The Continuity GuideMoonbase Guide
by Martin Willey
The Continuity GuideThere are a number of different portable instruments usually seen on the desks. The Eagle remote control is featured in Breakaway and used extensively throughout the series.
Sandra usually has a display in front of her desk. It isn't present in Breakaway or Matter Of Life And Death; it first appears in Black Sun. It detects asteroid collisions (Black Sun) and internal heating changes (Force Of Life). It also appears in Year 2 on the same desk.
Paul's keyboard normally sits at the front of his desk. He often presses buttons to initiate calls or show things on the Big Screen. The keyboard is 12 x 3 unlabelled white keys, with an alphabet (A-L) above the top. The keyboard was created by Century 21 Film Props for the 1970 children's series Timeslip (serial "Time of the Ice Box") (more)
At the start of Breakaway, unusually, it is on the side of his desk, not in front of Paul.
Paul uses it in conjunction with the Eagle remote control
The 3 rows are numbered (1,2,3) along the left side, with alphabetic labels along the top (A to L). The green illuminated lights on the right side have the label "CODES".
In Dragon's Domain it's in the Eagle
In year 2, it appears in the Weapons Section in The Metamorph, The Taybor and The Beta Cloud
Until Collision Course, a second keyboard is at the end of the desks closest to the Big Screen and the computer wall. This is a refurbished prop from UFO, where it served as Miss Ealand's typewriter. It was was created by Century 21 Film Props (more). The keyboard is 14 x 5 unlabelled white keys, with the right column in red. From Collision Course, this keyboard replaces the keyboard embedded in Paul Morrow's desk.
Initial design: a light coloured keyboard is seen in early episodes.
It is a paler colour than the other keyboards.
A close up from a publicity shot: the keys on top are labelled "A, B, C, D" and "1, 3, 5, 7". These were not present on the prop when it appeared in UFO
The design in Collision Course is a simple 10 x 3 keyboard of red keys with no lights or labels. Unlike the other keyboards, the front base forms a lip so it can sit on the edge of a flat desk.
In Collision Course Koenig uses the keyboard to locate Alan's navigation beacon.
The keyboard is also seen on Ultima Thule in Death's Other Dominion, and in Experimental in Voyager's Return.
It also appears as one of the last instruments left in Main Mission during War Games
It is back in Space Brain
In year 2, it appears in the Weapons Section in The Metamorph (on the right here) and some shots in The Beta Cloud.
In year 2 it appears in Hydroponics in A Matter Of Balance
Copyright Martin Willey