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

The retitled script "Turning Point" describes in detail what we recognise as the series one opening titles, including prescribing the symphonic and modern musical sections. Barry Gray's theme would not be recorded until later (Tuesday 11th December 1973), and then in four different versions.

The Koenig, Helena and Bergman credit cards are abstract portraits, not taken from the story. All these would be filmed as described here, although we never get to see the Barry Morse credit (see Call sheet 26).

The series title card is a version of the shot described in the Void Ahead script and Keith Wilson painting. It is not explicitly Koenig's Eagle arriving, and is intended to be used on every episode. In some ways, the Eagle and astronauts seems closer to the year 2 title shot. The multi-coloured caption is showing off colour television, but most audiences outside North America would see the series in black and white.

The recap of the breakaway is described as using split-screen, and comes before the Barry Morse credit (instead of after). The shots of the computer and Eagle hangar would be lost in favour of static space scenes of planets (the computer shot would return in the year 2 series titles).

The famous "This Episode" montage sequence is here captioned "Tonight's Episode". Apart from being simpler, "Tonight's" would have been awkward when repeats (or first-run episodes) were shown in the afternoon or even morning.