O H M Y G O D !!!! This 59 year old Australian just returned to 1976 when he first saw an Eagle AND the first ever Aussie character in a Sci-Fi series; Alan Carter - greatly looking forward to view your documentary.
Two years behind you, but ditto to all the rest. Those awesome days when you could watch Doctor Who at 6:30pm on the ABC, then it was either CH 7 or 9 that ran Space 1999 in the “M” time around 11:00pm.
As did this 59 year old Canadian! :) I loved all the characters but Alan holds a special place in my heart. The action man! In 2014, I went to the New York comic con dressed as Alan. 140K attendees and I was the only Alphan cos player. :)
Someone did fit out their flat/ apartment as Moonbase Alpha, replicating the wall panels, doors (with replica control panels), but best of all, had actually collected original show-correct furniture pieces (very rare, still 'designer', and therefore, still very expensive). It was online, years ago. No idea if it still is...
I had tears coming down my eyes seeing the passion and love for the Eagle. 50 years is a long time for a kid to wait… By the Year 2000 wasn’t just hype to us but a real dream of a better tomorrow. As a child, I would take pictures of my TV screen in the dark of Star Trek and Space:1999. The results were hit and miss but I got a few really good photos of an Eagle leaving a planet and the USS Enterprise. This was in the days of 8MM home movies. This is why View Masters were so popular then. No internet, cellphones, emails…just mags and newsletters through the mail. September 13, 1999 a final message from Sandra (late Zienia Merton) was made that gave some closure to the series. At 61, I look to SpaceX to achieve what my generation could not. To the future…
I did too using a Polaroid camer. Normal camera would just be a blank TV screen. I still have some of those old polaroids I took of the Millenium vs Tie fighter battle from the first Star Wars movie. That sequence was shown in a TV program reviewing movies. Our old Philips VCR (no, not vhs) could actually paus the screen, so i could take the photos.
My dad worked as a graphic artist, one day he brought a stack of color printed miniature mockup sheets of all kinds of cardboard boxes, so me and my brothers cut them up and folded them and they made cute little (2-3") color boxes, so that inspired me to make a small papercraft of the Eagle ! So 1975-76 ? There was no recording devices back then, so I had to take notes in the few seconds the Eagle was on the tv screen... I so which I would of kept it.
I'm from Portugal, I saw both Space 1999 series on black and white TV for the first time. We didn't have color TV here yet. I was 7 years old at the time and I was on vacation with my parents in a place where the hotel's TV reception was very bad. My father found a portable TV, connected to the car battery, we drove many kilometers until we found a place where the reception was good enough. We took a whole month's vacation in those days!!! For us, missing 3 or 4 episodes of the series was unthinkable. Even if it was on a B&W screen the size of a cookie, little bigger than that of the series' famous communicators. I will certainly look forward to seeing this documentary.
I bought a collector edition of the Eagle when the show was still on the air. As a teenager, I had a mural of the moon on my wall and the Eagle was suspended from the ceiling with thread. Today, it's in mint condition, displayed in my office.
my brother and I had those. I think mine was a transport and his was a freighter. as far as i know, he still has his, but i cannot recall what became of mine.
58-year-old in Canada here, and this brings back great memories of watching Space:1999! I believe I built a model of an Eagle as some point back then. Looking forward to the show!
60-year-old Canadian here. I remember watching on CBC Saturdays at 5pm. I have a large die cast rescue eagle on my shelf. The season one bluray was really well done (though not cheap).
NICK TATE! I met Nick several years ago (2011 or 2012) in a coffee shop in Toluca Lake. Started talking, about all his roles. I hadn't twigged he was from Space 1999. When he said he worked in London on a TV show in the 1970s with "My good friend Martin Landau", I realised it could only be that. "What ... show ... was ... that?" - "Space 1999" - "And which character did you play?" "Chief astronaut Alan Carter!" - and then it was like I saw his young 1970s face over todays! That was great. Had him over for dinner at my sisters in Burbank, the man has great stories! Glad to see him going strong.
Woohoo! The reason the Eagle design works is because it genuinely looks like it should work- a no frills and versatile work-horse craft. As an astronomy and Sci-Fi obsessed child in the 70s (I still am!), I had an Eagle Transporter, an Eagle Freighter (both by Dinky) and a plastic Hawk kit (by Airfix), all of which I slowly destroyed by incessant re-enactments of crash-landings in the garden (sounds effects by me). Seeing the incredible models and collections in this video brought it all back. Thanks for reminding me of the awe and fun Space 1999 gave me back then, Jeffrey!
