Victor Bergman
Encyclopedia
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
.
's lead scientist, and as a close confidant and advisor to Commander John Koenig
, with whom he had become acquainted in his university days. The two would forge a lasting friendship.
He is conversant with most of the scientific disciplines, but is also something of a philosopher. A professor of astrophysics, he discovered a tenth planet in Earth's solar system which he would name Ultra and then helped to plan a manned mission to explore the planet. During the Moon's journey through unknown space, he calculated that an unknown space object the Moon was being drawn toward was the first 'black sun' (i.e. black hole
) ever witnessed firsthand by man.
His backstory includes the significant detail that he is a Nobel Prize
recipient. The framed certificate can be seen hung on the wall of his living quarters/laboratory in early episodes "Matter of Life and Death
", "Black Sun", et cetera. In an early draft of "Breakaway
", it is stated Bergman was involved in the invention of the artificial gravity system used on Alpha and other Space Commission installations and craft. Another Writers' Guide revelation was that Bergman was a widower and had lost his wife sometime before the series opener, inferring that Bergman's presence on Alpha was an escape from Earth and the memories it held. His accent seems to indicate he is a British national, but actor Barry Morse has stated he believes Bergman to be an Austrian of Jewish descent whose family fled Europe and Nazi tyranny in the late '30s/early '40s, taking refuge in Great Britain.
Following the disastrous failure of the 1996 Ultra Probe Mission, he was forced to leave Moonbase by Commissioner Dixon, the head of the Space Commission, in his quest for scapegoats for the failure of the project (and his unwillingness to join in the vilification of Captain Tony Cellini, the commander of the probe).
remarked with pleasure that Bergman was still on Alpha, to which Bergman cryptically commented he had gotten 'caught', inferring that the Space Commission had terminated all personnel travel to and from Alpha during the Meta Probe crisis for the purpose of security. Despite this lack of rank within the Moonbase hierarchy, he was one of few people aware of the true situation on the Moon and knew the 'virus infection' cover-story was a Space Commission-created fiction in "Breakaway
".
Over the course of the first series, Bergman emerges as a kind of 'father figure' on the base (Morse has been interviewed saying he played the role as everyone's favourite 'space uncle'); his normally calm, rational and understanding demeanor make him a highly respected person on Alpha. He often acts as a calming influence on the quick-tempered John Koenig
. He regards all the Alpha personnel with fatherly affection; this is especially evident in his relationship with Helena Russell
(see "Breakaway
", "Black Sun", "Ring Around the Moon", "Guardian of Piri", "The Infernal Machine
", et cetera).
Bergman's scientific brilliance saves Moonbase several times during the first series. A prime example occurs in the episode "Black Sun", in which he adapts the anti-gravity screens which regulated the artificial gravity within Alpha to produce an ingenious force field
effect to protect the base when the Moon passes through a massive black sun. Bergman would also improvise 'Operation Shockwave' to divert the Moon's collision course with the planet Atheria by planning to detonate a series of nuclear mines between the two bodies to force them apart into different courses. Koenig and Alan Carter
would foil the plan in collusion with Arra, the mysterious Queen of Atheria.
His living quarters reflected his eclectic personality. A laboratory bench strewn with an array of scientific equipment dominated the room. Plans for a photon drive system and a self-contained space city adorned the walls. It was the only private quarters on Alpha equipped with a computer terminal linked directly to Main Computer. Well-thumbed text books crowded the shelves and a violin was once seen sitting in a lounge chair. Crowded in the sleeping alcove along with the bed were several terrariums (occupants unknown).
Bergman's scientific curiosity would lead to several lapses in judgement. He would welcome the enigmatic Jackie Crawford in "Alpha Child" despite the child's phenomenal growth to five years of age just hours after his birth. In "Death's Other Dominion", he would become a disciple of Doctor Cabot Rowland's misguided quest for immortality on the planet Ultima Thule and recommend the evacuation of Alpha to that icy world. In "End of Eternity", an exploratory mission to an anomalous asteroid would release an imprisoned psychopath, the immortal Balor, on an unsuspecting Alpha.
