Catacombs International Guide
Around The World

South Africa

by Steven van der Merwe; episode list by Shaqui

Space: 1999 (Y1) was shown in the late seventies by the South African Broadcasting Corporation - at the time the only TV broadcaster in the country and operated by the state, and broadcasting countrywide.

SABC-TV officially started in January 1976, funded by a viewer's license fee (in 1978 it began advertising). Many foreign companies were reluctant to sell to South Africa because of apartheid, but the station was able to show many US and some British shows, mostly dubbed into Afrikaans.

The Afrikaans-dubbed version we saw here was called Alpha 1999 - with just a space in-between Alpha and 1999.

It was shown on Fridays at 5:15pm. At the same time, SABC-TV was showing Thunderbirds on Saturday evenings.

Hover your mouse over the asterisks below for notes *Further comments will appear in a pop up

Nr	Date (Fridays)	Afrikaans Title	Translation	Original Title
1	15 April 1977 5:15pm	Wentelbaan	Winding Course *(literal translation - possibly a variation on 'Turning Point', the episode's working title? Colloquial translation is 'Finishing Stretch' of a race)	Breakaway
2	22 April 1977 5:15pm	Alpha Kind	Alpha Child	Alpha Child
3	29 April 1977 5:15pm	Die Dood Se Ander Ryk	Death Will Reach Others *(literal translation)	Death's Other Dominion
4	6 May 1977 5:15pm	'n Kwissie Van Lewe Of Dood	A Matter of Life and Death	Matter of Life and Death
5	13 May 1977 5:15pm	Ruimtebrein	Space Brain	Space Brain
6	20 May 1977 5:15pm	No title given *(episode identified by listing description)	?	War Games
7	27 May 1977 5:15pm	Bewaker Van Piri	Awakening of Piri	Guardian of Piri
8	3 June 1977 5:15pm	No title given *(episode identified by listing description)	?	End of Eternity
9	10 June 1977 5:15pm	Die Laaste Sonsondergang	The Last Sunset	The Last Sunset
10	17 June 1977 5:15pm	Die Draak Se Gebied	The Dragon's Region	Dragon's Domain
11	24 June 1977 5:15pm	Voyager Se Terugkeer	Voyager is Coming Back	Voyager's Return
12	25 November 1977 5:15pm	Die Gevaarlike Masjien	The Dangerous Machine	The Infernal Machine
13	2 December 1977 5:15pm	Testament Van Arkadia	Testament of Arcadia	The Testament of Arcadia
14	9 December 1977 5:15pm	No title or description given		?
	16 December 1977	Not listed
15	23 December 1977 5:15pm	Die Volle Kringloop	The Full Circle *(kring is 'circle' but 'kringloop' is a circular walkway)	Full Circle
16	30 December 1977 5:15pm	Botsingkoers	Crash Course	Collision Course
17	6 January 1978 5:15pm	'n Vreemde Lewenskrag	A Strange Being	Force of Life
18	13 January 1978 5:15pm	Die Vermiste Skakel	The Lost Connection	Missing Link
19	20 January 1978 5:15pm	Ander Tyd, Ander Plek	Other Time, Other Place	Another Time, Another Place
20	27 January 1978 5:15pm	Bestemming, Die Arde	Destination Earth	Earthbound
21	3 February 1978 5:15pm	Kring Om Die Moon	Circle Round The Moon	Ring Around The Moon
22	10 February 1978 5:15pm	Die Swart Son	The Black Sun	Black Sun

Steven van der Merwe writes Y2 followed several years later (also dubbed into Afrikaans), but at the time I was unpleasantly surprised by the change of direction in the show, and only watched it on the odd occasion. So I can't remember much of Y2's broadcast.

Shaqui has uncovered the followed short run for Alpha 1999 Year 2 in 1984. This list may not be complete, but no further listings were found into 1985. The first episode was listed as Alpha '99 with the following episodes Alpha 1999, although the 2 June 1984 episode was under the title Alfa 1999. Scheduling information is unknown for 14 July 1984, and the 21 July slot was taken by the pilot of T J Hooker. Just 11 or 12 episodes were shown. Rules of Luton was shown (or at least scheduled) twice (just a month apart).

Number	Date (Saturdays)	Afrikaans Title	Translation	Original Title
1	21 April 1984 7:09pm			Unknown but probably The Metamorph
2	28 April 1984 7:09pm	Die Beta-Wolk	The Beta Cloud	The Beta Cloud
3	5 May 1984 7:08pm	'n Oomblik van Menslikheid	A Moment Of Humanity	One Moment Of Humanity
4	12 May 1984 7:09pm	Die Melkewegeklips	The Milky Way Eclipse *The synopsis indicates it is an eclipse of the Milky Way, not just a unspecified constellation, that breaks communication	Journey To Where
5	19 May 1984 7:09pm	Skyn Bedreig	Mock Threat	All That Glisters
6	26 May 1984 7:07pm	Die Kainsmerk	The Mark of Cain	The Mark of Archanon
7	2 June 1984 7:07pm	Die Wette van Lutton	The Laws of Luton *The planet name is spelt Luton in the synopsis	The Rules of Luton
8	9 June 1984 7:08pm			Unknown episode
9	16 June 1984 7:08pm	Banie die Brein	Banie the Brain	Brian The Brain
10	23 June 1984 7:07pm			Unknown episode
11	30 June 1984 7:10pm			Unknown episode
12	7 July 1984 7:08pm	Die Wette van Lutton	The Laws of Luton	The Rules of Luton
13 ?	14 July 1984			To be scheduled

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Steven van der Merwe writes As far as I can recall, there was never much merchandising over here, but I do recall a S1999 cartoon strip published for a short period in the SABC's own weekly magazine called Family Radio & TV, as well as in its Afrikaans language counterpart Radio & TV Dagboek. (Dagboek = Diary). Neither magazine exists any more. The cartoon strip was almost certainly purchased on a syndication basis from overseas. One cartoon scene rings a bell - the Alphans encounter a planet which they think might be Earth, but the planet has been taken over by giant ants. (Perhaps this will assist you in establishing which cartoon series was published here.) [Ed: This was the John Burns Look-In strip, not the Farinas-Cardona Zack comic story).

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