SPACE: 1999 SEASON 2 (1976-1977) - THAT '70S REVIEW
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- Опубліковано 5 вер 2024
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Why does the second season of SPACE:1999 get such a bad rap, and is it deserved? Will Tony Verdeschi ever perfect his beer, and how many Alphans have died trying it? Just how many times can a UA-cam reviewer mispronounce “Alphan,” anyway? These and other stimulating questions are answered in the latest episode of THAT '70S REVIEW!
MESSAGE FROM MOONBASE ALPHA: • Video
The Eugenics Wars Contradictions in Star Trek Shows: • The Eugenics Wars Hist...
WGHP Channel 8 Commercial for Space 1999: • WGHP Channel 8 Commerc...
Space 1999 - Season 2 Commercial Break Bumpers: • Space 1999 - Season 2 ...
Music featured:
Dmitri from Paris - Une Very Stylish Fille: • Dimitri from Paris - U...
Derek Wadworth - “We’re All Aliens” Extended Version: • Space 1999: "We're All...
Derek Wadsworth -Topic: / derek wadsworth - topic
The Music of Space: 1999: • the music of SPACE 1999
SPACE: 1999 Audio Theatre Presents: Dragon’s Domain: • The Space:1999 Audio T...
Big Finish audio’s version of the main theme: • Space 1999 : Breakaway!
Neon Frontier’s cover of the first season theme: • Neon Frontier - Space ...
Various photos featured in this video came from the extensive archive at the awesome SPACE:1999 Catacombs web site: catacombs.spac...
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Opening and Closing Music: "The Number is 1978" by Piotr Pacnya
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All the videos, songs, images, and graphics used in the video belong to their respective owners, and neither I nor this channel claim any right over them. Copyright Disclaimer Under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
S99 ran Saturday evenings where I lived, which was our family "pizza night". We'd get a family-sized take-out pizza, and all gather around our only TV (this was 1975), to watch the show. For some reason I've forgotten, most of my family enjoyed the show, whereas I was the only one who liked Star Trek. Anyway, S99 always takes me back to those Saturday evenings munching pizza in our family room.
Excellent Doc! I loved Season 1 not so much 2! I think they should be reviewed as 2 separate Shows not 2 seasons! one Thoughtful Sci Fi, One Camp and Trashy Sci Fi! it was a shock I remember sitting with my Waltham Cassette Player ready to record the First Season Theme at the beginning of Season 2 and my Jaw nearly hitting the floor! when it started! I still think the story should start and then the titles come in like season 1!
Season 2, the music was a mix of disco and progressive rock, I really liked it. For me, even today, better than the old full orchestra of the 1st season. Music made the 2nd season better. Contents of 1st season was indeed better. Conclusion is that I like them both. I wished a 3rd season would of happened.
As opposed to quite a few others, I hold some real fondness for season 2 of Space: 1999. At the time (early 1980s) - my television watching essentially consisted of weekday reruns of Star Trek (TOS) and the "Americanized" Japanese anime series Battle of the Planets. Within that same span of time - one of the local ABC affiliates needed to fill an empty Saturday night programming slot; they slotted in Season 2 of Space: 1999. Incidentally - almost 30 years passed before I got to see Season One. Despite the overt cheesiness of the second season - the aliens, the monsters and Maya's transformations served as the perfect fodder for my juvenile sci-fi craving brain. By the way - on the subject of "brain" - the somewhat corny Space: '99 episode "Brian the Brain" was one of my favorites.
i also FONDLY remember the American versions of the Japanese Anime Yamato series (called Starblazers ) which to me as 11 and 12 yr old kid in many was (dramatically) blew away both Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers in terms of dramatic and emotional sci fi .....and those were just the edited watered down American versions
Adding Maya and Tony was a good move (far too many monster transformations though. Blame ITC New York), but the loss of Victor and the rest was not. All in all Season 1 was the better season. Tony Anholt had co-starred in the Anderson series "The Protectors."
Yes, I actually got a box set of that show once when I was still doing professional reviews. It's kind of a shame it didn't get more attention, but it also was very much like other shows that were coming out around the same time, as I recall. Thanks for the feedback!
@@emperordalek❤agreed
With Tony and Maya representing the passion of youth and Victor the wisdom of age, they would have had the perfect balance.
