[X] My Assistant

[dvandorn]

I just have to add my $.02 here...

I grew up on Gerry Anderson's "Supermarionation" work. I loved Fireball XL-5, and can still sing the theme song. My absolute favorite piece of Anderson-tech was Supercar. I was so taken with that vehicle that I was crushed when I failed to receive a toy model of it on my 8th birthday. (No matter how many times I told my parents that I *really* wanted a Supercar for a birthday or Christmas, over at least a three-year period, I never, ever got one. I had to make my own Supercar models using Tinkertoys and/or Legos.)

But...

Maybe it's because I was older when Space: 1999 came out, or maybe it's because it was a highly-touted live-action s.f. TV offering, of which there had been relatively few good examples. But I found Space: 1999 a pretty lame attempt to combine space opera with hard science fiction.

The base concept -- that an explosion in an expended nuclear fuel dump could hurl Earth's Moon out of orbit and accelerate it to such a great speed that it would leave the Solar System in a matter of days -- was such bad *science* that I was turned off by it. I mean, do y'all have *any* idea of how much energy it would require to propel that much mass that quickly? If you tried to apply that kind of energy to the Moon within the very short time frame presented, you wouldn't propel it out of the Solar System, you would shatter it into a gazillion pieces.

The Eagle spacecraft were very kewl-looking... but I didn't care for the clouds of dust they kicked up on the airless Moon. By the mid-1970's, we all knew quite well that dust doesn't hang in the "air" on a body with no atmosphere. Again, bad science began to ruin it for me.

And finally, I just wasn't all that impressed with the characters and situations presented in the stories. The acting direction didn't bring out the cast's strengths, and the whole thing just sort of sat there, leaden and lifeless. At least, thus it seemed to me at the time.

Had the same concept and stories been presented in Anderson's Supermarionation and presented as a Saturday morning "cartoon" entry, I probably would have been somewhat fond of the effort. But as a very highly touted "next coming of Star Trek" into "adult" TV science fiction, it fell far short of expectations and was a rather severe disappointment to me.



-the other Doug

[Guest_PhilCo126_*]

Clearly we have here the generation who knew the chocolade bar TWIX as RAIDER about 25 years ago

The COSMOS series by Carl Sagan is available as an all-region DVD set via Amazon.com or via:
http://www.carlsagan.com/

[ustrax]

Clearly we have here the generation who knew the chocolade bar TWIX as RAIDER about 25 years ago

The COSMOS series by Carl Sagan is available as an all-region DVD set via Amazon.com or via:
http://www.carlsagan.com/

And free of charge here...:

[RedSky]

Yes, Other Doug... I loved Supercar too. But that was before XL5; I was even younger and Mike Mercury just seemed a little too scary for me with his hard features, big eyes and huge eyebrows.... but I loved the car. But in XL5, I was just awed by the impression of size with the ship, and the novelty of XL-Jr separating and landing.

Anyway... here's one for you... Supaah

Edit: Oh, and agree regarding most of 1999... but I wasn't brave enough to point out the implausibility. My other issue with that show (by 1975 I was a physics/astronomy major in college) was how did the moon, drifting through interstellar space (at sub-light speeds) manage to pass nearby a planet so often? And how did they often know the names of those new planets (Ultima Thule?)

[ElkGroveDan]

You can Direct Santa Claus to this link:

Space 1999 Megaset

[ElkGroveDan]

Remember UFO?

Remember the LADIES on UFO? (Rowrrrrr)

[lyford]

I guess I wouldn't miss not having a jetpak or flying car so much if we had this future instead....

(It's so very scientific, trust me.)

[dilo]

Doug, I think age is foundemantal when you see a movie/serial for the first time.
I was about 8-11 years old when italian television broadcasted the two Anderson's series "UFO" and "Space1999" and I was deeply impressed by both, especially the latter. I loved first S1999 season, but I hated the second one; this is only partially due to the differences between the two (2nd season was produced by US and for this reason was made to better match Star-Trek fans preferences).
The science facts are absolutely opinable and I was partially conscious of this at the epoch... neverthless, contrary to you, I loved most characters and situations presented in the stories. Beside bad science, the sense of mistery and the (sometimes scaring) obscure destiny dominating the Alpha station journey and captured my fantasy as nothing else.
I recently buyed the DVD, now I clearly see all the limits you listed but... I'm still loving it!
Clearly, we all are victims of our time!!!

[RedSky]

Yes...I was 7 when Cosmos was transmitted here and I was addicted to it...