The Eagle makes sense as a ship that works in space.... ONLY in Space. as a vehicle that lands on and takes off of planets, it makes no ruddy sense at all. It's not built for atmospheric entry and it has absolutely no space for.... fuel... the stuff that you need to burn out of those rocket nozzles.
Space: 1999 was my first exposure to science-fiction as a pre-teen and I immediately fell into the world of sci-fi. It played on one of our two available local channels at 10 pm weekly but my bedtime was at 8 (yes, I was that young). My mother, bless her heart, would agree to wake me up just before 10 so I could watch the next episode. It will always have a place in my heart.
That's the kind of parent I needed. Everything I wanted to watch was past my bedtime and my mother was merciless. If only I'd known they'd be available when I grew up.
The Eagle spacecraft from SPACE: 1999 is finally getting its due and I couldn't be more excited. I'm in my 50's and I grew up at a time when having a base on the moon was a very real possibility and the design of the Eagle added to that believability factor. Seeing the iconic ship getting the respect it deserves is truly heartwarming.
You got me, can't wait to see what you do. Please try the kickstarter again. This best selling Sci-fi author will help. Many days sitting on my living room floor watching this as a 12 year old boy.
As long as it doesn't have to land on the Earth, a spaceship can have any shape. The Eagle's modular construction, its versatility, makes it a logical design. It is mostly a space shuttle without wings.
Oh man, I loved watching Space 1999. Had the Eagle model and wished I still did. What a real piece of space hardware. Not to mention my ridiculous crush on Sandra Benes.
The memories the series brings me. I was 10 years old when it aired, and I remember my grandmother and I watching it together, never missing an episode. My grandmother made sure I was home in good time so that she and I could watch the series. Even when I was sick, she would make up the sofa so I could lie down and watch. She made sure the whole world stopped and no one could disturb us when it aired. She was over 60 years old then. When the Eagle model kit came out, she bought it for me.
I can very much relate to the term "The Eagle Obsession" I have 11 Eagles and 1 Hawk from "Space 1999" as well as a collection of vehicles and ships from "The Thunderbirds" "UFO" and "Star Trek" the Orion and Moonbus from "2001 A Space Odyssey" the Dropship from "Aliens" the Spinner from "Blade Runner" and even the Starbug from "Red Dwarf" and it all started with a diecast Dinky Toys' Eagle, UFO Interceptor and SHADO2 from the 1970s (which I still have in a box) and was rekindled by a series of diecast Eagles that were released between 2004 and 2006.
Are they all the old Dinky-Toy ones, or also some of the newer Project Enterprise and later Sixteen12 versions? I guess the once between 2004 and 2006 are the Project Enterprise ones.
I used to draw the Eagle at every opportunity, on any surface. I ignored so many school lessons drawing Eagles on every classroom desk. Such an icon. The Enterprise made no sense. I knew the Eagle. I understood the Eagle. It was the first ship that made me think, yeah, this is really going to happen one day.
Same here! In 2nd and 3rd grade i doodled the Eagle every chance I got. Poor drawings, of course, I could barely draw stick figures. But I tried the best I could, fun times!
My office is filled with Eagles, Space:1999 premiered when I was 10 years old and encapsulated the awe and mystery of space for me. Can't wait for this documentary!
I had that dream for a long time. Especially when martin landau was still alive as well. Like we get back to the the planet the Alphans settled on, building on that message from Sandra. Then some new catastophy threatens that planet (maybe a large meteor) and the Alphans realizing that the base could not support them all, so they send up their kids to handla the base. The meteor strike the planet and hurdle the m,oon out of it's orbit aghain and the moon sets off on continous journeys. That way paying respect to the old actors and characters. Like them handing over their legacy. The Eagles not getting some silly redesign to look "hip and cool" in 2024 for some younger audience etc. Nowdays I'm not so sure though. Battlestar Galactica reboot was really well made, but that was back in 2004. Since then and nowdays reboots or people taking up old franchises has often dropped the ball. Star Trek movies by JJ Abrams and TV-Series by Alex Kurtzman are not at all as good as older Star Trek. Also their new ship designs are hideous. Especilly Klingon ships. Disney Star Wars is mostly not the Star Wars I'm looking for etc (except for a few exceptions like rogue one and andor). It would have to be someone who really had a passion and understanding of Space: 1999. Respecting it's legacy and canon. Not just random writers, producers and diorectors. Not trampling all over it. Maybe very hard held in restraints and overseen by Gerry Andersons son, or something like that. If not it would most likely turn into something completely different. Shoehorning in various "messages" that do not fit the story, tons of cgi with lense flares and looking more like some New Years lightshow with firewaorks than a serious TV-Series/Movie. Tons of stupid over the top action tempo. Just look at what happend already back then when the American division of ITV (or was it itc, I can't remember exactly) started interfearing too much. Removing characters like Professor Bergman, Paul Morrow etc. Turning the stories in series/season two into more action based silly stuff with less serious topics and things that would make you go "hmmm". Sure some good episodes, but mostly series/season one was a lot better story wise. Series/season two lowered the series ratings and then it was cancelled. It seems like Hollwood and even broadcast companies like BBC, these days, can not make series anymore for the ones that are actual fans and like the series. Look at latest Dr. Who. I would not want anyone to do something like that to Space: 1999. I have no idea what they think they will accomplish by insulting the fans and what audience they think will watch it instead? Clearly it's not going so well, since movie and series flop one after another. The same with Marvel.
