The Catacombs The Production Guide
Script To Screen: Voyager's Return
by Martin Willey

Script To Screen


Voyager's Return

Filming for Voyager's Return started on Wednesday 7th August 1974, starting with all the Main Mission/ Koenig's office scenes. They would spend 5 days on the Main Mission set.

Here we examine the call sheet for the last day of Main Mission filming, on 13th August.

Linden has launched in Voyager to head towards the Sidon ships. In the first scene shot, scene 130, Aarchon appears on th e screen to demand "What is the purpose of this John Koenig?". After finishing the shots, the crew quickly did the corridor scenes (on stage H), and started the scenes in Medical, which they would complete on the following day.

Main Mission operative Loftus Burton is called "Loftus (Voyager) Burton" here; the previous day he was listed as "Loftus (Computer) Burton". It's possible he was speaking the dialogue for Voyager ("This is the voice of Voyager One") during these shots; the actual dialogue was added in post-production. The camera is normally positioned where his desk is (front right in Main Mission), so Loftus Burton is only glimpsed briefly in two reverse shots.

The dialogue for Aarchon was filmed separately on 14th August, 2 days later. Actor Alex Scott was not present to read his lines, so either another actor read them on set, or the assistant director Ken Baker.

Voyager's Return

The BP screen mentioned in the call sheet is the back-projection screen, the Big Screen in front of Main Mission. They were not using it for back projection, because they fitted a matte screen over it and added the images in post-production. Some of the close-ups of the Main Mission screens would be completed on the final day, 21st August.

Voyager's Return

After finishing with Main Mission, the crew moves to a new stage, 'H', for the corridor scenes. First up, is scene 34, the "crash crew" of four astronauts running down the corridor. This shot will be reused in the episodes War Games and The Infernal Machine.

Voyager's Return Voyager's Return Voyager's Return

The other corridor scenes are much later. In scenes 102-13, Linden leaves Medical (passing security guards Tony Allyn and Quinton Pierre). Scene 113 is the confrontation between Haines and Linden in the door of the travel tube. There are lots of Alphans here- Quinton Pierre walks past again. The other Alphans are unnamed, but one of the astronauts (number 4) is John Clifford, while the medic is Paul Kirby. This is the first scene for Barry Stokes as Haines.

Finally the crew return to L stage, alongside Main Mission, for shots in the Medical Centre. With all the other scenes to complete, most of these shots were completed the following day, on 14th August.

The first two scenes, scene 36A and 90, were obviously shot, but was cut from the episode (see below). Scene 90 was finished, scene 36A was completed the next day.

Voyager's Return

After the Alphans encounter Aarchon inside Voyager One, Linden collapses. Scene 99 is Linden recovering in bed, talking to Helena. Although scheduled for the 13th, it was actually filmed on the 14th.

Voyager's Return Voyager's Return

In scene 101, alone now, Linden gets dressed. In scene 111, Helena and Mathias find him gone. Both were scheduled for the 13th, but shot on the 14th August.

GROUP THREE PRODUCTIONS LIMITED "SPACE 1999" TELEVISION SERIES
"VOYAGER'S RETURN" - EPISODE 12

CALL SHEET NO: 11

DIRECTOR:BOB KELLETT STAGE:'L' & H
DATE:TUESDAY,13TH.AUGUST,1974 UNIT CALL8.30.AM.

ARTISTE CHARACTER D/R MAKE-UP CALL SET CALL

INT.MAIN MISSION/KOENIG'S OFFICE .SC.NOS: 130,131pt.132pt.133 (ALL TO COMPLETE),136,
139,142,145.

MARTIN LANDAU KOENIG 321 7.30.am. 8.30.am.
BARBARA BAIN HELENA 322 7.00.am. 8.30.am.
BARRY MORSE BERGMAN 324 8.00.am. 8.30.am.
JEREMY KEMP LINDEN 325 7.50.am. 8.30.am.
PRENTIS HANCOCK MORROW 335 8.00.am. 8.30.am.
ZIENIA MERTON SANDRA 328 7.45.am. 8.30.am.
NICK TATE CARTER 326 7.30.am. 8.30.am.
CLIFTON JONES KANO 327 8.00.am. 8.30.am.
SUZANNE ROQUETTE TANYA 336 7.30.am. 8.30.am.
SARAH BULLEN OPERATIVE 1 336 7.30.am. 8.30.am.
LYNDA WESTOVER OPERATIVE 2 336 7.30.am. 8.30.am.
LOFTUS(VOYAGER)BURTON OPERATIVE 3 - 8.00.am. 8.30.am.
CHRIS WILLIAMS OPERATIVE 6 - 8.00.am. 8.30.am.
ANDY DEMPSEY OPERATIVE 5 - 8.00.am. 8.30.am.
STAND-INS:
Alan Meacham for Mr.Landau - 8.00.am. 8.30.am.
Suzanne Heimer for Miss Bain - 8.00.am. 8.30.am.
Tony Allen for Mr.Morse - 8.00.am. 8.30.am.
Brian Towns for Mr.Kemp - 8.00.am. 8.30.am.
EXTRA ARTISTES:
MIKE STEVENS ALPHA STAFF - 8.00.am. 8.30.am.
PROPS: Commlocks. wrist monitors.
ART DEPT: Matte cover for BP screen. Voyager set link.
CAMERA DEPT: Glass shot required Sc.136.
ELECTRONIC: 117.119.(a) radar(b)steller plot(c) panning moonbase.
(d) Eagle pad only.
122.123 as 117 (a) radar to Linden link.

