Catacombs of the Moon
Encyclopedia
"Catacombs of the Moon" is the eleventh episode of the second series of Space: 1999
(and the thirty-fifth overall episode of the programme). The screenplay was written by Anthony Terpiloff
; the director was Robert Lynn
. The original title was 'The Catacombs of the Moon'. The final shooting script is dated 18 May 1976, with amendments dated 26 May, 9 June, 14 June and 17 June 1976. Live-action filming took place Monday, 21 June 1976 through Tuesday, 6 July 1976.
for his dying wife, Michelle.
There is a malfunction; the hyper-nitro charges detonate prematurely and Osgood is caught in the blast. Semi-conscious, he drifts into the latest in a series of recurring nightmare-visions he has been having—where Moonbase Alpha
is destroyed by a raging fire. The visions begin with the same image...Michelle Osgood, lying helpless in a canopy bed
out on the lunar surface. As her husband watches, blazing energy rains down from space and the surrounding Alpha buildings burst into flame. The bed is rapidly encircled by a wall of fire. Unable to move, the frantic Osgood shouts for her to rise and save herself. She struggles, but is too weak. Michelle and the bed are then consumed by the inferno...
When Osgood recovers from this altered state, he learns the team did not find tiranium. Disgusted with this latest failure, he proceeds to the Medical Centre, where Michelle is confined to bed. The geologist barges in, demanding a private visit with his wife. Always a religious man, he has become a fanatic since Michelle's diagnosis of refractory heart disease
. He recounts to her his visions of all Alpha perishing in flame. She will be saved along with him...but only if she has complete and utter faith in him.
As if fulfilling Osgood's prophecy, the Moon
travels into an area of intense heat. Even with full-strength air-conditioning, temperatures in the surface buildings soon average a sweltering 40° Celsius. With instruments unable to determine a cause, John Koenig
takes Eagle One on a reconnaissance mission to locate the source of this 'heat-wave'. After his departure, Helena tests the artificial heart for Michelle—the tenth to date. The Dorfman cardiac prosthesis
, perfected in 1987, was designed to have valves coated with tiranium. However, the Alphans' supply of tiranium is low and none can be spared for this project. Forced to use less-than-adequate substitutes, Helena is battling her own desperation and the cynicism of her collaborator, Doctor Ben Vincent, as attempt after attempt fails.
Osgood joins them, to behold this latest 'miracle of science'. The heart is activated, functions erratically, and fails. Osgood denounces these scientific attempts to give life as blasphemy. After he exits, the doctors debate whether his growing instability is the sign of a breakdown...or, in view of his recent prophetic visions, a more metaphysical influence. Osgood returns to the care unit to visit his now-sleeping wife. At her bedside, he is inspired by the recollection of a past conversation of theirs, where the secular-minded Michelle commented her faith is in their love. After formulating a plan of action, he leaves, convinced he will be her saviour.
From deep space, Koenig checks in. Like Alpha, his instruments record no cause for the ever-rising temperatures. He gives Tony Verdeschi
command authority in his absence (as the ship will soon pass out of communications range). Helena interrupts to plead Michelle's case; all she needs are a few grains of tiranium to complete the heart. Koenig refuses. With the strain placed on life-support by the present emergency, the scarce mineral is more valuable than a single life. Outwardly, Koenig expresses his confidence in Helena and her abilities to find an alternate solution—inside, he is wracked with guilt.
The temperature in Alpha continues to rise, reaching 45° Celsius on Level A. Verdeschi orders all supplies of the heat-sensitive hyper-nitro relocated to the relatively cooler storerooms on the lowest subterranean level. During the transfer, Osgood unexpectedly charges in. The man is obviously distraught and Verdeschi tries to sympathise with his old friend. Obsessed with his role as prophet, Osgood will only discuss his visions. The security chief tries to humour him, but the manic geologist lashes out. He lays out the guards and grabs Verdeschi's sidearm.
A passing Maya
witnesses the scuffle. She transforms into a large Alsatian dog and tears at Osgood's arm with her fangs until he drops the gun. Wounded, the fanatic runs off. Evading the guards, he gains access to an explosives storeroom on another level. Verdeschi stations sentries throughout the Medical Section, figuring the geologist will try to approach his wife. While visiting the patient, he turns on the charm, downplaying Osgood's irrational behaviour to spare the weakening Michelle any further stress. Verdeschi relates the details of his encounter with Osgood to Helena. While doing so, he questions why Osgood was at the A-Level explosives storeroom in the first place and orders Security to place guards around the other storage facilities.
