Missing Link (Space: 1999)
Encyclopedia
"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. Live-action filming took place Monday, 22 April 1974 through Thursday, 9 May 1974, with one day of second-unit filming on 22 July 1974.
travels through a dense planetary cluster, Moonbase Alpha's sensors show the system to be devoid of life. A survey mission for mineral resources is launched, crewed by Victor Bergman
, Sandra Benes
and Alan Carter
, with John Koenig
commanding. Approaching a purple-coloured world, Eagle One is suddenly yanked down by a tremendous force, as if the planet's gravity had increased exponentially. After blasting free, the Commander aborts the mission. While returning to Alpha, the ship experiences a complete systems failure.
Powerless, the Eagle tumbles toward the Moon. As Koenig and company try to regain control, the ship skims over jagged terrain to belly-flop into the deep dust of a large crater. While the ship remains intact, the crew is not as fortunate; a battered Koenig is left sprawled over the controls, forehead gashed and bleeding, his medical wrist-monitor smashed by the impact. As the dust settles at the crash site, the purple planet rises over the lunar horizon...
In Alpha's Medical Section, vital signs are being received from only three of the team; Doctor Helena Russell
agonises over the lack of telemetry from Koenig's monitor. Computer pinpoints the crash site in a crater over one hundred miles from the base and a rescue Eagle is prepared for immediate lift-off. On the lunar surface, Koenig, clad in space gear, is making for Alpha on foot. Spotting the ship as it flies overhead, he tries to attract its attention. When he goes unnoticed, he continues on. On Eagle One, Carter awakens. Seeing the injured Koenig beside him, he feels for and finds a weak pulse. He moves into the passenger module to find Bergman in pain from fractured ribs and Sandra unconscious from head trauma.
Ten minutes later, the Koenig seen walking to Alpha arrives and enters via the west airlock. When he removes his helmet, the viewer can see his forehead is unmarked. Moving into the base, he finds it deserted. In search of Helena, he passes through the darkened corridors leading to the diagnostic unit. The room is empty...except for fleeting, subliminal appearances of an alien man. Moving to the 'scopes displaying the vital signs of the survey team, he is disturbed to see his readings are flat-lined. Sensing movement behind him, he turns and beholds a young woman—who promptly vanishes.
The rescue Eagle arrives at the crash site. After examining the wounded, Helena determines Koenig should not be moved unnecessarily. Carter orders a cargo Eagle dispatched. He plans on separating the command module with Koenig inside and having it carried back to Moonbase. On the deserted Alpha, the uninjured Koenig enters an empty Main Mission. Switching on the big screen, he is startled by the visual of a magnificent alien city of improbable form and dancing light. Then, the room begins spinning around him, ever faster until reality itself seems to blur...
...and he finds himself in a featureless orange void. From a swirling mist of light, an ageless humanoid man (the alien fleetingly seen earlier) appears, welcoming Koenig to the planet Zenno. Unconvinced, the Commander tells the alien that Computer reported this system to be lifeless; the Zenite replies their primitive machine reported that fallacy because he ordered it to. The mind being master of all things, the Zenites have progressed beyond technology. Anything desired can be created with their minds; for instance, the dwelling around them is fashioned from light.
The being finally introduces himself as Raan...and informs Koenig he, too, is human. Raan assures Koenig this is not a dream. He was instantaneously transported to Zenno from the crashed Eagle; his trek across the lunar surface and explorations of the deserted Alpha were illusions. He shows the Commander his wounded doppelgänger being tended by Helena on the real Moonbase. They are joined by Raan's daughter, Vana (the woman briefly glimpsed on the faux-Alpha). Though pleasant, Koenig finds the aliens somewhat lacking in emotion.
When his hosts insist on making Koenig more comfortable, a duplicate of the Commander's quarters on Alpha appears around them. Here, the aliens inform Koenig he is to consider himself a permanent guest. Raan, this planet's foremost anthropologist, wishes to learn about the mind of 'primitive' Earthman firsthand—on Zenno, Koenig is considered the missing link
. A sympathetic Vana later brings him food and suggests he resign himself to the situation. Koenig is appalled, arguing that being held here against his will for scientific research makes him little more than an experimental animal.
