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Young Mark zooms into Space 1999 job

Young Mark zooms into Space 1999 job

Liverpool Echo, 12th June 1976

Crosby school-leaver Mark Harris will be stepping into another world when he starts work. In fact, into almost an alien world.

A madly enthusiastic science fiction fan, Mark, 15, of Winchester Avenue, has obtained a job helping prepare special effects for television space fiction programme, Space 1999.

His obvious devotion to the programme and similar space fiction show won over executive producer Gerry Anderson when Mark recently visited Pinewood film studios, and be offered him the job.

"I've always wanted to work in television production and when I was visiting the Space 1999 set I asked Gerry for a job, and he agreed" explained Mark.

As well as achieving his ambition to get into the television science fiction programme world, Mark is also to have some of his art work included in an American book giving a behind-the-scenes look at Space 1999.

When he starts work at the Bray Studios. Mark will be the youngest there but this fact is not worrying him and he is determined to eventually achieve his long dreamed of goal of becoming a film director.

Mark first met Gerry while Mark was local organiser for the Star Trek Action Group and he invited him to one of the group's national conferences.

Mark has since changed his allegiance to Space 1999, because he explained, no Star Trek programmes have be made since 1969 - and, he proudly added, Space 1999 is British.

Mark is pictured alongside the Year 1 UK brochure. The behind the scenes book was The Making of Space: 1999 by Tim Heald, which mentions Mark on page 186. Mark Harris worked on the SFX crew of Gerry Anderson's Terrahawks (1982-1984). He also designed the Terrahawks logo.