The Catacombs The Merchandise Guide
DVD: Japan
Compiled by Martin Willey

Pioneer DVDs (Japan)

Japan 2001. Each 37800 Yen.
1st Season Box Set PIBF-7181, 3rd April 2001
2nd Season Box Set PIBF-7182, 25th May 2001
1st Season "Collector's Box" re-release, 27 January 2006

The series was released in two box sets, each set covering an entire season. Each box set comprises 6 discs, with four episodes per disc (apart from Season 2 volume 6). Audio track 1 is English, track 2 is Japanese. Japanese subtitles. The DVDs are NTSC region 2 coded.

The disc has no opening sequence, apart from a logo for "Panorama Communications". The boxes show the discs are produced by Pioneer.

The episodes are in the original Japanese broadcast order (unlike the UK and US releases, which were in production order). Only 46 episodes are released (Bringers Of Wonder is excluded). The prints correct the obvious image problems of the US releases. However, they do not have the clarity and vivid colours of the best of the US and UK discs. Like the US and UK releases (and the US and Japanese laserdiscs), some episodes are a little dark. The extras are minimal: a 4-page "alien profile" on each disc, framed in a stylised version of the Main Mission Big Screen.

The episodes do not have the original Japanese theme song (sung by Tsunehiko Kamijo) or title texts. There is one menu error: selecting 'The Full Circle' on Disc 3 displays the submenu of 'Episode 12, [Japanese Title]'. This is only a display error. If you select 'introduction (whole episode)' here, the correct episode is shown. (Thanks to Haruo Toda)

The Season 1 box cover was dark gray, inscribed with blueprints of the Eagle. The Season 2 box cover was a light blue-gray, with identical blueprints. For Season 1, each disc case features the same picture of Landau and Bain with a coloured monochrome picture of a spaceship as backdrop. For Season 2, each disc features different characters, with an identical backdrop (an off-colour picture of the front of an Eagle).

Each box set includes a small colour leaflet with small pictures, an introduction to the series, and short profiles of the stars (all in Japanese). The box has a coloured paper band wrapped around it (a Japanese curiosity called an "obi").

Translation of text from box set obi, thanks to Haruo Toda.

SPACE1999
First Season
1st season [DVD-BOX 6-disc set]
The journey of the MOONBASE ALPHA continues around wandering stars in deep space.
The last milestone in '70s TV SF series finally comes again on DVD!

  • Colour
  • approx.1080min (all 24 episodes of 1st season)
  • Bilingual (Japanese, English)
  • Japanese subtitles
  • Digital Master
  • A special booklet included

SPACE1999
2nd Season
2nd season [DVD-BOX 6-disc set]
'STAR TREK's Freddy Freiberger involved in production.
The Space Beauty Maya, who can metamorph into any creature, appeared.
The first DVD release of the 2nd season, not-released on LD!

  • Colour
  • approx.990min (22 episodes of 2nd season)
  • Bilingual (Japanese, English)
  • Japanese subtitles
  • Digital Master
  • A special booklet included
Set Release Date Episodes
1st Season Box Set
April 3rd 2001

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Disc 1 Breakaway
Earthbound
War Games
Black Sun
Disc 2 Alpha Child
Force Of Life
Mission Of The Darians
Guardian Of Piri
Disc 3 Collision Course
The Full Circle
The Infernal Machine
The Last Sunset
Disc 4 Voyager's Return
Matter Of Life And Death
Ring Around The Moon
The Last Enemy
Disc 5 Dragon's Domain
Another Time, Another Place
Missing Link
Space Brain
Disc 6 Death's Other Dominion
The Troubled Spirit
End Of Eternity
The Testament Of Arkadia

2nd Season Box Set
25 May 2001

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Disc 1 The Metamorph
The Exiles
One Moment Of Humanity
All That Glisters
Disc 2 Journey To Where
The Taybor
The Mark Of Archanon
The Rules Of Luton
Disc 3 Brian The Brain
New Adam, New Eve
Catacombs Of The Moon
The A B Chrysalis
Disc 4 Seed Of Destruction
The Beta Cloud
Space Warp
A Matter Of Balance
Disc 5 The Lambda Factor
The Seance Spectre
Dorzak
Devil's Planet
Disc 6 The Immunity Syndrome
The Dorcons
click for larger image (104k) click for larger image (99k) Main Menu (94360 bytes) click for larger image (87k) Alien Profile (110943 bytes) click for larger image (90k) Episode Menu (101551 bytes) Advertising Year 2 advertising

Copyright Martin Willey