Could you imagine Maya as your girl well you could have any girl she had a look at...or she could into a entertainer...how about hanging out with Tupac...Malcolm X.... cool huh?
Oh my goodness, they took the Teacher from Spock's Brain and the creepy bouncing ball (Rover) from The Prisoner! :)) And Tony's beer making is just like Arthur Dent always trying to make tea on the space ship in Hitchhiker's Guide! :)) Here's to crossing the streams! :))
great commentary. I realized that Freiberger's strategy of cutting primary characters may have had a really crafty agenda, ie- since so many shows in that era commonly ran episodes out of production order, the hapless viewer might *assume they missed the nonexistant episode that explained the disappearing characters* (I know I did!) and keep watching in hopes of seeing it. O_o
You have a singular witt. I enjoy your take on Space 1999. I cannot describe the level of hate that I have for Brian the Brain! The Mark of Arkanon had potential but just was written by a two year old. The ones I like from s2 are ...hang on, I'm thinking. The lambda factor, The AB Crysalis and One Moment of Humaity. ( special shout out to A Matter of Balance, because who doesn't like a man wearing gold shorts and a cape? ) Dorzak was too benal and Seance Specter made me want to slit my wrists.
I agree, DORZAK could've been so much better (and it kills me to say anything against an episode featuring Kathryn Leigh Scott, even briefly); and SEANCE SPECTER was so bland I had to go remind myself which episode you were talking about! I really wish I could have included more on THE LAMBDA FACTOR, as it really has some good things going for it, but I have to disagree with ONE MOMENT OF HUMANITY, if only because the whole "Koenig gets jealous and gets mad" thing already feels played out by that point, somehow. That, and...androids who don't understand warfare unless they see it committed? I can see what they were going for, but having Babs Bain dancing around with a hot guy to piss off her husband was not the best way to go about it. And yes, we loves us some men in gold shorts and capes, especially bald ones!
thks for that absolutely great review of season 2 ...(also really enjoyed the S1 review) some of the other shows of the 70s i would love to see your take on are "Project UFO " "The Man From Atlantis" ..the Glen Larson "Hardy Boys" (which had imo one the most underrated creepy tv themes ever ..it was X files theme way before the X Files) and maybe even "Logan's Run" ...my only regret is that The Greatest Armerican Hero " is a 80s review and not a 70's
Thank you! I'm definitely thinking about MAN FROM ATLANTIS, but I hadn't considered THE HARDY BOYS - I may have to do that!
Loved watching your video on this show!
Yeah, I confess to watching every episode of both seasons multiple, many times.
I confess to attending 2 conventions.
And, because of this video, I subscribed to your channel.
Your content makes me smile from childhood memories.
And, since my husband passed away, I confess to requiring lots of doses of content like yours.
Please keep the good stuff coming!
Thank you for the kind words! I'll do my best!
@@emperordalek You do awesome! I have no worries.
The story about Morse is he tried to re-neg. his contract, but they didn't accept his terms and pulled out entirely when he tried to agree to their offer. Harsh.
The Rules of Luton reminds me of the Lost In Space Episode-The Great Vegetable Rebellion.
It does, doesn't it? At least the SPACE 1999 episode didn't have a cast member literally trying not to laugh during every shot, but it really should have. I'd have liked it more, for one thing!
I assumed with Maya not realizing what her father was up to was chalked up to naievety, thinking her father was a good person.
I agree with you, but it seems like she loses that naivety really quickly - either that, or she's been willfully blind, which would've been more psychologically interesting. Wish they'd thought that far ahead when characterizing her!
Season 2 was ITC America's idea of what Season 1 should have been, God forbid🙄
Thanks for amusing video. The Beta cloud dude, reminded me of the Robot monster from the 1950s 'horror' film of the same name.
There were some good episodes, and I just love the ' Bringers of Wonder ' despite the naff monsters
I pretty much agree with your assessment emperor dalek. Especially with the second half of the series' only 2-parter, the big reveal of the aliens was quite a gross out! I usually grind my teeth so hard when I see something that disgusting! Eww. Although, I'm grateful that season 2 focused on characterization and action, I was none too happy with the tonal shift, and how the series was lightened up. They're on the moon, so there shouldn't be so much bright light! And while I'm glad the bibical elements were removed, I agree the monsters just kept getting ridiculous such as with the ones mentioned above. Also, I really missed Dr. Burgman, and wished we could have gotten to know more about his history.
