Comments on: 10 Ways To Make a Kick Ass Version of ‘Space: 1999′

By: Andrew Kearley

Andrew Kearley — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:46:11 +0000

Does the show deserve another chance? Of course it does – just stick on the DVDs of the first series and absorb it. (The second series you can take or leave…) It’s the most awe-inspiring tv show of all time. Every idea I’ve ever heard suggested for a “remake” consists of trying to change the show into something it isn’t – something more like the usual American genre shows, rather than the wonderful unique experience the original was. We should accept it and celebrate for everything it was, not try and make it into something else. Just go and make an original show if that’s your intention.

Regarding suggestion no. 10 – you did actually see the show, right? The purpose of their journey through space was explained in the show – see the episodes “Collision Course” and “The Testament of Arkadia” – there are your answers right there.

By: Mark

Mark — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 06:31:40 +0000

Space:1999 wasn’t canceled because of poor ratings. It was a big hit back in its day. Lew Grade, the British owner of Independent Television Corporation funded the episodes but was a bit fickle. After two years of supporting Space:1999 he decided to make movies, so the next year he put his money into “Raising the Titanic” instead, leaving sci fi fans very disappointed.

There is now an enhanced version of Space:1999 in the works– Space:2099 which is the original show with upgraded special effects like what has been done recently with Star Trek TOS. It isn’t official because it hasn’t been produced by a large company, but it is being done by industry professionals who are fans of the show. Until it is accepted by the owners of Space:1999 it won’t be released on DVD, but there is a web site about it.

By: marek

marek — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:31:26 +0000

Great Idea’s! I’ve had a few too… 2099 five or more bases on the moon, 2 american, 1 russian, 1 chinese, 1 international (Alpha)are swept up in a cosmic thread that is attracked to the nuclear waste. The moon is ripped from orbit, some of the waste explodes damaging all of the bases. The chinese evacuate their base and as they try to reach earth, we see massive distruction like in the movie 2012. The leader of the internation base, Alpha is killed, the main leader of the heavily damaged american base takes over (Alpha) but then cracks and falls apart. A young Commander Koenig of the heavily damaged 2nd american base takes over, his cowboy ways do not win him many fans at Alpha, but he finds ways to lead and find answers. The space thread/warp would be attracked to planetary systems on a regually scheduled event. Entering some of these systems would be hazardous to the moon and people there. Meteor showers, graviational problems etc… Plus having other nations on the moon for internal problems. Just as one side would get the upper hand, bam something happens. Having 5-8 different bases, some abandoned…what better way to replace that “Eagle 1″ that was just destroyed! A base that seems to have the upper hand, best conditions, then bam! damaged and in desparate need of help. Half way through, an earth type planet is found, some colonize it and the people who remain on the moon find that would have been a better choice than to stay on the moon. The journey would then continue.

By: David Dutka

David Dutka — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 05:36:16 +0000

I whole heartedly agree. We have some very sharp up and comers in movie industry that are rebooting some oldies with amazing results. Sure, when I was a kid growing up in the 70’s I was blown away by 1999 and UFO. The looks of those shows were unique, much related to Rudi Gernreich’s costumes.
At the time, I ate up the second season due to Maya changing into plastic and fiberglass monsters! Now as I am older and have caught the occasional episode here and the, the stories from the first season were far better written and acted.
If you ever get a chance to catch the first season episode ‘The Troubled Spirit’ it is pure genius. The haunting sitar music lays the foundation for a
ghost story line none other!

This show in the right hands can be a ground breaking remake.

By: Ally

Ally — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:46:31 +0000

My favourite programme of all time but the more ‘british’ feel in series 1 was definately the best as far as I’m concerned. I know it’s science fiction but it should still be believable – a point that seemed to be lost in series 2. Koneig breakdown…..I’m with Molly here….don’t mess with the Commander…..lets get him together with Dr Russell and see their true relationship develop. Develop characters like Kano, Sandra and Alan to name and lets watch as they all rise to the challenges they face ……did anyone else notice that if a new character suddenly appeared at the beginning of an episode you just knew that they would end up dead by the end of that
episode…. !! BRING BACK SPACE 1999 ….Oh I know this won’t really happen but how I wish it was possible…….

