Space: 1999 - The Complete Series

Science fiction series never really made the impact in primetime that networks hoped would carry from the genre's popularity at the multiplex. When it debuted, "Space: 1999 - The Complete Series," available now on Blu-ray, had little in the way of competition on the airwaves. The series, starring Martin Landau and Barbara Bain, both veteran actors of the popular spy series "Mission: Impossible," was similarly styled to its predecessors, namely "Star Trek: The Original Series," though while striving for relevancy, it often fell short in comparison.

In the 1970s, the science-fiction genre had all but lost its audiences in primetime. There were attempts at a resurgence with action/adventure turns, but with "Lost in Space" and "Star Trek," both victims of cancellation, the only space race was apparent at the box office and was coming from farm more cerebrally-based narratives like Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Oddysey," which gave audiences a glimpse into a not-too-far-flung future, which is now our past. Fans of the genre looking to capitalize on the nostalgia factor of it all can obsess over "Space: 1999."

In the year 1999, humans have colonized the moon and actually have turned the Earth's natural satellite into a dumping ground for nuclear waste. On Moonbase Alpha, under the skillful command of John Koenig (Martin Landau), everything is proceeding as usual, until a peculiar "rage virus" begins to inflect some of the crew. The station's chief physician Helena Russell (Barbara Bain) can't make heads or tails of it, and just as more of the base's crew begin to succumb to the virus an unexpected incident causes a nuclear detonation that flings the moon out of its orbit.

Unable to prevent the moon's trajectory, the hapless crew find themselves travelers aboard the rogue satellite. Determined to survive, the Alphans face several unimagined challenges, and countless efforts to remain intact as their resources begin to dwindle and they are faced with finding a new home in space. The absurd science aside "Space: 1999" has its moments, especially when its matching beats with "Star Trek" – the similarities are impossible to ignore.

The Blu-ray package includes all 48 episodes of the series, including bonus content and a disc loaded with all-new special features produced for this one-of-kind boxed set. Among those new featurettes are behind-the-scenes interviews with series stars Barbara Bain and Nick Tate revealing personal anecdotes regarding the legacy of "Space: 1999" and a discussion with director Kevin Connor. Author John Muir has been recruited to take the audience on set for a special tour of "Space: 1999" and the merchandising mania that encouraged the fandom.

The box set also includes a 16-page episode guide that is laid out with exclusive production pictures and provides an episode synopsis with an introduction from Pop Culture Historian Russell Dyball, who also supported production of the Blu-ray/DVD release of "Space: 1999" putting it in context within television history and elevating its position as one of the more popular science fiction series ever produced. Here is the perfect opportunity for the uninitiated to dive into the future of "Space:1999" The Complete Series available now.

"Space: 1999 - The Complete Series"
Blu-ray box set
$109.99
https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/space-1999-the-complete-series?product_id=7103