BTW, it's funny how one of the main writers on the show, Johnny Byrne is easy to confuse with the comic book writer of the same name. Not to mention that it's ironic that John Byrne also wrote a few issue of the Charlton comics adaptation of Space 1999.
A shame that it took until 2011 for Space 1999 to be nominated the Saturn Award; it was established in 1973, and it took that long for the series to get recognition for a Saturn?!
Another funny thing is, that the special effects were produced next door to the studio which worked on the special effects for Star Wars, as well as 1976's Space Maidens!
I didn't know that about the Saturn Award! That really is a shame. I did know about the special effects studio, mainly because that's why the Moon miniature and the costumes were so good - they were designed by the same people who'd worked on 2001!
As for that confusion about Johnny Byrne... He also wrote a DOCTOR WHO script in the '80s, and I wrote in to DOCTOR WHO MONTHLY to ask if they were the same person. First of two times they printed my letter, though I didn't get a prize that time. Darn the luck!
Thank you for the feedback!
@@emperordalek Oh man, that must have been epic to see your letter published twice! Shame ya didn't win a prize though. Speaking of 2001, Kubrick even threatened to sue, because the mat-paintings of moonbase Alpha and the set design looked so similar. It certainly couldn't be helped that old Stanley K's special effects team worked on the show!
Speaking of Dr. Who, it would have been epic to see the fourth Dr. team up with the rebels from Blake's 7 against the Daleks!
@@CosmoShidan See, you say that, but on a BBC budget back then, it wouldn't have been nearly as epic as we would have liked it to be! Speaking of which, I am thinking about doing a two-part episode on Doctor Who from the 1970s because that show I did grow up with, unlike Blake's 7.
@@emperordalek You got that right! Still, I would have loved to have seen Kerr Avon mess with the Dalek's computers, and Villa open a Dalek, and jump out of his socks silly, when he finds out they're brain-like squids! lol. But if you have Terry Nation write the crossover, with the limited budget, it could have been epic. For one, the last couple of episodes of season 2 of Blake's 7 was originally intended to be the Daleks showing up to invade earth, with the fourth Doctor and Blake running into each other with great greetings and a handshake. But the bigwigs at BBC said no according to the late Terry Nation and Gareth Thomas, the titular star of Blake's 7. In fact, Nation, Thomas, and Tom Baker, the fourth Doctor (who was also good friends with both) also were in talks about doing a crossover before the network put their foot down. :(
BTW, I look forward to a retrospect of 70s Dr Who!
I think you meant Star Maidens.
just actually finished watching season 2. as I had never watched it, and yes it was different from season 2. Some of the episodes were actually ok. I wold not say horrible by any means but hit and mix for each episode. I did like the concept of the character that could change into anything, that was the highlight of each story.
Bernard Cribbins was also the spoon salesman in Faulty Towers!!
I agree that Freiberger produced some bad episodes in both season 2 of Space: 1999 and season 3 of Star Trek, but those seasons also featured some very good episodes. In fact, aside from some really bad episodes ("The Way To Eden," for example), Season 3 had episodes that I'd put in the top 10 of all Star Trek episodes. "The Enterprise Incident," "The Tholian Web," and "All Our Yesterdays" are superb episodes to name a few. Likewise, "The Metamorph," "The Exhiles," "The Bringers of Wonder," Seance Spectre," and "Dorzak" are equally superb episodes for season 2 of Space: 1999. So I think it's hit or miss with Freiberger on these shows. However, I don't think it's entirely fair to blame Freiberger for their demise as both shows were on the chopping block before he even came on board. Didn't Star Trek require a fan petition to the TV studio to ensure a season 3?
It did! But I do point out in my review that, even though no one amongst the cast of STAR TREK actually blames him for that show's demise, exactly because it HAD been on the chopping block previously (and because Roddenberry stopped being a day-to-day influence, for better and for worse), the cast of S1999 does blame Freiberger. This show wasn't nearly in as much peril of being canceled as ST was, and many (if not most) of the changes he made brought that cancellation about. You're right, though, there are some incredible episodes this season...just a lot fewer than in the previous one. Thanks for the feedback!
