Destination: Moonbase Alpha (62 page)

The story does eventually find a point of sorts on Planet D: Brian the Brain is insane! Brian’s homicidal past is revealed and viewers learn that Brian’s creator, Captain Michael, was working on a new and improved robot to take Brian’s place as the new Brain. But other questions are raised. Why did the entire crew of the Swifts and the Mother ship go out onto the surface of the planet at the same time? Why did they go so far from their ships, into a poisonous alien atmosphere without environmental suits? The plan to defeat the robot successfully incorporates Maya’s metamorphic abilities into the action, but astute viewers must question how Maya knows what Captain Michael sounded like. It’s a trivial point, but a valid one. Once the Alphans finally succeed, they save Brian and decide to reprogram him with morality and the Ten Commandments – another instance of mindless writing. What good do the Ten Commandments do for a robot? ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery’? It might sound acceptable to a passing ear, or an unthinking story editor, but once you scratch the surface, it is a pointless statement. What would have been far more intelligent, useful and respectable to a literary science fiction audience would have been to reference Isaac Asimov’s famous Three Laws of Robotics.

Director Kevin Connor helms his first of two episodes (the second being the far superior ‘Seed of Destruction’). Connor is a talented and accomplished director, but there is little evidence of his abilities here. Again, though, he isn’t helped by Jack Ronder’s script, which contains numerous lines that lead the viewer to wince, including Tony’s painful comment to Maya, ‘You know what your problem is? Your brain works like a computer, so you’re jealous of that other computer.’

The excellent depiction of Planet D and the sound basic elements of
Space: 1999
– Moonbase Alpha, the Eagles and the main cast – are all that save this silly little hour from being a complete waste of time. It is somewhat cute, but this ‘kidnapping power-mad machine that wants to live forever’ story was told far better with Gwent in Year One’s ‘The Infernal Machine’. While the plots of the two episodes share certain surface similarities, there is no comparison at all in terms of execution. There is something to be said for the venerable theme of the danger of technology, which has provided some of the best plots in the series. Here, however, the potential of the theme is lost to the paucity of the script and realisation of the production.

The lightweight ‘Brian the Brain’ demonstrates how totally lost
Space: 1999
became in many of these mid-second season entries. This would have been more fittingly titled
Lost in Space: 1999
.

Rating:
4/10

2.10

NEW ADAM NEW EVE

Screenplay by Terence Feely

Directed by Charles Crichton

Selected Broadcast Dates:

UK
              LWT:

             
Date: 9 October 1976.               Time: 11.30 am

             
Granada:

             
Date: 20 May 1977.               Time: 7.30 pm

US
              KRON (San Francisco):

             
Date: 2 October 1976.               Time: 7.00 pm

Credited Cast: Martin Landau
(John Koenig),
Barbara Bain
(Helena Russell),
Catherine Schell
(Maya),
Tony Anholt
(Tony Verdeschi),
Nick Tate
(Alan Carter),
Bernard Kay
(Humanoid),
Albin Pahernik
(Maya Creature),
Annie Lambert
(Command Centre Operative),
Barbara Wise
(Beautiful Girl),
Yasuko Nagazumi
(Yasko)

Guest Star: Guy Rolfe
(Magus)

Uncredited Cast: Robert Reeves
(Operative Peter Reeves),
Glenda Allen
(Technician),
Terry York (
Ape Man)

Fight Arranger: Romo Gorrara

Stunts: Frank Henson
(for Bernard Kay),
Terry Walsh
(for Martin Landau),
Cliff Diggins
(for Martin Landau and Guy Rolfe)

Plot:
An alien being appears in Command Centre proclaiming to be God, and offers the Alphans the opportunity to start again on a new world. Taking John, Helena, Maya and Tony to the new planet, Magus reveals his deception: he is an alien magician and mad scientist intent on creating a perfect race.

Quotes:

• Koenig:
  ‘We’re a bit low on sacrificial goats.’
  
• Magus:
  ‘Sceptical, cynical, mean: maybe that’s why I always had a soft spot for you. Some of my creatures are like tame rabbits.’
  
• Magus:
  ‘Throughout its whole history, your species has been notable for two things: asking interminable questions and injuring itself.’
  
