Episode Guide

• Background
• Cast/Sets
• SFX
• Music
• Science
• Continuity
• Errors
• Observations
• Links
• Transcript
• Images

Force of Life

A terrifying force from Outer Space brings freezing death to Alpha personnel. One man has been chosen as the instrument of destruction.

Background

• Shooting script 15th May 1974, final shooting script dated 24th May 1974. Filmed 28th May - 7th June 1974

SFX

• After investing lots of effects effort in Guardian Of Piri, this episode uses just Alpha sets and minimal effects (the blue light passing over Alpha, the revolving radar scanner, Moonbase buildings exploding). Note the nice shot of lights going out over the base. There are no Eagle shots.

Music

Library tracks:

• "Cosmic Sounds No. 1 and No. 3" composed by Georges Teperino (Chappell Recorded Music Library)
• "The Latest Fashion" composed by Giampiera Boneschi (Chappell Recorded Music Library)
• "Videotronics No. 3" composed by Cecil Leuter (aka Roger Roger) (Chappell Recorded Music Library)

Science

• The reactor vessel looks more like a conventional coal furnace; nuclear reactors comprise water tanks in which the nuclear rods are inserted. If anything, they would look like swimming pools.
• From the exterior shot of the explosion, the reactor is located centrally, close to the Main Mission Tower. For the replacement, they might consider a more peripheral location.

Continuity

Chronology:

Alpha Personnel:

4 fatalities, Anton Zoref, Hilary Preston, Mark Dominix, guard.

Alpha Technology:

• The Nuclear Generating Area 3 set reappears in Alpha Child. Note the silo cap from Breakaway on the wall.
• Solariums are also seen in The Exiles and The Taybor
• Medical thermographic scans are used. They are also featured in Breakaway, Matter Of Life And Death, Ring Around The Moon, Another Time Another Place, Missing Link, Space Warp and Dorzak.
• Bergman's artificial heart is used again (it was introduced in Black Sun and used in The Infernal Machine and Guardian Of Piri).

Eagles:

None.

Planets:

None.

Aliens:

The life force. Not humanoid.

Footage:

• Stock footage of Alphans being thrown about is repeated from Breakaway (as is one of the explosions of Alpha buildings). There's even a brief shot of Simmonds.

Errors

Some prints of this episode (such as the US laserdiscs) show an on-screen microphone top left during the opening shot of Koenig and Bergman. On the DVDs (all versions), the frame is zoomed in so the microphone is not seen. Thanks to James Poll.

Observations

• Impressive stylised visuals from David Tomblin, including weird angles, distorted points of view, slow motion, staggered cuts.
• The story is a cross between the Midas touch and vampire myths; but here Zoref is not malevolent, simply needing sustenance (the script indicated an evil force, twice referred to as "almost Satanic").
• Zoref is named after a friend of Johnny Byrne. This episode focuses on normal characters, showing their home life and giving the series a welcome touch of humanity.
• When filming the ending about the birth of a star, Martin Landau ad libbed "Well, I always knew Anton had star qualities in him."

Merchandise:

• Novelised in The Space Guardians by Brian Ball published by Orbit (UK paperback), Dobson (UK hardback), Pocket Books (US), Breitschupf (Germany).
• Novelised in I Naufraghi Dello Spazio by Gianni Padoan (AMZ, reprinted by Fanucci in 1999).
• A comic strip version is in Zack Parade 26 (German)
• UK video: ITC volume 8 (1992)
• US laserdisc: J2 Communications Special Collectors Edition (1990), Image Entertainment volume 2 (1991)
• France video: Sony Music Video volume 4 (1992)
• Japan laserdisc: Emotion volume 3 (1993)
• Australia video: CEL volume 2 (1995)
• US DVD: A&E set 2 volume 3 (2001)
• UK DVD: Carlton volume 3 (2001)
• UK DVD: Network (2005)
• UK Blu-ray: Network (2010)
• US Blu-ray: A&E (2010)
• Japan DVD: Pioneer (2001)
• France DVD: TF1 (2002)
• Germany DVD: EMS (2004)
• Germany Bu-ray: Crest (2011)
• Italy DVD: Pulp Video (2003)
• Italy DVD: Collector's Edition Mondo Home (2007)
• Italy DVD: Newspaper promotion La Repubblica (2008)
• Portugal DVD: Prisvideo (2003)
• Australia DVD: Magna Pacific (2003)
• Sweden DVD: Noble Entertainment (2008)
• Spanish DVD: Producciones JRB (2003)

Links

• Images
• High definition images
• This Episode images
• Transcript Copyright Martin Willey
• More observations
• Writer Johnny Byrne's comments
• Critics comments Chris Bentley, Anthony McKay, John Kenneth Muir et al
• Panini story summary

External Links

• Cult TV Flashback # 2 by John Kenneth Muir (July 2005)
• Ken Scott's episode guide
• Mailing List discussion
• Alpha Chronicle episode guide
• Cosmos 1999 illustrated script