Destination: Moonbase Alpha

by Robert E. Wood

  Monday 19 November 1973 (Wardrobe appointment at Pinewood Studios for actor Barry Morse.)

  Wednesday 21 November 1973 (Appointment at ‘Bally’ for fitting of boots for actor Barry Morse.)

  Friday 23 November 1973 (Wardrobe appointment at Pinewood Studios for actor Barry Morse.)

  Monday 26 November 1973 (First rehearsal for ‘Breakaway’.)

  Wednesday 28 November 1973 (Second full day of rehearsal for ‘Breakaway’.)

  Thursday 29 November 1973 (Film tests shot, and further rehearsal for ‘Breakaway’.)

  Friday 30 November 1973 (Fourth day of rehearsal for ‘Breakaway’.)

  Filming Dates:

  Monday 3 December – Friday 21 December 1973

  Thursday 27 December – Friday 28 December 1973

  Wednesday 2 January – Friday 11 January 1974

  Friday 22 February – Tuesday 26 February 1974

  Commentary:

  Martin Landau: ‘I never thought “Breakaway” was ready. I kept saying “Postpone it”. They did postpone, but it was never there. I never thought it was a good script. It was filled with the wrong kinds of stuff … [They would say,] “Well, we have to establish the fact that the Moon…” I said, “But you see that! You don’t talk about it!” We didn’t have a lot to back it up. Then we started – in a sense – falling behind.

  ‘There was one thing on that big set [of Main Mission] I contributed to – that giant globe of the Earth, which was a real globe with real colours. I made the suggestion that they paint it the same colour as the set, because I felt it looked out of place. So they painted the globe in various shades of that beige-gray, and that was done the day we started shooting “Breakaway”, because I walked in and I saw that it still hadn’t been done. I thought having that colourful globe in the middle of that big set, even though it was a reminder of Earth, just looked wrong. So they heeded my advice and it literally got done with quick-drying paint the day we started shooting the first episode.’

  Barbara Bain: ‘The actor [Eric Carte] who played the part in “Breakaway” [of the man] who flipped out and went bananas, was [not the first choice] … There was another actor cast originally. You see how show business is. The actor couldn’t do his role because he was ill or something and they’d already made those “milk eyes” for him. And they were very expensive to make, so they re-cast the part on the basis of who [had the right shaped eyes to] fit those lenses! So, I don’t know if it’s a good thing for an actor to come into a part on the basis of the curvature of his eye. That’s how that was cast!’

  Barry Morse: ‘We sometimes used to send the scripts up. Since our producers had primarily come to prominence as puppet producers, I suggested one day to Martin [while filming ‘Breakaway’] that we should play our parts as if we were puppets. I said to Frank Watts, our cameraman, “Just keep rolling – whatever we do!” And so we started this scene. You can imagine my stiff and stilted movements, rather like an Anderson puppet, as I said, “But-there-are-men-dying-out-there-John,” and he said, “Gee-I-know-and-it-feels-terrible-to-be-responsible,” or whatever his line was. We persuaded them to print it, hoping Gerry and Sylvia might get a subtle hint from this as to what we thought of the depth and quality of the dialogue being written for our characters, but they obviously thought we were just being mischievous.’

  Nick Tate: ‘They got me to do the first episode, ‘Breakaway’, and then they said, “Right, we liked that; now we’d like to try you on the second one”. It took me about five episodes before they actually took out the fountain pen and said, “Right, you’re in for the run”. I did all 24 episodes of the first season.’

  Gerry Anderson: ‘The New York office assured me that Lee Katzin was “the best pilot director in America”. The schedule to shoot the first episode was ten days, but it overran and we were soon tens of thousands of pounds over budget. It ran for two hours and I thought it was awful. He went back to America and I sent a cutting copy of the episode to Abe Mandell. Abe phoned me in a fit of depression, saying, “Oh my God, it’s terrible – what are we going to do?” I wrote a lot of new scenes myself and these were filmed over three days. I’m pretty sure I directed them myself. I then totally re-cut the episode to 50 minutes, integrating the new footage.’

