The DARKEST Sci Fi episode of the 70s

[@trevormillar1576]

Purple sleeves in Soace 1999 were the equivalent of Red Shirts in Star Trek.

[@UpInTheAtticJSW]

SPACE had a much lower body count; most of those who die are guest characters who get some screentime. The purple sleeve was more a sign of "I've got zero lines."

[@williamjarrell8475]

​@@UpInTheAtticJSWit wasn't purple sleeve crewmen that died almost every episode as it Eagle space craft kept blowing up

[@ericbrown8916]

@@williamjarrell8475too true. Being in security wasn’t a death sentence in space 1999. Flying an Eagle was, unless you were Alan or Konig.

[@reb3102]

I'm a big Gerry Anderson fan and this is one of my favorite episodes. Your point of making Lowery a notable character instead of a throw-away redshirt is very interesting. So many shows throw away characters with barely an acknowledgement. Star Trek is particular is a perfect example of this. Even through TNG era. Space: 1999 was pretty amazing during the first series. It didn't have much internal consistency between episodes, but it had solid, well thought out episodes. The show was way ahead of its time.

[@kerryedavis]

The main problem, of course, was that the moon would have to be going about Warp 5 to get around as much as it did. Which means they wouldn't have even seen the Darians, and the Eagles would be useless. And remember "Death's Other Dominion?" Those people had originally come from Earth, somehow!

[@seymourskinner2533]

If you want dark any episode of ufo exceeds this.

[@UpInTheAtticJSW]

I like UFO, but no. SeeeeMORE!

[@icreateworlds]

Still my favorite of Space 1999 and the story that started my love for sci-fi about spaceship ark worlds lost in space , which lead me to my favorite sci-fi literary saga, the Rama series by Arthur Clarke. But this episode started it all. I first saw it back in the 70s when I was 7 and stuck in my mind forever.

[@UpInTheAtticJSW]

Did you see THE STARLOST? Also, have you read Heinlein's ORPHANS IN THE SKY? Gene Wolfe's LONG SUN books might be the most ambitious generation starship novels.

[@icreateworlds]

@@UpInTheAtticJSW I loved Starlost. It´s one of those series that should be remade. The others I haven´t read. I didn´t knew Gene Wolfe´s LONG SUN novels were about an ark in space. I thought they were just fantasy. I need to check that out. A great lost ark in space movie is the recent Sweedish scifi "ANIARA" which is fascinating. If you think this Space 1999 episode was bleak, get ready for Aniara. Trailer: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y52qZWSHlJp3qKM

[@jacquelinecallejas1390]

@@UpInTheAtticJSW The Starlost was one of my favorite tv shows.

[@abundantYOUniverse]

I built a robot and the first thing he said was "Barbara Bain is one spicy tomato".

[@UpInTheAtticJSW]

That robot needs an upgrade.

[@unfundedopportunities7278]

Season one had substance to it. Season two was a "reboot", with a different producer, and a focus more on action and monsters.

[@daviddaydodge8985]

Fred Freiberger ruined it

[@kalliste23]

This is my one of my favourite tv sf episodes for any show.

[@UpInTheAtticJSW]

I agree. It's still my favorite treatment of the generation starship idea on film.

[@billalumni9142]

The 1970's had so many hard hitting shows and themes that we watched as kids. Stuff that no way would they allow kids to watch. We were better for it. Understanding and deep conceptions of consequences is something that should have continued.

[@UpInTheAtticJSW]

The best escapist shows still show you, "Look, you're not getting out of this without some damage."

[@Duke-i3u]

the people disintegrated became food for the upper class darians, who had a system similar to star trek's replicators. that, plus the organ transplants, made the koenig hate the dartians, even before they found out about lowry. ,

[@daviddaydodge8985]

John was feral in this one

[@UpInTheAtticJSW]

What set him off was when he found Russell as the next main course. He almost slapped Joan Collins!

[@UpInTheAtticJSW]

Almost Kirk-like for once.

[@Duke-i3u]

that was just the final straw. he was already pissed, that just made it worse.@@UpInTheAtticJSW

[@biffstrong1079]

Space 1999 has some fun special effects/miniatures and some really good epsiodes.

[@UpInTheAtticJSW]

The visuals hold up well. I liked the season 1 approach to some old scifi concepts.

[@biffstrong1079]

@@UpInTheAtticJSW Yes I really enjoyed a lot of the episodes. I especially liked Dragon's Domain from season 1 which gave us a little backstory on Helena, more Psychiatrist then bone setter. I must admit the finite moon base did seem to get blown up ten times over during the run of the show.

[@MikeJubenville]

Like Battlestar Galactica, you can't kill off too many in a fixed-number population. :)

[@UpInTheAtticJSW]

Often it seems that kind of reality was ignored in SF TV. But 199 made it a core idea--in one ep they mentioned they don't ALLOW births. Would've been interesting if they made that idea the basis for an ep.

[@peggyjoy343]

Sounds like a great insurance plan!

[@RaymondSwanson-u9y]

I never like Space 1999. I thought the idea of the moon traveling that fast absurd, even though I was 14.

[@UpInTheAtticJSW]

Of course it is. I just wanted to see aliens and spaceships and stuff, I wasn't looking for a science lecture. Almost any SF story is absurd.

[@MovieJon]

A different episode - Number 18 "Dragon's Domain" - was the most terrifying thing I ever saw on this show or any other sci-fi series! This one may have been dark, but "Dragon's Domain" was unforgettably scary.

