sci-fi series that I saw was ST:Voyeur and it was so thin on new ideias that the outcome is nothing but 50 m of boring TV that pretend to be SF. What's the point of making a sci-fi series if the stories are "deja vue" and an excuse for situations that can be found somewhere else ? Even the actores are awful, starting with the "plastic" acting of Capitan Freeway. No matter the situation that woman present us always the same face ! Even on her worst days Barbara Bain had more emotions than her.

What some refer to as the worst days of Barbara Bain seem to amount to episodes like MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH and RING AROUND THE MOON, two of the episodes where I find she appears to be one of the finest character actresses I've ever seen on television. A remarkable actress with a stupendous ability to characterise scientists, mathematicians, doctors and so on, I would say. Quite remarkable, and a joy to watch, especially during the heighday of early SPACE:1999.

In regards of contemporary TV science fiction, it is soap opera with special effects put in space mostly, isn't it? I don't watch that stuff myself. Seems like a complete waste of time, no ideas, no philosophy, just people talking and walking in episodes with as much content as BETA CLOUD. It is interesting to get this view on modern science fiction confirmed by others on the list.

Thank god that in S1999 we are spared from many of this things like the pathetic humor, the crappy "love" scenes between different aliens species and the moralist ending of each episode.

Thank heavens!

That's why I say although RATM and MOLAD (and also Missing Link) are far from being perfect episodes they still have some good ideias on the script but for one reason or the other were not well developed or fully explored. It's always a bigger risk to produce something new, rather than copy something that already exists. That's why Y1 had fresh ideas and any failure in the argument would be almost a desaster. Y2 were just old trekkish ideas stuck into was once a very different SF series.

Exactly, and I couldn't have said it better myself. Even when we consider the weak points of Y1, as Paulo does, it still is the best science fiction ever to have been put on the tube. This is at least the way I see it.

Petter 



From:  TERALISHA@aol44.com
Date:  Mon, 7 Dec 1998 14:52:52 EST
Subj:  Space1999: RE:  another "99" good day!

Hi all,

Just received my 99 cal. in mail. I waited since 10/30 but it was worth it! (Imagine someone jumping up and down :) :) :)

Just like to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed all the comments on our show faves/least faves!

Thanks to the advice from Petter I will try to get my hands on a copy of that darned rock episode so that I can view it (reading script just isn't the same, I want to see it.)

By the way - who out there has gottent the set from Columbia House? I have currently received Break/Met, Alpha Child/Dorzk, Missing link/ABC, Voyager/Exiles, earthbound/dorcons, ring around the moon/new adam so I'm wondering how many episodes do they have available and what I can expect to get (or not get)?

Everyone has such a wide range of opinions and I think that's what makes this so much fun, even if you don't agree it's fun. Just like watching the Beta Cloud :) which I did last night, again. We introduced my sis-in-law to new adam/new eve the other night. What fun we had with that - she's a newbie as far as 99 goes.

Petter made some NICE comments about my favorite characters - Thank you! Yes, in my opinion Schell is darned good actress and I do think that she and Tony match up quite well, believability wise and they seemed to click as far as their characters. It's just a shame that they didn't do a little more with them and Carter,Fraser, & Sahn as well. I think we could have witnessed some great interaction scenes between them all. Hmm. perhaps some off-duty party scenes? Oh wait a minute, fanfic is covering that one - to be sure. Oh well, must go for now - last week of college classes and final exams! To be sure I will be GLAD GLAD for the weekend, then I can return to normal adult life again (I know my man will be happy for that) and so will work. Everyone have a GREAT week and I hope everyone smiles and laughs at least once!

T A 



From:  Paulo Pereira (starblade@technologist44.com)
Date:  Mon, 07 Dec 1998 21:35:10 -0800
Subj:  Space1999: ExE Best/Worst conclusions (1 of 2)

Although the best/worst episode pool had a minor participation I've done some analisys to the results that I would like to share with the rest:

First of all I wish to say that we can analyse the results *BUT* we cannot do any extrapolation (sp?) to a bigger universe being the people on this list or the fans all over the world. It's not accurate to do that based on such a small number of responses. Even so here's my analisys based on Mateo's post:

Best episode is Dragon's Domain - 20 %,
2nd place Breakaway and The Metamorph - 9,5 % each
Best episodes Year 1 - 71 %,
Best episodes Year 2 - 29 %

Worst Episode is Brian the Brain - 26 %
2nd place A Matter of Balance and Missing Link - 16 % each
Worst episodes Year 1 - 42 %
Worst episodes Year 2 - 58 %

From: Paulo Pereira (starblade@technologist44.com) Date: Mon, 07 Dec 1998 21:41:52 -0800 Subj: Space1999: ExE Best/Worst conclusions (2 of 2)

Now, this will be my very personal interpretation of the numbers, so if you don't agree, let's hear those remarkes:

Best :

First surprise: The winner. Not even on my wildest dreams I had suspected that Dragon's Domain would be a winner and with such an advantadge. I always thought that the winner would come out of the Breakaway/Black Sun/War Games trio. This 3 episodes are always talked and quoted on this list and I seldom see a reference to DD. Besides Dragon's Domain is not an episode with much ground for speculation or intellectualization like those 3 or some others that I'm not talking in here. It's much more an episode that stands on it's own by having good special and sound effects, along with an outstanding story and narrative structure. I might be suspect because it's also my all time favorite, but I cannot see any more reason why it has beat the rest. And like I said when I've voted for it, it's more strange because the story is not using a main character as the center of the episode.

Second surprise: So many episodes had received votes for the best. What does this mean? I'm not sure but I have my own theory.

It means that rather than just a small bunch of very good episodes, S1999 have lots of very good episodes. If there were just two or three good episodes, those episodes would receive the vast majority of the votes. The proof is that DD is a winner but only had 20 % of votes, the other are scatter for a large array of episodes. Almost everybody would agree that those episodes were outstanding and the rest of the series was normal, neither good or bad.

But it didn't has happen that way; so many episodes and different kind of scripts are represented on the best list. As I see it it's because they actually are good, making the task of picking just one winner very difficult.

This reminds those music CD's that we buy because they have one very good song that is always being played on the radio, but when we listen to the whole album we find out that the rest of the songs are crap and the album is a rip-off. If S1999 was this kind of music only one or two songs (episodes) were good and the rest was there just to fill the album (season).

By having presented so many episodes on the best list people are saying that is hard to choose just one because we have so many episodes that are good. What more proofs do we need to say that S1999 is still a good SF series?

I think next time someone says to you that S1999 is shit you can scrub this point of view in his face. Let's see how he's going to argue.

Worst:

Brian the Brain. Also a surprise. After reading the posts I though that the looser would come out of something like Space Warp, Beta Cloud, et al.

I guess people didn't like the emotive computer and how the story is handled. If instead of a machine we had an alien (a devilish one like Balor in End of Eternity) or perhaps by some means a living member of the crew doing that kind of blackmail or displaying such an array of emotions, the story would not be so puny and more easy to swallow. As it is it's an insult to the intelligence and to anything that stands as good taste.

The pool for the worst also shows that 3 episodes only (Missing Link, Brian the Brain, and A Matter of Balance) are responsable for 53 % of the negative results. It's the other way around. If we have much to choose in relation of the best, only 3 episodes are considered to be the worst.

I guess it's more easy to point a worst because there are not much crap episodes in S1999. On the other way the Best top 3 only represents 40 % of votes.

There are some odd things in here; several episodes had received votes for BOTH the best and worst. Those are The Troubled Spirit, Missing Link and Ring Around the Moon. I'll leave this comment to somebody else.

Now I'm going to be nasty; I think if it wasn't for Petter always talking about it people would hardly remember RATM. As I see it it's an unconsciente payback for having to read about RATM every three or four mails. Perhaps I'm being unfair to Petter or to the ones that truly don't like Ring for objective reasons, but I really have this felling.

I'll end as I've started. This is my personal analysis of the results and since so few of us had responded to Mateo's pool we cannot say this votation represents the tastes of people in here or the rest of S1999 viewers. But it has cast some light into what it was just plain darkeness. I hope you had enjoyed it.

Paulo Pereira 



From:  space1999nut@juno44.com (Colleen A Bement)
Date:  Mon, 7 Dec 1998 20:53:43 -0700
Subj:  Space1999: Re: 1999 ... Best & Worst

Is it too late for the best & worst?

Best episode.....Journey to Where.

Worst....Brian the Brain...(although, I loved it as a kid)

Colleen Bement
MBA#169
"We're all aliens...'til we get to know one another"
John Koenig 



From:  South Central (Tamazunchale@webtv44.net)
Date:  Mon, 7 Dec 1998 21:13:51 -0800 (PST)
Subj:  Re: Space1999: ExE Best/Worst Update  12/7

BEST EPISODE:

Bill Adkins--Breakaway
Andre Beauchamp--Breakaway
David Welle--The Metamorph
Teralisha--The Metamorph
Ina Litera--The Metamorph
D+K Dunday--Journey to Where
Colleen A. Bement--Journey to Where
Stefano Alpa--The Troubled Spirit
South Central--The Troubled Spirit
Martin Willey--Dragon's Domain
Paolo Pereira--Dragon's Domain
Mark Meskin--Dragon's Domain
Horst Noll--Dragon's Domain
Brian Dowling--Dragon's Domain
Ellen Lindow--The Black Sun
Terry Lee--The Black Sun
Ariana--New Adam, New Eve
Janet Schill--Missing Link
Chas P.--Space Warp
Petter Ogland--Ring Around the Moon
Robert Gilbert--Space Brain
Simon Morris--Death's Other Dominion
David Acheson--War Games
Guiseppe Medulla--Another Time, Another Place
Christine Perrins--One Moment of Humanity

Leading in poll: Dragon's Domain (5:25)
20% of participants in poll

WORST EPISODE:

Ina Litera--Missing Link
SImon Morris--Missing Link
Ellen Lindow--Missing Link
Ariana--Missing Link
D+K Dunday--A Matter of Balance
Janet Schill--A Matter of Balance
David Acheson--A Matter of Balance
Martin Willey--The Rules of Luton
Petter Ogland--The Rules of Luton
Stefano Alpa--The Rules of Luton
Guiseppe Medulla--The Rules of Luton
Colleen A. Bement--Brian the Brain
Paolo Pereira--Brian the Brain
Brian Dowling--Brian the Brain
Andre Beauchamp--Brian the Brain
Horst Noll--Brian the Brain
David Welle--Ring Around the Moon
Mark Meskin--Ring Around the Moon
Christine Perrins--Devil's Planet
Chas P.--Force of Life
Pelle--Full Circle
Robert Gilbert--The Troubled Spirit
South Central--The Taybor
Terry Lee--The Mark of Archanon

Leading in poll: Brian the Brain (5:24)
20.8%

Tamazunchale@webtv.net 



From:  South Central (Tamazunchale@webtv44.net)
Date:  Mon, 7 Dec 1998 21:23:45 -0800 (PST)
Subj:  Space1999: ExE Best/Worst voting

Many people haven't voted. That's okay. However, as part of this thread (which is being archived) I will only be accepting votes up until the end of ExE (12:00 midnight on Sunday, December 13--going on Monday morning before anyone asks).

Some of you have hinted at your "best" episodes in your posts (Jim Small, others) and this has been pointed out to me. However, I want to be sure your vote is accurately reflected, and so I need you to make it explicit. Saying, "that episode would be at the top of my list too" as part of a general episode review is not the same as saying "that is the best episode in my opinion". The top of the list may mean your top three--after all there are 48 episodes.

I don't want to be picky, just accurate. I also want to explain why some of you may think I ignored your vote--believe me, I didn't. I just wasn't sure that a general comment WAS a vote.

Oddly, some people voted ONLY for Best Episode or ONLY for Worst Episode. Hopefully, when the poll is over it will have the same people voting on both Best and Worst.

Mateo 



From:  TERALISHA@aol44.com
Date:  Tue, 8 Dec 1998 00:33:57 EST
Subj:  Space1999: 99 worst episode

Hello,

just checked total listing.

Please include my worst episode Devil's Planet

Thanks

smile :) 



From:  VICSBOOTH1@aol44.com
Date:  Tue, 8 Dec 1998 00:34:33 EST
Subj:  Space1999: Best and ...............

Howdy!!!!!!

I stayed away from this issue because I doubt many will agree with my choices.

Best: Black Sun

Worst: Ring Around The Moon

Victor 



From:  Mark Eidemiller (skylab@e-z44.net)
Date:  Mon, 07 Dec 1998 21:57:48 -0800
Subj:  Re: Space1999: ExE Best/Worst voting

Many people haven't voted. That's okay. However, as part of this thread (which is being archived) I will only be accepting votes up until the end of ExE (12:00 midnight on Sunday, December 13--going on Monday morning before anyone asks).

I respectfully abstain from the voting. Since I just got a set of episodes (which I haven't even gone completely through yet) a short while ago, I have only a superficial opinion on which ones are good and which ones are bad.

However, I would agree with the conclusions to date. Brian the Brain reminds me of a cybernetic Jerry Lewis (in some of his earlier movies) with a touch of Machiavelli. Although Luton reminds me of an "environmental whacko" propaganda film.

Not sure about the good ones yet. So many to pick from. I'll get back to you later.....

Mark Eidemiller(#95) Chaplain, Online Moonbase Alpha 



From:  StarParty@aol44.com
Date:  Tue, 8 Dec 1998 01:19:21 EST
Subj:  Space1999: Re: ExE Best/Worst voting

Here's my best and worst:

Best: The Black Sun

Runner-up: Journey to Where

Worst: Devil's Planet

Anthony 



From:  "Petter Ogland" (petter.ogland@dnmi44.no)
Date:  Tue, 8 Dec 1998 10:54:40 +0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: RE:  another "99" good day!

