Space 1999 Megaset

Director: Bob Kellett, Tom Clegg, David Tomblin, Bob Brooks (III), Kevin Connor, Robert Lynn (II), Val Guest, Ray Austin, Charles Crichton
Studio: A&E Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
When it was first broadcast in 1975, there had never been a more lavishly produced science fiction TV series than Space: 1999, a British production whose budget for the first of its two seasons ran an astounding £3.25 million. What keeps us fans enthralled after all these years has only partly to due with the first-rate production values, the plausibly constructed spaceship models, and expert special effects. The tone of the show is one of scientific dispassion, setting it apart from its TV sci-fi predecessors such as Star Trek, whose mood was more convivial. Our heroes here are in dire circumstances that require cool heads as a survival trait. Those circumstances: the 311 crew members of Moonbase Alpha experience a cataclysm that causes the moon to break away from Earth's orbit and travel endlessly through space, turning our heroes into unintentional explorers. No TV series has created a more palpable feel of hard science fiction than this.

Of course the show is not without its detractors; it has been soundly lambasted for its many scientific errors. No less august a figure than Isaac Asimov criticized the show for its premise in the opening episode, "Breakaway," which had nuclear explosions on the "dark side of the moon" somehow propelling it out of Earth's orbit and flying through space without regard to any physical laws. In "Earthbound," aliens traveling to Earth state it will take them 75 years to reach their destination, making one wonder why it didn't take the moon that long to encounter the aliens. While these are serious complaints, fans tend to remember the scientific seriousness of the series and the sense of awe created by the many strange creatures and phenomena that the crew members encounter on their journey through the galaxy.

The Space: 1999 Mega Set collects all 48 episodes broadcast over the show's two seasons, contained on 16 DVDs that include vintage interviews, production stills, TV promotional spots, and interactive menus. All episodes have been digitally remastered, and some material that was not seen in the original U.S. broadcasts has been restored. --Jim Gay
Description
On September 13, 1999, a massive explosion at a lunar nuclear waste dump sends the Moon out of Earth orbit. Without warning--and with return to Earth impossible--the 311 men and women of Moonbase Alpha find themselves on a perilous journey to the far reaches of space...

Escape into worlds beyond belief with the seminal sci-fi series from producer Gerry Anderson (Thunderbirds, UFO, Captain Scarlet). SPACE: 1999 features thought-provoking stories, exceptional special effects by Oscar® winner Brian Johnson (Alien, The Empire Strikes Back) and a remarkable cast. This complete DVD set includes all 48 original episodes, digitally remastered from the original 35mm film elements, along with a cool bonus features, extra footage and more!

Description

All 48 episodes of this acclaimed space adventure are contained in this complete collection, digitally remastered from the original 35mm film, plus bonus footage, featured extras, and much more! With its progressive plotlines, an outstanding cast, and astonishing special effects from Oscar® winner Brian Johnson (Alien, The Empire Strikes Back), SPACE: 1999 has secured its place as one of the most thought-provoking series of the 21st century—and beyond.

Customer Reviews:

A series that never really lived up to its potential..........2007-07-03

Speaking on the behalf of all sci-fi fans who watched Space 1999 on its initial broadcast run, Gerry Anderson deserves our respect. With "Supermarination" like "Captain Scarlet," "Secret Service" and the "Thunderbirds," he raised the caliber of Saturday morning TV fare above the usual, two-dimensional animated cartoon.

With "Space 1999" he initiated a new renaissance in science fiction making it respectable with a broad appeal to audiences young and old alike. Not since "Star Trek" which made its debut in 1966, has there been another science fiction series on TV that has made a significant impact or has been more widely recognized.

To compare the two series would be unfair with Star Trek now having now reached the proportions of "epic" on par with the Illiad and the Odyssey in the realm of science fiction let alone the franchises the series has spawned. What detracts from the quality of Space 1999 is not the SFX (expertly orchestrated by Brian Johnson) or the quality of the acting from the leads, but rather, the implausibility of the plots. One tries very hard to enjoy Space 1999 like I have, but I like my science fiction with large dollops of science, and we live in an age where audiences have even a rudimentary understanding of physics and space travel. Sadly, this is the Achilles Heel of Space 1999; ridiculous plots at times matched with dull scripts with empty plots that approximate the size of a black hole.

