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Video Watchdog

Video Watchdog was film magazine that ran for 181 issues from 1990 to 2017. It was a smaller digest sized magazine, focussed on film criticism of horror and science fiction on video.

Number 82 (April 2002) the A&E Year 1 DVDs were reviewed by John Charles on pages 34-43.

Following several successful "Supermarionation" programs in the 1960s, British producers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson decided to try their luck at live action programming. Their first attempt, UFO, was shortlived, so significant changes were reflected in their second try, Space: 1999. Distinguished by better-known leads (Martin Landau and Barbara Bain from Mission: Impossible) and the largest production budgets allotted for a TV series up to that time, Space: 1999 was a co-production between Britain's ITC and Italy's RAI. To its credit, the program showcased both the Andersons' exceptional model work and a number of superb British character actors, while also offering (for its era) a refreshingly diversified cross-section of racial and ethnic characters. Unfortunately, the teleplays were rarely up to par, often suffering from absurd dialogue and situations. The acting was generally competent, but none of the regulars proved very interesting (watching Landau overact is not nearly as much fun as seeing William Shatner take things to another level), leaving the special effects to provide the show's main drawing card. Although Space: 1999 was greatly revamped for its second season, these fundamental problems remained and proved to be the program's downfall.

A&E started releasing Space: 1999 on VHS in the form of four box sets comprising the first twelve episodes, each composed of three hour-long episodes on separate tapes in a slipcase, priced at $29.95 each. The VHS collections are now rather a moot point, given A&E's recent decision to release all their future ITC television titles on DVD only; there will be no more VHS editions. Also, while the VHS series stalled at Episode 12, the entire first season is already available on DVD, in four box sets. Each contains a pair of dual layer platters (three episodes apiece) packaged in separate keep cases. The 35mm source materials are very clean and, at approximately 52m each, reportedly longer than any version of the program ever aired on US TV. While there are occasional, mild variations from show-to-show (almost always attributable to the original cinematography), the image is usually always crisp and quite colourful, with deep hues and solid contrasts (the harsh white-on-white production design comes across far more starkly than on the original 16mm broadcast versions). However, DVNR-induced instability is also apparent in most episodes, causing some distracting jitter in the fine details of many set-ups. The sound suffers from the sonic limitations of its time but has no additional flaws. One area where the sets fall short is the supplemental features, a trait common to all of A&E's ITC acquisitions. Carlton's Region 2 DVDs, released in the UK, include a number of extras, while A&E's discs stop at a meagre photo/art gallery. However, SET 4 (the one we recommend to those interested in sampling the series) does offer brief trailers for all 24 episodes, derived from worn 16mm prints that help one appreciate the new digital transfers all the more. Each episode is given six chapters and the layer changes occur during the second episode on each platter. The DVD production work by Crush Digital Video is good for the most part, but the various episode synopses on the cardboard slipovers are sometimes poorly phrased.

Scientific logic was never one of the show's strong points and SET 1's premiere episode, Lee H. Katzin's "Breakaway" (52m 11s), illustrates this. When a mysterious viral infection results in nine casualties, Moonbase Alpha commander John Koenig (Landau), Dr. Helena Russell (Bain), and Professor Victor Bergman The Fugitive's Barry Morse) seek to discover the cause. The urgency of their mission is heightened by opposition from Earth official Simmons (guest star Roy Dotrice) who is determined to cover up the incident, so as not to affect a scheduled probe launch. Two atomic waste dumps (one located directly under Alpha) are found to be the cause and, while an operation is underway to remedy the situation, a series of huge explosions take place, propelling the moon out of Earth's orbit. Beyond the reach of any help and deciding that they lack sufficient data to make it back to Earth, Koenig decides not to try and, instead, face the potential dangers of unexplored space. The program does a good job of introducing the characters and setting up the premise, and most of the miniature work still impresses today.

