The Catacombs The Production Guide
Martin Landau archives
Year 2 provisional schedules

These are two provisional schedules for the filming of Year 2, dated 1 October 1975. The series had started in the US and most parts of the UK, but only 3 or 4 episodes had been shown. ITC had not yet renewed the series. Producer Gerry Anderson would shortly travel to the US, where he met Fred Freiberger (see letter from Anderson to the Landaus on 10th October).

The notes assume of start date of 17 November 1975, but because of the lateness of the renewal (publicly 15th December 1975), they wouldn't actually start until 26th January 1976. The final filming date for schedule 1 is 29 November, and for schedule 2 it is 1 October. The actual final date was 23 December 1976.

The hiatus, a two week holiday break in April, was probably a demand by stars Martin Landau and Barbara Bain. In Year 1 they had shut down for 3 weeks (10 June to 28 June). In year 2 they also went on holiday, at the end of July 1976, but the production continued, filming The Beta Cloud (see Gerry Anderson memo dated 23 March 1976).

In year 1, episodes were generally allocated 10 to 12 days, although several over-ran. Schedule 1, at 11 days per episode, is optimistic. Schedule 2, at 9 days, requires negotiating with the film unions to film for 10 hours instead of the standard 8.

Even with these schedules, they note they will have problems delivering the final episodes in time. If the US stations did not have episodes to show, they would have to repeat old episodes, potentially losing the audience. KRON-TV in San Francisco took a four week break in December, with the last episode aired in April 1977. This also caused UK stations to interrupt the year 2 run, as they could not insert repeats: LWT delayed the last 8 episodes in autumn 1977, ATV delayed 5 until August 1977, with 2 appearing in summer 1978, after a repeat run.

The ultimate product which must be delivered to TV stations is a 16mm film duplication print called a C.R.I., a colour reversal intermediate. It is a technique for film duplication introduced in 1968 and used until the 1980s when new negative/positive intermediate films offered better quality.

GERRY ANDERSON PRODUCTIONS

"SPACE 1999" SERIES II

PROVISIONAL SCHEDULE No. 1 FOR DISCUSSION

1st October 1975

NOTES:

  1. Assume start date to be November 17th 1975.
  2. Based on a normal U.K. day of 8 hours.
  3. Allowing an average of 11 shooting days per episode (88 hours)
  4. Allowing a post production period of 56 working days per episode up to date or delivery of the 16mm. C.R.I. to U.S.A.
  5. No allowance made for a two week hiatus in middle of production.

It will be observed that 18 C.R.I.'s can be delivered to USA no less than four weeks prior to the estimated transmission times. Episodes 19 and 20 would dangerously near to estimated transmission time. Episodes 22, 23 and 24 are problems.

GERRY ANDERSON PRODUCTIONS

"SPACE 1999" SERIES II

PROVISIONAL SCHEDULE No. 1 FOR DISCUSSION

EPISODE SHOOTING
PERIOD 		DELIVERY OF
C.R.I. TO USA		 ESTIMATED
TRANSMISSION
IN USA
(1975)
1. Nov 17 - Dec 1 Feb 23 (1976) Sept 18 (1976)
2. Dec 2 - Dec 16 Mar 10 Sept 25
3. Dec 17 - Jan 5 (76) Mar 26 Oct 2
4. Jan 6 - Jan 20 Apr 13 Oct 9
5. Jan 21 - Feb 4 May 3 Oct 16
6. Feb 5 - Feb 19 May 19 Oct 23
7. Feb 20 - Mar 5 June 7 Oct 30
8. Mar 8 - Mar 22 June 23 Nov 6
9. Mar 23 - Apr 6 July 9 Nov 13
10. Apr 7 - Apr 23 July 27 Nov 20
11. Apr 26 - May 10 Aug 12 Nov 27
12. May 11 - May 25 Aug 31 Dec 4
13. May 26 - June 10 Sept 16 Dec 11
14. June 11 - June 25 Oct 4 Dec 18
15. June 28 - July 12 Oct 20 Dec 25
16. July 13 - July 27 Nov 5 Jan 1 (1977)
17. July 28 - Aug 11 Nov 23 Jan 8
18. Aug 12- Aug 26 Dec 9 Jan 15
19. Aug 27- Sept 13 Dec 28 Jan 22
20. Sept 14 - Sept 28 Jan 13 (1977) Jan 29
21. Sept 29 - Oct 13 Jan 31 Feb 5
22. Oct 14 - Oct 28 Feb 16 Feb 12
23. Oct 29 - Nov 12 Mar 4 Feb 19
24. Nov 15 - Nov 29 Mar 22 Feb 26

GERRY ANDERSON PRODUCTIONS

"SPACE 1999" SERIES II

PROVISIONAL SCHEDULE No. 2 FOR DISCUSSION

1st October 1975

NOTES:

  1. Assume start date to be November 17th 1975.
  2. Based on a negotiated U.K. day of 10 hours.
  3. Allowing an average of 9 shooting days per episode (90 hours)
  4. Allowing a post production period of 56 working days per episode up to date or delivery to USA of the 16mm. C.R.I.
  5. Allowing for a two week hiatus in middle of production.