The first season is generally considered the stronger of the two: the second noted for the addition of Maya (called a "Mr. Spock rip-off" by fans of Roddenberry), a resident of Moonbase Alpha and an alien that can morph into any living organism--an interesting, if wild stopgap to save the sagging ratings of the series at the time. Not surprisingly, many people are divided about Space 1999: people either hate it or love it.

This set, as a whole is wonderfully done and the 16 mm transfers to dvd are clean with a minimum of surface dirt and scratches. Included are interviews, some outtakes, commercials, etc. All in all, Space 1999 was significant because it illustrated the true potential that lay in science fiction paving the way for "Star Wars" and other epics that would follow.

Those interested in learning more about Space 1999, should pick up a copy of John Kenneth Muir's book-length study of the series, "Exploring Space 1999"--a fascinating read if you wish to know more about the series, its impact, and eventual demise.

The question that needs to be asked..........2007-06-23

...is does this release contain season 1 episodes derived from the 2005 high-definition digital restoration? Or is it simply a repackaging of the previous Region 1 releases that claimed to be a remaster put pale in comparison. One way to tell is if Martin Landau's credit shot has him standing against a pristine clean & pure white background. Or does the quality of that shot vary between episodes and is generally soft, yellowish and covered in dirt & grain? If it's the latter the these are old versions.

For more information, just type "space 1999 hd" into Google.

Entertaining, But Show Suffered from Unbelievable Physics, Insufficiently Developed Characters & Poor Writing.......2007-06-08

"Space 1999" was a mid-1970's sci-fi television series that lasted for two seasons with a 1-year hiatus in between the two. The brainchild of Gerry & Sylvia Anderson, "Space 1999" was their second live-action TV series that followed their earlier live-action TV series "UFO" (1969-1970) and several TV series that used marionettes, including the very popular show "The Thunderbirds".

The primary fictional plot of "Space: 1999" was unusual to say the least: following years of mankind using Earth's moon as an off-world storage facility for nuclear waste, a massive explosion occurs at one of the waste facilities that supposedly provides sufficient force to cause the moon to escape not only the Earth's gravity, but the Sun's gravity as well, and head into deep space at an extreme speed so that over the course of the series, the moon can travel through an assortment of star systems with inhabitable planets and alien life. To monitor & manage the nuclear waste sites and carry out scientific experiments, a manned lunar base was created called "Moonbase Alpha" with a population of slightly over 300 personnel, including Commander John Keonig (Martin Landau) and Doctor Helena Russell (Barbara Bain). In the show's premiere episode in which the massive explosion occurs, Commander Keonig makes the decision that rather than try to evacuate Moonbase Aphla and return to Earth (which is rapidly getting farther away), that the occupants of Moonbase Alpha should remain on the moon for an unknown fate in deep space.

Naturally, there are several basic problems with this plot. Before proceeding, let us consider the physics involved in reaching escape velocity. In order for an object in orbit around a more massive object to reach escape velocity, it must have a sufficient increase in energy. Earth's moon orbits the Earth at approximately 2286 mph relative to the Earth; but the Earth orbits the sun at roughly 66,542 mph. If the moon left Earth orbit, it would need an escape velocity equivalent to 3233 mph relative to the Earth (an increase in speed of 947 mph); but this would only place the moon into a new orbit around the Sun. So, to leave the Solar System entirely, the moon would need to reach a speed of roughly 94,105 mph, or an increase in speed of roughly 27,563 mph. So, the amount of energy that would be required to increase the moon's speed from an average of 66,542 mph to 94,105 mph relative to the sun would be roughly equivalent to 7,783,000,000,000,000 megatons of TNT, which is considerably more than the combined yield of every nuclear bomb currently on the Earth being detonated at the same time. Alternatively, if the moon ejected part of its mass, it would also have an increase in velocity. To reach an escape speed of 94,105 mph relative to the sun, it would need to loose approximately 29% of its current mass. Of course, either the explosion or mass ejection would need to occur at a precise location of the moon relative to the Earth & Sun and in a relative direction to both.

So, taking the above physics into account, if a massive explosion occurred with sufficient force to allow the moon to escape not only the Earth's gravity, but the Sun's as well, such an explosion would either probably destroy the moon in the process, or, at the very least, would leave a massive crater since the nuclear waste stockpiles were below ground. However, in "Space 1999", all views of the moon following the explosion never show a massive crater, nor do they indicate that the Earth was ever bombarded with ejected lunar material following the explosion.

