Production GuideObservations: The Last Sunset
Production Guide
The external view of Alan's Eagle only shows one pilot- on set Alan has a copilot. The person in the Eagle window (who is blond but otherwise not much like Nick Tate) has a spacesuit collar on, while Alan wears a normal uniform.
Close ups of the Eagle command module are inconsistent. Some, like all longer shots, are of the first 44inch Eagle. A few shots show the second 44 inch Eagle (its first appearance in the series), with different detailing and the Ariel probe is positioned lower. The probe model is different too: the first shot shows the wire attached to the probe, and a spider-web pattern on the top; the second shot shows a simpler star pattern with no central hole.
This shot is the first frame of the window explosion. The wire leading to the explosive coil can be seen (it is not visible when viewed at normal speed).
A vast number of capsules land on the Moon. The Alphans saw the single missile that attached to Alan's Eagle in space. But the first they notice of this huge number of capsules is when Tanya looks out the window. Thanks to Fergus.
Bergman and Koenig look at photos and a geological map of the Moon. The map is a real NASA geological map titled "Geologic Map of the Near Side of the Moon" from 1971. Another geology map appears in Catacombs Of The Moon. Thanks to Marcus Lindroos.
The photos were taken by NASA's Lunar Orbiter, a series of 5 missions between 1966 and 1968 which surveyed potential Apollo landing sites.
This is a detail of the map, showing just the area visible on screen. The blue crater located next to the Lunar Orbiter photo is Plato, while the large yellow crater at lower right is named Theophilus (10 S, 25 E).
The "Geologic Map of the Near Side of the Moon" is 1:5,000,000 scale, orthographic projection, by Don E. Wilhelms and John F. McCauley of the U.S. Geological Survey for NASA. (Lunar and Planetary Institute map catalog)
As the rain falls, the camera pans along the Main Mission windows. The last window, seen briefly as the Alphans run out of Main Mission, is dry and shows some odd reflections, including chains. This is probably the reflection of the water sprinkler used for the rain effect. Thanks to David Penn.
When the Eagle is being stacked with provisions, Helena supervises guards entering from both sides (the SFX shot shows the Eagle only docked on the starboard side).
Top left, reflections of the studio lights, with the "barn door" flaps, are visible. Thanks to James Poll.
Against the blue skies, the wires holding the Eagles are often visible. The 22inch Eagle is used for the storm sequences.
Koenig says "Victor, divide this sector into twenty eight zones." Later Alan (on Eagle 28) says there are 27 serviceable Eagles on Alpha. It would seem more appropriate to split the area into 27 zones, one per Eagle. The script of 22 July 1974 says 27. Thanks to Simon.
Deploying the rescue fleet, Kano orders both Eagle 9 and 19 to pad one.
"The lightning. It must have blown out every circuit in the ship." Except for the two of the computer panels in the passenger module which are illuminated. Thanks to Simon.
Bergman enters Main Mission "Stop him, Kano! Bring him back". He runs in along a brown carpet (to muffle the footsteps)
Morrow's shack consists of 12 boxes (presumably taken from the marker cross seen earlier). The rest of the shack includes two ladders, a curved metal section (maybe part of the Eagle fuselage). The roof is made of a red plastic sheet held up by ropes, and the Eagle door (against the rock face). The ladders and ropes were hung from the ceiling in the passenger module of the Eagle. The red sheet was one of several that hung from the ladders, and were used as pillows by Sandra and Helena. The table is an upturned yellow bin, also used as a table in the crashed Eagle. It's implausible that Paul took all these things from the Eagle while the other slept - including Sandra's bed.
In these publicity photos, Barry Morse has a smoking cigarette in his right hand.
There is a metal cylinder on Bergman's desk which is the power converter unit from Earthbound.
The backdrop outside the windows shows blue sky and a brown landscape; normally we see moonbase buildings through the windows. Thanks to Patrick Zimmerman.
Nick Tate's stunt double is seen in several shots.
Barbara Bain's stunt double, Dorothy Ford, is also seen in a couple of shots. Zienia is also a stunt double in this shot (a man).
During the fight, the camera catches the edge of the set, beyond the end of the rock wall.
Eddie Stacey doubles for Landau, and Terry Walsh doubles for Prentis Hancock.
When Helena is thrown back by the Eagle explosion, the harness pulling back stunt double Dorothy Ford is very briefly visible. In the "This Episode" sequence, an alternative take is seen where the wire is more clearly visible.
Helena's medical kit includes "Gillette Sabre sterile disposable scalpels" ("Made in England") and "AVON A11 Blood Administration Set" (made by Avon Medical Ltd, Birmingham B30 3DA, England). Less impressive are the unlabelled pills, including what look like Tic-Tac mints in their distinctive transparent plastic box.
When the boxes are knocked over, the wooden bases are visible.
In one shot during the fight between Alan and Paul, a gravity tower (normally positioned around Moonbase Alpha) is briefly glimpsed behind Paul.
The final alien object, which beams the voice down to Main Mission. It's a regular capsule, not the one that attached to the Eagle command module at the start of the episode. Thanks to Simon.
Near the start of the episode, they look out the Main Mission windows at the rising sun. At the end of the episode, they look out the same windows at the sun, setting in the same direction as it rose. Thanks to Patrick Zimmerman.
Copyright Martin Willey