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Alan Carter (Space 1999)
Encyclopedia
Alan Carter is a fictional character
from the television series Space: 1999
. He was played by Nick Tate
. He is of Australian origin and is in his early thirties.
, Captain Alan Carter was on his fourth tour of duty when the Moon broke away from Earth in September 1999.
Having grown up on a cattle ranch in Australia, Carter's major talents were horsemanship and surfing . Fit and athletic, he was proficient at rugby; he owned the football used in the Australia-Great Britain game Swinton, 1963 with Harrison's signature (his grandfather played on Harrison's team). He claims it was his inability to start a campfire that got him 'drummed out of the Boy Scouts'.
His fondest dream and greatest love was flying. As a teenager he flew his family's private plane. As a young man he joined the Australian Air Force. He joined the space programme in the early 1980s and trained with NASA until the late '80s. Afterwards he became an astronaut in the U.S./Australian Space Co-operation Program (1994). Somewhere at this time, he won the Houston Base boxing championship against friend and fellow Australian astronaut Ken Burdett. Three years later he was the third man to go to Mars and a year after that crewed on a flight to Venus. In 1996, Carter became a member of Moonbase Alpha, having successfully tested the Eagle Transporter and Mark IX Hawk
.
from the orbital Space Dock
. After the probe was launched Carter would receive telemetry and other flight data on Moonbase Alpha. (This same task was performed by now-Commander Koenig during the Ultra Probe
Mission of 1996.) Despite his position on the senior staff, Carter was not informed of the mysterious nature of the astronaut deaths by previous Alpha Commander Gorski in Breakaway
and believed the 'virus infection' cover story until set straight by new Commander John Koenig
.
Carter was the only resident of Moonbase Alpha to be absent when the Moon broke away from Earth; instead he was piloting an Eagle
spacecraft on a high-altitude observatory flight of the nuclear waste dispersal operation. When the nuclear explosion which blasted the Moon out of Earth orbit occurred, Carter decided to return to Alpha rather than chance a trip to Earth.
For the remainder of the series, Carter remains Alpha's Chief Eagle pilot, and he is arguably the best pilot on Moonbase. He tends to be aggressive whenever Alpha is confronted by aliens; he often subscribes to the theory of 'shoot first and ask questions later' (i.e. Alpha Child, War Games
, The Last Enemy, Space Brain). He is utterly loyal to Commander Koenig. He considers himself close with all the men under his command, referring to them as his 'mates' on several occasions (i.e. Guardian of Piri, Space Brain). Carter's heroics save Moonbase Alpha on a number of occasions: in the episode "Collision Course
", Carter risks his life to destroy an asteroid with a nuclear weapon before it can collide with Moonbase.
In terms of personality, Carter is initially gruff, excitable, and sometimes abrasive and argumentative during the early part of Series One. He displayed proficiency in unarmed combat in several episodes, no doubt acquired during his military service. In the episode "Missing Link
", Alan displayed a rare instance of losing his temper to the point of physical violence against his comrades when attempting to prevent Medical staff from turning off Commander Koenig's life support equipment. Later on, he becomes more easy going, quick with a joke and displaying an eye for the ladies, especially fellow Main Mission staffer Tanya Alexander
, with whom he seems to have a casual relationship for most of Series One.
The character was originally conceived as Italian and would have been named Alphonse Catani. This would have satisfied an agreement with Italian studio RAI (who partially financed the first series) of featuring Italian actors in prominent roles. Actor Giancarlo Prete (who would later portray Alpha botanist Dan Mateo in The Troubled Spirit
) was cast, but was unwilling to commit to the scheduled twelve-month shoot in England. (It ultimately took fifteen months to complete the series' principal photography.) Nick Tate, who had been hired to play Eagle Shuttle Pilot Collins, in Breakaway
, was 'promoted' and the character rewritten to suit Tate's Australian origins.
and The Mark of Archanon
. (Note that Carter had been heard to sing 'Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag' in the first series episode Death's Other Dominion, but this was to keep him conscious during hostile blizzard-like conditions.) An affection for children noted in Year One's Alpha Child was expanded upon when he bonded with the teenaged Archanon boy Etrec.
