"Join the exploration of a fascinating cultural phenomenon. The legacy of the Eagle Transporter from Space:1999 reflects the dreams of a generation. It also embodies a nostalgia for a future that never occurred, yet still resonates today.
"THE EAGLE OBSESSION is a visually stunning feature-length documentary that follows sci-fi creator Jeffrey Morris as he investigates the origins of the iconic vessel and the ongoing global impact of a unique moment in human history—when people walked on the Moon."
The documentary will include interviews with Barbara Bain, Nick Tate (Captain Alan Carter) and special effects supervisor Brian Johnson.
It’s fairly strongly implied that humans wiped themselves out on earth - the last transmissions Alpha receives as it moves away are not promising and encounters with various god-like aliens suggest that the moon base humans are the last of them
I had an Eagle, too, along with models from other shows like Star Trek, Star Wars, etc. As I grew older, I realized how unrealistic they all are, as spaceships go. The Eagle still feels like it could be real, though. (Yeah, I know a modern pedantic internet space nerd could rip it to shreds, but you know what I mean.)
Ah Space: 1999... The British answer to Star Trek that once took its own shape, went thru "redesign" only to end abruptly. Such a shame nobody ever pick this series ever again.
A small trivia: there was this educational tv series in Poland created in the early 80s and aired in the end of that decade called "Przybysze z Matplanety" (Visitors from Matplanet). The series explored mathematics for grade and high school. The main characters named Pi and Sigma were traveling in Eagle Transporter - at least that's how their ship look on the outside. A slightly repainted model is seen in the intro and few times in the show: https://youtu.be/CnJcZv9DnAA?t=87
There should be a remake, I'd watch it (psst.. Netflix, if you're watching).
And I'd like to see a spin-off showing what happened on Earth when the moon suddenly got ripped away, I imagine it would be a disaster movie. The tidal waves alone from loss of tidal forces would wipe out all the coastlines of everyplace everywhere.
> The tidal waves alone from loss of tidal forces would wipe out all the coastlines of everyplace everywhere.
As I understand it, we have tides because while the moon is fairly small with fairly low gravity, it's comparatively close to us so the moon's gravitational pull between one side of the earth is larger than on the other side, creating a kind of "sloshing effect" that we call tides.
The sun also does this, but less because it's further away (inverse square law).
Not a scientific analysis, but intuitively, it seems to me that stopping this wouldn't really be a calamity? There would probably be huge effects for ocean currents, climate, wildlife, and all of that, but no Emmerich-type spectacular calamities. Things will just stop "sloshing" and that would be that.
In the story the moon is suddenly ripped away from the earth. The water that is pulled towards one side of the planet due to the moon would suddenly be released instead of the gradual ebb and flow of the tides, all the tidal water would rush into other parts of the world. Then there's altering the Earth/Moon gravity system which would likely knock Earth off its regular orbit causing all kinds of calamity.
I have no idea how any of this would play out. I am not a scientist.
There is an attempt in Space: 2099 but it seems it stuck in development hell since 2012.
And frankly, considering what happens in scifi and media overall for last couple of years maybe it's for the good. I don't know to whom such remake should be given so it wouldn't end as yet another streaming pulp full of cgi and poor writing done to satisfy some company's CEO wicked goals of keeping up modern corporate image.
But if anything I think, situation on Earth shouldn't receive own spin-off - simply because it would end pretty fast. This should be an integral part of the whole series; story could initially show the situation on Earth and subsequently move action permanently to the Moonbase Alpha with occasional visits back home to see how things develop.
Dunno if you're familiar with RDM's Galactica but action there jumps between Caprica and the ship for some time.
Recently watched it. There are about 2 instances of incredible sexism throughout the whole series but the rest of the time it’s extremely egalitarian. The first episode in particular was so badly sexist that I nearly didn’t watch the rest of the series but was glad I did because the awful misogynist character in the first episode seems to have a complete change of personality and never behaves like that again - the actor playing him seemed visibly uncomfortable at times so I don’t know if he influenced that or whether they got feedback from others to change things.
