December 13, 1975 landed on the channel TF1, in the broadcast "Samedi est à vous", a series that would completely change the way of seeing a sci-fi series, never before had we seen such a surge of effects on the small screen visuals grandiose decorations and titanic explosions, in a series that aims to be out of the ordinary. We’re going to tell you about this great leap back more than 40 years behind the scenes of the Space 1999 TV series. It all starts in 1969 Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, TV series producers for British television, are at the top of their glory with the series Thunderbird, but do not want to remain stuck in the world of puppets. They embark on the production of a program entitled "UFO", a series of 26 episodes shot this time around, with real actors. This program concerns SHADO, a secret organization who is opposed to the invasion of the Earth by aliens. In 1973, when the first season of "UFO" met with great success in the US, preparations were well underway for a 2nd season. The set designer Keith Wilson and the artistic department, advanced work on the development and the look of UFO season 2. However, in a few weeks after a drop in audience ratings, Lew Grade, a senior official of ITC, financial producer of the series, decides to abandon the funding of the latter. Gerry sees himself to be in disarray, because the time and money invested in the preparation of season 2 of UFO will be in vain. It’s 7:30 AM Gerry Anderson has a appointment with Lew Grade, the ITC boss who produces, all of Gerry’s series and many more like “The Saint", "The Prisoner" and "The Muppet Show” The interview lasts not less than ten minutes, they give up on “UFO” in favor of a whole new series which will have to take place exclusively in a space very far from the Earth. This is the condition imposed by Lew Grade to Gerry. That's $ 7 million at work launches Lew Grade in Gerry. One of the most expensive and most popular science fiction series around the world, and probably one of the most successful of all times had just been born Space 1999 Abe Mandell, president of ITC’s New York subsidiary distribution, asks Gerry Anderson to continue the work already done on UFO, saving time and money. Designing Space 1999 was a long undertaking. We had to discard the all-too-classic idea of the spacecraft on a mission in space. On the other hand, the moon base already seen in UFO is an interesting possibility, which will later become the Alpha moon base. But then, how do you get rid of Earth? Gerry and Sylvia Anderson then imagine to explode it! And they submit the idea to Abe Mandell, little enthusiastic. After many reflections, they we will make it leave its orbit to make it drift in space. At that time, Star Wars has not yet come out, and the Andersons’ team is rather influenced by Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 masterpiece, Gerry Anderson already has a strong special effects team For this series, he puts Brian Johnson as head od this department, with whom he worked on the Thunderbirds and who had worked, on the 2001 : A Space Odyssey. Gerry and Sylvia Anderson must choose an American lead actor to get the possibility that one of the three national American channels would buy and broadcast the series. The choice fell on Robert Culp, the spy star, to play the commander John Koening of the moon base and Katharine Ross for the role of medical manager Helena Russel But through the voice of Lew Grade, ITC New York advises the Andersons the couple formed by Martin Landau and Barbara Bain in order to conquer the American market more quickly, despite the reluctance of Sylvia Anderson, who finds them too rigid. Barbara Bain did not want to turn their heads and Martin Landau did not know how to move. Martin Landau and Barbara Bain are actors in vogue notably thanks to the Mission Impossible series, and where they invest respectively the roles of Rollin Hand and Cinamon Carter. which raised them to the rank of international star, It is 11:30 a.m., Gerry and Sylvia Anderson have an appointment at the Beverly Hills Hotel, in order to meet Martin and Barbara. They live 5 minutes walk from the Beverly Hills hotel, but for this circumstance, they decide to arrive in a white Royce rolls rented for the occasion. Despite Sylvia Anderson's concerns, the current quickly passes between the two couples and Gerry and Sylvia shows them the script as well as the preparatory drawings for the future Space 1999 series. A little frightened at the thought of playing in a series of science fiction, they finally agree to spend a year of their lives in England to shoot the first 24 episodes of a series that promises to be spectacular. On the Landau couple suggestion, Gerry turns to a very fashionable Austrian couturier, Barabara Bain’s friend and inventor of the Monokini, Rudi Gernreich, who will create unisex costumes. Some will not be selected, because unfittable. Only the main uniform will be used during the season, but the name of the great designer is still credited on screen because of his prestige. For the set, Keith Wilson is in charging for designing the inside of the Alpha lunar base as well as all the sets of the series. He will make several sketch to serve as a support for the various decorators. To do this, he developed a set of modular panels that he could dismantle and assemble as he pleased, according to the specific needs of each scenario, and so introduce viewers to new sections of the Alpha lunar base. Keith Wilson will also do the make-up and all the extraterrestrial costumes. On the technical side, the Alphans use a mobile communicator, the Commlock, equipped with the smallest television screen existing in the world at the time. For close-ups, it is connected to a cable hidden in the actors' arms. The scenarios pile up quickly and the first shot is coming up. A first half-hour pilot episode entitled "Zero-G" is written before being renamed: "The Void Ahead" In this new version appear the characters of Paul Morrow, Alan Carter, Sandra Benes and Bob Mathias. Alan Carter is supposed to die at the end of this first adventure. Lew Grade tries to find a way avoiding to deal with the Americans and looks for a financial distributor in Europe. It finds RAI, the first Italian channel. ITC having signed a co-production agreement with RAI, the distribution must regularly include Italian actors according to the requirements