Always on excellent terms with his fellow Alphans, Carter was now on a first-name basis with John Koenig
and Helena Russell
. He and Tony Verdeschi
seemed to have a 'best-mates' relationship and he was also friendly with Joe Ehrlich and Jack Bartlett, the two nuclear physicists who, with Carter, comprised the Radioactive Monitoring Team. Still with a healthly eye for the ladies (as evidenced in New Adam New Eve, The Bringers of Wonder and The Seance Spectre
), Carter's only real romance in Series Two was a brief encounter with the beautiful Croton ship captain Sahala in Dorzak. (One can only hope that a potential assignation with a jellyfish alien in the guise of Earth vamp Diana Morris in The Bringers of Wonder did not occur!)
In this series, Carter continued to display his considerable skill in unarmed combat. More than one alien menace was poleaxed by the astronaut. He was seen to assume command of Alpha in several episodes (New Adam New Eve and Space Warp
).
Originally intended to be cut from the series by Fred Freiberger
and replaced with another Chief Pilot character named, at first, Gary Wolusky, then Mark Macinlock, Nick Tate
was noted as receiving the most fan mail so he was asked to return a mere two weeks before shooting started on The Metamorph
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the television series Space: 1999
Space: 1999
Space: 1999 is a British science-fiction television series that ran for two seasons and originally aired from 1975 to 1977. In the opening episode, nuclear waste from Earth stored on the Moon's far side explodes in a catastrophic accident on 13 September 1999, knocking the Moon out of orbit and...
. He was played by Nick Tate
Nick Tate
Nicholas John "Nick" Tate is an Australian actor best known for his role as Eagle pilot Alan Carter in both seasons of the 1970s science fiction television series Space: 1999, as well as for playing the role of Gordon Hamilton's errant brother James in the 1980's soap opera "Sons and...
. He is of Australian origin and is in his early thirties.
Character biography
Head of the Reconnaissance Section and the chief Eagle pilot of Moonbase AlphaMoonbase Alpha
Moonbase Alpha is a fictional moon base and the main setting in the science fiction television series Space: 1999.-Moonbase Alpha:Located in the Moon crater Plato and constructed out of quarried rock and ores, Moonbase Alpha is four kilometres in diameter and extends up to one kilometre in areas...
, Captain Alan Carter was on his fourth tour of duty when the Moon broke away from Earth in September 1999.
Having grown up on a cattle ranch in Australia, Carter's major talents were horsemanship and surfing . Fit and athletic, he was proficient at rugby; he owned the football used in the Australia-Great Britain game Swinton, 1963 with Harrison's signature (his grandfather played on Harrison's team). He claims it was his inability to start a campfire that got him 'drummed out of the Boy Scouts'.
His fondest dream and greatest love was flying. As a teenager he flew his family's private plane. As a young man he joined the Australian Air Force. He joined the space programme in the early 1980s and trained with NASA until the late '80s. Afterwards he became an astronaut in the U.S./Australian Space Co-operation Program (1994). Somewhere at this time, he won the Houston Base boxing championship against friend and fellow Australian astronaut Ken Burdett. Three years later he was the third man to go to Mars and a year after that crewed on a flight to Venus. In 1996, Carter became a member of Moonbase Alpha, having successfully tested the Eagle Transporter and Mark IX Hawk
Mark IX Hawk
The Mark IX Hawk is a fictional spacecraft in the Space: 1999 television series. They are apparently designed specifically for combat, and are fast, maneuverable, and well-armed...
.
Series one
At the time of the Moon's breakaway from Earth in September 1999, Alan Carter's main responsibility was co-ordinating the launch of the Meta ProbeMeta Probe
The Meta Probe was a fictional spacecraft in the Space: 1999 episode "Breakaway", it appears in just a few scenes of this pilot episode.-Mission Profile:...
from the orbital Space Dock
Space Dock (Space: 1999)
The Space Dock was a fictional space station in the television series Space: 1999 . Referred to simply as the Space Dock it is also called the Meta Probe Launch Platform in "Breakaway" and the Interplanetary Space Station in "Dragon's Domain" episodes of the series...
