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Season 2 Space: 1999

The Seance Spectre

Space: 1999The moon approaches a potentially habitable planet, but Commander Koenig, sensitive to having raised false hopes too many times in the past, keeps it a secret from most of Moonbase Alpha’s population. This turns out to be an even better decision in hindsight, as Koenig discovers that the planet is on a direct collision course with the wayward moon. But a crewman named Sanderson and his close circle of friends, suspicious of the information blackout, mutiny and take over Alpha’s command center. Koenig orders Sanderson and his cohorts confined to the sick bay, and then boards an Eagle with Maya to explore the planet ahead. They find not an Earthlike world, but a planet with a poisonous, turbulent atmosphere that forces a crash-landing. Carter is barely able to bring the Eagle back via remote control, and Koenig decides to deliberately replicate the nuclear blast that shot the moon out of Earth’s orbit, hoping it’ll divert the moon’s course enough to avoid the impending collision. But Sanderson is still convinced of a cover-up – and even when his friends refuse to go against Koenig again, Sanderson is willing to put his life, and everyone else’s, on the line to prove his point.

Order the DVDswritten by Donald James
directed by Peter Madek
music by Derek Wadsworth

Guest Cast: Tony Anholt (Tony Verdeschi), Nick Tate (Alan Carter), Zienia Merton (Sandra Benes), Ken Hutchinson (Greg Sanderson), Carolyn Seymour (Eva), Nigel Pegram (Cernik), James Snell (Stevens), Christopher Asante (Guard)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Season 2 Space: 1999

Dorzak

Space: 1999Koenig investigates a belt of large asteroids, large enough that colonization may be possible. While the commander is gone, a spaceship requests permission to land at Moonbase Alpha, and a woman named Sahala begs for medical assistance. But when she arrives, she attacks Maya, leaving her in a coma. Sahala claims that she has the right of revenge for past atrocities committed against her people by a Psychon named Dorzak, not only a shapeshifter but capable of mind control. Maya insists that the Dorzak she knew was a peaceful philosopher, and not the dangerous prisoner that Sahala claims to have in custody.

Order the DVDswritten by Christopher Penfold
directed by Val Guest
music by Derek Wadsworth

Guest Cast: Tony Anholt (Tony Verdeschi), Nick Tate (Alan Carter), Lee Montague (Dorzak), Jill Townsend (Sahala), Kathryn Leigh Scott (Yesta), Sam Dastor (Dr. Ed Spencer), Seretta Wilson (Clea), Richard La Parmentier (Ed Malcolm), Yasuko Nagazumi (Yasko), Paul Jerricho (1st security guard), John Judd (2nd security guard)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Season 2 Space: 1999

Devil’s Planet

Space: 1999Investigating an Earthlike planet, Commander Koenig and junior pilot Blake Maine discover that there’s already life there – complete with technologically advanced cities. But upon landing, they discover the grisly sight of a number of dead people – with no injuries visible. Another man appears in some sort of teleportal, staggers out, and dies before their very eyes. Koenig and Maine leave immediately in their Eagle, but a quick visit to that planet’s equally habitable moon results in a crash-landing in a jungle. They watch as another man, dressed like the one who died earlier, is hunted down by red-uniformed women. Koenig and Maine interfere with the hunt, and Koenig is captured by the women while his pilot is killed. Now Koenig is the prisoner of Mistress Elizia, a cruel queen who has anticipated everything from an Alphan rescue mission to Koenig’s inevitable escape attempts. But the one thing she doesn’t anticipate is the possibility that Koenig may prefer death to captivity.

Order the DVDswritten by Michael Winder
directed by Tom Clegg
music by Derek Wadsworth

Guest Cast: Tony Anholt (Tony Verdeschi), Hildegard Neil (Elizia), Roy Marsden (Krail), Dora Reisser (Interrogator), Cassandra Harris (Sares / Controller), Angus MacInnes (Jelto), Arthur White (Kinano), Michael Dickinson (Blake Maine), John Hug (Fraser), Alibe Parsons (Alibe), Sam Dastor (Dr. Ed Spencer)

Notes: This is an unusual episode in that Martin Landau is the only member of the regular cast to appear; though scenes of Verdeschi, Maya and Dr. Russell are viewed as Koenig’s brain is scanned, all of that footage is from previous episodes.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Season 2