Next, let's consider the moon's velocity. If the moon left the Earth and Solar System at a speed of roughly 94,105 mph, it would take the moon thousands of years before it reached the next nearest star (Alpha Centauri), which is roughly 4.5 lightyears away. So, in order for the moon to periodically visit planets orbiting other stars (within weeks or months of each visit), the moon would have to be traveling at a speed approaching the speed of light (approximately 186,000 miles per second) between visits (so that time dilation causes the moon's inhabitants to see little time passage), but then slow way down to give the moon's inhabitants time to visit the alien planets. Or, perhaps the moon is traveling through multiple wormholes conveniently positioned so that the entrance & exit points always occur near inhabited alien planets.

So, in order for the moon in "Space: 1999" to leave Earth's orbit completely intact after a massive explosion and regularly visit inhabited alien planets orbitting distant stars within weeks & months of each other, some very unbelievable physics would have to occur. Next, given the moon's inhabitants only number around 311 individuals and given that 1 or 2 people usually get killed in each episode, the moon's population after two seasons (48 episodes) would be closer to 230 people; but this decrease in population is never discussed during the show. Next, there are the spacecraft used by the moon's inhabitants. Called "Eagles", the spaceships are not particularly stable in design as they are held together only by a long metal grid along the top of each craft. Amazingly, when the middle passenger compartment is released, the ship remains completely stable even though it's just a long metal grid holding the cockpit on one end and the main engines on the other. If this ship was actually constructed, it is not likely to survive traveling through a planet's atmosphere, especially during re-entry. Further, if the moon is traveling near the speed of light in order to travel between stars light years apart in a matter of weeks or months, the Eagles would need to be faster-than-light vehicles; but since they appear to use chemical propellant, faster-than-light travel with such small fuel tanks appears highly unlikely. Again, unbelievable physics comes into play.

As a child, I enjoyed watching "Space: 1999"; but given that it was only on for two seasons (with very different casts between seasons), it's obvious that not many people were interested in watching the show. In comparison with the original "Star Trek" series which also had some rather remarkable physics occurring, the extraordinary physics in "Star Trek" is far more explainable than what was being shown in "Space: 1999". So, given that "Space: 1999" was not particularly believable from a scientific perspective, did it make up for poor physics with strong character development or excellent writing? Sadly, the answer to both of these questions is generally "no". Commander Keonig was not particularly approachable and Doctor Russell was often quite strange. The most interesting character was during the show's first season (1975-1976): the aging scientist Prof. Victor Bergman (Barry Morse). Unfortunately, he was replaced with the shape-shifting alien character Maya (Catherine Schell) during the second season (1977-1978) following its one-year hiatus. Sadly, the majority of minor cast characters that added depth to the show during its first season did not return for the second season. One of the few minor characters that did return was Eagle pilot Alan Carter (Nick Tate). Minor character Sandra Benes (Zienia Merton) appeared in some second season episodes, but was in virtually every first-season episode. Because the second season had fewer regular characters than the first, it's writing was geared primarily around the few regular characters, which included Subcommander Tony Verdeschi (Tony Anholt), who became romantically involved with Maya. The love interest between Keonig & RUssell was often downplayed during the first season, but became more apparent in the second season. The cast's uniforms & overall appearance of Moonbase Alpha were quite different from the first season with a lot more color. Where they found the time & resources on Moonbase Alpha to make such improvements was never explained during the second season.

As an interesting side note, what many "Space: 1999" viewers never knew was that Moonbase Alpha was originally intended to be an improved moonbase for the planned second season of the Andersons' earlier live-action show "UFO". However, the Anderson's decided to abandon the more interesting plotline & characters in "UFO" for the less believable "Space: 1999" plot line. For those unfamiliar with "UFO", it was about a fictitious secret agency named SHADO whose purpose was to defend Earth & humanity from mysterious aliens bent on kidnapping humans and using them either as robotic slaves or spare parts. SHADO defended Earth from a small moonbase with several armed spaceships, as well as specialized submarines, ground assault vehicles & aircraft on Earth itself. In my opinion, character development in "UFO" was greatly superior to that of "Space: 1999" and the individual episodes were also far more interesting & entertaining.

