Customer Reviews

Space 1999: The Complete Mega Set

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Some of the 5-star reviews are undoubtedly from fans who grew up watching these episodes in their 1970's heyday. I'm one of those fans, but I hesitate to give this set 5 stars. It certainly deserves it just for the overall wealth of material alone (the complete two seasons, plus extras; some good, some fairly lame--did we really need about 57 different station identifications hosted by Landau and Bain?). However, take it from me (and I'm a fan)... the series is seriously flawed, and I'm not just talking about the science. It makes me wonder if there's a new audience waiting for these episodes or not.

While the overall tone is one of seriousness, these episodes still come off as quite silly. What some of the 5-star reviewers neglect to mention is that SPACE: 1999 has some of the worst actors and dialogue ever featured in a sci-fi series, with some fairly ridiculous special effects and costumes to boot. Any kid today who watches this who's over the age of five will probably snicker with comtempt at what passes on the screen.

The actors/characters who come off looking better than most are Barry Morse (Prof. Bergman), Nick Tate (Carter), Catherine Schell (Maya) and Tony Arnolt (Tony). While Martin Landau and Barbara Bain fair better in Season Two, they're stiff as boards in Season One. Plus, all the actors are surrounded by some of the worst extras you'll ever see. The poorly-written dialogue doesn't help their matters... you don't have to be a science major to realize that some of the "science" quoted is really just made-up gobbledygook by writers who have no real understanding of real science at all. To make matters worse, any instance of "humor" between the characters feels shoehorned in and falls flat 9 times out of 10--rather than laugh along with the characters, you'll most likely groan and roll your eyes.

However, SPACE: 1999 is still a real hoot to watch. The special effects, when not laughably bad, can be quite impressive (for 1976, anyway) and are suitably groovy. There's no shame in enjoying a show like this PRECISELY for its kitsch value. Also, if you're a big fan of the STAR WARS movies, you may be able to spot where George Lucas got some of his production ideas! And if you're into science-fiction history in general, it's a lot of fun to see how SPACE: 1999 bridged the gap between STAR TREK and STAR WARS.

If you're a new fan, you might be better off sampling the indivdual box sets (which gather together six episodes each), rather than blowing nearly 200 smackers on such a gigantic undertaking like this ultimate box set. My personal suggestions would be to check Sets 1 and 4 (which give you a healthy sampling of Season One, with notable episodes "Breakaway," "Earthbound," "The Infernal Machine" and "Dragon's Domain"), and Sets 5 and 7 (which showcase Season Two and feature standouts "The Exiles," "Journey to Where," and "The Bringers of Wonder, Parts 1 & 2"). Either you'll fall in love with the series and want to get the rest, or you may find it's more than you'll ever need of SPACE: 1999. Either way, you'll enjoy yourself... getting sucked right in to the sci-fi drama, or laughing yourself silly.

Extraordinarily high quality TV sci-fi show designed to please intelligent viewers out there. The mix of "Hard Science" with brilliant scripting brings a much needed, refreshing change from the overplayed, mundane Star Trek world and other works. Sheer and true brilliance at works here. Some of the visuals come out as being as strong as the ones present in 2001 by Kubrick, that is saying a lot. Each episode feels like a full blown movie.

Space 1999 is an overwhelmingly trippy and smart sci fi experience. It also brings elements of true horror, you'll be shocked and awed many times. Prepare for a psychedelic journey through the inky void and blackness of space, which can be scary and downright frightening at times. I wouldn't recommend this show for younger audiences at any rate. I do recommend viewing the show with lights dimmed out for maximum immersion factor.

No watered down space opera drama offered here, this is true hardcore sci-fi. Characters are blatantly confrontational, don't fake smiles and emotions are kept realistically raw. This is expected considering the odds they must battle with. It is however a very bold move by the original producers of the show. In this regard, it comes out as being honestly genuine, stories are quite imaginative as well.

This was done in the 70s, and as such several of the true science fact may seem dated by now, others remained shockingly fresh. Those minor miss ups are irrelevant overall, perhaps a small annoyance to the overwhelmingly critical viewers. At any rate, the show comes out as being incredibly fresh and energetic from all angles. The video quality of the episodes is superb on DVD as well.

Season 1 and Season 2 are very different beasts altogether. Understand that by Season 2 a new American producer was brought in (Freddy Friedburger, who worked on Star Trek). Suffice to say, he changed many things around, making the show similar to what Star Trek was. This was not needed, except for the ratings at the time. The show remained good in Season 2 nonetheless (Season 1 has a lot of episodes at any rate, no worries).

