Destination: Moonbase Alpha

by Robert E. Wood, Zienia Merton (Foreword)

A massive nuclear explosion blasts the Moon out of Earth orbit, sending Moonbase Alpha's 311 inhabitants on an uncontrollable odyssey through deep space. Now, Destination: Moonbase Alpha takes you back to a future billed as "the most spectacular space science fiction series ever produced for television." Destination: Moonbase Alpha is the most comprehensive book ever published on SPACE: 1999, including extensive cast lists and detailed reviews of all 48 episodes, as well as the Message from Moonbase Alpha short film. Destination: Moonbase Alpha tells the incredible story of the making of a science fiction classic, told by the actors, writers and production crew who created it. Including commentary from: Martin Landau (Commander John Koenig) Barbara Bain (Doctor Helena Russell) Barry Morse (Professor Victor Bergman) Sylvia Anderson (Producer - Year One) Catherine Schell (Maya) Fred Freiberger (Producer - Year Two) Zienia Merton (Sandra Benes) Gerry Anderson (Executive Producer) Prentis Hancock (Paul Morrow) Johnny Byrne (Writer) Nick Tate (Alan Carter) Christopher Penfold (Writer) Anton Phillips (Bob Mathias) Keith Wilson (Production Designer) John Hug (Bill Fraser) And many more!   Destination: Moonbase Alpha also includes - for the first time ever - the complete story behind the disappearance of Barry Morse and Professor Victor Bergman... It's a true story no fan has ever known - until now!   Destination: Moonbase Alpha is the essential guide to SPACE: 1999 - from critical reaction then and now, through the triumphant 35 year odyssey of Moonbase Alpha since the worldwide debut of SPACE: 1999 in 1975, and finally to writer Johnny Byrne’s concepts for the return of the series. Keep this indispensable guide with you, and escape into worlds beyond belief!

Genres: Nonfiction

675 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 28, 2010

Reviews

[Rich Meyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad look back at a cool television show. Space 1999 definitely deserves the tag of "cult" TV show. I know I only managed to watch two episodes of it on broadcast TV back in the day, having to get my fix off the Charlton Comics series and various issues of Starlog Magazine, at least until the series became available on DVD.

This book features very in-depth looks at all the episodes, the background of the show and a plethora of interviews with all the cast members and the important people behind the scenes. From before the first episode "Breakaway" was a gleam in George Bellack's eye, to the final fan-made "Message from Moonbase Alpha", this really is THE book for the Space 1999 aficionado.

Unfortunately, the entire e-book is formatted horribly and makes it a headache to read at times. It looks as though the print version was just used with very few formatting changes, other than a couple of section breaks. The book also needs a good editing/proofreading pass, since there are numerous typos and problems on that front. The book may have been just OCR'ed and posted for sale, given the combination of the two problems.

There's a lot of good information and memories in this book, and it's a shame that it is in the condition it is. Though it is somewhat fitting, considering the way the show itself was treated over the years.

[Ant Koplowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic labour of love.

© Koplowitz 2011

[Anthony Wynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the definitive armchair guide to the hit British TV series. It is a comprehensive look, through the eyes of the cast and crew, at the show. The author's reviews and background on the show are insightful. As the book was published in the UK, there is spelling and grammar that may be unfamiliar to American eyes. This is no reason to dismiss the book! As the great George Bernard Shaw once said, “The British and the Americans are two great peoples divided by a common tongue.” I highly recommend this volume!