Catacombs Reference LibrarySpace 1999 - The Season's First Big Hit!
Catacombs Reference LibraryThis is a four page advert in the US show business newspaper Variety, for Wednesday, March 12 1975 (pages 39-42). It also appeared in another trade journal, Broadcasting Magazine, on March 17 1975.
Abe Mandell of ITC had originally intended to sell Space: 1999 to one of the three US networks, but no deal had been agreed. By the start of 1975 they decided to sell the show into syndication, selling to each of the hundreds of local stations. The new strategy was announced at the annual NATPE (National Association of Television Program Executives) trade show held in January 1975. According to the "open letter" by Mandell, 48 stations had bought the series with two and half weeks of the NATPE show. By the end of 1975, 155 local stations had bought the series. This advert highlights numerous enthusiastic comments from US station managers who had already brought the show, in the hope of encouraging others to do so.
Thanks to Bob Wood
Variety
Wednesday, March 12, 1975
p39
"The special effects are really out of this world and Martin Landau and Barbara Bain are excellent. We are betting that New Yorkers will eat up SPACE: 1999, and I expect the rest of the country will too."
-Hendrik Booraem.Jr., Vice President/Programs, WPIX, New York City
'SPACE: 1999 is the finest program that I have seen in years and I cannot understand how the Networks let this slip by."
-Robert M. Bennett, Vice President, General Manager Operations, WCVB-TV (ABC), Boston
"The production values equal in quality what we have come to expect from the networks. I truly believe this show will knock 'em dead."
-Kenneth R. Croes, President and General Manager, KOCO-TV (ABC), Oklahoma City
Starring MARTIN LANDAU and BARBARA BAIN
Also starring Barry Morse
SPACE: 1999
THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE SERIES
p40-41
"Magnificent! I can't tell you how happy we are to own SPACE: 1999. It's a magnificent show-superb acting -and has splendid special effects."
-Ro Grignon, Vice President & General Manager. WDAF-TV (NBC), Kansas City
"Best of all! This has got to be one of the best-looking hours of television I have seen. ..The effects approach those only seen previously in movies like 2001-A SPACE ODYSSEY. Best of all. ..the storyline and the scripts will support the fantastic job done in effects, sets, and attention to detail. Martin Landau and Barbara Bain once again look like real winners."
- Tay Voye, Director of Program Operations, WTVJ (CBS), Miami
"Outstanding special effects! I'm certain that the star power coupled with the outstanding special effects and cinematography will make the show a real winner."
-Art Glenn, Vice President and General Manager, KMGH-TV (CBS), Denver
"Exciting! We think it will be an exciting addition to our fall schedule."
-David Chase, Station Manager, WIIC-TV (NBC), Pittsburgh
"Network budget! The most exciting property to enter syndication in a great many years. It has a network budget. It will play against any network program."
-Jules Mayeux, Station Manager, WBRZ-TV (NBC), Baton Rouge
"It's fantastic! What happens in the show could possibly happen in reality, making the sci-fi series very believable. It's fantastic!"
-George Leh, Program Manager. WJRT-TV (ABC), Flint - Saginaw - Bay City
"Tops them all! It holds viewers glued to their seats. This program tops them all. SPACE: 1999 will set a new standard of program excellence. Top talent, top production, top writers, equals top of the world."
-Robert J. Sinnett, Vice President & General Manager, WHBF-TV (CBS), Davenport - Rock Island - Moline
"Edge of the chair excitement! At last -a series that should provide edge of the chair excitement for the entire family. We can't wait to read the numbers in the fall books."
-Charles Whitehurst, Vice President & General Manager, WFMY-TV (CBS), Greensboro - Winston-Salem - High Point
"Sure-fire hit! The production values, story line, and sure-fire hit value of Martin Landau and Barbara Bain make it a super Access or Prime Time program. Congratulations!"
-Richard B Belkin, Vice President, General Manager, WNYS-TV (ABC), Syracuse
"We're so excited about SPACE: 1999 that we'd like to put the series on right NOW, but we'll have to wait for the fall."
-Harold Wooley, Vice President & General Manager, KCPX-TV (ABC), Salt Lake City
"I'm very excited about running SPACE: 1999 in Hawaii."
-Dick Grimm, Vice President & General Manager, KITV (ABC), Honululu
"Best-produced! SPACE: 1999 is without question one of the best-produced programs I've seen. I am very surprised that one of the networks didn't make it part of their program schedule."
-Conrad L Cagle, Director of Television Operations. WAVE-TV (NBC), Louisville
"Great! SPACE: 1999 just looks great. Production qualities are outstanding, storyline is gripping and suspenseful"
-Morton S. Cohn, President, General Manager, WLOS-TV (ABC), Greenville, Asheville, Spartanburg
"A real winner! SPACE: 1999 is one of the few high-quality hours that contain all of the elements that spell success. I think you have a real winner...and what I saw certainly backs up your production claims of $275,000 per episode."
-Charles (Chuck) Gingot, Director of Programming, KATU (ABC), Portland, Ore.
