BREAKAWAY TO FORCES TV

Those of us in the UK who can receive Forces TV will be tuning in at 10.00 p.m. on March 5^th next week to watch the opening episode of the cult series Space:1999 –‘Breakaway’.

Like most fans I’ve got my own digital copies of both seasons, and naturally some people have questioned why anyone would get so excited about watching it on a channel that doesn’t broadcast in HD and will more than likely cut the episodes to accommodate advert breaks.

Well, that’s a fair point, but for me I’ll be tuning in because I like the idea of that shared experience, knowing that other fans will be doing the same, the same reason I watched UFO on that same channel.  Plus, it’s a while since it was shown on TV.

While, it has to be said Space:1999 has got many critics, and is full of scientific inaccuracies  it’s still a popular cult series with a lot of people in spite of its shortcomings, and more often than not, when I post something on the blog Space: 1999 related it always gets a lot of views. 

While I love the series nowadays, it wasn’t always a favourite with me. I never felt that Martin Landau playing heroic Comr. Koenig was leading man material when I first watched it on TV in 1975, but over the years I mellowed towards him, and now couldn’t imagine anyone else in the role.

The ‘star’ for me was, unsurprisingly the Eagle Transporter, and I still recall buying my first Dinky Eagle, along with the first Space: 1999 annual at the time, both of which I still have.

I’m glad to say 44 years on there’s still plenty of interest and new licenced commercially available merchandise for Space: 1999. 

In amongst the usual badges, logo stickers and tee shirts, the Fanderson club have released excellent soundtrack boxsets for both seasons exclusively for members (As a member I was able to pick up the first one up at the Alpha:2014 convention).

MPC Round 2 has re-issued the Eagle 1 spaceship with Nick Tate’s photo on the box, rather than Martin Landau and Barbara Bain who probably wanted too much money to use their likenesses,  and an improved version of the Moonbase Alpha kit. They also reissued the Alien custom car, originally designed by customiser, George Barris and nothing to do with Space: 1999. 

MPC also released a Deluxe version of the Eagle, complete with booster pod.

MPC Round 2's  highly accurate kits of two versions of the Eagle Transporter, these are twice the size of the previous kits, both being 22” long.  Just for good measure they’ve also released a 1/72 scale Hawk MK IX spaceship, and a nuclear dump set. 

Sixteen 12 continue to release their popular Eagle ‘episode’ sets, as well as their more exclusive 44” studio scale models.

One of the latest items of Space:1999 merchandise  to be announced is the book, Space:1999 – The Vault.

This follows previous Gerry Anderson Vault books which include Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet.

Like the other two books it promises to be packed with info and production and merchandise photographs. The author is Chris Bentley and the book is due for release in September – in time for ‘Breakaway’ day and ‘Supercelebration’, the next Fanderson convention.

For picture card collectors there’s also a set of Space:1999  cards from Unstoppable Cards being released at some point in the  year.

So, plenty happening for fans of Space: 1999 at the moment.