The girl, confused by the comparison, insists her father is an ethical scientist. As the Zenites have evolved beyond negative emotions, she promises Koenig he will come to no harm—but he will remain here for the rest of his life. Flinging the food aside, Koenig vows to starve himself to death. Unseen, Raan watches their by-play with interest. After she leaves, the first experiment begins. Koenig awakens in what seems to be Alpha's Medical Centre. Comforted by Bergman's presence at his bedside, he believes the Zenno experience was a dream.
Something is amiss: after telling him Sandra died in the crash, the professor launches into a defeatist diatribe. Startled by the man's uncharacteristic pessimism, Koenig realises the true nature of this experience—then is attacked by a gang of grotesque humanoids, all victims of horrific medical experiments—then is in the centre of a frigid void, strapped in an Eagle pilot seat and covered in cobwebs. He sees Bergman is running toward him, but the older man makes no headway. Koenig screams as he feels himself receding into non-existence...
Afterward, Raan communes with a colleague. He is fascinated by the emotions he has observed, especially the violence. The other Zenite suggests Raan neutralise Koenig's mind, lest the Earthman prove to be a danger. Raan refuses; the subject's actions must be genuine, else the experiments are valueless. Vana again visits Koenig in his 'quarters', concerned for his well being as he continues his hunger strike
. She is obviously attracted to him and he subtly encourages her—secretly hoping that he can use her feelings to his advantage.
In its passage through the Cryton solar system, the Moon is now close to the purple planet Zenno. The Koenig-image's condition is steadily worsening. Desperate, Helena employs a modified electro-convulsive therapy to jolt him out of this inexplicable coma
. The repeated shocks send him into cardiac arrest
, but she manages to resuscitate him. While her staff places him on life-support, Helena privately expresses her despair.
Vana confronts her father, declaring they have no right to exploit Koenig. When asked if she would prefer the Earthman sent back to the Moon, she cannot answer—her burgeoning love clouds her judgement. Sensing Koenig's thoughts on her, she goes to him. She is melancholy and Koenig picks up on her mood. To his surprise, she asks him to stay with her. Touched by her feelings, he replies with a soft, lingering kiss (which may or may not be part of his plan to seduce her). Eavesdropping, Raan is visibly upset by this unexpected turn of events.
Morale on Alpha is at an all-time low as the Koenig-image's life apparently hangs in the balance. Helena sits by his bedside in Medical. Emotionally drained, she has come to the conclusion this may be his time to die. From the next bed, Sandra, recovering from head surgery, pleads with her to wait a while longer before terminating the Commander's life-support.
Koenig and Vana hold each other and gaze upon the Zenno city, contemplating a life together in this perfect world. When Raan interrupts, Vana announces that she and Koenig are to be joined as one. The once emotionless Raan is beside himself at the idea of his daughter in love with what, to him, is essentially a laboratory animal. He asks the Earthman if he dares to span two million years of evolution. Having achieved his goal of creating discord in Raan's household, Koenig is torn. He realises that, over the course of his deception, he has genuinely fallen in love with the Zenite girl. With complete conviction, he voices his intention of staying with Vana.
As the Koenig-image remains comatose, the Alpha community becomes ill-tempered and quarrelsome. Bergman referees a heated discussion between Carter and Paul Morrow
. Without Koenig's leadership, Morrow argues, the base is unravelling; someone must step up and fill the void. Carter proclaims that, as long as he is breathing, Koenig is still the commander. On Zenno, Raan interrupts the lovers by bringing another visitor to his home: Sandra. Vana is distressed by her father's attempts to separate her and Koenig. Raan goes one step further when he tells Koenig his 'image' on Alpha is dying—ending any chance of returning there. He must make a choice now.
Koenig will not abandon his people. Vana pledges to go with him, but he knows she must remain here, in her place and time. She is devastated, but accepts the truth of his words. She dematerialises, beseeching him not to forget her. Raan sees Koenig off, telling him that, despite the failure of his experiment, he did learn something. While Man wallows in emotion, Zenites are straightjacketed by logic. He now believes it is the perfect balance between these opposing poles—‘Heart’ and ‘Mind’—that both their peoples must aspire to attain. Perhaps the legacy of Koenig's visit will be the revival of emotion on Zenno. The scientist then bids Koenig farewell.
