Journey to Where
Alphans teleport to 14th-century Scotland via 22nd-century Earth.
"Journey to Where" serves as the 24th episode of Space: 1999's second series, marking the 25th episode overall. Donald James penned the screenplay, with Tom Clegg directing. The final shooting script was completed on 17 February 1976, followed by revisions on 2, 4, 11, 17, 18, 22, and 25 March of that year. Principal photography ran from 1 April to 14 April 1976.
Earth's surface has become uninhabitable due to pollution, forcing humanity into pressurized domes. In Texas City, Dr. Logan leads a team of scientists who aim a faster-than-light neutrino transmission at the Moon, which has been adrift since its separation from Earth. Logan contacts Moonbase Alpha, offering to teleport the crew back to Earth using 22nd-century technology. A star cluster moving between Earth and the Moon threatens a "galactic eclipse" that will sever communication for nearly a century, so time is critical.
Using Logan's blueprints, the Alphans build a teleportation device. A test successfully beams a dummy and an instrument package from Alpha to Texas City. Commander Koenig, Dr. Russell, and Captain Carter volunteer for the first human transfer. Just before the teleport, an earthquake strikes Texas City; the transfer completes, but the three Alphans fail to rematerialize. Their wrist monitors still transmit vital signs, proving they are alive. Logan attempts to retrieve them by repeating the teleport while detonating explosives to mimic the earthquake, but the trio remains missing. His equipment indicates they are somewhere on Earth—despite the surface being uninhabitable.
Koenig, Russell, and Carter materialize in a forest glen. Sword-wielding humanoids capture them and imprison them in a cave. Russell, weakened by Alpha's sterile environment, develops a fever from suspected viral pneumonia. She identifies a fungus and instructs Koenig and Carter to collect it as a treatment. The two men overpower their captors, and the trio escapes. While treating Russell, they notice the Moon in the sky is their own, realizing they are on Earth in the past.
Russell improves, but their wrist monitors begin flashing, indicating Alpha is attempting contact. Before they can respond, soldiers under Clan MacDonald's laird capture them. They learn they are in Scotland at New Year, 25 years after the Battle of Bannockburn.
Mistaking the Alphans for English nobles, MacDonald br
- Episode
- Journey to Where
- Series
- Space: 1999 (second series)
- Episode number
- 25th overall, 24th of second series
- Writer
- Donald James
- Director
- Tom Clegg
- Final shooting script date
- 17 February 1976
- Filming dates
- 1 April – 14 April 1976
Lore & Background
In the episode, Earth's polluted surface is unbreathable and humanity is forced to reside in pressure domes. In Texas City, scientists led by Dr Logan direct a faster-than-light neutrino transmission at the distant Moon, which has been adrift since it broke away from Earth. Logan contacts Moonbase Alpha and informs them that the 22nd century can teleport them back to Earth, but a star cluster moving between Earth and the Moon will soon cause a "galactic eclipse" cutting off communication for nearly a century. The Alphans construct a teleportation device from Logan's schematics. After a successful test with a dummy and an instrument package, Commander Koenig, Dr Russell and Captain Carter prepare to make the first live run. Just before
Reader's Guide
"Journey to Where" is notable for being the first of several outdoor shoots for the second series, despite objections from Martin Landau and Barbara Bain to leaving Pinewood Studios; a studio paddock on the back lot became the Scottish Highlands. The episode featured the relocation of MacDonald's clan from a village and great house to cavern sets originally constructed for "The Metamorph" due to budget restrictions. The costumes worn by MacDonald and his clansmen were originally created for Roman Polanski's 1971 feature film version of Macbeth. The episode introduced new regular characters Yasko (played by Yasuko Nagazumi) and Doctor Ben Vincent (Jeffery Kissoon), replacing Sandra Benes and Bob Mathias after Zienia Merton and Anton Phillips left the production. The score was re-edited from previous Space: 1999 incidental music tracks composed for the second series by Derek Wadsworth, drawing primarily from the scores of "The Metamorph" and "The Exiles". Reception was generally positive: SFX magazine rated the episode "A-minus", describing Blair and Jones' performances as "delightful" and the story as a whole "highly entertaining and enjoyable". Commentator James O'Neill gave it 3 stars out of 4. Dreamwatch Bulletin gave 7 out of 10, comparing the feel of the episode to a Dungeons & Dragons or Lost in Space adventure, but with greater tension. TV Zone described it as "generally [...] a sound episode" but noted a "battle of the fake accents" among the guest cast.
Did You Know?
- The actual date for New Year's Day 1339 was 25 March, as the Gregorian calendar (which defines 1 January as the first day) was not observed in Scotland until 1600 (and 1752 in England).
- Actor Freddie Jones was casting director Lesley de Pettitt's first choice for the role of Charles Logan; other contenders included Ronnie Barker, Colin Blakely, T. P. McKenna, Clive Revill and Patrick Troughton.
- The old crone who manacles Koenig and company to the dungeon wall was added by director Tom Clegg, with a backstory of having contracted and recovered from the Plague, making her the only clan member unafraid to touch th
- The episode was adapted in the sixth Year Two Space: 1999 novel The Edge of the Infinite by Michael Butterworth, published in 1977, which was not released in the United Kingdom and only as a limited edition in the United
More in Space: 1999 episodes 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record