The Mark of Archanon
A sensational find below the Moon's surface...an imprisoned man and his son. Who are they? How did they get there? How long have they been there? And why? ITC summary
- Shooting script dated 12 April 1976. Amended pages 14 April, pink pages and line amendments 21 April, blue line amendments and pages 26, 27, 28 April. Filmed 4 May-18 May 1976
- A "Double-Up Helena" script- while Bain and the other cast were filmed in the studio, Landau and Schell filmed The Rules Of Luton on location.
- Wrong credits: Raul Newney is credited as "Raul Newey".
- The Warwick student film contains behind-the-scenes footage.
- Studio sound tracks are on the Network Year 2 Blu-ray - see also sound rushes
The Archanon ship was built by Martin Bower between the filming of the two series. A revamped version of the model appears in Space Warp.
- The virus (or genetic disease- the episode calls it both) is obviously based on haemophilia, a genetic disease caused by the absence of the gene for making the blood clotting protein Factor VIII. It is a hereditary disease passed only in males, treated by blood transfusions.
- In stasis the Archanons are standing. Standing requires muscular effort and brain coordination; humans cannot stand while asleep.
- The lunar caves are apparently natural (and are seen again in Catacombs Of The Moon; see more science notes there). It is an incredible coincidence that Moonbase Alpha is built over the former location of an alien base - but a well-developed system of lava tubes would be ideal for any lunar settlement. Evidence of laba tubes on the moon was first discovered in 2010.
- The Eagle is in a "meteor storm". Meteors are asteroids burning up in an atmosphere; the correct term is asteroid.
- Even in the recording from a thousand years ago the Archanons speak modern English
640 days after leaving Earth orbit (Thu 14 Jun 2001)
1 fatality (possibly), Andy Johnson - we don't know whether he survived his "serious head injury".
Alpha Technology:
Eagle 1 (Koenig, also stationed above pad- see observations); 3 (rescue)
None
None
Aliens:
Pasc, Etrec, Lyra and Maurna from Archanon. Humanoid.
Footage:
- One shot of Alphans in jumpsuits running down a corridor is reused from The Metamorph
- One shot of Alphans in jumpsuits running into a travel tube is reused from The Exiles
Props:
- In the asteroid storm, the Eagle's legs are sometimes bent, sometimes not (for some shots the Eagle was filmed standing vertically so dust could be dropped past it; hence the bent foot pads). It also changes between the second and third Eagle model, with obvious differences in panel details.
- The football match alluded to is a rugby league at Swinton in the UK on 9th November 1963 when Australia beat Britain 50-12, one of the Ashes test matches. The Australian team was captained by Arthur Summons and included Earl Harrison, who played five-eighth. Harrison used to play at club level for Gilgandra, then was selected into the New South Wales team. He coached at Coonamble, NSW.
- Was Crom II another planet that Alpha visited? (according to the script it was).
- The name Pasc indicates a Passover analogy, with Pasc spilling his blood to redeem his son.
Cobber? Yeah. That means you're a pal, you know, a real close buddy.
The Australian colloquialism, first recorded in 1890, is considered archaic and rarely used (the preferred colloquialism is "mate").- Emma Porteous's description on her design for Maurna's lilac dress:
Dress in pleated silk - ornamented at bodice with silk flowers - stitched and beaded in gold- hung with long scarlet cords - metal bracelets - hung with long scarlet fringe -
.
External Links
Episode Guide 
Year 2 - Episode 8 
