The Character Guide
by Martin Willey

Victor Bergman

Victor's birthdate and age varies according to source:

• Year 1 writer's guide and ITC publicity: in his late 50s
• Technical Notebook: born June 1940 (59 years old in 1999)
• Morse's actual age: 56 in 1974, so if Victor were the same age, he would be born in 1943.

The early character name in the early script Zero G was Science Officer Dr. Marc Miller. "Doctor of space research, his vast knowledge of space science gives him a key position in Moon City." In the early guidelines, he was named Professor Danilo Sabatini "Ast-Phy" (astrophysics?), an "interesting and wise Italian astrophysicist in his late fifties". Koenig was one of Sabatini's students. By the next guidelines he was English "Professor (name to be decided)". In the early Siren Planet script he was Professor Penmarric.

Bergman has broad interests in the physical sciences, concentrating on technology. His work is not academic or theoretical (which, apart from equations on perspex, isn't easy to dramatise). His Ultra work was closely associated with the probe mission, not planetary science or orbital calculations. In his living quarters, we see a plan for a "Photon Drive". We also see a Nobel Prize diploma on his wall, for Physics. Science Nobel Prizes are generally given to academics, and are notorious for being awarded after many years or decades. Bergman is unusually young to receive such an award.

He is enthusiastic about science, sometimes ignoring the dangers (Voyager's Return, Death's Other Dominion).

In Tubb's Earthfall it is explained that aerospace industries had created the laboratory on the Moon and placed Bergman in charge, to find a new means of interstellar transport. He is trying to develop on anti-gravity field. This would also fit what we saw in Black Sun (in the original script, the anti-gravity generators used are called "Bergman effect machines").

Several books state Victor Bergman had a wife who died. In Alien Seed, we are told of Bergman's wife "Koenig broke off, remembering how the man had lost his wife. Victor had not been to blame. Only in his mind could he consider himself guilty for the crash that had taken her and left him to mourn." In Earthfall E C Tubb expands on this, which also explains his heart problems ("A careless driver jumping a stop light, moving too fast to halt, his reactions too slow for him to avoid the crushing, tearing impact which had speared his torso on the steering column." In the Powys books, his wife was named Dorothy.

Bergman is musical. He has a violin in his living quarters. In the original script for The Troubled Spirit he was part of a string quartet giving the concert in the opening. He is humming in Another Time, Another Place ("Ode to Joy" from Beethoven's Choral Symphony) and The Full Circle (Grieg's Morgenstemning from Peer Gynt).

Bergman has an artificial heart (mentioned in just 4 episodes, Black Sun, Force Of Life, Guardian Of Piri, The Infernal Machine). According to the writer's guide he has a mechanical heart, which responds much more slowly to nervous stimuli than does a normal human heart. This makes him unsusceptible to panic or to emotional stress of any other kind. This description was reproduced in ITC publicity and in merchandise. Apart from moments when his heart fails, it isn't mentioned in the series, and Barry Morse doesn't make him less emotional than the others. In E.C.Tubb's novel Earthfall, we see Helena giving Bergman the artificial heart.

In Black Sun we see him drink brandy (Courvoisier Napoleon Fine), and smoke a cigar.

Bergman and Koenig are close friends. They already knew each other well in 1996, during preparations for the Ultra Probe, and they meet each other warmly when Koenig returns as Commander in Breakaway. Bergman is always the person Koenig turns to first for advice. Nevertheless, Bergman and Koenig argue at times.

Bergman is not affiliated with any Moonbase section, and thus does not have a coloured sleeve. He attends command conferences. He also joins various exploration parties (Earthbound, End Of Eternity, Mission Of The Darians, Death's Other Dominion, The Testament Of Arkadia, follow-up mission in The Full Circle). He does not always join planetary missions (Matter Of Life And Death, Guardian Of Piri, not initially in The Full Circle).

His spacesuit number is 3 in Earthbound, 4 in End Of Eternity and Space Brain. He does not wear life support packs in Black Sun and The Infernal Machine.

Bergman often expresses philosophical as well as scientific concerns. Writer Johnny Byrne said "In general though, Bergman combined something of the scientist, philosopher, mystic, a steady presence and essential counterweight to the more visceral, upfront principled Koenig."

Bergman is involved in only a few action scenes.

Featured in all 24 Year 1 episodes. He was mentioned in the scripts of The Metamorph (Simon Hayes: "One lousy spacesuit with a faulty helmet and Victor had to be in it.") and Catacombs Of The Moon (they are reconstructing the Bergman artificial heart, not the Dorfmann).

In Survival by Brian Ball (Powys, 2005), Bergman is propelled into space during a battle, his suit torn and losing air. The Alphans are unable to find the body. Unknown to them, the epilogue shows the alien scientist Yendys seeing Bergman healing in a stasis chamber within the living ship Susurra. The book names Bergman's former wife as Dorothy.

In the short film The Return of Victor Bergman (recorded 2002, first seen 2010), Barry Morse reprises the role of Bergman, recording a Moonbase Alpha status report in 2030.

"Alright, Nordstrom. We're watching you closely." (Breakaway)
"I haven't enjoyed a picture that much in a long time." (Matter Of Life And Death)
"I suppose we...all believe what we want to believe. Perhaps that's what reality is." (Black Sun)
"Maybe I've had enough of Earth and its so called civilisation." (Earthbound)
"We believe that revenge, sanctioned by authority, is also the sign of a debased culture." (Voyager's Return)
"Because, we have learned many things, but most of all, we have learned ..we still have much to learn." (War Games)
"I'm having trouble calculating our seasonal variations, but just instinctively I'd say it was spring." (The Last Sunset)

• George Bellak writer's guide profile
• Barry Morse profile
• Dialogue
• Character profile (Technical Notebook in Cybermuseum)

Publicity shot in Bergman's quarters, LQ12. The papers in front of him mention "Engines", "Petrol 1660, 23 Gallons", "Compartments".