I've been waiting for this book for over 40 years!I'll have to think about it...
There are two 1970s series I would love to see a reboot. Of course, Space 1999, and The Starlost. Both were great concepts but not-so-well executed. The Starlost is a brilliant concept but underfunded. Space 1999, well, Barbara Bain was too robotic, and they got rid of Barry Morse after Season 1. Season 2 they brought in Fred Freiberger as producer. He's the same guy that destroyed Star Trek as producer of Season 3.With today's much higher production and special effects, both series having a reboot would be great.
I have never heard of The Starlost before! The plot description on Wikipedia is AMAZING! I will have to see if I can find episodes anywhere.
There are two 1970s series I would love to see a reboot. Of course, Space 1999, and The Starlost. Both were great concepts but not-so-well executed. The Starlost is a brilliant concept but underfunded. Space 1999, well, Barbara Bain was too robotic, and they got rid of Barry Morse after Season 1. Season 2 they brought in Fred Freiberger as producer. He's the same guy that destroyed Star Trek as producer of Season 3.
Sadly, popular sci-fi TV shows usually return as feature movies with dismal results *cough, thunderbirds, cough*.I believe The Starlost's "Earthship Ark" was also modelled on Trumbull's design for Silent Running.
Quote from: webdan on 09/15/2021 03:36 pmSadly, popular sci-fi TV shows usually return as feature movies with dismal results *cough, thunderbirds, cough*.I believe The Starlost's "Earthship Ark" was also modelled on Trumbull's design for Silent Running.I thought the new Thunderbirds was great, certainly somewhat better than the revived Captain Scarlet.
Ah! If only there were a real 'Moonbase Alpha'... A man can certainly dream. And I still wonder why the horizontal configuration of the 'Eagles' aren't being copied in the real world. Probably because they make too much sense.
Quote from: demorcef on 09/15/2021 02:58 pmI have never heard of The Starlost before! The plot description on Wikipedia is AMAZING! I will have to see if I can find episodes anywhere.[...]I don't think that the concept would work today. The idea of the "space ark" or generational ship was common in sci-fi in the 1950s-1970s. But it just seems like a totally worn-out idea now.
Quote from: Blackstar on 09/15/2021 03:11 pmQuote from: demorcef on 09/15/2021 02:58 pmI have never heard of The Starlost before! The plot description on Wikipedia is AMAZING! I will have to see if I can find episodes anywhere.[...]I don't think that the concept would work today. The idea of the "space ark" or generational ship was common in sci-fi in the 1950s-1970s. But it just seems like a totally worn-out idea now.Nice twist on it in the BBC's series Out of the Unknown in the mid 60s, which adapted "13 to Centaurus" by J G Ballard. Can be found on a well done BFI 7 disc DVD set and, er, elsewhere online ... Was also interested to see a recent sf reading group about worldships etc: https://classicsofsciencefiction.com/2019/12/18/thirteen-to-centaurus-by-j-g-ballard/
The Eagles are of course the masterpiece of the show's sci-fi design artistry.Was there any episode where we get to see the command module detach from the rest of the spacecraft?
I really liked Martin Landau as Koenig, because his leadership style was more on the philosopher side of the warrior-philosopher balance, as compared to Shatner's Kirk. Like Shatner & Nimoy, both Landau & Morse had a nice rapport onscreen.
Quote from: sanman on 09/20/2021 10:39 pmThe Eagles are of course the masterpiece of the show's sci-fi design artistry.Was there any episode where we get to see the command module detach from the rest of the spacecraft?Didn't that happen in "Dragon's Domain"?
Quote from: Blackstar on 09/21/2021 03:47 pmQuote from: sanman on 09/20/2021 10:39 pmThe Eagles are of course the masterpiece of the show's sci-fi design artistry.Was there any episode where we get to see the command module detach from the rest of the spacecraft?Didn't that happen in "Dragon's Domain"?Years before, the Ultra Probe (not Eagle) command module detached from the rest of the ship and Cellini got back to Earth in that.When they went to explore the ship grave yard, Cellini walloped Carter and jettisoned the Eagle passenger module to go face the monster alone. Koenig ordered another Eagle to pick them up and then pursue.
The music from that episode very much resonated with me as a much younger person. I had had only experienced Vivaldi, Beethoven and Mozart and perhaps a few others before watching this in 1976/1977(?). Google “Tomaso Albinoni Adagio”, listen to it, read up on Wikipedia… it’s been on my iPhones since forever, along with a few other “choice” pieces for running.
I've always thought her cool, low-key persona as Dr Russell was deliberate,
Quote from: sanman on 09/20/2021 10:39 pmI really liked Martin Landau as Koenig, because his leadership style was more on the philosopher side of the warrior-philosopher balance, as compared to Shatner's Kirk. Like Shatner & Nimoy, both Landau & Morse had a nice rapport onscreen.[...] But it's an interesting contrast to "Star Trek," and it's interesting to think about the different cultures that produced it. Trek was very much JFK's new frontier America in philosophy--the Enterprise was out there to bring civilization to the aliens and teach them that their societies were messed up. "Space 1999" reflected a more British philosophy, that we're all subject to the fates, not really in control of our situation at all.
