The Catacombs ITC Network News

In early 1976, ITC sent a series of fact sheets called "Network News" to prospective stations to promote Space: 1999 Year Two.


Scanned by Paulo Jorge Morgado

Network News

SPACE: I999 GOES INTO SECOND YEAR PRODUCTION!

Fast Action Is the Keynote,
Human Emotion the Propelling Force,
Life-Or-Death Suspense the Theme of
24 Brand New Hours

Second year to be bigger... better... more thrilling... more entertaining than ever.

Quick facts: Within 24 hours after the announcement of second year production, stations representing 42% of U.S. TV homes renewed... Within same 24 hour period, 69 countries renewed, including Canada's CBC Network... World-wide surge for sci-fi entertainment overwhelming... Hollywood producing no less than 16 sci-fi motion pictures, budgeted at a cost of an estimated $100,000,000. No less than 171 Space: 1999 licensed for merchandising.

Abe Mandell, president of Independent Television Corporation, responding to this avalanche of interest, says:
"The world wide acclaim and popularity which characterised the first year of SPACE:1999 provides an inspiring platform for the second year. We will build on the success of SPACE: 1999.

"To accomplish our goals, we have boosted our budget from the high of $6,500,000 to an unprecedented $7,200,000, a minimum of $300.000 per episode, for the second year.

"Many new, exciting, enchanting characters will be added, who along with the lead characters played by Martin Landau and Barbara Bain, will be full dimensional in scope and engaged In the most thrilling space adventures ever imagined. The full spectrum of human emotion --- including humour, love, hate, fear and jealousy --- will be most imaginatively explored.

"Fast action will be the keynote, human emotion the propelling force and life-or-death suspense the theme in our sci-fi hours."

"In my 27 years in the entertainment business, I have never been as enthusiastic as I am about the second year of SPACE: 1999."

"We are riding the crest of a huge wave of popularity throughout the world of science fiction. Newspapers, Magazines, Motion Pictures, every conceivable Medium, is attempting to feed this evidenced world-wide appetite. We are on the top of this crest with the only new science fiction series. That is the reason ITC has committed the record $7,200,000 for the second year of SPACE: 1999. That is the reason for the great number of immediate renewals throughout the world.

'"The extensive advertising, promotion and publicity campaign, which marked the inauguration of SPACE: 1999 will serve as the blueprint for an even greater campaign being mapped for the second year.

"We have the perfect all-family adventure vehicle. The second year will be bigger... better... more thrilling... more entertaining than ever."


Feature story:

Exclusive to your publication for 30 days subsequent to Jan. 21.1976

SPACE:1999 BUDGETED AT RECORD $7,200,000 FOR SECOND SEASON

SPACE:1999, the spectacular space science fiction series, starring Martin Landau and Barbara Bain, will have a record budget of $7,200,000 for the second year, it was announced by Abe Mandell, president of Independent Television Corporation, an ATV Company.

To make SPACE: 1999 even better, more thrilling and more entertaining for its second year, Mandell said "We have boosted our budget from the first year high of $6,500,000 to an unprecedented $7,200,000 for the second year."

Herewith are exciting highlights of second year production:

New second year producer-story editor will be Fred Freiberger, one of the world's most gifted science fiction producer-writers, whose credits include 'Star Trek', Wild Wild West', "Ben Casey', 'Starsky and Hutch', 'Petrocelli' and 13 feature films. New characters of enchanting, exciting and fabulous dimensions. New extraordinary, fast-paced sci-fi stories of suspense, humour, action, stories running the full gamut of human emotions. New astounding eye-boggling special effects.

Within 14 hours after the announcement of second year production, stations representing 42% of U.S. TV homes renewed. Within the same 24 hour period, 69 countries renewed, including Canada's CBC Network.

"The world-wide acclaim and popularity which characterises the first year of SPACE:1999 provides an inspiring platform for the second year. We will build on the success of SPACE:1999," Mandell declared.

SPACE:1999 PROPELLED INTO SECOND YEAR PRODUCTION
BY WORLD-WIDE SURGE FOR SCIENCE FICTION ENTERTAINMENT

Riding the crest of a world-wide upsurge of popularity in science fiction entertainment, SPACE:1999, starring Martin Landau and Barbara Bain, has been renewed for a second year by stations representing 42% of U.S. TV homes within 24 hours of the announcement of second year production.

This phenomenal enthusiasm, reflecting the interest in sci-fi throughout the world, was duplicated outside the U.S. as well. Sixty-nine countries also renewed for a second year production of 24 brand new spectacular episodes, as well as Canada's CBC Network.

In the U.S. currently, 155 stations are telecasting the extraordinary space science fiction, and all indications point to an even larger line-up of stations for the next 1976 season.

'The world is going wild for sci-fi," in the opinion of Abe Mandell, president of Independent Television Corporation, an ATV Company.

"We are riding the crest of a huge wave of popularity throughout the world for out-of-this world entertainment, for stories about people exploring other planets and other galaxies" Mandell declared.

"Newspapers, magazines, motion pictures, every conceivable medium, is attempting to feed this evidenced world-wide appetite. There are no less than 16 science fiction motion pictures now being prepared in Hollywood, budgeted at a cost of $100,000,000", Mandell continued.

"We are an the top of this crest with the only new science fiction series. That is the reason ITC has committed a record $7,200,000 for the second year of SPACE: 1999. That is the reason for the great number of immediate renewals throughout the world," Mandell stated.

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