That being said, the most notable first season episodes in "Space: 1999" were "Breakaway", "War Games", "Voyager's Return", "Alpha Child", "Dragon's Domain", "Mission of the Darians", "Black Sun", "The Guardian of Piri", "End of Eternity", "Earthbound", "Another Time, Another Place", "The Infernal Machine", "Ring Around the Moon", "The Last Sunset", "The Testament of Arcadia" and "The Last Enemy". The most notable second season episodes were "The Exiles", "AB Chysalis", "The Bringers of Wonder Parts 1 & 2" and "The Immunity Syndrome". As this list of episodes implies, the second season was far less interesting than the first.

Picture and sound quality on the "Space: 1999" DVD's has been very good. Some longer scenes that were not originally aired in the U.S. don't always maintain the same high picture & sound quality. If you are considering purchase of this repackaged set of "Space: 1999", then this would be the set to purchase given it's much lower price. Overall, I give the "Space: 1999" TV series 3 out of 5 stars.

Great price.......2007-05-27

I've been meaning to buy the Space 1999 Megaset for over a year now, but priced at $179.99, it was never in my budget. I'm glad to see that they've lowered that price, considerably. I ordered it in a heartbeat. And believe it or not, I've never seen a single episode of Space 1999 before. But being a Star Trek/Star Wars fan, I've always been sure that I'd enjoy this show too. Having never seen the show before, I never new whether it was a half-hour or hour-long show. Amazon confused matters for me too, because they list the running time as 999 minutes on the "old" megaset, which led me to believe that each episode was a half-hour. That also contributed to my unwillingness to spend $179.99 on the collection. For this 30th anniversary set they list the running time at 2496 minutes, so I guess it's an hour-long show. What a bargain. I can't wait to explore the world of Space 1999.

Great Show, but a questionable rerelease.......2007-05-19

I'm always happy to see 1999 get a release, but I do question the "digitally remastered" claim on the box. The first season released by A&E was very badly done, with some real glitches. A few episodes didn't seem remastered at all and the volume on the sound of the episodes varies. Some eps are soft while others are nice and loud. However, the complete second season looks and sounds stunning.

The UK DVD company, Network, released a first season set overseas and those prints WERE remastered and they look fantastic. Now, if A&E put those on the discs, then fine. But since the extras are identical to the prior release, this seems to be nothing more than a repackaging.

4 stars for the show, no stars for the "remastering"...if they're the same prints.

Average customer rating:

Space 1999
These two planets have been at war with one another, but neither side can gain an advantage. That is, until the Moon shows up.
Space:1999 The Ultimate Adventure Series!
Yes I watched This In The 70's
I've wanted this for years.

Space 1999 Megaset
Director: Bob Brooks (III) , Kevin Connor , Robert Lynn (II) , and Val Guest
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Sci-Fi & Fantasy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Television | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00006FD8P
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Amazon.com

When it was first broadcast in 1975, there had never been a more lavishly produced science fiction TV series than Space: 1999, a British production whose budget for the first of its two seasons ran an astounding £3.25 million. What keeps us fans enthralled after all these years has only partly to due with the first-rate production values, the plausibly constructed spaceship models, and expert special effects. The tone of the show is one of scientific dispassion, setting it apart from its TV sci-fi predecessors such as Star Trek, whose mood was more convivial. Our heroes here are in dire circumstances that require cool heads as a survival trait. Those circumstances: the 311 crew members of Moonbase Alpha experience a cataclysm that causes the moon to break away from Earth's orbit and travel endlessly through space, turning our heroes into unintentional explorers. No TV series has created a more palpable feel of hard science fiction than this.

The Space: 1999 Mega Set collects all 48 episodes broadcast over the show's two seasons, contained on 16 DVDs that include vintage interviews, production stills, TV promotional spots, and interactive menus. All episodes have been digitally remastered, and some material that was not seen in the original U.S. broadcasts has been restored. --Jim Gay

Description

On September 13, 1999, a massive explosion at a lunar nuclear waste dump sends the Moon out of Earth orbit. Without warning--and with return to Earth impossible--the 311 men and women of Moonbase Alpha find themselves on a perilous journey to the far reaches of space...

Customer Reviews:

Space 1999.......2007-05-29

Quality of picture is not as good as I expected and no close caption available.