Victor Bergman had an artificial heart, which was raised as an issue in several episodes. In "Black Sun", Bergman was electrocuted while adjusting some high-voltage relays involved with the force field; Helena stated after his resuscitation that his artificial heart had saved his life. In both "Guardian of Piri" and "Force of Life", a decrease in Moonbase atmosphere oxygen levels adversely affected Bergman as his heart was slow to cope with the change. In "The Infernal Machine
", he was again electrocuted after touching some exposed equipment within the living spacecraft 'Gwent' and was resurrected by it with a direct application of a high-voltage electrical arc. The artificial heart was mentioned briefly during the Michelle Osgood medical crisis in the second series episode "Catacombs of the Moon". (In an early draft of the script, the Dorfman artificial heart would have been referred to as the Bergman heart.)
", when Tony Verdeschi
notes 'I wish Bergman were here,' and then 'One lousy spacesuit with a faulty helmet and Victor had to be in it.' Sandra Benes
would then have replied 'We can't bring him back, Tony.' This scene was filmed, but cut from the final print. Since it was never broadcast and has never been seen, fans do not consider this to be the canonical
fate of Bergman. It was also mentioned in the Planets of Peril novelisation of "The Metamorph
". In the Powys Media novel, Space: 1999 Survival, the near-death and resurrection of Victor Bergman is chronicled in this between series' tale. The novel, written by Brian Ball, features a foreword written by Barry Morse. In it, Bergman floating in space with a ruptured suit is kept alive by a fragment of the living ship, Susurra, which is then reincorporated. Bergman is revived and Susurra takes him and the surviving Leira people to a new world (Leiram II). In the short story, Spider's Web (in the anthology) Spider's Web, Bergman and Yendys investigate a spacecraft approaching Leiram II, only to find it infested with 'dragons' (from "Dragon's Domain"). Only one person survives. Victor then decides to return to Alpha. The 2010 novel Space: 1999 Omega would feature his return to Alpha long after the events of the second series. In the novels "Omega" and "Alpha", two Victor Bergmans are featured. One is the alternate Victor Bergman from Another Time, Another Place; the other is the Victor Bergman from the Year One through "Survival".
The true reason for Professor Bergman's absence was due to unsatisfactory salary and contract negotiations between actor Barry Morse
and the show's producers. Morse initially wished to retain salary and benefits commensurate with that which he received in series one, although he eventually agreed to a significant decrease (33 percent less) in pay and elimination of benefits (chauffeur service to and from the studio). Even in light of Morse's concessions, the producers declined to renew the actor's contract indicating that during the short negotiation period other plans had been made and his character was eliminated from the show. Morse and others surmised that the negotiations were a ploy on the part of American producer Fred Freiberger to dispense with all series one cast members with the exception of Martin Landau and Barbara Bain and that no agreement would ever have been made.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
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...
. The role was portrayed by actor Barry Morse
Barry Morse
Herbert "Barry" Morse was an Anglo-Canadian actor of stage, screen, and radio best known for his roles in the ABC television series The Fugitive and the British sci-fi drama Space: 1999...
.
Character Biography
Victor Bergman was in his late fifties and, after the Moon's breakaway from Earth, served as 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...
's lead scientist, and as a close confidant and advisor to 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:...
, with whom he had become acquainted in his university days. The two would forge a lasting friendship.
He is conversant with most of the scientific disciplines, but is also something of a philosopher. A professor of astrophysics, he discovered a tenth planet in Earth's solar system which he would name Ultra and then helped to plan a manned mission to explore the planet. During the Moon's journey through unknown space, he calculated that an unknown space object the Moon was being drawn toward was the first 'black sun' (i.e. black hole
Black hole
A black hole is a region of spacetime from which nothing, not even light, can escape. The theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass will deform spacetime to form a black hole. Around a black hole there is a mathematically defined surface called an event horizon that...
