Bloopers: Superimposing the images of Sam and Tessa into certain shots using half-silvered mirrors resulted in the reversal of their images – watch their badges!
Wires can be seen pulling objects around the Medical Stores in the opening sequence.
Observations: ‘The Lambda Factor’ provides an entertaining opportunity to watch the dramatic differences in lighting on Martin Landau and Barbara Bain, even when they are in the same shot standing next to each other. Virtually without fail he is dramatically cross-lit, while she is gently soft-lit. The lighting is successfully flattering on each of them, but it does look seriously incongruous.
Review: ‘The Lambda Factor’ features superb scripting by Terrance Dicks (a Doctor Who stalwart making his sole contribution to Space: 1999) and direction by Charles Crichton (in the last of his 14 episodes). The cinematography is excellent, especially during the death scenes of Sally and Mark. Sally’s is preceded by a dynamic, dark, slow motion sequence. Prior to Mark’s, there is a dramatic build-up of tension with the lights going out as he walks down an Alpha corridor (shades of Year One’s ‘Force of Life’), followed by the arrival of the winds and crushing psychic forces that kill him. The simple effects of objects moving, flying about the sets and crashing down, coupled with the lighting, direction, wind effects and noises, create a frightening and effective portrayal of powerful telekinetic abilities.
The main cast are mostly faultless, although Tony Anholt flagrantly overacts his way through the private interrogation scene with Carolyn Powell. Martin Landau is especially commendable for an acting triumph as John Koenig, confronting his ghosts. His is an Emmy-calibre performance and displays a depth and range of characterisation (as well as weakness in a lead character) rarely seen in science fiction television at the time. The addition of significant back-story on John Koenig, relating his past experiences on a Venus space mission and the epidemic that killed his friends Sam and Tessa – as previously mentioned in ‘The Exiles’ – is a wonderful example of inter-episode continuity, and adds greatly to his history.
Deborah Fallender excels when depicting the more sadistic moods of her character, and while her performance is somewhat over-the-top, she is playing an over-the-top character, so it does work quite well. Carolyn’s psychic powers are effectively portrayed as a potent threat to the safety of Moonbase Alpha and to some of the most important characters in the series. Some of the minor supporting Alphan actors such as Anthony Stamboillieh and Gregory de Polnay give rather limited performances, but they are at least acceptable, and the characters are well-rounded human beings with appreciable emotions.
Watch for the incredible slow motion transformation of Maya into a tiger; Catherine Schell has the features of the animal perfected as she snarls and leaps into the air, and the sequence is reminiscent of her transformation into a black panther in ‘The Exiles’. However, her ape shape-shift (utilised to rescue Alan, who is trapped in Engineering with an atomic motor about to blow up) leads to a sorry exhibition of a grunting man in an ape suit – at least it passes quickly.
Moonbase Alpha is expanded through the incorporation of the Recreation Area, with a nice glimpse of Alphan off-duty activities: playing games and relaxing. The Recreation Area is also one of the rare sets in Year Two to incorporate windows.
The effect of the lambda factor space phenomenon itself is the greatest weakness of the episode. It looks like the ‘whirly-gig thing’ it is referred to as, and this visual presentation does much to detract from the dramatic impact of the episode: it just looks silly. By contrast, one notably appealing, yet simple, visual effect is the on-screen blurring of the Engineering Section screen-saver while Alan has his dramatic encounter with the malfunctioning Eagle motor.
Helena provides a convincing explanation as to what the lambda variant is and how it was discovered, and the prominent exploration of ESP is intriguing. That a space phenomenon could be emitting waves with the ability to increase telepathic powers and cause mental disturbances is a very strong concept to base an episode around. In basic premise it does bear resemblance to the 1972 Russian film, and original novel by Stanislaw Lem, Solaris (remade in 2002).