The first of several episodes helmed by the great Charles Crichton (The Lavender Hill Mob, A Fish Called Wanda), "Matter of Life and Death" (52m 3s) climaxes on an alien world Christopher Lee guest stars in "Earthbound" as an alien commander who offers to take one Alphan with him on his journey to Earth. reminiscent of those fanciful, multi-coloured sound-stage environments from the original Star Trek. An exploratory Alpha craft returns with an extra passenger: Lee (Zombie's Richard Johnson), Russell's husband, who was presumed dead five years earlier when his ship disappeared near Jupiter. This event,corresponds with the discovery of an Earth-like planet that would seem to be the perfect spot for the Alpha crew members to relocate. Lee (who possesses dramatically fluctuating vital signs and, unknown to everyone else, strange powers) is adamantly opposed but, with the window of opportunity running out, Koenig decides to lead an expedition there anyway. The nature of series television leaves the episode's writers with no satisfactory manner of resolving the storyline, but the execution holds one's attention and there is a moderate amount of suspense.

Lee H. Katzin's "Black Sun" (52m 9s) finds Alpha threatened by the titular sci-fi stand-by, whose gravitational force is pulling the moon in to seemingly inevitable oblivion. Bergman comes up with a make-shift force field but the hope for survival remains slim. As a last resort, Koenig orders six computer-chosen personnel to leave the planet in a shuttle, to ensure that at least a handful of his crew survive. The episode tries to adopt a headier approach towards the enigmas of the universe and existence than usual, but the results (with twinkly special effects, poor old age make-up, and far-from-profound commentary) are merely foolish, demonstrating that the program was most successful when it stuck to more conventional story-lines and techniques.

Sentinels from the planet Triton threaten the Alphans in "Ring Around the Moon" (51m 47s), from Virgin Witch director Ray Austin. Dr. Russell is kidnapped by the creatures and transformed into a living probe, transmitting the earthlings' computer data back to the Tritons. Koenig and captain Alan Carter (regular Nick Tate) must put an end to the beings' activities before they get all of the information they need and dispose of the doctor. A slow pace, silly effects (the aliens are depicted via a laughable painting of a giant cyclopean brain), and a weak wrap-up make this one of the first season's weakest offerings.

Guest star Christopher Lee gives what may be the most low-key performance of his career in "Earthbound" (52m 5s), another Charles Crichton effort. An alien ship from the dying planet Kaldor crash-lands on the moon and the Alphans inadvertently revive the craft's occupants from suspended animation. Captain Zantor (Lee) informs the humans that their destination is none other than Earth and that one of the Alphans is welcome to accompany them on the 75 year journey there. Koenig decides to let the computer choose but Simmons (Dotrice, reprising his role) is determined to be the one to leave, threatening the safety of the entire base. Lee's deportment overcomes a less-than stellar make-up and the ending is pleasingly ironic. The image here is slightly softer and paler than the norm.

An unexplainable phenomenon causes the moon's position to shift billions of light years across space in David Tomblin's "Another Time, Another Place" (52m), one of the first season's best instalments. None of the Alphans are affected by the strange lightshow, with the exception of Regina (Doomwatch's Judy Geeson), who is lost in a fantasy world where Koenig and Carter are dead. Her dementia corresponds with the sudden appearance of Earth but the Alphans' joy is short-lived when they discover a second moon, complete with an abandoned, but otherwise identical, Moonbase Alpha. Equally baffling is the fact that Regina has somehow developed a second brain. The solution to the story's time paradox is not entirely satisfying but Johnny Byrne's script is well above the series' norm and there are some effectively eerie moments on the duplicate worlds.

SET 2 opens with Ray Austin's "Missing Link" (52m 9s), an uninspired rehash of "The Cage" from the original Star Trek, made palatable by guest star Peter Cushing. Koenig finds himself separated from his crew and stuck in an artificial environment, created by Raan (Cushing), an alien anthropologist from the planet Zenno. He subjects the commander to various mind games and torture (both mental and physical) in order to study him, feeling that humans are his race's ancestors. However, Koenig falls in love with Raan's daughter, a development the alien had not considered. Like his long-time screen partner Lee in "Earthbound," Cushing is encumbered by giggle-inducing make-up and costuming, but still manages to imbue his character with dignity, and the various hallucinations give the regular cast a chance to break out of their usual characterizations. A distracting black scratch appears for a few minutes in the final quarter of the episode.

