The Merchandise GuideVideo: US Laserdisc
Compiled by Martin Willey
The Merchandise Guide
The Guardian of a beautiful planet lures Moonbase Alpha personnel to a promised land of eternal peace which Koenig realizes is living death.
False information from the Computer lures Alpha astronauts to the planet Piri and seduces other members of the Moonbase crew into believing that the breathtakingly beautiful planet offers them the life they had always hoped for. In fact, it is completely lifeless except for an incredibly lovely woman who explains that she is the servant of the Guardian of Piri (Catherine Schell). She says they found the moon floating helplessly through the universe and brought it there to relieve its people of human pain. Piri, says the woman, had been peopled by technicians who built a world of machines so they could enjoy their pleasure without having to work. Then they created the Guardian to control their machines. Their life was perfect and the Guardian was directed to maintain it. Time was suspended. Now this blissful paradise is extended to the weary people from faraway Earth.
But Commander Koenig (Martin Landau) is able to realize that the eternal peace of Piri is really a living death - a suspension of life in which the spacemen would be spaced out all the time.
On the moon, final arrangements are being made, under the supervision of the converted Computer, for a mass exodus to Piri. Even Dr. Helena Russell (Barbara Bain) and Professor Bergman (Barry Morse) are under the Guardian's influence and Koenig's authority has been usurped.
On Piri, the conquest almost complete, Koenig realizes his only chance to resume command is to destroy the Pirian woman!
MARTIN LANDAU as John Koenig
BARBARA BAIN as Dr. Helena Russell
BARRY MORSE as Professor Bergman
Guest Star: CATHERINE SCHELL as Servant of the Guardian
Prentis Hancock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paul Morrow
Clifton Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Kano
Zienia Merton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sandra Benes
Anton Phillips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Mathias
Nick Tate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alan Carter
Michael Culver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pete Irving
Producer: Sylvia Anderson Executive Producer: Gerry Anderson Screenplay by: Christopher Penfold
Moon City Costumes Designed by: Rudi Gernreich Directed by: Charles Crichton
Series Created by: Gerry and Sylvia Anderson
Color/Approx. Running Time: 52 Minutes
An alien ship bound for Earth crash-lands on the runaway moon with its crew "frozen-down" for the long journey. When one is accidentally decomposed, there is room for one of Alpha's 311-person crew.
A space ship enroute to Earth has been programmed to orbit the moon. When it encounters the runaway moon too soon, it crash-lands. Commander Koenig (Martin Landau) boards it together with Dr. Helena Russell (Barbara Bain) and Professor Bergman (Barry Morse). They find the crew of six in states of suspended animation and when they force open one of the "caskets" the body in it disintegrates! The others animate properly and their leader, Captain Zantor (Christopher Lee) explains that they have been in space for three-and-a-half centuries!
He accepts Koenig's explanation for the death of his crewmate, and they share information about the mysteries of space. For Commissioner Simmonds (Roy Dotrice), the alien ship is an unexpected chance to return to Earth after all and he wants it commandeered so that six members of Moonbase Alpha can go home. Koenig angrily rejects this proposal but asks Zantor if one of his complement can accompany the aliens to Earth. Zantor explains that the human system may not be compatible with their method of suspending animation but says he will test whomever Koenig chooses.
Koenig decides to let the Alpha computer select the replacement - but Simmonds is not willing to take his chances against such odds. Taking matters into his own hands, he breaks into the power station and threatens to destroy all of Moonbase Alpha unless Koenig lets him go!
MARTIN LANDAU as John Koenig
BARBARA BAIN as Dr. Helena Russell
BARRY MORSE as Professor Bergman
Guest Star: ROY DOTRICE as Commissioner Simmonds
Special guest star: CHRISTOPHER LEE as Captain Zantor
Prentis Hancock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paul Morrow
Clifton Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Kano
Zienia Merton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sandra Benes
Anton Phillips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Mathias
Nick Tate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alan Carter
Producer: Sylvia Anderson Executive Producer: Gerry Anderson Screenplay by: Anthony Terpiloff
Story Consultant: Christopher Penfold Moon City Costumes Designed by: Rudi Gernreich
Directed by: Charles Crichton
Series Created by: Gerry and Sylvia Anderson
Color/Approx. Running Time: 52 Minutes
Copyright Martin Willey. Thanks to James Poll.