Have a look at a site called space1999.net for more details if you're interested. Basically several second role key actors were booted out at the end of Season 1, when they refused a salary decrease. Season 2 is shot in a Star Trek fashion, much less cerebral than Season 1, much more predictable and filled with the standard oneliners. Still enjoyable, but the true magic of the show really lies in the first Season.

This is a must get for all 70s fans. If you enjoyed Logan's Run, Westworld or 2001, you'll love this. Fantastic show, with content and intelligence. A pure mind trip at times and very surrealistic. Highly recommended, a rare gem. Sadly we don't get this level of quality from television shows anymore.

Martin Landau.

When the date that the explosion on the Moon occurs in Space: 1999, I did do a double take at the moon (from what I recall it wasn't full that particular night). Although the series had fairly large narrative gaps and an implausible premise, I did enjoy it as a kid. I knew even then, however, that it wasn't scientifically accurate. There's a reason the show failed after two seasons--we don't really care about these characters as individuals. In many respects, Space:1999 reminds me of Harlan Ellison's misbegotten and botched television series Starlost. Ellison's creation was destroyed by the stupidity of television executives (which is why both the pilot and the series have his Cordwainer Bird pseudonym attached to them). Space:1999 likewise could have become something far more than it was if not for major inherent flaws in the series and writing.

The best way to view Space: 1999 is through rose tinted glasses; it's a descendant of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Time Tunnel, Land of the Giants and Flash Gordon not of Star Trek. As science fiction, Space: 1999 shares a major flaw that also cropped up in much of the hard science writing then (and even today); there's a lack of character development. We get no sense about these individuals as people hope, dream and want beyond somehow getting home to Earth. We also don't find out much personal information nor do we see them really interact on a personal level. They are cardboard characters designed to propel the visual effects and the plot. Part of the blame can be layed at Gerry & Sylvia Anderson's feet as creators/producers but the other part is the pedestrian writing from British television vets.

That isn't to say that Star Trek was perfect. The original series was also seriously flawed but managed to overcome many of those flaws due to the strong character development and involvement of major science fiction writers of the day (Issac Asimov corresponded with Gene Roddenberry: Jerome Bixby, David Gerrold, Richard Matheson & Harlan Ellison were hired as writers: whatever character flaws Roddenberry had, he understood that premise and characters had to be believable).

THe picture quality on this DVD set is variable. Some of the episodes are quite stunning while some of the sequences shown overseas but not here clearly aren't as in good a shape. The extras are nice. Filled with vintage interviews, we get a sense of what Anderson and his crafts people were trying to accomplish.

The optical effects still look pretty good although they are a bit dated by today's standard. Brian Johnson's (who later went on to work on Alien and other films) do an outstanding job given the time the series of was made.

The second season Anderson imported US producer Fred Frieberger. Frieberger did craft on elements that made the series more action adventure orientated. He also made character development one of his key goals. The problem is, again, in the writing. None of the ideas presented for each episode is developed the way they should be. Frieberger was brought on board because of his affilation with Star Trek. Unfortunately, Freiberger produced Star Trek during a time of turmoil during the series and it was in decline. His introduction of Tony and Maya did spice up the series a bit. He couldn't do much to rescue Space:1999 from the same fate--cancellation.

As a relic of the 70's, Space:1999 is still enjoyable today. It just didn't have the chance it needed getting out of the gate. It's fun for kids but fails as drama and science fiction all too frequently.

Space: 1999 was a futuristic science fiction series, produced in the 1970s, after Star Trek, and still had a basic hopefulness for the progress of science and the future of the world that such science fiction would strive to have during the height of the Cold War. Space: 1999 is in many ways more in the style of 2001: A Space Odyssey than Star Trek in several respects, not the least of which is that it was set in the very near future -- going from simple orbits to moonlandings in a decade made some people optimistic about the pace of science, space science in particular. It is in some ways sad that we are no closer to building a moon base or sending people to Jupiter than we were twenty years ago.

It is hard to imagine that there was a time when we thought 1999 was so far off that it had to be something futuristic and incredible. The design of the outfits was 70s-style future (just as the Star Trek outfits were 60s-style future, mini-skirts and all). The furniture of the future could have been described as Danish Post-Modern; everything is plastic and steel, everything gleams. Computers are a bit more realistic in Space: 1999, although it is fascinating what did advance beyond.

However, Space: 1999 wasn't about the gadgets. It was a cosmic voyage of discovery. Being a fairly low-budget television production, the producers had to be very creative with special effects and mood setting scenes; actual science took a back seat to the kinds of planets and situations the crew of Moon Base Alpha would face. These ideas were innovative -- from various peoples who were predecessors of earth civilisations to outside civilisations and cosmic forces that combined mystical and psychological elements well.