Osgood is discovered in a woman's quarters, bloodied and half-conscious. While conveyed by stretcher team to Medical, he experiences another vision...Michelle, lying in the canopy bed on the lunar surface, surrounded by fire. This time, he can move and tries to run to her aid—but finds himself making no headway. As before, she is too weak to rise and she perishes in the flames...
Helena tests an eleventh model of the Dorfman heart, utilising an alloy that preceded the use of tiranium—with only limited success. As expected, it fails to function for any significant length of time. Despondent, she is called away to casualty reception. There, she finds Osgood, with multiple lacerations on his arm and weak from blood loss. As she examines him, the geologist reveals a belt of explosive charges (stolen from the explosives storage room) strapped around his torso—if he releases the detonator pin gripped in his hand, the charges explode. He allows Helena to bind his wounds, then demands to see Michelle. He intends to flee with her to the catacombs...before Moonbase is destroyed in the coming holocaust.
Knowing that any physical exertion could kill Michelle, Helena begs him not to take her. A new heart is her only salvation and the doctor promises to get tiranium for it. Osgood rejects her heresy, and husband and wife leave the care unit together. In space, Eagle One encounters a dark nebula
. After passing through and out the other side, Koenig and crew make visual contact with the heat source—an enormous disc of super-heated plasma and flaming hydrogen madly spinning around a gravitational centre. The fire-storm is on a trajectory for the Moon, travelling faster than the Eagle
′s maximum speed.
Reversing course, Koenig radios in the horrifying forecast—the plasma-storm will impact on the lunar surface in the vicinity of Alpha. Praying a working heart might make Osgood see reason, Helena makes one last attempt to persuade Koenig to release tiranium. His reply is lost, as storm interference severs communications. She turns to Verdeschi for a decision. He allows her to take what she needs, half-joking that since Osgood's vision of annihilation is coming true, they will have no need for it. When Michelle's hospital name-plate is discovered deep in the caverns, Verdeschi goes underground to hunt for his friends.
Intimately familiar with the catacombs, Osgood manages to keep ahead of the search parties. But his exhaustion combined with Michelle's debilitated condition has them resting too frequently. He removes the belt of explosives for fear of blowing them up by accident. Finally, Osgood is half-carrying, half-dragging his nearly-dead wife and collapses. He slips into the trance-state...Michelle is again trapped in the ring of fire. Osgood wills her to save herself. This time, she rises to her feet, drawing strength from their love. He strides through the flames unharmed and, taking her in his arms, they walk safely out of the inferno...
Heart number twelve is constructed with tiranium-coated valves. The test apparatus is switched on and the prosthesis functions perfectly. Literally crying with relief, Helena calls Verdeschi with the news and implores him to find Michelle. As he proceeds, the cavern is rocked by a tremendous blast; a super-heated plasma flare spun off from the fire-storm has impacted on the surface, setting an Alpha building ablaze. The storm has already passed Koenig's ship and is bearing down on the Moon. Between the heat and the barrage of plasma streams, Moonbase is sustaining considerable damage.
The surface explosions cause rock falls and cave-ins in the catacombs, hindering the search. Verdeschi finally sights the fugitives; when he shouts out the news of the heart, Osgood smashes the security chief's hand-torch
with a well-aimed rock and the couple slips away in the darkness. Osgood's knowledge of the cave network gives him a distinct advantage. To even the odds, Verdeschi calls Maya down into the catacombs. She transforms into a Bengal tiger
and guides the search party through the tunnels with her night-vision.
Michelle can go no further and crumples to the ground. The Maya/Tiger corners Osgood while Verdeschi attends to the girl. A blast brings down the cavern ceiling on top of the would-be prophet. Sending Michelle back with Maya and the guards, Verdeschi begins the long process of digging his friend out from under the rock fall. The girl is rushed to the operating theatre, where Helena performs the procedure under less-than-ideal conditions. In spite of the perfectly-functioning heart, Michelle's condition remains critical. With her husband missing, she has lost the will to live.
