Year 1 - Episode 24
Screenplay by | Johnny Byrne |
Directed by | David Tomblin |
Guest stars | Orso Maria Guerrini, Lisa Harrow |
Belgium (Flemish) | Testament van Arkadia | Testament Of Arcadia |
France/Canada | Le testament de l'Arcadie | The Testament Of The Arcadia |
Italy | Il testamento degli Arkadi | The Testament Of The Arkadians |
Japan | O, God! May New Peace in Space! | |
Poland | Testament Arkadii | |
Portugal | O Testamento de Arkadia | The Testament of Arkadia |
Spain | Testamento de Arcadia | Testament of Arcadia |
Sweden | Testamentet | The Testament |
South Africa | Testament Van Arkadia | Testament of Arcadia |
Is it the end for the moon, or the beginning of a new life? In far-off outer space are found the origins of life on Earth itself as the moon's random progress comes to a sudden, inexplicable halt. ITC summary
We were trying to be kind of grown up. We were really just getting into our stride, in this episode, episode 24. It's probably a little slower than some of the other episodes, but quite profound. I think Johnny Byrne was taking a very interesting concept, and more to the point, which was my particular hobby horse, we learned about the characters. They were real people out there.
Int. Main Mission
Int. Command Office
Int. Gymnasium (revamp Command Office)
Int. Boarding Tube
Int. Alpha Corridor
Int. Travel Tube
Int. Protein Store corridor
Int. Reference Library
Int. Eagle Pilot Section
Int. Eagle Passenger Section
Ext. Planet Surface
Int. Cave
Library tracks:
Sanskrit is the ancient Indic language of the Vedic, the Indo-European people who moved from the Iranian region to North West India about 1500 BC. Vedic Sanskrit is the oldest form and lasted until 200 BC. Classical Sanskrit replaced Vedic Sanskrit and was dominant from about 500 BC to 1000 AD when it split into many modern Indic languages.
Much of the Vedic cultural values have been preserved in the Hindu religion, including the concepts of sacrifice and caste. The Hindu scriptures, the Veda, are in Vedic Sanskrit and date from 1500 BC. Sanskrit had a status similar to Latin in Europe, as a scholarly and scared language; it is still used in Hindu liturgy.
It has a highly inflected and complex grammar, and important similarities to other Indo European languages which made Sir William Jones in the 18th century think it was the root language of all modern languages; his discovery led to the scientific study of languages, called philology in the 19th century (and in Space 1999) but now named linguistics.
In the 20th century it was realised that Sanskrit, like Latin and almost all modern languages, is derived from a proto-Indo European tongue. This language was spoken in Eastern Europe or Western Asia, most probably in Anatolia (modern Turkey), about 7000-6000 years ago. This area and time also saw the birth of agriculture, the first settled towns, and was the source of major migrations and invasions.
Note that some languages are not related to proto-Indo European; Basque, Etruscan, and languages in Africa, the Far East and the Americas.
Eagle 1 (initial landing party); 2 (unarmed survey); 3 and 5 (pursuit); 4 (Luke and Anna, left on Arkadia)
Spirits of the Arkadians.
Ferro's Eagle is shown from the exterior with the port-side docked to the boarding tube; on the interior set, the starboard is docked. When the Eagle launches it has turned round so the starboard side faces the tube.
The full text of the Testament Of Arkadia:
I, the guardian, salute you. We are an accused people. We who caused our own destruction have paid the price of ignorance and greed.
To you who seek us out in the ages to come, we salute you. The desolation you find grieves we few who will soon die. Our civilisation gone. Our world, Arkadia, poisoned, dying. We who caused our own destruction.
No need now to tell of that final holocaust when our world flamed in the inferno of a thousand exploding suns. Arkadia is finished, but she, Arkadia, lives on in the bodies, hearts and minds of the few of us who left before the end, taking the seeds of a new beginning. To seek out and begin again in the distant regions of space. Heed now the testament of Arkadia.
Neither past nor future, the future is the past and the testament of Arkadia the link. You who are guided here, make us fertile, help us live again.
Contents copyright Martin Willey