Get past the first episode and it’s great, like a sci-fi version of The Prisoner. Very much of its time but in a good way - filmed in 1970 but set in the eighties it’s like a vision of the future (past now) that never happened but could have - something very bad clearly happened in our timeline during the seventies to result in everything being so grim when just ten years earlier we were full of optimism.
Yes it had deep and dark themes, but what stands out IMO is the wild-ass production design. Everything oozed cool and spiffy. Especially the various SHADO vehicles and other conveyances, and the costumes for the ladies.
And more tape drives. But Space:1999's moon base still had a huge number of Blinkenlights and related gear that I have to believe was under an expensive IBM support contract. I wonder if the company found a way to get out of the contract? Some clause requiring the moon remain in its historic orbit maybe?
The Moonbase wigs were really OTT. I saw an interview with Sylvia Anderson, who apparently sincerely believed that wigs were in the future of women's fashion.
I must disagree with this Youtube choice. Its version of the outro has more of the Barry Gray music that sparked the intro and the series episodes.
The standard outro (if memory serves) had a very atmospheric sort of ambient soundtrack that, rather than using music, instead denoted a strong measure of fear and dread and a gut feel for the vast expanses of space.
Still, the japanese mission had that problem. If the surface is guaranteed to be flat, low centre of gravity could be enough, but knowing there could be rocks or other kind of irregularities, I'd consider a fail safe shape.
I think the Japanese mission was much more complicated than that. It was supposed to fall on its side; but as I understand it, it fell on the wrong side.
Whatever they build also has to fit in the launch cowling. Surveyor was tiny.
I watched the trailer and couldn't help but thinking this guy has some amazing talent. I'm curious where he goes after getting his "Space 1999" documentary in the can.
I have mixed feelings about the show. As with pretty much all Gerry Anderson efforts the hardware and effects were top-notch. But the premise is too far fetched for adult me to allow for....
Obviously Brian Johnson and his work were a huge inspiration to the Star Wars model shop and concept artists (and then Brian joining them later, of course).
That the Millennium Falcon and Blockade Runner from Star Wars have radar dishes shows the degree to which everyone involved still had one foot in the "2001" and "Space 1999" modality. (And never mind that Eagle-esque engine cluster in the rear of the Blockade Runner).
Yeah, the initial premise, and then meeting a new bunch of aliens each episode was very silly. I would have loved a show with no aliens, just stories about how they built the base and survived on the moon.
I really loved the atmosphere of the first series of Space 1999.
It had the fantastic true sci fi sense of strange mystery and wonder.
The core premise of the show was clunky which takes off some immersion but the stories were good.
Something really strange happened after the first season where they changed the music and it really threw the whole thing out… it’s hard to appreciate how much the music counts in establishing atmosphere until it’s wrong, and the later music in Space 1999 was really wrong.
42 comments
[ 4.9 ms ] story [ 98.9 ms ] thread"THE EAGLE OBSESSION is a visually stunning feature-length documentary that follows sci-fi creator Jeffrey Morris as he investigates the origins of the iconic vessel and the ongoing global impact of a unique moment in human history—when people walked on the Moon."
The documentary will include interviews with Barbara Bain, Nick Tate (Captain Alan Carter) and special effects supervisor Brian Johnson.
I don't think Space 1999 ever spared a thought about what happened to the Earth after the disaster.
I just ordered the box set of the predecessor, UFO [1]. Loved it as a child; I'm curious to see how it held up.
