Space 1999's Top 10 Scariest Moments | Gerry Anderson's Space:1999

[@GerryAndersonTV]

Do you agree with our top 10 selection? Anything we've missed? What did you find scariest?

[@ryanstephenkristoferkearns1319]

Dragon's Domain was a scary episode, that I watched on ITV 4 when they repeated the series in 2009.

[@martinbaxter6414]

Totally! Brilliant production, this, top to bottom. And every call was unquestionable, in my mind. 'Dragons' Domain' still holds up, for me.

[@ericbrunel8933]

Totally agree with the list, and the number 1. I watched Dragon's Domain when I was young, and it scared me so much I just ran out of the living room! 😂 Today, the poor quality of the special effects by nowadays' standard - and me having aged quite a bit too, probably - have of course lowered the impact. But the overall atmosphere of the episode is still very unsettling. I can only imagine what it would be to have a remake or "reboot" with modern techniques!

[@dmf2475]

I personally find 'End Of Eternity' to be the most disturbing of all the episodes, the violence is pretty full on for a family show and Peter Bowles gave me nightmares as a kid, I thought he pretty creepy in The Avengers but this is a whole new level.

[@evertonporter7887]

@@ericbrunel8933 The Rathars in Star Wars TFA somewhat reminded me of that monster. But this one was more scary.

[@Daveissocool]

I saw Dragon’s Domain as a child in the 70s and will never forget this scene. That is what started me looking around KZbin for this episode. The only thing I had were vague memories and Space 1999. I would not say I was traumatized, but I’m a 53 year old man and this scene still pops into my head once in a while. Thanks for posting!

[@sm1tty031]

I had the flu when I was 6 or 7 years old. We had a portable black and white TV that went into the sick kids room to help pass the time. One night I turned on the TV when I wasnt supposed to. Im sure I had a fever and couldnt sleep. I watched this episode in black and white and was completely horrified. I was traumatized by it for weeks after..and yes. This episode broght me to look for Space 1999 on YT. I had the Eagle One toy and brought in to Show and Tell in Kindergarten. I remember that clearly.

[@michaelc9009]

Wow, I had the exact same experience as both of you. I was haunted by this episode for many years after seeing it on TV. Went looking for a way to see it an the internet in the late 90s to early 2000s. I only recently stumbled on the show being available on freevee and started watching. I searched for Space 1999 Scarry episode and now remember many of them. I was sure the number one was the episode I was looking for and sure enough. I was 6-8 years old during the shows run and am happy to be able to watch it again. Also had the Eagle One toy in grade school. Wish I had hung on to it. Was one of my favorites.

[@sm1tty031]

@@michaelc9009 amazing coincidence! Cheers!

[@jagc1969]

Dragon's Domain was the scariest episode for me too. My favorite series back them.

[@travisrlel2]

Was traumatized by that episode as well. Age 6.

[@GrinnenBaeritt]

Dragon's Domain is one of the few episodes that children of the 70's will remember, vividly... certainly nightmare inducing.. I know I had them! anyone who remembers Space 1999 has this episode, more than any other, burned into their memory.

[@stumpybear60]

I saw Dragon’s Domain when it was first run in the 1970s. It affected me for weeks afterwards. I was in my teens at the time and still remember how horrifying the episode was!

[@ewaf88]

I used to work with some New Zealand Temps and they often talked about it as being truly frightening.

[@CMDR_Verm]

I was terrified by the complete lack of expression on the actors faces after they were hypnotised, but then seemingly becoming aware of their inevitable fate just seconds before it happens.

[@ewaf88]

@@CMDR_Verm Yes I remember that - you know what's going to happen - but can't move

[@tommargarites2811]

Yep, this was the most memorable episode for me, when I was growing up. I still enjoy watching it from time to time

[@elizadennison7433]

Sam here. I watched it when it first aired and it gave me nightmares for months. What's amazing is that they considered it an appropriate image to put on a children's lunch box!! www.icollector.com/Vintage-Space-1999-Lunchbox_i14338911

[@mustangtel9265]

Like me, anyone who saw Dragons Domain as a kid knew for absolute certainty that it was going to be number one on this list.

[@roybarnes-thewildlifeman1855]

Totally, totally correct!

[@SenecaRaccoon]

I remember watching Dragons Domain on TV and it DESTROYED my ability to sleep an entire night without nightmares for a solid month!

[@ListerDavid]

Dragon’s Domain is well deserving of the number one spot, when I saw it in the 90s it scared the living hell out of me!

[@peter8084]

Robert's Video Madness Totally agree there I had many nightmares after watching that !!

[@billcame6991]

Was there any doubt which one would be #1?

[@chanvalentine8283]

@Professor Fez totally agree with you. Saw it when I was 5. First run in the USA.

[@midnightmosesuk]

I was watching this and I was thinking "number one has got to be the thing that spat corpses". I couldn't remember the name of the episode, I barely remember the series, but that Lovecraftian horror was still fresh in my memory.

[@shmuli9]

dragomn's Domain scared the out of me ,and still does. When "the Commsioner" locked in box does as well but not as much, too...

[@RogueWJL]

It took me twenty plus years to watch DRAGONS DOMAIN again. I was terrified by it as a kid and the fear was deep routed. Everything about it-from the acting to use of classical music in the soundtrack is incredibly effective. Amazingly , when the Alphans turn up, you actually fear for the safety of Keonig Helena etc as things are so bleak and so scary.. Its a masterpiece really but I still have to be in the right frame of mind to watch it even now.