When Verdeschi enters the care unit with a stretcher bearing a battered and bloodied Osgood, Michelle's vital signs improve. Husband and wife exchange a loving glance, then Osgood looks ceilingward and declares, ‘It's over.’ In his mind's eye, he sees the plasma fire-storm inexplicably veer away from the Moon and speed off into space.
With the temperature back to normal and damage repairs underway, Helena unwinds by watching Verdeschi manipulate his home-made brewing
apparatus. He toasts the recovery of Mr and Mrs Osgood with a glass of his latest creation. She abstains, musing on the events of the past few days. They speculate if some sort primal intelligence existed in the fire-storm, it could have somehow made contact with Osgood's unbalanced mind. The storm's behaviour could have been influenced by the geologist's subconscious impulses; if so, this communion could also explain Osgood's temporary gift of clairvoyance
.
Eagle One returns and Koenig contacts Helena on touchdown. Welcoming him home, she cheerfully thanks him for the tiranium she used. He is initially surprised by this unexpected confession. Her obvious delight at having saved Michelle's life defuses the situation though, and Koenig returns the smile of the woman he loves.
and draws primarily from the scores of 'The Exiles
' and 'One Moment of Humanity'.
and J. Jeff Jones published in 1977. The authors made minor changes in the story, the most obvious being the two Maya transformation sequences feature decidedly extraterrestrial animals: a long-bodied beast with natural armour plating and trap-like mouth would come to Verdeschi's aid in the explosives storeroom and later, a headless, bipedal bat-creature would use its sonar to navigate the Security team through the darkness of the catacombs. The novel would also give Koenig and Maya more exposure than did the actual shooting script and transformed the character of 'Sahn' into a young Indian man.
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...
(and the thirty-fifth overall episode of the programme). The screenplay was written by Anthony Terpiloff
Anthony Terpiloff
Anthony Terpiloff was an English television screenwriter active in the period 1961-1978. He is particularly known for The Poet Game and his contributions to Gerry Anderson's science fiction series Space: 1999...
; the director was Robert Lynn
Robert Lynn (director)
Robert Lynn was a British film and TV director.He was the son of actor Ralph Lynn.-Selected filmography:* Information Received * Postman's Knock * Victim Five * Coast of Skeletons...
. The original title was 'The Catacombs of the Moon'. The final shooting script is dated 18 May 1976, with amendments dated 26 May, 9 June, 14 June and 17 June 1976. Live-action filming took place Monday, 21 June 1976 through Tuesday, 6 July 1976.
Story
It is 1196 days after leaving Earth orbit, and geologist Patrick Osgood leads a mining team through the network of caves beneath the Alpha complex. Their mission is to find tiranium, the rare mineral which is an essential component of the Moonbase life-support system. Osgood orders an excessive amount of explosive charges deployed around a particular rock formation to hasten the operation. When his team disagrees with this dangerous short-cut, Osgood storms off to do it himself. The tiranium search has personal meaning for the angry geologist—the mineral also has medical applications and is needed to complete an artificial heartArtificial heart
An artificial heart is a mechanical device that replaces the heart. Artificial hearts are typically used in order to bridge the time to heart transplantation, or to permanently replace the heart in case transplantation is impossible...
for his dying wife, Michelle.
There is a malfunction; the hyper-nitro charges detonate prematurely and Osgood is caught in the blast. Semi-conscious, he drifts into the latest in a series of recurring nightmare-visions he has been having—where Moonbase Alpha
Moonbase 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...
is destroyed by a raging fire. The visions begin with the same image...Michelle Osgood, lying helpless in a canopy bed
Canopy bed
A canopy bed is a decorative bed somewhat similar to a four-poster bed. A typical canopy bed usually features posts at each of the four corners extending four feet high or more above the mattress...
out on the lunar surface. As her husband watches, blazing energy rains down from space and the surrounding Alpha buildings burst into flame. The bed is rapidly encircled by a wall of fire. Unable to move, the frantic Osgood shouts for her to rise and save herself. She struggles, but is too weak. Michelle and the bed are then consumed by the inferno...
When Osgood recovers from this altered state, he learns the team did not find tiranium. Disgusted with this latest failure, he proceeds to the Medical Centre, where Michelle is confined to bed. The geologist barges in, demanding a private visit with his wife. Always a religious man, he has become a fanatic since Michelle's diagnosis of refractory heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
. He recounts to her his visions of all Alpha perishing in flame. She will be saved along with him...but only if she has complete and utter faith in him.