Helena has decided. Her love for Koenig will no longer allow her to prolong his suffering. As she reaches to switch off the life-support apparatus, Carter bursts into the diagnostic unit and flings her hand aside. Bob Mathias'
attempt to calm the astronaut leads to an all-out brawl, which ends with Carter pinned against a wall by Security. The assembled staff is respectfully silent as a tearful Helena throws the switch. The machines shut down and the Koenig-image's vital signs flat-line...
...just as the real Koenig seamlessly assumes its place. He shocks everyone by opening his eyes and reaching out to Helena. Dumbfounded, she desperately clutches his hand, grateful for the miracle that has brought him back to her...
score (drawn primarily from 'Breakaway
' and 'Another Time, Another Place
'), a music track from the earlier Gerry Anderson
production Joe 90
, also composed by Gray, was utilised. The electronic-organ composition used as 'Vana's Theme' was a discarded track written by Gray and Alan Willis; it was originally intended to be played over establishing shots of Moonbase Alpha in 'Breakaway' and subsequent episodes. The script specified that the love theme from Richard Wagner
's opera Tristan and Isolde
would play during scenes between Koenig and Vana, but this was never done.
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...
. The screenplay was written by Edward di Lorenzo
Edward di Lorenzo
Edward di Lorenzo is a screenwriter with a cult following among fans of Gerry Anderson's science fiction TV series Space: 1999.He also wrote for series Miami Vice and The Wild Wild West...
; the director was Ray Austin. The final shooting script is dated 5 April 1974. Live-action filming took place Monday, 22 April 1974 through Thursday, 9 May 1974, with one day of second-unit filming on 22 July 1974.
Story
As the MoonMoon
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 through a dense planetary cluster, Moonbase Alpha's sensors show the system to be devoid of life. A survey mission for mineral resources is launched, crewed by Victor Bergman
Victor Bergman
Professor 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:...
, Sandra Benes
Sandra Benes
Sandra Benes is a recurring character in the British science-fiction television series Space: 1999. She is of Western European/Burmese origin and is in her late twenties. Her role was played by actress Zienia Merton.-Character Biography:...
and Alan Carter
Alan Carter (Space 1999)
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.-Character biography:...
, 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:...
commanding. Approaching a purple-coloured world, Eagle One is suddenly yanked down by a tremendous force, as if the planet's gravity had increased exponentially. After blasting free, the Commander aborts the mission. While returning to Alpha, the ship experiences a complete systems failure.
Powerless, the Eagle tumbles toward the Moon. As Koenig and company try to regain control, the ship skims over jagged terrain to belly-flop into the deep dust of a large crater. While the ship remains intact, the crew is not as fortunate; a battered Koenig is left sprawled over the controls, forehead gashed and bleeding, his medical wrist-monitor smashed by the impact. As the dust settles at the crash site, the purple planet rises over the lunar horizon...
In Alpha's Medical Section, vital signs are being received from only three of the team; Doctor 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....
agonises over the lack of telemetry from Koenig's monitor. Computer pinpoints the crash site in a crater over one hundred miles from the base and a rescue Eagle is prepared for immediate lift-off. On the lunar surface, Koenig, clad in space gear, is making for Alpha on foot. Spotting the ship as it flies overhead, he tries to attract its attention. When he goes unnoticed, he continues on. On Eagle One, Carter awakens. Seeing the injured Koenig beside him, he feels for and finds a weak pulse. He moves into the passenger module to find Bergman in pain from fractured ribs and Sandra unconscious from head trauma.
Ten minutes later, the Koenig seen walking to Alpha arrives and enters via the west airlock. When he removes his helmet, the viewer can see his forehead is unmarked. Moving into the base, he finds it deserted. In search of Helena, he passes through the darkened corridors leading to the diagnostic unit. The room is empty...except for fleeting, subliminal appearances of an alien man. Moving to the 'scopes displaying the vital signs of the survey team, he is disturbed to see his readings are flat-lined. Sensing movement behind him, he turns and beholds a young woman—who promptly vanishes.
