The Production Guide
Script To Screen: The Last Sunset
by Martin Willey

In May 2002, Zienia Merton gave a live commentary on The Last Sunset during the Fanderson Stand By For Action convention. Below are some highlights of the commentary.

Zienia played with the "buttons" on her console, forcing the sound effects crew to create suitable sound effects. Editors like to cut a scene when a character turns their head or blinks. Barbara Bain would keep her head still so the camera remained on her. Zienia would blink or move, and the scene would be cut on her movement.

This scene begins with Sandra taking a computer readout. The readouts (manually pushed out by a film crew member) were often too short or too long. The camera then tracks Sandra walking to Paul, and then follows Helena back to Kano, who rotates his desk to face her. Kano's desk was rotated by a burly crew member lying on the floor; as Sandra walks across, she has to step over him.

When the staff are looking at the windows, they are looking at fire hoses and cobwebs on the studio wall. When looking at the Big Screen, the staff would be looking at the standard graphic, not special effects or characters, which were added in post-production. To ensure everyone had the same eyeline, they would agree to look at a particular coloured blob in the graphic, which was challenging for the short-sighted among them!

When shooting was occurring on the stage, the external doors were locked. During filming of this episode, Zienia found herself trapped outside with Gerry Anderson. He grumbled that Last Sunset was supposed to be a cheap episode to film because they could film against a blue sky, but the special effects were even more expensive than usual because the model wires had to be hidden and no stock footage could be used.

Zienia had to have her own individual spacesuit, because she was so small. The crew named her the Michelin Man for her appearance in the suit. They had to wear balaclavas over their heads, which made the suits very hot.

The script directions read: Two Alpha TECHNICIANS finish inserting a glazed frame into the window of the Technical Section. They go. KOENIG, HELENA and BERGMAN come forward and open the window. A fresh breeze wafts into the room ruffling their hair.

Because this explanation is not seen in the finished print, it appears as if the Moonbase was built with opening windows. Note that this scene is in the Technical Section, whose windows we saw being blown out by the alien probe.

The original script had the dialogue:
SANDRA: Do you know the Earthly sounds I have come to miss most in the silence of space?
MORROW (smiles): Birdsong?
SANDRA: The sound of children.
SANDRA looks at him quizzically. There is a long silence between them.

Zienia objected strongly to this line, which she felt was far too overt and hasty for their relationship. Normally only Landau, Bain and Morse could influence the script, but this time she managed to have the line dropped.

This is an unusual episode in that there are no guest stars. The original script may have been written for a guest star in Morrow's role, possibly an Italian. After going mad, he probably would have died at the end of the episode. When the star couldn't join the cast, Paul Morrow took the role.

Nick Tate's line caused great amusement to the cast and crew: "I'm going over the top".

This Eagle Passenger Module set was built on angle. When the dust pours in, Zienia had to hold her breath to appear unconscious, while the others could cough naturally. Although they are supposed to be cold at night, the cramped set was actually very warm, and Zienia had both a spacesuit and blanket over her.

During this fight sequence, a stuntman took Zienia's place. Alf Joint was the stunt arranger; Dorothy Ford is stunt double for Helena, Terry Walsh doubles for Paul and Eddy Stacey for Koenig.

Assistant director Ken Baker would read the voice-over lines, with his strong London accent: "Attention Erflings."