The dramatic climax of the episode begins as Carolyn takes over Command Centre – sitting in the Commander’s chair, freezing the personnel and forcing Tony to kneel and call her ‘Commander.’ Her psychotic madness and powers are then used to control Maya and make her transform into a chimpanzee[24] and then a caterpillar. In this memorable sequence, Carolyn first threatens to step on the Maya caterpillar, and then traps her under a clear Perspex box, ultimately deciding to discover how much air a caterpillar needs to survive and suggesting the others all ‘pass the time by watching Maya die.’ It’s a very effective scene.
Koenig’s final confrontation with Carolyn is an excellent climax, as he uses his own heightened ESP powers against hers. It is dramatic from both character and visual standpoints, and grips the viewer. What is most appealing about ‘The Lambda Factor’ is that it ultimately is not really concerned with the space phenomenon itself, but with the conflicts and interactions of the people affected by it. With a pleasing similarity to such episodes as Year One’s ‘Force of Life’ and Year Two’s ‘Catacombs of the Moon’, the alien phenomenon here remains utterly unexplainable. How did it come to exist, where did it come from, or go to, and what was its purpose? These are ambiguities that allow outer space to retain an appealing degree of mystery. There is also a prevalent theme stressing how power can corrupt and pervert, both psychically and politically. ‘The Lambda Factor’ is another highly recommended episode.
Rating: 8/10
2.20
THE SEANCE SPECTRE
Screenplay by Donald James
Directed by Peter Medak
Selected Broadcast Dates:
UK LWT:
Date: 10 September 1977. Time: 11.30 am
Granada:
Date: 2 October 1977. Time: 1.15 pm
US KRON (San Francisco):
Date: 5 March 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), Zienia Merton (Sandra Benes), Nigel Pegram (Cernik), James Snell (Stevens), Christopher Asante (Security Guard)
Guest Stars: Ken Hutchison (Greg Sanderson), Carolyn Seymour (Eva)
Uncredited Cast: Robert Reeves (Operative Peter Reeves), Jenny Cresswell (Alphan), Quentin Pierre (Security Guard Pierce Quinton), Harry Fielder (Security Guard George), Terry Walsh (Security Guard / Stunt Arranger), Paul Weston (Security Guard / Stunts), Christine White (Maya Child), Candy Wilson (Maya Child), Caroline Munroe (Girl in Picture #1), Venicia Day (Bikini Girl – cut from final print)
Previously Titled: ‘The Mutiny’
Plot: Moonbase Alpha is on a collision course with a planet in the earliest stages of development – a vast cloud of gas and dust in space that the Alphans have called Tora. A plan is devised to alter the course of the Moon by exploding the remaining nuclear waste dumps. But a few Alphans suffering from ‘green sickness’ believe Tora to be a habitable world, and will let nothing stop them from colonising it.
Quotes:
Koenig: ‘We’ll be swallowed by a vast swamp of dust.’
Sanderson: ‘No! There is a habitable planet out there – the prediction said so.’
Koenig: ‘1999: the way this whole thing started.’
Helena: ‘How long are we going to survive on a fleet of transporter Eagles? We’ll be at each other’s throats.’
On-screen Date: 2,012 days since leaving Earth orbit.
Filming Dates: Monday 18 October – Saturday 30 October 1976
Bloopers: During the fight sequence with Koenig, Sanderson’s spacesuit visor is knocked open.
Review: ‘The Seance Spectre’ is a first-rate script by Donald James, filled with action and countless dramatic peaks. James previously scripted ‘The Exiles’ and ‘Journey to Where’, and once again he demonstrates hi
mself to be one of the finest writers working on the series. For exciting and dramatic action in Year Two, ‘The Seance Spectre’ is certainly one of the very best episodes.
Many interesting possibilities are explored throughout, including the efforts to blow up the waste dumps in order to change the course of the Moon and avoid the collision with Tora. While by this point in the series it is getting to be a tired plot premise to place the Moon on a collision course with anything, it is certainly well handled here, and the concept of re-creating the ‘Breakaway’ explosion is effectively discussed. The aspect of blowing up the remaining nuclear waste dumps harks back to ‘Collision Course’, where the exact same proposal was put forth.