Hey Rui, and others who at such a young age were so impressed by Cosmos: I really admire you, and what great people and minds you are. Just to show how age and seeing a show matters (as has been mentioned here):

When Cosmos first aired, I was in my mid 20s's, and was a total space buff. When I watched it (as a product of the space age in the US), I guess I wanted a hard-core fact-filled science show. All these side trips Carl made to see Tibetan folks spinning prayer wheels, talk about the Hindu gods Shiva, etc... left me cold. I thought he was being really pompous. I loved Carl for his visible face during Viking and several appearences on Nova back then.... but I thought Cosmos was over the top at the time.

When PBS re-broadcast it last year (25 years after I first saw it) I watched it and I swear I was moved to tears at each episode by the time Carl gave his closing talk. What a difference in perspective 25 years of living provides. Now, it seemed so profound, inspiring and insightful. So, for you guys who were so impressed at such a young age... I truely admire you! It took me a long time to reach where you were so long ago.

- John

[RedMill46]

I probably saw all the 1999 shows,one thing I remember was that the show always left me feeling sort of depressed for some reason,the episodes seemed so dark. Very unquic in that aspect as far as tv shows go for me.....

[4th rock from th...]

For me, the most memorable space moment from my childhood seen on TV was the (first?) launch of (I guess) Space Shuttle Challenger. It was a rare live broadcast on Portuguese TV (not much interested in covering space issues) in the middle of the afternoon, in a time where TV only broadcast after 18h!!!

So no commercials, no breaks, no reports, just some comments and live images. Beautifull and memorable.
I should have been around 7 or 8 at the time and all of that was very moving at the time.

Also, the TV set at the time was still a B/W valve model... so... I have a unique memory of monochrome and vintage shuttle launch!!!

As for Space 1999, I also watched it when I was very young. I couldn't read the subtitles, so my parents read the show live for me!!! When a monster appeared they told me not to look! I still remember peeking from behind the couch to see the burned "energy man" that sucked life from base personnel.

Cosmos, of course, was very appealing for its time and a family show. Both scientific and human content, and a very cleaver show.

And finally a reference to "Il Etait une fois... l'espace" (once upon a time... the space). Very nice cartoon "edutainment" that introduced a generation to the terminology of science fiction!

[ustrax]

And finally a reference to "Il Etait une fois... l'espace" (once upon a time... the space). Very nice cartoon "edutainment" that introduced a generation to the terminology of science fiction!

Yes Nunes...I knew you would have seen it...Listening Paulo de Carvalho singing the main theme still gives me the chills...

RedSky...
I believe I made the opposite path you did...Since I remember me I was always focused on the "outside", the Space, the Planets, the Voyages...
Then "real life" made me land again on good old mother Earth...That is way, this era, started with MER is so important to me...I'm back to my childhood dreams with all this amazing toys at display via internet...
It is a dream come true on a different time...Sometimes I feel I have gone through a deep sleep and woke up today with all the wishes fullfilled...
That view gets me all emotional...
Thinking that I'm 3,4,5,6,7,8 years old and that I'm watching real time images, sharing real time ideas with the people who make it possible...
That is why I never ceased to dream.
Now it is time to rewatch Cosmos and cry till I'm dry...

[dilo]

Ustrax, I subscribe every single word.
Thanks to you/forum/MER for this flashback!

[RedSky]

Then "real life" made me land again on good old mother Earth...That is way, this era, started with MER is so important to me...I'm back to my childhood dreams with all this amazing toys at display via internet... It is a dream come true on a different time...Sometimes I feel I have gone through a deep sleep and woke up today with all the wishes fullfilled...

Well, trax, I just think you were distracted for a time. I'll bet you've always had the spirit of a dreamer, explorer, poet and philosopher in you the whole time. And I'll add my voice to others who've mentioned it: thanks for starting this trip down memory lane.
- John
PS: I like your website... seems incredibly interesting; probably moreso if I could read Portuguese! (Still looking at changes in Ultreya, I see )

[Mongo]

I was also a fan of the series when I was a child, although I confess that I was terrorized by episodes like "the dragon's domain"

I was of two minds when I watched the original run in my early teens. I liked the special effects, which stood out in the 1970s SF-TV wasteland, but I was constantly brought out of the story by the scientific impossibilities.

That episode, though... I admit that it terrified me. My father, who was watching it at the same time as I was, thought that it was ridiculous, and not frightening in the least. Of course, he had been through WW2 himself, so he would have had different standards about what is frightening and what is not.

Bill