@@emperordalek Thanks for your wonderful assessment and thoughts on this incredible show. It's so endearing to me to see so many people who fondly remember Space: 1999. I was such a huge fan of season 1 as a kid. I was glued to the TV when season 2 premiered. I'll never forget my utter disappointment that everything changed so dramatically and without explanation. It was really weird. That being said, I've grown to appreciate season 2 and would rather have a not so great season 2, than no season 2 at all. Great job!
Thanks for the review for season 2 of Space: 1999 - and again a great review. I really like the 'must see' and 'avoid' episodes format that employ
Thank you again! I definitely prefer it to trying to cover every single episode of a season in one video, which is why it was taking so long to make them. It still does, of course, but that's just me. :)
I’m a Doctor John, not a miracle worker’. All the season three Star Trek episodes wrapped into one episode.
I didn't mind the second season too much. Like you, it was the one I saw more than the 1st season when I was a kid. Also saw it on CBC.
I liked Maya especially. It is too bad they did not keep the explanation of what happened to Victor though. Things were different back then I guess.
It is too bad that they didn't do a better job transitioning from the 1st to 2nd season. I liked the new consoles with computer monitors in them, and the computer walls looked better (more of those "Das Blinken Lights"), but "Command Center" was claustrophobic compared to the old "Main Mission". They should have kept that set with updated workstations.
I honestly must've loved the second season when I was a kid, even though I was also confused at the Power Records stories not having Maya and Tony, and the TV shows not having Victor. But comparing them as an adult, the difference really is night and day.
It's such a shame that ITC did what previous companies have done to promising series when they couldn't find an audience: they changed the format AND cut the budget at the same time. Those two in combination never work out.
Thank you for the feedback!
@@emperordalek I think as a kid, as the episodes could be seen in any order (other than Breakaway and Earthbound), and the CBC had this bizarre schedule of reruns, I probably just assumed there were some shows were he wasn't on and others he was. It was only when I was older that I realized there were two distinct seasons.
@@va3ngc I think if the CBC, or indeed ANY network tried to show it in the correct order, we'd have had more than just two seasons, and all of them successful. The books and comics are good, though, as are the Big Finish audios, so it at least continued in a decent form for us, anyway.
Darth Frieberger may not have destroyed Trek but he certainly helped Most of the worst episodes were on his watch At least Season one was watchable
ABC actually bought Season 1 but only wanted 13 episodes, as was the practice then and even now with the network ordering a back 10 episodes if the ratings for a new show were good. S99 had 24 episodes already in the can so this was not a good deal. That pushed ITV into the pioneering effort of syndicating the show instead of selling to the Big 3 network.
Maya/Catherine Schell was a very good addition to the show. Hate the cheap-looking monsters, though, and the frequency of episodes by which Maya saved the day.
Schell would have been a better Capt Janeway on ST:Voyager, better-looking, more charismatic and a much better actress than daytime soap performer Mulgrew who had a perpetual smirk on her face.
Thanks for the video and your good review!
Unlike you, I saw the Year One first, right from "Breakaway". Later, I saw accidentally one episode of the Year Two abroad. I didn't even know that there was a second year. This was "The Immunity Syndrome". Used to the Year One, it was an "odd" Space:1999. I didn't understand what I was looking at...
It wasn't until the following year that I saw the complete second series. I remember perfectly my shock seeing too many changes compared to the first.
I discovered that Maya transforms itself (for me C. Schell, as the Pirian girl, was so sensual and beautiful. As Maya only beautiful). Many themes that I liked had disappeared
(human errors, lack of knowledge, fate, misterious forces, hard life in a hostile environment, suspended endings without comedy, etc.).
And Bergman, Morrow, Kano???
Today I continue to "super" love the first season.
The second season has some great episodes, but they aren't the majority.
Thank you from Italy.
One if my 2nd season favorites was Immunity Syndrome. I would put it in my top 3 and probably my favorite.
Fred freiberger was a final season/jump the shark specialist. If you want your show to come to an end, give him a call.
The second season wasn't horrible. I like the new uniforms, Maya was a great character, they kept my favorite character, Alan Carter survived the purge. The lighter tone was needed. The first season could be a bit of a drag sometimes.
I watched a couple of episodes recently to remind myself. It really was awful compared to season 1. People keep saying a few episodes were OK but I have yet to find any worthy of a re-watch.
