The sequence on the deserted duplicate Alpha is played to the perfected hilt by both Bain and Tony Anholt, including the latter’s humorous line, ‘Bang, bang, you’re dead,’ and Bain’s reaction. The opening sequence is also enjoyable as it portrays a simple scene of Helena and Maya interacting as close friends. It is to the credit of the performances of Bain and Catherine Schell that this scene rings true to the viewer and succeeds in the development of greater warmth and likeable interaction among the main characters.
Tony Barwick’s script provides strong plotting, characterisation and dialogue, epitomising the Year Two emphasis on humanity and emotion, while Charles Crichton’s direction delivers everything the viewer expects from his masterful eye. Visually, this is a beautiful episode. It is not heavy on special effects, and the view of the surface of Vega is actually a reuse of footage of Ultima Thule from Year One’s ‘Death’s other Dominion’. Despite this, the limited number of new effects that do feature in this episode are all convincingly well executed. Of special notice are the set design and art direction evident on Vega, which fit perfectly with the elegant and beautiful Vegan androids. The sets of the grove, hallways and underground rock cavern are all borrowed and re-dressed from ‘The Metamorph’ (a consequence of the budgetary restrictions affecting every aspect of production, including the art department), though the revisions are extensive and lead to sets equally deserving of appreciation. The costume design on both the humans and androids is believable and adds to the pleasurable quality of this beautiful and sensual alien world.
‘One Moment of Humanity’ is an episode of great depth in characterisation, and of thoughtful warnings of the dangers of all-powerful technology: a theme Space: 1999 has been professing since ‘Breakaway’. The story revolves around the classic Man versus Machine conflict, heightened by the android Zarl’s desire to be human. Furthermore, this is an episode of the second season that ends naturally and dramatically on an emotional note, rather than with a forced comedic sequence, as was often the case.
The series is all the richer for having provided ‘One Moment of Humanity’.
Rating: 8.5/10
2.4
ALL THAT GLISTERS
Screenplay by Keith Miles
Directed by Ray Austin
Selected Broadcast Dates:
UK LWT:
Date: 30 October 1976. Time: 11.55 am
Granada:
Date: 10 July 1977.
US KRON (San Francisco):
Date: 5 February 1977. Time: 7.00 pm
Credited Cast: Martin Landau (John Koenig), Barbara Bain (Helena Russell), Catherine Schell (Maya), Tony Anholt (Tony Verdeschi), Nick Tate (Alan Carter)
Guest Cast: Patrick Mower (Dave Reilly)
Uncredited Cast: Barbara Kelly (Voice of Computer)
Plot: While searching for the mineral Milgonite on an alien planet, an Alphan reconnaissance party discovers a rock-like entity with tremendous powers of mind control. The rock is dying due to a terrible drought, and it sees the Alphans as a source of water.
Quotes:
Reilly: ‘The rocks understand me, Commander. Me wives never did, but the rocks do.’
Koenig: ‘You’ve got a one-track mind in a stone-age skull. Helena’s trapped in that Eagle and all you can think about is that damned rock!’
Koenig: ‘That planet’s going to be a piece of cake.’
Alan: ‘Fastest gun on Alpha.’
Tony: ‘For Milgonite, another time.’
On-screen Date: 565 days since leaving Earth orbit.
Filming Dates: Thursday 18 March – Wednesday 31 March 1976
Commentary:
Martin Landau: [Handwritten comments on his script] ‘All the credibility we’re building up is totally forsaken … The character of Koenig takes a terrible beating in this script – we’re all shmucks!’
Tony Anholt: ‘There was one big, big battle going on about the script “All That Glisters”. I got zapped pretty early on and spent my time walking around like a zombie carrying a piece of rock. Martin was desperately unhappy about the whole script; he thought it was absolute rubbish, as indeed we all did. Freddy, once he saw the opposition, just became utterly entrenched and would give nothing at all – [as he told it,] that was the greatest episode of the series, it was the most sci-fi type of story; it was going to stay, and he would prove his point. Short of walking off the set, completely screwing the whole series up, there was nothing we could do about it … I did say to Martin, who was quite upset about that particular episode, “Well, if you feel that strongly, why don’t you just refuse to do it?” He said he found it very difficult to work like that. It would mean a whole unit standing around wondering what the hell was going to happen, the schedule would be put back, it would cost more money, ill feeling – so, for the sake of one episode, it really wasn’t worth it.’