[@Liam021471]

"It vomits up your steaming carcass!" Best description EVER!!!

[@dropship123]

Dragon's Domain, enough to scar any child of the 70s for life, and it did 😱

[@darthfushang1]

When I watch it now it's in the day time, yes I still carry my scar and I love it.

[@bernardboka4277]

Scarred me and I love it. The true origin of Alien. I saw those derelict ships and understood what happened to the Ultra probe, happened to them. Arachnophobia

[@otterpoet]

That creature still haunts me... was way too young to be watching that XD

[@ursa41]

YES, Dragon's Domain, rightfully so, DESERVES THE NO. 1 SPOT!! Hands down, bar none! When I first watched this episode in December of 1976 ( I was 12), I suffered weeks of nightmares galore (way to go Gerry Anderson)!! That tentacled monstrosity left quite a psychological impact in me. Now at 56, I still cringe with spine-tingling horror (albeit not the same as when I was a kid mind you , but, well, you get the idea lol) when I watch that Dragon's Domain episode from my DVD collection.

[@datathunderstorm]

I recall the abject horror with which I and my Space:1999 addicted school mates watched Dragon’s Domain, back in the late 70s......on TV in Lagos, Nigeria. Yes, we were suitably horrified. And we all had nightmares afterwards. The way it gobbled up it’s victim (dragged in by those long tentacles, before the smaller ones shoved the doomed human into its fiery maw and then ejected the steaming desiccated carcass) was pure genius. Pure HORROR MOVIE genius...!!!! Yes, I locked my bedroom door at night, and hid under the blankets in the tropical heat at night! I recall being scared to go to the loo in the middle of the night, lest I encounter that tentacled cyclops in a doorway, eager to make a light steaming snack of me. I’ll confess I laughed heartily at all the horror scene choices from numbers 10 to 2. But, number one STILL shut me up. Gone was the laughter. I was back to that wide eyed kid staring at the most dangerous and horrific alien I had ever seen, fixated on those lower tentacles that pulled the victim in, then spewed out its steaming remains. The way it lured you in, like an internet scam email promising you unimaginable riches. Dragons Domain is still scary today as it was all those years ago!

[@steelwookie]

I saw Dragons Domain when i was 3. Yes, 3. Im now 46 and i can still vividly remeber the nightmares of that thing stuck in my bedroom door.

[@stephenrobinson9449]

I was a kid in the 70’s and loved Space 1999. I still have an eagle I got as a child on a visit to York in 1976. It sits in my office. Dragon’s Domain was my favourite episode but I also I remember watching Brian Blessed get turned into gore watching the episode at a friends house when I was in elementary school. Thanks for a really entertaining video. I watched, rooting for Dragon’s Domain for Number one!

[@ricardorosales435]

Stephen Robinson mi to I was 6

[@stevegreen6990]

Mine too

[@kimberlyraiser5587]

Same here!!! I want to see your Eagle!!!! I have Space 1999 on dvd. I couldn't wait until Saturday when I would watch reruns! I was a space freak since the moon landing!!!

[@allenjones3130]

Brian Blessed was a very fine actor who did a great job portraying villainous characters such as Cabot Rowland and Mentor.

[@Cydonia2020]

I still watch Dragon’s Domain when I want a good scare. 45 years later it can still creep me out and I love it. I talked to Nick Tate a few years ago about this episode and he was still rather upset that the episode was originally written for his character Alan Carter; that he was the one who under took the mission and came back a scarred man. Unfortunately, Martin Landau did not want a secondary character out shining him in an episode, so he demanded that they re-write it for a guest star. Poor Nick was relegated to being a punching bag for Tony Cellini, not once, but twice in that episode. I can’t blame him for still being a bit raw about it all these years later.

[@ewaf88]

A real pity that 'big' stars have such inflated egos. Nick always came across as a nice guy off screen. I have Space 1999 on HD DVD - it look fabulous. Series one is a classic in my mind and to think it started filming only 4 years after Star Trek. The gulf in special effects in astonishing.

[@AlexGreeneHypnotist]

That explains why the secondary character got not one, but two name changes - he was "Calder" in the novelisation, and "Cellini" in the actual show, presumably because the brilliant actor who played him couldn't shift that Italian accent. Mind you, the Italian accent is like wine on the ears, and my sisters still got the hots for that even despite the scene-stealing Monster.

[@starsiegeplayer]

That would have been better.

[@memoir4you]

Yep fragile egos, I think Landau was a very insecure actor despite being a good main lead in the show .

[@epiendless1128]

Absolutely. I've been pissed off on Nick Tate's behalf for years, so I can only imagine how he feels.

