The Production GuideScript To Screen: Alpha Child
by Martin Willey
The Production GuideThrough much of the episode, Jackie Crawford is accompanied by a nurse, played by Andrea Allan. She is not named on screen, but in the script this is Nurse Paula. She only has one line, but the scene was cut.
The short scene occurs between scenes 47 and 49, in the Command Office where Koenig tells Helena of his suspicion of Jackie Crawford. In the episode, this plays as a single scene, and the dialogue is slightly different.
26
47 CONTD.
KOENIG
Paul? Find Jackie Crawford and
don't let him out of your sight.
48 INT. MAIN MISSION. 48
MORROW reacts at the tone of the Commander's voice
Everyone in Main Mission looks surprised.
Nurse PAULA runs into Main Mission, her face clouded
with anxiety.
PAULA
Has Jackie been in here?
KANO
No, but the Commander's just...
He has no time to finish because PAULA runs out again,
searching for JACKIE.
49 INT. KOENIG'S OFFICE. 49
KOENIG is mentally kicking himself.
KOENIG
We've bent over backwards to
accept him as normal for his
own sake. But obviously he's
not. He's too bright, too
charming. Like with a
precocious child you get that
uneasy feeling you're being
assessed, you're on trial.
HELENA
He's certainly always been
reserved in his behaviour towards
you.
KOENIG
Helena, he's fooled all of us.
There is a buzz on the Communications Post and MORROW
appears on the screen.
MORROW
(on Commpost)
Commander! Three more spaceships
approaching Alpha.
KOENIG presses the button to Main Mission doors. As they
slide open, he turns to HELENA.
CONTINUED:
Koenig's line about being on trial is changed, becoming "There's something else. Just a feeling I have, something I can't explain. But I trust it." Helena's line in scene 49 will be deleted, and Koenig continues with a version of "he's fooled all of us".
After Paul calls them about the spaceship, Koenig's line to Helena was "Maybe there's some connection?" This line becomes "I think there's a connection. It's just a hunch. Helena. Find Jackie Crawford." Helena has nothing to do in the next scene in Main Mission, so this helpfully sends her away.
Scene 50, in Main Mission, will be the scene when Koenig orders Alan to intercept the alien ships, but he stands transfixed. In the script Jackie is sitting on a chair on the balcony. When Koenig goes to confront him, he stands, with a chilling smile at Koenig. He retreats to the balcony windows, then starts to shake, falls onto his knees and collapses, covered in sweat. Shooting on the balcony would have required a camera crane. While filming was simplified by moving the action to under the balcony stairs, the cut scene a few moments earlier when nurse Paula was looking for Jackie would not have made sense. Afterwards, Nurse Paula is seen with Helena putting Jackie on a gurney.
Scenes 47 and 49 were filmed on Thursday 11th July, after scene 50, filmed on 10th July.
