The Catacombs The Production Guide
Titles and Credits
by Martin Willey

Year 2 Titles

Year 2 titles
  • "September 13th, 1999.
  • A massive nuclear explosion... Cause: human error!
  • The Moon is torn out of Earth orbit and hurled into outer space-
  • Doomed to travel forever through hostile galaxies.
  • And for the beings on Moonbase Alpha, one overriding purpose: Survival."

These were the words that Martin Landau was originally to narrate over the opening titles of the second series of "Space: 1999". The narration was later shortened, appearing on a title page of the script of "The Taybor", dated 13th March 1976, in the following form:

But by the time the episodes were completed, this narration was condensed even more into subtitles printed over the title sequence (the typing of the letters echoed the teleprinter that performs a similar function in the titles of Anderson's previous series, UFO). The text was printed in yellow at the bottom of the screen; at a second line the first line scrolled up. The titles were somewhat shorter than in Year 1 (just 43 seconds), and emphasised movement and frantic pace in every shot. The titles appeared as follows (there is a slightly different version of the titles on an early print of The Metamorph; the only differences are in the Landau and Bain credits, noted below).

Seconds Scene
0.

A spectacular nebula with bright stars is bottom left. A small blue-red world, upper centre, and a larger red planet, right, move rapidly to the right.

The nebula is the remnants of the supernova in Into Infinity. It also appears in The Metamorph and The Beta Cloud.

 Year 2 titles
2. A low view of the base, with a launch pad in foreground, and an Eagle (front windows illuminated) rising overhead and over the camera.
  • The text "Moonbase Alpha" is typed out at the bottom of the screen.
Year 2 titles Year 2 titles Year 2 titles
4. As in the Year 1 titles, a chain reaction of explosions races over the lunar surface towards camera.
  • Text: "Massive Nuclear"
 Year 2 titles
6. Again, also from the Year 1 titles, the halo of light rises over a wide shot of the base.
  • The text now reads "Massive Nuclear Explosion"
Year 2 titles Year 2 titles
7. Streaks of a starry nebula are lower left, the Earth (in first quarter) lower right. The Moon, from a centre left position, moves in jerky movements round and up to top right. Text reads:
  • "Moon Torn Out Of
    Earth Orbit..."
Year 2 titles Year 2 titles
11. The hazy pink "space warp" effect (originating from bottom right) filling the screen as the small Moon shrinks into it. Text appears:
  • Hurled Into Outer
    Space..."
 Year 2 titles
15. A fast track right to left over the Command Centre computer panels. The message "Red Alert" flashes in pink over this (reflected on glass at an angle, so that it slopes somewhat like the series logo). Year 2 titles
16.

The Command Centre computer panels are now beyond, a desk in foreground, with Koenig sat in his chair with his back to us. He spins round in his chair and stands, leaning on the desk and firing his stun gun to the left. He wears his black jacket; the stun gun beam is green.

In the early print of The Metamorph, the stun gun beam is yellow, and does not reach fully across the screen when the picture freezes for the caption.

  • The caption "Martin Landau" appears in yellow top left.
Year 2 titles Year 2 titles Year 2 titles
20. Close on the Command Centre double doors, with the "A" symbols, and the sign "Life Support Centre" printed on them. They open to the corridor beyond (the Alpha map is seen opposite) as Helena strides purposefully in.
Year 2 titles Year 2 titles Year 2 titles
23. A very soft focus close up of Helena, from neck up, tracking her as she strides down a Moonbase corridor (towards near right) with a worried expression on her face. She wears no jacket.
  • Caption appears top left: "Barbara Bain".
In the early print of The Metamorph, the caption says "starring Barbara Bain".		 Year 2 titles Year 2 titles
26.

Low shot of Moonbase Alpha, similar to the second scene with a launch pad in foreground. In immediate foreground, however, are more buildings: a wall with parked moonbuggy left, some lighted windows right. We close onto the base. From right the series logo moves into the picture over the base: "Space: 1999" in yellow.

Year 2 titles Year 2 titles Year 2 titles
31.

Extreme close up of Maya's right eye. She blinks; cut to closer shot. Superimposed over her pupil are a series of head shots of animals: first an alsatian dog, then a kestrel, then a tiger. Maya's head and shoulders then appears in the pupil and we close on that, with the caption "also starring Catherine Schell" appearing left at thirty six seconds.

Year 2 titles Year 2 titles Year 2 titles Year 2 titles Year 2 titles Year 2 titles
 Year 2 titles
39.

The right of the screen is occupied by the hemisphere of the Moon, rotating rapidly, mostly in darkness apart from the horizon. On left appears the caption "a Gerry Anderson production".

Year 2 titles Year 2 titles

In contrast to the five or six sets of "in show credits" of the first series, Year 2 featured 13 or more sets of credits. After the episode title, the main supporting cast appeared under a "featuring" credit. Tony Anholt is credited even in "Devil's Planet" in which he did not appear. Nick Tate and Zienia Merton were also credited as "featuring". Then the "guest stars" were listed, followed by 6 production credits promoted from the end titles: "production executive Reg Hill", "associate producer F. Sherwin Green", "technical director David Lane", "lighting cameraman Frank Watts" (or Brendan Stafford), "production designer Keith Wilson" and "special effects designed and directed by Brian Johnson". At last the "writer" and "director" credits appeared.

End credits

Menu

Space: 1999 copyright ITV Studios Global Entertainment
Page copyright Martin Willey