Obscure Sci-fi Lovers

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Comment by Fleet Admiral S'Ran (aka) Keith on January 14, 2013 at 4:56pm

Keep us posted Phil..it would be good to see another version of it. Part of childhood nostalgia...Space 1999

Comment by mike powers on January 4, 2013 at 8:07pm

I recall the great sf author Isaac Asimov writing in the TV Guide at the time when Space:1999 premiered about the atrocious science regarding the moon being blasted out of orbit.He wrote that in actuality given the premise the moon would have been blasted into the earth.Then he questioned on how the moon could attain faster-than-light speed through the universe.Of course quite a number of sf TV series,even the quality ones,can have sketchy science.

Comment by Phil Edgley on January 4, 2013 at 7:41pm

There supposedly is a remake of Space:1999 underway called Space: 2099, but there has been very little news about it recently. Frankly if anyone wants to reboot Space: 1999 the premise of the show has a fatal flaw--you can't have Earth's moon blown out of orbit without probably destroying the Earth in the process. Then again in a remake Moonbase Alpha need not be on Earth's moon when there are dozens of other moons in the solar system that would serve just as well around Jupiter and Saturn. Technically it wouldn't be difficult to reset the original series elsewhere in the solar system with only minor changes in dialogue excising all references to it being on Earth's moon. It certainly would make the show's premise easier to swallow.

Comment by mike powers on January 4, 2013 at 1:25pm

The first season of Space:1999 has a far richer look to it than the second & final season.According to what I read,Lew Grade poured a lot of money into the show in hopes of getting into the US market & internationally.He also was producing the films Raise the Titanic & The Legend of the Lone Ranger.Both were quite expensive,especially the Titanic movie.So by the time the second season of S:'99 came around the budgets was slashed by a lot for the production.Unfortunately both movies did poorly for Grade.He was quoted as saying "Instead of raising the Titanic I should have lowered the Atlantic!"

Comment by Trekscribbler (aka Ed) on January 4, 2013 at 12:32pm

Never much cared for SPACE:1999 for much the same reasons you stated, but I'd tune in for a reboot.  There was a recent book launch of a kinda/sorta reboot I happened across on Amazon ... Space 1999 - Aftershock and Awe ... it might be worth a look.

Comment by Fleet Admiral S'Ran (aka) Keith on January 4, 2013 at 11:56am

Sounds.....fascinating.  LL&P \V/

Comment by mike powers on January 4, 2013 at 10:49am

Years ago Ed there was an attempt to revive for TV a new Space:1999 show.While I always was very impressed by the lavish visual design of the show(sets,models,props,etc.)the writing just never worked for me with a few exceptions.So a S:'99 reboot never interested me.Then I read the proposal for the new version which did intrigue me with its premise.The staff at Moonbase Alpha discover a mysterious device planted on the moon.They secure it for study but due to sabotage the device is activated & the moon is transported to the orbit of an unknown planet.The crew of Alpha don't dare shut down or destroy the device as it may be their only way back to earth.They also do not understand how it works.All they know is that it will transport them to new planets each week.There's much more detail to it than this but I just gave the short version.I felt that this had potential.

Comment by Trekscribbler (aka Ed) on January 4, 2013 at 9:37am

Mike, I do know that either Michael Douglas (or maybe it was Jeff Bridges) had actually expressed interest in participating in a live-action adaptation of the Thunderbirds property (I don't recall which it was); however, that was probably just wishful thinking.  Still, I do hope somebody re-discovers it.  I don't know if you've seen it, but Australia TV has run a program called "Danger 5" that I think clearly lampoons many elements related to Thunderbirds.  I'd encourage you to seek it out.  It's quite funny in much the same way Cartoon Network's Venture Bros. is.

Comment by mike powers on January 4, 2013 at 8:59am

Ed,In the book I read The Complete Gerry Anderson by Chris Bentley,he writes that at the beginning all 3 networks were excited about biding for the Thunderbirds.Then,one of the networks backed out for some unknown reason.The other two networks then became paranoid thinking that the network that opted out knew something they did not that was negative.So they also backed off.However,I have also read that Lord Lew Grade who created the ITV Network was too demanding in the negotiations & the 3 networks refused to continue.I think a CGI Thunderbirds TV series along the lines of the Captain Scarlet reboot could work.A live action film could too but it would certainly need to be vastly superior to that live action Thunderbirds movie from a few years ago.I do not believe that a live action Thunderbirds TV show would work due to budget restrictions & the arduous demand of producing a new episode every week. There was supposed to be a UFO movie,they even had a website but I have not heard anything new about it lately. I also read that at one time the Disney Studio was interested in doing a Supercar film but never ended up doing it.

Comment by Trekscribbler (aka Ed) on January 4, 2013 at 8:40am

Mike, I read the same over on Wikipedia when I was prepping to write my li'l column, and the scuttlebutt they stated was that, for no specific reason, one network dropped out of negotiations; then, shortly after, the other two followed.  It doesn't state any reasons, which was kinda/sorta weird.  Wikipedia goes on to state that without a secondary market to sell THUNDERBIRDS to major syndication/partnership, the program was deemed to expensive to continue so they simply shut down production ... which is sad.  I would love to see a studio re-launch the franchise as a live-action feature or series of films or even (dare I say it?) a TV show, but it'd have to be live action.  I can't see it working any other way.

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