) ever witnessed firsthand by man.
His backstory includes the significant detail that he is a Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
recipient. The framed certificate can be seen hung on the wall of his living quarters/laboratory in early episodes "Matter of Life and Death
Matter of Life and Death (Space: 1999)
"Matter of Life and Death" is the second episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Art Wallace and Johnny Byrne; the director was Charles Crichton. The original title was 'Siren Planet'. The final shooting script is dated 8 January 1974...
", "Black Sun", et cetera. In an early draft of "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...
", it is stated Bergman was involved in the invention of the artificial gravity system used on Alpha and other Space Commission installations and craft. Another Writers' Guide revelation was that Bergman was a widower and had lost his wife sometime before the series opener, inferring that Bergman's presence on Alpha was an escape from Earth and the memories it held. His accent seems to indicate he is a British national, but actor Barry Morse has stated he believes Bergman to be an Austrian of Jewish descent whose family fled Europe and Nazi tyranny in the late '30s/early '40s, taking refuge in Great Britain.
Following the disastrous failure of the 1996 Ultra Probe Mission, he was forced to leave Moonbase by Commissioner Dixon, the head of the Space Commission, in his quest for scapegoats for the failure of the project (and his unwillingness to join in the vilification of Captain Tony Cellini, the commander of the probe).
Series one
By September 1999, he had returned to Moonbase as a welcome visitor The returning John KoenigJohn 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:...
remarked with pleasure that Bergman was still on Alpha, to which Bergman cryptically commented he had gotten 'caught', inferring that the Space Commission had terminated all personnel travel to and from Alpha during the Meta Probe crisis for the purpose of security. Despite this lack of rank within the Moonbase hierarchy, he was one of few people aware of the true situation on the Moon and knew the 'virus infection' cover-story was a Space Commission-created fiction 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...
".
Over the course of the first series, Bergman emerges as a kind of 'father figure' on the base (Morse has been interviewed saying he played the role as everyone's favourite 'space uncle'); his normally calm, rational and understanding demeanor make him a highly respected person on Alpha. He often acts as a calming influence on the quick-tempered 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:...
. He regards all the Alpha personnel with fatherly affection; this is especially evident in his relationship with 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....
(see "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...
", "Black Sun", "Ring Around the Moon", "Guardian of Piri", "The Infernal Machine
The Infernal Machine
The Infernal Machine is a play by the French dramatist Jean Cocteau, based on the ancient Greek myth of Oedipus. It received its première in 1934 under the direction of Louis Jouvet.-Sources:...
", et cetera).
Bergman's scientific brilliance saves Moonbase several times during the first series. A prime example occurs in the episode "Black Sun", in which he adapts the anti-gravity screens which regulated the artificial gravity within Alpha to produce an ingenious force field
Force field
A force field, sometimes known as an energy shield, force shield, or deflector shield is a concept of a field tightly bounded and of significant magnitude so that objects affected by the particular force relating to the field are unable to pass through the central axis of the field and reach the...
effect to protect the base when the Moon passes through a massive black sun. Bergman would also improvise 'Operation Shockwave' to divert the Moon's collision course with the planet Atheria by planning to detonate a series of nuclear mines between the two bodies to force them apart into different courses. Koenig 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:...
would foil the plan in collusion with Arra, the mysterious Queen of Atheria.
His living quarters reflected his eclectic personality. A laboratory bench strewn with an array of scientific equipment dominated the room. Plans for a photon drive system and a self-contained space city adorned the walls. It was the only private quarters on Alpha equipped with a computer terminal linked directly to Main Computer. Well-thumbed text books crowded the shelves and a violin was once seen sitting in a lounge chair. Crowded in the sleeping alcove along with the bed were several terrariums (occupants unknown).