It will be observed that 24 C.R.I.'s can be delivered to USA no less than four weeks prior to the estimated transmission times.

GERRY ANDERSON PRODUCTIONS

"SPACE 1999" SERIES II

PROVISIONAL SCHEDULE No. 1 FOR DISCUSSION

EPISODE SHOOTING
PERIOD 		DELIVERY OF
C.R.I. TO USA		 ESTIMATED
TRANSMISSION
IN USA
(75)
1. Nov 17 - Nov 27 Feb 19 (1976) Sept 18 (1976)
2. Nov 28 - Dec 10 Mar 4 Sept 25
3. Dec 11 - Dec 23 Mar 18 Oct 2
(76)
4. Dec 24 - Jan 8 Apr 1 Oct 9
5. Jan 9 - Jan 21 Apr 29 Oct 16
6. Jan 22 - Feb 3 May 13 Oct 23
7. Feb 4 - Feb 16 May 27 Oct 30
8. Feb 17- Feb 27 June 11 Nov 6
9. Mar 1 - Mar 11 June 25 Nov 13
10. Mar 12 - Mar 24 July 9 Nov 20
11. Mar 25 - April 6 July 23 Nov 27
TWO WEEKS HIATUS APRIL 7th - APRIL 20th
12. Apr 21 - May 3 Aug 6 Dec 4
13. May 4 - May 14 Aug 20 Dec 11
14. May 17 - May 27 Sept 6 Dec 18
15. May 28 - June 10 Sept 20 Dec 25
16. June 11 - June 23 Oct 4 Jan 1 (1977)
17. June 24 - July 6 Oct 18 Jan 8
18. July 7 - July 19 Nov 1 Jan 15
19. July 20 - July 30 Nov 15 Jan 22
20. Aug 2 - Aug 12 Nov 29 Jan 29
21. Aug 13 - Aug 25 Dec 13 Feb 5
22. Aug 26 - Sept 8 Dec 28 Feb 12
23. Sept 9 - Sept 20 Jan 11 (1977) Feb 19
24. Sept 21 - Oct 1 Jan 25 Feb 26

GERRY ANDERSON PRODUCTIONS

"SPACE 1999" SERIES II

Proposed post production schedule of 56 working days for each episode after completion of main unit and S/FX shooting, and up to delivery of 16mm. C.R.I. to America.

GERRY ANDERSON PRODUCTIONS LIMITED at PINEWOOD STUDIOS

Post Production - Working Days

10 days to Fine Cut

11 days to Track Lay and Dub

5 days to Neg Cut

5 days to First Married Print

Total: 31 working days

ITC AND DENHAM LABORATORIES
ESTIMATED POST PRODUCTION SCHEDULE

25 days from First Married Print to 35mm. C.R.I. and Print - to 16mm. C.R.I. and Print and delivery of 16mm. C.R.I. to USA.

Total: 56 working days.

As the final page makes clear, each 50 minute episode takes a minimum of 56 working days in post-production.

Camera Negative and workprint
After filming, the original camera negative is processed to create rushes and a workprint. The editor will use these lower quality prints to create the edit, while the negative is stored safely.
Fine Cut
The editor cuts the workprint film into the episode. For a TV episode (presuming there are no story problems or missing shots, requiring reshooting), this is the final visual version of the episode. It will have the original studio sound, but no sound effects, dubbing or music, and it will not be colour-corrected.
Track Lay and Dub
This is the soundtrack version of the above, including dialogue (and possible dubbing when the set soundtrack is insufficient), sound effects including Foley (footsteps), and music. By definition it has to follow the fine cut.
Neg Cut
The original film negative is then cut to match the editor's fine cut.
First Married Print
The married print contains both soundtrack and film (because the sound is offset, it cannot be edited after). It will be colour corrected. This is used to create the intermediate transfer films (interpositive and internegative, or CRI), so multiple copies can be made.
Labs
The Denham film laboratories will take the first married print and create a 35mm interpositive (intermediate) transfer film and a CRI. These transfer films are used to make multiple copies (16mm CRIs) which will then be sent to stations. See film for more details of the different prints.

Copyright Martin Willey