Tera Alisha wrote:

Thanks to the advice from Petter I will try to get my hands on a copy of that darned rock episode so that I can view it (reading script just isn't the same, I want to see it.)

I hope you will like it, Tera. It's not everybodys cup of tea, but I tend to like it. Like the early episodes of Y1, I think ALL THAT GLISTERS sparks of some of the magic of early Y2. Most of all it is a character conflic story, I feel, and in order to enjoy it, it is probably wise to concentrate on this and not too much on the actual story.

Nevertheless, this is probably the Y2 episode that makes most sense with me. It is unpredictable in the right sort of way, having people who seem very live and realistic. It wears quite well with time, I think, and can probably be watched a great many times with increasing pleasure rather than have all the fun eroded away as so many of us feel in the case of more extrovert episodes.

Everyone has such a wide range of opinions and I think that's what makes this so much fun, even if you don't agree it's fun. Just like watching the Beta Cloud :)

This is one of the points I like so enormously about this list too, a fact that is very nicly reflected on the current best/worst poll run by Mateo. It is an ideal situation really, the way I see it, a friendly community where everybody disagree on something but all are happily content on doing so. Perfect soil for interesting debates, I would say.

Petter made some NICE comments about my favorite characters - Thank you! Yes, in my opinion Schell is darned good actress and I do think that she and Tony match up quite well, believability wise and they seemed to click as far as their characters. It's just a shame that they didn't do a little more with them and Carter,Fraser, & Sahn as well. I think we could have witnessed some great interaction scenes between them all. Hmm. perhaps some off-duty party scenes?

Even if the Woodgrove trilogy seem to rank nearer the bottom level quality than top according to those who contributed to the poll, they nevertheless exploit one of the central ideas of the Freiberger idea of SPACE:1999, the action, romance and the youthful look of the series as he prefered to call it.

Apart from THE METAMORPH, there are hardly any episode that goes deeper into the relationship between Maya and Tony than the Woodgrove episodes, I feel. From what I've heard, THE RULES OF LUTON was originally intended to have been a Maya-Tony story as well.

I discussed the development of Y2 with Martin recently, and it occurs to me that the Woodgrove episodes seem like rather good marking points for different stages of the Y2 series.

Prior to RULES OF LUTON most of the episodes seem to be based on Y1 type ideas with some added Freiberger action, many of them focusing on the assimilation of Maya into the Alpha community.

From around RULES OF LUTON to BETA CLOUD the series seem to have matured in a somewhat different direction, containing more substance with more philosophical episodes like BRIAN THE BRAIN, NEW ADAM/NEW EVE, AB CHRYSALIS, CATACOMBS OF THE MOON and SEED OF DESTRUCTION.

As the series has reached its peak, there is not all that much more to explore, I suppose, not at least relating to the Maya and Tony relationship and Freiberger issues, and the death-and-disaster episode SPACE WARP seem to both put and end to the mature Y2 and instigate the final stage of development of the series which relies more on traditional science fiction episodes with less focus on humour, rubber monsters and the like. The three last episodes, DEVIL'S PLANET, THE IMMUNITY SYNDROM and THE DORCONS are the best part of the final wrap-up from my point of view.

Petter 



From:  David Acheson (dkach@hotmail44.com)
Date:  Tue, 08 Dec 1998 06:37:30 EST
Subj:  Space1999: For Discussion/Miscellaneous

Actually I liked that idea for character discussions. We could spend a week dissecting an Alphan and talk about our likes and dislikes in much the same way we analyzed the individual episodes. Someone suggested this and I second it. Anyone else interested?

I am glad the best/worst list is turning out the way it is. The wide variety of best and worst reflects a rather diverse group of fans who all love the series but for different reasons. I am so far the only one voting for WAR GAMES for best but am not crying over it. I am NOT surprised DRAGON'S DOMAIN is ahead of the others. That episode is constantly pushed around here by many (referred to by some as the penultimate episode) and I even admit to liking it. I rank it high on the list but I feel WAR GAMES is better for very personal reasons.

I am somewhat surprised that BRIAN THE BRAIN is number 1 on the worst list. I think its rather silly myself but I rather take the annoying robot anyday over Ms. Teenage Crush Bad Actress Visited by Outer Space Version of Mr. Clean in a Swimsuit! I am also very surprised at how many do not like MISSING LINK. I rather like that episode and do not find it inconherent as some has said. Its not top 5 material but I definitely would not place it so low. However, likes and dislikes are a personal matter.

Finally, Ellen. We have Avon here in Canada too and coincidentally the latest catalogue is here in the apartment. I'll have to find that 1999 jewellery. Not that I am going to wear it mind you.

Gotta get ready for work now so will sign off. Have a good day and remember its only 24 more days until 1999!

David 



From:  "Petter Ogland" (petter.ogland@dnmi44.no)
Date:  Tue, 8 Dec 1998 11:54:34 +0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: ExE Best/Worst conclusions (2 of 2)

Paulo Pereira wrote:

First surprise: The winner. Not even on my wildest dreams I had suspected that Dragon's Domain would be a winner and with such an advantadge. I always thought that the winner would come out of the Breakaway/Black Sun/War Games trio. This 3 episodes are always talked and quoted on this list and I seldom see a reference to DD.

Very well put, Paulo, I totally agree. To me BREAKAWAY, BLACK SUN and WAR GAMES are much more representative episodes of what SPACE:1999 was all about than DRAGON'S DOMAIN. RING AROUND THE MOON and MISSING LINK may be episodes that remind me of what I would really like the series to be more like, but, on the whole, BREAKAWAY, BLACK SUN and WAR GAMES are episodes that give a good picture of SPACE:1999 at its best, I agree.

Besides Dragon's Domain is not an episode with much ground for speculation or intellectualization like those 3 or some others that I'm not talking in here. It's much more an episode that stands on it's own by having good special and sound effects, along with an outstanding story and narrative structure.

While not as impressed as you, I believe, in regards of story and narrative structure, I agree on the episode being outstanding in the case of special effects and sound. Elements of this episode trancends our expectations of made-for-TV science fiction by far, I believe, in many ways a strong link between films like 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968) and ALIEN (1979).

I might be suspect because it's also my all time favorite, but I cannot see any more reason why it has beat the rest. And like I said when I've voted for it, it's more strange because the story is not using a main character as the center of the episode.

Of course, the voting isn't over yet, and I see there are votes for BREAKAWAY and BLACK SUN coming in. Nevertheless, while I understand that many were scared or impressed when seing this episode in 1975 or there about, I'm still surprised that they still think of it as the definitive highlight of the series, not at all representative for the SPACE:1999 output in general I would say.

Second surprise: So many episodes had received votes for the best. What does this mean? I'm not sure but I have my own theory.

The disperson in the statistics may also have to do that we all gave Mateo our identifications of best and worst episodes. I believe that if we had given him lists of five best and five worst or ten best and ten worst, the distribution would have occured less uniform.

Even though it is surprising that neither of the "typical" SPACE:1999 episodes such as BREAKAWAY, BLACK SUN or WAR GAMES are winners, they are nevertheless all represented, and quite a few of us would place these episodes on our top five or top ten lists anyway.

In fact, if the statistical experiment was conducted in this manner I'm not all that certain that DRAGON'S DOMAIN would have been the winner. I would be very surprised if not more people found BLACK SUN among their top five favourites than DRAGON'S DOMAIN, although DRAGON'S DOMAIN would get a fairly high score anyway.

This reminds those music CD's that we buy because they have one very good song that is always being played on the radio, but when we listen to the whole album we find out that the rest of the songs are crap and the album is a rip-off. If S1999 was this kind of music only one or two songs (episodes) were good and the rest was there just to fill the album (season).

By having presented so many episodes on the best list people are saying that is hard to choose just one because we have so many episodes that are good. What more proofs do we need to say that S1999 is still a good SF series?

I like the analogy and I like the conclusion. If everybody felt the same about everything there wouldn't be much of a discussion, would there? I've noticed myself in my discussions with Mark, for instance, that even if we have diametrically different opinions on RING AROUND THE MOON and MISSING LINK, we often seem to think more in parallell with episodes like BREAKAWAY, BLACK SUN and WAR GAMES.

I guess people didn't like the emotive computer and how the story is handled. If instead of a machine we had an alien (a devilish one like Balor in End of Eternity) or perhaps by some means a living member of the crew doing that kind of blackmail or displaying such an array of emotions, the story would not be so puny and more easy to swallow. As it is it's an insult to the intelligence and to anything that stands as good taste.

Apparently this is how very many feel. Personally I felt THE RULES OF LUTON was a greater insult on the intelligence, but, nevertheless, very few people have a great many positive things to say about BRIAN THE BRAIN. Personally I feel it is an average quality episode, not particulary worse than the general Y2 output, but not particulary better either.

The scenario with a computer going out of control because of emotional disturbances is a very interesting one, I think. It is one of the vital issues in Kubrick's 2001 and an idea discussed much by artifical researches at MIT and other places, Marvin Minsky having written a seminal research paper called something like "Why computers must have emotions"years ago.

I guess it's more easy to point a worst because there are not much crap episodes in S1999. On the other way the Best top 3 only represents 40 % of votes.

An episode being voted "worst" does not necessarily mean that it is uninteresting. Personally choosing RULES OF LUTON to be the most hopeless in the SPACE:1999 string of episodes, I still think there are much to be discussed about this episode, perhaps more so than with episodes like THE LAMBDA FACTOR which I find okay but not very interesting, at least not as interesting as THE RULES OF LUTON as the latter seems to me to be a vital clue in understanding Freiberger and much of what Y2 was all about.

There are some odd things in here; several episodes had received votes for BOTH the best and worst. Those are The Troubled Spirit, Missing Link and Ring Around the Moon. I'll leave this comment to somebody else.

I'm happy that MISSING LINK and RING AROUND THE MOON were joined by THE TROUBLED SPIRIT in this strange category. Personally I prefer to interpret this as is often the case with avant-gard art. While some thought that Picasso or Matisse was absolutely rubbish when they were at their hight of career, others found profound art. History labeled them as two of the greatest artists of our century, however, and I assume a similar understaning of RING AROUND THE MOON and MISSING LINK will also appear in due time among SPACE:1999 enthusiasts.

Now I'm going to be nasty; I think if it wasn't for Petter always talking about it people would hardly remember RATM. As I see it it's an unconsciente payback for having to read about RATM every three or four mails. Perhaps I'm being unfair to Petter or to the ones that truly don't like Ring for objective reasons, but I really have this felling.

You know, Paulo, when SPACE:1999 was history in Norway, among the different pictures and sounds I remembered the most fondly from the series was Helena punching on the keyboard in RING AROUND THE MOON, and I also remember my tremenduos excitment about the episode from 1975 when I was about 9 years old. It certainly made an impression on me, and, more than this, it still does. In fact, in my opinion RING AROUND THE MOON is probably the episode that has survived in best condition during all these years, an episode structured in a manner which makes it very propriate for repeated watching without meaning or suspence eroding away.

I can't see any objective reasons for not liking this, although there are of course many subjective ones. As pointed out by Simon Morris when quoting one of the writers to SPACE:1999, what some in one part of the world find to be high art and philosophy, others, in other parts of the world, find putting them to sleep. I'm not sure that we have to go to different parts of the world either, really, although there may be a cultural thing involved here, but the main impression, however, to me at least, seem to be that there are differences in taste. Some like to spend a day at Disneyland, others prefer the Louvre. Some like hockey, some like ballet.

I'll end as I've started. This is my personal analysis of the results and since so few of us had responded to Mateo's pool we cannot say this votation represents the tastes of people in here or the rest of S1999 viewers. But it has cast some light into what it was just plain darkeness. I hope you had enjoyed it.

Marvellous analysis, Paulo. One generates a poll, another interperates the statistcs. This is the spirit of this group, I think. Quite magnificent. It must be one of the finest lists on the net.

Petter 



From:  Petter Ogland (petter.ogland@dnmi44.no)
Date:  Tue, 8 Dec 1998 13:01:32 +0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: For Discussion/Miscellaneous

David Acheson wrote:

I am glad the best/worst list is turning out the way it is. The wide variety of best and worst reflects a rather diverse group of fans who all love the series but for different reasons. I am so far the only one voting for WAR GAMES for best but am not crying over it. I am NOT surprised DRAGON'S DOMAIN is ahead of the others. That episode is constantly pushed around here by many (referred to by some as the penultimate episode) and I even admit to liking it. I rank it high on the list but I feel WAR GAMES is better for very personal reasons.

I feel much the same way here, David, finding WAR GAMES a better episode by far, although DRAGON'S DOMAIN has it's moments too. As Paulo pointed out, quite interestingly, in DRAGON'S DOMAIN, unlike WAR GAMES, BLACK SUN and BREAKAWAY, there appears to be very little of psychological or philosophical interest, and like, say, THE TROUBLED SPIRIT, it does not use the regular cast in much of a way to tell the story. Perhaps even contrasting such episodes as THE TROUBLED SPIRIT, the less we see of John, Helena and Victor in DRAGON'S DOMAIN the better it appears as they are clearly all out of form.

On the positive side, however, DRAGON'S DOMAIN has amazing special effects, and the story of Tony Cellini and his crew is handled extraordinary well by Charles Crichton, I feel, in fact some of his best work on the series, I think, as he apparently works better dealing with technical issues than with people, contrary to, say, Ray Austin.

