Destination: Moonbase Alpha (36 page)

‘Names that I keep using are Neman and Hadin. Hadin comes from the
Sagas of Icelanders
, which have been the great source of my inspiration, and Hadin comes from one of the most famous,
Njal’s Saga
. One of the sons of Njal was Skarp-Hedin, the ferocious man, and I was so impressed by that character that whenever possible I try to use his name, because it gives me a sort of fix on the character. Both these names, Hadin and Neman, are in “Mission of the Darians”. It was originally called “Mission of the Daria”; this envisaged the Darians as more sort of genetically Nazi-like, where they were going to turn out endless warriors and they were in a big ship full of tanked sperm, or something. But it was completely different to what turned out ultimately.

‘It was a very fundamental human problem: what do people do when they’re in a situation and they have no food? They eat each other – they always have done. And it was a re-statement of the principle that the desire to survive and live is very strong; and for me to find a way in which I could a) express that idea, and b) do so in such a way that it wouldn’t be banned from popular television – after all, it was about cannibalism – was well worth the effort … So, it worked on many, many different levels. It had, I suppose, the most fundamental question of all at the heart of it: what will people do, and is there any limit to what people will do, in order to survive? And the answer’s basically, “No, there isn’t.”

‘It probably helped that we had Joan Collins, the perfect example of the imperishable survivor. Sometimes I think that she probably fed on too many spare parts in that particular episode, because she seems to be surviving, unchanged, 20-odd years later! I think, in that sense, Joan Collins was the perfect choice for this Darian super goddess. I quite enjoyed working with her and being there when they were shooting it.’

Sylvia Anderson:
‘Generally speaking [Martin and Barbara] were okay, but of course the problem is that whenever you have Hollywood actors over to England their attitude is that, “We’re big time. We’re big Hollywood people and we’ve done a big series.” So they had to have the Rolls Royce to transport them from the shooting studio, which was about 50 yards away, to the restaurant everyday. So there were a lot of things like that. I will say this – when Joan Collins came on in a guest spot [in “Mission of the Darians”], Barbara stuck very, very closely to Martin. And, incidentally, Barbara’s expression
did
change. Normally she was very expressionless.’

Review:
‘Mission of the Darians’ is a perfectly realised epic about survival, both thrilling and horrifying, which incorporates a number of classic science fiction concepts including immortality and the multi-generation space ark. The generation ship idea has been utilised to great success in novels before, but on television the idea has tended to fall flat – see the early 1970s Canadian science fiction series
The Starlost
, for example.

The plotline follows three separate story threads that ultimately pull back together in the climax, creating one of the most complexly plotted segments of the series. The procedure the Alphans follow is totally believable, as is the holocaust portrayed. The theme is that of the downfall of an advanced race due to failures of technology, and it demonstrates that the future lies ultimately with the people themselves – not with their carefully cultivated technological achievements. As such, this episode embodies what is perhaps the greatest overarching concept of the series.

The mutant characters add immensely to the portrayal of distinct and separate societies existing in isolation from each other in the immense
Daria
. The
Daria
itself is remarkably similar to the freighter
Nostromo
in the later film
Alien
. The detailing of this miniature is outstanding for a television production and the massive scope of the ship is demonstrated when the tiny Eagle approaches. Interiors of the
Daria
are enriched through the use of several matte paintings conveying the craft’s immense scale.

The experiences on Level 7, within the
Daria
, are terrifying. The scene leading Helena, Lowry and the Female Mute to be judged as mutants is genuinely frightening, aided by eerie sound effects and subordinated natural sounds and voices – a hallmark technique of director Ray Austin, which he had utilised to great effect in previous episodes, notably ‘End of Eternity’.

This is very much an ensemble episode. Barbara Bain is remarkable, conveying
Helena’s terror for herself and her horror at what happens to those around her. The entire cast of regulars and guests are on top form, notably Prentis Hancock, relishing the opportunity for Paul Morrow to get out of Alpha and into the action; he and Nick Tate made a very effective team. Barry Morse is also noteworthy as Bergman, with several memorable scenes demonstrating him as vital to the progress of the storyline. Martin Landau’s Koenig is at his edgiest, confronted with an alien vision of what he must consider to be a potential outcome for his own people, should any of the links in their food chain break.

Joan Collins, who leads the guest cast, is very good throughout, and is delightful at the end as her character Kara looks at Hadin, obviously considering what their future together might entail.

Of interest is the portrayal of security guard Bill Lowry. Far too regularly (not just in
Space: 1999
, but in science fiction television in general) the security guard is present as a glorified extra who can be discarded at any moment with no lingering effect. Here, Lowry is not only integral to his portion of the story, but an actual three-dimensional human being, and his loss is profoundly felt by both the viewers and the characters onscreen – exemplified by Helena in the Eagle at the episode’s end, the empty seat and the remembered tune hummed by Lowry. It’s a poignant moment.

The sets are inspiring and the use of matte paintings and attention to detail within the interiors of the
Daria
combine to provide a significant and convincing degree of reality. Matte paintings were also utilised in prior episodes ‘Missing Link’ and ‘The Last Enemy’, but the ones here are possibly the best and are certainly the most effectively integrated into the episode.