The rescue Eagle arrives at the crash site. After examining the wounded, Helena determines Koenig should not be moved unnecessarily. Carter orders a cargo Eagle dispatched. He plans on separating the command module with Koenig inside and having it carried back to Moonbase. On the deserted Alpha, the uninjured Koenig enters an empty Main Mission. Switching on the big screen, he is startled by the visual of a magnificent alien city of improbable form and dancing light. Then, the room begins spinning around him, ever faster until reality itself seems to blur...
...and he finds himself in a featureless orange void. From a swirling mist of light, an ageless humanoid man (the alien fleetingly seen earlier) appears, welcoming Koenig to the planet Zenno. Unconvinced, the Commander tells the alien that Computer reported this system to be lifeless; the Zenite replies their primitive machine reported that fallacy because he ordered it to. The mind being master of all things, the Zenites have progressed beyond technology. Anything desired can be created with their minds; for instance, the dwelling around them is fashioned from light.
The being finally introduces himself as Raan...and informs Koenig he, too, is human. Raan assures Koenig this is not a dream. He was instantaneously transported to Zenno from the crashed Eagle; his trek across the lunar surface and explorations of the deserted Alpha were illusions. He shows the Commander his wounded doppelgänger being tended by Helena on the real Moonbase. They are joined by Raan's daughter, Vana (the woman briefly glimpsed on the faux-Alpha). Though pleasant, Koenig finds the aliens somewhat lacking in emotion.
When his hosts insist on making Koenig more comfortable, a duplicate of the Commander's quarters on Alpha appears around them. Here, the aliens inform Koenig he is to consider himself a permanent guest. Raan, this planet's foremost anthropologist, wishes to learn about the mind of 'primitive' Earthman firsthand—on Zenno, Koenig is considered the missing link
Missing Link
Missing link is a nonscientific term for any transitional fossil, especially one connected with human evolution; see Transitional fossil - Missing links and List of transitonal fossils - Human evolution.Missing Link may refer to:...
. A sympathetic Vana later brings him food and suggests he resign himself to the situation. Koenig is appalled, arguing that being held here against his will for scientific research makes him little more than an experimental animal.
The girl, confused by the comparison, insists her father is an ethical scientist. As the Zenites have evolved beyond negative emotions, she promises Koenig he will come to no harm—but he will remain here for the rest of his life. Flinging the food aside, Koenig vows to starve himself to death. Unseen, Raan watches their by-play with interest. After she leaves, the first experiment begins. Koenig awakens in what seems to be Alpha's Medical Centre. Comforted by Bergman's presence at his bedside, he believes the Zenno experience was a dream.
Something is amiss: after telling him Sandra died in the crash, the professor launches into a defeatist diatribe. Startled by the man's uncharacteristic pessimism, Koenig realises the true nature of this experience—then is attacked by a gang of grotesque humanoids, all victims of horrific medical experiments—then is in the centre of a frigid void, strapped in an Eagle pilot seat and covered in cobwebs. He sees Bergman is running toward him, but the older man makes no headway. Koenig screams as he feels himself receding into non-existence...
Afterward, Raan communes with a colleague. He is fascinated by the emotions he has observed, especially the violence. The other Zenite suggests Raan neutralise Koenig's mind, lest the Earthman prove to be a danger. Raan refuses; the subject's actions must be genuine, else the experiments are valueless. Vana again visits Koenig in his 'quarters', concerned for his well being as he continues his hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
. She is obviously attracted to him and he subtly encourages her—secretly hoping that he can use her feelings to his advantage.
In its passage through the Cryton solar system, the Moon is now close to the purple planet Zenno. The Koenig-image's condition is steadily worsening. Desperate, Helena employs a modified electro-convulsive therapy to jolt him out of this inexplicable coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
. The repeated shocks send him into cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
, but she manages to resuscitate him. While her staff places him on life-support, Helena privately expresses her despair.
Vana confronts her father, declaring they have no right to exploit Koenig. When asked if she would prefer the Earthman sent back to the Moon, she cannot answer—her burgeoning love clouds her judgement. Sensing Koenig's thoughts on her, she goes to him. She is melancholy and Koenig picks up on her mood. To his surprise, she asks him to stay with her. Touched by her feelings, he replies with a soft, lingering kiss (which may or may not be part of his plan to seduce her). Eavesdropping, Raan is visibly upset by this unexpected turn of events.
Morale on Alpha is at an all-time low as the Koenig-image's life apparently hangs in the balance. Helena sits by his bedside in Medical. Emotionally drained, she has come to the conclusion this may be his time to die. From the next bed, Sandra, recovering from head surgery, pleads with her to wait a while longer before terminating the Commander's life-support.
Koenig and Vana hold each other and gaze upon the Zenno city, contemplating a life together in this perfect world. When Raan interrupts, Vana announces that she and Koenig are to be joined as one. The once emotionless Raan is beside himself at the idea of his daughter in love with what, to him, is essentially a laboratory animal. He asks the Earthman if he dares to span two million years of evolution. Having achieved his goal of creating discord in Raan's household, Koenig is torn. He realises that, over the course of his deception, he has genuinely fallen in love with the Zenite girl. With complete conviction, he voices his intention of staying with Vana.
As the Koenig-image remains comatose, the Alpha community becomes ill-tempered and quarrelsome. Bergman referees a heated discussion between Carter and Paul Morrow
Paul Morrow
Paul Morrow is a fictional character who first appeared in 'Breakaway', the premiere episode of the science fiction television show Space: 1999, and was portrayed by Prentis Hancock. He is a British national who appears to be in his early thirties....
. Without Koenig's leadership, Morrow argues, the base is unravelling; someone must step up and fill the void. Carter proclaims that, as long as he is breathing, Koenig is still the commander. On Zenno, Raan interrupts the lovers by bringing another visitor to his home: Sandra. Vana is distressed by her father's attempts to separate her and Koenig. Raan goes one step further when he tells Koenig his 'image' on Alpha is dying—ending any chance of returning there. He must make a choice now.
Koenig will not abandon his people. Vana pledges to go with him, but he knows she must remain here, in her place and time. She is devastated, but accepts the truth of his words. She dematerialises, beseeching him not to forget her. Raan sees Koenig off, telling him that, despite the failure of his experiment, he did learn something. While Man wallows in emotion, Zenites are straightjacketed by logic. He now believes it is the perfect balance between these opposing poles—‘Heart’ and ‘Mind’—that both their peoples must aspire to attain. Perhaps the legacy of Koenig's visit will be the revival of emotion on Zenno. The scientist then bids Koenig farewell.
Helena has decided. Her love for Koenig will no longer allow her to prolong his suffering. As she reaches to switch off the life-support apparatus, Carter bursts into the diagnostic unit and flings her hand aside. Bob Mathias'
Bob Mathias (Space: 1999)
Bob Mathias is a fictional character from the British science-fiction television series Space: 1999. He is played by actor Anton Phillips.-Character Biography:...
attempt to calm the astronaut leads to an all-out brawl, which ends with Carter pinned against a wall by Security. The assembled staff is respectfully silent as a tearful Helena throws the switch. The machines shut down and the Koenig-image's vital signs flat-line...
...just as the real Koenig seamlessly assumes its place. He shocks everyone by opening his eyes and reaching out to Helena. Dumbfounded, she desperately clutches his hand, grateful for the miracle that has brought him back to her...
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....
Featuring
- Prentis HancockPrentis HancockPrentis Hancock is a British actor, best known for his television roles.He was a regular cast member of the first season of science fiction series Space: 1999 as Paul Morrow, and also appeared in a number of Doctor Who stories throughout the 1970s - Spearhead from Space and Planet of the Daleks...
— Controller Paul MorrowPaul MorrowPaul Morrow is a fictional character who first appeared in 'Breakaway', the premiere episode of the science fiction television show Space: 1999, and was portrayed by Prentis Hancock. He is a British national who appears to be in his early thirties.... - Clifton JonesClifton JonesClifton Jones is an actor, mostly known for his roles on British television.His most prominent role is probably that of David Kano during the first season of the science fiction series Space: 1999....
— David KanoDavid Kano (Space 1999)David Kano is a fictional character who regularly appeared during the first season of the science fiction television series Space: 1999. He is of Jamaican origin and in his mid-thirties. He was played by actor Clifton Jones.-Character biography:... - 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....