Another winning aspect of the script is the idea of the ‘green sickness’. It makes sense that a group of people stranded on the Moon for such a long period of time (especially those surface workers who are sent out on extended tours of duty away from the relative comforts of Alpha) could develop an irrational, compulsive and potentially delusional need for an Earth-type planet, lending credibility to the mutiny seen here.
Director Peter Medak helms his second and last high-octane episode of the series, his first being ‘Space Warp’. Medak seems a director ideally suited to the requirements of the season, and here he improves upon his first segment largely through the benefit of having a far superior script to work with.
Derek Wadsworth’s score is again extremely effective and serves to help drive the sense of pace and urgency, as in many other episodes. His compositions suit the style of Year Two, just as Barry Gray’s orchestral arrangements worked within the grand scope of Year One.
Martin Landau and Barbara Bain provide the most notable performances, particularly in the scenes where Koenig is dealing with the mutiny amongst his crew while Helena Russell is trying to treat the ‘green sickness’ the mutineers are suffering from. This is the last episode in which Zienia Merton appears, and as such it is an opportunity to bid a fond farewell to another member of the original Space: 1999 ensemble. Happily, Sandra Benes has a respectable role to play in the proceedings. Catherine Schell’s most memorable moment here occurs in the cute scene where Maya transforms into a young Psychon girl – perhaps herself as a child?
An over-the-top performance from Ken Hutchison (who is incorrectly billed as ‘Ken Hutchinson’ on-screen) detracts from his character’s impact. Greg Sanderson is a madman and a tragic figure, similar in concept to that of Patrick Osgood in ‘Catacombs of the Moon’, and to some degree should be portrayed with obvious fanaticism, but Hutchison’s lack of subtlety goes beyond this and creates a caricature. Perhaps if an actor possessing a more subtle menace (such as Peter Bowles from Year One’s ‘End of Eternity’) had been cast in this role, the episode could have been even better. Carolyn Seymour shines in her role and successfully imparts a personality to Eva that extends beyond the words of the script.
The special effects are exemplary, including in the sequences of the space phenomenon Tora, and of the Eagle’s crash, subsequent damage and flight back to Alpha. These are some of the finest effects produced for the series and remain visually astounding to this day. Brian Johnson and his team once more prove how advanced their effects were for 1976. Once again, viewers are presented with nuclear waste disposal areas on the Moon, and again they are different in design from those shown in previous episodes (‘The Bringers of Wonder’ and ‘Breakaway’, which itself featured two different waste dump designs – older and newer.)
When the Eagle carrying Koenig and Maya has less than enough oxygen for one passenger, the Psychon transforms into a huge amount of foliage in order to assist in oxygen production to help the Commander survive the flight. It’s memorably the only instance where she becomes a plant. But she must have repeated the transformation three times, as the flight from Tora to Alpha is three hours long, and the maximum period of time for which she can hold a transformation is one hour. In a significant lapse of logic, Koenig and Maya fail to consider using the oxygen stored in the spacesuits on the Eagle.
The slow motion effects of Koenig and Sanderson duelling on the Moon’s surface are first rate, with this scene probably constituting the finest lunar surface fight sequence of the series. While scenes of this type have certainly been prominent in prior episodes – ‘The Bringers of Wonder’ and ‘Space Warp’ specifically – this is an instance of practice making perfect.
The possibility of evacuating the base onto the fleet of transporter Eagles is investigated as well: it’s something the Alphans certainly would not wish for, but a viable survival option that is explored effectively.
Conceptually, ‘The Seance Spectre’ is concerned with human conflict amongst the Alphans, and as such it bears similarities to other second season episodes such as ‘Catacombs of the Moon’ and ‘The Lambda Factor’. Here the themes are betrayal and mutiny, and the original title of ‘The Mutiny’ was a more literal description of the episode than ‘The Seance Spectre’ – the seance itself actually bears little importance to the plot, and the episode might actually have been better off without it. The mutiny is the culmination of weaknesses in the Alphan command structure, which have been apparent in episodes of both seasons including notable examples in ‘Missing Link’, ‘Collision Course’, and ‘Seed of Destruction’, which all feature a crisis of command. Koenig himself is the reason for the mutiny, as his information lockdown serves to amplify mistrust that has already been simmering beneath the surface amongst Sanderson and his friends. Could this mutiny have been avoided? Certainly. But human nature being what it is, it was virtually inevitable that at some point Alpha would experience insurrection in the ranks. To make matters even more interesting, there is conflict within Sanderson’s own group of supporters, who serve as a microcosm of Alpha itself.
