When I was a kid Space: 1999 ruled on Saturday nights. If you had a cool TV station on the dial in 1977, Saturday evening programming would include The Muppet Show, Sha Na Na and Space: 1999. While some people think that Space: 1999 was attempting to cash in on the Science Fiction craze started by Star Wars, the truth is that most of the episodes aired before we knew about that galaxy far far away. Starting in 1975, Space: 1999 dared to ponder what would happen if an explosion on the Moon would knock if out of its orbit with the Earth. How would the scientists trapped on a moonbase react as they drift through the universe? The cast reunited Martin Landau and Barbara Bain after they vanished off Mission: Impossible. They were joined by Barry Morse after he had tracked downn The Fugitive. There were plenty of great guest stars that popped up on the journey as aliens or humans including Christopher Lee (Horror of Dracula), Joan Collins (Dynasty), Peter Cushing (Star Wars), Judy Geeson (Gilmore Girls), Julian Glover (The Empire Strikes Back, Ian McShane (Deadwood), Leo McKern (Rumpole of the Bailey), Patrick Troughton (Doctor Who), David Prowse (Darth Vader) and Brian Blessed (Flash Gordon).
Space: 1999 was created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson of Thunderbirds fame. They had just wrapped up the live action UFO and wanted to focus on a pure space bound show. The show lasted two seasons with a major change in the second when Morse was replaced by Catherine Schell (The Return of the Pink Panther) as a shape changing alien. Over the year, the series has maintained a steady cult following. Now Shout! Factory is letting fans see the series with a deeper resolution when Space: 1999 – The Complete Series receives a Blu-ray release on July 16. There will also be a DVD version. They’re even throwing in a cool snow globe if you order early from their website. Here’s the press release from Shout! Factory:
SPACE: 1999 – THE COMPLETE SERIES
COMES TO BLU-RAY™ & DVD
JULY 16, 2019
Attention all sections Alpha: prepare for transmission!
Los Angeles, CA – From Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, the legendary masterminds behind Thunderbirds, comes the epic sci-fi series, Space: 1999. On July 16, 2019, Shout! Factory will release Space: 1999: The Complete Series on Blu-ray and DVD for the first time in North America.
This set comes jam-packed, including all 48 episodes and an entire disc of bonus features, which are currently in progress and will be announced at a later date. Shout! Factory will also offer a limited edition set that includes a snow globe featuring an Eagle Transporter landing on the Moon, available for pre-order now at shoutfactory.com. The globe itself has a 4-inch circumference and sits on a 2-inch base.
September 1999: A nuclear waste dump on the lunar surface unexpectedly detonates, blasting the moon out of Earth’s orbit and taking the inhabitants of Moonbase Alpha on an unbelievable voyage of discovery and adventure. Under the command of John Koenig (Martin Landau), the Alphans hurtle through the stars, encountering fantastic worlds and beings in a universe where peril awaits at every turn. Together, Koenig and the Alphans face the ultimate challenge in the farthest reaches of space: survive…and find home.
Also starring Barbara Bain as Dr. Helena Russell, Barry Morse as Victor Bergman, and Catherine Schell as Maya, Space: 1999 is a true classic of science fiction television, presented here in a deluxe box set with a galaxy’s worth of special features that fans and newcomers alike will treasure. Strap yourselves in — the journey of a lifetime is about to begin!
About Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory, LLC is a diversified multi-platform media company devoted to producing, uncovering, preserving and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their entire careers sharing their music, television and film favorites with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s entertainment offerings serve up feature films, classic and contemporary TV series, animation, live music and comedy specials. In addition, Shout! Factory maintains a vast entertainment distribution network which delivers culturally relevant programming, movie and audio content to all the leading digital service providers in North America and across multiple platforms. Shout! Factory owns and operates Shout! Studios, Scream Factory, Shout! Factory Kids, Shout! Factory Films, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Timeless Media Group and Shout! Factory TV. These riches are the result of a creative acquisition mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. Shout! Factory is based in Los Angeles, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit shoutfactory.com.
