Monster of the Day #1041

It’s not often that Space: 1999 (THE FUTURE!!!!) punked Star Trek–well, maybe Star Trek: Voyager–but it certainly won the battle of the lunchboxes.

This reminds me of the T-Fest where we had a vote for various elements people would like to see. A Future Now Past was one of them. We could have easily shows an episode of this, although I can’t be sorry for showing UFO instead. I especially loved how that show kept flashing “1982” or whatever during the opening credit sequence.

  • kgb_san_diego

    Ahhhhh, now that’s the stuff. I for sure did have this one — I remember it well. Back when I thought this show was cool… :-)

  • bgbear_rnh

    I liked how the inventive people of Moon Base Alpha were able to turn staple guns into weapons. Overall much more ergonomic than that goofy thing they had on ST:TNG. No one would hold and aim a gun like that.

  • Flangepart

    E-yeah. The Dust Buster Phaser. Wonder how many enemies got zapped because it looked too ‘cute’.
    Ya know, a beam weapon should be the ultimate room clearing device. No dodging between the bullets with that kinda thingy.
    Course, like using tracers, the enemy knows exactly where YOU are.

  • bgbear_rnh

    Barbara Bain is a beautiful woman but, she sure could get that deer in the headlight look.

  • Rock Baker

    UFO was set in 1980. Man, if any one TV show was ripped from my psyche, it was UFO!

    As for 1999, the episode which inspired this image was a two-parter, and I believe was released as a feature film. Although said release (and a handful of other feature adaptations) was for English-speaking countries, I don’t know if any US screens ever saw it. Of course, we had the show itself televised here.

    The second season was quite a step up from the first. The difference in the two seasons can best be noticed by the differences in the cast cards. In season one, Landau and Bain were introduced standing against stark backgrounds and looking stoic. In the season two titles, Landau spins around in his chair and opens fire, Bain is running down a hallway….. I’m getting that urge to watch a few episodes now….

  • Beckoning Chasm

    You could replace that guy’s weapon with an alto sax or a double bass and he would have the same stance.

  • bgbear_rnh

    Alan Carter was the real hero.

  • Not my cuppa. Tried it once, might try it again, but so far the appeal eludes me.

    No doubt I’m missing out.

  • Rodford Smith

    Isn’t that the monster from _Dragon’s Domain_, out in the open instead of reaching through a doorway?

  • Marsden

    I think it’s more of a wooden mannequin. I wonder if she was Keanu Reeves acting teacher?

  • Marsden

    What a monster! The empty soulless eyes haunt me!
    Oh, wait that’s the monster on the right?

  • Flangepart

    Badda bing!

    The two seasons were so different because they brought in American producers for the second. They jazzed up the show, and that makes a stand out from the British style of storytelling.
    Less intellectual, more zap first and ask questions later.

  • Acethepug

    I remember this one, too. Didn’t have it myself, but saw at least one at school when I was a lad.

  • Terrahawk

    Space 1999 did have great models. I always loved the Eagles. The problem with the show is that they tried to be serious but the science was always laughable. Also, the acting was wooden. The second season tried to spice things up a bit, but things got even more absurd.

    This was one of three things PBS was good for, Space 1999, The Twilight Zone, and Dr. Who.

  • Terrahawk

    Yeah but the “intellectual” first season was insanely stupid in the science realm. I’ve been buying an episode here and there on Amazon. The latest episode they just blew the bad guy out of an airlock at moonbase, which somehow sent him spinning into space. Plus their constant messing up of galaxy, solar system, etc, drives me nuts.

    All that being said, I don’t know if I like the second season better than the first.