The Immunity Syndrome

Space: 1999An expedition to a promisingly Earthlike planet goes awry when Verdeschi hears a member of his team screaming in agony on the surface. After wrestling the man to the ground, Verdeschi himself is overpowered by a pulsing light and goes missing himself – demonstrating a sudden burst of strength powerful enough to crush his comlock with his bare hands. Koenig and his team subdue Tony and retrieve him a few hours later and lift off to rush him back to the moon via Eagle, but a team left behind on the planet falls victim to a mysterious and sudden failure of equipment. And so does Koenig’s Eagle, which is forced to violently crash-land after its electronics fail and its outer skin and components turn brittle – and as the Eagle plunges to the ground, sensors on Moonbase Alpha register an increase in advanced technology on the surface. Koenig calls Alpha, unsure if he’s being heard, and tells his crew to stay put – there seems to be no way to land on this planet without giving up all chances of leaving. Naturally, Dr. Russell and Maya – despite hearing the warning – begin making plans to go there immediately.

Order the DVDswritten by Johnny Byrne
directed by Bob Brooks
music by Derek Wadsworth

Guest Cast: Tony Anholt (Tony Verdeschi), Nick Tate (Alan Carter), Nadim Sawalha (Zoran), Karl Held (Travis), Sam Dastor (Dr. Ed Spencer), John Hug (Fraser), Hal Galili (Voice), Alibe Parsons (Alibe), Walter Space: 1999McMonagle (Les Johnson), Roy Boyd (Joe Lustig)

Notes: As seen on a computer screen, Verdeschi’s vital information is as follows: full name – Anthony Dean Verdeschi; graduated B.A. Honors, University of Rome, 1990; Ph.D, Cambridge, England, 1993; birthplace, Rome, Italy. According to Dr. Russell’s log entry, this episode takes places over 2300 days after the events of Breakaway – meaning that by this point, the series has chronicled over six years of the moon’s misadventures.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Season 2 Space: 1999

The Dorcons

Space: 1999The moon nears some kind of drifting artificial satellite in deep space. But when the object is scanned, it blasts through Moonbase Alpha’s shields with a powerful scanning beam of its own, rendering the crew immobile and damaging equipment. The beam settles on Maya, awakening her and subjecting her to extraordinary pain. A Dorcon ship appears and demand that Koenig hand Maya over – or watch his entire crew die. Koenig refuses, and a vicious attack ensues. Alan Carter leads a small fleet of Eagles into combat, but both the Eagles and Alpha suffer heavy damage while the Dorcon ship is virtually untouched. The Dorcons and Psychons are sworn enemies, and the Dorcons have the ability to stop a Psychon transformation in mid-change – and to drain a Psychon’s life force to renew their own. Faced with Alpha’s destruction, Koenig – at Maya’s own insistence – gives up the fight and hands her over to the Dorcons. But an insurrection within the Dorcons’ own ranks could give Maya and the rest of Moonbase Alpha a means of escape.

Order the DVDswritten by Johnny Byrne
directed by Tom Clegg
music by Derek Wadsworth

Guest Cast: Tony Anholt (Tony Verdeschi), Nick Tate (Alan Carter), Patrick Troughton (The Archon), Ann Firbank (Consul Verda), Gerry Sundquist (Malic), Alibe Parsons (Alibe), Laurence Harrington (Stewart), Kevan Sheehan (1st Dorcon operative), Michael Halsey (1st Dorcon soldier), Hamish Patrick (Command Center Alphan), Hazel McBridge (Female medical officer)

Notes: The late Patrick Troughton was, of course, best known as the second incarnation of Doctor Who.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Hammer House Of Horror

Guardian Of The Abyss

Hammer House Of HorrorMichael and Laura, two antiques dealers leaving an auction with their newly-acquired wares, are accosted by another antique dealer, Simon Andrews, who has a particular interest in an ornate mirror Laura has acquired. With a series of symbols etched into its frame, it is a bit odd, though Andrews is quick to offer £50 for it…at which point Michael advises Laura to let him have it professionally appraised before making any deals. As Michael drives home with the mirror, he nearly hits a young woman in the road. She claims that men are chasing her, and she needs help; Michael drives her home to try to learn more about her story. She seems to have escaped from a cult whose aim is to summon the guardian of the abyss into earthly existence – and one of the things they need to accomplish this is a scrying glass, the object Michael thought was a mirror. The girl, Allison, seems to have a connection to the one Michael is taking to be appraised – and the glass is also connected to one already in the possession of cult leader Charles Randolph, who tracks Michael and Allison down. Randolph needs a sacrifice to summon the unearthly force, and Michael isn’t willing to let Allison be sacrificed….but it turns out that she isn’t the one who’s been in danger all along.