[@brianartillery]

I watched 'Space: 1999' when it was shown, uncut, on Saturday mornings in the 1970's. I was 12, and my younger brother was 5 1/2 - 6. We usually watched it with my brother holding on to my arm with a vice like grip. When 'Dragon's Domain' was shown, my brother's grip increased until it hurt. When there was an ad break, I asked him if he wanted me to turn it off, as it was frightening. I found it so, and that was after I'd seen some 'proper' horror movies. My brother shook his head, but watched the rest from behind a cushion.when it finished, he told me that it was the scariest thing he'd ever seen, but we mustn't tell mum and dad, because they'd stop us watching the show, and he liked it too much for that (his favourite character was Alan Carter, by the way). Roll on forty odd years. My brother tells me that he had explained about 'Space: 1999' to a friend at work, who had never heard of it. Then he said: "Do you remember that episode, 'Dragon's Domain'? It gave me bad dreams for years. Even thinking about it now, brings me out in goosebumps. I wonder if it's still as frightening now?" Well, I watched it on DVD a few months ago, and I can report that it still made my flesh crawl. So yes, and well done. The only comparably frightening TV show of the time, in an early timeslot, would have to be the second story from 'Sapphire And Steel', with the haunted station, and it's whistling ghost. Brrrr.

[@GerryAndersonTV]

Excellent story! Thanks so much for sharing :)

[@brianartillery]

I watched it again yesterday - and a lot of what makes it disturbing is what happens to Tony Cellini on his return. He's called a liar and a coward (he's possibly THE bravest character in both seasons of the show - when he's rescued, somebody asks Dr Bob Mathias how he could possibly have survived, and Bob just says "Courage.") and basically vilified for the deaths of his crew. Throughout the episode, we get to know him, feel his sadness at the loss of his friends, and like him - that's true character development, by the way, to those who always say that 'Space: 1999' characters are mere ciphers - and you just know, deep down, that he's got to meet this hellish 'thing' again, to put things right, to save himself, and will die in so doing. That knowledge is disturbing in itself.

[@ComdrStew]

My mom raised me to watch horror movies, I saw The Exorcist in 1979 when I was 7 years old so Space 1999 was very tame. The Exorcist was released in 1973, the day after Christmas but back then movie theaters would re-show movies on certain days.

[@helbent4]

@@ComdrStew A little "too cool for school" but thanks for sharing anyways.

[@davidbennett60]

Dragons domain gave me nightmares and I was all WTF! I'm only 6 dammit!

[@arguspanoptes9510]

Barbara Kellerman's screaming in Dragons Domain when she is running her fingers through her hair and fighting being hypnotised as she tries to pull away from the spidery monster still makes me shudder. The Screaming! !!

[@jackburtonstwin]

I also saw Dragon's Domain in the 1970s and I can add is that it was absolutely no surprise to this episode at your number 1. It may seem quite tame today, but if you consider the 'Aliens' that appeared in contemporary sci-fi of the period, this thing was pant-wetting scary! It wasn't until 1979, and the arrival of Ridley Scott's Alien, that I was to see another sci-fi protagonist that was so emotionless, unrelenting and remorseless in its intent to render whatever it wanted.

[@gommechops]

We were tough stuff in the 70's, watching this on a Saturday morning!

[@winsomehax]

Dragon's Domain and the Commissioner being trapped screaming in the glass box are the two things I remember from Space 1999. I think it used to be on a Sunday afternoon... I can't believe they showed Dragon's Domain at that time.

[@ScottFromCanada]

The music was the most important part of the show. It was very hypnotic and lulled you into the fantastic events we were seeing on the screen. It made us forget how cheesy the effects and science were and just enjoy the adventure. For me this was most noticeable in Mission of the Darians. The organ with the slow vibrato still grinds in my mind every time I hear it and causes great tension that intensifies the horror on the screen ten fold. And the Adagio in Dragon's Domain really helped a lot to set a calm-before-the-storm feeling. And I still remember thinking the monster looked silly but the episode scared me anyway! The scream they used helped a lot!

[@thermionic1234567]

Scott Rogers There are CDs for both seasons. Get the first one. It’s very good. I’d prefer to forget the second season but must say its problem wasn’t really the music...

[@wright534]

"Dragon's Domain" successfully combines several horror archetypes; it absolutely *terrified* me as a teen in the '70s! No quarrel with your other choices either. "1999" is an often-underrated show; for all its campy flaws, it had moments that still shine. Many thanks!

[@simonfarrell6585]

Dragons domain without a doubt! Up there with salems lot for "stuff I shouldn't have seen as a kid"

[@simonpotts8570]

Dragons Domain remains one of the scariest TV episodes I've ever seen (for my age) and is one of the reasons I've still got a VCR

[@donatist59]

It's on DVD now.

[@bastidface]

You should see it in restored High Definition. The restored 35 mm film and 5.1 sound make it look like it was filmed yesterday. It's well worth the upgrade.

[@oddities-whatnot]

The graveyard of abandoned space ships, the classical music, would make a great film if someone could do it. Sci fi seems popular on Netflix these days, worth a thought.

[@TIEHL7]

6 years ago, I bought the laboratory Eagle and proudly brought it to work to show some of my co-workers... Nobody knew what it was and had never heard of the show... It was embarrassing as it seems I was the only one of 80 people at my firm that had ever watched it... One person incorrectly remembered the Thunderbirds show, but most asked if it was from Star Wars... As I am a toolmaker several people accused me of making it myself as some kind of prop... I will never forget the Dragon's Domain episode... It terrified me for years...

[@cozzinie]

I was scarred for life by Dragon's Domain. My Army Ranger team dangling me off a thousand foot cliff bound hand and foot upside down in the dark of night was no comparison.

[@timetraveler2518]

I agreed with your top ten scariest episodes of Space:1999. Dragon's Domain is my favorite episode of all episodes of Space: 1999. I never forget this episode in 1975 when I was 17 until I recently saw this one that sparked my flashback. I certainly missed this awesome British sci-fiction TV show - Space: 1999. Thank you for showing this video with a closed caption, Gerry Anderson! Cheers!