(2) 'H' STAGE: INT.CORRIDORS/INTERSECTION/TRAVEL TUBE.SC.NOS: 34.102.103.107.113.

JEREMY KEMP LINDEN 325 FROM ABOVE
BARRY STOKES HAINES Caravan 6 9.30.am. 10.30.am.
TONY ALLYN 1ST SECURITY GUARD Caravan 4 10.00.am. 10.30.am.
STAND-INS:
Brian Towns for Mr.Kemp - FROM ABOVE
A.N.Other for Mr.Stokes - 8.30.am. 9.00.am.
EXTRA ARTISTES:
QUENTIN PIERRE 2ND GUARD - 8.30.am. 9.00.am.
4 ALPHAN MEN(Crash Unit) - 8.30.am. 9.00.am.
2 ALPHAN MEN ) Sc.113 - 8.30.am. 9.00.am.
2 ALPHAN WOMEN )
WARDROBE: Space suit for Alphans Sc.34 and Sc.113.
ELECTRONIC: Sc.34.102.103.107.113 Compost: Alpha card.
ART DEPT: Signs (1) 'Experimental Lab' (2)'Launch Pad'.

/Continued ..............

/2

(3) 'L' STAGE: INT.MEDICAL DEPT. SC.NOS. 36A.90.99.101.111.

MARTIN LANDAU KOENIG 321 FROM ABOVE
BARBARA BAIN HELENA 322 FROM ABOVE
BARRY MORSE BERGMAN 324 FROM ABOVE
JEREMY KEMP LINDEN 325 FROM ABOVE
NICK TATE CARTER 326 FROM ABOVE
ANTON PHILLIPS MATHIAS Caravan 4 STAND-BY TILL 1.00.PM.
STAND-INS: FROM ABOVE
PROPS: Commlocks.bandages for Linden Sc.99. wrist monitors.
ELECTRONIC: 36A compost: Captions to Alpha link.
90.99. Bedhead: Normal vital life signs.Compost:Alpha.Bedhead.
101.111. Compost: Alpha card.
ART DEPT: Captions for Sc.36A.Linden labels for Monitors.
WARDROBE: Linden in pyjamas for Sc.90. Linden uniform as dressing.
MAKE-UP: Linden wears chest bandage from Sc.99.
RUSHES: Lunch time to be advised..
CATERING: AM break 'L' Stage. PM break to be advised for 85 people.
TRANSPORT: (1) Ray Atkins to collect Mr.Landau and Miss Bain at 6.30.am.
Unit car(Doug) to collect Mr.Morse at 7.15.am.
Ken Baker,
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.

Scene 36A Medical

This scene first appeared in the 5th August pink pages, and was filmed on 13th and 14th August. It was cut from the episode. It was scripted to appear immediately after the first command conference, when Helena says "We'd better find out all we can about fast neutrons". In the final episode, the computer voice is not heard at all (probably to avoid confusion with the voice of Voyager One's computer). Here is the scene from page 13A:

36a INT. MEDICAL CENTRE 36a

CLOSE on Monitor. A computer message appears on the screen.
The computer voice reads it.

COMPUTER VOICE

Your request on fast neutron effects... Detailed
information not banked in computer... Records suggest
contact Doctor Ernst Linder Experimental Physics
Laboratory....

During this pull back to reveal HELENA watching the monitor.

HELENA

Dr. Linder.

Message ends.

She goes.

Scene 90 Medical

This scene was in the original 29th July script, with one pink line amendment. The Voyager has just landed, but they have not yet boarded the ship. Helena is checking Linden when Koenig and Bergman arrive. This is the scene from page 45, which was filmed on 13th August but cut from the episode.

90 INT. MEDICAL CENTRE. 90

The doors open and BERGMAN and KOENIG come in. HELENA
comes up to them.

KOENIG

How is he?

HELENA

He's taken a tremendous hammering.

KOENIG goes down the medical centre followed by BERGMAN
and HELENA.

They stop at LINDER's bed.

KOENIG

Thank you.

He looks up at them.

LINDER nods with awkward embarrassment.

KOENIG

The ship is now ready to enter...
You should be the first to
board her... Is he fit enough to get up?

HELENA

Not really, but I don't think I can stop him.

LINDER reacts.


Copyright Martin Willey