Rating: 
Summary: Duff Man says alotta things.
Review: This show was out there! Can you imagine anyone today giving the greenlight to a show about the MOON hurdling through the cosmos. It's television's version of 2001. The execution is the best part it has this reserved and thoughtful feel to it. I loved it. There are a couple of stinkers though "Ring Around The Moon" wasn't very good, and "Matter Of Life And Death" just plain sucked. Episodes like "Black Sun" and "Earthbound" are good but then you have "Another Time, Another Place" an episode so strange nd interesting its genius. Good acting, cool special effects, and STRANGE, STRANGE story's make this a science fiction classic. Recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: From a brazilian Space:1999 fan
Review: As many of you, i was a 10 year-old boy when Space:1999 was first aired here in my country, in 1976. For me it was a exciting weekly journey. Now, after many years finally we have a chance, down here, to review, analise, and keep forever that episodes that made we dream in our childhood. (In fact, for me this is the line between those who really like the series or don't) The DVDs are really good (maybe could have some more extra material). Of course, the series have the technical limitations of the 70s, but image and sound are very good, and you can enjoy the amazing Barry Gray's soundtrack, in my opinion still the best in sci-fi series ever.
Rating:
Summary: An underrated series, well-presented at last
Review: Back in the mid-70's, what little science fiction there was on television was trite and low-budget. "Space: 1999", by contrast, had a lavish budget and an ambitious agenda. Presented as a sort of thinking man's "Star Trek", the Alphans' conflicts with alien species were more often rooted in misunderstandings than true animosity. The show seems very quiet today, thoughtful to the point of being ponderous; but its stories were interesting and they managed to avoid the cynicism of most science fiction from the 70's. The writers tried to use credible science but often missed the mark; the sets still look good in a very 70's way. The costumes have not aged well. All in all, though, the series is well worth purchasing, and this digitally mastered version is very sharp and crisp. The DVD offers no goodies and no extras -- but this unjustly neglected series has never looked better.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent re-release of this sci-fi classic
Review: My standard disclaimer applies. I am not reviewing the artistic merits of this release. I happen to like this series but that does not mean you will.I am reviewing the technical merits of this release. The image is stable and clear. There are very few decompression artifacts to be seen and you have to hunt for those you do see. Edge enhancement is at a bare minimum -- on a par with an uncompressed NTSC studio source. Colors are consistent and stable. This release was re-mastered from the original 35mm source film and it shows. There are some film flaws and grain on the image but, for the most part, it looks as good as it did when it was originally broadcast. The sound is a faithful and stable 1970's mono. This should come as no surprise. The series was mono when it was originally broadcast. This is how DVDs should be produced. The quality of the video and audio are faithfully reproduced. The extras are lean but the video and sound are so good, I just don't care. If you liked this series, I think you will like this DVD set.
Rating: 
Summary: Science fiction without the science
Review: Some people have defended the gross scientific blunders in every episode of Space: 1999 by saying that it is "science FICTION". My response is that the show is supposed to be "SCIENCE fiction". A fictional story can contain anything, but for it to be "SCIENCE fiction", science must be interwoven with the story. This can (and should) be a combination of currently accepted scientific theories, and logical conclusions based on new discoveries that unfold during the telling of the story. Space: 1999 looses it's credibility as science fiction almost immediately, in the pilot episode, when the moon is hurtled out of the solar system. The two huge blunders in this episode are that 1) The moon could be hurled out of Earth orbit by the explosion of some large amount of nuclear waste, and 2) The moon could be accelerated to nearly the speed of light in the space of 30 seconds by an explosion without disintegrating the moon into a ring of dust or killing the inhabitants. There are other major blunders in this episode, but I won't belabor the point with them. These alone disqualify Space: 1999 as SCIENCE fiction, and equally gross blunders can be found in every episode on the two DVD volumes currently available. This show is pure fantasy. Had this been a GOOD fantasy series, I would leave it at that. But it wasn't. In addition to trying to pass itself off as SCIENCE fiction, the acting is mediocre at best, the stories are often nonsensical, there is no chemistry between the characters, and the special effects (with the exception of the miniature work) are just awful. The miniature work (space ship and lunar base models, technical sets, landing/take-off effects) are very good. They are by far the best aspect of the show. It is because of this work that these episodes get 1 star instead of 0. Some have said of my other comments that I am being to hard on a show from the 1970's. All of my comments have already taken into account the fact that this was a '70s show. The science that they mangle was all well known at the time. The special effects are terrible by '70s standards, not today's. By today's standards, the effects are beyond laughable. But it's not fair to judge this show by today's standards, therefore I have not done so. The effects done for Star Trek 10 years earlier, while also terrible by today's standards, were significantly better than those of Space: 1999, with two key exceptions. Both the models and technical sets of Space: 1999 are more detailed and more believable than those of Star Trek. However, for planetary and spatial anomaly effects, Star Trek wins hands down. As for the DVD volume itself, it contains nothing of interest other than the episodes themselves. If you are a fan of the show, or get a kick out of bad science fiction, this is a good choice. My wife and I enjoy watching these episodes from time to time for a good laugh.
