Catacombs Reference Library
ITC Production Notes
Alpha Child

'A baby has been born on the moon!'

The epic event takes place when when MARTIN LANDAU, BARBARA BAIN and BARRY MORSE, star in the "SPACE 1999" episode "Alpha Child" with CYD HAYMAN guesting as the girl who has the distinction of becoming the first lunar mother (ATV October 16).

But it is a baby with a difference. Within hours, it has grown to the age of five years. Very soon afterwards, he is a man in his middle thirties, transformed when a fugitive from a remote planet is seeking a new human form. He does so through the newly-born babe.

Edward di Lorenzo's teleplay is a startling one. From the time the baby is born, strange powers are at work. A green light in the space sky materialises into an advanced super- futuristic spaceship, followed by two others. The inmates have life but no human form. Facing extermination on their own planet, they are now seeking physical form in which to conceal their own identities and are planning to do so through the bodies of those on Moonbase Alpha.

The climax is a tremendous battle in outer space between rival spaceships.

For CYD HAYMAN, the lovely British actress who shot to television fame in the 22 episode 'Manhunt' serial, the part of the mother of the moon's first baby is a contrasting one.

For much of the time, she is in the maternity bed. Then death, and revitalisation as an exotically beautiful girl from outer space and lover of the man who has developed from being her baby. The man concerned is played by JULIAN GLOVER.

The newly born baby, as it happens, is American. The part came to little BINA WILLIAMS, daughter of London based American stockbroker Joseph Clarke Williams of Pennsylvania, before she was even born. She has to play the part of a boy, but who cares about that?

At the age of five, the boy is played by English boy actor WAYNE BROOKS, who made his film debut in "The Fourteen." For the role Wayne found himself in a tight squeeze. He had to compress his body into an incubator built for under-sized new born babies! For in the story he emerges as a 5 years old in a matter of hours.

Also to be seen are regulars Prentis Hancock, Nick Tate, Zienia Merton, Suzanne Roquette, Anton Phillips and Clifton Jones, and the cast includes lovely ANDRA ALLAN and RULA LENSKA.