— Sandra BenesSandra BenesSandra Benes is a recurring character in the British science-fiction television series Space: 1999. She is of Western European/Burmese origin and is in her late twenties. Her role was played by actress Zienia Merton.-Character Biography:... - Anton PhillipsAnton PhillipsAnton Phillips is an actor who found success appearing in British television. He remains best known for his role as Dr. Bob Mathias in the science fiction series Space 1999.-Early life and education:...
— Doctor Bob MathiasBob Mathias (Space: 1999)Bob Mathias is a fictional character from the British science-fiction television series Space: 1999. He is played by actor Anton Phillips.-Character Biography:... - Nick TateNick TateNicholas 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...
— Captain Alan CarterAlan Carter (Space 1999)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.-Character biography:...
Uncredited Artists
- Suzanne RoquetteSuzanne RoquetteSuzanne Roquette is an actress, who remains best known for her role as Tanya Alexander in the science fiction television series Space 1999....
— TanyaTanya AlexanderTanya 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:... - Patrick Brock — Zenite Scientist
- June BoltonEmily BoltonEmily Bolton is an actress probably best known for her appearance in the James Bond film Moonraker in which she played 007's Brazilian contact Manuela.She is also known for her TV appearances as a recurring cast member in :...
— June
Music
In addition to the regular Barry GrayBarry Gray
Barry Gray was a British musician and composer who is best known for his work for Gerry Anderson.-Life:...
score (drawn primarily from '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 'Another Time, Another Place
Another Time, Another Place (Space: 1999)
"Another Time, Another Place" is the sixth episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Johnny Byrne; the director was David Tomblin. The final shooting script is dated 20 January 1974, with blue-page amendments dated 25 January and 1 April 1974. Live-action filming...
'), a music track from the earlier Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson
Gerry 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"....
production Joe 90
Joe 90
Joe 90 is a late-1960s British science-fiction television series documenting the exploits of a nine-year-old boy, Joe McClaine, who embarks on a double life as a schoolboy turned spy when his scientist father invents a pioneering machine capable of duplicating and transferring expert knowledge and...
, also composed by Gray, was utilised. The electronic-organ composition used as 'Vana's Theme' was a discarded track written by Gray and Alan Willis; it was originally intended to be played over establishing shots of Moonbase Alpha in 'Breakaway' and subsequent episodes. The script specified that the love theme from Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
's opera Tristan and Isolde
Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the romance by Gottfried von Straßburg. It was composed between 1857 and 1859 and premiered in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bülow conducting...
would play during scenes between Koenig and Vana, but this was never done.
Production Notes
- The second of two scripts penned by American script editor Edward di LorenzoEdward di LorenzoEdward di Lorenzo is a screenwriter with a cult following among fans of Gerry Anderson's science fiction TV series Space: 1999.He also wrote for series Miami Vice and The Wild Wild West...
during his short tenure on the series, 'Missing Link' is an abstract love story loosely based on William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's play The TempestThe TempestThe Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...
. Unhappy with the rewrites dictated by the New York ITCITC EntertainmentThe Incorporated Television Company was a British television company largely involved in production and distribution. It was founded by Lew Grade.-History:...
office (which was vetting every story document and script draft after their displeasure with the original cut of 'Black Sun'), di Lorenzo left the series to work on his novel White Light.
- Several sequences found in the final shooting script dated 5 April 1974 were filmed, but cut for time: (1) The hook, where the survey mission was for minerals detected on the Moon, not an alien planet. This sequence would be re-mounted in July by the second unit; (2) The fact that Vana was 218 years old and Raan 507; (3) Much of the subtle evidence that Koenig's romance with Vana was initially a deception. Also cut were comments by both Zenites that their emotions toward Koenig rendered them incapable of reading his mind. In the 'This Episode' montage, two cut scenes were used: (1) Koenig, Raan and Vana transporting from the orange void to the image of Koenig's quarters and (2) Sandra stumbling across the diagnostic unit as Raan begins to transport her to Zenno.