The irony of you calling the actress Iz-la then criticising her American accent is sublime
Thanks for this. I watched this as a kid. I remember episodes from the first series, but only Maya from the second. As you said completely different show.
Thank you for the feedback! I remember getting those Power Records as a kid and thinking, "Where are Tony and Maya?" Especially as they were both on one of the album covers. Thanks again for watching!
@@emperordalek must have been very confusing.
@@paulbrecken2136 It was - I even asked my parents about it, and they couldn't understand either. :D
@@emperordalek well if your parents were confused, you didn't stand a chance 😄. Have you seen Blake's 7 ???
@@paulbrecken2136 I have, and I have considered doing it for the show, except that I didn't encounter that show until I was in college, and because the last two seasons are in the '80s, I could only cover the first two. On the plus side, I would only have to cover the first two!
The first series of 1999 was perfect for 11 year old me. The second series... not so much. "Bringers of Wonder" was an excellent idea, poorly executed.
I would love to hear your review of The Bionic Woman
I would actually love to do that show! I'll be doing STAR TREK: THE ANIMATED SERIES next, but I will definitely look into doing BIONIC WOMAN after that!
Great. I just discovered your channel. I love it.
@@scottcapobianchi1826 Thank you so much!
There is too much difference between first and second season both in production value and in plot depth writing. When i was a child i liked more the seconds season. I loved Maya and Tony characters and it was lighter, warmer more filled with action in a campy, entertaining way. But it's the first season i remember more because it was so scary and serious as fu**. Everything was scary....the plots, the monsters, the musical themes...the gravitas in acting (thanks to all Barbara, Martin and Barry). The truth is that they were pratically two different shows. The first was good for european tastes (celebral existential motifs) while the second was lot more american with injection of optimism,dinamism and colors.At the end the second season was a mixed bag mostly for reduced budget and because it wasn't neither enough americand or european anymore...
Overall I did not like season (or series) 2. Prefer season 1 but then again I like slower story building.
Really nice overview, thanks! (Loved the screen inserts, for anyone watching while listening theres terrific payoffs.)
Hmmm, Luton. Planet of "Arena" from Trek and "The Dumb Vegetable Rebellion" from Dross in Space combined. It's even worse when the masters of Luton can't be bothered while Koenig and everyone else desecrate their dead by using them as canoes, or lopping off branches... the story is so bad It's rotten. And at least Lost in Space can be entertaining when bad. S1999 drops the ball, so my previous snark I apologize for.
Watching while listening? What do you mean, like just watching? Or watching the series in conjunction ?
And dropping the ball, how about Brian the Brain? oucheroo!
What about The Starlost and Return to the planet of the apes tv show. Don't forget t Salvage One like 8track tapes
As an adult, I have to willfully suspend disbelief more than usual for season 1, but still some back occasionally to enjoy it.
As a child, I hated season 2. Even then, I knew it was crap. Watching it as an adult generates thoughts of "what were they thinking?"
Used to love this show when I was a kid. I did not have the records but I did have the toys and activity book. Loved my Eagle but, just like in the show, it took a beating and did not last long.
Yeah, I would largely agree with you on both seasons. Loved Maya, along with Wonder Woman and Farrah Fawcett they were my first crushes when I “discovered” women. Being only 5 when season 2 first aired the aliens and transformations seemed pretty cool. By ‘79 the aliens looked ridiculous to me. I’d largely lost interest in the show, and Maya, thanks to Erin Gray and those bodysuits. Also, Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers had way cooler ships and dogfights.
Freiberger was an excellent line producer. He knew how to get a reasonable level of production values from no money. He also does not get credit for mentoring women writers, which was practically unheard of in the late 60s and early 70s.
His weakness was story, more specifically story premises. Although there's some nice dialogue in the scripts he wrote, the concepts are simply too wacky for serious SF. What he really needed in season 2 was a good story editor.
Weird sidebar: there were two established Hollywood writers named Bob and Wanda Duncan. They were actually hired by Irwin Allen to write for Lost in Space. They also taught writing for television at a local college, and they noticed this woman who was apparently auditing the course but in reality was unable to pay the tuition and was just in there soaking everything up. They talked with her about her work and what she wanted, so they introduced her to Freiberger who commissioned a script from her. Her name was Judy Burns, and she went on to a long successful career in television with shows like The Rockford Files.