There are two seasons, rather loosely related. The first season had Moon Base Alpha on the surface of the moon -- the first episode has the moon blast out of orbit due to a nuclear waste-storage accident. Martin Landau and Barbara Bain are the main characters as the commander of the base and the chief medical officer; Barry Morse stars as science officer in season 1, but one of the changes for season 2 is that he disappears, which is unfortunate, given the stability his character lent to the show. Nick Tate was the Australian pilot (there was a fleet of Eagle spacecraft on Moon Base Alpha); season 2 added Catherine Schell as a shape-shifting alien orphaned on the moon base (Brian Blessed, in one of his myriad of b-roles, played her father for one episode). Her love interest (season 1 was all about the science and the journey of discovery; season 2 was all about love affairs) was the dashing Tony Verdeschi, played by British actor Anthony Anholt (rather unknown to American audiences, but frequently on British programming). Meanwhile, Commander Koenig and Dr. Russell (Landau and Bain, married in real life) were also falling in love, and the base was relocated for unexplained reasons underground, with a complete redesign even of the uniforms (rather dramatic changes for a resource-strapped moon base).

There were 48 episodes in all, 24 for each season, and like many a good series, it ended without resolution -- our moon base travellers are still hurtling through space, hoping to find a home.

The ideas were often ahead of their time, and it is interesting to see the character developments over time, also. It was perhaps a blessing that the show ended after two seasons, as the directions for the series were beginning to be limited (Battlestar Galactica, several years later, would encounter the same problem). The acting was mostly solid, but sometimes cheesy - Joan Collins playing an elitist doomed to mate with the barbarian she might at another time have had to synthesise as food; Christopher Lee playing himself (as usual) in an interesting role (the same is true for Peter Cushing and Leo McKern).

There is a certain style about Space:1999 that still is pleasing and future-oriented despite its now-dated title. The plots are inventive if not always entirely original, and the central characters carry the show well through the episodes. The moon-base minatures and space-craft effects are well done; the general sets, particularly for the first year, are very well done, from central command to the underground tube transport system.

Take the journey! This remains one of the best science fiction series ever produced.

If you want to see the science fiction show that bridged the first Star Trek and the Next Generation, this is it.Many of the plots, characters and ideas would be used for the next generation series , and even The X-files and Alien. When Space 1999 came out in the early 70's George Lucas claimed he woudn't have been able to make Star Wars without it. Even today the show feels very modern with its blend of gothic horror, the paranormal and science fiction. Many episodes are filmed in a neo-surrealistic style akin to Luis Bunel and Hitchcock. This mega set is the way to go, since it has year 1 and 2 episodes in order and bonus material. In a long run it will be cheaper to buy this set than the individual sets. This is the sci-fi release of 2003!!!!!!!

I actually bought all 8 seperate 2 disc boxes rather than wait for 6 months until this 'mega-set' came out. Either way, you are getting the entire series of Space 1999, which hasnt aired on TV where I live for 20+ years. A great collection for fans. On an intresting note, A&E have a 17th 'bonus disc' which includes a 'series finale' that wasnt ever aired, only available on their website.

I definatly recommend getting this series from amazon.com and then checking out the 17th disc on A&E's site.

I was born on Halloween of 1969, making me a little too young to have really watched the chronicles of the Moonbase Alpha and understood them. They have probably been shown in syndication, somewhere, but I've missed them. As I got older, I recall back-to-back episodes of STAR TREK (preceeding the Merv Griffin show, unless I'm mistaken), and the requisite STAR WARS fanaticism of most boys my age. Naturally, I ate all of that stuff up, collecting all of the toys and books upon which I could probably retire if they were still in my possession. Yeah, yeah - I did the BATTLESTAR GALACTICA thing too (and recall enjoying it, though SF purists now tend to scoff at it).

But SPACE 1999 . . .

I know that I've seen it, for there is one thing that leaps to mind whenever it's mentioned: that shape-shifter chick. She was alien, I would surmise - and HOT. That's what I remember, and all that I remember. Just an attractive, sexy, dark-haired being who could turn into . . . other stuff. I can almost, just vaguely, see Barbara Bain - but the alien girl . . . she must have sprung some kind of tiny spring in my pre-adolescent being . . . and it sits there, still boinging in her memory.

This, and the faint recollection of being scared as I watched a show which was probably way above my head . . .