A year before joining the regular cast, Catherine Schell guest starred in "Guardian of Piri" as an alluring alien robot. Another episode reminiscent of the original Star Trek, "Guardian of Piri" (51m 58s) finds the crew plagued by inexplicable computer malfunctions, some of which have deadly consequences. The occurrences coincide with the moon passing the planet Piri, a seeming Garden of Evil controlled by The Guardian, a machine that robs men of their will. Koenig is the only one unaffected by its power and must come up with a plan to rescue his fellow Alphans. The design of the planet is eye-catching and there are quite a few spaceship sequences, but the storyline and characterizations are woefully simplistic, putting this well below director Charles Crichton's other episodes. Guest star Catherine Schell (as a scantily clad robot serving the machine) must have made a good impression on the Andersons, as she was added to the cast in Season 2 as Maya, a shape-shifting alien who settles on Alpha.

Ian McShane guests stars in "Force of Life" (51m 59s) another "inexplicable phenomena" episode. A blue beam of light envelops technician Anton Zoreff (McShane) and slowly transforms him into an energy-absorbing mutant capable of freezing his victims solid. The entire base will be doomed unless Zoreff can be stopped before reaching the nuclear generators. Director David Tomblin (producer of the ITC series Danger Man and The Prisoner) makes effective use of distorted POV tracking shots in generating suspense, but the balance of the episode is nonsensical. (One particularly silly bit has McShane looking to drain some energy from Alpha's tanning salon, a convenient way to work some bikini-clad girls into the show.) There is a nasty glitch in the opening minute.

The first baby born on the station matures at a startling rate in Ray Austin's "Alpha Child" (52m 6s), reaching the age of five in mere seconds. A few days afterwards, a group of alien ships arrive and the child transforms into a full grown man (Five Million Years To Earth's Julian Glover, sporting a Roman hairstyle and ridiculous silver outfit), who informs the Alphans that his fugitive race plans to conceal their identities by taking over the Earthlings' bodies. Christopher Penfold's script starts off silly, then turns excruciatingly stupid with a particularly vapid denouement, making this episode the nadir of Season One. The image is a bit soft and a brief section appears to have been derived source.

In "The Last Sunset" (52m 6s), benefactors from the planet Ariel launch a series of satellites that, when activated, give the moon an atmosphere. The Alphans experience sunrises, sunsets, and rain for the first time since they were back on earth. However, unexpected complications arise when their ships experience malfunctions (not having been designed to work in an atmosphere), causing Russell, Carter, and two technicians to become stranded after their craft crashes. A more pressing problem is the fact that these more hospitable conditions will not last unless the wandering moon happens to go into the alien planet's orbit. Penfold's script may not be not very consistent (why are the ships able to operate without any problem in the atmospheres Of the various planets the crew visits?), but this episode nevertheless remains SET 2's most enjoyable, thanks mainly to Charles Crichton's direction, and a satisfying curtain. unlike SET 1, the layer change here occurs noticeably during the episode, rather than at a commercial break point.

Anticipating a major plot component of Star Trek: The Motion Picture by five years, "Voyager's Return" (51m 58s) finds NASA's Voyager One space probe inadvertently causing the potential annihilation of Earth. Voyager's primitive "Queller Drive" propulsion system damages the integrity of the space around the vessel and a trio of alien ships are trailing behind the probe, eager to find its planet of origin so that they may enact vengeance for the unintended destruction the craft wreaked upon two of their worlds. Among the Alphans is no less than Queller himself (The Blue Max's Jeremy Kemp), who joined the mission anonymously, thus providing a chance that the conflict may be resolved without untold casualties. Kemp gives a persuasive performance as the troubled genius and director Bob Kellett is able to generate some modest suspense, putting this slightly above the series' norm.

SET 3 starts off well with Ray Austin's "Collision Course" (52m 9s), which finds the moon imperilled by a giant meteorite. Nuclear charges are used to destroy the rock but pilot Carter is injured in the attempt. Before being rescued, he hears, and later, sees a mysterious, elderly woman (From Beyond The Grave's Margaret Leighton). Meanwhile, the Alphans' situation has gotten far more desperate: a planet more than 30 times the size of the meteor is now heading towards the moon and destroying it is not an option. Bergman devises a plan to alter the moon's course, but the woman appears to Koenig and urges him to do nothing. She is persuasive but Koenig will have a difficult time convincing the other Alphans that he is still in possession of his faculties. Screenwriter Anthony Terpiloff tries to instil mystery mainly by being vague, but some interesting art direction and effects help to make this a worthwhile episode. A small splice is felt at one point and colours are a little pale.