I am somewhat surprised that BRIAN THE BRAIN is number 1 on the worst list. I think its rather silly myself but I rather take the annoying robot anyday over Ms. Teenage Crush Bad Actress Visited by Outer Space Version of Mr. Clean in a Swimsuit! I am also very surprised at how many do not like MISSING LINK. I rather like that episode and do not find it inconherent as some has said. Its not top 5 material but I definitely would not place it so low. However, likes and dislikes are a personal matter.

BRIAN THE BRAIN is an average episode in my opinion, and MISSING LINK is rather good. I really can't see why they are represented on the bottom five list. A MATTER OF BALANCE and THE RULES OF LUTON are rather hopless, rather, so I was not surprised by seeing them there.

Petter 



From:  "Atomic Possum" (atomicpossum@planetstl44.com)
Date:  Tue, 8 Dec 1998 08:18:09 -0600
Subj:  Re: Space1999: Re: 1999 ... Best & Worst

Best and worst, huh? Best and worst......

<<Prepare for long-winded, inconclusive ramble>>

You know, I have a difficult time singling out episodes--largely, I've just been looking at the series as a whole....But now that I think about it, many of the episodes others have picked I wouldn't, and I have to ask myself, what are they looking for that I don't?

For instance, I'm not especially thrilled by DRAGON'S DOMAIN. It IS a spectacular story, and very different to the series, certainly, being told so much in flashback and about a non-main character, but the ending kind of misses with me--there's no real resolution. Cellini faces the monster and comes out extra crispy....then Koenig whacks it a time or two, it dies. I keep wanting someone to say something that will make it click, and the "St. George and the Dragon" bit doesn't do it....Perhaps a little more emphasis on Cellini facing his fears would help, but he seems almost consumed and eager to go face it, so where's the triumph?

I'm not especially thrilled by THE METAMORPH, either. I've said before that I find Mentor to be rather flat, that the ending is rather abrupt and mechanical. Other people disagree; Robert Ruiz even insisted that the deeper sides to Mentor were in the episode, and I watched it, but I still don't see it. I suspect Robert is doing what a particular other person is doing with a different episode--bringing a lot to the episode themselves by unpacking their own baggage.

I think what I'm looking for is a reasonable plot brought together in a tight, developed resolution. When I write, or watch dramatic presentations, I like the story to have what I call an 'emotional pivot.' Simply, this is a moment whan a character or characters undergo an emotional change that separates the rising action of a story from the falling action. It can be a change in perception, a change of will, or a realization, any internal event that changes the direction of the story to the resolution.

I want that emotional content so that we actually see the characters functioning in and as the plot, and so the conclusion of the plot is not simply a mechanical "they explode," or "they lose" or "they escape." (This is one reason I'm surprised that more people don't like ONE MOMENT OF HUMANITY a bit more--if you ignore the dancing/music, that is. Once the androids learn how to kill, they have to face the dilemma of 'should I?' Nice touch, if you look at it this way...)

There aren't a many episodes of 1999 that I actively DISLIKE, but there are ones that I find more rewarding than others, and if I'm actually looking at things as I've outlined above, I think I can make a few choices:

BEST EPISODES:

THE INFERNAL MACHINE-- This one seems to be a popular episode, yet I don't think it's been shown on many 'best' lists. Why one of my favorites? Good character conflict, wonderful performances, menace, excitement, and an emotionally-based ending.

This story is one about hubris, about Gwent's mistaken existance and his loss of his humanity...Gwent realizes that he exists simply as a glory to himself, that he has become bloated and obscene...too powerful to be so vain, disrespectful of other beings, and pursuing a purposeless existance, he commits the final act of self-destruction.

[Editor's Note: Triggers a thread specifically about "The Infernal Machine"]

COLLISION COURSE-- One of the finest examples of the 'emotional pivot' in the series. The conflict between the starry-eyed Koenig and the mundane Alphans builds along with the desperate physical situation until Koenig, himself, doubts. His "How could she lie to ME?" lines are particularly interesting, since everybody (not just him) is going to pay the price. That moment of anuish hangs in the air, draws tight, then stops, when the planet disappears.

Honorable Mentions:

  1. THE LAST ENEMY--Koenig changes from helpless victim to ruthless peacemaker.
  2. ONE MOMENT OF HUMANITY (see above)
  3. THE LAST SUNSET-- We find the aliens are not benevolent gods, after all, but fearful and distrusting.
  4. VOYAGER'S RETURN-- self-sacrifice...Queller stops protecting his own butt and puts it on the line...

WORST EPISODES:

FULL CIRCLE-- This, of all episodes, is probably the one I watch the least. (I even watch THE BETA CLOUD repeatedly, much like sticking your tongue on a sore tooth--it's that odd, tantalizing pain. That, and I'm trying to figure out what Dave Prowse says...) Why? Long stretches with no dialogue whatsoever, a lot of running about and watching cavemen doing cavey things, and an ending that just kind of flops there like a gutted fish. Although not achingly, outright BAD, it is an epsiode that just isn't very interesting to watch.

SPACE WARP-- A completely depthless episode. No one is really thinking anything, they are simply trying to overcome the obstacles of the moment until it's time to roll end credits.

I dunno. Take all this for what its worth, but it is at least some of the prism through which I view these things....

Jon "Mr. Wonderful" Stadter 



From:  "Petter Ogland" (petter.ogland@dnmi44.no)
Date:  Tue, 8 Dec 1998 15:40:09 +0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: Re: 1999 ... Best & Worst

Jon wrote:

THE INFERNAL MACHINE-- This one seems to be a popular episode, yet I don't think it's been shown on many 'best' lists. Why one of my favorites? Good character conflict, wonderful performances, menace, excitement, and an emotionally-based ending.

This story is one about hubris, about Gwent's mistaken existance and his loss of his humanity...Gwent realizes that he exists simply as a glory to himself, that he has become bloated and obscene...too powerful to be so vain, disrespectful of other beings, and pursuing a purposeless existance, he commits the final act of self-destruction.

I must say that this, an the introduction on 'emotional pivot' is some of the most interesting points of view I've read recently. I find the pin-pointing of qualities of THE INFERNAL MACHINE especially interseting as this is an episode I have great difficulty in seing much point in myself, but, nevertheless, totally fascinating to hear someone talk about it who has obviously caught the general idea.

The critera that Jon put forwards are excellent, I think; character conflict, performance, menace, excitement and emotion. To me, however, this is a good description of RING AROUND THE MOON, for instance, but in general terms, not a good description of THE INFERNAL MACHINE.

For instance, the only good performance in that episode, from my point of view, is the figure of companion and Gwent. The regular cast seem to be totally fed up by anything that has to do with SPACE:1999 and are only delivering their lines by routine, it seems to me. Mind you, Leo McKern as Gwent/Companion is very good, I agree on that.

Well, I shall not argue on whether THE INFERNAL MACHINE is a good episode or not, to Jon and many others it is. It is rather different from episodes like BREAKAWAY, BLACK SUN and WAR GAMES, I think, not to mention RING AROUND THE MOON, although there are some parallells to RING AROUND THE MOON in that in both episodes the Alphans are captivated by a machine who suffers an existensial dilemma and finally destructs itself.

One major difference, perhaps, between THE INFERNAL MACHINE and RING AROUND THE MOON is that while the latter is about knowledge and understanding, the terpiloff episodes, both INFERNAL MACHINE and DEATH'S OTHER DOMINION are about scientific hubris versus humanity. While Terpiloff has a moral, scientific hubris is bad, humanity is good, there is nothing similar in RING AROUND THE MOON. Di Lorenzo, on the contrary, ends his episode by having Bergman contradict everything he usually stands for, by questioning whether it is really true, what all scientists believe, that knowledge is the answer after all. Neither di Lorenzo nor Austin seem to answer this question, but uses it as a premise in their next joint entry, MISSING LINK.

In other words, what is intruiging with RING AROUND THE MOON, the existensial question of what life really is and having this question mirrored both by the Tritons and the Alphans, is in THE INFERNAL MACHINE and DEATH'S OTHER DOMINION made as an external conflict between the bad guys of science and the good guys of humanity.

As Jon also stated, I would not say that these are decidedly BAD episodes, not at least bad in the sense that Jon describes SPACE WARP, but they are simplistic, and in my opinion rather go around the problem than trying to solve it.

COLLISION COURSE-- One of the finest examples of the 'emotional pivot' in the series. The conflict between the starry-eyed Koenig and the mundane Alphans builds along with the desperate physical situation until Koenig, himself, doubts. His "How could she lie to ME?" lines are particularly interesting, since everybody (not just him) is going to pay the price. That moment of anuish hangs in the air, draws tight, then stops, when the planet disappears.

Personally I think COLLISION COURSE is a better episode than THE INFERNAL MACHINE, and the reason for this is some of the things that Jon point out above. In contrast to THE INFERNAL MACHINE, I think that COLLISION COURSE is marked by some very fine performances, interesting character conflict, menace, excitement and so on. This, in my opinion however, has much more to do with how the episode is directed than with how it is written.

Very much in the same lines as with ALL THAT GLISTERS, Austin's last effort as a director for SPACE:1999, the episode is saved on the style factor when the story is actually quite poor. Well, poor and poor dempends on what you are looking for, but in intellectual content there is not very much here, I feel, just like in ALL THAT GLISTERS, although, of course, neither of them are completely void in this respect either.

The strong point of COLLISION COURSE is exactly the things Jon points out, I think, we get a very good understanding of what kind of a person John Koenig is, what kind of questions he pose to himself when at lone, his sometimes egotistical lines of thought, and although Terpiloff did not write as extensively for SPACE:1999 as Byrne and Penfold did, the John Koenig of this episode fits completely with the general image of the commander, I feel, even adding bits to his personality which are beautifully assimlated by Martin Landau.

Much similar to how Koenig is handled, the episode does wonder to Helena, Victor and Alan too, I think. The Helena we meet in this episode for instance is absolutely coherent with BREAKAWAY, BLACK SUN, MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH and RING AROUND THE MOON, I feel, the inital four episodes that really defined her character. Just like with John Koenig, however, the way we see Helena respond to various situations here, discussing issues with Victor, disbelieving John's abilities to run Alpha and her final trust in him at the very end, are all eloborations on her character and really does wonders to the charcter.

Excactly the same is true about Barry Morse as Victor and Nick Tate as Alan, Tate giving one of his best performances of the series in my opinion, although he did quite remarkably well in ALPHA CHILD too, playing out other sides to his character.

Honorable Mentions:
  1. THE LAST ENEMY--Koenig changes from helpless victim to ruthless peacemaker.
  2. ONE MOMENT OF HUMANITY (see above)
  3. THE LAST SUNSET-- We find the aliens are not benevolent gods, after all, but fearful and distrusting.
  4. VOYAGER'S RETURN-- self-sacrifice...Queller stops protecting his own butt and puts it on the line...

Personally I think the latter two are the best of this lot, but looking for the things that Jon is pointing out, certainly these things can be found in THE LAST ENEMY and ONE MOMENT OF HUMANITY too, although nowhere are they as present as in RING AROUND THE MOON and MISSING LINK, I would say, although I doubt Jon trembles with joy hearing that once again.

WORST EPISODES:

FULL CIRCLE-- This, of all episodes, is probably the one I watch the least. [....]

SPACE WARP-- A completely depthless episode. No one is really thinking anything, they are simply trying to overcome the obstacles of the moment until it's time to roll end credits.

Yes, okay to pick a worst from each season, I suppose, and perhaps somewhat insightful as the seasons differ so greatly. I agree with FULL CIRCLE being the least enjoyable of Y1. There are a few scenes that are fun, I think, such as seing Zienia Merton running around in the woods, but nothing of real substance, really. The script was designed long before production of the series, and had to be extensively rewritten by Kellett who also directed the episode along with writing and directong THE LAST ENEMY.

SPACE WARP is Freiberger running out of ideas, I feel, thinking that Jon's description on what he sees going on must be very, very close to the truth. Personally I find it slightly better than THE RULES OF LUTON, however, as it is, in my opinion, better produced although the script is worse. As all the Woodgrove scripts are more or less completely void of content the best way to differ between the episodes would be to argue on how they are directed. THE RULES OF LUTON is throughly boring, I think, even on initial viewing and nice locations, SPACE WARP has nice sets and some dramatic special effects but nothing else in my opinion.

I dunno. Take all this for what its worth, but it is at least some of the prism through which I view these things....

Thanks for the analysis, Jon. Great fun to read.

Petter 



From:  William Norman Grigg (WNG@jbs44.org)
Date:  Tue, 08 Dec 1998 11:35:40 -0600
Subj:  Space1999: Best and Worst episodes

Hello -- I'm new here, having recently renewed my enthusiam for S9 by checking out "Voyager's Return" from the local library. (And, yes, I did catch the water dripping from the rocket nozzle -- in fact, I rewound the tape to make sure of what I saw.) Here are my votes for favorite and least favorite episodes:

Favorite: It's a tough call, but put me down for "Black Sun." I'll elaborate momentarily.

Least Favorite: "Mission of the Darians." I've never liked the "Orphans of the Sky" premise in any format, and this treatment was particularly unappetizing for some reason.

Additionally, the local NBC affiliate that ran S9 in the mid-1970s (KTVB in Boise, ID) ran this particular episode at least four times. My math teacher, whom I was evangelizing on behalf of the show, was *very* unimpressed with this offering, and -- for some inscrutable reason -- every time he decided to sample the show anew he kept stumbling upon this particular episode!

