Destination: Moonbase Alpha

by Robert E. Wood

  Previously Titled: ‘Siren Planet’.

  Plot: Trouble brews on the beautiful planet Terra Nova as a Reconnaissance Eagle encounters problems and returns to the base with an extra passenger – Helena Russell’s husband Lee, who was presumed dead when his spacecraft the Astro 7 disappeared near Jupiter in 1994. Lee warns that if the Alphans land on the seemingly tranquil and hospitable world, their opposite will annihilate them.

  Quotes:

  Koenig: ‘In three days we’ll be out of range of that planet. Every hour that passes lessens our chances of finding a decent home. There are 300 lives, Helena. Can you or I deny them that chance?’

  Helena: ‘Lee, try to help us. Help us to understand.’

  Lee: ‘You face power beyond your understanding. It will destroy you.’

  Victor: ‘So we’ve always thought – on Earth. But we’re a long way from home and we’re going to have to start thinking differently if we’re going to come to terms with space.’

  Helena: ‘The first time I lost Lee I thought I’d never survive it. Now that it’s happened again, I’m just numb. I guess I never really had him back.’

  Lee: ‘Nobody dies. Matter never dies, Helena. It changes its form. There are many forms of life in space and many forms of death, too. I’m the image in the mirror – the opposite of myself.’

  Lee: ‘See what you want to see.’

  Filming Dates: Monday 14 January – Wednesday 30 January 1974

  Incidental Music: The first use of stock incidental music occurs in this episode, with the inclusion of a track composed by Barry Gray for the film Thunderbirds Are Go.

  Commentary:

  Zienia Merton: ‘I loved Charlie Crichton, because he liked actors. He empathised with actors.

  ‘They used to give us the script two days before we shot it. I went downstairs and said, “I have to see Sylvia.” She said, “Right. Come in.” I said, “Sylvia, I don’t know how to say this …” and she said, “Oh my God, you’re not pregnant are you?” I said, “No, it’s worse than that. It’s the next script [‘Matter of Life and Death’]. It says here that Prentis and I are walking in the woods somewhere and something funny happens, and I look over, and there’s a spider on his shoulder! I’m supposed to say, ‘Oh look! Don’t worry about it …’ [Zienia gestures as if to brush it off.] No way! I hate spiders. I absolutely loathe them. If that spider is in Pinewood, I’m not coming to Pinewood! If I break my contract, if you sack me, if you sue me – do it. But this place is not big enough for the spider and me. I’m not doing it!” And Sylvia very nicely said, “Oh darling, I know. I had a chaise longue in my house, and I found out there were mice in it. You know what I did? We moved house. We sold the house!” I thought, “Well, that’s good.” What happened was they decided that the events on the planet with the spider were too Earthly. It was too much of this Earth. So there was no spider.’

  Johnny Byrne: ‘They didn’t have a second script. And so I found scripts that had been written before the series became a real series … I had to write a script that was geared to the actual production, [and I] based [it] on Art Wallace’s [pre-existing] script, but there wasn’t really very much in it. I did that very quickly. And because I did it very quickly and because it was filmable, they asked me to stay on until the end. Basically I think they asked me to stay on so that I would write my own scripts instead of going off somewhere else.‘We had great trouble with “Matter of Life and Death”. I can’t quite remember what Art Wallace’s script was like. I was working under great pressure. Two weeks to get this thing ready and I was pitched in, as they say, into the deep end. So we came up with a story that concerned anti-matter. They had a very good actor for it, Richard Johnson. And it was me kind of edging my way into the kind of Space: 1999 ethos … the Alpha Moonbase ethos. I remember it being made very well, and it went over reasonably okay … I was absolutely thrilled, of course, to find myself working with Charles Crichton, who’s a legend. He and I always got on extremely well. He could rub people up the wrong way; drive them mad by his attention to detail on the floor and his absolutely picking away at a script. But I reckoned that a man of such experience – having virtually lived through the entire film industry – had a lot to teach people like me, relatively new to the actual job of making films, [although] not to writing. So, I learned all I could from Charles. I think, for me, [he was] the director who took my work and did the best possible job with it, the one who really excited me to work with creatively – … but he never really had a good script together until we came to the second series. “Matter of Life and Death” had been written too hazily, and could’ve done with a lot more rethinking about it, but it had to be done. But I really started getting into my [stride] when I worked with [subsequent director] David Tomblin.’