It's a show that still has so much potential... as it did back in the 1970s. And in this era of remakes and remakes of remakes... I'm genuinely surprised nobody has succeeded in bringing it back to the small screen.
I agree about season 2 there was a couple of good one's but the rest were real clunkers in my opinion plus were some of the main characters were either killed off or lost on a planet.@@Lord_Funk
Ha! I was watching this thinking, "This needs to be three times longer!". And then I learn it's just a trailer! Absolutely outstanding, really looking forward to it! I have very fond memories of Space: 1999 and the Eagle I had then (long since lost to history unfortunately). Thank you! 😊
I'm so proud that my Eagle build is playing a part in Jeffrey's masterful Eagle documentary!!! I know I'm not the only one here who will have a hard time waiting for the full movie to premiere. We all follow excited!!
Davs mand. I have watched your videos on your channel for years now. I hope to one day be able to visit you and watch your masterpiece. That is if that is even allowed? I live in a country not too far away and I do undersyand Danish well, I even worked in Denamark as a DJ back ion the 80's, so it's not like an around the world trip for me. I actually gave Gerry Anderson store the tip of your videos and channel some time back. Also to a Space: 1999 collectors from Italy who puts together Space: 1999 conventions in his country. They have even had some of the actors visiting that convention over the years. Still that would be along trip for me, so I have not been to any of his conventions in Italy. Anywasy. Your work is mazing and I liked how you wore the Koenig shirt from Gerry Anderson in more than one of your videos. It was sold out in my size, so I only have the Paul Morrow version. 😎
@@jwenneberg That's so sweet of you. Thank you. I also saw the video of you having put it together at a convention. It stood next to some large windows. If you look up SciFiWorld which is a convention put together by a guy called Jesper Isberg. Most often in 4 differet locations during a year. I often visit at least two of them which are not too far from me every year. It's the same convention just in different locations. Sometimes the guest can vary a bit too from location to location. Maybe you could hook something up with him and have it displayed there. This year they had a full size X-Wing made by a guy from Germany set up and you could get photos taken either infront of it or sitting in the cockpit. They have had things like a full size Batmobile, jeep from Jurassic Park, even one fo the tanks used in Saving Private Ryan (or maybe it was brothers in arms) displayed over the years. It would be awesome to see Your Eagle there and get to meet you in person. There is this one guy that I have talked to at the conventions who comes there fully dressed in an Alpha season 1 outfit, with the season one silver jacket, laser gun and comlock etc. Not sure how many others are Space: 1999 fans there, but it's all about movies, mainly sci-fi, horror, fantasy and anime. Of course 501 Legionis there and they are all dressed up as various Stormtroopers and characters from Star Wars. Tons of visitors are also dressed up as cahracters from various movies and such. LoTR, Harry Potter, Halo, alot as Anime characters etc. Tons of people visting every year. Many from Denmark too. I remember one Danish guy who I saw first time in 2009 dressed as Indiana Jones and he still comes dressed as Indy to this day. Also always various guests. I have met John Rhys-Davies/Gimli there and he signed two of my Dwarfen axe replicas. Billy Dee Williams/Lando Carissian, Michael Bien from Terminator and Aliens etc. Different guests each year. Next occasion is in Mars, but that location is a bit far away, both for you and me as well. However In April it's held in a location just across Öresund from Copenhagen. Closer for you. That's the one I have visited every year since 2009. Even if you don't bring your Eagle I can really recommend vistiting it. I personally always visit in the first day (saturday) since that is usually the most busy day. I'm there like 40 min before opening and usually get very near the entrance in the queue. Soon after the queue can get pretty long and be around a whole block. Sundays are a bit more laid back and calm, but at the same time you can make nice deals with sellers that day for collectibles, since they want to sell stuff before they wrap it all up, but it can feel a bit dead on Sundays compared to the busy Saturdays.