As if fulfilling Osgood's prophecy, the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
travels into an area of intense heat. Even with full-strength air-conditioning, temperatures in the surface buildings soon average a sweltering 40° Celsius. With instruments unable to determine a cause, 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:...
takes Eagle One on a reconnaissance mission to locate the source of this 'heat-wave'. After his departure, Helena tests the artificial heart for Michelle—the tenth to date. The Dorfman cardiac prosthesis
Prosthesis
In medicine, a prosthesis, prosthetic, or prosthetic limb is an artificial device extension that replaces a missing body part. It is part of the field of biomechatronics, the science of using mechanical devices with human muscle, skeleton, and nervous systems to assist or enhance motor control...
, perfected in 1987, was designed to have valves coated with tiranium. However, the Alphans' supply of tiranium is low and none can be spared for this project. Forced to use less-than-adequate substitutes, Helena is battling her own desperation and the cynicism of her collaborator, Doctor Ben Vincent, as attempt after attempt fails.
Osgood joins them, to behold this latest 'miracle of science'. The heart is activated, functions erratically, and fails. Osgood denounces these scientific attempts to give life as blasphemy. After he exits, the doctors debate whether his growing instability is the sign of a breakdown...or, in view of his recent prophetic visions, a more metaphysical influence. Osgood returns to the care unit to visit his now-sleeping wife. At her bedside, he is inspired by the recollection of a past conversation of theirs, where the secular-minded Michelle commented her faith is in their love. After formulating a plan of action, he leaves, convinced he will be her saviour.
From deep space, Koenig checks in. Like Alpha, his instruments record no cause for the ever-rising temperatures. He gives 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....
command authority in his absence (as the ship will soon pass out of communications range). Helena interrupts to plead Michelle's case; all she needs are a few grains of tiranium to complete the heart. Koenig refuses. With the strain placed on life-support by the present emergency, the scarce mineral is more valuable than a single life. Outwardly, Koenig expresses his confidence in Helena and her abilities to find an alternate solution—inside, he is wracked with guilt.
The temperature in Alpha continues to rise, reaching 45° Celsius on Level A. Verdeschi orders all supplies of the heat-sensitive hyper-nitro relocated to the relatively cooler storerooms on the lowest subterranean level. During the transfer, Osgood unexpectedly charges in. The man is obviously distraught and Verdeschi tries to sympathise with his old friend. Obsessed with his role as prophet, Osgood will only discuss his visions. The security chief tries to humour him, but the manic geologist lashes out. He lays out the guards and grabs Verdeschi's sidearm.
A passing Maya
Maya (Space: 1999)
Maya is a fictional character who appeared in the second series of the science fiction television program Space: 1999. Played by actress Catherine Schell , Maya was introduced in the second series opener 'The Metamorph'...
witnesses the scuffle. She transforms into a large Alsatian dog and tears at Osgood's arm with her fangs until he drops the gun. Wounded, the fanatic runs off. Evading the guards, he gains access to an explosives storeroom on another level. Verdeschi stations sentries throughout the Medical Section, figuring the geologist will try to approach his wife. While visiting the patient, he turns on the charm, downplaying Osgood's irrational behaviour to spare the weakening Michelle any further stress. Verdeschi relates the details of his encounter with Osgood to Helena. While doing so, he questions why Osgood was at the A-Level explosives storeroom in the first place and orders Security to place guards around the other storage facilities.
Osgood is discovered in a woman's quarters, bloodied and half-conscious. While conveyed by stretcher team to Medical, he experiences another vision...Michelle, lying in the canopy bed on the lunar surface, surrounded by fire. This time, he can move and tries to run to her aid—but finds himself making no headway. As before, she is too weak to rise and she perishes in the flames...
Helena tests an eleventh model of the Dorfman heart, utilising an alloy that preceded the use of tiranium—with only limited success. As expected, it fails to function for any significant length of time. Despondent, she is called away to casualty reception. There, she finds Osgood, with multiple lacerations on his arm and weak from blood loss. As she examines him, the geologist reveals a belt of explosive charges (stolen from the explosives storage room) strapped around his torso—if he releases the detonator pin gripped in his hand, the charges explode. He allows Helena to bind his wounds, then demands to see Michelle. He intends to flee with her to the catacombs...before Moonbase is destroyed in the coming holocaust.