Download this episode via Amazonwritten by David Fisher
directed by Don Sharp
music by John McCabe

Adventures of SupermanCast: Ray Lonnen (Michael Roberts), Rosalyn Landor (Allison), John Carson (Charles Randolph), Paul Darrow (Andrews), Barbara Ewing (Laura), Caroline Langrishe (Tina), Sophie Thompson (1st Girl), Sharon Fussey (2nd Girl), Barry McDonald (Auctioneer)

Adventures of SupermanNotes: Aired during the long gap between the third and fourth series of Blake’s 7, this episode of Hammer House Of Horror was filmed at a time when guest star Paul Darrow believed that his star-making role had come to an end, since that series’ continuation wasn’t announced until the night of the thought-to-be-final episode. Guest star Rosalyn Landor would later have a guest starring role on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1989‘s Up The Long Ladder). Both Darrow and John Carson would later make guest appearances on Doctor Who, Darrow in 1985‘s Timelash and Carson in 1983‘s Snakedance.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Into The Labyrinth Season 1

Rothgo

Into The LabyrinthTerry and Helen, brother and sister, seek shelter in a cave when their day of playing outside is ruined by a sudden and violent thunderstorm. They’re not alone, either: an older boy named Phil has also sought refuge in the cave…but all of them hear another voice, somewhere deeper in the cave, asking for help. They find a man trapped under an enormous stone, a piece of rock that by all rights should have crushed him to death. With his instruction, they are amazed that they have the power to lift the stone and free him. He introduces himself as the wizard Rothgo, and he has been trapped in the cave by a sorceress named Belor. He seeks something called the Nidus, a magical item that will allow him to concentrate his power and escape his prison…but since he can’t leave the caves, he must trust his three new young friends to enter the labyrinth, and journey through various times in history to find it. They will find him there at various stages of his long, magically-extended life, and will have to seek his help against Belor. Their journey begins…

Order the DVDswritten by Bob Baker
based on an idea by Bob Baker & Peter Graham Scott
directed by Peter Graham Scott
music by Sidney Sager

Into The LabyrinthCast: Ron Moody (Rothgo), Pamela Salem (Belor), Lisa Turner (Helen), Simon Henderson (Terry), Simon Beal (Phil)

Notes: Executive producer Peter Dromgoole also worked with series co-creator Bob Baker on his previous series, Sky (1975), along with director (and series co-creator) Peter Graham Scott and composer Sidney Sager, was an integral part of a much-loved Into The Labyrinthprevious HTV children’s fantasy series, Children Of The Stones, in 1977. Like Children Of The Stones, Into The Labyrinth successfully jumped the Atlantic to become part of the “Third Eye” strand of children’s programming on nascent cable channel Nickelodeon, but only the first season was shown to American audiences.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Into The Labyrinth Season 1

The Circle

Into The LabyrinthTerry, Phil and Helen arrive at a point in the past that they can only identify as “druidic times”, where a bearded old man in tattered robes singles Phil out as his new champion and hands him a gleaming sword. Phil is to challenge an arrogant ruler named Cynon, who himself seems to have magical powers rivaling Rothgo’s. Phil also thinks he’s spotted the Nidus in the form of a shield, but when he and the others summon Rothgo for help, they may be fatally distracting the wizard from a battle he’s fighting with Belor on the astral plane.