of the translapine channel. Giancarlo Prete will be part of the cast, as Alan Carter. However after testing three Italian actors, Martin Landau opposes this casting, which adds to the delays in Italian funding, and leads the production to choose Nick Tate a young Australian actor for the role of the pilot Carter. Zienna Merton, a young Anglish-Eurasian actress, plays the role of Sandra Benes, delegate to the control desk alongside Paul Morrow played by Prentis Hancock. On the set Martin Landau and Barabara Bain are surrounded by all the other inhabitants of Alpha, whom the old learned philosopher with an artificial heart interpreted by Barry Morse, who a few years before tirelessly pursued Doctor Richard Kimble in the series The Fugitive. David Kano is played by Clifton Jones, in charge of the computers and Anton Philips plays Doctor Bob Mathias. The inside of the Alpha base began at the Elstree studios, but threatened with closure by a union strike. All the production is transferred to the Pinewood studios in a weekend. All the decorations are identically rebuilt. It's 7:30 a.m. and miles away from the real set that the special effects Bray studio, led by Brian Johnson, start working on the visual effects sequences of the first episode, as well as a Moon base three meters long. Planets encountered during the episodes are built with all the ships. Suspended with invisible threads, the spaceships move, the spaceships move, the film is rewined and a second shot is made to film the stars, the planets and the surface of the moon. Each episode requires 6 days of filming for the team led by Brian Johnson. The shooting of the pilot starts on November 26, 1973 in the Pinewood Studios. At the time of filming, the duration of the pilot episode will be extended to 52 minutes and will take the title of "Breakaway", Budget worries begin: While a pilot requires 8 to 11 days of work, "Breakaway" occupies the production team for 6 weeks! This pilot allows to develop and test many technical details which will become the trademark of the series. Direction is made by Lee H. Katzin, an American director, author of dozens of episodes for the American TV including the best of Mission Impossible series. One of the main difficulties is the size of the command post. The installation of lighting takes a long time to settle down to Franck Watts. In addition, in this huge setting, which occupies an entire plateau of the Pinewood studios, the actors footsteps resonate strongly, which requires the use of foam rugs to reduce noise. In terms of the characters, Alan Carter finally wins for the whole series, contrary to what was planned at the time. Whether we like it or not, things are gradually falling into place and everyone finds their mark. The screenwriters work in close collaboration not only with the actors but also with Brian Johnson and Keith Wilson, who give directions on the viability of the ideas proposed. If Martin Landau and Barabara Bain agree to live in Great Britain for a year, they come with their requirements: they obtain by contract an 80% time of occupacy in each episode, which gives had time to the scriptwriters. But above all, it overshadows, according to Sylvia, the other actors including Giancarlo Prete, Italian guest star who takes this with great humor. They know that you have to walk 3 steps behind Landau. Landau is getting involved in his character, without losing sight of the fact that he must be the master figure of the series. On the one hand, the active part of the star couple in the scenarios translates into a level of requirement beneficial to the series. On the other, it is done at the expense of their partners. That’s the reason why Barry Morse, the interpreter of Professor Bergman, leaves the program after the first season, believing that his character was too underdeveloped. The producer remembers Nick Tate's disappointment during a scene where the character of Carter had to make a decision. Landau interfered to have the retort attributed to his character, arguing that the decisions should rest with the Commander, not a subordinate. Silvia Anderson fought for the actor but was disowned by her husband and by Lew Grade, and forced to bow. Landau's requirements affect the scenarios: the Commander often finds himself in situations that are unsuitable for his character and could be assumed by others. Carter, in particular, has the potential for a strong character from the start, but will often be relegated to the background, in the shadow of Koenig. As soon as the editing of the finished pilot episode entitled "Breakaway", Lee H Katzin organizes a screening in the presence of Gerry. The pilot lasts almost 2 hours and seems endless in Gerry's eyes. It's a disaster in every way, the latter sends a copy to Abe Mandell, president of ITC New-York, who immediately calls him back. The two men are in the most complete disarray. The series is unbroadcastable. By mutual agreement, Abe Mandell asks Gerry to retake new sequences, which will be produced in 3 days. Gerry then reduced the pilot from 2 hours to 50 minutes, upgraded by the new scenes he personally directed. It will take more than a year to complete the first 24 episodes. Unfortunately, any US network wanted to buy the series. Producers were obliged to sell it to several regional channels according to the syndication system. Despite the lack of interest from ABC, NBC and CBS, there is success worldwide, and Space 1999 is sold in more than 100 countries. Never before the small screen showed such a surge of special effects, sumptuous sets and titanic explosions. Barely the first episodes of season one, finished, when Gerry Anderson and his wife Sylvia separate. Sylvia Anderson is therefore leaving her duties as producer, which will have a heavy impact on the content of the second season. Gerry Anderson died on December 26, 2012 at the age of 83, his wife Sylvia followed him 4 years later. What will we take away from Space 1999? A series that will forever be remembered. An extraordinary series with actors from the 4 corners of the world, who alone knew how to tackle in a perfect alchemy, special effects, atmosphere and mastery, themes on the human condition and the search for itself better than any other series had ever done before. A man and a woman who fought lifting the ship whenever it was needed without ever leaving it. A man is a woman of conviction: Gerry and Sylvia Anderson.