"Black Sun" left me breathless as a 12-year-old. It was shown in our market immediately after "Breakaway" (a *very* close second on my list), and this arrangement seemed entirely logical to me: After all, if the orphaned Moon was somehow drawn into a black hole, the subsequent voyage has some dramtically serviceable near-plausibility. But leaving aside technical questions, the concept itself is what I found intriguing. Since the age of 5 or 6 I'd read every book I could about space travel and astronomy, and by 6th grade I was sufficiently conversant with the subjects to develop an absolute fascination with the concept of black holes; I was probably the only 11-year-old who could explain what was meant by the terms "Event Horizon" and "Schwartzchild Radius" -- not that I could do so now, of course! ;-)

When I saw the title of the episode, my reaction was, "Wow! A science fiction show that actually deals with black holes! Cool!" (Or similarly uninspired words to that effect.) The execution of the episode was very slick, and the depiction of the "black sun" itself (a far more evocative term than "black hole," I think) was utterly eerie and compelling. I'd read a few books speculating that Sol has an unseen companion -- a "Nemesis," as it were -- and it really tickled my sense of wonder that the Alphans were actually encountering it on the way to ... who knows where? The metaphysical elements of the story were a very nice dessert after a meal like that.

FWIW.

Will 



From:  Paulo Pereira (starblade@technologist44.com)
Date:  Tue, 08 Dec 1998 21:22:41 -0800
Subj:  Space1999: Devil's Planet

Petter wrote:

even more of Just Jacklin, a more hard-core approach would defintely have suited DEVIL'S PLANET, I think.

... "A more hard-core" ?? By hard-core you mean Elizia banging Koenig with the whip ?? :-) And "do it" with him too ?? :-D Yes, I agree with that because as it is the episode is more soft-core than hard-core. :-)

I vote for that! Hell, if you throw some handcuffs and the leather pants, that would get MY vote for the best episode. And don't forget to add the "porno-disco" music that people were talking about some days ago ;-) eheheheh

Paulo Pereira 



From:  John W (woojo_@hotmail44.com)
Date:  Tue, 08 Dec 1998 16:15:06 PST
Subj:  Space1999: hi/ExE addiction

Hello to all the lunatics on the list.

Ive just been remembering 1999 with the series on BBC2 again and pleasantly surprised to find so much material on the net. And of such high quality. (Apart from the one page site which says Koenig was played by Walter Matthau. I didnt think Koenig got quite that grouchy).

I have been following the series using the episode by episode archive in Metathreads. This is really excellent- new perspectives and debate, very different conceptions of the strengths of particular episodes. So thanks to Mateo for starting it all, David Welle for archiving them and all those who made contributions. It is really appreciated. The evangelism in some has even made me look again at some episodes that left me cold previously- RING AROUND THE MOON being one- I wonder whose influence that might have been????? (Dont think we need to call Mulder and Scully in for that one).

The only thing is, we are now up to INFERNAL MACHINE in the running order and the archive only goes up to Full Circle. (Though I can access up to Space Brian) It would be great to be able to follow all of series 1 through with your collected wit and wisdom. (The spats are rather good too). 1999 with no ExE is like a walk in the park with no trees: you miss some great views. (Though too many trees and you cannot see a damn thing, so maybe its not such a good metaphor).

byeeeee

john 



From:  David Welle (dwelle@itol44.com)
Date:  Tue, 08 Dec 1998 19:21:42 -0600
Subj:  Re: Space1999: hi/ExE addiction

At 04:15 PM 12/08/98 PST, John W wrote:

The only thing is, we are now up to INFERNAL MACHINE in the running order and the archive only goes up to Full Circle. (Though I can access up to Space Brian) It would be great to be able to follow all of series 1 through with your collected wit and wisdom. (The spats are rather good too). 1999 with no ExE is like a walk in the park with no trees: you miss some great views. (Though too many trees and you cannot see a damn thing, so maybe its not such a good metaphor).

John,

Uh, that's my fault. Between work, and taking time to contribute to some of the episode discussion, I'm way behind on archiving the ExE metathread, so the "newest" thread in the ExE Archive section is about six months old, I'm afraid.

Recently, though, I've busily "distilling" threads, however, and have just finished the rest of Y1 episodes, which I should be able to post sometime tonight. In retrospect, I suppose I should have put up some warning in the archive that it was not necessarily up-to-date.

Interesting statistic. The Y1 archive -- all 24 files of it -- amasses an incredible 1.35 Megabytes. If I had to guess, that would be about 350-500 pages of printed material. Y2, once I finally archive it, will probably add just as much. We've been busy this last year!

----
David Welle 



From:  Jeff Doyle (jeffd@tranquility44.net)
Date:  Tue, 8 Dec 1998 23:17:13 -0600
Subj:  Re: Space1999: ExE Best/Worst voting

The Best: War Games - This episode had it all, including the best explosion I've seen anywhere (i.e. the "bomber" being destroyed by Alan - that scene was gripping).

Runners up: Dragon's Domain, Black Sun and (don't laugh too much) Bringers of Wonder and Immunity Syndrome.

The Worst: Catacombs of the Moon - Silly, and pointless; filled with weird visual sequences and faith healing mumbo jumbo.

Runners up: The Exiles, All that Glisters, Devil's Planet (or Moon) and (I'm serious) A Matter of Life and Death.

I know that may be going out on a limb, but I never did like this one. Didn't buy the relationship between Helena and Lee; the planet, with its parrots was ridiculous; everybody dies and is resurrected near the end. What foolishness!

Jeff Doyle 



From:  actingman@iname44.com
Date:  Tue, 08 Dec 1998 01:18:55 -0500
Subj:  Best/Worst

I find it difficult to narrow my choices to one each. For worst I wrote down three: RIng Around The Moon, Force Of Life and All That Glisters. Before we did the ExE I would have automatically said RATM. But Having carefully watched FOL, I have come to detest it, because of all the stupid things that happen throughout the episode, that I detailed in my review of it way back when. ATG is just a waste of time. I don't understand why so many people hate A Matter of Balance, unless it's because of Shermeen. That's like hating Next Generation because of Wesley (of course on second thought, maybe I do understand it.) I have no problem with Brian The Brain...it's a lite comedy and no one's blowing up the pretty little buildings on the moon. I have seen (and have been involved in) far worse, and far lamer. Also, I do not have a problem with the Freddie scripts, because he manages to put something in them to redeem them (as evidenced by the fact they each generated more discussion then some of the "favorite" episodes...and not just extra criticism.)

For best I wrote down five: Breakaway, Black Sun, Journey To Where, Devil's Planet, and Immunity Syndrome. I could have easily written down more. There are quite a few episodes in both seasons that work. There were others that are my favorites, but that have some flaws to them (One Moment Of Humanity can't be named because of the dance/rape which doesn't work...but that episode is still one of my favorites.) Breakaway is a first episode that is in full progress...you don't have to explain it away as "well they weren't up to speed." Black Sun works with the 2001 kind of feeling. I can't explain Journey To Where, except it is one of my top favorites...maybe I don't need an explanation. Devil's Planet was a good merger of year one British actors standing and talking philosophical viewpoints with some year two pace and running. Immunity Syndrome had different elements throughout the episode, and they all balanced, as well as other crew people present and actually doing something and speaking lines. Also, those on the ground watching gave a chilling reminder as to the real seriousness of a crashig ship.

If I have to narrow down to one each, then worst goes to RATM, although FOL is a close second...although each of them are the worst, but for different reasons. FOL is still watchable...RATM is just forgettable. Every time I watch it, it's like watching a brand new episode...because I just don't remember a damn thing that happens in it.

Best is a lot harder. I'm going to give it to Journey To Where...simply because it is one of my favorites, it involves time travel, and it forced me to look up the battle of Banichoweveryouspellit. (It wasn't James Cameron that started my interest in Titanic, it was as a six year old in September, 1966 watching the first episode of Time Tunnel.) But as I stated above, each of the episodes I named could have been the one. I would actually like to make it a five way tie...but what are you going to do. Actually, none of the 48 got to me like The Inner Light on Next Generation or The Visitor on DS9...probably cause I haven't had a chance to watch the third, fourth and fifth seasons of Space:1999 yet.

the former jcg@vh.net 



From:  "Petter Ogland" (petter.ogland@dnmi44.no)
Date:  Wed, 9 Dec 1998 15:17:19 +0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: Best/Worst [FWD]

Interesting points from J.C. here:

I find it difficult to narrow my choices to one each. For worst I wrote down three: RIng Around The Moon, Force Of Life and All That Glisters. Before we did the ExE I would have automatically said RATM. But Having carefully watched FOL, I have come to detest it, because of all the stupid things that happen throughout the episode, that I detailed in my review of it way back when. ATG is just a waste of time.

Interesting match, RING AROUND THE MOON, FORCE OF LIFE and ALL THAT GLISTERS here, I think. Personally I rather tend to like these episodes, feeling RING AROUND THE MOON was the closest thing to art that SPACE:1999 ever got and ALL THAT GLISTERS the Y2 episodes that remind me most of RING AROUND THE MOON and therefore a very interesting one.

With FORCE OF LIFE, I'm not all that sure what Johnny Byrne is trying to say, but the evolution, the force of life, as a metaphore for the energy junkie is interesting. What Byrne is suggesting, I suppose, is that no matter of much we care to belige in personal freedom, from a certain perspective life is rather deterministic. This is a type of philosophy that goes nicely along with Penfold's "the human race is a virus" type of thoughts, and at it's very best FORCE OF LIFE is even reminicent of RING AROUND THE MOON, I think, in the way Zoref turns into a zombie much like Helena does when she is activated. Says quite a lot about life, now, doesn't it? Definitely Byrne in a provokative mood.

I don't understand why so many people hate A Matter of Balance, unless it's because of Shermeen. That's like hating Next Generation because of Wesley (of course on second thought, maybe I do understand it.)

There may be different reasons for disliking A MATTER OF BALANCE. Personally I have some difficulty getting the deeper content that the Bakers may have been wanting to push ahead, it is obviously a much more substansful episode that, say, RULES OF LUTON, but, on the other hand, it doesn't really work for me on an emotional level, so I don't want to get all worked up about it. Emma's parody of it in the Barbara Cartland style was hilarious, though, I feel that pretty much said it all.

I have no problem with Brian The Brain...it's a lite comedy and no one's blowing up the pretty little buildings on the moon. I have seen (and have been involved in) far worse, and far lamer.

There were three comedy scripts, I feel, that are somewhat related in style during the first half of Y2, THE TAYBOR, BRIAN THE BRAIN and NEW ADAM/NEW EVE. Personally I found NEW ADAM/NEW EVE to be the most sophisticated one, and the one that worked the best for me. The comments on social economy discussed in THE TAYBOR and references to artificial intelligence in BRIAN THE BRAIN are all nice and jolly, but I do not feel that the ideas are elaborated on enough in order to make them sufficiently satisfiable for repeated watching.

Also, I do not have a problem with the Freddie scripts, because he manages to put something in them to redeem them (as evidenced by the fact they each generated more discussion then some of the "favorite" episodes...and not just extra criticism.)

The Freddie scripts are interesting as Freddie scripts, I think, and as an indicator of how the show was developing. They are all more or less completely empty of content, I feel, but how the different characters are treated, Maya in particular, seem to indicate the state the show was in during these samplings during the course.

For best I wrote down five: Breakaway, Black Sun, Journey To Where, Devil's Planet, and Immunity Syndrome. I could have easily written down more. There are quite a few episodes in both seasons that work. There were others that are my favorites, but that have some flaws to them (One Moment Of Humanity can't be named because of the dance/rape which doesn't work...but that episode is still one of my favorites.) Breakaway is a first episode that is in full progress...you don't have to explain it away as "well they weren't up to speed." Black Sun works with the 2001 kind of feeling.

Both BREAKAWAY and BLACK SUN are magnificent examples of the 2001 heritage of SPACE:1999, I think, spectacular both in terms of acting and special effects to an extent that had never been assosiated with TV science fiction before, I believe. These two was also the ones that Martin Landau mentioned as his favourites the other year, and I think they stand out quite well as examples of what SPACE:1999 was all about, why it was such a great success and probably the best introduction to the series.

I can't explain Journey To Where, except it is one of my top favorites...maybe I don't need an explanation. Devil's Planet was a good merger of year one British actors standing and talking philosophical viewpoints with some year two pace and running. Immunity Syndrome had different elements throughout the episode, and they all balanced, as well as other crew people present and actually doing something and speaking lines. Also, those on the ground watching gave a chilling reminder as to the real seriousness of a crashig ship.

The points about DEVIL'S PLANET I find particularily fascinating. This one also ranks highly on my list of Y2 favourites, and, as J.C. points out, there is a certain Y1 flavour to it, I would definitely agree on that. Unfortunately the direction is not as good as on, say, ALL THAT GLISTERS, and it suffers somewhat from that. Had it been directed by Austin, though, it could have been a very interesting episode indeed.

JOURNEY TO WHERE has some inspired moments as well, I agree. Personally I'm rather fond of Freddie Jones rather elabrate portrayal of a mysterious scientist. I remember Mateo had some very interesting thoughts on that when we discussed the episode. For me JOURNEY TO WHERE is more or less Freddie Jones and the Texas City interiors and model work.

In conern of IMMUNITY SYNDROM, I think this was the best Johnny Byrne contribution this season. Both THE METAMORPH and THE IMMUNITY SYNDROM changed dramatically from their early Y1 type drafts, but the latter is the one that in my opinion is the best balance of Johnny Byrne thoughtfulness and Freiberger action.

