Breakaway
Convention
9/10-13/1999

These are many of the little and big things that formed the event we call Breakaway: The Convention. For four days, several stars, a writer, a producer, and lots of fans of Space: 1999 came together to share our mutual memories and interest in a powerful but sadly often overlooked series.

Few days in ''fictional history'' have been celebrated with such a grand gathering in real history, and besides my own personal report, I wished to contribute a perhaps unique tribute to those four days when so many things happened which we would hate to ever forget.

I thought that given how special these four days were to us, the tribute should be given form out of the digits of those dates. Hopefully this is not an exercise in silliness, but a way that will give a unique structure to the moments that have passed into memories.

(NOTE: There is no particular order to most items.)

A few quotes and bits of information are derived from "Space: 1999 Breakaway -- The Convention" booklet.

9/10-13/1999 — 9 Wonderful Guests of Honor

1. Barbara Bain ('Dr. Helena Russell')

2. Johnny Byrne (Script Writer and Editor)

3. Fred Freiberger (Producer)

4. Prentis Hancock ('Paul Morrow')

5. Zienia Merton ('Sandra Benes')

6. Barry Morse ('Professor Victor Bergman')

7. John Muir (Author of Exploring Space: 1999)

8. Anton Phillips ('Dr. Bob Mathias')

9. Nick Tate ('Alan Carter')

9/10-13/1999 — 10 Course-Shaking Surprises

(More or less in the order they occured or appeared.)

1. At least 300 Alphans attended! A very appropriate number.

2. The huge Command Center set that served as the backdrop in the Con's main room, spanning virtually the entire width of that wall, and scaling right up to the top! It was a fan-produced set, complete with lit signs, four computer monitors showing Alphan symbology, doors, wall panels, computer panels, blinking lights, etc. It was created for a party I never heard about, just one or two years ago, and was completely stunning and tone-setting.

3. Jerry Scott and Catherine Bujold get engaged, at the convention, on the hotel's Terrace, at the 13th minute of the 13th day of September, 1999. Announced minutes later at the dance, by... Johnny Byrne!

4. Prentis donating his actual commlock prop, from the series, to a special charity auction. High bid? $1999, of course!

5. Fred Freiberger makes a surprise guest visit. He was treated with respect, and sitting with his friend Johnny Bryne, makes a few things clear: a second year would not have happened without his changes; if the series had been picked up by a network and not suffered problems, he would not have changed things during the second year.

6. ''Message From Moonbase Alpha'' — A truly stunning surprise was this five to ten minute video short story written by Johnny and performed by Zienia (in uniform, in character, and on an Alphan set), along with others' contributions. The script (signed by Johnny and Zienia) was put up for auction, and fetched $2500!

7. Ellen Lindow announcing she is planning to head up a Con next year. What was she thinking? Just kidding, great idea!

8. The Command Center set was *donated* to the Con, by Chuck Conner, not only for display, but for auction! Would someone have or find the nerve and resources to be able to ship and store the massive set? Still some lucky soul decided it could be done, and successfully bid on it. Maybe it will make another appearance at a future con, but at least it didn't go to the scrap heap like so many of the original sets and props did.

9. About $24,000 was raised to two charities close to the heart of Space: 1999
   • Research working towards a cure for Parkinson's Disease, which Sydney Sturgess, Barry's wife, suffered from for many years before passing away shortly after Breakaway.
   • BookPals, a project of Barbara Bain's, in which people read to children in the hopes of bringing out and encouraging their own interest in reading.

10. The Moon is still in orbit.

9/10-13/1999 — 13 Types of Events

1. Opening Ceremonies (w/Barry, Nick, Zienia, Johnny, Anton, and Prentis)

2. Guest Star Q&A's (Barry, Nick, Zienia, Johnny, Anton, Prentis, and Fred)

3. Autograph Sessions

4. Additional Talks (Johnny Byrne, John Muir, The Mars Society, Franklin Ruehl)

5. Video Screenings

6. Debates, Games

7. Dealers Room

8. Collectibles Room

9. Auctions (the set piece, art, and merchandise)

10. Fan Club meetings

11. Special Events (the reception/mixer, "Love Letters" played by Barry and Barbara, Breakaway Ball, Breakaway Brunch)

12. Unscheduled Fun Stuff

13. Closing Ceremonies

9/10-13/1999 — 1 Place in Space

• Radisson West, Culver City, Los Angeles County, California, United States, North America, Earth, (well, you get the idea :-)

(If you don't know the Place in Time by now... :-)

9/10-13/1999 — 9 Sad Things

Sorry, but as Johnny would surely point out, there is little true perfection in the universe, and a brief reminder of how we must often work hard to bring out the best in imperfect substance.

1. Scheduled guest star Martin Landau could not make it, and Barbara Bain could only appear for a short period.

2. Other potential guests of honor had to decline earlier on, or could not be contacted.

3. A couple of long-standing fans and convention organizers, Mare Fitzgerald and Jeff Jones, could not attend.

4. Not every fan was able to attend.

5. All those who helped create the series, who have passed on: Maxine Audley, Tony Barwick, Peter Cushing, Lynne Frederick, Lord Lew Grade, Cassandra Harris, Margaret Leighton, Thom Keyes, Anthony Nicholls, Gerry Sundquist, Jill Townsend, Patrick Troughton, Frank Watts; and, one day after Breakaway, Charles Crichton.

6. ''Eagles fly forever (or at least until their fuel runs out)'' -- Kevin Peterson
   (Kevin, a dedicated fan, passed away seven years before Breakaway.)

7. Seeing the Command Center set disassembled, resting against the walls.

8. Having to... break away... from Breakaway.

9. Eighteen days after Breakaway, Sydney Sturgess, Barry's wife of sixty years, passed away in her sleep after a fifteen year battle against Parkinson's Disease.

9/10-13/1999 — 99 Wonderful Details

A variety of items in no particular order at all. Surely more details were missed, but this should capture a lot of the small stuff.

1. A card is signed for Sydney Morse, and other gifts are also given to Barry for him to take to her.

2. The Piri Tree sitting in the Foyer and later in Command Center.

3. Alphan quotes posted on the walls. (I wonder if any of the hotel staff wondered, Who are these lunatics? :-)

4. The international crowd. Among all the attendees and guests of honor, people came from: Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. That's at least ten countries; I doubt more than a few SF-related conventions can say that!

5. Memorabilia display, including Keith Wilson's pre-production art.

6. Jon Stadter's wonderful "Black Sun" and "Psychon" art.

7. Robert Ruiz's collection of Alphan furnishings.

8. A great hotel with excellent facilities, fine service, fine food, good location, and a 'Margaret'-haunted elevator.

9. The Dealer's Room. Plenty of stuff to salivate over, so much so that the room got very crowded early on.

10. The Breakaway Ball overall, and then in specific:

11. Popping Balloons, echoing Breakaway.

12. Attending the ball: Several uniformed Alphans, Maya, spacesuited Alphans, a Caldorian, Alphans clad in sleep or patient outfits, Captain Scarlet.

13. Chris Paulsen for wearing no fewer than *three* exceptional outfits (a hilarious mega-afro and sunglasses that spelled out "1999", a terrific homemade spacesuit, and finally a yellow-sleeve uniform).

14. The excellent choice of music selections.

15. Everyone else in attendance at the Breakaway Ball.

16. Auctioning dances with several of the guests of honor. These weren't any $10-25 final bids, either.

17. All of the artwork, some in auction, some display -- all great!

18. Genuine bottled Piri Water. (Think about it :-)

19. Walking into the MiST: Year Two meets MST3K in the late night hours after closing ceremonies. Some people just couldn't give it up, and even this Y2 fan loved participating. Now if only we could have pulled up (i.e. down) Full Circle for fair measure. :-)

20. Catherine Schell audio interview.

21. Corey LeChat's costume collection on display in the memorabilia room.

22. Fanderson's Kindred-produced "Space: 1999 Documentary" (Special Edition).

23. Mars Society presentation.

24. ''We're all aliens, until we get to know each other.'' And we were all people as well, including the guests. No 'here are the gods, the dirt shall first bow down, then buy merchandise after the gods are whisked away in limos' at the Breakaway Convention. (Well, Barbara was on a tight schedule, but that's beside my point :-) All of the guests who were there for the whole Con did a lot of mingling with the attendees.

25. ''Love Letters'' — Barbara Bain and Barry Morse performing together again for the first time in 25 years. Wonderful play, and they worked so well together (after what I hear was some fast and furious rehearsal).

26. Breakaway Brunch with the stars.

27. Matching faces to names of fellow fans, in many cases for the first time after years of written or online interaction.

28. Sitting on the Terrace or in the Foyer or at the Garden restaurant, sometimes with the guests, talking about the series and just about anything else, it seems.

29. Roberto Baldassari's new Eagle cutaway posters.

30. Running around trying to find mailing tubes and shipping artwork out. Why is this wonderful? Well, some people at least got some exercise!

31. An item on a message board:
    Lost: The desire to return home.
    If found, please throw it away.
    --
    author unknown

    Barry's energy. If we could have half that when we reach 82...!

    Moonbase Memoirs — fan fiction and art book published by Breakaway: The Convention.

    Some people visiting L.A., or California, or even the U.S. for the first time.

    Some people taking their first airplane flights.

    So many of the guest stars just hanging out with everyone else, on the Terrace or elsewhere. Everyone was just a group of people, enjoying the chance to talk about whatever.

    Picture of the Online Alphans who got to the Con, including Johnny.

    Just how many science fiction conventions end on a Monday?

    Mateo selling the first of his Powys Books, Mary's Monster, by William Latham.

    Dealers selling lots of pictures, many of which aren't commonly seen.

    Surprise boxes up for auction.

    Johnny participating in so many events (opening ceremonies, Q&A, another session, 48 minutes, the brunch).

    Jon 'Mr. Wonderful' Stadter's beautiful airbrush pictures, one of which wins best of show, both of which are auctioned.

    A beautiful Maya poster auctioned.

    Lew Place's Breakaway Convention banner, featuring Roberto Baldassari's convention logo.

    Outakes from the "Space: 1999 Documentary" -- interesting in their own right.

    Seeing old convention friends again.

    Running into the guest stars in the halls or elevators.

    Two Town Mook Super Visual Space: 1999 Guidebooks being auctioned.

    Meals with friends, old and new.

    The "Space: 1999 Breakaway -- The Convention" booklet.

    The hilarious "UFO: 1999" video.

    48 Minutes, the great Space: 1999 debate.

    Kendo demonstration.

    Signing up for a location in Keith Young's Moonbase Alpha diagrams.

    Going a few miles to see the Pacific Ocean.

    Choice of chicken, Mexican, or Italian food nearby.

    "Great Moments in Space" -- another side-splittingly funny video.

    Alphan Pictionary.

    Space: 1999 trivia challenge.

    Barbara Bain showing up for her fan club's meeting.

    The various model ships brought in by model-makers.

    Showing of "Journey to the Far Side of the Sun"

    Bringers of Wonder candles!

    Besides Space: 1999 episodes, other Gerry Anderson series shown.

    Not From Alpha Comedians.

    John Muir analyzing the symbology of names in Space: 1999.

    Martin Landau's Fan Club meeting.

    Showing of Gerry Anderson's "Day After Tomorrow"

    The Alpha Match game.

    Collectors Toy Tour w/Chris.

    Space: 1999 episodes in the Alpha Cinema.

    1975 Gerry Anderson interview.

    Time given for dinner (how many people skipped it anyway? :-)

    The actors remembering the series in mostly fond terms.

    Ellen Lindow's room party that moved downstairs.

    1975 Brian Johnson interview played.

    Cool Moonbase Alpha Visitor Passes.

    No weapons fire in the hallways over Y1 vs. Y2. Just a joke, just a joke! :-)

    Impromptu meals with guests.

    Talking with Johnny Byrne about the past, present, and future.

    The guests remembering so many details about the series, sometimes even by episode name.

    Many older fanzines for sale.

    Other science fiction items for sale in the Dealer's Room.

    Artwork Maya, by Judy Moore, hanging in the Collectibles room.

    A separate silent auction on some original uniforms used in the series, where the group of about half a dozen went for a total of about $3000.

    Getting Johnny's signature on a copy of a favorite script.

    Lists of top music, television, and movies in 1975-1977 (in convention booklet).

    No one disobeyed the "no pictures" order at "Love Letters." :-)

    Jon Stadter taping Q&A sessions for a rapid release onto at-cost video tapes.

    Coming with a 5" high box filled with stuff to donate to the auction, and returning with that same box filled with new stuff.

    After returning home, receiving posters and pictures and other stuff that was mailed instead of taken on a flight.

    People leaving the convention with their interest increased or re-energized.

    Barry about Gerry.

    How great it was to meet everyone.

    "99 Ways to Tell if You're a Really Dedicated SPACE: 1999 Fan" By Terry S. Bowers and Robert Wood (in the convention booklet).

9/10-13/1999 — The Whole Breakaway Convention...

... could not have come about without the convention committee, the guests of honor, and all of the Alphans who made it to this base of operations for four days in 1999.

This event was years in the making, figuratively and literally. Now it has passed through time, from future to present to past. May it be remembered fondly by all.

Written by David Welle, with contributions by Jenny Lobb and Raja Thiagarajan, and additional information and inspiration from information presented to Online Alpha, the Space: 1999 Mailing List.