Order the DVDswritten by Bob Baker
based on an idea by Bob Baker & Peter Graham Scott
directed by Peter Graham Scott
music by Sidney Sager

Into The LabyrinthCast: Ron Moody (Rothgo), Pamela Salem (Belor), Lisa Turner (Helen), Simon Henderson (Terry), Simon Beal (Phil), Paul Lavers (Cynon), Edwina Ford (Bradwen), Peewee Hunt (Caw)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Into The Labyrinth Season 1

Robin

Into The LabyrinthStill on the trail of the Nidus, Phil, Terry, and Helen arrive at a new location in the labyrinth, and in a new time. When they are attacked by sword-yielding guards, Helen is separated from the boys, and meets a man named Robin…Robin of Loxley, or Robin Hood, as legend knows him. Still engaged in his struggle against the Sheriff of Nottingham, he believes Helen to be the Sheriff’s niece, and potentially a valuable hostage. Phil and Terry find a dazed magician they believe is Rothgo…but Belor is employing more trickery than usual to throw them off the trail of the Nidus.

Order the DVDswritten by Bob Baker
based on an idea by Bob Baker & Peter Graham Scott
directed by Peter Graham Scott
music by Sidney Sager

Into The LabyrinthCast: Ron Moody (Rothgo), Pamela Salem (Belor), Lisa Turner (Helen), Simon Henderson (Terry), Simon Beal (Phil), Tony Wright (Robin of Loxley), Conrad Phillips (Sheriff of Nottingham), Patricia Driscoll (Marian), Suzanne Wright (Rowena), Philip Manikum (Guard Captain)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Into The Labyrinth Season 1

Masrur

Into The LabyrinthHaving been denied the Nidus by Belor, Phil, Helen and Terry are sent by Rothgo to free the prisoners of someone named Masrur. The wizard also grants them powers to help achieve this goal; they find themselves in an ancient caliphate whose grand vizier is none other than this time period’s Rothgo. He is hot on Belor’s trail and seems to have the upper hand this time around…or does he? Even when the Nidus is within reach, Belor is never far away.

Order the DVDswritten by Andrew Payne
directed by Peter Graham Scott
music by Sidney Sager

Into The LabyrinthCast: Ron Moody (Rothgo), Pamela Salem (Belor), Lisa Turner (Helen), Simon Henderson (Terry), Simon Beal (Phil), Derrick Branche (Ali), Adele Saleem (Scharazad), Paul Cresswell (Geni), William Evers (Caliph), David Trevena (Ahmed), Philip Manikum (Guard)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Into The Labyrinth Season 1

Conflict

Into The LabyrinthAnother quest in another time period, and another face of Rothgo…but this time he doesn’t know who he is, or how his powers work, until Phil reminds him. Helen and Terry try to contact the future Rothgo who sent them on their quest for the Nidus, but he is unable to help them, and Belor seems to be able to block their link to the wizard. Revolutionary plotters and schemers surround the three, their plans both distracting and potentially a danger to their quest. And on both the material and astral planes, Rothgo and Belor prepare to engage in battle again.

Order the DVDswritten by Ray Jenkins
directed by Peter Graham Scott
music by Sidney Sager

Into The LabyrinthCast: Ron Moody (Rothgo), Pamela Salem (Belor), Lisa Turner (Helen), Simon Henderson (Terry), Simon Beal (Phil), Ewen Solon (Colonel), June Barrie (Nan Ludd), Simeon Andrews (Thomas Coleman), Philip Manikum (Guard)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Into The Labyrinth Season 1

Revolution

Into The LabyrinthRothgo is in trouble. Weakened by his most recent battle with Belor, he is vulnerable to her abilities to twist his mind, and she causes him to forget his three young helpers. Phil, Terry and Helen are sent off-course in their plunge through time and the labyrinth, while Rothgo is convicted as a practitioner of forbidden magic and sentenced to execution. Phil, Helen and Terry find him, but he doesn’t recognize them. Even as he slowly regains his power and his wits, Rothgo is at a disadvantage this time.

Order the DVDswritten by Ray Jenkins
directed by Peter Graham Scott
music by Sidney Sager

Into The LabyrinthCast: Ron Moody (Rothgo), Pamela Salem (Belor), Lisa Turner (Helen), Simon Henderson (Terry), Simon Beal (Phil), Tim Bannerman (Pierre), John Abineri (Julien), Philip Manikum (Guard)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Into The Labyrinth Season 1

Minotaur

Into The LabyrinthDenied the Nidus by Belor yet again, Helen, Terry and Phil are brought back to their present, in the cave where they first met Rothgo. His powers and life force fading fast, Rothgo releases them from their obligation to find the Nidus: the fight is lost. But they stubbornly re-enter the labyrinth one last time to try to recover the Nidus. Their destination: the labyrinth of myth, in which Theseus is thought to have fought the minotaur. But in reality, Theseus is doing the bidding of Belor: his sword is the Nidus itself, and Phil is chosen to be Rothgo’s champion in the fight to claim the Nidus. Only if Phil is successful can he, Helen and Terry ever go home again.