If I have to narrow down to one each, then worst goes to RATM, although FOL is a close second...although each of them are the worst, but for different reasons. FOL is still watchable...RATM is just forgettable. Every time I watch it, it's like watching a brand new episode...because I just don't remember a damn thing that happens in it.

Personally I think the latter characteristic is a rather good one, and I remember the same experience when watching the episode for the first ten or fifteen times, not too unsimilar to MISSING LINK. Although most everything in RING AROUND THE MOON seem to be made deliberately to confuse the viewer in order to get into the state of the characters on the screen, there is, nevertheless, much structure embedded in it.

My favourite moment, however, is the repeated sequences where we see Helena punching wildly on the keyboard on the wall. These scenes are quite remarkably well made, I think, as Victor pops up behind her, watching the seremony with a thoughful expression in his face. Quite magnificent, really.

Best is a lot harder. I'm going to give it to Journey To Where...simply because it is one of my favorites, it involves time travel, and it forced me to look up the battle of Banichoweveryouspellit. (It wasn't James Cameron that started my interest in Titanic, it was as a six year old in September, 1966 watching the first episode of Time Tunnel.) But as I stated above, each of the episodes I named could have been the one. I would actually like to make it a five way tie...

Wonderful comments, a joy to read.

Petter 



From:  TERALISHA@aol44.com
Date:  Wed, 9 Dec 1998 12:03:57 EST
Subj:  Space1999: RE:  99 Yr2,

Good day fellow Alphans! :)

Was written earlier:

Actually, none of the 48 got to me like The Inner Light on Next Generation or The Visitor on DS9...probably cause I haven't had a chance to watch the third, fourth and fifth seasons of Space:1999 yet.

Doesn't this make you wonder what the 3rd, 4th, etc. would have brought us?

This is just a tiny list (And done purely for fun and enjoyment purposes only) & I'm sure others could be added. In my extremely humble opinion it took Trek: NG into the 3rd year before they settled in and then, off course, the rest is history. Too bad 99 didn't have the 3rd year to experiment with as well. I think if they could have combined the best of Yr1 & Yr2 we'd have had one he... of show!

I now what kind of developments I'd have been pleased to see on Yr3 - how about the rest of you?

must go now.

Smile everyone :) & have a good day! 



From:  Ariana (ariana@ndirect44.co.uk)
Date:  Wed, 9 Dec 1998 16:53:24 -0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: RE:  another "99" good day!

Just a note:

Apart from THE METAMORPH, there are hardly any episode that goes deeper into the relationship between Maya and Tony than the Woodgrove episodes, I feel. From what I've heard, THE RULES OF LUTON was originally intended to have been a Maya-Tony story as well.

Having only just watched the episode again recently, I was struck by how obvious it was that Tony was the one who was supposed to be with Maya. We even had to put up with Koenig saying: "Oh sure. How about some pheasant under glass, asparagus hollandaise, topped off with chocolate mousse and coffee expresso, mm?" -- huh? I'd say this line was definitely written with Tony's character in mind (it even includes Tony's usual "oh sure"!). Coming from Koenig, this sort of thing made me cringe; had I not known about the last minute change in character distribution, I would quite frankly have said that Koenig was chatting Maya up. *plunk* went the episode to the bottom of my list of Y2 eps.

I think the biggest sin of Freiberger's trilogy is that all three episodes were written or adapted to fill a production gap. IMHO, The Beta Cloud succeeded -- not least because the plot, for what it was worth, held together, and all the characters were properly accounted for; the other two failed miserably, not so much because of the actual script, but because of the hasty way in which the episodes were constructed to meet production needs. So we have Koenig talking like Tony in one episode, and an obvious split cast problem in another.

But enough on this; I have a story to write... and no production constraints to worry about... so no excuses.

Emma

Who no longer qualifies for a Eurostar "youth" fare from today onwards *snif* 



From:  Petter Ogland (petter.ogland@dnmi44.no)
Date:  Wed, 9 Dec 1998 18:18:32 +0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: RE:  another "99" good day!

Ariana wrote:

Having only just watched the episode again recently, I was struck by how obvious it was that Tony was the one who was supposed to be with Maya. We even had to put up with Koenig saying: "Oh sure. How about some pheasant under glass, asparagus hollandaise, topped off with chocolate mousse and coffee expresso, mm?" -- huh? I'd say this line was definitely written with Tony's character in mind (it even includes Tony's usual "oh sure"!). Coming from Koenig, this sort of thing made me cringe; had I not known about the last minute change in character distribution, I would quite frankly have said that Koenig was chatting Maya up. *plunk* went the episode to the bottom of my list of Y2 eps.

Plunk, heh heh. This is also rock bottom of the series the way I see it, although, it does, of course, give hints on what Freiberger actually expected the show to be. If we replace Koenig with Tony it becomes much more like BETA CLOUD, now doesn't it, and it certainly would have opened up for more romance between Maya and Tony. In fact, most of the talk between Koenig and Maya, how he lost his wife and so on, could have easily been put in the mouth of Tony, I believe, perhaps producing a more slightly better story.

Well, I'm not sure that the story would have improved all that much, but then again it does not seem like people like the Woodgrove episodes for their stories, it more like biological experiments, Freiberger putting Maya and Tony in one end of a rat maze and a rubber monster in the other end and the see what happens. Most it's just silly, I suppose, but when Catherine Schell and Tony Anholt really get into their roles, it's rather them we're watching, isn't it, not having very much to do with how the story develops.

I think the biggest sin of Freiberger's trilogy is that all three episodes were written or adapted to fill a production gap. IMHO, The Beta Cloud succeeded -- not least because the plot, for what it was worth, held together, and all the characters were properly accounted for; the other two failed miserably, not so much because of the actual script, but because of the hasty way in which the episodes were constructed to meet production needs. So we have Koenig talking like Tony in one episode, and an obvious split cast problem in another.

More than a sin, I feel that the way the episodes were written is the nature of them, and just like, say a Wagner leitmotif in one of his operas, the Woodgrove trilogy fill in to give some continuety to the series, not really all that much to tell a tale. Perhaps more than in Y1 there is a sense of compactness and development in Y2 due to this fact, I feel, appart from the Woodgrove trilogy, the essence of Y2 really being built up around the initial and terminal Johnny Byrne episodes that show, in a way, the birth and death of Maya, the character that seem to represent Y2 more than anything else.

But enough on this; I have a story to write... and no production constraints to worry about... so no excuses.

Wonderful comments, Emma. Always a joy to read your input.

Petter 



From:  TERALISHA@aol44.com
Date:  Wed, 9 Dec 1998 13:23:38 EST
Subj:  Space1999: RE: 1999 of course

arian wrote:

Having only just watched the episode again recently, I was struck by how obvious it was that Tony was the one who was supposed to be with Maya.

I have the novelization book "Planets of Peril" that included that episode & Yep - it was a Tony & Maya episode there and Yep - I liked that version a little better than what we actually saw on tv. the book hinted that Maya & Tony were um. busy with other things & got in trouble for not contacting the base.

Anyhow my version is an edited sci-fi schlock channel version so that bit about pheasant... i dont't have that part.

All I want for Christmas is all of the 99 episodes uncut,unedited!!!! Please Santa, I've been a good girl!

But enough on this; I have a story to write... and no production constraints to worry about... so no excuses.

As they say: You go girl! Looking forward to reading it!

Who no longer qualifies for a Eurostar "youth" fare from today onwards *snif*

? what is a Eurostar "youth" fare (please educate this American.)

Off I go to Christmas shop a little this afternoon!

Have a good day! 



From:  "Mark Meskin" (plastic.gravity@newrock44.com)
Date:  Wed, 9 Dec 1998 22:57:43 -0600
Subj:  Re: Space1999: Best/Worst [FWD]

But as I stated above, each of the episodes I named could have been the one. I would actually like to make it a five way tie...but what are you going to do. Actually, none of the 48 got to me like The Inner Light on Next Generation or The Visitor on DS9...probably cause I haven't had a chance to watch the third, fourth and fifth seasons of Space:1999 yet. >

Sure would be interesting to know how S1999 would have faired if it had gone that crucial 3rd year. Sadly a return to Y1 was probably out of the question, Y2 had changed the format too much. I don't know if I'd still be a fan....Y1 is a gem to me, even though as an 8year old kid I prefered Y2, Y1 is what stuck with me over the last 25 years. Another series in Y2 format? No thanks. A Y3 patterned off of a mix of Y1 style(Dragons Domain, Black Sun, The Troubled Spirit, etc...)with the Y2 characters might have been interesting.

Yeah, I dig DS9 too. Voyager is still a stinker....they haven't found a voice yet, although the one a few weeks ago(where Kim returns to Voyager 15 years later to prevent it from crashing on the iceplanet)was a touching and enjoyable romp. LeVar Burton seems to have a good handle on the Voyager cast, they should have back more. Did you catch a last season DS9 episode(name also alludes me) that had the crew of the defiant crashed on the surface of a planet populated by the descendants of the crash survivors(wew!)??? The scenes with Kira and Odo on the hill outside the city are some of DS9's best ever. I thought that one was especially touching, and would rank in my book up there with the Inner Light ep of TNG. DS9 has been churning out some good stuff over the years(with the exception of several recent clunkers).

Mark 



From:  "Petter Ogland" (petter.ogland@dnmi44.no)
Date:  Thu, 10 Dec 1998 10:14:10 +0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: Best/Worst [FWD]

Mark wrote:

Sure would be interesting to know how S1999 would have faired if it had gone that crucial 3rd year. Sadly a return to Y1 was probably out of the question, Y2 had changed the format too much. I don't know if I'd still be a fan....Y1 is a gem to me, even though as an 8year old kid I prefered Y2, Y1 is what stuck with me over the last 25 years. Another series in Y2 format? No thanks. A Y3 patterned off of a mix of Y1 style(Dragons Domain, Black Sun, The Troubled Spirit, etc...)with the Y2 characters might have been interesting.

I agree with Mark here. The more I think of it, the representative I find episodes like THE METAMORPH, RULES OF LUTON, BETA CLOUD, SPACE WARP and THE DORCONS both representative and really the backbone of Y2. These were the episodes that put an effort into explaining the central character Maya. It is not episodes that I'm particulary fond of, not much of a fan of Y2 anyway, but if we leave out these episodes much of the structure behind the second season falls apart, I think.

Of course, as Mark points out, this new focus in Y2 makes the series almost unlrelated to the original SPACE:1999, and in many ways it is too. The episodes that remind me the most of Y1 are the early ones in Y2, such as THE EXILES which has much in common with END OF ETERNITY, JOURNEY TO WHERE which has some brilliant characterisations of deep psychological value by Freddie Jones although for most of the rest of the story is slightly reminicent of FULL CIRCLE perhaps and ALL THAT GLISTERS that uses some of the same artistic approach to story telling that they did in MISSING LINK and RING AROUND THE MOON although the plot is bunk.

The comedy episodes THE TAYBOR, BRIAN THE BRAIN and NEW ADAM/NEW EVE are perhaps slightly in dept to THE INFERNAL MACHINE, I feel, but at this stage Y2 was getting more and more and identity of it's own, perhaps much to do with Freiberger putting effort in focusing on his pet character Maya and Catherine Schell putting her heart and soul into it.

The Y3 that Mark dreams should really be a season one and a half, I think, feeling that DRAGON'S DOMAIN perhaps is a good example of this style, Y2 type bad acting, bad the way I see it that is, combinded with state of the art special effects. It is not the SPACE:1999 that I cared all that much about, but it is something between that art of Y1 and the camp of Y2. Quite frankly though, as this one-and-a-half approach would probably fall between two chairs, it was perhaps just as well to jump directly into the world of camp as they did with Y2 as there is seldom all that much to gain from a half-hearted approach. We would probably just end up with the type of space soap-opera that is so typical of the 1980's and 90's anyway. At least Y2 had the ability to generate some interesting discussions on the internet, almost 25 years after it was premiered.

Personally I felt that the original 24 episodes was enough, the next 24 episodes intersting as footnotes to the original series. By having more episodes there would hardly be time to go in depth into each particular installment. In fact, I think one of the problems of today is that there is too much data and too little insight. Much of the fun part about SPACE:1999, the way I see it, is that it is such a treasure of interesting ideas, creating an agora for interesting people to meet and discuss life through the perspective of a really fascinating piece of TV history.

Petter 



From:  "Jeff Doyle" (jeffd@tranquility44.net)
Date:  Thu, 10 Dec 1998 10:24:15 -0600
Subj:  Re: Space1999: Best/Worst [FWD]

> The comedy episodes THE TAYBOR, BRIAN THE BRAIN and NEW ADAM/NEW EVE

I suppose I never considered New Adam/New Eve a comedy ep, although Taybor definately was, and BTB had a tragic comic aspect to it. -Jeff 



From:  Ariana (ariana@ndirect44.co.uk)
Date:  Thu, 10 Dec 1998 09:45:53 -0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: Re: 1999 ... Best & Worst

Petter wrote:

Pointless from beginning to end, and probably only suitable as background noise for washing up.

ROFL! Except that there *was* no noise! <g>

Emma 



From:  Ariana (ariana@ndirect44.co.uk)
Date:  Thu, 10 Dec 1998 10:09:31 -0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: RE:  another "99" good day!

up for more romance between Maya and Tony. In fact, most of the talk between Koenig and Maya, how he lost his wife and so on, could have easily been put in the mouth of Tony, I believe, perhaps producing a more slightly better story.

It would certainly have made the declaration more meaningful; indeed, if Helena had been there, then I would have been more willing to buy Koenig's intimate revelation. It's not really the sort of thing I'd imagine someone weeping about in the company of a mere friend or colleague. In Tony's mouth, it would have given his character some added seriousness that would have benefitted the role in future episodes, as well as setting up a closer intimacy with Maya. Ah well, we can only dream of what might have been.

