Catacombs Reference Library
Behind The Scenes Film

During the filming of Space: 1999, several film crews visited the studios. In December 1974, the BBC science programme Horizon showed behind the scenes footage of the SFX and a short interview with Brian Johnson. This is now available on DVD (A&E volume 14, Carlton volume 4). More. In October 1975, the ITV children's film programme Clapperboard devoted two half-hour episodes to Gerry Anderson's career, one part of which included interviews with Anderson, on the set of Main Mission, and Johnson at Bray. It was repeated once, in May 1977, in the London area only, A student documentary was made in March 1976, now lost. Behind the scenes footage of the SFX crew was filmed in late June 1976, and an interview with Brian Johnson in July 1976. Both these SFX scenes are available on DVD, with a new commentary by Johnson (Carlton volume 12, A&E volumes 15 and 16). A set of interviews with cast and crew was conducted in August 1976. These are also available on DVD (volume 10 of the Carlton DVDs, and volume 16 and the bonus disc of the A&E DVDs). Gerry Anderson, Fred Freiberger and Barbara Bain are filmed in Pinewood, while Martin Landau, Catherine Schell and Keith Wilson are filmed on the Pinewood lot, filming A Matter Of Balance. The total running time is about 29 minutes. The Landau interview is cut a little oddly; below are some extracts from his comments. The full interviews can be found on the DVDs.

Martin Landau

1999 is only 23 years in the future. We're not out there by choice. Technologically and emotionally, we're not ready to go into deep space.

One of the problems of filming science fiction is not to disappoint. Radio and the literary form allows for more imagination. One of the interesting things about this show is to walk onto a new set that's been built, is not to be disappointed as a performer, and hopefully the audience won't be disappointed as well. It's a fun form, it's an exciting form, and I think it allows for a lot of allegorical aspects which a lot of contemporary drama doesn't permit.

I think they are probably much more exciting than the first series. I think the thing I like best is there is much more humanity written into the series thanks to the addition of Freddie Freiberger into our family. I think there's more humour. I think the first series had a lot of very good things going for it but I think it did lack some of the things I felt were essential to people. For instance, Barbara and I, Dr Russell and I, have a much clearer, adult, physical, emotional relationship, and there's a lot of humour in the relationship. I find that this year for instance the dialogue is not interchangeable. Last year a lot of things could have been said by anybody. I think that particular aspect is good.

There's a lot of cute and funny things. The addition of Catherine Schell as our resident alien, and Tony Anholt, and their relationship is a very interesting one and a fun one. In times of duress, people do summon up humour, and the humour is particular to the people as opposed to being general humour. They're not one-liners thrown in for laughs, there're the kind of thing that come out of people when they're in trouble.