[@RX552VBK]

yesss! the Zorif episode! Those EYES!!! God that scared the Hell out of me as a kid!

[@tiborpurzsas5465]

I was a pre teen in the 70ties when this show was playing in Hungary ! Commercial free at the time ! I'll never forget the episode "The force of life" I have never even seen a proper horror yet ! I remember it was restricted 14 plus , but I liked the show so mutch that my mom let me wach it ! It scared me so bad I couldn't sleep a wink that night ! I couldn't cry , cos my mom would never let me watch the show again ! It was my first encounter whit thrue horror for the first time !

[@dudleymq]

I still remember being terrified by Dragons Domain as a12 year old in 1975... And also afraid to tell my parents what I'd just watched! Great video, thanks!

[@Whatever4690]

Are you sure it aired in 1975?, because that means i watched this when i was 6.

[@dudleymq]

@@Whatever4690 Or early '76... Scary for a 6 year old!

[@Whatever4690]

@@dudleymq Yeah i caught the worse part, don't think i stuck around for the rest, all i remember is whirls that pull people in and corpses spat out. 7 or 8 sounds about right.

[@brianartillery]

My little brother and me didn't dare tell our parents - they would have stopped us watching the show. Definitely - my brother was about five and a half, and was terrified by what he'd seen. But we had to keep watching. So we kept quiet.

[@GDJ1957]

OH, I remember this number 1very well, back in the 70's it was hard to believe they would show this on TV.

[@LynneHobday1]

I remember seeing Dragon's Domain as a child. But this is the first time I've seen clips of it. The images have stayed with me over the years. Thanks for bringing the terror back.

[@Trygvar13]

The scene that is really sad about Simmonds is when Helena asks Koenig who the computer had selected and it turned out to be Simmonds. I was six years old the when that episode first aired and I couldn't sleep for over a week. But Dragon's Domain was by far the one that affected me the most.

[@LieutLaww]

I remember seeing Dragons Domain when I was younger and it scared me silly, I mean the Dalek's were bad enough but an alien that grabbed you then spit whats left of you out brrrr nightmare inducing stuff. I watched it again when the Blu Ray remaster came out and it still gave me the chills.

[@omega311888]

kudos for the Dr Who reference :)

[@mephistoxarses8585]

I'll tell you whats really scary. As a 49 year old (2019) i just recently bought the Space 1999 series on Blu-ray having watched it as a kid back in the 70s but as time passed i forgot all about it due to shows like ST:TNG-Babylon 5-DS9-Farscape etc. It was only until a UK channel called "Horror" began to show the series again that i suddenly remembered Space 1999. The first episode that i managed to watch when it was airing at 20:00 (I work late nights) was....you guessed it Dragons Domain..... And i remembered THAT episode traumatised me as a kid back in the 70s for weeks. So glad it made the number one spot. It deserves it!

[@bhbluebird]

Dragon's Domain. Yep, the episode everyone who watched the show remembers

[@Bubbles99718]

This is one of the best reasons why youtube is so freakin great. Vids like this. 51 now, watched every bit of DeepSpace 9 as a kid but had zero memory of any of it. EXCEPT FOR.....numero uno here. My whole life every now and again I would think of this scene. Being dragged into this things maw absolutely left an imprint on me. I remember shear horror when watching this. Great stuff. And reading the comments here it is obviously a universal feeling about this episide. Trippy

[@BIackMoonCGI]

Deep space 9?

[@Bubbles99718]

@@BIackMoonCGI Yeah, oops. Correction 2 years later, Space 1999. :)

[@rjhillsr33]

Dragon's Domain was one of the first ten episodes of Space 1999, and it scared the life out of me...I was only 7 years old when it aired the first time. It haunted my dreams for years! I still love this show to this day, 45 years later! Definitely should've had more than 2 seasons~

[@jimgdr8453]

Seeing Dragons Domain on irish telly RTE was one of the scariest moments of my preteens and I’ve never forgotten it. Brilliant!!

[@charlesfiddler6838]

Absolutely spot on. I was ten when I snuck into the family room at one in the morning to watch season one in the dark trying to keep from waking anyone else in the house. I was hooked on the creepy scary elements of the show. This was the only time I was thankful for the bland late nite commercial breaks that gave me genuine two minute respite from the delicious horror. It was heaven and hell and oh so wonderful.

[@wlessfanable]

I remember seeing "Deaths Other Dominion" first run and it still gives me shivers to this day.

[@dmf2475]

Season 1 of 'Space 1999' is hugely underrated, such a shame that most people judge the show by Season 2. I watched this on first transmission and my local tv station in the UK put it on a Saturday Evening and it usually came on just after Dr Who. We are talking Season 13 here, so it was shown at the same time as 'Pyramids Of Mars' and 'The Android Invasion' as I remember and that made for some pretty scary Saturday Nights, didn't sleep too well after that Double Bill. Great Video, thanks for posting.

[@IronWoode]

We had it for Saturday evenings here in Canada back in 1975 - 1976. Doctor Who was generally on in the early evening or late afternoon depending on the channel. I also remember watching the 4th serial of Tom Baker's Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks. That was also a very dark and frightening serial.