• Magus:
  ‘You’ve been a great disappointment to me. All those wars; your wilful destruction of the natural resources of the planet I gave you; your pollution of it.’
  

On-screen Date:
1,095 days since leaving Earth orbit.

Filming Dates:
Wednesday 2 June – Friday 18 June 1976

Incidental Music:
The only instance of incidental library music in Year Two is heard during the campfire scene: Robert Farnon’s composition ‘How Beautiful is Night’.

Bloopers:
One of the most unforgivable bloopers in the entire series can be found here, but slow motion might be necessary to catch it. Towards the start of the episode, on New Earth, Magus uses Koenig’s Stun Gun to prove his power by shooting himself. When Magus supposedly has the gun materialise in his hand, the gun does not materialise at all, but is
placed
into Magus’s hand by an arm that reaches right across the entire screen from the lower right!

Maya transforms into an owl and is able to touch Tony, despite the magnetic force fields keeping them apart while she is in humanoid form.

Review:
Space: 1999
rebounds in quality with the excellent ‘New Adam New Eve’. This was inspired by the 1896 H G Wells novel
The Island of Doctor Moreau
, in which the main characters are taken to an island and discover the inhabitants are the horrifying results of experimental vivisections perpetrated by Dr Moreau. These beings face a torturous existence full of suffering. The themes contained within the novel and this episode are the same: discussions of human nature, society, and the act of playing God, personified by one character; whether Dr Moreau or this episode’s Magus.

In a far more chilling comparison, Magus could be equated with the notorious Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele, who performed experiments on prisoners in the
Auschwitz concentration camp. His experiments were often focused on heredity and physical abnormalities, much like those of Magus in ‘New Adam New Eve’. There are also undoubted similarities between this episode and the
Star Trek
segment ‘Who Mourns for Adonais?’

Terence Feely’s script cleverly drops clues to the Alphans – and the viewers – about the true nature of Magus, and combines with some unique direction from stalwart Charles Crichton to make this a very strong episode. The four leads contribute engrossing performances, and Guy Rolfe gives a standout turn as Magus, particularly during his verbal sparring sessions with Commander Koenig. An eerie and effective wind heralds Magus’s arrival on Alpha, and Koenig quite appropriately tells Magus, ‘We’ve learned to mistrust appearances,’ which recalls any number of prior episodes. It is also entertaining to see Magus manipulating the Alphans into different relationships than they have chosen for themselves – Koenig with Maya and Helena with Tony.

The planet set is tremendous, and attentive viewers will recognise the birdsong from Year One’s ‘Matter of Life and Death’. Another borrowed sound effect – this one from ‘The Taybor’ – accompanies Magus’s arrival, and the swirling visual effect overlaying his first appearance on Alpha comes from ‘Dragon’s Domain’. The new special effects are quite dynamic, culminating in the final explosions of New Earth. The use of real lizards filmed to look like giant monsters – in classic B-movie style – and the inclusion of the mutant (despite the obvious costume) add to the scope of the episode. There is some interesting character information given, including the revelation that Maya used to study Comparative Universal Theology, and that Tony comes from a long line of farmers. One of Maya’s most striking transformations appears here, as she reverts to herself when Helena passes between her and the camera: it’s an effortless but extremely effective visual trick.

Magus is an enigmatic false prophet who proclaims, ‘I have been among you many times. I was Simon Magus, who offered to buy the Nazarene’s powers from his apostles. I was Merlin. I was Nostradamus. I was the magician in ancient
Egypt who contended in magic with Moses.’ The most interesting of these claimed past appearances must be the first: Simon Magus was believed by the Gnostic sect of Simonianism to be God in human form. Simon was a magician said to have the power to levitate and fly. The etymology of the name ‘Magus’ is also quite fitting: the Magi (in singular, Magus) were a tribe from ancient Media who were responsible for religious practices. ‘Magi’ is also the root of the words magic and magician. Additionally, in ancient Greece, the word Magos referred to enchanters and wizards, particularly charlatans, which is clearly applicable to this episode.