  Christopher Penfold: ‘George Bellak had written the first episode, which was eventually titled “Breakaway”, but I actually re-wrote it after he had left, and most of it is my work … I think it was my idea to have this nuclear waste dump on the Moon go out of control.

  ‘As far as the nuclear waste dump is concerned, I was already pretty worried about the politics of nuclear power at the time when I was starting work on Space: 1999. I think the fact of that issue being raised in the context of popular drama series has had something to do with the demise of that abhorrent technology. So I think Space: 1999 might have been a start of that.

  [Regarding Computer’s statement, ‘Human decision required.’] ‘Koenig makes a relatively logical decision [not to attempt a return to Earth]. We are living in a binary age, in which we believe that there is either a Yes answer or a No answer to every question. I know computer scientists who believe that serious computer systems are not able to make that decision all the time; that we live believing that those systems govern us in a logical way but there are statistically unlikely – but possibly inevitable – occasions when that indecision could lead to catastrophic circumstances. So when we’re talking about philosophical precepts, we do so in theory, but what happens here in the context of a decision about whether to attempt a return to Earth or stay with what [they had], the facts that [Koenig] was in possession of were actually terribly inadequate.’

  Bloopers: Two bloopers are found in the opening sequence before the titles. The first comes in the form of the on-screen caption ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’. There is no ‘dark side’ of the Moon, but there is a ‘far side’, which is always pointed away from the Earth. The second is that Nordstrom’s spacesuit helmet pops open as he throws Steiner over the Moon Buggy. It happens quickly, and obviously the producers didn’t expect the viewer to catch it. As well, Nordstrom’s name is misspelt on his helmet as ‘Nordstom’.

  Another recurring error throughout the series has to do with matching up effects and live-action shots. Here, Koenig’s Eagle docks on the Port side (left), but he exits on the Starboard side (right).

  Koenig’s spacesuit collar changes from a flat and smooth style to a corrugated one, repeatedly, during his Eagle flight to check Nuclear Waste Area Two. The same mysteriously transforming spacesuit collar also appears on Eagle Pilot Collins – watch for it!

  Observations: It’s unfortunate that the sub-plot of the planet Meta isn’t pursued in the following episode. The build-up through the show culminates at the end with Koenig speculating that the Alphans’ future may lie with Meta (which, presumably, they are heading towards after they break out of orbit), but this plot thread is promptly forgotten by episode two. However, as fans of the series will know, the real year 1999 would see the premiere of a new short film entitled Message from Moonbase Alpha, bringing the entire series full-circle while revealing the true origins of the Meta Signal. Knowing the resolution of Message from Moonbase Alpha gives new meaning to the line Koenig speaks when looking at the mysterious signal, ‘Maybe that’s where our future lies’. This is indeed the case, but in a way none of them could even guess at. Full details appear later in this book.

  It’s entertaining to watch the opening title sequence for shots that ended up not appearing in the final cut of the episode, or which appear in slightly different versions – there are many, including a rockslide, and the spectacular effects sequences of purple lightning striking an Eagle (which, despite its brief on-screen appearance became an iconic Space: 1999 image), and a nuclear waste canister (attached to an Eagle’s magnetic grappler) exploding when it hits the laser barrier.

  This is the only occasion where seat belts are featured in the Eagle passenger module. This is also the only occas
ion where the monitor in the Eagle cockpit features a colour screen – in all others the screens are black and white.

  Review: Taking place between 9 and 13 September 1999, ‘Breakaway’ is a spectacular opening episode presenting life on Moonbase Alpha in as realistic and believable a vision of the future as possible. Some may complain about the scientific implausibility of the Moon being able to withstand the shockwaves of an explosion large enough to rip it out of Earth orbit, but once viewers accept that (and, after all, this is science fiction and suspension of disbelief is a prerequisite!) they are ushered into a truly realistic and highly detailed world.

  This attention to detail is illustrated by the presence of video cameras in the Nuclear Waste Area, providing the video feeds watched by the crew in Main Mission, and used by Dr Russell and Professor Bergman when they’re monitoring the astronauts Steiner and Nordstrom. As well, Commlocks are actively used to open doors and communicate with Computer (as in Medical Centre scenes with Dr Russell). This is a clear presentation of defined technology and creates a tangible element of believability to life on Moonbase Alpha. There is a general ‘buzz’ of background noise and activity throughout the show that lends an additional aura of reality to Moonbase Alpha – unfortunately, this element will be gradually left behind over subsequent episodes.