[@fenwar9060]

Someone commented that Space:1999 was really Lovecraft in space. Great vid sir.👏👏👏

[@frankpinmtl]

I can still remember the day, back in the 70's, that I watched Dragon's Domain - hidden behind the couch in the basement. I was unable to run away because I was so enthralled, but so scared I needed that piece of furniture between me and the tv to watch it. It scarred me. When next week's episode came on, I was so relieved - yet a little disappointed, to see that there was no scary monster.

[@jeffreyraia5804]

I saw Dragon's Domain back in the 70's when I was a kid and the memory of that taunted me for decades. I never did see that monster again until your video. Thanks for bringing it back this delightful nostalgic horror moment

[@CarnorJast1138]

I was ages 9 through 11 when this show was on TV. Fell in love with it! Season One was fantastic, while season two had too many changes, but wasn't terrible. I have both seasons on DVD! The scariest moment was with the Episode Dragon's Domain. That creature scared the living hell out of me back then! Still a scary concept and that whole episode was amazing!

[@harvey1965]

Excellent work. It amazes to this day, just how amazing and beautiful the interior sets of Alpha were!

[@paulaburrows8660]

Hands down Dragons Domain. Great trip down memory lane.

[@pdxthomas]

Another viewer here, who was watching these episodes when they were 1st aired. I was in early elementary school at the time, when Space: 1999 arrived on American TV to fill the science fiction void, beyond the Star Trek re-runs everyone had practically memorized. Season 1 freaked me out in a way like nothing else on TV could have done at my young age in the '70s. "Dragon's Domain" literally gave me nightmares. That episode definitely deserves #1.

[@lurkerrekrul]

I was 8 when I saw Dragon's Domain in the U.S. and it scared the crap out of me. I'm not sure I even finished watching it the first time. The Troubled Spirit also really creeped me out.

[@blatherama]

The Dragon's Domain beast screaming and spitting out the smoldering carcasses, and the politician waking up to discover he was trapped are the two images that still stick with me and still creep me out. And I was around 9 years old when I first saw them.

[@roncrook1998]

Yup. Dragons Domain gave me nightmares when I was a kid in the 70’s. The screams of the monster and the hypno sound effect would scare me now in a dark place 😂

[@cas3020]

I watched space 1999 when it originally aired, at ages 14 through 16. I was doing a Google search to find the episode where the people are sucked into the monster and roasted alive. OMG. there was the right episode mentioned in your top 10 list! I've remembered that episode for 45 years or so, from age 15 to almost 60. Thank you for the video list.

[@ewaf88]

The kid in the Alpha child must have been a role model for Damian in 'The Omen'

[@oddities-whatnot]

Yes, the child looks very creepy in the same way as Damian.

[@hendrsb33]

Just reading the title of this video, I already knew what the scariest SPACE 1999 episode was. Even as an adult, "Dragon's Domain" still makes me uncomfortable. The horror comes from imagining what's happening to the monster's victims when it sucks them down. When I was kid I had to remind myself that I was watching a TV show, that the actors were still alive and that the creature was just an effective prop. To me, the worst horror is being eaten and unequivocally KNOWING it. This is right up there with KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER.

[@SouthernInvasion]

Dragon's Domain still sticks with me all these years later, thank you for confirming that this existed and I was remembering this correctly. Scared the shit out of me...

[@terry6217]

Dragon's Domain. Still my favourite episode, especially when I first saw it on its initial run in the 70's.

[@blackasp001]

Not only is "Dragons Domain" scary as frak, it also has one of my favourite spacecraft in the Ultra Probe 👍

[@9999watts]

Saw Dragons Domain in about 1978-79 on a Saturday afternoon when I lived in New Jersey. Scared the living crap out of me then and it still gives me the creeps today at 48. When I purchased the dvd in the 90’s I immediately watched it and it still freaked me out how scary it was. How it was on a Saturday afternoon at 3 still amazes me today. Whenever I think of this show, this episode is absolutely the one I think of. Great list by the way, I knew dragons domain would be #1 as soon as I saw this video.....

[@chrisdirk5291]

I watched Dragon’s Domain back in the 70's. Fucked me up!

[@chriswinkler456]

I was about 5 or 6 when I watched Dragon's Domain in the 70's. I was scared by it for years, but never told my folks because I loved the show. I'm still certain this was the defining moment that created a lifelong interest in sci-fi-horror and monsters. Thank you for a fine review on what is one of television's most scariest hours.

[@robjones2408]

"Dragon's Domain" deserves its' No.1 place. It was truly frightening, only equaled by the original tv 1989 version of "Woman In Black" and DW's "Blink". When the entire series was repeated in the mid1990s, "DD" wasn't shown. That speaks volumes.

[@mrc1500]

Still remember Dragon's Domain, 40-odd years later. The memory still haunts me. Horrible and well done.

[@robertfhart6941]

I remember watching drogon domain as a kid in the 70s. And it scared me it bits. One of those which stuck in my mind for many years

[@stevennash2620]

Brilliant, I remember eagerly watching them when I was 12 years old. Dragons domain was my favourite and my son's. Still have my Dinky Eagle's 👍

[@Halflife2-y2m]

Absolutely perfect ....I watched all of these when I was only 8 and they scared the holy shit out of me. The tentacle monster was featured prominently on the lunch box also.

[@iangarrett3308]

Holy Crap!!! You remember the lunch box too? I knew a kid in elementary school who had that EXACT lunchbox!!! ................................................................I had the Six Million Dollar Man lunch box.