  Bloopers: The text on Computer’s screen reads, ‘Resources capable of sustaining human life,’ but the spoken voice says, ‘Resources to sustain human life unlimited.’

  An early scene set in a travel tube features a unique camera angle shooting up through the metal structure of a hospital gurney from the floor. It looks great, but where is the mattress for the patient to lie on? Don’t worry – by the time a patient is wheeled away, the mattress has magically appeared.

  How does Koenig’s Commlock manage to get an external view of Carter’s Eagle while they’re down on the planet?

  And, lastly, viewers not interested in the plot can amuse themselves by playing ‘spot the missing button’ on Koenig’s Commlock.

  Observations: Main Mission is still in its initial design incarnation here, with stairs to the windows on the opposite side of the set from the Main Computer wall, and the desks arranged tightly together. The set will be revised in upcoming episodes, most notably in ‘Earthbound’. The depiction of Moonbase Alpha itself has advanced in this episode compared to ‘Breakaway’ – in external shots, lights are now visible within the base: a nice special effects touch.

  As with ‘Breakaway’, there are numerous scenes shown in the opening credits that do not appear in the episode itself, or are apparently from alternate takes, including a whip pan from a lunar landscape to an Eagle on a launch pad. Also, the shot of Parks being electrocuted lacks the lightning special effects shown in the episode itself, and was shot from a different angle.

  Notable firsts include the rare occurrence of a Yellow Alert and the debut appearance of the Red Alert designation. The Year One practice of Command Conferences taking place amongst the main crew at the big round table in Koenig’s office is also started here; it is intriguing to consider this as being inspired by Arthurian legend and the Knights of the Round Table.

  This also marks the first use of the Commlock Locator Beam (the second will be in ‘Death’s other Dominion’.) ITC’s original promotional material in the 1970s made the mistake of referring to this as a ‘Camelot’ Locator Beam – a term that has been repeated countless times since by critics cannibalising earlier reviews, or basing their reviews of the series on ITC’s press releases, rather than actually watching the episodes themselves.

  Also interesting is the statement that Operation Exodus – a total evacuation of Moonbase Alpha – would take 48 hours.

  Review: This is a strong second episode that, while in terms of overall quality is slightly inferior to ‘Breakaway’, nevertheless proceeds to top that explosive premiere by completely blowing up the Moon and killing everybody except for Helena. It can’t be said that Space: 1999 didn’t have nerve! The script for ‘Matter of Life and Death’ was singled out for high praise by one reviewer of the day with this comment: ‘The script is by Art Wallace and Johnny Byrne – they deserve an Emmy nomination at least.’[19]Art Wallace had a wide-ranging experience in science fiction television, including scripting an episode for The Invaders and two episodes each for the original Star Trek and the Planet of the Apes series. His original draft for this episode was called ‘Siren Planet’. It was considered to be unworkable and was subsequently rewritten by Johnny Byrne. Essentially, at least on
the surface, this is a take on Milton’s epic Paradise Lost – a Judeo-Christian story of the temptation of Adam and Eve and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Here John Koenig and Helena Russell even eat the fruit!

