The Space:1999 FAQ

Version 1.0, March 1997

Edited by Patricia Sokol and S. Marshall Poindexter

Abbreviated July 2002 by Martin Willey (out of date mailing list, fan club and merchandise information deleted)

This is a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Space: 1999 TV series in general.

The following questions are answered below:

What are the Space: 1999 films?
Is Space: 1999 the sequel to UFO?
What do the colors on the uniform sleeves stand for?
How many Eagles crashes and fatalities were there?
Why the differences between the first and second seasons?
Whatever happened to Victor Bergman?
Whatever happened to Paul Morrow and David Kano?
What happened to Main Mission from the first season?
Why is Koenig almost absent from some second season episodes?

What are the Space: 1999 films?

There were four films made from eight episodes. The first was "Destination Moonbase Alpha," which was the joining together of the Second Season two-part episode, "Bringers Of Wonder." "Alien Attack" (featuring "Breakaway" & "War Games"), "Cosmic Princess" ("The Metamorph" & "Space Warp"), and "Journey Through The Black Sun" ("Black Sun" & "Collision Course") soon followed. The films' syndication rights caused problems for the shows' video release in England and these eight episodes are not available in the series release at this time in the UK. However the 4 films are available on videocassette.

Is Space: 1999 the sequel to UFO?

In a word, no. While the concept for Space: 1999 came from a reworking of UFO, ultimately they exist in different universes and are unrelated on film.

What do the colors on the uniform sleeves stand for?

Black = Commander
Brown = Technical
Flame = Main Mission
Yellow = Service Section
Orange = Pilot/Reconnaissance
Purple = Security
White = Medical
None = Civilian

How many Eagles crashes and fatalities were there?

Well, in the first season....

Pilots: 9, Scientists: 4 , Medical: 2, Security: 3, Technical: 4 , Unknown: 9
NUMBER OF DEAD: 31
Eagles DESTROYED: 11

BREAKAWAY: Dead: ?. Eric Sparkman, Frank Warren, Collins + crews of various other Eagles; Eagles: 2. - at least, blown up during breakaway
DRAGONS DOMAIN: Dead: 1. Tony Cellini; Eagles: 1. Jettisoned by Cellini when he rendezvous with the probe ship
END OF ETERNITY: Dead: 2. Baxter (Driven mad by Balor), Female medical orderly (Killed by Balor)
VOYAGERS RETURN: Dead: 2. Dr Ernst Queller (killed destroying the aliens) Abrams (killed by the Queller drive); Eagles: 1. Destroyed by the Queller drive
MISSION OF THE DARIANS: Dead: 1. Bill Lowry killed as a mutant by the ships descendants
FORCE OF LIFE: Dead: 4/5. Anton Zoref (taken over by alien). Mark Domminix (technical) Hilary Preston (medical), +1 security guard (Frozen by Anton). 1 patient killed when Koenig orders power switched off?
ALPHA CHILD: Dead: 1?. Security Guard shot by Koenig (under Jarak's influence)
GUARDIAN OF PIRI: Dead: 1. Sarah Graham (computer malfunction)
THE TROUBLED SPIRIT: Dead: 3. Botanists Dan Mateo, Laura Adams + Dr James Warren. (killed by Mateo's spirit)
THE BLACK SUN: Dead: 1. Pilot Mike Ryan; Eagles: 1.
TESTAMENT OF ARKADIA: Eagles: 1. (left on Arkadia)
EARTHBOUND: Dead: 1. Commissioner Simmonds
ANOTHER TIME ANOTHER PLACE: Dead: 1. Regina (killed when she meets herself in her dreams)
THE INFERNAL MACHINE: Dead: ?. Crews of 4 Eagles + 3 armoured land craft; Eagles: 4.
THE LAST SUNSET: Eagles: 1. Blown up by Helena
SPACE BRAIN: Dead: 3. Cousteau, Wayland and Kelly; Eagles: 2. Crushed and one crushed on launch pad when Alpha is smothered in foam?
FULL CIRCLE: Dead: 1. Dies from shock when taken back on Eagle
RING AROUND THE MOON: Dead: 2. Ted Clifford and Donovan

As of this update to the FAQ, no statistics have yet been compiled on second season crashes and fatalities.

Why the differences between the first and second seasons?

In an attempt to revamp the series and increase ratings in the lucrative North American market, Fred Freiberger was brought in as Executive Producer, replacing Gerry Anderson in that role. Sylvia Anderson also left following the Andersons' divorce. Freiberger, also producer of the third season of Star Trek, had a different vision of how the program should be, and "executives" in the United States also had their own ideas. Thus, the changes. There was never any "explanation" for the changes as seen on the program, viewers were just meant to accept them. A number of actors were not asked to renew their contracts, while others worked on an episode-by-episode basis. Season One vs. Season Two has been a frequent topic on the mailing list and a number of publications.

Whatever happened to Victor Bergman?

In the book The Making of Space: 1999 (written by Tim Heald, published in the U.S. by Ballantine in Nov 1976, ISBN 0-345-25265-9-195), there is a reference to some of the changes being made to the script of "The Metamorph" (the 1st episode of the second season). At this point, Tony Anholt's character was called "Simon Hays." To quote from pages 104 - 105:

For example, it was only on the blue pages that reference was made to the disappearance of Bergman, when in Scene 146 Simon says (almost to himself) "I wish Bergman was here."
SANDRA (nods): But he isn't.
SIMON: One lousy space suit with a faulty helmet and Victor had to be in it.
SANDRA (gently): We can't bring him back, Simon.

After further changes were made later on, these lines were dropped and no further explanation was made. The timeline produced by writer Shane Johnson (for a book in the planning stages) does make reference to his death during the installation of a perimeter defense ring.

Barry Morse and Fred Freiberger, second season Executive Producer, were apparently unable to agree on contract terms. Mr. Freiberger also did not believe that the Bergman character was correct for an action/adventure series.

Whatever happened to Paul Morrow and David Kano?

Again, this was never explained in the series, though the timeline from the Moonbase Alpha Technical Manual (published by Starlog Magazine in the late 1970s) indicates they were killed in an Eagle malfunction in the period between the first and second seasons.

What happened to Main Mission?

In the "Space: 1999" universe, Main Mission, the cavernous control section of the first season, was closed for safety reasons. Operations were moved to Command Center, an underground location. In the real world filming of the series, the Main Mission set was difficult to maintain and set up. Additionally, the smaller Command Center gave a closer feel to the action, something the producers were trying to achieve.

Why is Koenig almost absent from some Second Season episodes?

Production schedules led to the doubling-up of the filming of four "pairs" of episodes. Martin Landau would head the cast on one, usually accompanied by Catherine Schell, and Barbara Bain would lead the cast on the other, usually with Tony Anholt. The four pairs are: "The Rules of Luton"/"The Mark of Archanon"; "AB Chrysalis"/"Catacombs of the Moon"; "A Matter of Balance"/"Space Warp"; and "Dorzak"/"Devil's Planet."

Many people have provided the information for or helped formulate the FAQs.

Thanks to them for their work and dedication:

Terry Bowers,
David Moss,
Raja Thiagarajan,
Tricia,
Victor Volkman,
Jenny Lobb,
Mark Miller,
Kimberly Murphy-Smith,
Julie Olivera,
Ande Tucker,
Bob Neumann,
Robert Ruiz,
Gordon Moriguchi,