After working with Freiberger on the script and with her partner, the show made it to the air as "The Tholian Web."
I still think it might be interesting to revisit the idea of the Maya show. As addicted as the industry is to reboots (which is killing modern tv/movie sci-fi, imo) it might be interesting to reboot a show that was planned but never made. It would just remain to be seen if an actor as charismatic as Schell could be found.
It would be surprising if they'd ever launch a spin-off as OBSCURE as the Maya show was, too. I wonder what the idea was behind it to begin with? Would she have been in a scout ship all on her own, looking for worlds for the Alphans, or would it have been more like the Australian K-9 series, which has as much to do with DOCTOR WHO as an petunia has to do with an egg?
I enjoyed watching each of your videos of Space: 1999’s 2 seasons.
The continuity problems with season 2 were even worse, especially when it came to the sudden disappearance and appearance of characters on Moonbase Alpha. On Star Trek, these character changes could easily be explained if Scotty was no longer the Enterprise’s Chief Engineer, or Spock was replaced with a different character as the first officer. It could be convincingly explained that a character was now serving in another capacity in Starfleet, as what happened with Dr. Crusher on season two of TNG. But with Space: 1999, you can’t just have a character like Tony Verdeschi show up out of nowhere and make the excuse that he was just wandering aimlessly around the base and decided he was going to spend his time exclusively in the Command Center (previously known as Main Mission in season 1, another continuity problem where that set had an abrupt change without any explanation).
The second glaring continuity error has to do with Dr. Russel’s entry narrations where she notes the number of days. The worst continuity mistake happened between the 2 episode Bringers of Wonder, where several hundred days elapse between what is supposed to be a continuous 2 part story. I think Fred Freiberger just didn’t care to check to see if the script writers were just throwing in number of days without any regard to what was happening in those stories.
Another thing Fred Freiberger didn’t care about was the quality of the scripts. One episode script in particular, All That Glisters, was so bad that Martin Landau threatened to walk off the set. As a kid, I liked season 1 better. As an adult, it had been over 20 years since I saw complete versions of episodes from either season, so when I saw season 2 again, I thought those episodes were really not good at all. Season 2 episodes are campy and silly. The sense of awe and wonder season 1 had was gone, and in its place was silly overacting and badly written comic relief at the end of each episode. You said Fred Freiberger’s stamp was all over season 2 and I’m reminded of the end of Spock’s Brain, a Star Trek season 3 turkey, where dumb comic relief is used to end that episode. Fortunately most of Star Trek’s third season don’t have episodes that end quite that badly, but dumb comic relief ends almost every episode of Space: 1999’s second season.
Because it was such an expensive show to produce, season 1 of Space: 1999 was plagued with production problems. The first 24 episodes took over 15 months to produce, so when season 2 production began, specific steps were taken to reduce the cost of the show. All new sets for the show were made smaller, and as you had mentioned in your video, there were 2 production crews working on 2 episodes simultaneously to ensure all 24 episodes could be made in time. In fact, production of all of season 2 took place entirely in the 1976 calendar year. But even steps taken to ensure a smoother production didn’t help when it came to season 2, and so Space: 1999 was canceled.
The amount of energy needed to blast a moon out of orbit at that speed would vaporize the moon.
I never got into the first season, but I lived Maya. Also. I'm sure this may be an unpopular opinion among some 1999 fans, but the two main things I never liked about the show were actually Barbara Bain and Martin Landau. It's an opinion, and its mine. I also felt the stole the costumes for the Bringers of Wonder from Sigmund the Seamonster
The character, Sandra Benes, had an inexplicable name change to Sîan Benes.
I honestly liked both seasons
Btw Have you ever watched the series all the way through, then looped right back to Breakaway? It’s currently streaming in Production order on UA-cam and seconds after the (imho) very disappointing Dorcons finishes, Breakaway begins and it totally jarring! The care and quality in Season 1, and especially in Breakaway makes the stripped down Season 2 look just terrible… again Imho!! :)
Season 2 was awful for so many reasons. The Season 1 episodes may have been slow to develop, but they were thought-provoking. Black Sun and Testament of Arkadia challenged what it really means to be a human on Earth. And Bergman was a really important character. I never re-watch Series 2 episodes.
