Destination: Moonbase Alpha (32 page)

Filming Dates:
Wednesday 20 November – Wednesday 4 December 1974

Commentary:

Johnny Byrne:
‘I wanted to do something completely different. I wanted to do the first science fiction ghost story, and it would have all the classic elements of a ghost story, but inextricably bound up with the high technology of science fiction.

‘So it had a beautiful symmetry, and I tried to get the best value out of it. I was very pleased with the shape of that story. There are certain things that please a writer. Like an artist who has a particular idea about a painting, a writer has an idea about the shape of a story. The shape of this story was rather interesting: something unspeakable happens to somebody and everybody realises what it is. They realise that some force is coming back to avenge a horrible death and this death hasn’t happened yet. And everything they do to avert that death – that awful thing – from happening, is pushing the thing toward the conclusion it came back to sort out in the first place. So it had a symmetry that was fun to do at the time.

‘What you had to be left with in the epilogue was [a sense of] how much [the Alphans] didn’t know and how flexible are the barriers between what we consider life and death. It’s all tied in with time. When you mix all these equations up, your thoughts and feelings and beliefs simply don’t make any sense and you have to be
infinitely
flexible. One of the good things about the Alphan situation was that, since they were moving out, moving all the time – exposed to these extraordinary situations – their flexibility, not necessarily their knowledge, but their ability to adapt to the mysterious and to the unknown, was expanding as the distance between Earth and them lengthened. It would have been wrong to put pat answers on some of these thoughts we had.

‘From day one, apart from some creative input [from Sylvia] into “The Troubled Spirit” – she liked it at script stage – all my contact was with Gerry. He worked very closely on all my scripts. But I think that’s how it was meant to be – Sylvia mainly concerned herself with other aspects of the production, as did Reg Hill – the third partner in the production company … “The Troubled Spirit” was a story idea that Sylvia liked very much. She was interested in developing it with me, to the extent that she oversaw it in the way that Gerry normally oversaw the other tales that I was writing. In other words, when I was having story discussions it was usually with Gerry, but in this instance it was with Sylvia.

‘I was interested in [the story] for a number of reasons. I am interested in things of the heart and the spirit as well as of the mind, and there was also a bit of a challenge in trying to construct a story that would effectively be a ghost story in space. As in all of the stories that I wrote, I tried to find a point of departure that the people who would watch it could lock onto. In that context, there was a lot of stuff being written at the time about how plants could communicate with people. There were also a number of scientific theories being mooted to the effect that the human brain only engaged about 35 percent of its capacity. The rest of it was one great question mark, and no-one really could understand its potential. Taking all of those things and putting them into a technological context, it seemed reasonable to me that the Alphans could have a device that would boost signals that came from those uncharted areas of the brain. They could also log them and connect them up with plants, which were emitting signals of a matching kind. So we had, in effect, a form of electronic, technological séance happening on Moonbase Alpha.

‘It was to do with plants and how plants were the essence of the Alphans’ continued survival on the Moon. The development of how they could feed themselves was obviously something that had to be continuous – without it they would simply perish. Anything that would enhance research and development into the production of food was essential, so on that basis it was a valid story. It was also valid on the basis of what was happening on Earth at that time in terms of the philosophical and scientific investigations into the nature of plant and human communications. So we took that as a starting point … “The Troubled Spirit” was interesting and I think as a story it had a very interesting construction, if you look at it purely in the abstract. As a ghost story, I think it worked within the context as well.

‘Bergman combined something of the scientist, philosopher, mystic, a steady presence and essential counterweight to the more visceral, upfront Koenig. In time, I think this aspect of his presence on Alpha might have taken on greater significance. He could have proved to be the human personification of the Mysterious Unkown Force, driving the Alphans’ spiritual odyssey.’

Alan Willis:
[Regarding the sitar concert performance] ‘That piece was written and played by the artist you see on the screen [Jim Sullivan], rather than being written by Barry [Gray] or anyone else. He would play sections of the tune as we were filming different angles and then at the end of the day we took him into a quiet studio where he played the whole piece through once again. At the editing stage, this meant that I could chuck out the original sound and overlay the complete version onto the images.’

Bloopers:
When Mateo’s ghost appears in front of the group of Alphans performing the séance, his yellow sleeve is on his right arm (instead of his left) and his horrible facial scars are on the left … In the next scene, the sleeve and scarring are correct. This was due to the use of a half-silvered mirror to superimpose the ghost into the scene, which reversed the image.

Later, when Mateo dies after fighting his ghost, his left side is forced into the lethal force field, but the scarring is on his right.

Review:
‘The Troubled Spirit’ is another episode, like ‘Force of Life’, that takes place entirely within the confines of Alpha. It begins with a great glimpse into Alpha’s leisure activities, portraying a large audience appreciating a music concert (by Jim Sullivan, who wrote the original sitar score, and is also seen performing it onscreen); they even have programmes for the evening’s
Alpha Music Recital
. The event is broadcast throughout the base for all to enjoy, showing the Alphans as a community of real people who appreciate and enjoy entertainment – not just a group of sci-fi adventurers. This opening teaser is one of the most successful in the series, consisting of long uncut tracking shots, without a single word of dialogue. Everything is conveyed through pictures, facial expressions and the stirring music. As the opening culminates, a dramatic wind sweeps through the base, combined with a drop in temperature and lowered lighting levels. It’s eerily effective to see a wind, drawn up by supernatural forces, inside Alpha’s enclosed environment.