Knowing that any physical exertion could kill Michelle, Helena begs him not to take her. A new heart is her only salvation and the doctor promises to get tiranium for it. Osgood rejects her heresy, and husband and wife leave the care unit together. In space, Eagle One encounters a dark nebula
Nebula
A nebula is an interstellar cloud of dust, hydrogen gas, helium gas and other ionized gases...
. After passing through and out the other side, Koenig and crew make visual contact with the heat source—an enormous disc of super-heated plasma and flaming hydrogen madly spinning around a gravitational centre. The fire-storm is on a trajectory for the Moon, travelling faster than the Eagle
Eagle (Space: 1999)
The Eagle Transporter is a fictional spacecraft and the iconic image of the 1970s television series Space: 1999. The Eagles serve as the primary spacecraft of Moonbase Alpha, which has a fleet of them. The Eagles are primarily used to explore alien planets, defend Moonbase Alpha from attack, and to...
′s maximum speed.
Reversing course, Koenig radios in the horrifying forecast—the plasma-storm will impact on the lunar surface in the vicinity of Alpha. Praying a working heart might make Osgood see reason, Helena makes one last attempt to persuade Koenig to release tiranium. His reply is lost, as storm interference severs communications. She turns to Verdeschi for a decision. He allows her to take what she needs, half-joking that since Osgood's vision of annihilation is coming true, they will have no need for it. When Michelle's hospital name-plate is discovered deep in the caverns, Verdeschi goes underground to hunt for his friends.
Intimately familiar with the catacombs, Osgood manages to keep ahead of the search parties. But his exhaustion combined with Michelle's debilitated condition has them resting too frequently. He removes the belt of explosives for fear of blowing them up by accident. Finally, Osgood is half-carrying, half-dragging his nearly-dead wife and collapses. He slips into the trance-state...Michelle is again trapped in the ring of fire. Osgood wills her to save herself. This time, she rises to her feet, drawing strength from their love. He strides through the flames unharmed and, taking her in his arms, they walk safely out of the inferno...
Heart number twelve is constructed with tiranium-coated valves. The test apparatus is switched on and the prosthesis functions perfectly. Literally crying with relief, Helena calls Verdeschi with the news and implores him to find Michelle. As he proceeds, the cavern is rocked by a tremendous blast; a super-heated plasma flare spun off from the fire-storm has impacted on the surface, setting an Alpha building ablaze. The storm has already passed Koenig's ship and is bearing down on the Moon. Between the heat and the barrage of plasma streams, Moonbase is sustaining considerable damage.
The surface explosions cause rock falls and cave-ins in the catacombs, hindering the search. Verdeschi finally sights the fugitives; when he shouts out the news of the heart, Osgood smashes the security chief's hand-torch
Flashlight
A flashlight is a hand-held electric-powered light source. Usually the light source is a small incandescent lightbulb or light-emitting diode...
with a well-aimed rock and the couple slips away in the darkness. Osgood's knowledge of the cave network gives him a distinct advantage. To even the odds, Verdeschi calls Maya down into the catacombs. She transforms into a Bengal tiger
Bengal Tiger
The Bengal tiger is a tiger subspecies native to the Indian subcontinent that in 2010 has been classified as endangered by IUCN...
and guides the search party through the tunnels with her night-vision.
Michelle can go no further and crumples to the ground. The Maya/Tiger corners Osgood while Verdeschi attends to the girl. A blast brings down the cavern ceiling on top of the would-be prophet. Sending Michelle back with Maya and the guards, Verdeschi begins the long process of digging his friend out from under the rock fall. The girl is rushed to the operating theatre, where Helena performs the procedure under less-than-ideal conditions. In spite of the perfectly-functioning heart, Michelle's condition remains critical. With her husband missing, she has lost the will to live.
When Verdeschi enters the care unit with a stretcher bearing a battered and bloodied Osgood, Michelle's vital signs improve. Husband and wife exchange a loving glance, then Osgood looks ceilingward and declares, ‘It's over.’ In his mind's eye, he sees the plasma fire-storm inexplicably veer away from the Moon and speed off into space.