[@bastidface]

I owned the lunch box too. I only wish I had preserved it instead of letting it rust and tossing it in the trash.

[@KrillLiberator]

Wha - *Why* would they put something that scary on a lunchbox?!!

[@Bondek1996]

As much as the Commissioner was an annoying man, his fate when I first saw it as a kid in the 90s gave me nightmares for ages.

[@GerryAndersonTV]

That setup really is the stuff of nightmares...

[@brianartillery]

I also like the fact that if Simmonds had just been patient - he'd have gone home anyway, in a properly working hibernation cell, as the computer chose him, presumably because he was 'dead wood' with no skills useful on Alpha. Because he forced his way on to Zantor's ship waving a gun about, the shrewd and peaceful Zantor, played superbly by Christopher Lee, saw exactly what kind of person Simmonds was, and ensured that the Commissioner would get home... eventually, without being able to harm anyone. Ever.

[@crimsondynamo615]

It’s like a Twilight Zone level punishment

[@yccallumgames6321]

Force of life was the scariest one in my opinion due to the fact that the force is so mysterious and little is known about it throughout the whole episode and that it can freeze someone in one touch and absorb all the energy

[@GerryAndersonTV]

Yeah! Terrifying stuff!

[@bobbym4122]

That was great to watch, loved this show. The nostalgia was as gripping as one of Dragon's tenticles and the Caldorian extras sitting up in their boxes made me laugh out loud, Bravo!

[@mistreme8341]

I forgot how much I loved this show. My 5th Christmas was dominated by Space 1999 toys. My lunchbox had the Dragon's Domain monster on it. I loved my lunchbox! We were hard core kids in the 70s. That one creepy boy in that one episode was my exact age! We were ALL like him! 😈

[@julianmarkwolf1754]

i'm 14 but my dad grew up in the 70s so i was introduced to this show recently and i love it! my favorite episode is dragons domain.

[@engdragon83]

My great uncle Frank Watts worked on Space 1999 as director of photography I believe.

[@josefschiltz2192]

I certainly remember Frank Watts being credited on many a television episode. When the credits didn't flash across the screen faster and smaller than a midge on steroids.

[@engdragon83]

@@josefschiltz2192 Never had the chance to meet him unfortunately 😕

[@nikkitezla3367]

I watched The Outer Limits back in the 60's which helped prepare me for Space 1999 in my teens. The combination of the macabre with science fiction make these series unsurpassed by anything since.

[@JohnGunter_Johnprime]

Great list, I agree with you that the first season was a much better thrill than the second season. I was lucky enough to see both seasons when they first played on TV and have purchased both of them on DVD, but the second season was missing that thrill for most of its episodes. Also wanted to say, that of all the 1999 episodes, I agree that Dragon's Domain is the scariest!

[@collinw1353]

Dragons Domain!!! Thank you thank you!!! I found it. I've been reliving my childhood memories of this show for the past couple of months and my worst, and best, memory was of this creature. I was 8 at the time and this episode still remains as one of my scariest childhood memories. Even Jaws wasn't as bad. They don't make suspense like this anymore. Thanks for the clips, loved it all.

[@starglider101]

More than 40 years later when a elevator door opens on front of me I think in the Dragon's Domain episode. Thank you for make it #1.

[@yeldarbarrow3172]

Lol Best Comment!!!

[@Didojuice]

this show is underrated. it deserves to be more noticed for how much it inspired future generations

[@shoutingstone]

If a Space 1999 reboot ever gets off the ground it would be criminal if one of the episodes wasnt a sequel to Dragons Domain.

[@AlexandreSilva-kc6kc]

I was traumatized by the Dragon for a while as a kid. Yet it fascinated me. This episode is a masterpiece. The list is excellent, the same scenes that most impressed me too.

[@cscott9361]

I loved this show , and I now have Space 1999 and other Gerry Anderson classic`s ( UFO , Captain Scarlet ) on DVD :) Thanks great video

[@SourisCheri99]

So now I have to tell my story about "Space 1999"! (Im from Germany, so sorry for my bad English!) When I was about 7 or 8 years old, my dad showed me the Show for the first time and back then I saw the "Star Wars" film from 1977 and became a big science fiction fan. I like to remember "Space 1999". It's a great show. But this one episode, "Dragons Domane" not only frightened me - it literally traumatized me! I don't know why at all, the special effects are actually pretty cheap, but I didn't notice that, back this time. After this one episode, I couldn't sleep for days and "felt" the tentacle-monster always behind me. l drew this Alien a thousand times in my exercise books. In a much cuter painting style, but for me to recognize clearly! My classmates and teachers thought the drawing were meant to be flowers, but I explained that they were "octopuses" because I didn't know the real name of the alien. xD I actually painted these "octopuses" throughout my elementary school years and made up stories about them. With my friends I created fantasy friends, animals such as horses, dogs and so on. And these aliens! We were little girls, so we gave them cute names like "water lily" and "blossom". They lived in underground caves, and in our school playground, of course. xD We thought these beings were really there and we "talked" and "played" with them. Back then, it was totally normal for us, but when I look back on that time today, I only realize how crazy it was! I think I created these fantasy friends to take away the fear of the alien myself! And I also think I was really too young for watching this episode. By the way, I still have the old exercise books at home. If someone would like to see that, then I can show you! ^^ So thanks for reading! ;)