Order the DVDswritten by Anthony Read
directed by Peter Graham Scott
music by Sidney Sager

Into The LabyrinthCast: Ron Moody (Rothgo), Pamela Salem (Belor), Lisa Turner (Helen), Simon Henderson (Terry), Simon Beal (Phil), Jeremy Arnold (Theseus), Philip Manikum (Guard)

Notes: This concludes Into The Labyrinth’s first series (of three years on the air), but for viewers of the series on the American cable network Nickelodeon, this was the end of the story: Nickelodeon did not air the two later seasons.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Into The Labyrinth Season 2

The Calling

Into The LabyrinthA rotting skull emerges from a sea of mist in the caverns where Rothgo and his young companions once consulted before going on their adventures. The skull is replaced by the visage of Belor, who exclaims “I live!”

Terry and Helen receive a call for help from Rothgo, by way of the crystals he gave them at the end of their previous adventures. With Belor’s return, he needs his champions once more. Phil, Rothgo’s other champion, walks into a stone circle and vanishes, reappearing in Rothgo’s cavern. Rothgo warns Phil that Belor is assembling a force intended to be equal and opposite to the Nidus, called Albedo, and Phil must again wander through the labyrinth into the past, finding a splinter of Rothgo’s former self with whom to ally himself. Helen and Terry follow, finding Phil has been sent back to the time of the Vikings, where Rothgo is fighting a losing battle to keep Belor from harnessing the power of the Albedo.

Order the DVDswritten by Bob Baker
directed by Peter Graham Scott
music by Sidney Sager

Into The LabyrinthCast: Ron Moody (Rothgo), Pamela Salem (Belor), Lisa Turner (Helen), Simon Henderson (Terry), Simon Beal (Phil), Howard Goorney (Loke), David Trevena (Alberick), Stephen Lyons (1st Guard)

Notes: In strict scientific terms, “albedo” refers to a measurement of how much sunlight is reflected by a body such as a planet or moon without being absorbed by an atmosphere or some other phenomenon in the way. High-albedo objects are brighter, and low-albedo objects are dimmer. Stone circles figured prominently in a previous collaboration between director Peter Graham Scott, and HTV executive producer Patrick Dromgoolie, 1977’s Children Of The Stones.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Astronauts Season 1

Episode 1

AstronautsAn all-British crew prepares for a mission to an Earth-orbiting space station. Astronaut Mattocks is a stuff-upper-lip, salt-of-the-Earth family man for whom the flight will be his crowning achievement; Ackroyd is a bundle of nerves who’d really rather stay on Earth. Accompanying both men is a single female astronaut, Foster, a medical specialist who will monitor the crew’s health, both physical and mental; a dog named Bimbo will also travel to the station for further medical tests and experiments. Communications problems arise at critical times due to technical glitches and a gung-ho American mission controller. By the time the new crew of the space station arrives, they’re sure of only one thing: it’ll be hard for them to stand one another long enough for a record-setting space endurance mission.

written by Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie
directed by Dick Clement

AstronautsCast: Christopher Godwin (Mattocks), Carmen Du Sautoy (Foster), Barrie Rutter (Ackroyd), Bruce Boa (Beadle), Mary Healey (Valerie), Ben Aris (Reporter), Diana Berriman (Reporter), Barry Lower (Reporter), Hilton McRae (Reporter), Pamela Miles (Reporter), Hugh Walters (Reporter), Michael Delorzo (Mattocks’ Kid), Julian Delorzo (Mattocks’ Kid), and Bimbo (himself)

AstronautsNotes: This space-set sitcom seems to take place in an alternate universe in which Skylab survived 1979 (it didn’t) and British astronauts were still flying Apollo spacecraft (a vehicle which stopped flying in 1975). Created by The Goodies writer/performers Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie, the show was popular enough to merit a second season in 1983. The first season has neither a theme tune or incidental music.

LogBook entry by Earl Green