Episode Guide

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Earthbound

Representatives from a dying planet land on the moon. Their spacecraft has been programmed to take them to Earth. Is this an opportunity for key Moonbase personnel to return to Earth? Commander Koenig is faced with unexpected drama.

Background

• Script undated. Filmed 15th March to 1st April 1974
• Keith Wilson: I had a little problem with Christopher Lee on Earthbound. In the first series, l had more of a total control over the make-up, the hair, the costume, particularly with our aliens. I would always design the alien, in whatever form, even if it was Christopher Lee. I designed his out of it, and of course, when creating an alien like this, you're designing the makeup as well, so I would work with the make-up and hair departments. We built his nose up, I wanted it absolutely straight, but he didn't want this, he was not happy about having this on his face. And after the first day's shooting, they removed the make-up, and it took the skin off his nose!
• When Zantor stands up in the Kaldorian ship, he stands on an apple box so he towers over Koenig and the other Alphans. (Christopher Lee is 6 foot 4 inches tall; all the Kaldorians were supposed to be over 6 foot 6 inches tall).

SFX

• The Kaldorian ship was built by Space Models in two sizes. It is a relatively basic model, with a simple shape unlike the intricate and well-worn Martin Bower designs seen later. The SFX crew called it the "humming top". The landing reveals how difficult it was to film. The design is similar to the spaceship in the 1982 Spielberg film "E.T." In September 2009, the large model sold on an ebay auction for £2052.
• A number of publicity shots showing the ship in the Eagle hangar were taken; the high angle usually shows the distant Eagles are cardboard cut-outs. In the episode the views are from a low angle and look more convincing.
• Perhaps because it was the first alien spaceship of the series it was made into a tiny die-cast toy by LJN Road Stars.

Music

There is no new music for this episode.

Science

• Alpha has sensors that detect life signs. How?
• "Activate gravity control and atmosphere." Obviously the Eagle pod can extend an artificial gravity field. If the interior of the Kaldorian ship is at ambient gravity, why doesn't Simmonds float when he is encased at the end of the episode?

Continuity

Chronology:

• This episode is definitely pre-Another Time, Another Place as it is stated "We're not even sure the Earth still exists." But did the Kaldorian ship follow the Moon through the Black Sun? If 2074 is 75 years in the future, it is still 1999.

Alpha Personnel:

1 left Alpha: Simmonds (presumably deceased).

• There is a guard called Tony- but he is played by Tony Allyn, not Tony Anholt (he appears in most Year 1 episodes, but this is the only time he is named).

Alpha Technology:

• Victor uses a hairdryer-like instrument to scan the Kaldorian ship hull. Presumably it is supplying data to Kano's Spectro X analysis.
• Simmonds uses a stun gun with a piece of black tape over the middle. Possibly this is to disguise a damaged prop in close ups.
• This is the first episode to lose the steps up the viewports in Main Mission.
• The nuclear power station is the same set as the Main Power Unit in Black Sun- actually a revamp of Koenig's office.
• We briefly see a gravity tower.
  

Eagles:

Eagle 1 (Alan, Rescue); 2 (Rescue). The first appearance of the red striped pods. There is a rare view of the docking tube, which uniquely has a corrugated seal. A winch pod is seen in the Eagle hangar.

Planets: None. We learn about the dying planet Kaldor. Aliens: Kaldorians

Props:

• In the Eagle vacuum chamber, Koenig is holding the geiger counter seen in Breakaway (now with leads attached).

Footage:

• This is the first episode to feature a shot of Barry Morse in the titles.

Errors

Observations

• The first "big name" star, Christopher Lee. Also a change in story direction, from science fiction mysteries to relatively straightforward storytelling with a twist at the end.
• The Kaldorians in their multi-coloured kaftans and pacificist philosophy seem to be intended to be space hippies- perhaps wisely the episode shows them aloof and dignified, although a little cold (Zantor's attraction to Helena is suggested in the vaguest possible terms.)
• A reprise role for Simmonds, last seen in Breakaway.
• How did Simmonds get his stun gun? One explanation (from Chris Moore) is that Koenig's commlock gives access to areas where guns are stored, such as an Eagle or armoury.
• In February 1993 to promote the UK video release of this episode, Christopher Lee appeared on The Little Picture Show and was interviewed by Mariella Frostrup about the episode (Transcript here).
• During filming of this episode, a special "fake" scene was shot in Main Mission, with Sandra, Paul and Simmonds. The scene was a set-up to surprise Roy Dotrice, the subject of an episode of This Is Your Life (20 March, 1974).

Merchandise:

As the first episode featuring an alien spaceship, the Kaldorian ship was widely used in merchandising. Christopher Lee's Zantor was also popular.

• This is the only Year One episode not novelised by Orbit/Pocket Books.
• The episode was novelised in I Naufraghi Dello Spazio by Gianni Padoan (AMZ, reprinted by Fanucci in 1999).
• A comic strip version is in Zack 1977-20 (German) and Il Fumetto A Colori Di Spazio 1999 1 (Italian).
• Marx Toys Bagatelle features an image of Zantor.
• One of the Hope jigsaws shows Kaldorian aliens watching astronauts on a screen.
• Kaldorians appear on the cover of the Saalfield Cut and Color Book.
• Kaldorians also appear in a photo on one of the Rainbow greetings cards.
• Captain Zantor was one of the Palitoy figures released in the UK.
• Azrak Hamway (Ahi) often showed the Kaldorian ship on packaging (see the pinball game, and the Stun Ray Gun).
• The Kaldorian ship is seen on one side of the Lunch Box
• A small diecast version of Zantor's ship was produced by Road Stars/ LJN Toys.
• A 6 inch diameter garage kit was made by Small Art Works in 2000
• UK video: ITC volume 10 (1993) (and WH Smith Exclusive Video edition)
• US video: J2 Communications volume 3 (1991), Columbia House volume 4 (1997)
• US laserdisc: Image Entertainment volume 5 (1991)
• France video: Sony Music Video volume 2 (1992)
• Japan laserdisc: Emotion volume 4 (1993)
• US DVD: A&E set 1 volume 2 (2001), video set 2 volume 5 (2001)
• UK DVD: Carlton volume 2 (2001)
• UK DVD: Network (2005)
• UK Blu-ray: Network (2010)
• US Blu-ray: A&E (2010)
• Japan DVD: Pioneer (2001)
• France DVD: TF1 (2002)
• Germany DVD: EMS (2004)
• Germany Bu-ray: Crest (2011)
• Italy DVD: Pulp Video (2003)
• Italy DVD: Collector's Edition Mondo Home (2007)
• Italy DVD: Newspaper promotion La Repubblica (2007)
• Portugal DVD: Prisvideo (2003)
• Australia DVD: Magna Pacific (2003)
• Sweden DVD: Noble Entertainment (2009)
• Spanish DVD: Producciones JRB (2003)

Links

• Images
• High definition images
• This Episode images
• Transcript Copyright Martin Willey
• More observations
• Kaldorian ship model photos
• Critics comments Chris Bentley, Anthony McKay, John Kenneth Muir et al
• Keith Wilson concept art of Zantor
• Library Special Effects

External Links