Back in the early 90s, a local TV station picked up a bunch of science fiction programmes from Britain, including Doctor Who, Blake's 7, and Space: 1999. I was already a Who fan and delighted to finally be able to watch stories from the 1960s for the first time, but as I always lived in a house with only one television, couldn't find the time to dedicate to more than one other show, as much as I was hungry for new science fiction to devour. So, I chose Blake's 7, which became a perennial favourite that I still re-watch every few years or so. I caught the tail end of Space: 1999 episodes every now and then but was never really convinced to give it a try, until now. I can't say what brought this on exactly: maybe the promise of some pretty cool guest stars; maybe my ongoing fascination with weird 70s stuff. Whatever the case, I'm glad to be finally doing this.
The show's premise is interesting, if improbable. NO point in sitting here poking holes in the science; I'm sure that's already been done to death and, with all its clear attempts to be sober and serious, it doesn't seem like hard science was a series consideration for the production. All that's fine for me; I'm willing to go with a hell of a lot for the sake of a nice style, and so far, I'd have to say that Space: 1999 has that in abundance. I also think that the acting is really solid across the board. Martin landau has a cool, commanding presence here, Barbara Banes is calm and assertive, and I noticed a lot of fine British character actors even at this early stage that I recognise from other things.
The story in this debut episode is a bit thin, but I was surprised by how fast fifty minutes went by. It reminded me of a few things in my experience, most notably, and I suppose surprisingly, Star Trek: Voyager, though I think I'm going to enjoy this weird show a lot more. Sure, there are crazy coincidences at play, and as with many other slightly clunky sci-fi things, "radiation" is basically a synonym for "weird maleficent force that does inexplicable and unpredictable bad things". I have to say though, the notion of using the moon as a nuclear waste dump is funny in a cynical way that I rather like, and it's not that much of a stretch to see that happening for real. I also read a science fiction novel not that long ago by Neal Stephenson (bit of a slog to be honest) that described what might happen if the moon suddenly broke away from Earth's orbit, which, while nothing like this show at all, at least validates the funky premise to a degree. I would think the future for Earth might be bleaker than that of the Alphans, and I wonder if the question of whether they would have anything to return to even if they could get home ever comes up in the future of the show.
Roy Detrice's Commissioner Simmon is an obnoxious, obstinate character that reminded me of one of those stuffy officials from early 70s Doctor Who. I liked the double-think of his favourite statement, "in my experience, the impossible just takes a little longer". it sounds good, but really amounts to nothing more than a politician throwing his weight around, thinking that all it takes is saying the right thing, greasing the right palms, in order to get what he wants, regardless of how impossible the science is. Boy, is he ever shut up in a hurry when everything goes tits-up on the moon.
No aliens in this episode, but a mysterious signal from a rogue planet, possibly beckoning the Alpha crew onwards. Intriguing stuff. I'm not expecting much continuity from this show; it feels more like a mood or state of being than an ongoing story, almost, so rather antithetical to modern TV-writing practices, but you know, I rather like it. The series never actually coming to a proper end probably frustrated people in the 1970s, but now it almost feels like a verification of the point I just made; it's not a story you follow, it's something you feel, and it's probably possible to just imagine it carrying on forever, or until the Alphans meet the right alien super-being that elevates them to a proper state of higher consciousness for them to live in eterntiy, or some damn thing. yes, I've read a bit about the show to prepare me for what I'm about to experience. I'm ready. Bring it on, Mr. Anderson.
