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So the Horror Channel in UK has started showing Space 1999 as part of it's Sci Fi schedule in the evenings.

I remember absolutely loving this show as a kid in the late '70s / early '80s. I also remember being absolutely terrified by it, lol. It's also a show I have been meaning to rewatch for many years but either never got round to it or was worried it would spoil my memories of it.

However, as it's on the telly and at a time that I normally veg on the sofa I thought I'd give it a go and have been watching since the pilot last week.

And I have to say - it's still amazing.

It's not perfect - the acting is almost Shatner level and some of the effects are really showing their age, but then again a majority of them aren't. The design elements for the Alphan/Terran stuff holds up amazingly well, some of the aliens are a bit dodgy but certainly no worse than Star Trek TOS and this was a British/Italian production and only about a decade later.

But the biggest thing for me is the storylines - I don't think I was old enough to appreciate just how good the concepts were and I think they are still very good today.

So, is it still a great show, or am I looking back with rose tinted glasses and what do people who never saw it first time round think of it now?

I really didn't get into Space 1999 enough when it was on.
I caught a couple of UFO a while back, and thought the same as you did for this.
I'll have to grab Space 1999 now that I know it is on again.

still features the best shapeshifter in all sci-fi as she could change into a bloke in an ape suit, thems the mad skills

Lot of time for Space:1999.

Konieg was a more measured, thoughtful commander than Kirk (the only direct-ish comparison at the time). We still had the triumvirate of leader/science/doctor fleshed out by other senior crew members but it seemed less hampered by the 'jokes' - the tone was more muted, more downbeat, at least in the first series.

Gerry Anderson and his crew were at the height of their powers with the effects. Alpha was a fantastic moonbase and the Eagle Transporter is a thing of utilitarian beauty.

I must admit I am less looking forward to season 2 with Mya.... lol.

I hadn't realised until watching recently how similar to Star Trek it was in terms of the command crew - and random security guys getting killed off, lol. If you have a purple sleeve don't expect to be alive by the end of the episode....

But yeah, the Eagle is still a wonderful bit of design.

I only watched a handful of episodes about 15 years ago, but the main thing I remember is the cheap plastic chairs.

I also remember Christopher Lee was in an episode.

StraightSilver wrote:
I also remember being absolutely terrified by it, lol.

LOL. I was mostly in the same boat. The WTF was strong with that show, at least when you were watching it as a kid.

It is also available for free on Tubi. I have not been able to watch it yet, and never saw the original.

The Eagle does look pretty sweet as a spaceship though.

 Easy E wrote:
It is also available for free on Tubi. I have not been able to watch it yet, and never saw the original.

The Eagle does look pretty sweet as a spaceship though.

I'd be interested in your thoughts if you do get around to watching it.

I'm 10 episodes into "Year 1" or season 1 as we would know it.

There have been a couple of naff episodes but even still the actual writing/concepts has been solid throughout.

There's also been a lot of episodes where I'd like to know if Space 1999 influenced other sci-fi or if the show itself was influenced by sci-fi at the time.

One episode in particular, "Dragon's Domain", about the ship's graveyard, almost seems like a blueprint of Alien and Aliens.

And I love the Eagle more and more, so cool.

Edit:

I actually checked and Alien was written a few years later.

StraightSilver wrote:
There's also been a lot of episodes where I'd like to know if Space 1999 influenced other sci-fi or if the show itself was influenced by sci-fi at the time.
One episode in particular, "Dragon's Domain", about the ship's graveyard, almost seems like a blueprint of Alien and Aliens
....
I actually checked and Alien was written a few years later.

Do you know who wrote that episode? Lots of big names had a hand in series like this before they got big (or during, and carried on).

 Skinnereal wrote:

StraightSilver wrote:
There's also been a lot of episodes where I'd like to know if Space 1999 influenced other sci-fi or if the show itself was influenced by sci-fi at the time.
One episode in particular, "Dragon's Domain", about the ship's graveyard, almost seems like a blueprint of Alien and Aliens
....
I actually checked and Alien was written a few years later.

Do you know who wrote that episode? Lots of big names had a hand in series like this before they got big (or during, and carried on).

I had to Wiki it but this was written by Christopher Penfold. I think the only other significant thing he's worked on was the film "Under the skin"