[@UpInTheAtticJSW]

Agreed. I did a video for it over a year ago over on The Other Channel: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKLbeZiwotJmgsk

[@jacquelinecallejas1390]

There was another episode of Space 1999 that had a similar situation. It was an ice planet which I think was called Ultama Thule or something like that. There was one guy who was mad or prophetic. The People invite Moon Base inhabitants to stay on their planet and they consider it as the people there seem friendly and they are sick of being on the moon. They want a permanent home. However one of the scientists working with the computer realizes that being an ice planet there aren't a lot of plants and animals to feed the people and analyzing what food they have he realizes it doesn't contain the necessary elements to keep people alive. So he asks the computer where on the planet can the (probably essential amino acids) nutrients necessary be found, and it tells him IN HUMANS. They get back on the moon and continue their search for a home.

[@PaulHFleming]

Mission of the Darrians episode would made fantastic spinoff for another Sci-fiction series. If they could gone back time Darria planet at beginning of Voyage.

[@UpInTheAtticJSW]

It'd be interesting, but I think THE STARLOST killed the idea of a generation starship as a weekly show.

[@mikeguilmette776]

@@UpInTheAtticJSW The Starlost . . . _shudder._ Keir going from 2001 to that series was quite a step down.

[@kerryedavis]

The Starlost could have been good, but there was a writer's strike and they didn't get good scripts.

[@PaulHFleming]

What would you do in name of Survival? That's serious question posed by Mission of the Darrians. Pretty heavy stuff.

[@UpInTheAtticJSW]

I love that it ends with that question to Koenig being left unanswered. This is the perfect series for such a question--it speaks to the series' conflicts.

[@trevormillar1576]

Season 1 was so "European arty-farty" it was incomprehensible. Season 2: two words. Fred. Freiberger. Say no more.

[@UpInTheAtticJSW]

Yes and no. Gerry Anderson was getting divorced from Sylvia Anderson, and has said he just didn't care to act as the creator/producer he'd been on the first season. He just let everyone (especially FF) make the decisions.

[@abundantYOUniverse]

2:19 Victor Buono to the left. 2:24 Rosie O' Donnel

[@UpInTheAtticJSW]

She's been in everything, she's an acting powerhouse, no part too small. She took off three feet for this role.

[@AllenJones-w3p]

Gerry Anderson's magnum opus.

[@UpInTheAtticJSW]

Pretty dang ambitious for an hour TV show in the pre-CGI 70s.

[@kerryedavis]

The thing about the disintegrator wasn't handled well. If there were really just two choices, disintegration or being offered to the "gods," why were all the other people still there? And if Lowery lost part of a finger in some kind of accident, that wouldn't have anything to do with whether he would be edible, or suitable for organ donations. Perhaps it was assumed that any defect came from radiation etc, but again, if that's the case, why weren't all the other dwarves etc disintegrated too? The main problem, of course, was that the moon would have to be going about Warp 5 to get around as much as it did. Which means they wouldn't have even seen the Darians, and the Eagles would be useless. And remember "Death's Other Dominion?" Those people had originally come from Earth, somehow!

[@UpInTheAtticJSW]

This is a mindset issue. I don't care if it makes scientific sense--no science fiction does, when you dig deep enough. It's about creating an imaginative, FANTASY. I mean, you're never going to be on the bridge of the Enterprise with Picard or Kirk, no matter how 'accurate' the 'modulate the deflector dish!!!" bullshit science garbage is, so who cares? It's about creating a fantastic and DRAMATIC situation to get your head out of your regular life, to consider certain ideas in a neutral situation, you know?

[@kerryedavis]

@@UpInTheAtticJSW I expect science fiction to make some sense, especially internally. Otherwise it's just more faaaantasy (said derisively). And ultimately, in most cases these issues could be dealt with by spending 5 more minutes on the script. "Stargate" being another prime example.

[@kerryedavis]

@ Here is another example: In the Star Trek: Enterprise series, in the very first episode, they say the trip to the Klingon homeworld - Kronos - will be "four days there, four days back." And yet, IN THAT EPISODE, they SPECIFY A SPEED, in KILOMETERS PER SECOND, that would require over TWO WEEKS just to get to Alpha Centauri! And Kronos CANNOT BE closer than Alpha Centauri!

[@UpInTheAtticJSW]

XD That's funny. I don't know why, but I turned off the first ep of ENTERPRISE before the first commercial break, and never went back. I ordered the first two season because someone I kinda (kinda) trust got a bug up his butt about it, but I am now experiencing buyer's remorse... ANYWAY, it's just a point of view issue--I just don't care about scientific accuracy, it's ALL fantasy to me. Thanks for commenting, I enjoy your comments.

[@UpInTheAtticJSW]

" it's just more faaaantasy (said derisively)." I absolutely hear you.

[@gsr4535]

Hahaha always liked this one from Space 1999. 😜

[@UpInTheAtticJSW]

You're in the right place; so do I.

[@nickpond9337]

SPACE 1999 Ep ~ Story was that Joan Colloin ' s ! ?

[@UpInTheAtticJSW]

Yes, it was! She looked amazing even with a centerpiece on her head.

[@nickpond9337]

@@UpInTheAtticJSW Thank You ;

[@garyturner5739]

This was from series 1 the best.

[@UpInTheAtticJSW]

Correct! Some very fine episodes in season one. People pick it apart because of the bad science--I couldn't care less. Some solid stories well-produced.