[net.sf-lovers] SPACE 1999 and infinite eagles

phil@rice.ARPA (06/18/85)

From: William LeFebvre <phil@rice.ARPA>

Ian Moor (icdoc!iwm@topaz.arpa) writes:
> Not that I am defending Space 1949 but ...  What about the
> never-ending supply of security officers on the Enterprise (the ones
> at the tail end of the group that got grabbed zapped or whatever..

Situations were a little different.  Viewers could easily assume that
between Star Trek episodes the Enterprise would stop off at Star Fleet
Headquarters and pick up replacement personnel for all the security
officers that got killed off.  They could also get things repaired that
way.

Space 1999 had nothing similar.  They were essentially marooned in
space.  What're they gonna do, stop off at Uncle Xkgrmoqphdal's trading
post and exchange good looks for new eagles?  ST had tons of resources
at its disposal.  The people of Moonbase Alpha only had what they
started with and whatever they could scavange along the way.

Personally, I think that the first season of Space 1999 wasn't bad.  I
would certainly go out of my way to see those episodes again.  They
were strange enough to be thought provoking, something that is lacking
in most TV today.  The second season wasn't nearly as good.  They lost
their best actor; they exchanged good sets for mediocre ones; they added
the shapechanger, which got them out of every situation; and they toned
down the scripts---the series lost its ability to force me to think for
myself.

			William LeFebvre
			Department of Computer Science
			Rice University
			<phil@Rice.arpa>
                        or, for the daring: <phil@Rice.edu>