Space: 1999

I missed the premiere episode of Space: 1999 (September 5, 1975) due to a Cub Scout meeting. This was long before people had VCRs in their homes, and there was no guarantee of a repeat. So, this caused me extreme consternation. I was not a happy Cub Scout.

If I'd only known that some day I'd own the entire two seasons on DVD, I might not have stressed as much over it as I most certainly did. Damn the Cub Scouts!!
Party over, oops, out of time?
This is what I looked at during lunch for an entire school year:I devoured this Starlog (I still have the issue, as well number 1).I loved the Eagle, and built and then destroyed several of these:I even built the Moonbase Alpha model:And I ran around the neighborhood with one of these:The show was on for two seasons (1975-77), and was the last TV series created by the team of Sylvia and Gerry Anderson, the people behind Thunderbirds, Fireball XL5, and UFO. I loved the special effects (very 2001: A Space Odyssey) and the opening credits (especially the theme song!). Here's season one's opening credits:


I was already familiar with the husband and wife acting team of Martin Landau and Barbara Bain from Mission: Impossible.

The opening sequence for season two was much flashier and included a plot synopsis:




Season two's opening had Landau and Bain "action" shots (I imitated Landau's many times in my backyard): In addition, the show's creators hoped to spice things up with some sex appeal (I suppose) supplied by the addition a newer, younger cast, which included former Bond girl (sort of), Catherine Schell, as "Maya."

Strangely enough, her last acting job (according to IMDb) was in something called "Space: 1899," the cast including Landau, Bain, Tony Anholt, and Nick Tate. Maya was like the show's Spock (she, like Mr. Spock, was the science officer), and was an alien rescued from the planet Psychon. Maya was able to change into any animal form, the ones featured in the credits sequence probably not existing on the planet Psychon:


Season two credit sequence: