Quote:
Originally Posted by Zane
What was the original premise?
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UFO:1999
Back in 1970 Gerry Anderson did a TV series called UFO, about a secret organization that was trying to prevent aliens from abducting humans (and using their organs for spare parts). The organization SHADO, had a base on the moon where it kept interceptors that tired to shoot down the alien ships. A fleet of submarines with fighters and SSTs that carried laser equipped ground vehicles would also hunt down the aliens.
The series did well in US ratings, and CBS was interested in doing a second series/season. The concept was that the situation would have escalated, and the moonbase expanded so as to try and cut off the aliens before they got to Earth. The interceptors, each of which only fire one shot (but it was a tac nuke) were going to be replaced with newer, better craft (think Eagles and Hawks).
When the ratings of UFO started to slide (not surprising since it was reapting the same 24 episodes over and over, and certain mysteries were never quite solved), CBS pulled out.
At that point the story splits off depending on which source you listen too. Either the remaining backer was opposed to a second series of UFO and was sold on the "lost moon" concept, or someone in the staff mentioned the idea offhanded while they were still working on UFO:1999 and everyone got taken with with idea.
There are quite a few similarities between the two shows, and enough common ground between the two shows to suggest that Space:1999 and UFO take place in the same "universe" and share the same continuity. This is helped a lot by the fact the Gerry Anderson did reuse some stuff from UFO on Space:1999 giving both series an similar look. The Stand SHADO and Moonbase Alpha uniforms are very similar, and the space suits aren''t much different, down to the lack of oxygen tanks. Both series had Barry Gray providing the musical score (at least for one series) so they have a similar feel, too. Generally if you like one series you usually like the other.
Adding more to this. UFO also reused some stuff from a movie Anderson had made called
Doppleganger (or
Journey to the Far Side of the Sun in the US).
Coincidenaly, and somewhat interestingly, Doppleganger featured Roy Thinnes, who has recently starred in the US TV series
The Invaders. It was about a reporter who discovers that aliens from a dying planet are on the planet disguised as humans and attempting to take Earth. That isn't much different from UFO. IN both series matters were complicated by the fact that it was almost impossible to get physical evidence. Alien bodies and equipment would decay on Earth after a short time. It would not be hard to look at the Invaders as occurring in the same universe as UFO.