The philosophical underpinnings of Year Two are again stated clearly by Helena: ‘The John Koenig philosophy: if there are chips on the table, we’re still in the game.’ Koenig hammers the point by responding: ‘Right on.’ Not only consistent with other statements of the second season, this is also admirably in line with the ideas presented in Year One, where human resourcefulness and innovative thinking were often the keys to survival. It’s worth pointing out again that Year One’s Alphans remained Earth people lost in space, rather than the science fiction superheroes of Year Two (embodied by the powerful shape-shifting Maya). But while earlier Year Two statements like Koenig’s ‘We’ll determine our own destiny,’ would have been jarringly out of place in the first 24 episodes, this ‘chips on the table’ exchange would fit comfortably into such earlier episodes as ‘War Games’.
For its successful melding of fast-paced action adventure with character-based drama, ‘The Seance Spectre’ is highly recommended as one of the finest episodes of the season, excelling in both concept and execution.
Rating: 8.5/10
2.21
DORZAK
Screenplay by Christopher Penfold
Directed by Val Guest
Selected Broadcast Dates:
UK LWT:
Date: 5 November 1977. Time: 11.00 am
Granada:
Date: 9 October 1977. Time: 1.15 pm
US KRON (San Francisco):
Date: 12 March 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), Kathryn Leigh Scott (Yesta), Sam Dastor (Dr Ed Spencer), Seretta Wilson (Clea), Richard Le Parmentier (Sam Malcolm), Yasuko Nagazumi (Yasko), Paul Jerricho (First Security Guard), John Judd (Second Security Guard)
Guest Stars: Lee Montague (Dorzak), Jill Townsend (Sahala)
Uncredited Cast: Quentin Pierre (Security Guard Pierce Quinton), Jenny Cresswell (Alphan)
Plot: A ship captained by the alien Sahala asks for help, but when it lands at Alpha it is discovered that there is a Psychon aboard called Dorzak. He is being held in stasis as a prisoner, accused of crimes on Sahala’s planet Norvah, and is being sent
to exile on Thesalena, the most distant planet in their Croton system. Maya doesn’t believe Sahala: she remembers Dorzak as a kind man and a philosopher, and wants him to be set free.
Quotes:
Sahala: ‘Technologically, they were very advanced and we welcomed them on Norvah. But in time we realised the Psychons were a virus that would destroy our society.’
Alan: ‘Well, he sleeps easy for someone who perverts minds.’
Dorzak: ‘It may be dekons old, but your civilisation was based originally on military supremacy. Only when that was achieved could the luxury of culture grow.’
Dorzak: ‘But your civilisation is enfeebled by contentment. We Psychons are steeled by the struggle for survival.’
On-screen Date: 2,009 days since leaving Earth orbit.
Filming Dates: Tuesday 2 November – Tuesday 16 November 1976
Commentary:
Kathryn Leigh Scott: ‘[My episode of] Space: 1999 I only just saw … I had no idea that I spent the entire show flat on my back! I still keep laughing that, aside from [delivering] one line and pointing that instrument [when] I was on my feet, otherwise I was flat on my back.
‘I was obviously [supposed to be] comatose, but I take some pleasure in the fact that [despite] being the silent, comatose one I think I had the best costume. I must have been first in line when they handed out gowns. And I just loved those bracelets that I wore. I remember Jill Townsend being quite envious of those bracelets. Jill was wonderful – I just adored her. She was really quite a good actress.
Destination: Moonbase Alpha Page 50