By: violajamison

violajamison — Mon, 18 May 2009 03:12:19 +0000

Space 1999 doesn’t have to be remade or changed. It was a show of the 70s, so you had to be there. Back then, was much different then now. There was no blood, guts or boobs…(maybe a bit of cleavage). It’s not like today where you have big budgets, computers, graphic animator etc. Even on thier 1st show Breakaway, they only had 2 eagles.
I liked season 1. There were more people on the set, the command center was different. It seemed like Alan and Victor had roles. Season 2, we lost Paul as well as Victor and there was too much of Maya – sometimes, I wondered why she didn’t morp into something or I wondered how she’d morp into a plant, or a rock….but hey, it was a kids show – so anything is possible.
With shows like Star Trek, Gillians Island, BeWitched, Partridge Family, Brady Bunch, Hogans Heros, this Sci Fi rocked.

By: Steve Bruns

Steve Bruns — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 21:51:19 +0000

What if 1999 was the number of staff on the moonbase when it goes awol?

By: S99fan

S99fan — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 01:22:01 +0000

If you really like the old show, why are you trying to remake it into just another cheap piece of Hollywood scifi trash? Keep the wonderful, restrained British tone of the series and add a modern update. The idea to make more use of the secondary characters and to explore the possibilities of a Moonbase Beta and Theta are very good. HOWEVER, making Koenig a flake would be the cheapest blow imaginable, and don’t make Maya into just another starlet sexpot. And for the sake of the MUF, why must there be ‘answers’ to everything? That’s just bloody Star Trek-ism.

Perhaps it’s for the best the show NOT be remade if this is its fate.

By: Commissioner Simmonds

Commissioner Simmonds — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:08:30 +0000

I don’t like numbers 3 and 4…bad idea.

I also don’t like the shapeshifter nemesis idea as this will IMMEDIATELY be compared to the Changelings in Deep Space Nine. I agree they should have a continuing menace of some kind.

Other than that — I love your ideas!

I would keep the “Mysterious Unknown Force” idea that was developed in Year One — the implication that something was watching over them…or that they had some great destiny awaiting them.

One thing I would do is have more aliens that are NOT humanoid. With CGI, ANY kind of alien is possible…a new “1999″ should explore that.

I would tie “Project 1999″ into something connected to S.H.A.D.O.W. from Gerry Anderson’s UFO. That way, if the new “1999″ is successful then you could do UFO as a prequel (As it was originally planned to be).

There’s a WEALTH of potentially great stories here.

By: Mario

Mario — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 08:49:35 +0000

Fans can dream but a remake or reimagining of “Space 1999″ will never happen. For one, that would require someone old enough in Hollywood to remember the show. The general consensus was the show was not that great or memorable. Seeing as a kid, it fired up my imagination. Though I see many of its flaws now as an adult, I also see many things that do work or could be improved on. The concept of a moonbase (not the premise of how the moon was blasted out of orbit) but the idea of people living on the moon is a fascinating subject. Done right, a remake would surprise many people.

By: Michael Dudley

Michael Dudley — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:39:35 +0000

…or alternately, if there is some plausible way to blast the moon out of orbit, it would of course take decades just to drift out of the solar system. Make that the new “purpose” for the journey through space: exploring our own neighbourhood.