With the temperature back to normal and damage repairs underway, Helena unwinds by watching Verdeschi manipulate his home-made brewing
Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...
apparatus. He toasts the recovery of Mr and Mrs Osgood with a glass of his latest creation. She abstains, musing on the events of the past few days. They speculate if some sort primal intelligence existed in the fire-storm, it could have somehow made contact with Osgood's unbalanced mind. The storm's behaviour could have been influenced by the geologist's subconscious impulses; if so, this communion could also explain Osgood's temporary gift of clairvoyance
Clairvoyance
The term clairvoyance is used to refer to the ability to gain information about an object, person, location or physical event through means other than the known human senses, a form of extra-sensory perception...
.
Eagle One returns and Koenig contacts Helena on touchdown. Welcoming him home, she cheerfully thanks him for the tiranium she used. He is initially surprised by this unexpected confession. Her obvious delight at having saved Michelle's life defuses the situation though, and Koenig returns the smile of the woman he loves.
Starring
- Martin LandauMartin LandauMartin Landau is an American film and television actor. Landau began his career in the 1950s. His early films include a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest . He played continuing roles in the television series Mission: Impossible and Space:1999...
— Commander John KoenigJohn KoenigJohn 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:... - Barbara BainBarbara BainMillicent Fogel , known professionally as Barbara Bain, is an American actress.-Early life:Bain was born in Chicago. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor's degree in sociology. She moved to New York City, where she was a dancer and high fashion model. Bain studied with...
— Doctor Helena RussellHelena RussellHelena 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....
Guest Stars
- James LaurensonJames LaurensonJames Laurenson is a New Zealand actor, who has performed many classical roles on stage and television.Laurenson was born in Marton, New Zealand...
— Patrick Osgood - Pamela StephensonPamela StephensonPamela Helen Stephenson Connolly is a New Zealand-born Australian clinical psychologist and writer now resident in the United Kingdom. She is best known for her work as an actress and comedian during the 1980s...
— Michelle Osgood
Also Featuring
- Jeffery Kissoon — Doctor Ben Vincent
- Lloyd McGuireLloyd McGuireLloyd McGuire is an English actor who has appeared in film and TV for over 30 years. He was born in Birmingham. He attended Bournville Tech/Grammar School where he excelled in sporting activities but at that stage displayed no obvious interest in drama...
— First Mining Engineer - Brendan PriceBrendan Price-Selected filmography:* The Amorous Milkman * The Sleep of Death * Savage Grace -Television appearances:* Man at the Top* The Sweeney* Doctor Who * Space: 1999...
— First Security Guard - Alan Hunter — Eagle One Co-Pilot (Bill)
- Nova Llewellyn — First Alphan Woman
Uncredited Artists
- Saul Reichlin — Second Mining Engineer
- Karen Ford — Nurse
- Felicity York — Second Alphan Woman
- Robert Reeves — Peter
- Quentin Pierre — Second Security Guard
Music
The score was re-edited from previous Space: 1999 incidental music tracks composed for the second series by Derek WadsworthDerek Wadsworth
Derek Wadsworth was a British jazz trombonist, session musician, composer and arranger....
and draws primarily from the scores of 'The Exiles
The Exiles
"The Exiles" is a science fiction short story by Ray Bradbury. It was originally published as "The Mad Wizards of Mars" in Maclean's on 15 September 1949 and was reprinted the following year by Fantasy Fiction, Inc...
' and 'One Moment of Humanity'.
Production Notes
- 'Catacombs of the Moon' is a 'Helena Double-Up' script and was produced simultaneously along with 'The AB Chrysalis'. Series regulars Barbara BainBarbara BainMillicent Fogel , known professionally as Barbara Bain, is an American actress.-Early life:Bain was born in Chicago. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor's degree in sociology. She moved to New York City, where she was a dancer and high fashion model. Bain studied with...
, Tony AnholtTony AnholtAnthony "Tony" Anholt was a British actor best known for his roles as Security Chief Tony Verdeschi in the second season of Gerry Anderson's television series Space: 1999 , Paul Buchet in The Protectors and as Charles Frere in the highly-successful BBC drama series Howards' Way .Anholt was...
and Zienia MertonZienia MertonZienia Merton is a British actress born in Burma. Her mother was Burmese, and her father half English, half French. She was raised in Singapore, Borneo, Portugal, and England....
carried the majority of the action. Martin LandauMartin LandauMartin Landau is an American film and television actor. Landau began his career in the 1950s. His early films include a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest . He played continuing roles in the television series Mission: Impossible and Space:1999...