[@slamminsam1968]

Great list! I especially agree with #1 and #2. The "scary eyes" of"Breakaway" frightened me as a child, too. (I was about 7 in 1975, when the show first aired-yes, I'm old!) But "Dragon's Domain" is still one of the scariest old shows and also the most watchable, even on repeat viewings. I also agree that one of Space: 1999's strengths is its casting of (generally) outstanding Guest Artists. you have just earned a subscriber! :D

[@ABPhotography1]

I never slept well after the Dragons Domain episode in the 70's and it remained in my nightmares for a long time. ARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

[@thepman1964]

I grew up outside of St. Louis, MO on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River where I spent my Saturday evenings in 1975-76 watching our UHF station KDNL TV-30. Space: 1999 came on at 6pm followed by Star Trek at 6pm. I was around 11 years old at the time and Dragon's Domain scared the righteous piss out of me. Definitely agree with the #1 ranking. Also very disturbed at Simmonds' fate in Earthbound.

[@brockreynolds870]

In Central Missouri, it came on Saturday night at 10:30 on KRCG-13 in Jefferson City, a more appropriate time slot, IMO

[@Cowboy-6666]

St Louis side. Same thing

[@rahkshi101]

I glimpsed the attack scene of dragons domain as a child in the 90s and have been trying to find it ever since. I didnt understand what I was seeing but I still have the memory of being terrified. You have helped me end a 20ish year search. Thankyou!

[@darrenmuller6747]

Really enjoyed your presentation. I agree with the top 10. Well done!! Watched these when I was a kid and yes Dragons Domain was real scary.

[@Ogrekhirst]

Dragon's Domain was the first Anderson episode to scare me age 10, the creepy elements of Scarlet & UFO had mostly gone over my head & I only remembered the action. That sound is still creepy today.

[@darkpassenger1786]

I remember Dragon's Domain playing on Space:1999 when i was a child in Texas mid 1970's I think - it was indeed scary, I remember it well even today and I'm 51!

[@nickjsky1]

Fun video, fun commentary Chris. Thanks. I agree with your #1 choice. Dragon's Domain was great and scary, well done on so many levels. I saw it as a lad in the 70's and agree the monster was brilliantly horrifying: it hypnotizes the victim only long enough to get him to come close, then it releases the trance so the victim can realize he is being dragged down into its mouth, and after a quick digestion, spits the steaming corpse out in front of the next victim so she can know her fate. It seemed almost as though the monster was sadistically mocking them. But I had an additional emotional reaction at the end of the episode. I was a big fan of creative sci fi imagery (which was very rare in those days) and Space:1999 fed my hunger. When we were presented in this episode with the graveyard of a wide variety of alien spaceships, I was right up at the TV ogling the wealth of designs but wanting to see more of them. But at the end of the episode, the Alphans, minus poor Cellini and fearful that the monster might not be truly dead, jump back in their Eagle and rocket back home...past all these wonderful spaceships. My reaction at the time was, "NO! Stop! Go back! You can't pass up this opportunity. You have to explore the other ships!" That was to me the final horror of this well done episode.

[@TheStriderSyd]

I only saw maybe 4 episodes of Space1999 when I was a kid. Out of those few, it was in your #7 pick "End Of Eternity" that had me scared to most. But NOT the particular scene that you had profiled here, rather, it was actually an earlier scene, where the Commander and the Doc are talking about the cave wall paintings depicting "screaming people" that were within the cave where they picked up Balor in the 1st place. The scene then immediately cuts to said cave, and then quickly flashes across all the wall paintings. Which are now all actually screaming aloud all throughout the scene.

[@luisperes1894]

This is the series responsible for me becoming an illustrator. Dragons domain when I saw I first back in 1977 when I was 7 years old left a mark on me so big when it comes to horror that I never forgot it and to this day still creeps me out. The use of classical music on the soundtrack also gave it a pre nightmare feel right from the start. When I was 7 I almost had...a brain damage... When I first saw it and almost made me stop watching the series. And I saw it in black and white which even adds a more classic horror feel. To this day one of my favorites scifi episodes ever. The Sound design, the tentacles and the light eye are stuck forever in my imagination and on my alien illustrations too.

[@vorn29]

Watched this on forces TV and having seen it over 40 years ago still scares the shit out of me. The monster may have looked daft by todays standards but to a 70`s kid it was terrifying. It wasn`t just the monster itself. The entire episode was unnerving and still is. Another point is you find out nothing about the monster which adds to the tension. Use your imagination kids and you`ll see why. An excellent all round series. The first one anyway.

[@Julian1701D]

Yes I would agree with you Dragon's Domain is by far one of the most scary things I have seen, its not just the monster and its powers, its the storyline with all the story detail, everyone thinks he is mad and killed his own crew, being on his own for months after the attack, having his sanity in question, his personal life and work life destroyed by the events, PTSD that made him live it over and over again, lack of sleep, friends and family left him this is all the horror anyone needs and after all that he still goes back to face his demon that takes real courage that is a good film.

[@darynbrown3640]

Both Force of Life and Dragons Domain freaked me out when I was a kid. The whole atmosphere of Dragons Domain with the music, sound and effects is the epitome of "haunting". I saw it as a kid with my family and while everyone else reacted I remember just sitting there, not moving a muscle. To this day that episode mesmerizes me.

