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These is an early Landau interview from the Arizona Daily Star, based in Tucson, Arizona, USA. According to Landau, they had just finished the 8th episode (which would be Guardian Of Piri); this dates the interview to late May or early June 1974.

By TOM RISTE
Star Television Writer

The time: just 25 years in the future. The place: the moon. The story: some venal types have been using the moon as a garbage dump, burying nuclear waste on its back side. and in the resulting explosion, the moon and its colony of 300 humans are blasted out of the earth orbit to wander in space.

That's the basic format of Space: 1999 starring Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and Barry Morse now filming at Pinewood Studios outside of London.

I talked to Landau this past week (the time was 11:30 in the morning Tucson time and 7:30 in the evening London time) and he is excited about this new syndicated show that is already acknowledged as the most expensive program of its kind ever on television. Even though the original schedule called for network programming in this country during the 1974-75 season, it looks as if it will take a little longer for the 24 episodes to be completed.

"Unlike in America," Landau said, "each one-hour episode takes 12 days or so to film here in England. One reason is that they work a shorter day. We begin at 8:30 in the morning and quit at 5:30. In the states, you begin an hour earlier and work at least two hours longer. And frankly, i prefer the English way."

Sir Lew Grades Independent Television Corporation is producing Space: 1999. And as Landau says, "Sir Lew is unique. He's one of the last of the moguls - a man who has the power and the money to do things his own way, and a man of his word. One of the things I admire most about him is that he definitely cares about what he does."

Landau went on to cite facts and figures. "The 24 shows will cost $5.5 million at $250,000 per episode. If we were doing Space: 1999 in the states, it would cost at least $400,000 for each segment. We would do all our filming at Pinewood and the sets are incredible, the best I have ever seen. The special effects and the crew are probably the finest I have ever worked with."

This is the first time since Mission: Impossible that the Landaus - Martin and Barbara Bain - have been able to work together. He portrays John Koenig, commander of Alpha Base and she is Dr. Helena Russell, the chief medical officer.

A brief resume of Space: 1999 might be enlightening. On the moon are 300 men and women from all nations on earth, originally there to man an early-warning system and to repel invaders. But the nuclear blast sends some seven-eighths of the moon hurtling through space on a quest for a new planet. Ironically, they are considered the invaders by inhabitants of other planets. Their conflict is with the life forms encountered on other worlds, with the elements of outer space and with the problems of sustaining life on their new world as it wanders on its odyssey across the universe.

What about this new series? Will it appeal to Americans?

"Yes, I think so," Landau said. "I know I would watch it. it's all very logical and possible. It relates to science fiction, but it happens just 25 years from now and it's close to being contemporary. For example, my character was born in 1959, Barbara's even later (a born gentleman, he neglected to state the specific year) and Barry Morse as Professor Bergman was born in 1941. So we're really space age infants.

How's life in London?

"We love it. London today is like the New York City of my childhood. Our children (daughters Susan and Juliet) can walk the streets with no fears whatsoever. The English are a marvellous people - very civil, very urbane and very cosmopolitan. And London is the same. Each time you turn a corner you find something new and different."

Martin and Barbara are living in a picturesque canal-side Georgian house in London's "Little Venice" area and even though they arrived on Nov. 1, 1973, they do not expect to return home until March of next year when Space: 1999 is completed.

Our final and obvious question. How is Space: 1999 coming along?

"Each show is better than the last," he told me. "We have just finished eight episodes to date and we're already ahead of lots of series in concept and style and viewer interest. It's difficult to know how and where a story-line will evolve. Our first show had some much-needed exposition looking back to explain our plight and the second show took off very well from there. I've seen seven complete episodes and I'm proud of them. It's exciting science fiction with a contemporary touch. And even if Barbara and I weren't in it I would watch it."