Space: 1975

Where's Spock when you really need him?

As a youngster in the 70's  I developed a liking for fantasy and science-fiction through movies and series shown on TV, not to mention novels by the likes of Heinlein. It was initially stuff like the original 60's Star Trek, which played daily in TV syndication during the following decade, that caught my fancy. Extremely little else existed for several years. When England's Space: 1999 came to Canada in '75 and ran until '77 (then continued in syndication into the 80's), I was thrilled to death.... here was a show not too far off the tone established on Star Trek. While retaining my love of the old Trek show, I went crazy over Space: 1999. So much so that I built my own stun gun. Now I was only about 9 or 10 years old at the time, so I wasn't exactly soldering metal or buzz-sawing lumber on this project. I was, however, pretty proficient with cardboard, scissors, adhesive tape, and poster paints. The finished product was good enough for me back then, but I'm sure if I saw that same creation today, I'd probably shake my head in disbelief. Apparently there were model kits of the stun gun back then, but I never saw them in my local hobby store.

There was something different about Space: 1999, something I couldn't quite describe as a kid, but it was a more serious approach to science-fiction - even more so than on Trek, enhanced by a fine cast of actors, slick and impressive special effects (Star Wars hadn't appeared just yet so this was cutting edge at the time) and set design. I was most struck by the Eagle Transporter ships. If the model kit of that sleek craft had appeared at my favourite hobby shop, I would have snapped it up, but that was never to be. A real shame, because that was right at the top of my wish list for years. Even today, I'd be pleased to acquire and build that model, but since the only existing kits are circa the 70's, they command high prices. Maybe some day. 

Even though Martin Landau as Commander Koenig was a cool and efficient leader on Moonbase Alpha, I was more impressed (in my nearly teenage years, naturally) with the exotic Maya, the science officer in season two. Maya was portrayed by the ex-Bond girl Catherine Schell, who I later recognized from the 007 epic, On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Schell was enticing back in the 1969 James Bond film, but there was much more to her mature, brainy, and alien (a shape-shifter, my favourite kind) character in Space: 1999. 

I recently re-watched a few of the very first episodes of the series, and I was surprised to find that the stories and acting still hold up well after all these years. Sadly, the show has largely been forgotten, except by the fans who watched the show in its first run.