Talking about revelations at inappropriate moments, I saw a fascinating documentary on TV the other night ("Anatomy of Love" on Channel 4) which showed how romantic love can develop. It showed that people, and in particular young men, are apt to sublimate intense emotions like fear into love when placed in a stressful situation. In the documentary, this was shown by contrasting how young men reacted to a pretty young woman talking to them on a suspended bridge over a high gorge, or on a low, sturdy bridge over a shallow creek. It occurred to me that this would provide one with a perfect psychological explanation for Tony's abrupt declaration in "The Beta Cloud", not to mention his later retraction.

end and the see what happens. Most it's just silly, I suppose, but when Catherine Schell and Tony Anholt really get into their roles, it's rather them we're watching, isn't it, not having very much to do with how the story develops.

Hehe. It's definitely them I'm watching, particularly now I'm writing this interminable novel with them as the main characters (I'm sure this isn't a surprise to anyone ;). I have to build on something.

Wonderful comments, Emma. Always a joy to read your input.

Here's hoping you'll all enjoy the story, too, when it finally materialises.

Emma 



From:  "Petter Ogland" (petter.ogland@dnmi44.no)
Date:  Thu, 10 Dec 1998 17:37:06 +0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: Best/Worst [FWD]

Jeff Doyle wrote:

I suppose I never considered New Adam/New Eve a comedy ep, although Taybor definately was, and BTB had a tragic comic aspect to it. -Jeff

Viewing NEW ADAM/NEW EVE as a comedy was actually an idea suggested to me by Martin Willey, and I think it may very well be viewed in this way. The way Martin sees it, if I understand him correctly, is that Y2 developed from a Y1/Y2 mixture in early episodes such as EXILES, ONE MOMENT OF HUMANITY and JOURNEY TO WHERE and then went on to add more and more of the Freiberger elements, comedy being one of his most significant contributions to the shape of the series.

I argued with Martin that even if THE TAYBOR, BRIAN THE BRAIN and NEW ADAM/NEW EVE are comedy, they are surely not the type of one-liner or punchline comedy that Johnny Byrne accused Freiberger of adding to the series. Martin nevertheless ment that character and situation comedy was exactly the sort of thing that Freiberger was looking for, and I have no problem with seing it from this angle.

Of the three "comedy" episodes, the one that perhaps comes closest to the Freiberger type of humour, or rather his structure of humour, is NEW ADAM/NEW EVE, I think, as the humour in this episode is mostly cleverly verbal. From the week of discussing this episode I remember somebody, Simon I suspect, adding bits of information on Feely and how he felt about his episode and working with Freiberger in general.

Quite interestingly, Feely, unlike Johnny Byrne who stressed the point of differences in style and culture, had only wonderful things to say about Freiberger, explaining they got incredibly well along much because of a common taste for witty remarks and verbal humour.

Perhaps this is the reason why NEW ADAM/NEW EVE seems so fresh and surprisingly good taste in the series. Freiberger must have respected Feely in some way, and even if the humour is unmistakably British I would say, very different from the horrible attempts at sit-com humour of the Fred Flintstone type in DRAGON'S DOMAIN for instance, it is nevertheless a type of humour that structurally similar, I think. It is the typical Tony beer jokes, only in a significaly more subtle mode, the way I see it.

Unfortunately Feely wasn't present when Freiberger rewrote BRINGERS OF WONDER, so he couldn't prevent him from making a complete mess out of that, a reported mess from the point of view of the original writer at least, if we understood him correctly. Apparently Feely had some difficulty understanding why Gerry Anderson didn't step in to prevent it from becoming to much of a fusion with the BETA CLOUD sort of thing, but apparently Anderson was busy with other things or didn't want to step on Freiberger's toes.

Petter 



From:  Petter Ogland (petter.ogland@dnmi44.no)
Date:  Thu, 10 Dec 1998 18:04:03 +0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: RE:  another "99" good day!

Ariana wrote:

It would certainly have made the declaration more meaningful; indeed, if Helena had been there, then I would have been more willing to buy Koenig's intimate revelation. It's not really the sort of thing I'd imagine someone weeping about in the company of a mere friend or colleague. In Tony's mouth, it would have given his character some added seriousness that would have benefitted the role in future episodes, as well as setting up a closer intimacy with Maya. Ah well, we can only dream of what might have been.

Yes, Tony could definitely have benefitted from this, although the central character in the whole of this scene is nevertheless Maya, I think. My impression is the Freiberger wrote this so Maya could have something to react to. In the mouth of Koenig it all gets a bit embarrasing, as this is not the thing he would normally say. It is a bit like if we had Koenig standing in for Tony in BETA CLOUD, isn't it, trying to explain to her that he loved her, not the style of John Koenig by far.

Hehe. It's definitely them I'm watching, particularly now I'm writing this interminable novel with them as the main characters (I'm sure this isn't a surprise to anyone ;). I have to build on something.

I understand you perfectly here, Emma, your reading the Woodgrove trilogy the very same way that I read BREAKAWAY.

Quite interestingly, although BREAKAWAY has got some votes in the poll that Mateo is running, it is not the top favourite. Actually it is not mine either, although I would rate it top five. To be the best episode of the series I think it is too much of a pilot in the way that there is not very much philosophical content to it, is there?

Like RULES OF LUTON, BETA CLOUD and SPACE WARP, the main purpose of BREAKAWAY is to present the central characters in interesting situations, I feel, and even if the episode touches the problems of nuclear waste and thereby environmental problems which turn out to play such a great part in the intellectual aspects of the series, it is not really a story about that at all, I feel.

BREAKAWAY is just characters playing around, Bellak and Penfold creating a rat maze for their little psychological experiment and then passionatly observerving what kind of things these people tend to do as the crisis grows more serious by the hour. Well, the experiment was a success as far as I'm concerned, and it opened the series with a bang and prepared the viewers for even more profound intellectual experiments as the writers went head on into the creation of episodes like BLACK SUN, MISSING LINK and so on.

As I tend to find the psychology of scientists more fascinating than naive young girls running around in the woods with their little boyfriends, I prefer Y1, but, differences apart, the reasons for liking BETA CLOUD or BREAKAWAY may turn out quite similar in the end, I feel.

Here's hoping you'll all enjoy the story, too, when it finally materialises.

Somehow I feel we are beginning to get somewhere after end of the ExE discussion. Pesonally at least, I feel SPACE:1999 much more compact than before, the undercurrents of contemporary art and philosophy weaving the episodes together in a much simpler way than I felt a year ago.

Petter 



From:  Petter Ogland (petter.ogland@dnmi44.no)
Date:  Thu, 10 Dec 1998 18:35:16 +0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: Re: 1999 ... Best & Worst

Ariana wrote:

Petter wrote:
Pointless from beginning to end, and probably only suitable as background noise for washing up.
ROFL! Except that there *was* no noise! <g>

Heh heh.

Even with all the hopeless characteristics of this episode, it did have some good things too it, I feel, and apart from a few really nice and arty camera sequences by Tomblin and Watts, Allan Willis use of the ITC music library was perhaps more extensive in this episode than in any other.

I suppose Willis got a bit of a headache by the end of the first series, Gerry Anderson allowed Barry Morse only to put a score to four episodes, or did it turn out only to be three in the end? Willis perhaps realising that if every episode sounded exactly like the previous or everything sounding like copies of BREAKAWAY, MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH and ANOTHER TIME/ANOTHER PLACE, not only would the audience get annoyed, but it would certainly not be a wise move if he wanted to stay in business.

His choice of material from END OF ETERNITY and onwards is quite remarkably good, I think. The episode END OF ETERNITY in itself is a very good example of excellent use of elegant musical design, I think, quite reminicent of RING AROUND THE MOON by using avant-garde type of music, although with a slightly more electronic touch than the latter.

WAR GAMES was very successful in choice of musical material, I think, the Mike Hankinson theme definitely better for this episode than Holst was in SPACE BRAIN. As somebody noted in our discussion of SPACE BRAIN, now many months ago, no matter how nice The Planets Suite actually is when performed live, using it in an episode like this is quite different as it more than create atmosphere it makes us go "aha, there we have Holst again."

Nevertheless, I liked it. Just like the title SPACE BRAIN, it seems to reflect the 1950's science fiction and horror pastiche that it perhaps in part was ment to be. A nice episode it is, under any circumstances, apparently having Christopher Penfold trying to sum up everything he knows about science fiction and SPACE;1999 in 48 minutes.

After SPACE BRAIN, Allan Willis went to work on THE INFERNAL MACHINE. Even as early as in the prologue I think the general style of the episode is noticable. When Victor speaks of the aeropropulsion of a bumblebee, the musical score contains flutes and bassoons used in a typical circus manner, I seem to remember, perhaps just to add to the Wizard of Oz-content of this episode.

The music is not as annoying once we get inside Gwent, I seem to remember, but, then again, this is not an episode I prefer to watch all that much, unless I have some waching up to do, of course. :-)

Petter 



From:  John W (woojo_@hotmail44.com)
Date:  Thu, 10 Dec 1998 16:16:45 PST
Subj:  Space1999: ExE Archive

ExE Archives

David Welle wrote:

Between work, and taking time to contribute to some of the episode discussion, I'm way behind on archiving the ExE metathread, so the "newest" thread in the ExE Archive section is about six months old, I'm afraid.

No worries. I am sure you have a million and one other things to do- just appreciate you have archived it in the first place. The points made in the ExEs seem far more interesting and the criticism far more relevant than anything I have seen published. It also has more life because it is an ongoing debate, rather than just a monolgue of one persons opinions. So it is excellent to be able to use it as a reference source.

I dont envy you archiving them though: the liveliness of how one theme generates another, how discussion of 1 episode can lead to discussing everything the writer or director has done, must be a bit of a nightmare to organise. Not to mention the pure volume of posts! 



From:  "Mark Meskin" (plastic.gravity@newrock44.com)
Date:  Thu, 10 Dec 1998 20:19:06 -0600
Subj:  Re: Space1999: Best/Worst [FWD]

I've thought the same thing from time to time. Isn't it peculiar how most S-F programs need at least two shakedown seasons before they mature into something worth watching? (This was even true, to some extent, of SeaQuest, imho -- although I only saw about 2 1/2 eps of that program, the one I saw from the third season was a *vast* improvement, albeit not enough to compel me to tune in every week, or even every other....)

Seaquest was a mess. I liked the cast of the first season, and the second season, the third season captain was a big mistake. But the stories attemped to remain scientically plausible the first season, although I thought they notched the age level down too much. A more adult atmosphere would have helped. The scripts in season 2 and 3 were just awful though, and the Amiga based FX seemed to get weaker. Underwater stuff was OK, but anything else was awful.

ST:TNG was an *embarassment* up until about midway through the second season ("A Matter of Honor," "Measure of a Man," and -- particularly -- "Q Who"),

I'll agree with that. I thought "Q who" was a barnstormer of an episode, fast paced, intelligent dialogue, and it was free of the more childlike atmosphere that TNG was famous for. Oh yeah...and Wesely didn't save the ship either!

and didn't hit its stride for good until season three, although it stuck around about a season and a half too long. DS9 became watchable in season three, and *really* took off in season four.

It is unfortunate that S9 didn't last at least another year. Season 1 had some incredible moments and showed real promise, as even critics like Asimov and Roddenberry were willing to acknowledge.

S1999 would have been a great success today if the show hadn't taken such a radical turn, it pisses off the veiwers too much. I can't think of any show that had such a big makeover and survived. Had the Y1 style been left to evolve normally, I think Space:1999's Y2, and 3 would have been much more successful.

Here I have to make a confession: I've never seen an entire episode from Y2, unless one counts the the slapdash compilation "Destination: Moonbase Alpha." I saw a fragment of an episode while visiting my Sister in another city during its initial run -- "Rules of Luton"? "The Immunity Syndrome"? -- I can't recall, and that says a lot about the comparative quality of Y2, in my view.

Its a shocker change that's for sure.

What little I sampled from Y2 leaves me uninspired, and gives me the impression that under F. Frieberger the program lost the enigmatic quality -- its "spookiness," if you will -- that made it so appealing to me.

Absofrigginlutely! That's always been something that's hard to describe or pin down about Y1, but we all know its there!

I did read "The Making of Space:1999" when it came out, which described the planned re-vamp in some detail. My reaction at the time was: "Uh-oh." I had no love for Freddy even then, after seeing what he'd done to both Star Trek and The Wild, Wild West (which he also guided carefully into a premature oblivion). He was probably a gifted man, but I'll always remember him as sort of Dr. Kevorkian where some of my favorite television programs are concerned.

I can't say I hate all of Y2. I do like the characters of Maya and Tony, I even like his beer making. The Y2 music is great, and even a few of the stories are pretty good. But can I say I'm happy that Y1's grandeur, spookiness and high-style were sacrificed for the saturday morning cartoon atmosphere of Space Warp or Rules of Luton? No friggin way.

DS9 is a terrific show, but there's ample reason to believe that it started out as Paramount's attempt to rip off B5 (will I get in trouble for mentioning that show on this list?),

Not from me, B5 is a favorite of mine.

since Michael S. pitched his series to Paramount just before Piller and Berman "created" DS9 (according to a couple of accounts I've read).

I'd never heard that, several hard core trekkies I know (who are rather bitter toward b5 for outdoing trek)claim(wrongly so, to be sure) B5 is a knock off of DS9!!??