Bergman's scientific curiosity would lead to several lapses in judgement. He would welcome the enigmatic Jackie Crawford in "Alpha Child" despite the child's phenomenal growth to five years of age just hours after his birth. In "Death's Other Dominion", he would become a disciple of Doctor Cabot Rowland's misguided quest for immortality on the planet Ultima Thule and recommend the evacuation of Alpha to that icy world. In "End of Eternity", an exploratory mission to an anomalous asteroid would release an imprisoned psychopath, the immortal Balor, on an unsuspecting Alpha.
Victor Bergman had an artificial heart, which was raised as an issue in several episodes. In "Black Sun", Bergman was electrocuted while adjusting some high-voltage relays involved with the force field; Helena stated after his resuscitation that his artificial heart had saved his life. In both "Guardian of Piri" and "Force of Life", a decrease in Moonbase atmosphere oxygen levels adversely affected Bergman as his heart was slow to cope with the change. In "The Infernal Machine
The Infernal Machine (Space: 1999)
"The Infernal Machine" is the twenty-first episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Anthony Terpiloff and Elizabeth Barrows; the director was David Tomblin. The final shooting script is dated 11 December 1974...
", he was again electrocuted after touching some exposed equipment within the living spacecraft 'Gwent' and was resurrected by it with a direct application of a high-voltage electrical arc. The artificial heart was mentioned briefly during the Michelle Osgood medical crisis in the second series episode "Catacombs of the Moon". (In an early draft of the script, the Dorfman artificial heart would have been referred to as the Bergman heart.)
Series two
Bergman appeared in every episode of the first series of Space: 1999, which aired in the 1975-1976 television season. He did not return for the second series. (See the article List of Space: 1999 episodes for specific episode information.) The fate of Victor Bergman is alluded to in a trimmed scene from the second series opener "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...
", when 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....
notes 'I wish Bergman were here,' and then 'One lousy spacesuit with a faulty helmet and Victor had to be in it.' 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:...
would then have replied 'We can't bring him back, Tony.' This scene was filmed, but cut from the final print. Since it was never broadcast and has never been seen, fans do not consider this to be the canonical
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
fate of Bergman. It was also mentioned in the Planets of Peril novelisation of "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...
". In the Powys Media novel, Space: 1999 Survival, the near-death and resurrection of Victor Bergman is chronicled in this between series' tale. The novel, written by Brian Ball, features a foreword written by Barry Morse. In it, Bergman floating in space with a ruptured suit is kept alive by a fragment of the living ship, Susurra, which is then reincorporated. Bergman is revived and Susurra takes him and the surviving Leira people to a new world (Leiram II). In the short story, Spider's Web (in the anthology) Spider's Web, Bergman and Yendys investigate a spacecraft approaching Leiram II, only to find it infested with 'dragons' (from "Dragon's Domain"). Only one person survives. Victor then decides to return to Alpha. The 2010 novel Space: 1999 Omega would feature his return to Alpha long after the events of the second series. In the novels "Omega" and "Alpha", two Victor Bergmans are featured. One is the alternate Victor Bergman from Another Time, Another Place; the other is the Victor Bergman from the Year One through "Survival".
The true reason for Professor Bergman's absence was due to unsatisfactory salary and contract negotiations between actor Barry Morse
Barry Morse
Herbert "Barry" Morse was an Anglo-Canadian actor of stage, screen, and radio best known for his roles in the ABC television series The Fugitive and the British sci-fi drama Space: 1999...
and the show's producers. Morse initially wished to retain salary and benefits commensurate with that which he received in series one, although he eventually agreed to a significant decrease (33 percent less) in pay and elimination of benefits (chauffeur service to and from the studio). Even in light of Morse's concessions, the producers declined to renew the actor's contract indicating that during the short negotiation period other plans had been made and his character was eliminated from the show. Morse and others surmised that the negotiations were a ploy on the part of American producer Fred Freiberger to dispense with all series one cast members with the exception of Martin Landau and Barbara Bain and that no agreement would ever have been made.
External links
- Space 1999 Cybermusuem - Moonbase Alpha Technical Notebook Bio Victor Bergman
- Space 1999 Catacombs - Profile Victor Bergman