The Catacombs Episode Guide

Alpha Child

Year 1 - Episode 10

Screenplay by Christopher Penfold
Directed by Ray Austin
Guest Artists Julian Glover, Cyd Hayman
Belgium (Flemish) Het kind van Alpha
Denmark Et Rumbarn Space Child
France/Canada L'enfant d'Alpha The Child Of Alpha
Italy Fiocco azzuro su Alpha Blue Band On Alpha
Japan Bizarre! A Birth of Space Child
Netherlands De basisbaby The Base Baby
Poland Dziecko w Alfie
Portugal A Criança de Alfa Alpha Child
Spain El chico de Alfa

The first baby is born on the moon...but terrifying events follow with an outer space battle between spaceships deciding the fates of hundreds.

Background

  • The original idea was from Gerry Anderson, in discussions with Christopher Penfold. The original story concept was by Edward di Lorenzo. It was rewritten by Christopher Penfold who receives sole credit.
  • Shooting script 19th June 1974. Blue page amendments 1st July. Filmed 8th July - 19th July 1974.
  • Barry Morse took time off during filming the episode and is only in a few scenes.
 Alpha Child

Cast

Commander John Koenig Martin Landau
Doctor Helena Russell Barbara Bain
Professor Victor Bergman Barry Morse
Paul Morrow Prentis Hancock
Alan Carter Nick Tate
Sandra Benes Zienia Merton
David Kano Clifton Jones
Doctor Bob Mathias Anton Phillips
Tanya Aleksandr Suzanne Roquette
Operative Kate Sarah Bullen
Main Mission Operative Raymond Harris
Main Mission Operative Maureen Tan
Main Mission Operative Robert Phillips
Main Mission Operative Mike Stevens
Main Mission Operative Andy Dempsey
Main Mission Operative (Lee Oswald) Loftus Burton
Jackie Crawford Wayne Brooks
Baby Crawford
Joan Conway Rula Lenska
Copilot James Fagan
Medic Vincent Wong
2 nurses
Security Guard (Tony Allan) Tony Allyn
Security Guard Alf Joint
Security Guard (Pierce Quinton) Quentin Pierre
Jarak Julian Glover
Sue Crawford/ Rena Cyd Hayman

Sets

Int. Main Mission
Int. Command Office
Int. Nuclear Generating Area
Int. Victor's Quarters
Int. Medical
Int. Alpha Corridor
Int. Eagle Pilot Section
Int. Airlock
Ext. Moon Surface

Main Mission appears for the first time with green illuminated panels. Previously they had been white. It will remain this way for 15 episodes until it changes in End Of Eternity.

The Nuclear Generating Area is a reused set from Force Of Life.

SFX

  • This is the first episode that Martin Bower provided models for. This was only the second episode to feature alien ships (after Earthbound); subsequent episodes relied heavily on new spaceships.
  • Jarak's ships were in two scales, 1.83m and 0.9m long, made of hardboard steamed over a frame. They were both made in 10 days. The smaller one was sold at Christies in 1995 for £1700.
  • The pursuer's spaceship was an older model by Martin Bower, partially inspired by 2001. It was extended with a central radar dish (made of a Star Trek Enterprise saucer) and landing pads on the sides (on which Jarak's saucers could land).

Click for larger image
Martin Bower design sketch

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(Above) The foreground ship is the 1.83m version; the other one is the 0.9m model. Shots of four ships together were accomplished by filming one model four times, superimposed on the same film.

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Music

Library track: Secret Service "Last Train to Bufflers Halt" by Barry Gray

Science

Continuity

Chronology:

Alpha Personnel:

0 fatalities, but we learn of Jack Crawford's death some time previously. There is one new Alphan: Jackie Crawford		 Alpha Child

Alpha Technology:

  • The nuclear generating area was also seen in Force Of Life.
  • Jackie wears the Commander's black sleeve- which will shortly be apt.
  • The laser blaster ("hand held armour piercing laser") is seen. It is also used in The Last Sunset and The Seance Spectre and is often seen on Eagle weapons racks.
 Alpha Child

Eagles:

Alpha Child

There is a flight of 3 Eagles, unnumbered

When Alan's Eagle drops down to the lunar surface, the passenger pod has grey stripes - it is a repainted Rescue pod. In subsequent episodes the model was weathered so the painted over stripes were less visible.

Planets:

None.

Aliens:

Jarak's people. They do not have human form.

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Footage:

Errors

Alpha Child Alpha Child
In the view of Jackie, Koenig's arm is across the bed. In the view towards Koenig, he sits on the side of the bed.
Alpha Child Alpha Child
The commlocks in these shots are different- the view showing the screen has no picture on the side.		 Alpha Child
When Koenig tells Alan he was incompetent, carpet can be seen under his chair. This was to prevent the sound of chair legs scraping on the floor as he sat down.
Alpha Child
In Medical, Jackie plays with a hyperdermic needle (or the Alphan equivalent).		 Alpha Child
Note the yellow paper at the front of the desk. In the next view, shown alongside, the paper is blue.		 Alpha Child
When the door closes behind Koenig, the original sound of the wooden door rolling on casters can be heard. The opening of the door was replaced by the normal "Alphan" sound, but because Koenig's laugh is heard, the door closing could not be replaced. Thanks to Adrian Cribb.

Observations

  • Julian Glover remembers "Alpha Child was totally ridiculous, but it was good fun to do. I mean, how often do you get the chance to run around in a silver skirt?" (Starlog 52, p40).
  • The idea is derived from Wyndham's Midwich Cuckoos (plus possibly the film The Omen, being filmed at Pinewood at the same time), and older myths of a changeling/devil-child. The beguiling, innocent, vulnerable child is in fact evil.
  • The title is a triple pun- Alpha in the sense of Moonbase Alpha, in the sense of first (the first child on Alpha), and in the sense of dominant individual ("alpha male" in biology).
 Alpha Child

Merchandise:

Links

External Links

Contents copyright Martin Willey