Catherine Schell: ‘I had to be actually shouted at – very rudely – before I would stop laughing. It was like a cold shower. I don’t know who wrote that script [“All That Glisters”]. There were things in it we had to say that were just so unbelievable for us. If you’re really into the part and you’re trying to say something with conviction, and then you realizes … there’s this little monster on your shoulder telling you, “This is rubbish!” I just wept [with laughter] every time. It was actually worse than working with Peter Sellers, that particular episode. He was a great mate, actually, that director – Ray Austin. Ray actually shouted at me, “Catherine! Be professional!” … ”I am! That’s why I’m laughing!”
‘It was a piece of rock that was changing in front of our eyes, and we would say, “It’s doing this … It’s going up … No, it’s going down … Oh look, it’s gone green … Now it’s gone red.” And when you knew what you were saying and knew what you were supposed to be looking at … it was just rubbish.
‘If you ever see that episode, there are still creases around all of our mouths from laughing, and sometimes we’re actually turning our heads away from the camera, because we didn’t want the camera to see us laughing. We just became totally hysterical. Anyway, it was a good morning.’
Bloopers: Special effects sequences with the Eagle are inconsistent: a passenger module replaces the laboratory module as the ship takes off with Helena aboard.
As Catherine Schell mentions in her commentary below, she can be seen laughing and turning her head away from the camera while watching the rock-controlled Eagle go up and down.
Observations: One quirk of this episode is that not a single scene takes place on Moonbase Alpha. Another peculiarity is that this is one of two episodes of Year Two in which the Alpha computer speaks – and even here, it is through the Eagle. (The other is ‘The Mark of Archanon’.)
Review: Following three strong opening episodes, ‘All That Glisters’ marks the first failure of Year Two, and remains little more than a parody of earlier quality. However, looked on as a piece of camp sci-fi, purely for laughs, it can still be enjoyed for what it is.
The title itself, ‘All That Glisters’, comes from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice where the Prince of Morocco states, ‘All that glisters is not gold.’ While being the closest this episode will come to literature, the title accurately reflects on the alien rocks, masquerading as the mineral Milgonite, required by Moonbase Alpha.
There had been a number of other science fiction episodes featuring living rocks, including Star Trek’s ‘Devil in The Dark’, The Outer Limits’ ‘Corpus Earthling’, and The Bionic Woman’s ‘The Vega Influence’. ‘All That Glisters’ was Space: 1999’s entry into this rather bizarre sub-genre. Keith Miles delivered his script in early March of 1976, and whether through fault of his own or through re-writing, it is certainly one of the worst in the series and contains numerous ghastly lines, including Koenig’s pontificating ‘Maybe they’re like humans. When they’re scared, they don’t think too well.’ While it could potentially be regarded as a tribute to Star Trek, Helena’s line, ‘I’m a doctor, John – not a mirac
le worker!’ comes across as a shamefully derivative rip-off. One aspect of the script that is appreciated, though, as it was in ‘The Metamorph’, is the recognition of Alpha’s occasional need for rare minerals to power such systems as Life Support.
Ray Austin provides direction that ploughs along with the pace of the script, though neither leads anywhere rewarding. Austin was reportedly – like the cast – very unhappy with the script, and following completion of this episode he opted to leave Space: 1999 and join The New Avengers.
Patrick Mower delivers a genuine oddity of characterisation as the Irish cowboy Dave Reilly. His performance is admirable, despite his inconsistent accent and some occasionally overdone sequences where he comes across stiffly. To be fair, it would be difficult for any actor to turn in a stellar performance when faced with this script! What is completely unclear is why Dave Reilly had to be introduced at all. He does nothing that couldn’t have been handled by a variety of other Alpha characters, including Alan Carter or Sandra Benes, and it would have been far more rewarding to have seen a regular in this large role. The main cast struggle through and uniformly give their best to maintain a sense of dignity in the face of this unchallenging and often idiotic material. Martin Landau plays Koenig with an edge – temperamental and easy to anger – which might be partly because Landau himself was extremely unhappy with the script.
