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Barbara Bain interview
Catacombs Reference LibraryLubbock Avalanche Journal, Texas, USA, 5 October, 1975
In a telephone interview, Barbara Bain who stars in the new science-fiction series "Space 1999," confessed with tongue-in-cheek to the irony of the fact that she "has been to the moon" and still hasn't seen Texas.
The sophisticated and articulate Miss Bain, as she is known professionally, was introduced over the phone as "Mrs. Landau." Barbara and husband Martin Landau are co-stars along with Barry Morse in the space series. The Landaus are most readily recognized from their former roles on "Mission: Impossible "
The Landau family picked up roots and moved to England for the filming of "Space: 1999," which took some 16 months in itself, Mrs. Landau recounted. However, they actually spent some 20 months in London, counting early arrival for pre-production details and then afterwards waiting for their two daughters to finish the school term before returning to their Beverly Hills home.
The syndicated series sold in 150 markets in the U.S., she pointed out, and additionally is being carried in 101 other countries. Explaining that her husband is presently in Canada working on a film, Mrs. Landau related that he was amazed to watch two telecasts of "Space: 1999" there - one in English and a second in French.
Asked what had appealed to her about doing the series, Mrs. Landau responded that the sound financial backing, unique concept and quality of production were major factors, but admitted not a small part of it had been the opportunity for the husband-wife team to work together. That would be about the only way the two would accept a television series commitment, she remarked, although they do other filming projects separately. She explained the demands on time to do a television series are such that "if we did separate series, we would never get to see each other."
She mentioned they had an earlier network tv pilot titled "Savage Report" about investigative reporting, but it never gelled as a series. She grew somewhat distraught trying to recall the year it aired and finally estimated 1972 or '73, sighing, "Martin remembers dates. When one partner in a marriage is good at something, the other one tends to give it up," she reflected from her experience in their 18-year-old marriage. She declared her forte - "I remember telephone numbers."
In "Space: 1999" the plot revolves around an international group based on the moon, preparing for a probe into deep space. A spectacular explosion emanating from nuclear waste disposal areas on the dark side of the moon hurls the moon out of Earth's orbit, propelling Moonbase Alpha and its inhabitants into an unscheduled journey.
Reminded that the year 1999 is only 25 years away, Mrs. Landau was asked if the premise of "Space: 1999" is realistic. In reply she cited an article she read in a newspaper about a technical conference in England to discuss establishing an international base on the moon for mining experimentation. She averred, "It may in a sense be foreshadowing the future."
She recalled the elaborate espionage schemes of the earlier series, "Mission: Impossible," had been purely fictional in its own time. Yet, she mused, it might be considered "prophetic in a way," in light of Watergate, the CIA investigations and related revelations.
It might be noted that the National Space Institute has cited "Space: 1999" as "recommended viewing." In a letter to the producers of the series, the Institutes's president, Dr. Wernher von Braun, welcomed the series for imaginatively capturing "the excitement of living in the incredible age of space." Selections from distributed copies of von Braun's letter read: "The National Space Institute is concerned with what comes next in our space program; what our country's long range goals are; and how we can make space exploration benefit mankind.
"Presented on the mass medium of television, Space: 1999 will stimulate the public's interest in the potentials of space technology in such fields as energy, environment, natural resources and food production."