  The special effects contained within ‘Breakaway’ are light years ahead of anything previously seen on television, and many of them hold up remarkably well all these years later. The laser barrier at the Nuclear Disposal Area is particularly effective, especially considering how few force fields will be visually depicted throughout the run of the series – and some of those that will appear in episodes from the second season will have a remarkable tendency to look like sheets of coloured Perspex. Special effects and models are highly detailed – notably Koenig’s crashed Eagle and the Space Dock explosion. The model of the Space Dock will appear again, slightly altered, in the episode ‘Dragon’s Domain’, when it will be referred to instead as the ‘interplanetary space station’.The physical manifestations of the Meta Probe Astronaut Virus Infection include milky eyes and a progression to quite gruesome facial symptoms as the infected astronauts near death – made all the more chilling by them being bathed in the blue light of the Medical Centre isolation area.

  The major plot-point of magnetic radiation causing brain damage (amongst other problems) is particularly interesting to modern viewers who have heard numerous news reports about the suspected dangers and cancer-causing potential of the electro-magnetic fields from high-voltage power lines and mobile cell phones.

  To those special effects that haven’t aged as well, and other aspects of the production tying it to the time of its creation (like the flares/bellbottoms of the crew’s uniforms), there remains a certain charm. Strings appear holding up the Eagle spaceships in a couple of scenes but, ultimately, like any quality science fiction series that created a complete and distinct universe for itself (as in The Prisoner), the series is a piece of art, with colours and textures all its own.

  The window view to the Eagle hanger bay is very impressive and adds to the scope of Moonbase Alpha – this is a big place! It’s too bad this view is seen only here in ‘Breakaway’ – it could have been a very worthwhile recurring set. Lee H Katzin (who would return to helm the third episode, ‘Black Sun’) was an American director who had previously worked with Martin Landau and Barbara Bain on Mission: Impossible, and it has been reported that he was hired to helm these early Space: 1999 episodes at the specific request of Bain. Helping to build tension throughout the proceedings is the masterful score by Barry Gray.

  The cast are impressive as they find their way with the roles in this premiere segment. Victor Bergman, who proves to be an ongoing ‘Space Uncle’ figure throughout the series, is notable here for prompting the initial meeting of John Koenig and Helena Russell, which goes on to be the primary relationship at the heart of Space: 1999.This episode really belongs to Martin Landau’s Commander Koenig. The structure of the entire story is based around him: from his arrival on the Moonbase, through to his post-breakaway decision that they will not attempt a return to Earth. Koenig is the motivational force, the instigator, the hard-edged and strong leader who will be chiefly responsible for the decisions affecting the future survival of Moonbase Alpha.

  ‘Breakaway’ includes many similarities in concepts, settings and situations to the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. While the connections to 2001 with regard to the design of Moonbase Alpha, and the artificial intelligence of Computer, have already been mentioned, others are worthy of note. The first is Koenig’s Eagle flight to the Moon, complete with stewardess. The Eagle itself is redolent of 2001’s Moonbus, while the interior design of Moonbase Alpha recalls the minimalist interiors of the earlier film. Add to these the sub-plots of a virus infection, and a space mission to another planet following signs of alien life, and the result is a remarkable homage to a classic film.

  ‘Breakaway’ conveys with great success the downfall of modern mankind. Failures of technology abound, and will form one of the most distinctive continuing themes of the series (recurring in such future episodes as ‘Another Time, Another Place’, ‘Mission of the Darians’ and ‘The Testament of Arkadia’.) The series opening portrays the very realistic challenges of space exploration, and the even more realistic organisational and funding difficulties involved. Internal politics abound on Alpha and, most significantly, within the Space Commission. Motivated by these, and by a desire to cover over any hint of failure and reach simple solutions as quickly as possible, the Commission (embodied by Commissioner Simmonds) behaves as most present-day Earthly political organisations behave – very slowly. The Commission is seemingly more occupied with treating the symptoms of their problems than the causes. Even the appointment of Commander Koenig, and therefore the corresponding demotion of Commander Gorski, is ratified only after Koenig is already in Command uniform and aboard an Eagle en-route to the Moon! A very telling exchange between Koenig and Carter (regarding the Meta Probe Astronaut Virus Infection) reveals the depths of politically motivated cover-up even amongst high-ranking members of the Moonbase crew – all instigated by the Space Commission:

  Carter: ‘But, I was told …’

  Koenig: ‘You were told lies. Earth Command wanted you to think it was a temporary setback.’