. After the probe was launched Carter would receive telemetry and other flight data on Moonbase Alpha. (This same task was performed by now-Commander Koenig during the Ultra Probe
Ultra Probe
The Ultra Probe was a fictional spacecraft in the Space: 1999 episode "Dragons Domain".A long-range explorer ship, the Ultra Probe was designed to take a crew of four to the planet Ultra, which had been discovered by Professor Victor Bergman in 1994...
Mission of 1996.) Despite his position on the senior staff, Carter was not informed of the mysterious nature of the astronaut deaths by previous Alpha Commander Gorski in Breakaway
Breakaway (Space: 1999)
"Breakaway" is the first episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by George Bellak ; the director was Lee H. Katzin. Previous titles include 'Zero-G', 'The Void Ahead' and 'Turning Point'. The final shooting script is dated 22 November 1973...
and believed the 'virus infection' cover story until set straight by new Commander John Koenig
John Koenig
John Koenig is a fictional character from the television series Space: 1999. He was played by Martin Landau. He is American, apparently in his early forties.-Character Biography:...
.
Carter was the only resident of Moonbase Alpha to be absent when the Moon broke away from Earth; instead he was piloting an Eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
spacecraft on a high-altitude observatory flight of the nuclear waste dispersal operation. When the nuclear explosion which blasted the Moon out of Earth orbit occurred, Carter decided to return to Alpha rather than chance a trip to Earth.
For the remainder of the series, Carter remains Alpha's Chief Eagle pilot, and he is arguably the best pilot on Moonbase. He tends to be aggressive whenever Alpha is confronted by aliens; he often subscribes to the theory of 'shoot first and ask questions later' (i.e. Alpha Child, War Games
War Games (Space: 1999)
"War Games" is the seventeenth episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Christopher Penfold; the director was Charles Crichton. The final shooting script is dated 15 October 1974...
, The Last Enemy, Space Brain). He is utterly loyal to Commander Koenig. He considers himself close with all the men under his command, referring to them as his 'mates' on several occasions (i.e. Guardian of Piri, Space Brain). Carter's heroics save Moonbase Alpha on a number of occasions: in the episode "Collision Course
Collision Course (Space: 1999)
"Collision Course" is the thirteenth episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Anthony Terpiloff; the director was Ray Austin. The final shooting script is dated 13 August 1974...
", Carter risks his life to destroy an asteroid with a nuclear weapon before it can collide with Moonbase.
In terms of personality, Carter is initially gruff, excitable, and sometimes abrasive and argumentative during the early part of Series One. He displayed proficiency in unarmed combat in several episodes, no doubt acquired during his military service. In the episode "Missing Link
Missing Link (Space: 1999)
"Missing Link" is the seventh episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Edward di Lorenzo; the director was Ray Austin. The final shooting script is dated 5 April 1974...
", Alan displayed a rare instance of losing his temper to the point of physical violence against his comrades when attempting to prevent Medical staff from turning off Commander Koenig's life support equipment. Later on, he becomes more easy going, quick with a joke and displaying an eye for the ladies, especially fellow Main Mission staffer Tanya Alexander
Tanya Alexander
Tanya Alexander is the name of a semi-recurring character on the UK science fiction television series Space: 1999. The role was portrayed by German actress Suzanne Roquette.-Character Biography:...
, with whom he seems to have a casual relationship for most of Series One.
The character was originally conceived as Italian and would have been named Alphonse Catani. This would have satisfied an agreement with Italian studio RAI (who partially financed the first series) of featuring Italian actors in prominent roles. Actor Giancarlo Prete (who would later portray Alpha botanist Dan Mateo in The Troubled Spirit
The Troubled Spirit
"The Troubled Spirit" is the nineteenth episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Johnny Byrne; the director was Ray Austin. The final shooting script is dated 11 November 1974...
) was cast, but was unwilling to commit to the scheduled twelve-month shoot in England. (It ultimately took fifteen months to complete the series' principal photography.) Nick Tate, who had been hired to play Eagle Shuttle Pilot Collins, in Breakaway
Breakaway (Space: 1999)
"Breakaway" is the first episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by George Bellak ; the director was Lee H. Katzin. Previous titles include 'Zero-G', 'The Void Ahead' and 'Turning Point'. The final shooting script is dated 22 November 1973...
