Catacombs Credits Guide1975 casting
Catacombs Credits GuideThe original concept for Maya was a black girl, and Freiberger favoured Teresa Graves for the role. There were some tests of black actresses, which must have included B.J. Arnau. Abe Mandell suggested Catherine Schell, probably on the strength of Return Of The Pink Panther and a proven record on ITC series including The Adventurer. Other actresses were tested alongside Schell, apparently to re-assure Barbara Bain, but Schell was assured the role were hers. We don't know if Prunella Gee was, like Joanna Lumley, a mock test or a serious consideration.
We are going to introduce a new character to give the series a charged-up science-fiction overlay. This character will be an outer-space alien, a sensuous, long-limbed, beautiful, amazingly graceful black girl who will have ability to transform into other life forms. Inter-Office Memorandum by Fred Freiberger, 25th November 1975
When the [Year 2] announcement was made, Bain expressed her concern to Gerry over the introduction of an extra female lead, feeling threatened by the idea. She questioned Gerry as to whether somebody's girlfriend was being brought in, and wanted to know how to respond to the issue. 'I was unable to answer because I didn't know and I was afraid to say to her that Lew wanted Catherine Schell for the part. She asked me if we were going to test, and test properly, for the part. It was like walking on eggshells. 'We tested about 40 actresses, one of whom I remember was Joanna Lumley. Then I had to go through the process of running through them with Barbara Bain, saying, "This one's a bit cold" or "This one isn't attractive enough..." Until finally Catherine Schell came on the screen and I had to say she was my choice. To be honest she would have been my choice anyway, but that was how Catherine was cast. It was a nightmare. I can't blame Barbara as she was concerned about her career; and I can't say I did anything wrong because I had to settle this for the sake of the series. I'm sure she was wise enough to know what was going on.' What Made Thunderbirds Go by Simon Archer and Marcus Hearn (2002)
Gerry poured me a glass and we began our conversation. He explained how, with the arrival of Freddy Freiberger from America as co-producer and writer, the second series would contain changes. 'Another thing...' he hesitated for a moment. 'Barbara Bain is aware that we are thinking of casting you. She and Martin have a right of veto. You are similar in type to her... blonde, tall, classy. She would prefer the role to be played by someone totally different to her.' I could understand that. It made sense. She was thinking professionally as an actress. I went to the sound stage to be placed in front of a camera. I was not alone. A parade of women from various ethnic origins were being screen tested. Barbara and Martin were going to look at the results in the coming days. If they were testing for Maya, I felt sorry for them. I had already been told, but for contractual accords, the part was mine. A Constant Alien by Catherine Schell (2016)
Wikipedia, Imdb. Born 1948 died 2002, would have been 28 during filming in 1976.
Starting her career as a singer, Graves moved into acting, with regular roles in the third 1969-1970 series of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. She was best known as the star of the police drama Get Christie Love! (1974-1975), only the second hour-long series with an African-American lead. She had recently worked in the UK on the film comedy Vampira (1974) with David Nivan.
In 1974 she was baptised as a Jehovah's Witness, and actively publicised the church. Graves does not seem to have any acting credits after Get Christie Love!.
We went after Teresa Graves to be Maya. We wanted her but we heard that she was deep into religion and had gone into retreat somewhere... had left acting. The original Maya was to have been a black girl. We did test a lot of black girls in England. We would have loved Teresa Graves, but we couldn't get her. Abe Mandell recommended Catherine Schell; we looked at the Pink Panther film she was in and were quite impressed. Fred Freiberger, interviewed in Starlog #40 (1980)
Wikipedia, imdb. Also credited as Brenda Arnau, she was born 1941 as Brenda Burton, and died 1989. She would have been 34 during filming in 1976.
Born in the US, Arnau was a singer and actor who first found fame performing for soldiers during the Vietnam War, after which she moved to Paris. Producer Kenneth Tynan cast her in his 1970 West End version of Oh! Calcutta!, and she returned to the stage in the 1973 West End version of the rock musical Two Gentlemen of Verona
She performed the title song for Live and Let Die (1973, written by Paul and Linda McCartney). On TV, she appeared in the variety show Frost's Weekly, plus guest appearances as a singer including The Morecambe & Wise Show Christmas 1975. She continued to work as a cabaret singer and several record albums.
As an American largely based in the UK, she would have been of interest to Gerry Anderson, but she had no background in non-musical drama.
Wikipedia, imdb. She was born 1950. She would have been 26 during filming in 1976.
Gee's first TV role was starring in Shabby Tiger (1973); her film debut was female lead in The Wilby Conspiracy (1975). She had many TV guest appearances through the 1970s and 1980s, including one science fiction role in the sitcom Kinvig (1981). She also had a long career in theatre. In 1999 she appeared in the soap Coronation Street which led to a regular role in 2002-2003.
A photo of her in a screen test of Maya, with Billy Murray as Simon Hays, is shown on page 124 of Space: 1999 The Vault by Chris Bentley (2022).
Wikipedia, imdb. He was born 1941. He would have been 34 during filming in 1976.
First appearing on screen in the early 1960s, by the 1970s he was making regular guest appearances in TV series, especially police dramas. He is best known for a regular role in the police drama The Bill from 1995-2000. He was then a villain in the soap EastEnders from 2005-2006.
After Tony Anholt was cast as Simon Hays, the role was renamed as Tony Verdeschi.
Copyright Martin Willey