Some of the religious concepts mentioned throughout the show are quite compelling and could lead viewers to further discussion or consideration. One interesting line has Magus discounting all of Earth’s religions, ‘But all these highly imaginative works of fiction that you call religion have clouded your minds; filled you with false gods.’ Of course, he proclaims himself (falsely) to be the one true God, so everything he says is discountable. All this open and direct talk of God and religion is interesting, but it does again show the clear differences between Year One and Year Two. In the first season this would have been the vague ‘cosmic intelligence’ discussion from ‘Black Sun’. It’s an important distinction to note, regardless of which approach a viewer prefers.

Once again a Year Two episode ends on a dramatic note, rather than the all-too-frequent forced comedic moment; here it is Koenig’s insightful comment on Magus, ‘One chink of light as Earth broke up around him and Magus would still get away with it.’ This final discussion also leaves open the possibility that Magus could return in another episode.

‘New Adam New Eve’ is strong science fiction television, featuring robust acting, appealing dialogue and music, and some attractive visuals. Overall, this is a highly recommended episode, and a virtual blessing following the season’s previous four episodes.

Rating:
8/10

2.11

CATACOMBS OF THE MOON

Screenplay by Anthony Terpiloff

Directed by Robert Lynn

Selected Broadcast Dates:

UK              LWT:

             
Date: 27 November 1976.               Time: 10.55 am

             
Granada:

             
Date: 6 November 1977.               Time: 1.15 pm

US
              KRON (San Francisco):

             
Date: 13 November 1976.               Time: 7.00 pm

Credited Cast: Martin Landau
(John Koenig),
Barbara Bain
(Helena Russell),
Catherine Schell
(Maya),
Tony Anholt
(Tony Verdeschi),
Zienia Merton
(Sandra Benes),
Jeffery Kissoon
(Ben Vincent),
Lloyd McGuire
(First Engineer),
Brendan Price (
Security Guard Morgan),
Alan Hunter
(Co-Pilot Bill),
Nova Llewellyn
(First Alphan Woman)

Guest Stars: James Laurenson
(Patrick Osgood),
Pamela Stephenson
(Michelle Osgood)

Uncredited Cast: Quentin Pierre
(Security Guard Pierce Quinton),
Harry Fielder
(Security Guard George),
Robert Reeves
(Operative Peter Reeves),
Pam Rose
(Operative P Rose),
Jenny Cresswell
(Operative L Picard),
Glenda Allen
(Operative G Allen),
Karen Ford
(Nurse),
Saul Reichlin
(Second Engineer),
Felicity York
(Second Alphan Woman)

Stunts: Cliff Diggins
,
Tracey Eddon

Plot:
Patrick Osgood begins to have visions of the destruction of Moonbase Alpha in a vast cosmic firestorm. It seems Osgood’s prophecy will be fulfilled as waves of heat begin to beat down on Alpha and Koenig discovers an incredible heat nebula heading for the Moon.

Quotes:

• Co-Pilot:
  ‘Talk about Dante’s Inferno.’
  
• Osgood:
  ‘Oh, I have a different faith than yours – a more certain knowledge of what is to be and what is not to be.’
  
• Tony:
  ‘Pat, is that what you came storming in here just now to tell me?’
  
• Osgood:
  ‘Your medical science – your advanced quackery – is no substitute for the true faith. Only faith can out-face death.’
  
• Helena
  :
  ‘I’m glad you have such tremendous faith in me.’
  
• Osgood:
  ‘Be conquered by my faith. You weren’t born to die. You are being and breath. What you are can never be destroyed.’
  

On-screen Date:
1,196 days since leaving Earth orbit.

Filming Dates:
Monday 21 June – Tuesday 6 July 1976

Review:
Another ‘double-up’ episode, filmed at the same time as ‘The AB Chrysalis’, ‘Catacombs of the Moon’ is edgy, moody and atmospheric. It is virtually a show right out of Year One, redesigned to fit the second season format. This must be due to writer Anthony Terpiloff, who previously wrote ‘Collision Course’ and, with his wife Elizabeth Barrows, ‘Death’s other Dominion’ and ‘The Infernal Machine’ – all memorable episodes from the first series. His obvious prevailing themes are carried over into this episode, with the most clearly defined being that of faith.

Filled with surrealistic images of Michelle Osgood on a white-canopied bed surrounded by a circle of flames on the lunar surface, ‘Catacombs of the Moon’ is visually dynamic. These visions consume Patrick Osgood, along with his premonitions of a vast heat storm.

