The Catacombs Episode Guide

A Matter of Balance

Space Warp Year 2 - Episode 16 The Bringers of Wonder Part 1

Writer Pip & Jane Baker
Director Charles Crichton
Guest Stars Lynne Frederick,
Stuart Wilson
Belgium (Flemish) Een westie van Evenwicht 4 Jan 1978
Denmark Balance Balance 25 Jul 1977
Spain Una cuestión de equlibrio A question of balance 21 Sep 1977
France/Canada Une question d'équilibre A Matter Of Balance 7 May 1977
Germany Die andese Seite The Other Side 18 Jun 1978
Japan Intruder from the Anti-World 11 Jun 1981
Portugal Uma Questão de Equilíbrio A Matter of Balance 26 Nov 1977
Italy Vindrus 9 May 1979
USA (New York) 12 Feb 1977
USA (San Francisco) 15 Jan 1977
UK (ATV) 9 Dec 1976
UK (LWT) 11 Dec 1976

While exploring an apparently lifeless planet a member of Alpha's crew comes under the influence of an "anti-matter" being and suddenly all Alphans are in danger of having their futures swapped for the past...! ITC summary

Background

A Matter Of Balance

Sets

Int. Command Centre
Int. Hydroponics Center
Int. Shermeen's Quarters
Int. Tony's Quarters
Int. Alpha Corridor/Reception
Int. Travel Tube
Int. Eagle Pilot Section
Int. Eagle Passenger Section
Int. Equipment Room (revamp travel tube reception) with attached Nuclear Generator Room (revamp travel tube)

Ext. Planet Surface (location)
Ext. Planet Surface- Temple Clearing (location)
Int. Temple (studio)

SFX

A Matter Of Balance

Sunim is represented by a blue monochrome version of an Apollo 11 photograph of Earth. It was taken on 16th July 1969, about 10,000 nautical miles from Earth, and shows portions of North and Central America under swirling clouds. The picture is also used as Planet D in Brian The Brain. Thanks to Marcus Lindroos.

Music

Science

A Matter Of Balance
A Matter Of Balance

The stun ray is called "an electrical beam". Lasers are not electrical beams. However, stun guns being developed in 1999 used a laser to ionise a path through the air, then discharged electricity along the path to disable the victim. This technology closely matches the capabilities of the Alphan stun gun. It could also be a taser, first developed in the 1970s and sold in 1976, which fires two copper wires with hooks into a person, before electrocuting them.
How does an illusion reflect the stun beams?

Continuity

Chronology:

1702 days after leaving Earth orbit

Alpha Personnel:

0 fatalities.

Alpha Technology:

A Matter Of Balance

We see a mobile nuclear generator. The mobile nuclear generator is also seen in The Lambda Factor and the Pigs In Space segments of The Muppet Show!

A Matter Of Balance

A propogatoscope, with the unusual accessory of a proton bombarder. The propogatoscope also appears in Weapons Section in The Beta Cloud. Actually it's a Krokus color SL photographic enlarger, with plumbing pipes in the lower section.

Eagles:

Eagle 1 (Koenig); 2 (Shermeen)

Maya transformations:

Fox, spider monkey, Shermeen

A Matter Of Balance A Matter Of Balance A Matter Of Balance

Planets:

Sunim

Aliens:

Vindrus from Sunim; humanoid. Thaed, bipedal semi-intelligent animal, presumably from Sunim.

Props:

A Matter Of Balance

A red version of an Ariel capsule from The Last Sunset appears in the equipment room (it is also seen in Journey To Where)
Also, Taybor's pyramid plan from The Taybor appears

A Matter Of Balance

Maya uses the Eagle remote control to operate the Big Screen video shots.

Errors

A Matter Of Balance

When we first see Vindrus in Shermeen's room, the first few frames show the clapperboard bottom right. Note this is not visible in the A&E DVD version (which crops the shot to make it much tighter), but it is on the Carlton and TF1 versions. It was cut from the Network Blu-ray version.

A Matter Of Balance A Matter Of Balance

A shot of Vindrus in Hyrdoponics actually shows him in Shermeen's room. Notice the shadow of the crew member's head still visible bottom right.

A Matter Of Balance

When the Thaed first emerges before Shermeen, the microphone dips into the top of frame several times. Thanks to Hilton Fitzsimmons. It is cropped out of the Network Blu-ray version.

Observations

Keith Wilson design of an alien solider in knight's armour. Possibly this is an early design for Thaed. The original script description of Thaed was a monster with horns and crab claws. Keith Wilson wanted to do a alien soldier with a uniform. The Thaed on screen does wear a uniform, and has spikes (horns) like this design, but with the Beta Cloud creature head added.

Merchandise:

Links

External Links


Contents copyright Martin Willey