[@bobbun9630]

Saw Dragon's Domain in the 70's as a child under 10 years old. Let's just say it's the episode I remembered in greatest detail many years later when I watched Space: 1999 again decades later.

[@dave8181]

Wonderful synopsis - the show really did have a horror element. Yes, Dragon's Domain was very scary - watching it as a kid definitely scared me too. Also, the music was pretty amazing, with Albinoni's Adagio being used to good measure - it's normally associated with funeral music. P.S. About Commissioner Simmons - don't forget, right at the end we find out that the computer HAD selected him to return with the aliens, so it was like the ultimate judgment against him for jumping the queue like he did.

[@allenjones3130]

Simmonds was played by the late actor Roy Dotrice, father of Karen(of "Mary Poppins" fame). Simmonds becomes a villain in 'Earthbound', but with its unique format, "Space: 1999" couldn't afford to have a resident villain.

[@MichaelPhillipsatGreyOwlStudio]

Great list! I saw "Dragon's Domain" in the late '70s when I was about 10 years old and I didn't sleep for a week afterwards. Super scary!

[@AR-ii3ly]

Dragon’s Domain was the first Space 1999 episode I ever saw, and each episode I saw after that was a risky affair because it affected me for days. Then, just when I thought I had conquered my fear of the TV show, I watched the Dr Rowland episode, and I had my first ever nightmare. Space 1999 is a classic and deeply underrated show. I loved S2 for the simple reason that it wasn’t as scary, frightening and atmospheric as S1. Great video. I totally enjoyed it.

[@TheNoiseySpectator]

Another thing about "Dragon's Domain" is that there is no way to know anything about the monster! Where did it come from? Did it have a name? Why was it in that doorway, how did it get to there? Are there any more like it somewhere else? Did it come with that ship, or migrate there, somehow? There is no way of knowing, because there are no survivors of it, and it worked so subtly and so effectively that no victims could have made records of anything they learned, before it consumed them!

[@kevinwilkinson2972]

The mystery of the creature makes it even more scary 👍😊

[@oddities-whatnot]

That episode would make a superb full length film, remade with the same feeling.

[@pardyhardly]

The Cellini Dragon.

[@ericdaneau-shred]

I never have or had much nightmares in my life, Dragon's Domains is the only time when I was young that I had one. Fun to see that I was not the only one! :)

[@JohnSmith-cj9cx]

I really loved "Space: 1999" a lot more than "Start Treck". "The Troubled Spirit " and "Force of Life" have always been two of my favorites episodes.

[@DocMicrowave]

Same. At the time it first came out I felt Space 1999 was far more interesting. Especially visually, than Star Trek. Thought I liked Star Trek: TOS, I had to grow into it over time and came to really appreciate it. But Space 1999 had me hooked from the beginning.

[@keithomelvena2354]

@@DocMicrowave Star Trek always felt like it was trying to socially engineer you. Space 1999 was far more immersive and conceptual.

[@DocMicrowave]

@@keithomelvena2354 Well true, there may have been some social engineering in early Star Trek, but I didn't feel it was so prominent. The stories were still very good most of the time. And present day social issues seemed well integrated into the stories without being over bearing. That is of course a far cry from recent iterations of Trek which have taken social engineering to new heights of cringe. I totally agree on Space 1999. Though I feel Season one was more interesting than Season two. (Which is funny because when I was a kid, I thought season two was far more fun to watch than 'boring' season one.)

[@keithomelvena2354]

@@DocMicrowave I've just been bingeing on the series recently and the algorithm fed me this vid and you are right, the first series had a depth the second didn't. In saying that, Catherine Schell alone made the second series great to watch. I must be getting old, but it's refreshing watching a series where there's actually a gender difference between male and female characters. The female parts today would be filled with ass kicking, hard drinking, swearing, testosterone pumped xxy, 20yos, with silicone tits. Basically more "manly" than the male parts in 1999. And age, A female lead 44+ years old? Can't see that flying today?

[@DocMicrowave]

@@keithomelvena2354 LOL, yeah watching Season 1 when I got older made me realize how much more interesting it was. It was deeper, more atmospheric. I loved the sets, especially main mission. So large and airy. Season 2 felt more claustrophobic. Main mission seemed cramped and always film from the same few angles. Don't get me wrong, Season 2 had its high points. Just fewer than S1. Overall the show was great however. And yes, Catherine Schell was definitely a selling point for me for S2. As for the rest of your comment. Spot On! I use to wish they would bring back Space 1999. Maybe call it Space 2049. Or when ever September 13th fell on a Friday again. But in recent years I nixed that desire. It would probably end up a mess, like Star Trek Discovery. Uber social commentary and preaching, less in the way of real SciFi.

[@speeta]

Yess! Chris Dale made another entertaining breakdown of Space:1999 and what it did right. The monster from Dragon's Domain is the show's most memorable moment out of the entire two series, as I like to say, horrifying far beyond the limits of its production values. It may have even been the reason ITC executives asked for more monsters in the second series, based on how well this one scored with audiences' memories. The entirety of End of Eternity is also a gothic horror episode, very stylishly directed with Balor's exploring and stalking the base with unsettling music over silent fight scenes. And I always liked how Mission of the Darians handled the loss of Bill Lowry, as if they made a deliberate effort to NOT dismiss him as effortlessly as the luckless Red Shirts of Star Trek.