Giancarlo Prete was the first of the Italian guest stars featured in the series as a result of the Italian RAI network’s investment. He is powerful and convincing in the role; a very good actor with a strong screen presence. Italian-born stuntman Val Musetti meanwhile portrays the scarred spirit of Mateo. The presence of Italians on Alpha helped to build on the perception of the base being a truly international endeavour; it was something that didn’t need to be blatantly stated – Alpha simply comprised an inclusive and varied population. Due to the believable and horrific make-up used on the spirit of Mateo, this episode was another that encountered difficulty with censors, and in order to make it less frightening to a young audience, portions were cut.

Anthony Nicholls is another very talented guest actor and makes a wonderful impression as Dr Warren. It’s nice to see the wisdom of another older scientist on Alpha, and the mentor-pupil relationship between Dr Warren and Mateo recalls the earlier pairing of Ernst Queller and Jim Haines in ‘Voyager’s Return’. The difference here is that Mateo can’t stand Warren, and Warren is an old fool who looks down on Mateo for ignoring his authority and warnings.

The Hydroponics section is presented, consisting of a complex set filled with greenery and technology, with the notable addition of a large section of geodesic glass panels exposing the area to natural starlight, in addition to the ample artificial light. Notice the green floor – very appropriate for the Hydroponics section. It’s a great set, with extraordinary atmospheric potential as a setting for such a spooky episode.

‘The Troubled Spirit’ is the chilling ghost story of
Space: 1999
, told in shadowed nighttime Alphan settings. It is an episode that only gets better and better upon repeated viewings. Johnny Byrne’s script is highly impressive and successful on many levels: his Irish Catholic background is surely an influence on the exorcism sequence, and he revisits the concept of characters foreseeing the manner of their own death, which he had previously explored in ‘Another Time, Another Place’, and invites the viewer to ponder the psychological implications of such encounters. Byrne’s usage of psychic connections with plants is another fascinating element of the script. Although it is an aspect that some people might dismiss as ridiculous, it works perfectly well within the parameters of the series and story. The plant seance does raise the frequent Johnny Byrne concern about the relationship between Technological Man and Biological Man – it is inherent in the contrast of scientists on a Moonbase attempting to connect on a mental level with plants. Byrne is pointing out that the direction we’re heading in with our technology and science is possibly the wrong course; there may be things to learn from our connection with the natural ecosystem. It’s more subtly suggested here than it is in ‘Another Time, Another Place’, where the alternate Alphans have abandoned their futuristic environs for a back-to-the-Earth agrarian lifestyle, but it still provides interesting ideas for consideration.

The scene where
Helena encounters the horribly scarred spectre in the dark Medical Centre is genuinely frightening. This is a very fine episode for Helena Russell, and also for Victor Bergman – as usual, he’s at his best when bridging gaps between science and mysticism. The big seance sequence (including John, Helena, Victor, Sandra, Paul, Alan Kano and Mateo) is probably one of the most memorable of the entire series. All of the characters are well utilised and Sandra not only gets to act in her customary role as an emotional barometer for Moonbase Alpha but also shows strength and common sense.

Ray Austin has delivered here one of the most striking directorial efforts of the first series: his work is atmospheric, moody and scary, essentially transforming Moonbase Alpha into a haunted house. In classic horror form, the most is made of unusual camera angles, dramatic shadows and lighting, as well as subtle moments like when a door momentarily jams, indicating that there is something strange going on – prime illustrations that special effects aren’t required to generate a haunting atmosphere. As an example of the quality of
Austin’s marvellous direction, watch the command conference sequence carefully – it is one long uninterrupted shot, passing from person to person.

The interactions between the regular characters add charm and warmth, as when Barry Morse plays a significant scene as Bergman leaning the whole time on
Kano’s shoulder – demonstrating a clear closeness and friendship between them. These are real people, and this is an episode in which they are absolutely terrified: it’s one to watch in a darkened room.

There are very few external effects shots, but there is one stunning visual of the spinning Moon moving on towards a nebula – a shot that is able to stand against any effects produced today. It’s quite short, but completely amazing.

One line that Paul Morrow says just before the Command Conference ends must be pointed out. He states, ‘It’s a totally esoteric supposition,’ which is not the type of dialogue found in most science fiction television shows. But as this episode attests,
Space: 1999
is not like most science fiction shows. This tale is played to adults: a man haunted by his own ghost, which has come back to avenge its death, which hasn’t happened yet. It’s a brilliantly nightmarish concept.

‘The Troubled Spirit’ is atmospheric, appealingly stylish, captivating and very spooky.

Rating:
9/10

1.20

SPACE BRAIN

Screenplay by Christopher Penfold

Directed by Charles Crichton

Selected Broadcast Dates:

UK              LWT:

             
Date: 7 February 1976.               Time: 5.50 pm

             
Granada:

             
Date: 20 February 1976.               Time: 6.35 pm

US
              KRON (San Francisco):

             
Date: 31 January 1976.               Time: 7.00 pm

Credited Cast: Martin Landau
(John Koenig),
Barbara Bain
(Helena Russell),
Barry Morse
(Victor Bergman),
Prentis Hancock
(Paul Morrow),
Clifton Jones
(David Kano),
Zienia Merton
(Sandra Benes),
Anton Phillips
(Bob Mathias),
Nick Tate
(Alan Carter),
Derek Anders
(Wayland)