[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFO_(British_TV_series)
A small trivia: there was this educational tv series in Poland created in the early 80s and aired in the end of that decade called "Przybysze z Matplanety" (Visitors from Matplanet). The series explored mathematics for grade and high school. The main characters named Pi and Sigma were traveling in Eagle Transporter - at least that's how their ship look on the outside. A slightly repainted model is seen in the intro and few times in the show: https://youtu.be/CnJcZv9DnAA?t=87
And I'd like to see a spin-off showing what happened on Earth when the moon suddenly got ripped away, I imagine it would be a disaster movie. The tidal waves alone from loss of tidal forces would wipe out all the coastlines of everyplace everywhere.
As I understand it, we have tides because while the moon is fairly small with fairly low gravity, it's comparatively close to us so the moon's gravitational pull between one side of the earth is larger than on the other side, creating a kind of "sloshing effect" that we call tides.
The sun also does this, but less because it's further away (inverse square law).
Not a scientific analysis, but intuitively, it seems to me that stopping this wouldn't really be a calamity? There would probably be huge effects for ocean currents, climate, wildlife, and all of that, but no Emmerich-type spectacular calamities. Things will just stop "sloshing" and that would be that.
I have no idea how any of this would play out. I am not a scientist.
And frankly, considering what happens in scifi and media overall for last couple of years maybe it's for the good. I don't know to whom such remake should be given so it wouldn't end as yet another streaming pulp full of cgi and poor writing done to satisfy some company's CEO wicked goals of keeping up modern corporate image.
But if anything I think, situation on Earth shouldn't receive own spin-off - simply because it would end pretty fast. This should be an integral part of the whole series; story could initially show the situation on Earth and subsequently move action permanently to the Moonbase Alpha with occasional visits back home to see how things develop.
Dunno if you're familiar with RDM's Galactica but action there jumps between Caprica and the ship for some time.
https://therokuchannel.roku.com/details/36be634b1d4e51098a75...
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qDy4OMAkgY
Extremely sexist and misogynistic. That sort of stuff doesn’t worry me much usually but this was hard to watch.
Some good sci-fi though.
Get past the first episode and it’s great, like a sci-fi version of The Prisoner. Very much of its time but in a good way - filmed in 1970 but set in the eighties it’s like a vision of the future (past now) that never happened but could have - something very bad clearly happened in our timeline during the seventies to result in everything being so grim when just ten years earlier we were full of optimism.
The standard outro (if memory serves) had a very atmospheric sort of ambient soundtrack that, rather than using music, instead denoted a strong measure of fear and dread and a gut feel for the vast expanses of space.
I was thinking about it yesterday, waiting for news about the IM probe. Why do they make the landers tall? Wouldn't it be better something like this?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surveyor_program
Tangential: the background music of the video is really nice.
Whatever they build also has to fit in the launch cowling. Surveyor was tiny.
My point stands (unlike the probe, heh). If it call roll, a different shape could have helped.
Whatever they build also has to fit in the launch cowling.
Folding telescopic arms? I understand that this stuff is expensive and weight is limited, but the worst result is a failed landing.
I have mixed feelings about the show. As with pretty much all Gerry Anderson efforts the hardware and effects were top-notch. But the premise is too far fetched for adult me to allow for....
Obviously Brian Johnson and his work were a huge inspiration to the Star Wars model shop and concept artists (and then Brian joining them later, of course).
That the Millennium Falcon and Blockade Runner from Star Wars have radar dishes shows the degree to which everyone involved still had one foot in the "2001" and "Space 1999" modality. (And never mind that Eagle-esque engine cluster in the rear of the Blockade Runner).
This is all 1970s SciFi viewing. Silent Running was closer. Logan's Run wasn't. And then there's Ark III...
Note the first season was not about new aliens per episode. It was all about atmosphere and character development and relationships.
For money/political reasons, Season 2 turned into monster-of-the-week.
It had the fantastic true sci fi sense of strange mystery and wonder.
The core premise of the show was clunky which takes off some immersion but the stories were good.
Something really strange happened after the first season where they changed the music and it really threw the whole thing out… it’s hard to appreciate how much the music counts in establishing atmosphere until it’s wrong, and the later music in Space 1999 was really wrong.