The reviews here are very good, intriguing. There were always articles on this series in the movie mags I got as a kid (Starlog, Fantastic Films, etc.), nestled in between the episode guides to STAR TREK and the I-wish predictions for REVENGE OF THE JEDI . . . I guess that I just never managed to catch it when I got older.

But, if I get the extra money, sometime - yep, I'm going to spring for the megaset . . .

I hope that chick is still hot . . .

Okay - I was around in the 70'ies and watched "Moonbase Alpha" as I knew it as, whenever "mom and dad" permitted it. They had good reason not to let me watch, because several episodes are still in the back of my mind as I woke up covered in sweat the night after having watched an episode.

For that reason alone I found the boxset interesting. Not only can I now watch the episodes that I wasn't allowed to watch, and now I can also watch the "scary" ones again, while dying laughing. Movie technology (FX) has certainly come a long way since then - and so has writters and acting. But like Dr. Who, you get nostalgic because you remember how taken with it you were in the 70'ies. So as several other people have written, Space 1999 must be viewed as a 1970'ies production - not compared to what we are used to see today.

Now to the DVDs themselves. I give only 3 stars because I find the DVD collection missing a lot of features and information that I'm used to in my quite extensive DVD collection. Each DVD contains 3 episodes. The "bonus" is basicly a series of screen-shoots combined with one or two "set" pictures, and a page with the DVD producers name - why the HECK do I need to see that? On a few DVDs additional bonus material can be found, but it's short and quite out of context.

Where's the behind the scenes and notes for each episode? Where's the sound-track with producers or actors commeting on the episode? Where's the "putting into context" background of the series, helping people younger than me to understand the series? Actor profiles - this is the FIRST time I've not seen even a simple actor profile of the main cast - how come they are missing? What about background in how some of the FX tricks where done, that back then were ground-braking? I see people refer to the "lack of science facts" - it would have been an interesting subject to include on the DVDs with interview of the writers/producers to see how they tackled this critique. And a "where are they now" reunion seems to be in place too. Compared to my Monthy Mython DVD set, this is truly lacking lots of features.

Additional - there is a chaptor selector, even though it's only divided into 5 or 6 chapters. But you access them from the main menu, then the episode, then the chapter. Why not have a menu for each episode, and a screen with a synopsys where we could choose to view the epiode, choose chapter, see the list of actors and many even access to script or story-boards?

I was very taken by Space 1999 - and watching the episodes again is worth getting the whole set. But for the price I had expected more. It seems to have been thrown together without much thought of it's usefulness. Basicly this is VHS transferred to DVD with a few extra scenes. Very disappointing.

For many sci-fi fans Space 1999 was the ultimate treat during the '70s.Combining stunning visuals,color,glam and the most unbelievable storylines this show established a worldwide cult following like non other.At it's time it was also considered as being the most expensive tv series produced,eclipsing the original Star Trek series by far.Americans Martin Landau and Barbara Bain(both from Mission Impossible)led the otherwise British cast that featured guest stars,including Barry Morse in the first season, and Catherine Schell who became a regular and main attraction of the second season.One of the technical marvels were the insect like Eagle spacecrafts,that the Alphans used in almost every episode.The intricate details on these machines and their surroundings illustrated the time and effort spent in prodution,courtesy of Brian Johnson.
All 48(remastered) episodes feature elaborate storylines where the Alphans encounter a variety of complex and eventually hostile alien lifeforms,as they journey through space looking for the planet that would welcome and support them.It's also interesting to note that most of the episodes are completely uncut thus providing us with additional footage that was probably not seen during the original broadcast.This entire set comes loaded with extras like promotional trailers,cast and crew interviews,trick photography etc. that would make any Gerry Anderson fan happy .A sci-fi classic for sure !

As the title states... I don't own any of the recently released DVD's of this fine show. However my comments are from what I recall from Memory of its original broadcast dates.
Being only 12 during its first season my opinion may be somewhat jaded but that doesn't deter the very fact that this show had some excellent episodes that weren't surpassed until the fall of 1987 when Star Trek TNG came out.
I wish I could remember specifically which episodes of this series were because SOME were (story wise) just so rich in its content and overall production. Sadly though - the series did suffer with the introduction of the shapeshifter. It was a idea that was ahead of its time BUT the way they decided to show the shapeshifting process was laughable at best.
I also question on why (from technical reviews) on why they didn't put the needed $$ to do it right the first time and release (remix) the sound in 5.1 surround sound? Most certainly the technology exists to do this quite easily so why the delay?
I hesitate to buy these DVD's for that simple reason. There is no excuse for this poor decision. Now IF it couldn't be done then that would understandable but we all know that it can.