Space: 1999
A runaway Moon carries 311 survivors into deep space.
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At the time of its production, it was the most expensive British TV series ever made.[1] A thermonuclear explosion of nuclear waste stored on the far side of the Moon, occurring on 13 September 1999, sends the Moon and its 311 Moonbase Alpha inhabitants hurtling uncontrollably into space.[2][3]
Making and release
Space: 1999 was originally conceived by producer Gerry Anderson as a direct follow-on from his previous series, UFO.[1] In 1972, Sir Lew Grade proposed financing a second series of UFO, with the new series set primarily on the Moon.[4] The Andersons revamped the production, flashing ahead nearly twenty years for UFO: 1999.[4] The solution devised by Gerry Anderson was a scenario in which the Moon and its human inhabitants are blasted into space with a massive nuclear explosion.[1]
The first series was co-produced by ITC Entertainment and Italian broadcaster RAI, while the second was produced solely by ITC.[5] Fred Freiberger was brought in to oversee changes for the second series.[1] Space: 1999 failed to break orbit for a third season.[1] On 12 November 1973, rehearsals began at Elstree Studios.[6]
What the cited sources add
The BFI ScreenOnline account notes that the programme was originally conceived as a direct follow-on from UFO.[1] The BFI ScreenOnline account states that Fred Freiberger's influence "killed off the show's individuality"[1] Hoff's Screen Rant article observes that the show appeared sporadically on TV worldwide six years after Star Trek but before Star Wars.[7] Hoff notes that the show was a big hit in syndication until its popularity faded as the second season aired.[7]
Hoff reports that the Eagle spacecraft came to symbolize the intelligent aspirations of the show.[7] Hoff also states that George Lucas reportedly visited the sets in 1975.[7]
References
- "British Film & Television Institute (BFI ScreenOnline)", screenonline.org.uk. facts only, no text reused. screenonline.org.uk
- Wikipedia, "Space: 1999" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "British Film & Television Institute (BFI ScreenOnline)", screenonline.org.uk; 'Beyond the Guidelines', "The Age Green Guide" (TV/Radio guide), The Age, 24 July 1975, p. 1. (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Space: 1999" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bentley, "The Complete Gerry Anderson: The Authorised Episode Guide", Reynolds & Hearn, 2008, p. 197 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Space: 1999" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Anderson, "WATCH: How the Cancelled UFO Series 2 Became Space: 1999", youtube.com, 18 September 2021 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Space: 1999" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: O'Neill, "Space: 1999 – Box Set Review", theguardian.com, 11 April 2013; Anderson, "British Sci-Fi TV Summer Rundown: The Worlds of Gerry Anderson", nerdist.com, 26 June 2014 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Space: 1999" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: The Making of Space: 1999, Ballantine Books, 1976; Le Vesconte, "Space: 1999", TwoMorrows Publishing, March 2023, p. 47–53 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Hoff, "Space 1999: 5 Ways The Show Has Aged Well (& 5 Ways It Hasn't)", Screen Rant, 13 April 2020. facts only, no text reused. screenrant.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Space: 1999 (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Space: 1999 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Currency conversion: European Central Bank euro reference rates, rates of 16 October 2026.
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