In any case, DS9 has certainly grown into something notable, and I am among the minority who really enjoy watching Avery Brooks. And, of course, Nick Tate was a scene-stealer in last year's "Honor among Thieves."

I missed that one.

BTW -- Do the "Runabouts" remind anybody else of Eagles? Does Odo provoke comparisons to Maya as well? Might the "wormhole" summon memories of a certain Black Sun as well....?

Have you ever played "Duke Nukem"? There is a level you can download off the net that is layed out like a moonbase. In one part of the moonbase there is a launch pad shaped exactly like the Moonbase alpha red cross launch pads! The ship even resides under the pad. But the Eagle in the level is a RUNABOUT! Obviously, the levellord was a fan of both shows.

How about Dr. Beverly Crusher on TNG -- the cool, cerebral space widow/chief medical officer with a simmering, albeit never fully-articulated relationship with her commander; gee, I've seen a character sketch like that on some other show....

Great comparison! I never thought of that.

Mark 



From:  TERALISHA@aol44.com
Date:  Thu, 10 Dec 1998 22:57:03 EST
Subj:  Space1999: Re: 1999 various comments

Various comments:

I've thought the same thing from time to time. Isn't it peculiar how mostS-F programs need at least two shakedown seasons before they mature intosomething> worth watching?

ST:TNG was an *embarassment* up until about midway through the second season ("A Matter of Honor," "Measure of a Man," and -- particularly -- "Q Who"),

I'll agree with that. I thought "Q who" was a barnstormer of an episode, fast paced, intelligent dialogue, and it was free of the more childlike atmosphere that TNG was famous for. Oh yeah...and Wesely didn't save the ship either!

DS9 became watchable in season three, and *really* took off in season four.

It is unfortunate that S9 didn't last at least another year. Season 1 had some incredible moments and showed real promise, as even critics like Asimov and Roddenberry were willing to acknowledge.

I never knew that Roddenberry made any comments, Asimov yes. Anyone got a copy of what Roddenberry said? I'd be interested.

I can't say I hate all of Y2. I do like the characters of Maya and Tony, I even like his beer making. The Y2 music is great, and even a few of the stories are pretty good.

I'm glad to see someone else likes Maya & Tony, thank you!

In any case, DS9 has certainly grown into something notable, and I am among the minority who really enjoy watching Avery Brooks. And, of course, Nick Tate was a scene-stealer in last year's "Honor among Thieves."

I also missed this one but to be sure I will catch it the next time it runs!!!

How about Dr. Beverly Crusher on TNG -- the cool, cerebral space widow/chief medical officer with a simmering, albeit never fully-articulated relationship with her commander; gee, I've seen a character sketch like that on some othe show....

I had thought of that the 1st run through of NG. My brother immediatly compared Crusher/Picard to Russell/Koenig and Troi/Riker to Maya/Tony.

Interesting how the NG doctor and the "commander" were kind of set up for a relationship and the 2nd in command of the Enterprise sort of linked up with the alien woman sitting near him. What does it remind us of? We always decided that Data was to be the Spock reinvention and Riker was a mix of a Tony/Capt. Kirk character.

Great comparison! I never thought of that.

But then hey, sooner or later doesn't everything start to resemble something else from an earlier time?

Enough rambling from my end tonight. It's late, I'm tired, I can't think no more.

Night all! 



From:  Petter Ogland (petter.ogland@dnmi44.no)
Date:  Fri, 11 Dec 1998 11:20:29 +0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: ExE Archive

John W wrote:

...I dont envy you archiving them though: the liveliness of how one theme generates another, how discussion of 1 episode can lead to discussing everything the writer or director has done, must be a bit of a nightmare to organise. Not to mention the pure volume of posts!

It is a wonderful thing that David does. Last time I looked at it I was quite amazed by all the things that had been said about the series so far. Many people contributing, many thoughts.

It is no doubt a difficult job trying to edit the posts together, but the result is really quite magnificent, I feel. Well done, David, I agree.

Petter 



From:  South Central (Tamazunchale@webtv44.net)
Date:  Sat, 12 Dec 1998 12:59:11 -0800 (PST)
Subj:  Fwd: Re: Space1999: ExE Best/Worst Update  12/7

I'm REALLY pressed for time, so I am forward the out of date list attached to this list of responses I have received since. I will resend a final list once ExE ends (tomorrow night at midnight).

Additional BEST EPISODE:

Victor Booth--The Black Sun
Anthony Wynn (?)--The Black Sun
Jon Stadter--The Infernal Machine
WIlliam Grigg--The Black Sun
Monica Pereira--Matter of Life and Death
Jeff Doyle--War Games
Actingman--Journey to Where
Jenny Lobb--The Black Sun

Additional WORST EPISODE:

Victor Booth--Ring Around the Moon
Teralisha--Devil's Planet
Anthony Wynn (?)--Devil's Planet
Jon Stadter--Full Circle
William Grigg--Mission of the Darians
Monica Pereira--One Moment of Humanity
Jeff Doyle--Catacombs of the Moon
Actingman--Ring Around the Moon
Jenny Lobb--A Matter of Balance

Tamazunchale@webtv.net

http://members.tripod.com/~tamazunchale/index-HOME.html 

From:  South Central (Tamazunchale@webtv44.net)
Date:  Mon, 7 Dec 1998 21:13:51 -0800 (PST)
Subj:  Re: Space1999: ExE Best/Worst Update  12/7

BEST EPISODE:

Bill Adkins--Breakaway
Andre Beauchamp--Breakaway
David Welle--The Metamorph
Teralisha--The Metamorph
Ina Litera--The Metamorph
D+K Dunday--Journey to Where
Colleen A. Bement--Journey to Where
Stefano Alpa--The Troubled Spirit
South Central--The Troubled Spirit
Martin Willey--Dragon's Domain
Paolo Pereira--Dragon's Domain
Mark Meskin--Dragon's Domain
Horst Noll--Dragon's Domain
Brian Dowling--Dragon's Domain
Ellen Lindow--The Black Sun
Terry Lee--The Black Sun
Ariana--New Adam, New Eve
Janet Schill--Missing Link
Chas P.--Space Warp
Petter Ogland--Ring Around the Moon
Robert Gilbert--Space Brain
Simon Morris--Death's Other Dominion
David Acheson--War Games
Guiseppe Medulla--Another Time, Another Place
Christine Perrins--One Moment of Humanity

Leading in poll: Dragon's Domain (5:25)
20% of participants in poll

WORST EPISODE:

Ina Litera--Missing Link
SImon Morris--Missing Link
Ellen Lindow--Missing Link
Ariana--Missing Link
D+K Dunday--A Matter of Balance
Janet Schill--A Matter of Balance
David Acheson--A Matter of Balance
Martin Willey--The Rules of Luton
Petter Ogland--The Rules of Luton
Stefano Alpa--The Rules of Luton
Guiseppe Medulla--The Rules of Luton
Colleen A. Bement--Brian the Brain
Paolo Pereira--Brian the Brain
Brian Dowling--Brian the Brain
Andre Beauchamp--Brian the Brain
Horst Noll--Brian the Brain
David Welle--Ring Around the Moon
Mark Meskin--Ring Around the Moon
Christine Perrins--Devil's Planet
Chas P.--Force of Life
Pelle--Full Circle
Robert Gilbert--The Troubled Spirit
South Central--The Taybor
Terry Lee--The Mark of Archanon

Leading in poll: Brian the Brain (5:24)
20.8%

Tamazunchale@webtv.net 



From:  "Anthony D." (atd1999@yahoo44.com)
Date:  Sun, 13 Dec 1998 12:54:48 -0800 (PST)
Subj:  Space1999: My Best/Worst Episodes

Hi all...

It's tough to come up with a best/worst after going thru ExE. I only caught the tail end of ExE and have been unable to get to the archives at David's site. Apparently the links are broken.

Anyway, I took this closing assignment to the extreme, trying to pick a "desert island" episode...that is, if I were banished to a desert island with only one episode of Space:1999 allowed, which would it be? IMO, it's *very* tough to pick that!

I have not seen a full copy of "Guardian of Piri", but I think I will choose that as my desert island episode...as well as my favorite. My tastes change and I don't think of that as my favorite-favorite, but for the purposes of Mateo's list, I'll go with "Guardian".

For worst, I'm going to coat tail with the gang and pick "Matter of Balance". There were some good Y2 shows such as Metamorph and Exiles. Some stinkers too, but I think "Matter" is a real stinker.

I recently watched Force of Life and Dragon's Domain for the first time in a while. (I am just missing Troubled Spirit, Guardian and Death's Other Dominion - for Year 1). I'd love to read the ExE for FOL and DD soon (hint, hint Dave)!

A quick ExE summary of DD -- if you would so indulge me --

I thought this was a really good episode which is why I can see it being placed so highly on the Best list. Lots of character content I feel - bakcground on Helena, Koenig, Bergman. It's funny that Bergman wearing the blue jacket has the little picture ID that we see on the Y2 uniforms. Too bad more stories did not have the ability to flesh out the characers more. Of course 10 stories that go back in time like DD could get a bit wearing after a while. There seems to be one major blooper (a few minors I think) with the dates -- right after the TV news announcer says it's Sept 1996 and the pilot of Ultra will soon be picked, Helena says the probe was launched on June 1996. Also, the travel time to and back from Ultra seems like it was cutting close to 1999. They should have had the mission take place in the 1980's. Oh yea, one more thing, seems there are a lot of "earth-type" planets that we have yet to discover. Bergman discovers Ultra and I think he discoverd the planet Meta too...odd these planets so far from a Sun can be Earth-like!!! Helena says it's 800+ days since leaving Earth orbit, yet Freddie had to start his series in the middle of it...I don't think so! That was silly, IMHO. No need to re-write history (or is that the future?)...just start Y2 1000 days since leaving Earth orbit (or some such number after 800).

Other than that, I thought the episode was pretty good overall. It's one of those "what the hell did the last 50 minutes mean" episodes, but it was quite good. It was a bit slow, but that was the standard pace for Space:1999 year one. Not every episode was action-packed -- just like life! It's odd that both FOL and DD (which were on the same laserdisc) were both stories that concentrated on the guest stars instead of the regulars...coincidence?

OK...more thoughts later...take care all,

Anthony

==
Visit Tony Island on the Web ---

http://www.gis.net/~anthonyd 



From:  David Welle (dwelle@itol44.com)
Date:  Mon, 14 Dec 1998 23:59:32 -0600
Subj:  Space1999: ExE Archive (was Re: My Best/Worst Episodes)

At 12:54 PM 12/13/98 -0800, Anthony D. wrote:

It's tough to come up with a best/worst after going thru ExE. I only caught the tail end of ExE and have been unable to get to the archives at David's site. Apparently the links are broken.

Ah, yes, thanks for the warning, as there's still some chaos I haven't straightened out yet with changing my ISP. Check again (and hit RELOAD if necessary): the links should be repaired now, even though I still don't have the "new" pages up yet.

I have not seen a full copy of "Guardian of Piri", but I think I will choose that as my desert island episode...as well as my favorite. My tastes change and I don't think of that as my favorite-favorite, but for the purposes of Mateo's list, I'll go with "Guardian".

Ah, my favorite of Y1 and in my top five of the whole series.

I'd love to read the ExE for FOL and DD soon (hint, hint Dave)!

FOL is there now; DD should follow soon! :-)

[Regarding "Dragon's Domain"...]
Helena says it's 800+ days since leaving Earth orbit, yet Freddie had to start his series in the middle of it...I don't think so! That was silly, IMHO. No need to re-write history (or is that the future?)...just start Y2 1000 days since leaving Earth orbit (or some such number after 800).

I agree. Y2 could have easily gone from ~1000 to the 2409(?) of "The Dorcons." It was oversight, possibly because this wasn't one of the episodes he reviewed, and no one else pointed it out. Kevin McCorry posits a good explanation for the time reversion, but have to agree it shouldn't have been necessary to try explaining this in the first place. Oh well.

----
David Welle 



From:  David Welle (dwelle@itol44.com)
Date:  Tue, 15 Dec 1998 00:07:09 -0600
Subj:  Re: Space1999: RE:  another "99" good day!

A few days ago, I received my replacement Slowdazzle 1999 calendar, after the original order failed to arrive. Being an oversized item, I had to pick it up at the apartment complex office on my way to work. At work, it got noticed by a co-worker, who offered to give me a model Eagle from his old and large collection of SF models.

Next day, he gave me a 11.7" (29.5 cm) Eagle model, with a removable passenger section, missing its landing pads but in otherwise very good shape. He didn't know which company might have produced the model, but it is plastic and white, except for black forward windows, small very light grey bands in the passenger section, medium grey fuel tanks (four large "ovals" and four small spheres), and silver colored engine bells. The detailing was good. No add-on stickers were present (no idea if there were ever any in the first place).

Anyone recognize which model producer this might have been made by?

Certainly a good day!

----
David Welle 



From:  David Welle (dwelle@itol44.com)
Date:  Tue, 15 Dec 1998 00:15:20 -0600
Subj:  Re: Space1999: ExE Archive

At 04:16 PM 12/10/98 PST, John W wrote:

No worries. I am sure you have a million and one other things to do- just appreciate you have archived it in the first place.

Thank you!

The points made in the ExEs seem far more interesting and the criticism far more relevant than anything I have seen published. It also has more life because it is an ongoing debate, rather than just a monolgue of one persons opinions.

That's the thing about any one critic: his/hers is only one set of opinions about or approaches to topics. A bunch of voices gives a broader view. It's simple statistic significance. When a movie is reviewed, I make sure to read or hear several critics' (and/or friends') opinions: it's more likely I'll get a broader view that way, enough to decide whether or not to go (though I sometimes ignore movie reviews if I just happen to find the movie interesting enough to see regardless, whether or not I may like it).

