SPACE: 1999 – THE VAULT
The Whole Of The Moon
RELEASED 27 MAY 225 pages pages | Hardback Author Chris Bentley Publisher Signum Books
Fans of Gerry Andersons’s live-action shows have been spoiled of late, with a collection of UFO strips from Countdown and a Moonbase Alpha Operations Manual. This latest book about the ’70s series set on a Moon sent hurtling out of the solar system is the third cracker in a row.
Handsomely illustrated and meticulously researched (to a mindboggling degree), it covers every aspect of the making, marketing and merchandising of the show, from early development under the title Menace In Space to the production of ice lollies, bubblegum cards and Dinky toys. The detail can get a tad dry when discussing, say, the typefaces used, but this is forgiveable when there’s so much eye candy to enjoy, including matte paintings, publicity brochures and photos of original props.
Two-page breakdowns for every episode catalogue reworked scripts and cut scenes, and go deep dive trivia-wise. A particular delight is a recurring effort to identify recycled props. Did you know that a drill in one episode was actually a Kenwood hand whisk? Well, here’s one they’ve photographed. Chris Bentley’s paperwork scouring also reveals that, for example, Dave Prowse started work as a robotic monster four days after finishing Star Wars.
The result is a Space: 1999 book it’s difficult to imagine anyone topping – surely the ultimate work on the series.
Derek Wadsworth, composer of the series two theme, also did the Flake jingle: “Only the crumbliest, flakiest chocolate…”