James Laurenson turns in an outstandingly strong performance as Patrick. Pamela Stephenson delivers a sweet and subdued turn as Michelle, a woman clearly in love with her husband, and it’s enjoyable to see another couple on the Moon.

Alphan tempers flare as the temperature within the base rises. Zienia Merton shines in her strong supporting role, while Tony Anholt achieves a marvellous degree of subtlety and charm in such scenes as his talk with Patrick in the explosives storeroom. Barbara Bain conveys a tremendous strength in Helena Russell as she searches with determination for the answers to save her patient. To her optimism is contrasted Ben Vincent’s pessimism. While always a capable actor, Jeffrey Kissoon rarely made an impact in his role as Dr Vincent, but here his character has some dimension and his cynical outlook provides for some character drama in the Medical Centre sequences. The joy is that everybody gets to sink their acting teeth into a script containing a wealth of edgy dialogue exchanges, and it’s an opportunity the actors clearly took advantage of.

Martin Landau puts in a few brief appearances from an Eagle exploring the approaching heat storm, which adds his presence to the episode, unlike some other ‘double-up’ segments like ‘Dorzak’ in which he doesn’t appear at all. Catherine Schell also has only two quite small scenes but, as with Landau, at least she’s here. Her first scene, while she is off-duty, shows an exotic looking Maya walking in the base wearing a marbled green dress and elaborate hairstyle, adding dimension to her private off-duty life.

Unlike in a number of other Year Two segments, in ‘Catacombs of the Moon’ every bit part is performed by a capable actor who holds his or her own with the series regulars. Prime examples include Karen Ford as the Medical Centre Nurse, Alan Hunter as Koenig’s co-pilot Bill and Brendan Price as Security Guard Morgan. To put this in perspective, contrast their fine work with the crimes against acting committed in ‘The Mark of Archanon’.

There is much in this episode about altered states of consciousness. Patrick’s apparently disturbed mind may not actually be disturbed at all, and he may be in some form of contact with whatever cosmic presence exists as, or within, the heat storm. Michelle in her state of declining health – near death – also seems to reach new levels of mental abilities. Both characters seem to communicate telepathically with each other. In Michelle’s case, this is while she is asleep. Perhaps this is when her mind is most freed of the physical limitations of her body. Or is it all part of Patrick’s psychosis?

The recurring vision sequences with Michelle in the bed on the lunar surface do have an interesting similarity to Koenig’s Year One ‘dream’ sequences in ‘Missing Link’, where Victor Bergman is seen running towards the Commander but unable to reach him. Here it is Patrick who runs, arms outstretched, towards Michelle – but never reaches her.

It is also interesting to see the Alphan clothes getting more and more casual as the heat levels rise. Uniforms are replaced by an assortment of cooler casual wear, and this does add to the believability of life on Alpha – no-one would wear the exact same clothes all the time, every day, no matter how many different sets of uniforms they each have.

The Eagle is seen to be equipped with forward vision shields: when Koenig encounters the blinding light of the heat storm he calls for the ‘glare shield’ to be activated, and a screen descends, protecting forward vision ports from extreme glare. It’s a logical feature for the Eagle to be equipped with, but has not been referenced before.

Adding to the drama of the episode, the heat waves pounding Alpha and the Moon cause tremors and quakes in the lunar crust, making the search for Patrick and Michelle more treacherous amid rock falls from the catacomb ceilings.

The show is well directed, well plotted and features excellent characterisation and an outstanding use of minor Moonbase personnel. There are some fairly impressive special effects, and some of the most cinematic visuals of the entire season – most especially those images of the nearly burning bed on the lunar surface and the smoking-hot exterior of Moonbase Alpha, lit in orange by the fire storm.

There are a couple of plotting issues: where does Maya go after the rockslide buries Patrick, and why doesn’t she help Tony dig Osgood out? Osgood’s life is clearly at stake, and while it is dramatic to have Tony struggle alone to dig his friend out from beneath a rock pile (and he is heroically successful), one wonders why Maya doesn’t lend her abilities to the cause. Another lapse in series logic: although Anthony Terpiloff’s script originally referred to the ‘Dorfman’ artificial heart as the ‘Bergman’ artificial heart, this was changed by Fred Freiberger prior to filming. The scripted reference to Bergman’s heart would have leant a valuable degree of continuity between the seasons, and it’s an absolute shame it was altered.