  The exacting, technical approach to the procedures of the Alphans is continued from ‘Breakaway’, but here is placed in the unknown. The background activity and hum of life on Alpha is also carried over. Precise acting, production and direction (which comes to an exciting peak on the planet) also continue in the frequently note-perfect manner set by ‘Breakaway’. The camera shots also feature a number of interesting and unusual angles, which contribute to the distinctive cinematic look of the series.The style and feel of the episode is distinctly that of the early Year One segments. The characterisation is quite subtly achieved, but it is present and displays great depth. There is a large amount of visible emotion ranging from jokes to tears. The interaction between the characters is fairly formal, as they are still (to a degree) getting to know each other and coming to terms with their journey. Character development is gradual, shifting and progressing from episode to episode. Vewers are given a welcome look into Helena’s quarters, the décor of which suggests that she has an interest in Oriental artwork. (Her quarters will be seen again in the much later episode ‘Dragon’s Domain’, but will be quite different from those shown here.) They are also treated with a view into Bergman’s laboratory, filled with old books and scientific gadgetry.

  Commander Koenig shows more of his personality, demonstrating that he has a tendency to ignore even the strongest advice of his closest advisors and friends – Victor Bergman and Helena Russell. His choice to go down to Terra Nova is a mistake, but also points to a prime factor about humans – we make mistakes, and Koenig is no exception.

  Notably, ‘Matter of Life and Death’ makes it clear that some time has passed since ‘Breakaway’ and that the Alphans have had other adventures and encountered other planets in the interim. Two lines in the dialogue make this point; the first Eagle mission to Terra Nova relays the message, ‘I think we made it this time,’ and Koenig himself states, ‘Many things have happened since we broke away from our solar system.’ These lines were included to allow for the episode to be shown later in the run of the series if desired. Unfortunately, the structure of the procedures followed by the Alphans here would be out of place shown later in the season. This episode clearly belongs second after ‘Breakaway’ in running order. There are more subtle hints that a degree of time has passed since leaving Earth orbit, including the advancement in the relationship between Koenig and Russell – just note the transitioning terminology from ‘Commander’ and ‘Doctor’ to ‘John’ and ‘Helena’.

  There are strikingly produced electrical storms that hit Eagle One and then, later in the episode, Helena Russell – sending her (actually stuntwoman Deborah Ford) flying dramatically across Medical Centre. Anti-matter will return as the driving force behind the plot of Year Two’s ‘A Matter of Balance’.The outer space effects are beautiful and the set of Terra Nova is a most impressive first alien planet for the series, courtesy of production designer Keith Wilson. There are many elements – the red water and skies, the strange trees and fruit – that contribute to creating a thoroughly convincing alien world. The sequences of the storm ripping across the planet, killing everyone but Helena, are some of the most successfully filmed and dramatic of the series. Parrots also feature on Terra Nova, providing a splash of colour and life to the planet. Zienia Merton has related an incident that took place while filming on the Terra Nova set, in which the actors all stopped the scene when they heard director Charles Crichton’s instruction, ‘Cut!’ However, it wasn’t Crichton – it was one of the parrots, which had learned to mimic the distinctive voice of the director. The parrot was then removed from the set.

  The supporting characters are used to significant effect in this episode, with all of them – Paul, Sandra, Mathias and Carter – being the focus of key scenes. David Kano’s impact lies in this being his first episode, and from the beginning Johnny Byrne’s script creates an interesting relationship between Kano and Computer.

  Following the space missions presented in ‘Breakaway’ – the successful Spacefarer 9 and the unsuccessful Meta Probe – viewers from here on will learn of an unbroken string of failed interplanetary and interstellar expeditions. In this episode it is the Astro 7, lost beyond Jupiter, and its crew presumed dead, until the discovery of Lee Russell here on Terra Nova. In future episodes (‘Death’s other Dominion’, ‘Dragon’s Domain’, ‘Voyager’s Return’, ‘Brian the Brain’ and, with references to the Venus Space Station and its crew being wiped out by ‘Venusian plague’, ‘The Exiles’ and ‘The Lambda Factor’) these doomed space explorations are given focus and, combined, paint a very negative image of Earth’s space program. Indeed, they make one question man’s ability to travel into space, as alluded to in a line later spoken in the episode ‘War Games’ when Koenig is informed on an alien world, ‘You have no place in space at all.’ Parallels, connections and threads of themes are woven intricately throughout the entire series, awaiting discovery.

