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Authors: Robert E. Wood
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January 2005 ranging down to an astonishingly low 1.1 on both 25 February and 4 March 2007. Certainly the television markets of the 21 st Century are more fragmented than those of the 1970s, but it’s clear that either of these series could only dream of securing the ratings that Space: 1999 enjoyed.
As Martin Landau stated, ‘As we all could have predicted, when the series was sold to individual stations across the [ US] it sold like hotcakes. The ratings showed it to be miles ahead of anything else in that time slot, including all the network programmes.’
The 155 US stations that screened the show (88 of which pre-empted network programmes in favour of it) represented 96% of American homes. Abe Mandell stated at the time: ‘We’ve created our own network – the Space: 1999 network.’
The ratings response to the series in the UK was far less successful than in the US. The poor showing of Year One ended up resulting in Year Two failing to secure the nation-wide screening that Year One received, as these quotes attest: ‘The first series of Space: 1999 was not a success in this region. In consequence, we did not screen … series two.’ [6] ‘Imaginative storytelling combined with visual excellence created in the first series of Space: 1999 not only Anderson’s crowning achievement, but also what has turned out to be the apogee of science fiction on the small screen. Regrettably, although it became a cult series overseas, as far as the ITV companies were concerned it was a ratings flop, so when the second series came along it was [considered] an item principally for export.’ [7] Nonetheless, Space: 1999 did find its niche in the science fiction void between the landmarks of Star Trek and Star Wars .
Airing in over 100 countries worldwide, Space: 1999 went network virtually everywhere around the globe except the US and the UK. The series was broadcast in Italy under the title Spazio: 1999 , France as Cosmos: 1999 , Portugal and Brazil as Espaço: 1999 , Germany as Mondbasis Alpha 1 , Denmark as Månebase Alpha , Sweden as Månbas Alpha 1999 , Finland as Avaruusasema Alfa , Poland as Kosmos 1999 , Hungary as Alfa holdbazis , Poland as Kosmos: 1999 , Mexico as Odisea 1999 , in Spain, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Venezuela as Espacio: 1999 , and in South Africa as Alpha 1999 . Around the world, viewers were entertained by the voyage of Moonbase Alpha.
RECKONING
Space: 1999 has often been a target for criticism over the years – much of it arguably unwarranted, and most of it sadly uninformed. In fact, the most damning criticisms have tended to be the least accurate, and have often been peppered with comments betraying the reviewer as cannibalising previous negative reviews rather than offering a fair-minded, first-hand opinion. Other commentators have simply failed either to appreciate or to comprehend what Space: 1999 was attempting to present. Actually more than the sum of its parts, it is – as writer Johnny Byrne explains in the coming pages – an epic origin story of a remarkable tribe of humans. None of this is to say that Space: 1999 should be exempt from criticism – certainly, all dramatic productions open themselves up to the potential praise or scorn of viewers. What Space: 1999 does deserve is an honest reckoning, not just through the words of a critical analysis, but also through the retrospective wisdom of those who worked on the show.
Some contemporary critics loved the series, as the following selection of comments attests:
‘ Space: 1999 has demonstrated itself to be the finest SF television series ever produced, both in concept and in execution.’ [8]
‘ Space: 1999 is like Star Trek shot full of methedrine. It is the most flashy, gorgeous sci-fi trip ever to appear on TV.’ [9]
‘To put it simply, Space: 1999 is the best science fiction show on television … The believability is heightened by handsome, authentic-looking sets and some good performances by
As Martin Landau stated, ‘As we all could have predicted, when the series was sold to individual stations across the [ US] it sold like hotcakes. The ratings showed it to be miles ahead of anything else in that time slot, including all the network programmes.’
The 155 US stations that screened the show (88 of which pre-empted network programmes in favour of it) represented 96% of American homes. Abe Mandell stated at the time: ‘We’ve created our own network – the Space: 1999 network.’
The ratings response to the series in the UK was far less successful than in the US. The poor showing of Year One ended up resulting in Year Two failing to secure the nation-wide screening that Year One received, as these quotes attest: ‘The first series of Space: 1999 was not a success in this region. In consequence, we did not screen … series two.’ [6] ‘Imaginative storytelling combined with visual excellence created in the first series of Space: 1999 not only Anderson’s crowning achievement, but also what has turned out to be the apogee of science fiction on the small screen. Regrettably, although it became a cult series overseas, as far as the ITV companies were concerned it was a ratings flop, so when the second series came along it was [considered] an item principally for export.’ [7] Nonetheless, Space: 1999 did find its niche in the science fiction void between the landmarks of Star Trek and Star Wars .
Airing in over 100 countries worldwide, Space: 1999 went network virtually everywhere around the globe except the US and the UK. The series was broadcast in Italy under the title Spazio: 1999 , France as Cosmos: 1999 , Portugal and Brazil as Espaço: 1999 , Germany as Mondbasis Alpha 1 , Denmark as Månebase Alpha , Sweden as Månbas Alpha 1999 , Finland as Avaruusasema Alfa , Poland as Kosmos 1999 , Hungary as Alfa holdbazis , Poland as Kosmos: 1999 , Mexico as Odisea 1999 , in Spain, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Venezuela as Espacio: 1999 , and in South Africa as Alpha 1999 . Around the world, viewers were entertained by the voyage of Moonbase Alpha.
RECKONING
Space: 1999 has often been a target for criticism over the years – much of it arguably unwarranted, and most of it sadly uninformed. In fact, the most damning criticisms have tended to be the least accurate, and have often been peppered with comments betraying the reviewer as cannibalising previous negative reviews rather than offering a fair-minded, first-hand opinion. Other commentators have simply failed either to appreciate or to comprehend what Space: 1999 was attempting to present. Actually more than the sum of its parts, it is – as writer Johnny Byrne explains in the coming pages – an epic origin story of a remarkable tribe of humans. None of this is to say that Space: 1999 should be exempt from criticism – certainly, all dramatic productions open themselves up to the potential praise or scorn of viewers. What Space: 1999 does deserve is an honest reckoning, not just through the words of a critical analysis, but also through the retrospective wisdom of those who worked on the show.
Some contemporary critics loved the series, as the following selection of comments attests:
‘ Space: 1999 has demonstrated itself to be the finest SF television series ever produced, both in concept and in execution.’ [8]
‘ Space: 1999 is like Star Trek shot full of methedrine. It is the most flashy, gorgeous sci-fi trip ever to appear on TV.’ [9]
‘To put it simply, Space: 1999 is the best science fiction show on television … The believability is heightened by handsome, authentic-looking sets and some good performances by
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