  As viewers will discover in upcoming episodes, the Meta Probe is only the most recent in a long line of disastrous space missions from Earth. Taking this into retrospective account, the pressure that Commissioner Simmonds and Commander Gorski are under to launch the Meta Probe and combat (or cover up) the Virus Infection becomes all the more evident, and Gorski’s seeming relief at being removed from his command of Alpha becomes that much more appreciable. Gorski was more a caretaker than a Commander and unable to resolve the challenging issues, as evidenced in the later flashback episode ‘Dragon’s Domain’ by Professor Bergman’s statement,‘We can’t leave it to Gorski’. Gorski is also quite sharply presented as being spineless. (Koenig: ‘He’s always been very flexible.’) Quite simply, there is a lot of subtext behind this episode!

  Interestingly, as the Alphans break away from Earth physically they also break away psychologically from these types of political entanglements and deceptions. It’s a symbolic break from the corruption they’re leaving behind.

  At its core, ‘Breakaway’ has a dual theme. While it is a cautionary anti-technology tale it is also making powerful environmental statements. These aspects are numerous and hinge mostly on nuclear power and the waste produced by it. What are we to do with such waste? The answer of shipping it to the Moon is a logical one. The Moon being ripped out of Earth orbit leaves the planet in environmental chaos, with earthquakes and tidal waves being reported on the final broadcast the Alphans pick up from their former home.‘Breakaway’ succeeds in presenting a dynamic and interesting group of people with whom viewers are about to embark on an incredible odyssey, including the edgy Commander Koenig, cool Dr Ru
ssell and hotheaded Alan Carter. It sets the stage for many future episodes in which the Alphans will be literally hurled into dangerous situations for which they find themselves totally unprepared; and, if one is inclined to think of it in such terms, ‘Breakaway’ is an apt metaphor for life itself.

  Although lacking in some of the richer thematic concepts of certain later episodes, this is an admirable and highly refined debut for the series, full of spectacular visuals and promising characters. ‘Breakaway’ sets a high standard to live up to.

  Rating: 8/10

  1.2

  MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH

  Screenplay by Art Wallace and Johnny Byrne

  Directed by Charles Crichton

  Selected Broadcast Dates:

  UK LWT:

  Date: 29 November 1975. Time: 5.50 pm

  Granada

  Date: 19 December 1975. Time: 6.35 pm

  US KRON (San Francisco)

  Date: 29 November 1975. Time: 7.00 pm

  Credited Cast: Martin Landau (John Koenig), Barbara Bain (Helena Russell), Barry Morse (Victor Bergman), Prentis Hancock (Paul Morrow), Clifton Jones (David Kano), Zienia Merton (Sandra Benes), Anton Phillips (Bob Mathias), Nick Tate (Alan Carter), Stuart Damon (Parks)

  Guest Artist: Richard Johnson (Lee Russell)

  Uncredited Cast: Suzanne Roquette (Tanya Alexander), Barbara Kelly (Voice of Computer), John Oxley (Bannion), Shane Rimmer (Voice of Eagle Pilot), Loftus Burton (Operative Lee Oswald), Chai Lee (Operative Anna Wong), Jeremy Anthony, Andrew Dempsey, Christopher Matthews, Michael Stevens, Maggie Wright (Main Mission Operatives), Melita Clarke (Main Mission Technician), Tony Allyn (Security Guard Tony Allan), Quentin Pierre (Security Guard Pierce Quinton), Alan Harris (Alphan), Saad Ghazi (Orderly), Christopher Williams (Orderly)