The special effects are quite nice, and the depiction of the otherworldly alien planet – a collection of red skies, grey sand and bizarre twisted dead trees – is excellent. Not only is this planet a highlight of ‘All That Glisters’, it stands as one of the most memorable alien worlds visited throughout the series. The living rocks and their ability to emit different beams of coloured light are unbelievable in many regards, despite the appealing notion of life having evolved in so radically different a form than we are familiar with. Possibly the alien rocks are meant to be viewed as being akin to mood stones. Regardless, the exclamation ‘Red is death!’ marks one of the most ridiculous moments of the series.
. In concept, there is nothing wrong with an episode featuring living rocks – it was done with considerably greater success on Star Trek, The Outer Limits and The Bionic Woman. But ‘All That Glisters’ fails in both script and execution. A cloud of disappointment hangs over the resultant proceedings, although once forgiven its shortcomings, the episode does at least provide an exciting and enjoyably silly sci-fi hour, with a pleasant resolution.
Rating: 5.5/10
2.5
JOURNEY TO WHERE
Screenplay by Douglas James
Directed by Tom Clegg
Selected Broadcast Dates:
UK LWT:
Date: 18 September 1976. Time: 11.20 am
Granada:
Date: 29 Apr. 1977. Time: 7.30 pm
US KRON (San Francisco):
Date: 18 Sept. 1976. Time: 7.00 pm
Credited Cast: Martin Landau (John Koenig), Barbara Bain (Helena Russell), Catherine Schell (Maya), Tony Anholt (Tony Verdeschi), Nick Tate (Alan Carter), Jeffery Kissoon (Dr Ben Vincent), Yasuko Nagazumi (Yasko), Roger Bizley (MacDonald), Laurence Harrington (Jackson), Norwich Duff (First Operative Texas), Peggy Paige (The Old Crone)
Guest Stars: Freddie Jones (Dr Charles Logan), Isla Blair (Carla Cross)
Uncredited Cast: Sarah Bullen (Operative Kate), Robert Reeves (Operative Peter Reeves), Jenny Cresswell (Operative L Picard), Robert Davies (Mr Hyde (Maya)), John Wood (Second Operative), Terry Walsh (Highlander), Peter Brayham, Eddie Stacey, Tim Condren, Terry Walsh, Doug Robinson (Clansmen / Stunts)
Plot: Neutrino Transmissions from Texas City in the year 2120 reach Moonbase Alpha, promising that a return to Earth via new transportation technology is possible. A test package is successfully transmitted. This is followed by the attempted transfer of Koenig, Russell and Carter. An earthquake disrupts the procedure, and the trio awake in Scotland in 1339.
Quotes:
Maya: ‘You told me heroes were fools who had a talent for nothing else.’
Helena: ‘It’s the Moon, John – it’s the Moon!’
Alan: ‘Would you believe we lost our way?’
Helena: ‘With a history like that, who wants to go back to Earth, anyway?’
On-screen Date: None.
Filming Dates: Thursday 1 April – Wednesday 14 April 1976
Observations: The test device was previously utilised as one of the air canisters in ‘The Last Sunset’, while the costumes of the Scottish clansmen are re-used from the Roman Polanski film of Macbeth.
Special effects footage of the domed Earth cities from ‘Journey to Where’ was borrowed by the Wonder Woman series for an episode titled ‘Time Bomb’.
Review: ‘Journey to Where’ was written by Douglas James, who had already penned ‘The Exiles’ and would return again later in the series as author of ‘The Seance Spectre’.
Upon the arrival of John, Helena and Alan on Earth, this episode hits its stride. The location shoot is beautiful and atmospheric, and the direction by Tom Clegg, which had been rather pedestrian in the Moonbase Alpha scenes, excels in the Earth ones. Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and Nick Tate all likewise deliver outstanding performances in these scenes, freed from the confines of the Alpha sets. Bain, in particular, gives her finest performance in Year Two. She is absolutely gripping as Helena succumbs to pneumonia, dropping her normally restrained demeanour and replacing it with a raw realism, demonstrating her courage as an actress. Helena, even in her illness, is a strong character: she is the one who identifies their Moon in the sky, and spots the fungus on the walls of the cell and directs the preparation of it into an antibiotic. The trio of Landau, Bain and Tate appear comfortable and at ease in their roles, and uniformly deliver three of the most natural and genuine performances in the series.