  There is a lot of sadness in this episode, as well as a degree of wish fulfilment. It is a very pure example of Space: 1999, and the entire thrust of the story is about bereavement – focused on the character of Helena Russell. While ‘Breakaway’ was John Koenig’s episode, ‘Matter of Life and Death’ belongs to Helena. She must face the loss of her husband for the second time, and on top of that must cope with the violent destructive forces of the planet killing all of her companions, her new potential love (Koenig), and stripping away the beauty of the paradise around her. Left with desolation and death, all alone, Helena cries to herself. It is a sequence of emotional power rarely felt in science fiction and caps off the remarkably varied performance Barbara Bain gives through this episode. Indeed, for fans of Bain and her character, ‘Matter of Life and Death’ must rank highly. Some have criticised Bain’s performance in this episode as being unexpressive, but it can be suggested that they are missing the point entirely. Helena is in a state of shock and numbness at encountering her lost husband. She’s enveloped in a fog through which she doesn’t even hear John Koenig asking her questions. Considering this, Helena is portrayed exactly as she should be – with restraint and subtlety, and looking beyond these ‘shock’ scenes, she is played with a wide range of emotion.

  The theme of first impressions is given treatment here (as it will be again in future episodes). As Shakespeare wrote, ‘All that glisters is not gold,’ and what looks like a paradise turns out to be anything but. In other words, ‘Look before you leap’. It’s an eternal life message, well delivered. The lovely ending is one of the most effective in the series – featuring optimism for the future and profound sadness for their loss, as well as the aforementioned appealingly hopeful concept of wish fulfillment.

  Despite all of these positives, there are some lapses in story logic that undoubtedly are the fault of the speed at which this script had to be prepared and ready to shoot. It certainly could have been better if Johnny Byrne had been given more time to write it (see ‘Commentary’). The scene where Koenig selects the landing crew is very stilted, both in the writing and in Martin Landau’s performance. There are other scenes with similar problems. The motivations of Lee Russell are unnecessarily murky. Why is he so evasive? Why doesn’t he just cut to the point with a clear early warning to the Alphans? Perhaps he is now so far removed from the human being he once was that he finds communication in such terms difficult. Or perhaps he isn’t really Lee Russell at all, but an alien projection culled from Helena Russell’s mind. Whatever the answers are to these questions, the character isn’t completely effective, and neither is the actor; Richard Johnson has had a long and successful career in the business, but his performance here is far too rigid. As a side note, Lee Russell’s interrogation features unusual red lighting and plays as if he is being tortured – if not physically, then psychologically. While there are inte
rrogation-type scenes in future episodes, none carry the impact and implications of this one. It is unique within the annals of Space: 1999.

  ‘Matter of Life and Death’, overall, is quite entertaining – but it falls short of being one of the best episodes of the season.

  Rating: 7/10

  1.3

  BLACK SUN

  Screenplay by David Weir

  Directed by Lee H Katzin

  Selected Broadcast Dates:

  UK LWT:

  Date: 8 November 1975. Time: 5.50 pm

  Granada:

  Date: 28 November 1975. Time: 6.35 pm

  US KRON (San Francisco):

  Date: 8 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), Jon Laurimore (Smitty)

  Guest Artist: Paul Jones (Michael ‘Mike’ Ryan)

  Uncredited Cast: Suzanne Roquette (Tanya Alexander), Barbara Kelly (Voice of Computer), Jon Laurimore (Smitty), Jan Harvey (Alpha News Service Girl), Vincent Wong (Toshiro Fujita), Ronald Chenery (George Osgood), Loftus Burton (Operative Lee Oswald), Chai Lee (Operative Anna Wong), Andrew Dempsey, Michael Stevens, Marc Zuber (Main Mission Operatives), Tony Allyn (Security Guard Tony Allan), Quentin Pierre (Security Guard Pierce Quinton), Alan Harris (Alphan), Melita Clarke (Main Mission Technician), Maggie Henderson (Alphan Medic), Sandor Eles (Eagle Technician)