Nevertheless,
Helena’s transplant of an artificial heart into Michelle is successful – physically. But she cannot transplant faith, or the will to live. Michelle’s recovery only really occurs when she is reunited with her husband.

As the characters speculate, who can say what the motivations of the heat storm were? How was it linked to Patrick Osgood in the condition he was in? And was it even real to begin with, or was it conjured from Osgood’s own subconscious link with some cosmic intelligence? These are intriguing questions that are raised and left for viewers to consider on their own, while all the issues essential to the plot are resolved satisfactorily. Additionally, it’s a delight to hear
Helena state, ‘We know so little about the universe.’ It recalls the original spirit of
Space: 1999
and incorporates it into the less mystical second season, where the Alphans seem more accustomed to their journey, more able to cope and understand the universe around them.

‘Catacombs of the Moon’ is a very strong episode, made more appealing and unique within the realm of Year Two by these suggestions that a Mysterious Unknown Force may have been at work.

Rating:
8/10

2.12

THE AB CHRYSALIS

Screenplay by Tony Barwick

Directed by Val Guest

Selected Broadcast Dates:

UK
              LWT:

             
Date: 20 November 1976.               Time: 10.55 am

             
Granada:

             
Date: 31 July 1977.

US
              KRON (San Francisco):

             
Date: 6 November 1976.               Time: 7.00 pm

Credited Cast: Martin Landau
(John Koenig),
Barbara Bain
(Helena Russell),
Catherine Schell
(Maya),
Nick Tate
(Alan Carter),
Robert Reitty
(Sphere Voice),
John Hug
(Bill Fraser),
David Sebastian Bach
(C – Guardian’s Brother),
Sarah Bullen
(Operative Kate),
Albin Pahernik
(Kreno Animal (Maya)),
Yasuko Nagazumi
(Yasko)

Guest Stars: Ina Skriver
(A),
Sarah Douglas
(B)

Uncredited Cast: Robert Reeves
(Operative Peter Reeves),
Pam Rose
(Operative P Rose),
Quentin Pierre
(Security Guard Pierce Quinton),
Harry Fielder
(Alphan)

Previously Titled:
‘The Chrysalis A B C ‘

Plot:
Moonbase Alpha travels toward the source of huge, precisely timed explosions in space; the defence mechanism of an alien culture. Koenig must convince the aliens to stop the next explosion, or Alpha will be destroyed.

Quotes:

• A:
  ‘You look well-featured, Commander Koenig.’
  
• Koenig:
  ‘This is Commander Koenig. In less than a minute you will be hit by another energy wave. At this range, Moonbase Alpha may well be destroyed. At best you must assume severe damage and large numbers of casualties. Let the log show that I commend all personnel for their courage, fortitude and devotion to duty since we left Earth orbit. That is all.’
  
• Koenig:
  ‘What happened is – we’re coming home!’
  

On-screen Date:
1,288 days since leaving Earth orbit.

Filming Dates:
Friday 18 June – Tuesday 6 July 1976

Commentary:

John Hug:
‘Sarah Bullen, who’s still a friend, had only one line of dialogue in the entire two series. There was always a possibility that she was going to have a line, or more lines, and when she finally got this line [in “The AB Chrysalis”], it was party time. “Yes! Sarah’s got a line!” It was an incredible line – we still sort of rib her about it. More or less, there’s an explosion in Moonbase Alpha, and she had this big thing on her desk that falls over. Koenig comes up and says, “Are you all right, Kate?” She says, “I’m fine, Commander, but I’m afraid my equipment’s taken a bit of a battering.” That was her line, and they never let her speak again. Which is very sad, really. I’d actually thought she was a bigger character, because the day I arrived, wandering around in my quilted space suit, she came up and introduced herself grandly, “Hello, I’m Sarah Bullen. I play Operative Kate.” I didn’t know who Operative Kate was. She showed me around the set, introduced me to people; she sort of took me under her wing. It was only later on I realised she didn’t have any lines. But that didn’t matter – she was wonderful. I think she should have been given whole speeches.’