's brief scenes were confined to the Eagle command module; his only interaction with Bain occurred via TV monitor in the epilogue. Catherine SchellCatherine SchellKatherina Freiin Schell von Bauschlott is an Hungarian-born actress best known for her work on British televison.Schell rose to fame in various British film and television productions in the 1960s and 1970s...
's two small contributions amounted to a cameo appearance. The episode is set primarily in the standing Alpha sets with moderate filming in the Stage ‘M’ cavern sets originally built for the 'The MetamorphThe 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...
'.
- This episode featured the return of Zienia Merton after a three-month absence; the actress had left the programme after filming 'One Moment of HumanityOne Moment of Humanity"One Moment of Humanity" is the third episode of the second series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by Tony Barwick; the director was Charles Crichton. The original title was 'One Second of Humanity'. The final shooting script is dated 12 February 1976...
' because of her reduced involvement (sometimes only a half-day's work) and her new non-contracted 'day-player' status. Merton recounts that Barbara Bain had telephoned and asked if she would consider meeting with Gerry AndersonGerry AndersonGerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
and Fred FreibergerFred FreibergerFred 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...
to discuss her returning to the series. Bain's motivation was that she and Martin Landau would be on holiday for the majority of the shooting of the uncoming episode ('The Beta CloudThe Beta Cloud"The Beta Cloud" is the fourteenth episode of the second series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by Charles Woodgrove ; the director was Robert Lynn. The final shooting script is dated 11 June 1976...
'). As this would result in a very brief appearance by the series' stars, the Landaus feared long-term fans would be alienated when tuning in and not seeing any familiar faces from the first series. Guaranteed a more involved role in the series (though still no contract), Merton accepted the offer. From this time forward, her character was referred to on-screen only by the diminutive 'Sahn' (sometimes 'Sahn Benes' in script character lists).
- Production on this episode was halted for two days (starting 2 July) when the fire effects used in the Osgood vision sequences got out of hand and the fire brigade had to be called in.
- In the shooting script dated 18 May 1976, Koenig's co-pilot, Bill, was supposed to be Astronaut Bill Fraser. Budgetary limitations led to John Hug's replacement with one-off actor Alan Hunter. Early drafts of the script had Helena and Ben Vincent referring to their prosthesis as the 'Bergman' heart, as it was identical to the mechanical heart implanted in the late Victor BergmanVictor BergmanProfessor Victor Bergman is the name of a recurring character on the UK science fiction television series Space: 1999. The role was portrayed by actor Barry Morse.-Character Biography:...
. One line of dialogue read 'Victor might have lived forever—given the chance.'
Novelisation
The episode was adapted in the second Year Two Space: 1999 novel Mind-Breaks of Space by Michael ButterworthMichael Butterworth
Michael Butterworth is a British author and publisher who has written many novels and short stories, particularly in the genre of science fiction...
and J. Jeff Jones published in 1977. The authors made minor changes in the story, the most obvious being the two Maya transformation sequences feature decidedly extraterrestrial animals: a long-bodied beast with natural armour plating and trap-like mouth would come to Verdeschi's aid in the explosives storeroom and later, a headless, bipedal bat-creature would use its sonar to navigate the Security team through the darkness of the catacombs. The novel would also give Koenig and Maya more exposure than did the actual shooting script and transformed the character of 'Sahn' into a young Indian man.
External links
- Space: 1999 - 'Catacombs of the Moon' - The Catacombs episode guide
- Space: 1999 - 'Catacombs of the Moon' - Moonbase Alpha's Space: 1999 page
| Last produced: "New Adam, New Eve New Adam, New Eve "New Adam, New Eve" is the tenth episode of the second series of Space: 1999 . The screenplay was written by Terence Feely; the director was Charles Crichton. The final shooting script is dated 29 April 1976... " |
List of Space: 1999 episodes | Next produced: "The AB Chrysalis" |
| Last transmitted: "The AB Chrysalis" |
Next transmitted: "Space Warp" |