As a final teaming of writer Johnny Byrne and director Ray Austin (following their pairing in ‘End of Eternity’ and ‘The Troubled Spirit’), ‘Mission of the Darians’ marks the culmination of their efforts together. Byrne’s script again raises the memory of World War II and the Nazis, as in ‘Voyager’s Return’. The word ‘Darian’ equates with ‘Aryan’ – the idea of a superior, master race whose genetic purity and perfection was to be preserved to thrive at any cost. In the same manner, ‘
Neman’ can be interpreted as ‘New Man’ – all the more important a connection as Neman has led the advanced Darians in the genocide of the mutants. The concept of an advanced race being forced to resort to cannibalism in order to survive is presented in a believable manner, and it leads one to wonder what the Alphans themselves would do if confronted with a similar situation. The theme of the episode can be summed up with a single word: survival. Indeed, the dialogue of this script features no less than 23 references to ‘survival’, ‘survive’, ‘survived’ or ‘survivors.’ The resultant moral question being: to what lengths would we go to ensure our own survival?

In typical
Space: 1999
style, the questions raised have no simple answers, but latent implications that continue to reverberate to this day: what would mankind do to preserve itself? Would the Alphans have done anything differently than the Darians? What is the price of our survival? And as our own planet Earth becomes more crowded and we face mounting environmental concerns, could there be a nightmare outcome like this awaiting the whole world? This last question dovetails into another message inherent in the episode – that the races of Earth must come together; our future is with each other, just like that of the Darians (and, indeed, the Alphans). Each society has strengths to benefit the union: it would be difficult to imagine Kara and her people surviving on a new world without the practical grounding of the other survivors to help them, but in such a colonisation attempt the more advanced Darian technology would also be of great use. Essentially, they are stronger together than they are apart.

With the Darian ship’s nuclear catastrophe, ‘
Mission of the Darians’ also provides an echo of the original nuclear disaster that plunged the Alphans into deep space in ‘Breakaway’. The complete episode, with its disturbing aspects contrasted against the hopeful ones (rather like life itself), is simply outstanding!

Rating:
9/10

1.23

DRAGON
’
S DOMAIN

Screenplay by Christopher Penfold

Directed by Charles Crichton

Selected Broadcast Dates:

UK
              LWT:

             
Date: 25 October 1975.               Time: 5.50 pm

             
Granada:

             
Date: 14 November 1975.               Time: 6.35 pm

US
              KRON (San Francisco):

             
Date: 13 September 1975.               Time: 7.00 pm

             
WPIX (New York):

             
Date: 27 September 1975.               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),
Barbara Kellermann
(Dr Monique Bouchere),
Michael Sheard
(Dr Darwin King),
Susan Jameson
(Professor Juliet Mackie)

Guest Stars: Gianni Garko
(Tony Cellini),
Douglas Wilmer
(Commissioner Dixon)

Uncredited Cast: Suzanne Roquette
(Tanya Alexander),
Bob Sherman
(Space News Newsreader),
Sarah Bullen
(Operative Kate),
Loftus Burton
(Operative Lee Oswald),
Ann Maj-Britt
(Operative Ann),
Andrew Dempsey
,
Michael Stevens
,
Andrew Sutcliffe
,
Maggie Wright
(Main Mission Operatives),
Tony Allyn
(Security Guard Tony Allan),
Quentin Pierre
(Security Guard Pierce Quinton),
James Fagan
(Eagle 2 Pilot Pete Johnson),
Laraine Humphrys
(Nurse Anne),
Alan Harris
(Alphan),
Gwen Taylor
(Earth Nurse)

Previously Titled:
‘Web’

Plot:
Launched in 1996, the Ultra Probe was piloted by Tony Cellini on a mission to investigate Ultra, a tenth planet in Earth’s solar system. The Ultra Probe encountered a spaceship graveyard populated by a monster, and Cellini was the only survivor. Now, on Alpha, Cellini believes he is nearing another encounter with this terrifying enemy. His foreboding is met with scepticism, until a spaceship graveyard is discovered near the Moon and the Ultra Probe is located within it.

Quotes:

• Helena
  : ‘It was the eight hundred and seventy-seventh day since our Moon left Earth orbit. We were between galaxies, drifting through empty space, when Tony Cellini began to believe that he was closing for a second time with his mortal enemy.’
  
• Kano
  :
  ‘Computer’s probably angry because you insulted her.’
  
• Koenig:
  ‘If we think we know everything that goes on out there, we’re making a terrible mistake.’
  
• Victor:
  ‘They do look somewhat like flies, caught in a spider’s web.’
  
• Koenig:
  ‘Which brings us back to monsters.’
  
• Koenig:
  ‘Just because we haven’t experienced something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.’
  
• Helena
  : ‘Where do you think he was trying to get to out there in his pyjamas?’ … ‘He didn’t even take his toothbrush.’
  
• Helena
  :
  ‘The monster was more than any of us could believe. According to our criteria it was never alive, so how could we be sure that it was dead? As we hurried back to Alpha, before our Moon drifted beyond reach, we could only wonder about the astronauts of those other fabulous ships. All we know about them is their terrible fate: the fate of Tony Cellini.’