Brian Blessed (memorable as the jovial Prince Voltan in Mike Hodges' Flash Gordon) is the main guest star in the enjoyable "Death's Other Dominion" (52m 5s), another Crichton episode. The Alphans encounter Ultima Thule, an ice-encrusted planet, peopled by the survivors of a lost space expedition from Earth. A landing party goes down to investigate and the survivors' leader (Blessed) conspires to keep them there until the moon has strayed out of range. The inhabitants have discovered the secret of eternal life, and some desire to use their guests as guinea pigs for a new series of experiments. The snow looks suspiciously like shaving foam, but the other technical components are commendable and John Shrapnel is very good as a deranged Ultima resident who acts as a kind of Shakespearean fool figure. The transfer is good, though subject to a few instances of smearing.

The disappearance of a landing party on a seemingly inhabitable planet leads to the discovery of violent Cro-Magnons in Bob Kellet's "The Full Circle" (52m 13s). Adding to the mystery is the fact that some of the cavemen look like the Alphans who have gone missing. The premise allows for the welcome use of genuine exteriors for a change, but the plot (co-written by Jesse Lasky, Jr., son of the silent movie mogul) ranks among the series' dullest and dumbest, making Hammer's Creatures The World Forgot seem inspired by comparison. There is some fun to be had watching Landau and Bain go prehistoric, with the former's trademark intensity crossing into outright camp. The image is a little darker and duller than usual and the music warbles a bit near the beginning.

"End of Eternity" (52m 2s) opens with the Alphans blasting a hole in a meteor, exposing a hidden chamber. They use explosives to open the door, severely wounding a man residing inside. The landing party takes the victim back to the base unaware that they have now released immortal criminal Balor, (The Legend Of Hell House's Peter Bowles), who was sentenced to float in space forever. Although claiming to be benevolent, the visitor soon reveals his true intentions and tries to seize control of Alpha. The resolution is not very satisfying, but Ray Austin's direction is more aggressive and imaginative than in previous episodes and the score strays from the usual orchestral arrangements for a change. An intermittent scratch appears during the second reel.

Acknowledged by most fans to be one of the program's strongest episodes, Charles Crichton's "War Games" (52m 3s) has the moon under siege from an alien invasion force. With the base all but destroyed and half of Alpha's personnel dead, Koenig and Russell travel to the alien planet to ask for mercy. The emotionless, bulbous-headed beings regard the humans as a contaminating virus that needs to be wiped out and forbid the Earthlings from settling on their world. Undaunted, Koenig musters what remains of the Alphans' fighters to try and win a place on the planet. Russell, meanwhile, is given a glimpse into the aliens' minds. The resolution is easily forecast, but those who value the show for its action and special effects will find the first half highly enjoyable and the program is definitely above the norm. "War Games" was later combined with "Breakaway" to create the TV "movie" Alien Attack.

The moon drifts into the vicinity of two warring planets, one inhabited by women, the other by men, in writer/director Bob Kellet's "The Last Enemy" (52m). Situated on opposites sides of their sun, the opponents decide to use the passing moon as a gun base from which they may bombard each other. His hands tied, Koenig tries to keep both sides talking for a few hours until Alpha has drifted out of range. Silly and wholly predictable, this is another episode where logic conveniently goes missing whenever the author writes himself into a corner. The placement of "The Last Enemy" in the set is ironic, given that Landau's actions in the opening minutes completely contradict the lesson his character learned in "War Games."

SET 4 begins with Ray Austin's "The Troubled Spirit" (52m 2s), which features second string Italian action star Giancarlo Prete (Tornado, Warriors Of The Wasteland) as Dan Mateo, a crew member attempting to prove that plant and human communication is possible. His experiments, however, induce hallucinations and have apparently unleashed a murderous, Bain and Landau desperately try to reason with aliens on the verge of annihilating Alpha in "War Games. " psychically created being. Koenig reluctantly agrees to let Mateo recreate his original experiment in an effort to learn more about just what the Alphans are facing. Some atmospheric moments, Jim Sullivan's eerie sitar score, and the transplanting of horror standbys (like a séance and a discussion of exorcism) into a futuristic setting make this a satisfying, if predictable entry, DVNR-induced jitter is more pronounced here than usual, with scenes in the greenhouse particularly affected.

