The Production Guide
Script To Screen: Breakaway
by Martin Willey

Script To Screen

• Opening scenes
• Series Titles
• Character scenes
• Out of orbit

• Void Ahead
• Void Ahead Final
• Turning Point
• Call sheet 26

As the filming slowly ran on, the end date was extended first to Wednesday 2nd January 1974, then to Wednesday 9th January. There were holidays on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and, for the first time in 1974, New Year's Day (a new public holiday thanks to the the UK joining the EEC). The final day arrived on Friday 11th January, 26 days after filming started.

For comparison, some feature film movies are shot in less time (Steven Speilberg's Duel in 1971 was shot in 13 days; Birdman released in 2014 was shot in just 23 days).

While most filming was on two main stages at Pinewood, L and M, they are now shooting on stage H.

The final shots complete the scene when Koenig and Helena see Warren and Sparkman in the intensive care unit ("Eric? Frank? It's John Koenig."). The next scene is when Sparkman dies. During the scene, Lon Satton as Ouma is called on the communications post. He was filmed live on set, but does not appear in the final episode.

At noon, the series opening titles are filmed. None of the three title shots were used. In this call sheet, Landau has a grey (not white) backing. The Barry Morse title features a close up of an oscilloscope, with Barry Morse reflecting over it (as described in the Turning Point pages). The Landau and Bain shots would be re-filmed a month later, on Tuesday, 19 February 1974.

Then there are a set of different insert shots showing oscilloscopes and TV screens. None were filmed on the actual set, as they just needed a computer panel or communications post filmed in close-up. Not all these inserts were used; the Simmonds shot was reshot later on the Eagle wall screen, rather than on a TV monitor.