Quote from: MDMoery on 09/22/2021 05:14 amQuote from: Blackstar on 09/21/2021 03:47 pmQuote from: sanman on 09/20/2021 10:39 pmThe Eagles are of course the masterpiece of the show's sci-fi design artistry.Was there any episode where we get to see the command module detach from the rest of the spacecraft?Didn't that happen in "Dragon's Domain"?Years before, the Ultra Probe (not Eagle) command module detached from the rest of the ship and Cellini got back to Earth in that.When they went to explore the ship grave yard, Cellini walloped Carter and jettisoned the Eagle passenger module to go face the monster alone. Koenig ordered another Eagle to pick them up and then pursue.At 44.53 in the video.
Oh, yeah! Forgot about that part!
Was the guy in Italy Roberto Baldassari? Keith Young also did a nice set of prints.
Btw, I’d love to find a copy of the “final episode”, Message from Moonbase Alpha. [size=78%]https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0283478/[/size][size=2rem]Message
Lots of furniture that looks cool but probably hurts your back:https://filmandfurniture.com/2020/06/space-age-furniture-in-sci-fi-films/
I have obtained the book. Here are some images.
Quote from: Blackstar on 10/01/2021 01:51 pmLots of furniture that looks cool but probably hurts your back:https://filmandfurniture.com/2020/06/space-age-furniture-in-sci-fi-films/I'm afraid I can't resist posting a pic of the chair (couch ?) which gives Kim Cattrall such a hard time in the Canadian remake of "Sensitive Skin". I love the idea of interiors like this, I'm not sure how I'd get on with the reality.
Ah UFO, which had plenty of "hardware" to ogle at:
Yeah, I'm surprised that in the age of the streaming wars, with Netflix and others competing so fiercely against each other, that nobody has tried to make another go at a Space:1999-style series. The iconic look of the show with its very recognizable elements, along with an established fan-base, should make it a shoo-in for audiences to gravitate toward, even if just for nostalgia's sake. And it also provides a nifty near-future space sci-fi story setting, as opposed to a far-future fantasy. The thing is they'd have to re-work the original premise of how the Moon escapes from orbit around Earth, without going into Moonfall levels of cheesiness.
I don't think this show can be rebooted. Reboots bank on name recognition. It's considered free publicity because people know the name, the concept, and have a fondness for it. In the 1970s, the year 1999 was the future. Now it's the past. So can you keep the name? A lot of people will be confused by it and think that it's a show about a quarter century ago. Also, it only lasted two seasons and that was nearly 50 years ago. Reboots usually have to be more popular (lasting many seasons) and more recent. I just don't think that Space 1999 can work now.
I think the remake/reboot was proposed as Space: 2049.
A very long summary/review of the movie with tons of screencaps:https://securityhazard.net/2024/02/23/the-day-after-tomorrow-into-infinity-review/
But for some real quality spaceships, here's a nice Eagle promo film:
I am really not sure what the story of his documentary is, other than "the Eagle is cool." It is not as culturally important and widely recognized as other sci-fi spaceships. You could easily do a documentary about the starship Enterprise, because there's a lot to that story and legacy. You could probably do one entirely about the Millennium Falcon. But the Eagle was derivative of "2001: A Space Odyssey," and it did not inspire other ships and designs over the years. Yeah, there are a few middle-aged white British guys who are obsessed with the Eagle, but so what? Is that enough to hang a documentary on? I just think that the subject matter is rather weak, and Morris has not indicated what will make his documentary interesting.
except to note that I'm sure it didn't *obviously* inspire other designs, but I'm not sure that it didn't *influence* subsequent designers at all-such as those in pic below
Quote from: LittleBird on 03/15/2024 01:38 pmBut for some real quality spaceships, here's a nice Eagle promo film: <snip>That documentary is being produced by Jeff Morris, who is in this photo at left with somebody who has built a really big model.I hope Morris succeeds, but I have some quibbles. He did an initial Kickstarter with a goal of $500,000, which is a ridiculous amount of money to fund a one-person documentary about such a limited subject. I have no idea why he thought he needed that much money, but he canceled it just before the end date when it had raised only $135K of the goal. (Note: if he had used Indiegogo, he would have been able to keep that $135K.) Then he regrouped, produced a short promo that you linked above, and now he has a new fundraiser on Indiegogo with much more realistic goals.I am really not sure what the story of his documentary is, other than "the Eagle is cool." It is not as culturally important and widely recognized as other sci-fi spaceships. You could easily do a documentary about the starship Enterprise, because there's a lot to that story and legacy. You could probably do one entirely about the Millennium Falcon. But the Eagle was derivative of "2001: A Space Odyssey," and it did not inspire other ships and designs over the years. Yeah, there are a few middle-aged white British guys who are obsessed with the Eagle, but so what? Is that enough to hang a documentary on? I just think that the subject matter is rather weak, and Morris has not indicated what will make his documentary interesting.
