Space:1999

Latest from Netflix is the 1975 British science fiction series Space:1999, which I loved during the seventies. The series starred Martin Landau, Barbara Bain (Landau's wife at the time), Nick Tate (my favorite of the cast; and I still like him very much), Catherine Schell, Barry Morse, Tony Anholt (who died in 2002), Prentis Hancock, and Zienia Merton. This is the story of the 311 people on a base located on the moon, which sustained a nuclear explosion on September 13, 1999, and was wrenched from its' orbit around the Earth and hurled into space. The series at the time was state-of-the-art in the special effects area, and though the computers and electronics are now quite dated, it still looks pretty good on the screen. Though I have not yet seen the whole series again, I have managed to see the one episode that I missed when it was originally shown on television in the seventies, and it was one of the best in the series. This show was one of my favorites, and inspired me to write some fan fiction stories using the situation and characters. All my stories were published in fanzines during the seventies, I am happy to say. I was even asked to sign a few autographs when I attended Space:1999 conventions in Cleveland and Pittsburgh. I was privileged to meet Nick Tate and Martin Landau at these conventions and found them to be charming, friendly, and funny. I appreciate the chance to see these episodes again.