"We're delighted to have SPACE: 1999 for our market."
-Jack Harris, President & General Manager, KPRC-TV (NBC), Houston
"Winner of the Year! SPACE: 1999 has to be winner of the year."
-Edwin C. Metcalfe, President/General Manager, WPTA (ABC), Ft Wayne
"Star value! The production values are great the star value of Martin Landau and Barbara Bain outstanding."
-Robert L. Brown, President & General Manager, KTAR-TV (NBC), Phoenix
"At last! A program that will reach the young adult audience."
-Jack E. Callaghan, Station Manager, WSOC-TV (NBC), Charlotte, N.C.
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"Martin Landau-Barbara Bain magic! It's the best thing I've seen in many a moon. I look forward to capitalizing on the return of the Martin Landau-Barbara Bain magic."
- Doug Duperrault, Assistant to the President. Program Director, WFLA-TV (NBC), Tampa.
"Winner! The special effects are fantastic, the writing is excellent and the stars add the right dimension that makes me feel ITC and WCPO have a winner."
-Ben Hevel, Assistant General Manager, WCPO-TV (CBS), Cincinnati
"Spectacular! SPACE: 1999 has the most consistently spectacular special effects, episode by episode, that I have ever seen."
George J. Mitchell, Vice President & General Manager, WKEF (ABC), Dayton
"SPACE: 1999 is San Antonio's kind of show! We know we'll own that time period next fall."
-James Schiavone, Vice President & General Manager, KSAT-TV (ABC), San Antonio
"Fantastically exciting! One of the most fantastically exciting and extremely well-produced series I have seen. Production qualities exceed anything I've seen."
-Frank Chappell, President of Broadcast Division, KARD-TV (NBC), Wichita
"This is the best syndicated show that I have seen in years."
-Ed Lasko, Vice President & General Manager,KCRG-TV (ABC), Cedar Rapids- Waterloo - Dubuque
"Highest rated! It'll turn the trick for us in the ratings. I expect it to be the highest rated syndicated series in our market."
-Charles Maly, Program Director, KDBC-TV (CBS), El Paso
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"Excellent series! An exciting concept, fine production and outstanding stars, should make it an excellent series. Thanks for producing it, we're glad we own it."
-Everett H Hughes, Program Manager. WDBO-TV (CBS), Orlando
"Television has needed a believable new sci-fi series since the advent of the seventies. '1999' fills the void with class. For fantasy, realism, quality and exciting entertainment, the search has ended with SPACE: 1999."
-Don E. Fuller, Vice President and General Manager, WSJV-TV (ABC), South Bend - Elkhart
"Best I've ever seen! The special effects featured in this series are the best I've ever seen on TV. We're convinced SPACE: 1999 will assure WXIA-TV of having a real winner on the schedule come fall 1975"
-Jack Clifford, Vice President and General Manager,WXIA-TV (ABC), Atlanta
"We're delighted to have SPACE: 1999..."
-Fred Hutching, General & National Sales Manager. KUHI-TV (CBS), Joplin
"Great cast! This series has a great cast along with top quality production. We look to great success with SPACE: 1999."
-Tom Rose, Assistant General Manager. WLWI-TV (ABC) Indianapolis
"The best! We think SPACE: 1999 is the best combination of stars, sets and special effects we have seen in one show."
A. Phillip Corvo, Program Director. KGTV (NBC), San Diego
"SPACE: 1999. Excellent production. First run show with a proven theme."
-J Birney Blair, President. KHQ-TV (NBC), Spokane
p42
ITC- INDEPENDENT TELEVISION CORPORATION
555 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10022
An Open Letter to All Broadcasters:
We wish to thank all our friends in broadcasting for the unprecedented way in which they have so enthusiastically welcomed our new space science-fiction series, SPACE:1999. It is completely over whelming, even to a pair of syndication veterans with over half a century of experience between us.
In the 19 working days since programming executives returned from the NATPE Conference in Atlanta, 48 stations bought SPACE: 1999 -- many within hours of our original announcement-- with more stations signing up every day. At this rate, we fully expect to have 150 markets in our network by June.
SPACE: 1999 is a dramatic and unqualified sales success in every way that a new product can he judged a sales success. And in some new ways. Many local stations have bought the series to pre-empt prime time network entries starting in September '75. Others have told us that SPACE: 1999 is the first series which finally fulfills the original intent of the Prime Time Access Rule. Everyone has told us that SPACE: 1999 will be the big hit of the 1975-76 season.
To those who have not yet had an opportunity to screen SPACE: 1999, please understand that we have been literally flooded with requests for screenings and presentations and naturally we can't be every-where at the same time. Please be patient. We'll get to you as soon as possible. To those of you who have so quickly joined the roster of stations acquiring SPACE: 1999 ---again, thanks and welcome.
Kindest regards,
Abe Mandell
President
Pierre Weis
Executive Vice President-Syndication
An ATV Company
Space: 1999 copyright ITV Studios Global Entertainment