, was 'promoted' and the character rewritten to suit Tate's Australian origins.
Series two
One of the few characters to return for the second series, Alan mellowed out in these episodes and becomes among the most cheerful and outgoing residents of Alpha; his sense of humor becomes more overt and even breaks into made-up songs (see Journey to WhereJourney to Where
"Journey to Where" is the fifth episode of the second series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by Donald James; the director was Tom Clegg. The final shooting script is dated 18 February 1976, with amendments dated 2 March, 4 March, 11 March, 17 March, 18 March, 22 March and 25 March 1976...
and The Mark of Archanon
The Mark of Archanon
"The Mark of Archanon" is the eighth episode of the second series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by Lew Schwarz; the director was Charles Crichton. The final shooting script is dated 12 April 1976, with amendments dated 21 April, 26 April, 27 April and 28 April 1976...
. (Note that Carter had been heard to sing 'Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag' in the first series episode Death's Other Dominion, but this was to keep him conscious during hostile blizzard-like conditions.) An affection for children noted in Year One's Alpha Child was expanded upon when he bonded with the teenaged Archanon boy Etrec.
Always on excellent terms with his fellow Alphans, Carter was now on a first-name basis with John Koenig
John Koenig
John Koenig is a fictional character from the television series Space: 1999. He was played by Martin Landau. He is American, apparently in his early forties.-Character Biography:...
and Helena Russell
Helena Russell
Helena Russell is a fictional character from the television series Space: 1999. She was played by Barbara Bain. She is American and apparently in her mid-thirties....
. He and Tony Verdeschi
Tony Verdeschi
Tony Verdeschi is a fictional character who first appeared in the second series of the science fiction television series Space: 1999. He is in his early thirties....
seemed to have a 'best-mates' relationship and he was also friendly with Joe Ehrlich and Jack Bartlett, the two nuclear physicists who, with Carter, comprised the Radioactive Monitoring Team. Still with a healthly eye for the ladies (as evidenced in New Adam New Eve, The Bringers of Wonder and The Seance Spectre
The Seance Spectre
"The Seance Spectre" is the twentieth episode of the second series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by Donald James; the director was Peter Medak. The original title was 'The Mutiny'. The final shooting script is dated 16 September 1976...
), Carter's only real romance in Series Two was a brief encounter with the beautiful Croton ship captain Sahala in Dorzak. (One can only hope that a potential assignation with a jellyfish alien in the guise of Earth vamp Diana Morris in The Bringers of Wonder did not occur!)
In this series, Carter continued to display his considerable skill in unarmed combat. More than one alien menace was poleaxed by the astronaut. He was seen to assume command of Alpha in several episodes (New Adam New Eve and Space Warp
Space Warp
Space Warp is a fixed shooter arcade game released by Century in 1983.-Gameplay:The game begin with one single shot ship and by destroying various enemy, it is possible to dock with other ships , until a maximum of 3 docked ships obtaining improved fire ratio....
).
Originally intended to be cut from the series by Fred Freiberger
Fred Freiberger
Fred Freiberger was an American film and television screenwriter and television producer, with a career spanning four decades including The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Star Trek, and Space: 1999...
and replaced with another Chief Pilot character named, at first, Gary Wolusky, then Mark Macinlock, Nick Tate
Nick Tate
Nicholas John "Nick" Tate is an Australian actor best known for his role as Eagle pilot Alan Carter in both seasons of the 1970s science fiction television series Space: 1999, as well as for playing the role of Gordon Hamilton's errant brother James in the 1980's soap opera "Sons and...
was noted as receiving the most fan mail so he was asked to return a mere two weeks before shooting started on The Metamorph
The Metamorph
"The Metamorph" is the first episode of the second series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by Johnny Byrne; the director was Charles Crichton. Previous titles were 'The Biological Soul' and 'The Biological Computer'. The final shooting script is dated 19 January 1976...
.
External links
- Space 1999 Cybermuseum - Moonbase Alpha Technical Notebook Bio Alan Carter
- Space 1999 Catacombs - Character Profile Alan Carter