The Merchandise Guide
Video: US Laserdisc
Compiled by Martin Willey

THE TESTAMENT OF ARKADIA

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Is it the end for Moonbase Alpha - or the beginning of a new life? In the furthest limits of outer space are found the origins of life on Earth itself as the moon's random progress comes to a sudden, inexplicable halt.

Since the time the moon broke out of its orbit, life for Moonbase Alpha's Earth inhabitants has taken on a semblance of normality, but with one ever-present imponderable question mark. Where is it heading? Its direction cannot be controlled.

Now, suddenly and alarmingly, it comes to a complete halt. The power drops and continues to drop at such a rate that it soon becomes terrifyingly clear that life cannot be sustained for more than a matter of days.

The only possible explanation is an influence emanating from an unidentified planet which is within flying distance, and Commander Koenig (Martin Landau) has no option but to explore the planet. He chooses his team with care - Dr. Helena Russell (Barbara Bain), Professor Bergman (Barry Morse), pilot Alan Carter (Nick Tate), and specialists Luke Ferro (Orso Maria Guerrini) and Anna Davis (Lisa Harrow).

The planet is dead, with no signs of habitation. There are rock formations and petrified, leafless trees, all indicating that this was once a living world. But whatever it was that struck happened a long, long time ago. Then, in a cave, they find human skeletons and inscriptions on the wall which Bergman identifies as being Sanskrit. Anna Davis, a trained philologist, recognizes it as a very early form of the English language and, with Luke Ferro's help, is able to translate what was the last message from the dead world of Arkadia. The message declares that Arkadia lives on in the bodies, hearts and minds of those who left in time, taking the seeds of a new beginning.

Realization dawns, confirmed by identification of the trees as those native to Earth, that Earth originated on this planet, the seeds of life carried to a new home by those who escaped the holocaust!

Koenig has a grim decision to make. The Moonbase's power loss has now dropped to the point when everyone will freeze to death within a day. Evacuation to Arkadia seems to be the only hope.

Then Luke and Anna become strangely affected. It is as though they have received some sort of message. Tricking Koenig into providing supplies and a spacecraft to take them there, they become determined to bring life back to the dead world of Arkadia. As they reach Eden, Koenig desperately struggles to return full power to Moonbase Alpha or face imminent disaster.

MARTIN LANDAU as John Koenig
BARBARA BAIN as Dr. Helena Russell
BARRY MORSE as Professor Bergman
Guest Stars: ORSO MARIA GUERRINI as Luke Ferro
LISA HARROW as Anna Davis

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: Johnny Byrne
Moon City Costumes Designed by: Rudi Gernreich Directed by: David Tomblin
Series Created by: Gerry and Sylvia Anderson

Color/Approx. Running Time: 52 Minutes

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THE LAST ENEMY

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Moonbase Alpha finds itself caught up in war between two planets - and the wiles of a beautiful woman.

Two planets come into view, and then an approaching spaceship. On Moonbase Alpha, Commander Koenig (Martin Landau) orders a Red Alert. Defensive Eagles are instructed to be ready for take-off, but not one is able to move. One by one, their engines fade and die and at the same time Alpha's power fails.

Emergency power is switched on as the omnibus spaceship lands. A deafening, blinding bombardment begins - but the firing is not at Alpha itself. The objective becomes apparent; the fire is directed at one of the two planets.

Realization dawns on Koenig: "We are involved in a war between two planets."

It is Professor Bergman (Barry Morse) who provides the explanation. The two planets are on opposite sides of the sun. They can't see each other and they can't fire at each other directly because any kind of missile would be drawn in by the sun's gravity. So the arrival of the runaway moon has provided a ready-made gun platform in space, and Moonbase is in the middle of a shooting match.

Suddenly the spaceship is caught in an enormous explosion as Alpha's power returns and the Eagles become mobile again. An aerial inspection indicates no sign of life from the spaceship and then, from under it, an escape capsule appears and makes its way toward Alpha.

A young, beautiful girl steps from it. Her name is Dione (Caroline Mortimer). She is a Commander from the planet Betha an she warns that enemies on planet Delta, with which Betha has always been at war, will launch a retaliatory attack. She offers asylum on her planet for Moonbase personnel if Alpha is attacked, but it is already too late for action. Delta, copying Betha, has landed a spaceship on the moon. The counter-attack on Betha has begun, but the Delta gunship is destroyed, and Koenig offers to negotiate a cease fire between the two planets. Talos (Kevin Stoney), Supreme Commander of the Delta Armed Forces and Theia (Maxine Audley), Chief Commissioner of Betha Defence, are contacted. The cease fire is agreed.

But Koenig has underestimated the feminine wiles of Dione

MARTIN LANDAU as John Koenig
BARBARA BAIN as Dr. Helena Russell
BARRY MORSE as Professor Bergman
Guest Star: CAROLINE MORTIMER as Dione

Prentis Hancock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paul Morrow
Clifton Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Kano
Zienia Merton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sandra Benes
Nick Tate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alan Carter
Maxine Audley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Theia
Kevin Stoney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Talos
Carolyn Courage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . First Girl

Producer: Sylvia Anderson Executive Producer: Gerry Anderson Screenplay by: Bob Kellett
Moon City Costumes Designed by: Rudi Gernreich Directed by: Bob Kellett
Series Created by: Gerry and Sylvia Anderson

Color/Approx . Running Time: 52 Minutes