Catacombs Reference LibraryThe Immunity Syndrome Fantasy Flashback
Catacombs Reference LibraryReviews from TV Zone, "the monthly magazine of cult television", an early 1990s UK genre magazine
by Richard Houldsworth
TV Zone Number 36 (Nov 1992); p24-27. This article was illustrated by set photographs by Alan Jones, who was a film critic for sister-magazine Starburst as well as US magazine Cinefantastique and non-genre film magazines. His first published film articles were about Star Wars, so the Space: 1999 set visit would have been at the start of his film journalism career. No article was every published as a result, and this was the first time his photographs appeared. He interviewed Martin Landau in Starburst 242 (October 1998), primarily about the X-Files movie, and although the interview was illustrated with one 1999 photo, the series wasn't mentioned.
The Immunity Syndrome is the penultimate episode of Space: 1999, both in order of production and transmission, coming in at episode 23 of the second season. Written by the series' most prolific author, Johnny Byrne, it was the ninth of ten scripts he provided for the show, but it is far from the best. The story consists of two strands, both of which bear resemblance to ideas explored in other Fantasy series. The benign alien creature that unwittingly causes madness in those who see it harks back to the classic Star Trek episode Is There In Truth No Beauty? , whereas the destruction of instruments due to inexplicable corrosion reminds us of the Doomwatch episode The Plastic Eaters. Even the title The Immunity Syndrome is borrowed from Star Trek, although it has little relevance for this story. The obvious individual to blame must be Freddie Freiberger, the producer of 1999's second season, who had previously worked on the final series of Trek.
The episode was filmed entirely in the studios of Pinewood and Bray, during the autumn of 1976. Production Designer Keith Wilson was responsible for the creation of the alien planet set, with its forests, hills, grove and the exterior of the alien craft. The interior of Zoran's ship utilized sets from previous episodes (going as far back as The Metamorph, the opening episode of the second series) with walls painted yellow and featuring illuminated multi-coloured panels. The effect of Zoran's holograph was achieved by the actor sitting in a darkened recess, which was lit by a spotlight.
The scale of the alien landscape was enhanced by Brian Johnson's superb model work, which is at its very best for the sequences in which first the Eagle, then the Glider, crash into the trees. The Glider itself was a red arrow-head shaped model, which made its sole appearance in this episode. A full-sized version of the Glider cockpit was also built, with a sugar glass window that shattered as the craft encountered turbulence.
Numerous small props were produced for this story, including storage containers, survey equipment and a number of lightweight dummy comm-locks which were fitted with pyrotechnics and exploded in the actor's hand as the corrosive effect took hold. Further pyrotechnics work was used in the Eagle cockpit as the systems broke down, and controlled fires were used in the studio to show the craft in desperate shape.
The appearance of the alien monster was easily realized, and consisted of a rhythmic flashing light accompanied by a stock sound effect (heard all-too-often throughout the series' two-year run). For the scene in which it encounters the protected Koenig, the effect was heightened by rapidly zooming the camera in and out of a close up of Martin Landau.
Several of the guest actors from this episode went on to appear in other Fantasy series. Roy Boyd (Joe Lustig) played Zukan in the penultimate episode of Blake's 7, Warlord. Alibe Parsons (Alibe) played Matrona Kani in episodes 5-8 of Doctor Who's Trial of a Time Lord, while Karl Held (Gerry Travis) had previously been seen in The Man Who Was Never Born, a first season episode of The Outer Limits, in which he played opposite Martin Landau. Regular Nick Tate (Alan Carter) more recently appeared as pilot Dirgo in Star Trek: The Next Generation's Final Mission.
The Immunity Syndrome tries desperately hard to be a good, action- packed adventure, but falls sadly short of the mark due to its tired plot. Broadcast at different off-peak times by the various ITV regions (which included Saturday mornings or late at night on weekdays) it showed all the signs of a final fling from a flagging series.
Richard Houldsworth