- Peter CushingPeter CushingPeter Wilton Cushing, OBE was an English actor, known for his many appearances in Hammer Films, in which he played the handsome but sinister scientist Baron Frankenstein and the vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing, amongst many other roles, often appearing opposite Christopher Lee, and occasionally...
was familiar face in both Britain and America due to his many appearances in Hammer 'Horror' filmsHammer Film ProductionsHammer Film Productions is a film production company based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic "Hammer Horror" films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Hammer also produced science fiction, thrillers, film noir and comedies and in later...
, playing Victor FrankensteinVictor FrankensteinVictor Frankenstein was born in Napoli, is a Swiss fictional character and the protagonist of the 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, written by Mary Shelley...
and Abraham van HelsingAbraham Van HelsingProfessor Abraham van Helsing is a protagonist from Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, Dracula.Van Helsing is a Dutch doctor with a wide range of interests and accomplishments, partly attested by the string of letters that follows his name: "M.D., D.Ph., D.Litt., etc." The character is best known as a...
. Other roles included Sherlock HolmesSherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
and Doctor WhoDr. Who (Dalek films)Dr. Who is a character based on the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. Although based upon the character of the Doctor from the television series, the character is fundamentally different, most notably in being human....
in two cinematic adaptations of the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
series. In 1977, he would receive international exposure as the evil Grand Moff TarkinGrand Moff TarkinGovernor Wilhuff Tarkin or Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, appearing as the main antagonist of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, played by British actor Peter Cushing. A younger version of the character makes a brief cameo in the prequel film Star Wars...
in George LucasGeorge LucasGeorge Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
' science-fiction blockbuster Star WarsStar Wars Episode IV: A New HopeStar Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
.
- With this episode, production designer Keith WilsonKeith Wilson (production designer)Keith George Wilson was an award-winning production designer who began work at AP Films, working as art assistant on Fireball XL5 and many other Gerry Anderson productions to follow. As a production designer he created all the futuristic sets for Space: 1999 and Star Maidens...
made another modification to the Main Mission set. David KanoDavid Kano (Space 1999)David Kano is a fictional character who regularly appeared during the first season of the science fiction television series Space: 1999. He is of Jamaican origin and in his mid-thirties. He was played by actor Clifton Jones.-Character biography:...
would be given a computer workstation set atop a Lazy SusanLazy SusanA Lazy Susan is a rotating tray, usually circular, placed on top of a table to aid in moving food on a large table or countertop.- Origin :The term "Lazy Susan" made its first written appearance in a Good Housekeeping article in 1906, although their existence dates back to the 18th century...
-style platform. Situated in the centre of the existing desks, he could now be easily included in most camera set-ups. Before this, Clifton JonesClifton JonesClifton Jones is an actor, mostly known for his roles on British television.His most prominent role is probably that of David Kano during the first season of the science fiction series Space: 1999....
was always standing off to one side by the computer banks. The platform was designed to be manually rotated by hidden stagehands, who were more than once accidentally trod upon by the actors. This was also the first appearance of the 'survey Eagle' modification to the passenger module set: one side of seating was replaced by a wall of computer modules and TV monitors.
Novelisation
The episode was adapted in the third Year One Space: 1999 novel The Space Guardians by Brian Ball, published in 1975. Ball's adaptation is true to the story, but some liberties are taken: (1) The original premise of the survey mission searching for a mineral deposit on the Moon is retained; (2) During Raan's first experiment, Koenig's encounter with the faux-Bergman is much longer; Koenig is told the mineral deposit was actually a buried alien vessel. When visiting the vessel, 'Bergman' proposes abandoning the Alphans to return home, prompting Koenig to realise the situation is not real;(3) The discord on Alpha is more graphically represented by an armed technician threatening Morrow in Main Mission, and a crowd rioting outside the diagnostic unit.External links
- Space: 1999 - 'Missing Link' - The Catacombs episode guide
- Space: 1999 - 'Missing Link' - Moonbase Alpha's Space: 1999 page
| Last produced: "Another Time, Another Place Another Time, Another Place (Space: 1999) "Another Time, Another Place" is the sixth episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Johnny Byrne; the director was David Tomblin. The final shooting script is dated 20 January 1974, with blue-page amendments dated 25 January and 1 April 1974. Live-action filming... " |
List of Space: 1999 episodes | Next produced: "Guardian of Piri" |
| Last transmitted: "Ring Around the Moon" |
Next transmitted: "Space Brain" |