These two planets have been at war with one another, but neither side can gain an advantage. That is, until the Moon shows up........2007-02-07

'Space 1999' has been compared to Star Trek Voyager. If you can get past the premise of the show, that astronauts on 'Moon Base Alpha' are stranded on the Moon after a nuclear accident causes the Moon to leave the solar system, it's a great show. There's a hot shape-shifting alien (Maya), and each week, as the Moon travels thru the galaxy those on Moon Base Alpha meet various other aliens. They have small fighter-like spacecraft, and, who knows, maybe they did have some kind of super-reactor powering their base.

Instead of the whole series, I'd like to review just one episode 'The Last Enemy' that's always stuck with me.

In 'The Last Enemy', as the Moon passes by another star system a ship from one of the planets lands near Moon Base Alpha. The alien ship launches some hellacious looking missiles towards the Base, and, a commercial is cued. After commercial - the missiles roar over Moon Base Alpha - towards another planet in the solar system. The aliens on the ship contact Commander Koenig, saying, 'Not to worry, we have nothing against you, this is a private matter between us and the other planet of the solar system'.

Are these two planets at war?

Commander Koenig take a Moon-buggy out and visits the alien ship. Their commander isn't just female, they're all females. Their whole planet is populated by females. Of course, Koenig (Martin Landau) has a small affair with the commander of the alien ship.

Meanwhile, Moon Base Alpha receives a transmission from the other planet (and they're all men) - a planet filled with men. Their leader saying, 'if you don't put a stop to what's happening yourselves we're going to destroy this enemy ship, and probably you along with it'.

It turns out, these two planets have been at war with one another, but neither side can gain an advantage. That is, until the Moon shows up.

There are some negotiations in 'The Last Enemy', but in the end, Koenig destroys the alien ship, saving Moon Base Alpha once again.

Space:1999 The Ultimate Adventure Series!.......2007-02-05

I was born in 1968, so I was very young when "Space" premiered in 75. Never the less, it has been and always shall be my favorite sci-fi show of all time! As a kid, I preferred the second series to the first. For no reason other than it kept my attention better. I mean, what kid wouldn't love watching the beautiful Maya changing into differant animals and alien monsters every other episode. The second series had a much faster pace to it. Where as the first series was much more contemplative and metaphysical in nature. Which I never really came to appreciate until my adult years. Now I must say that I prefer the first series out of the two. This Megaset contains all 48 episodes over the shows 2 year run, and I believe is a must have for "ANY" fan of the genre. Whether it be science fiction, fantasy, or action adventure that tickles your fancy, this show has it all! Of course, then there is the Eagle Transporter!!! Which I've had an obsession with since the first time I laid eyes on it. It is the most realistic space ship ever depicted in a sci-fi show, and is in every episode but one. So, if you like watching shows with interesting plots, solid acting, action/adventure, fantasy/metaphysical elements, and lots and lots of explosions. Then you'll love Space:1999 and the Magaset is just waiting for you. Go on, Maya won't bite!!! :)
Sincerly, Commander Anderson :)

Yes I watched This In The 70's.......2006-12-14

OK, here goes. I'm ready for the haters to vote me to death here. I want to say that I am a Trekie and a Sci Fi fan. I was born in 1963 and a product of the space race (much more than today's generation, we feel that space is exciting). I was at one of the early Star Trek conventions in 1974 in NYC, I watched the Star Trek cartoon and loved it (Filmways even!), I loved UFO and would try to catch that whenever it was shown in the odd random time slot it would be. Space 1999 comes out and I'm all over it, I'm a big fan, I have my sci fi fix. Than something happenned, I lost interest. Here I am in my pre-teens and I still can't get enough Star Trek or UFO, yet Space 1999 is no big deal. Yeah, I'd still watch it but I hardly remember any of this show. Thats the big thing here, it's a boreing show, period. The origins are exciting, the moon is blown off on its own and there are people living there! Wow that's incredible. OK now what? Well, after that reality sets in and even a pre teen sees that the people don't survive week after week like that. And what was the point after that anyway, the show had no point. I could go on but I'm sure there are those who worship this show. Like I said, I grew up watching Space 1999 and so I feel I can be critical of it. The last straw was seeing that an episode was picked for MST3K. Thats the last straw, Space 1999 is lame. Big money aside, if the show has no endgame it gets old fast. I guess the endgame was they got home, but from what I remember the Earth sucked so I don't even think they wanted to go back, nor did I stay around to find out.

I've wanted this for years........2006-11-03

I take it to work and watch an episode every day while I eat my lunch. I love it.

DVD:

DVD