Different people look for different things, and that is what I too find interesting about ExE: the fact so many more things are noticed and brought up for discussion, whether or not I agree with certain points.

So it is excellent to be able to use it as a reference source.

Glad you like it!

I dont envy you archiving them though: the liveliness of how one theme generates another, how discussion of 1 episode can lead to discussing everything the writer or director has done, must be a bit of a nightmare to organise. Not to mention the pure volume of posts!

Yes, among non-ExE threads, some last only a couple posts, some sustain themselves for awhile (generally about 4-5 days), while a few expand outward, creating several new threads.

With ExE threads, it took me a lot longer than I expected to get the last of the Y1 episodes archived, because it spun off three additional sustained threads, and one of those created another long thread -- and all of these spin-offs lasted well beyond the ExE date for the original on-episode thread ended.

Curiously, though, even before the whole ExE metathread, when threads directly spawned new threads, the original topic rarely lasted beyond the five days I already mentioned, barring some occasional late additions.

It's been interesting "distilling" these threads over the years, and noticing the typical "life cycles" of threads in general.

It can be difficult to separate threads because the change to the new topic can sometimes be subtle, making it difficult to determine where to draw the line. Sometimes, several notes in a row by different people can refer to both topics in different parts of the note; so sometimes, if the new topic is smaller or harder to separate, I just leave it and list the thread topic as having two (or occasionally more) topics.

Once and awhile, someone writes one note refering to three or four ongoing (and previously separate) threads, making their notes an unique challenge to parse, especially if someone then *replies* to most or all of the topics! :-)

I agree completely, though, about the liveliness of many of the themes -- one reason I enjoy the list and don't mind threading it.

Well, probably more than anyone wanted to know, so...

Later,

----
David Welle

Editor's Note: Several notes of the remaining notes in this thread had blocks of "# VOTES" using a style of divider that I changed to a different style here in HTML. 



From:  South Central (Tamazunchale@webtv44.net)
Date:  Wed, 16 Dec 1998 11:50:08 -0800 (PST)
Subj:  Space1999: FINAL "BEST EPISODE" LIST

BLACK SUN (6 votes):
Victor Booth
Anthony Wynn
William Grigg
Jenny Lobb
Ellen Lindow
Terry Lee

DRAGON'S DOMAIN (5 votes):
Martin Willey
Paulo Pereira
Mark Meskin
Horst Noll
Brian Dowling

3 VOTES

THE METAMORPH:
David Welle
Teralisha
Ina Litera

JOURNEY TO WHERE:
Actingman
D + K Dunday
Colleen Bement

2 VOTES

BREAKAWAY:
Bill Adkins
Andre Beauchamp

WAR GAMES:
Jeff Doyle
David Acheson

THE TROUBLED SPIRIT:
Stefano Alpa
South Central (Mateo)

ONE VOTE

MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH:
Monica Pereira

RING AROUND THE MOON:
Petter Ogland

MISSING LINK:
Janet Schill

GUARDIAN OF PIRI:
Anthony D.

ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE:
Guiseppe Medulla

DEATH'S OTHER DOMINION:
Simon Morris

SPACE BRAIN:
Robert Gilbert

THE INFERNAL MACHINE:
Jon Stadter

NEW ADAM, NEW EVE:
Ariana

ONE MOMENT OF HUMANITY:
Christine Perrins

If I missed a vote, let me know. If you kept naming more than one episode as best I didn't count your vote (how could I?).

Mateo 



From:  South Central (Tamazunchale@webtv44.net)
Date:  Wed, 16 Dec 1998 13:36:01 -0800 (PST)
Subj:  Space1999: FINAL "BEST EPISODE" LIST OOPS

SPACE WARP:
Chas P.

Oops, I forgot this vote!

Tamazunchale@webtv.net

http://members.tripod.com/~tamazunchale/index-HOME.html

[Editor's Note: snip repeat of the prior list w/o "Space Warp" listed. See EDITOR'S NOTE which follows.]

EDITOR'S NOTE: I have taken the liberty of copying Mateo's previous final "best" list and adding Chas P.'s favorite into the list, in the same style, with the following as a result. I have not studied Paulo's later analysis to see if the late addition was included in his statistical analysis, however.

BLACK SUN (6 votes):
Victor Booth
Anthony Wynn
William Grigg
Jenny Lobb
Ellen Lindow
Terry Lee

DRAGON'S DOMAIN (5 votes):
Martin Willey
Paulo Pereira
Mark Meskin
Horst Noll
Brian Dowling

3 VOTES

THE METAMORPH:
David Welle
Teralisha
Ina Litera

JOURNEY TO WHERE:
Actingman
D + K Dunday
Colleen Bement

2 VOTES

BREAKAWAY:
Bill Adkins
Andre Beauchamp

WAR GAMES:
Jeff Doyle
David Acheson

THE TROUBLED SPIRIT:
Stefano Alpa
South Central (Mateo)

ONE VOTE

MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH:
Monica Pereira

RING AROUND THE MOON:
Petter Ogland

MISSING LINK:
Janet Schill

GUARDIAN OF PIRI:
Anthony D.

ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE:
Guiseppe Medulla

DEATH'S OTHER DOMINION:
Simon Morris

SPACE BRAIN:
Robert Gilbert

THE INFERNAL MACHINE:
Jon Stadter

NEW ADAM, NEW EVE:
Ariana

ONE MOMENT OF HUMANITY:
Christine Perrins

SPACE WARP: Chas P.

[The above was an EDITOR'S NOTE based directly on Mateo's two previous notes. Again, I'm not sure if Paulo's later analysis included Chas P.'s choice.] 



From:  South Central (Tamazunchale@webtv44.net)
Date:  Wed, 16 Dec 1998 14:20:33 -0800 (PST)
Subj:  Space1999: FINAL "WORST EPISODE" LIST

5 VOTES

BRIAN THE BRAIN:
Horst Noll
Andre Beauchamp
Brian Dowling
Paulo Pereira
Colleen Bement

A MATTER OF BALANCE:
Anthony D.
Jenny Lobb
David Acheson
Janet Schill
D + K Dunday

4 VOTES

RING AROUND THE MOON:
Victor Booth
Actingman
Mark Meskin
David Welle

MISSING LINK:
Ariana
Ellen Lindow
Simon Morris
Ina Litera

THE RULES OF LUTON:
Guiseppe Medulla
Stefano Alpa
Petter Ogland
Martin Willey

3 VOTES

DEVIL'S PLANET:
Teralisha
Anthony Wynn
Christine Perrins

2 VOTES

FULL CIRCLE:
Jon Stadter
Pelle

1 VOTE

FORCE OF LIFE:
Chas P.

THE TROUBLED SPIRIT:
Robert Gilbert

MISSION OF THE DARIANS:
William Grigg

THE TAYBOR:
South Central (Mateo)

ONE MOMENT OF HUMANITY:
Monica Pereira

THE MARK OF ARCHANON:
Terry Lee

CATACOMBS OF THE MOON:
Jeff Doyle

____________________

Once again, if I missed a vote--please let me know. If you gave a list (no matter how short) of worst episodes--I did NOT count your vote. If you only gave vague references to episodes as stinkers, but did not clearly make a vote, I did not count it as a vote. Sorry for any confusion.

Mateo

Tamazunchale@webtv.net

http://members.tripod.com/~tamazunchale/index-HOME.html 



From:  South Central (Tamazunchale@webtv44.net)
Date:  Wed, 16 Dec 1998 20:39:56 -0800 (PST)
Subj:  Space1999: Final BEST and WORST results:

By the count (hopefully accurate) the best episode is The Black Sun, clocking in at 6 votes. Dragon's Domain was a close second with 5.

The worst episode is actually "episodes" with Brian the Brain tying with A Matter of Balance for the undesired title.

I know Paulo asked me to send him the results directly because he is subscribed to the digest...SORYY Paulo, I lost your email address.

I'll leave any further analysis of the results to him.

Mateo 



From:  Petter Ogland (petter.ogland@dnmi44.no)
Date:  Thu, 17 Dec 1998 10:06:05 +0000
Subj:  Re: Space1999: FINAL "BEST EPISODE" LIST

It's nice to see the final results from Mateo's poll. As we await the statistical analysis and comments from Paulo, I thought I'd add to discussion the things about the poll I find interesting myself.

A total of 34 participated in the poll, distributing their choice of best episode among 18 episodes. 18 top favourties among 48 episodes (almost a 40 percent cover) was interpreted by Paulo on an earlier stage to signify a generally high quality of the show.

There are two episodes that seem to stand out as special favourites, the episodes BLACK SUN and DRAGON'S DOMAIN which both are represented with close to twice as many votes as the next group of favourites, consisting of THE METAMORPH and JOURNEY TO WHERE.

The top favourites are from Year One, the group of almost top favourites (getting 3 votes each) are from Year Two. On the general, however, statistics seem to indicate a slight Year One bias as 25 of the 34 votes (74 percent) goes to Year One episodes.

Four of the episodes given in the "best episode" poll, RING AROUND THE MOON, MISSING LINK, THE TROUBLED SPIRIT and ONE MOMENT OF HUMANITY, are also represented in the "worst episode" poll.

Not surprisingly these episodes, RING AROUND THE MOON and MISSING LINK in particular, are often debated on the mailing list.

Petter 



From:  "Robert Gilbert" (bcpgd@shaw.wave44.ca)
Date:  Thu, 17 Dec 1998 15:27:36 -0600
Subj:  Re: Space1999: FINAL "BEST EPISODE" LIST

Petter Ogland wrote:

A total of 34 participated in the poll, distributing their choice of best episode among 18 episodes. 18 top favourties among 48 episodes (almost a 40 percent cover) was interpreted by Paulo on an earlier stage to signify a generally high quality of the show.

I saw on the Sci-Fi Channel's Star Trek Special Edition Yesterday where they were asking fans which their fav Eps were out of 7 or 8 people came a grand total of four Eps (of which six of the votes were for two eps). What does this say about Star Twreck/S99?

--
Robert C. Gilbert 



From:  Paulo Pereira (starblade@technologist44.com)
Date:  Fri, 18 Dec 1998 19:45:22 -0800
Subj:  Space1999: ExE Best/Worst conclusions (1 of 2)

Best Episode of Space:1999 :
Black Sun : 17,5 %

Results by episode :
Y1 - 72 %
Y2 - 28 %

Results by vote :
Y1 - 74 %
Y2 - 26 %

Worst Episode of Space:1999 :
Brian the Brain and A Matter of Balance: 15 % each

Results by episode :
Y1 - 43 %
Y2 - 57 %

Results by vote :
Y1 - 38 %
Y2 - 62 % 



From:  Paulo Pereira (starblade@technologist44.com)
Date:  Fri, 18 Dec 1998 19:47:50 -0800
Subj:  Space1999: ExE Best/Worst conclusions (2of 2)

Not much to tell related to the final poll, my previous analisys had already cover the main aspects, besides I'm not having much time to see the results right now. The new votes only came to strenght some points issued by then. The exception is the winner Black Sun.

Barry's Morse favorite episode has won. It was not unexpected at all if you know what people think about this episode. I confess that I prefer Dragon's Domain and it still is a surprise for me the 2nd place he has achived. As I'm also surprised for the low score of War Games that was a candidate for a winning place and the nice performance of Journey to Where.

Indeed Black Sun has won *but* just on the final sprint. Still Dragon's Domain stands in a very good 2nd place leaving the rest of the competitores behind. The difference between both episodes was just one vote. Perhaps we are seeing two different approaches on S1999; one much philosophical represented by Black Sun, another more action/adventure represented by Dragon's Domain.

As I said on my previous analisys we have so many good episodes in S1999 that is hard to choose just one. That's why the winner only got 17,5 %. Even if we add his score with Dragon's Domain we'll see they still only have 32,5 % of the votes. We have a vast array of episodes that are presented on the best list, so the votes are dispersed. I was expecting much more votes in Breakaway and War Games episodes. On the other hand Methamorph is on the 3th place sharing is position as a Y2 winner with the surprising Journey to Where.

The worst are Brian the Brian and A Matter of Balance, both from Y2. I thought that The Rules of Luton would be the major menace to Brian the Brain because it's also a very embarassing episode on it's own way. Even so it's not easy to admit that we have some awful episodes.

The poll for the worst also shows that 5 episodes only (Missing Link, Brian the Brain, Rules of Luton, Ring Around the Moon, and A Matter of Balance) are responsable for 65 % of the negative results. It's the other way around. If we have much to choose in relation of the best, only 5 episodes are considered to be really worst. Yet of this 5 episode we got 2 that are also on the best list (Missing Link, Ring Around the Moon).

On this top 5 worst episode, the 1st season is responsible for 23,5 % and the 2nd 41,5 %. The remainings 35 % are for the rest of the worst episodes.

We can see why the 3th year was never put to production. The major difference from S1999 and the rest of the sci-fi series was vanished by the end of the 2nd season. The more scientific and philosophical approach from Y1 was shattered to pieces and even the action-adventures episodes from Y2 were a poor shadow compared with Y1 action episodes like Dragon's Domain and War Games. On the other hand episodes like the winner Black Sun were rare and those few that were produced didn't had the same depth. Sorry to those in here that prefer Y2 over Y1, but the facts are presented here. After all Y2 is responsible for 62 % of the votes and both worst episodes are from this season.

Trying to please all kinds of public, the outcome was the kiss of death of Space:1999. You know, one size fits all, fits nobody...

Paulo Pereira