Catherine Schell imbues Maya with a sense of uncertainty and sadness at the thought of going with her fellow Alphans back to Earth – an alien world to her, where she would be even more alone; one amongst billions rather than one amongst approximately three hundred. She is left out and set apart from the rejoicing the others express in making contact with their home world.
The absence of Zienia Merton’s character Sandra is profoundly felt: her replacement, Yasko, is portrayed by Yasuko Nagazumi, who gives a performance of remarkably limited talent and manages to stumble over every word in her apparently slim English vocabulary.
Isla Blair, in an entertainingly awful white wig, returns to the series, having previously played the Female Alien in ‘War Games’. She and Freddie Jones have an interesting time with their American accents, yet do succeed in playing their parts with an earnestness that lends them credibility.
Director Tom Clegg delivers his first episode for the series, and would go on to helm a further four: ‘The Bringers of Wonder’ Parts 1 and 2, ‘Devil’s Planet’ and ‘The Dorcons’. While those others are all admirable episodes, this is his finest outing.
The Texas City miniatures are fun, with their pulsing disco lights. There are also similar lights on the Texas City laboratory set – an admirable bit of continuity between the special effects and set design departments. The effects of the earthquakes are quite engaging, especially for the period when they were produced. The shots of the devastated countryside of Earth, including foaming rivers and the carcass of a cow on a desert plain, provide suitably effective environmental warnings of the dangers of pollution.
‘Journey to Where’ is Space: 1999’s only time-travel story (in ‘The Full Circle’ the Alphans regress to a primitive state, but they do not actually travel back in time), and it is completely successful. It is a surprising and effective choice on the writer’s part to send the Alphans to 1336 in Scotland at the time of the Black Plague. A far more interesting choice than to have put them, for example, on a back-lot Wild West town as other sci-fi programmes have done.
The script contains numerous allusions to the future, most notably in Alan Carter’s singing (as in ‘Death’s other Dominion’). Prior to their
journey into Earth’s past, Carter sings, ‘Fly me from the Moon at last; Let Alpha be my long-lost past.’ He later sings, ‘Fire, fire, burn so bold. Can’t you see she’s feeling cold?’ This foretells of the fire that nearly burns them all, and also foreshadows Helena’s realisation that she has her own worsening ‘cold’, which becomes pneumonia. Another notable instance is when Helena jokingly mentions the Black Plague, not realising that is exactly what the Scottish clansmen will accuse her of having.
Conceptually, the Alphans are allowed to connect with the Earth of the 22nd Century and see where mankind has wound up – ‘Who needs nature?’ is the brilliantly chilling summary of the state of humanity. Year One episodes, particularly those of Johnny Byrne, frequently contrasted the lives of technological and non-technological societies, seeming to suggest that the most desirable combination was a balance between the two elements of science and nature. The death of nature on future Earth leaves the humans – locked up in their futuristic cities – lacking a connection to the world that gave them life. Where Byrne often called for a return to and an embracing of the natural world, while eschewing a total abandonment of science, Donald James goes a step further. Helena personifies the disconnection between people living in an utterly technological environment and those in their former natural habitat. Demonstrating profoundly that the Alphans are now people of space, rather than of Earth, her return to the planet of her birth makes Helena deathly ill. While Byrne’s scripts show a desire for a new Eden, James seems to say that the rift is too great, and that the Alphans – mankind itself? – are too far-gone to return to a natural state. Certainly, their future does not lie on Earth, as was also stated in Year One’s ‘Earthbound’, when Professor Bergman said, ‘Maybe I’ve had enough of Earth and its so-called civilisation.’ Earth has become virtually as inhospitable to life as the Moon. Texas City and the other domed cities offer a life very similar to that on Moonbase Alpha. The question must be: does a return to Earth offer the Alphans anything more than they already have?
Destination: Moonbase Alpha Page 42