Rating:
Summary: CLASSIC SCI-FI AT IT'S BEST
Review: I remember this series from when it first aired in the UK back in the 70's. I loved it then with it's first class sets and special effects and I love it now. Over the years I've bought some UK released VHS tapes of hacked together episodes pretending to be Space:1999 movies and then got ripped off in the USA with the "Columbia House Collectors Edition" which released selected episodes in a random order (even mixing series 1 and 2 on the same tape) and then stopping half way through!!! Now my dreams have come true - the whole series to be released on DVD in transmission order (which isn't actually the logical order). I've seen the quality of these tapes come under fire and I admit that they are not to the same standard as A&E's Avengers tapes, however they are still 1000 times better than any VHS tape and are very impressive after 25 years in a vault. Volume 1 & 2 contain some excellent episodes with Breakaway, Earthbound, Guardian of Peri, Force of Life (you HAVE to see this!), Alpha Child (Space 1999 does The Omen) and The last Sunset. The other expisodes are good Sci-Fi, but the ones I named rank amoung the best ever seen on TV. The first season mixed the "feel" of the episodes and were more than happy to make a "horror" story one day, an "adventure" the next, followed by a good old "space opera". Compared to "bubble-gum" Star Trek stories where cheerfull dudley do-rights bound from one plastic planet to another, this show has a dark undertone were you can feel the desperation of the characters as they search for a new home. There's not too many "Yes Sir's" here - Alan Carter is lucky on serveral occasions not to be thrown out of the nearest air-lock for his insubordination. My best advice to any Sci-Fi fan is to buy these disks, don't read to heavily into the "science" (or lack of) behind some of the episodes (it's not real folks - it's TV!!!), enjoy the outstanding special effects and savour several hours of quality entertainment. PS. Volumes 3 and 4 now please... I can't wait to see the ghost story "The Troubled Spirit" again!!!
Rating:
Summary: An Honest Assessment
Review: I love these DVDs, and I'll tell you why. I was but a 10 year old boy at the beginning stages of becoming the huge sci-fi fan I am now am when this series first aired, and I can still remember gluing myself to the TV on Saturday nights to watch an evening of Star Trek and Space: 1999. Space: 1999 had Eagles and Stun Guns and Com Locks, and... yes, the physicality of this show was, and still is, beautiful. And, DVD technology allows me to slow down, pause and scrutinize all the bits I wanted to nearly 30 years ago. But, let's be honest; this is not good sci-fi. In fact, I would venture to say it isn't science fiction at all. The suspension of disbelief required when watching the typical episode makes this so. Leaps of logic are plentiful, as are the self-contradictions, or lack of continuity. My apologies to the huge fans out there, but the truth is truth, and let's face it; this is not science fiction -- It is fantasy, even to the extent that the show frequently takes on (albeit, at rather superficial levels) metaphysical questions. But, Space: 1999 brings back such warm memories, well... I just had to buy Set I and give it a five star rating.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Euro-Trash Sci-Fi
Review: I was (and still am) a very big fan of this series. I was a teenager when this series first aired, and used to dream of the day when humans would have an international presence on the moon. Now, it's 2001. I'm 40, but am still like a teenager watching this series on DVD; I'm totally glued. I hope more episodes will follow. The color, clarity & sound is excellent. I forgot the down-right somber but camp mood of this Euro-trash series. I'm also a big fan of Gerry & Sylvia Anderson (the Producers) and would recommend "Journey To The Far Side Of The Sun" for those of you new to this brand of science-fiction. Let me also add that the quick delivery of this product has made me a big Amazon.com fan too!
Rating:
Summary: Hip Hip Hooray
Review: Thank God for these DVDs. As a kid, I can remember how Space 1999 transported and dazzled me. Sumptuous production values. Fascinating plots. Eagerly awaiting the fabulous 2nd season. And yes, I do say FABULOUS. Maya was the best thing to happen to the 2nd season.
Rating:
Summary: A Small Window Back Into Childhood
Review: I was very pleased to see the release of Space:1999 on DVD since this show was my favorite show for most of my childhood. When I saw the release announcement, I knew that I had to get these DVD's. I still remember waiting for 7:00 P.M., Saturday night, so that I could tune (by hand) the TV to WUAB-43 (Cleveland, Ohio) to catch the latest episode of my favorite show. I now understand how my father feels about the Flash Gordon serials of the 1930's and 1940's. While watching the first episode, Breakaway, after a hiatus of almost twenty years, I was struck by how well the minatures were modeled, especially the Eagle spaceships. The interior sets were also quite detailed (one of my favorite scenes is watching the interior airlocks of the Eagle close in succession). There is no doubt that FX has advanced amazingly in the past twenty-five years; however, the FX allow the story to be told and evoke memories of a time when life seemed simpler. Within moments, I was engrossed in the story. For their time (when very little new sci-fi was on TV), the stories were quite ambitious. I was surprised to see the Koenig/Russell relationship (played by then husband and wife Landau and Bain) actually evolve as the series advanced as opposed to other series with little or no character development. This was something I missed as a child (caught up in all of the wild aliens and special effects). I can see the roots of ideas that became shows like "Farscape" in this show. The transfer to DVD from the original 35mm prints is competent. There are some signs of age-related damage to the prints (most noticeable during the main credits for Martin Landau). The sound is listed as 2-channel Dolby mono and is decent. I did notice some audio flaws and uneven sound levels; however, nothing that detracted from the total experience. The highest compliment that I can pay to these DVD's is that I was entranced in front of the TV for almost three hours, something that almost never happens. I look forward to the release of the rest of the series, including the maligned second season. Highly recommended.
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