Just an observation about how physics works, it should be noted that Barbara Bain was a classic two-pack-a-day 1970's hot-girl cigarette smoker, and she's still not dead yet, so maybe Einstein was wrong about Special Relativity???.....
The Season 2 theme is not bad, it's catchy and somewhat interesting. But the music cues and stingers now sound incredibly cliche
The Season 1 theme is excellent--as are the subtle and interesting music cues, the modern flute music underscoring Balor fighting with Alpha security is one of the best examples.
I love The Rules of Luton
Oooooooooooo! Winstons and Pall Malls. Grooooooooose!
😅🤣😂🤣😅 those were awesome
Please… I’m sorry, I was loving this until you said ‘Space Warp’ was amongst the better episodes! It’s just horrific!! Two weak, basic stories joined together.. I know most fans like it because of the Eagle Hanger Crash, but this one scene cannot redeem such a terrible episode! :)
Who are the Elephants? I don't remember ANY Elephants in either season but you keep saying Elephant's? I am very surprised you did not mention 'The Great Vegetable Rebellion'
Um...do what now?
Thanks! Amazing work!
Season 2 was a second grade American version of an otherwise brilliant show
35:21
At least not yet…
So that's who had the ridiculous idea to send Josie and the p**** cats to outer space messing up some of the best Saturday morning TV pop music in history
Yeah, Freiberger had a way of messing up things, even if there were the occasional good ideas as well.
@@emperordalek And actually he never brought back Josie and the gang either, just like the Alphans. They just got left out in space, but some of the Aliens were unique especially the jumping cat like creatures in 1 episode.
When we were teenagers poor old Freddie earned the nickname from a bunch of silly teenagers of Freddie Fried Burger.
I have the whole box set on DVD of both seasons I love season 1 but I love season 2 even more I love that tongue and cheek humour
I'm glad to hear that it has its fans, and for certain episodes I would consider myself one of them. I can't say that I'm a fan of those comedic endings, though! Thank you for the feedback!
@@emperordalek Hate in particular the comedic ending for "The Dorcons." Took away much of the suspense, thrill and scare of the episode. We nearly lost Maya!!! The threat posed by the Dorcons was nothing to be laughed at.
What about The Starlost tv show and Return to the planet of the apes,Land of the Lost
THE STARLOST I never really watched, though now I'm curious about it. RETURN is definitely on the list of upcoming reviews. As for LAND OF THE LOST...hmm. The Krofft Bros shows were much more my older sister's thing, but I'll give it a look someday!
Maybe it's just me but I've always found Martin Landau to look like he just tasted something bad. I find him very unappealing to watch. Should have had more Catherine Schell! And seriously, those were JOKES??? Must be that dry British humor.
Not really. In fact, most of those jokes were a conscious attempt by Fred Freiberger (American) to imitate the humour (particularly the end scenes) of Star Trek.
The Wonder Woman of Sci Fi huh? Lynda Carter might argue with you over that lol
Season 2? Indescribably bad - I watched it when it was first transmitted and vowed never to return. Complete pants!
Gemini Man,Starlost,Ark 2,Space Command,Shazam, Return to the planet of the ,Land of the Lost
I can see the DVD set of SPACE COMMAND from where I'm typing right now, so I might as well do that one sometime! (Unless I'm getting that mixed up with JASON OF STAR COMMAND? Ugh, everything was a command or something back then...) SHAZAM I remember fondly, as well as its sister series ISIS. But please tell me I don't have to sit through GEMINI MAN? The only full episode I've watched of that show was the one that MST3K spoofed - I didn't even buy the Power Records version as a kid. :}
Season 2 was approximately one billion times better than season one. Though mostly forgotten today, at the time, Maya quickly become the second most beloved character in science fiction, second only to Spock. Before her character intro in season 2, season 1 was like watching paint dry (except much more boring). I’m afraid from your hints, you prefer season one. (And you hint that others do too.). This boggles my mind. How? Claiming season one of Space: 1999 is the best season is like claiming season 3 of classic Star Trek is by far the best season of that show. It’s just… illogical.
Season 1 great season season 2 good season i liked maya and tony in this season as well😊
that show scared me when i was a kid...fred frieberger is horrible.....maya was hot though...
Horrible season 2. All the magic of season 1 had disappeared. Why did the Americans change it?