"Space Brain" (52m 4s) might have been more aptly titled "Space Blob," as the station is attacked by a protoplasmic mass that seems intent on engulfing everything and everyone. The creature is the result of Alpha's encounter with an alien entity on a collision course with the moon. Communication proves difficult, but Koenig eventually deduces that the aliens are actually trying to help the Alphans avoid being absorbed. The blob is obviously nothing more than eight laundromats' worth of soap suds. but Charles Crichton's direction, some effective editing, and extensive use of Gustav Holst's "Mars, Bringer of War" from "The Planets" help to counteract the silliness and make this a diverting episode.

Crusty character actor Leo McKern adds considerable color and pathos to "The Infernal Machine" (52m 3s), an otherwise unremarkable David Tomblin episode. A strange-looking craft occupied by an old man, who identifies himself only as "Companion" (McKern), lands on the moon. The ship's powerful, decidedly hostile computer, Gwent (voiced by McKern), dictates that the Alphans provide it with needed supplies, threatening annihilation if the demands are not heeded. It also has a second order: furnish a replacement for the dying Companion, whose presence is necessary for Gwent to exist. The ending can be seen a mile away, but the quality of McKern's work holds one's attention throughout.

Even if it was not burdened with the dubious talents of guest star Joan Collins, Ray Austin's "Mission of the Darians" (52m 8s) would be well nigh impossible to take seriously. The Alphans run across a gigantic spaceship occupied by the Darians, a race that split off into two factions in the wake of a nuclear disaster. Kara (Collins) leads the handful of civilized Darians, while the remaining, devolved rabble are under the sway of a madman A Clockwork Orange's Aubrey Morris) who seeks to use Russell as a human sacrifice. Meanwhile, Koenig and Bergman discover that Kara and her followers are actually no better, using the savages' bodies for spare parts and protein. The silliness of Christopher Penfold's script is compounded by laughable costumes and some of the tackiest special effects of the season. The episode also contains a flash of female nudity that was no doubt excised from the original American and Canadian presentations of the show.

With her ridiculous costume and Chiapet headgear, "Mission of the Darians" guest star Joan Collins gets our vote as Space: 1999's silliest alien.

Those who first experienced Space: 1999 as small children probably had nightmares after viewing "Dragon's Domain" (52m 12s), a superior episode benefiting from a better-than usual screenplay and Charles Crichton's dependable direction. In 1996, Tony Cellini (Spaghetti Western star Gianni Garko) commanded a space probe that was invaded by a giant alien resembling an octopus. The creature (clearly patterned after Carlo Rambaldi's titular creation from Medusa Against The Son Of Hercules) possessed a single glowing eye that it used to hypnotize the crew members. The victims were then pulled under the monster, with their stripped and smoking remains ejected out a few seconds later. Cellini managed to escape but now, three years later, he is suffering from vivid nightmares which suggest that the beast has somehow returned. This is confirmed when the moon encounters a spaceship graveyard containing the remains of Cellini's probe craft. The episode utilizes flashbacks to provide a welcome change of scenery, and we are also given a rare opportunity to hear Garko's real voice (much deeper than that of the voice artist who usually loops him). Slight gatefloat is evident during the opening minutes.

Season One concludes with David Tomblin's "The Testament of Arkadia" (51m 56s). Shortly after the moon inexplicably comes to a dead stop near the planet Arkadia, the station's power slowly begins to drain off. Koenig leads a team down to the world, where they uncover the remains of humanoids who died of radiation poisoning 25,000 years earlier. The discovery of Sanskrit writing and plant life native to Earth suggests that some Arkadians escaped from their dying world and served as the progenitors of the human race. Two landing party members Keoma's Orso Maria Guerrini and Lisa Harrow) ascertain that the Alphans' presence on Arkadia is having a rejuvenating effect on the world and, even, the skeletal remains of its people. When Koenig refuses to authorize a mass exodus, they try to force the matter with violence. Johnny Byrne's script is weak, but a fair amount of suspense is generated and the ending is satisfying. The fadeouts to commercial breaks have been abbreviated, accounting for why this episode is a few seconds shorter than usual.

Overall, fans should find these sets quite satisfactory and worth the upgrade. That said, one hopes that A&E will be able to include more supplementary material and ease off a bit with the DVNR when they prepare Season 2 for release.