But for some real quality spaceships, here's a nice Eagle promo film: <snip>
The Eagles are very cool designs, but I would think a better subject for such a documentary would be "The Ships of Gerry Andersen" or something like that, which in addition to the Eagles from "Space: 1999" could include the various ships of "Thunderbirds", the Interceptors and Sky/Diver One from "UFO" and others.
My 2 absolute favorite spaceships of science fiction are the Eagle from Space 1999 and the Ares 1B from Space 2001. The reason is that they BOTH look absolutely 100% workable. Both are designed to operate in a pure vacuum, the Ares 1B going from LEO to the moons surface and back, and the Eagle for all general purpose cis lunar transportation. There are some fabulous sci-fi ships in the genre, but they all depend on things that aren't real (yet). I most appreciate sci-fi ships that are based on current or actually in-development technology. Both the Ares 1B and the Eagle are in that category. They have been my spacecraft design baseline for many decades.
Quote from: Thorny on 03/15/2024 07:27 pmThe Eagles are very cool designs, but I would think a better subject for such a documentary would be "The Ships of Gerry Andersen" or something like that, which in addition to the Eagles from "Space: 1999" could include the various ships of "Thunderbirds", the Interceptors and Sky/Diver One from "UFO" and others.Yes, but what would the story be? Other than "they were all designed by people who worked for Gerry Anderson," what is the point?
If you haven't already made it to Academy Museum in LA I hope you get to do so ... my meeting with the Aries was quite an emotional one ...
Quote from: LittleBird on 03/16/2024 06:58 amIf you haven't already made it to Academy Museum in LA I hope you get to do so ... my meeting with the Aries was quite an emotional one ...Was it a special exhibition? I had a look at their website and I got the sense that they don't have permanent displays, so I suspect what you saw wouldn't be on display any more?
Quote from: Metalskin on 03/16/2024 07:45 pmQuote from: LittleBird on 03/16/2024 06:58 amIf you haven't already made it to Academy Museum in LA I hope you get to do so ... my meeting with the Aries was quite an emotional one ...Was it a special exhibition? I had a look at their website and I got the sense that they don't have permanent displays, so I suspect what you saw wouldn't be on display any more?They have one core display called Stories of Cinema, and it's on Level 3 of that, see pic at https://www.academymuseum.org/en/exhibitions/stories-of-cinema/soc3-inventing-worlds-and-characters-encounters#!They paid over 300 grand for it-I think they'll keep it ;-) https://variety.com/2015/film/news/2001-a-space-odyssey-shuttle-the-academy-1201462279/#! see the story of it's restoration here: https://airmail.news/issues/2021-8-14/beyond-the-infinite-and-back
A multi series epic like Foundation, For All Mankind etc etc etc clearly needs a story to sustain it. I am not sure that a shorter film or documentary necessarily needs a story so much as a theme (or an angle).
I liked Bob Iger's observation a few years ago that "“Looking back on ‘Twin Peaks,’ if it had been given the job of entertaining the public over six or seven hours instead of over multiple seasons, it might have gone down in history as one of the most successful television shows ever,” Iger said. “But, because it was envisioned as a series, it had to tell a story over a long period of time, and, while they created a place and characters that the audience desperately wanted to see, the story after a while just wasn’t rich and compelling enough" which could arguably also apply to Space 1999.
Quote from: LittleBird on 03/16/2024 11:14 amA multi series epic like Foundation, For All Mankind etc etc etc clearly needs a story to sustain it. I am not sure that a shorter film or documentary necessarily needs a story so much as a theme (or an angle). I meant theme. And since we're talking about a documentary here, we're talking about a documentary here.
Quote from: LittleBird on 03/16/2024 11:14 amI liked Bob Iger's observation a few years ago that "“Looking back on ‘Twin Peaks,’ if it had been given the job of entertaining the public over six or seven hours instead of over multiple seasons, it might have gone down in history as one of the most successful television shows ever,” Iger said. “But, because it was envisioned as a series, it had to tell a story over a long period of time, and, while they created a place and characters that the audience desperately wanted to see, the story after a while just wasn’t rich and compelling enough" which could arguably also apply to Space 1999. Iger was wrong, and he admitted he was wrong about Twin Peaks. See this from his book (bottom of second page). (How's that for a digression?)
Somebody made a BSG-style opening intro for Space:1999 - just thought I'd post it here:
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Thunderbirds 60th Anniversary Collectors Edition [Blu-ray] (Region ABC)
Figures, my wife will be in LA that weekend and I have to stay home and mind the animals. (It’s an ungood family matter, so she won’t exactly be having fun, either.)
Quote from: Star One on 08/25/2025 06:48 amThunderbirds 60th Anniversary Collectors Edition [Blu-ray] (Region ABC)My forum avatar description is of this show that I grew up watching as a kid. That, along with viewing the Mercury program, is what inspired me to become a lifelong space fan. Thanks for posting that; I might pick one up.