By: Molly

Molly — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:01:46 +0000

Oh, and I meant to add this: aint no “dark side” of the moon. The moon rotates in orbit, so there isn’t a side that permanently faces away from the sun, and Harlan Ellison should have known better! :)

By: Molly

Molly — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 19:59:47 +0000

I have very fond memories of this show, and I like some of your ideas, but why make Koenig a lunatic? He’s a central character, so why would anybody want to watch him fall to pieces? It was uncomfortable enough during the original show when everybody thought he was nuts in certain episodes. I think a better plot would be to deepen the relationships between the characters, have Helena & Koenig be married or at least living together, and see more of the secondary characters.

By: Michael Dudley

Michael Dudley — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:29:17 +0000

Yes, I was a big fan as a teenager and have been thinking it deserves another chance. One thing that I think would make an interesting format is to ditch the wandering moon device and keep the action set entirely within our solar system. Set the series enough in the future so that the moonbase is but one of many outposts in the solar system, and is kind of the “Ponderosa Ranch” for exploration and drama. Mining colonies, private settlements and science stations would feature, but the political context of a future spacefaring human civilization would fuel the story arcs.

By: Heather

Heather — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:02:28 +0000

oops–I thought my post didn’t take the first time–sorry for the double post (at least I did it right the second time!)

By: Heather

Heather — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:01:39 +0000

Color me gobsmacked when I came across a post at Geeks of Doom titled “10 Ways To Make A Kick Ass Version of Space: 1999.”

By: Heather

Heather — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 02:32:17 +0000

ping-back:

http://thegalaxyexpress.blogspot.com/2008/07/e xtreme-makeover-battle-beyond-stars.html

Color me gobsmacked when I came across a post at Geeks of Doom titled “10 Ways To Make A Kick Ass Version of Space: 1999.”

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 04:05:36 +0000

Well, I am a big fan of a BSG style remake here, but I would have to say… This is a BIG opportunity to do sci fi tv the right way and avoid the “formula” unimaginative products that have been shoved down the throats of viewers for so many decades because of the great fear of profit loss and the failure of execs to understand the nature of sci-fi fans and their hunger for more well written, beautifully crafted and intellectually stimulating sci-fi shows that are more character driven and make sense to intellegent fans without the STTNG style “logic fixes” to patch up plot holes. I personally would kill to see a remake of Space 1999 which had a production tone & value more in line with (no pun intended) 2001 a space oddity. I feel this is the perfect vehicle to avoid the cliché “Trek” clone formula that so many shows try to acheive and try something new and refreshing. Stimulate our minds and souls not our crotches & bellies. Also, heres a good fix for the “1999″ conundrum… what if “1999″ was a countdown before the moon was ripped out of orbit?? That is a decent plot hole fix that doesn’t go too far out of the baselines and isn’t too silly. Elegant in simplicity as it were. Also, what if a higher power (ie; a more advanced civilization) were responsible for tearing the moon out of earths orbit? You could tie in the Nuclear waste angle (an advanced civilization might find it so objectionable that we pollute the moon with nuclear waste, and fear our growing need for newer waste dumps further out into spaced that they might just decide to reach out and “swat” us) this would give us a much more plausable plot vehicle/premise and also a recurring adversary/plot arc goal… to acheive an understanding with the alien force and get them to return moonbase alpha to earths orbit. Just a few thoughts off the top of my head here. I would have to insist on the lack of gravity and other more scientifically plausable production devices on any remake. :)

By: Ensign Redshirt

Ensign Redshirt — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:02:18 +0000

.50 cent comics! feh! You piker! I remember when they were .10 cents and getting upset when they went to .12 cents!

Anyways… One good way to revive that show would be to have the females wear the fishnet shirts like the woman on my my Space 1999 lunchpail wore, which I used to get teased about…

Funny, I don’t remember seeing that on the show- it’d probably still be in production if it were…

By: Federico Bo

Federico Bo — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 07:35:41 +0000

I imagine a moonbase alpha after twenty-years, with life support systems at the end: new characters (the new generations) and a changed serial atmosphere, from “clean” science-fiction (star trek, space: 1999) to “dirty” (alien, new battlestar galactica).