Loved S1 it was great, hated S2 it was dysmal
Season 2 was an abomination, I still refuse to watch it.
Series didn't age well. The 2nd season was laughable.
Americans no nothing about spelling, 😂
Season 2" of space 1999 have more emphasis on action and humour the opener the metamorph was promising the elxlies journey to where one moment of humanity continue this trend afterwards hit and miss the lambada factor seed of destruction good episodes to start with Gerry Anderson previous effort with real people UFO not fantastic first half of the season not great but second half of the series better space 1999 better than Anderson previous creation UFO improve with cast changes.space 1999 do not rate Fred freieberger star trek final season but to be fair Gerry robbenberry wrote the scripts for season 3 before his departure and Fred was just doing the production before he took over Michelle Nicholas and William shanter there were problems with the show before he comes on board he has to rework the scripts for budget restrictions the show costs were cut poor time slot etc never had a chance to make his own Mark for season 4 have it happens. But space 1999 far better than his star trek season unlike some revamp on show never neglected the origin story from breakaway mentioned in journey to where the seance spectre as for the departing characters just couldn't have said they went on a eagle expendition and disappear can explain demise and disappearance or reappear at later date depending on subsequent producers. Everyone gets a bite of the apple koneig Russell Tony and Maya story wise carter was sacked nick Tate was rehired because the producers son loves the character his son has taste. You have a more spectical koneig Barbara bain performance as Helena Russell more rounded even some of the comedy sences fault cast old and new performance rise above the material to make it work. Tony better second in command better than Paul morrow 🙂 tony anholt good actor was in another Gerry Anderson series the protectors and UK drama series Howard way saw it in the UK space 1999 in 1982 reruns on ITV my sister Louise seen the show for the first time love the second season more than the first season at least Catherine schell Maya filled the void of science officer the producers work out what the character should bring to the group. The body count was lower than the first season like Fred star trek season.i thinking Martin Landau and Barbara bain used to work with high budget productions in the USA have they seen dr who Blake's 7 UK version of the tomorrow People and survivors and doomwatch might have gotten his head around how UK sci fi works? Unlike Star Trek the next generation ds9 voyager not full of left wing political views or preaching writers were allowed to tell the story the way they wanted. For the reasons explain and too many other reasons to go into this season get the thumbs up from me
I just wanted to add a new comments that I don't have time to add previously had the second season been recommissioned for third season with or without Fred fredibringer as producers Phillips hincliffe was let go of by dr who he would have been a good choice as successor have season or series 2 format for season 3 more storylines can be revealed about Maya background what happened to her brother as mentioned in the rules of Luton and if other members of her race on other planets.survived more enimes from her people etc spin off should have been left until the third season has started showing Helen and John relationship has the seeds planting in the garden in season 1. So to be in the fully fledged relationship not that far of a leap.tony and Maya relationship started from the ground level up and was developed step by step over the course of the season same with space pretintict haldeine and castle another space pretintict another Gerry Anderson show features ted shackleford of knots landing at least space pretintict have a ending of sorts but not end on a cliffhanger. The only problem with the Brian the brain 🧠 show 😉 the budget reduce it just the design of the robot 🤖 emjoli not far from the design in the episode the rules of Luton koneig nipping the end jokes in the episode pardon the pun 😂🤣👍✌️🙏❤️ but Martin Landau might have been adjusted the ending because the plot far fletched enough to undermine it with the end jokes kind of not convinced the viewers to suspend their disbelief. Hardly the TV series of the day of the triffids or tom baker the seeds of doom.dr who story. Seed of destruction have aprupt ending because it was tooled for season 1 also the AB chrysalis might have been you kind of get the feeling Bergman should have been there but not maya substitute instead. One moment of humility more serious in nature so have the kind of season 1 ending. Catabtombs of the moon have the spirit of season 1 Pamela Stevenson later married Billy Connolly bringers of wonder only two parter have Nicholas young from the tomorrow People UK version how review it if you get it in America. But the nod and a wink attitude kind of work for me I do know Sylvia Anderson and Gerry Anderson married break up prompt exit as series producers replacement come about the American wanted the British to make a series for the American audience hence fredibringer enterance.
🤩. I did want to listen to Windswept on Vinyl ( will go with your idea 💡 though of this as it is probably better. )
Maya is my absolute favourite ..🩷😊