@@jwenneberg I did reply again, but I now notice that TH-cam AI bot/algorithms have deleted my comment. It is something I have noticed happening a lot lately. Now I have to figure out what word or words in my reply the AI bot deem as unsutiable, so I can rewrite those words and post it again. It seems with all the staff cuts/layoffs Google has made, more and more is handed over to AI and it's self learning bots which do not work well at all. Just common words can be deemed "problematic" or as "foul" language and whole comments just gets deleted, even if they in fact contain no foul language. It seems it can get deleted just because the bot thinks the whole topic is unsuitable, or some words are used more than x amount of times in a comment.
@@jwenneberg I have tried to reply again twice now, but TH-cam bot have deleted both times within seconds. It's happening a lot lately. It seems Google makes more and more is to be handled by AI which do not work well at all. Just common words can be deemed as not suitable and whole comments just gets deleted, even if they in fact contain nothing bad at all. It even seems it can get deleted just because the AI thinks the whole topic is unsuitable, or some words are used more than x amount of times in a comment.
Occasionally I come across these gems on TH-cam, finally something really worth watching. Now you need to hook up with Musk and see if he can make a real one !!!!!!
I am 55 and Space: 99 has to be my favourite show of all times. I watched and rewatched every episode so many times and even bought the DVD sets when they were available. I was extremely fascinated by the Eagle, I loved its modular approach and everything it could do. However, I did not realise until now that I was not alone loving this spacecraft. I can't wait to watch this documentary and learn about all those fans who went over and beyond by collecting miniature Eagles and even building some themselves. Wow!
You are far from alone. I have a bunch of them on my shelves, along with the Kaldorian spaceship, the Mark IX Hawk, Swift and the moon buggy. It's not too late to pick up collecting them again. Join in in reliving your childhood dreams. 😎
Wow thank you so much for doing this, this series was so important to the sci fi genre and the first season has left a lasting impression of what we all wanted the future to be.
Wow, wow, and triple wow. If you'd told me 15 minutes ago that an extended trailer for a documentary about a seventies TV show would bring tears to my eyes I would've confidently told you you were nuts, but here we are. If Netflix picks this up (and they should) it will smash all records for a documentary. Really can't wait for the finished film.
I´m 59 years young now, but I saw the series on TV when they were aired in Germany. Then, when I saw the "Eagles" in toy shops I bought - ok, my mother did - 4 plastic Eagles from "Airfix" and some metal ones (I forgot the brand). I also got the Falcons. Then I build myself the moon base made of wood. I recorded on audio tapes (cassettes) all the series, because I relistened them afterwards. Then after some decades I found the series on TH-cam and of course I downloaded everything. Space 99 and the Eagles are the love of my S/F-life. Then I wrote a comic, using photographs and put everything in school note books to have my own story. - I still hope, someday there will be a full-length movie which I would pay tickets to see it in the cinema.
Was it the blue or white with red cargo pod Eagle, or do you mean the green one with a white passenger pod)? If you got a hold of the white with red cargo pod and had the green with white passanger pod, you could swap and make the all white passenger Eagle. Unfortunately, in my country I could only find the green passenger and the blue cargo one. Never the white cargo version, but happily I did have the plastic model kits too, which I could paint as I wanted.
@@Lord_Funk hmmmm, think it was white , with a door that flipped down on the pod. I was a little kid, a long time ago lol. It was second hand and kinda scratched up. But I remember it being metal, with spring loaded landing feet. This looks about right. 2.bp.blogspot.com/-KhSMXb8JI-Q/TZhJrr5RphI/AAAAAAAABdw/1Bo2oVHKeKA/s1600/Eagle%2BDinky%2BToys%2BSpace%2B1999%2BCosmos%2B01.jpg
Your initial channel intro... Silver surfer vibes The point you make about the Eagle and the Lunar Module ( Both of which I made from Revell kits) struck me - I hadn't considered that. The more I think on it, the more the Eagle "suggests" the Lander module, rather than mimics it. Brian has been involved in so many British classics. He inspired me to get into theatre tech.
I agree. It feels like an extrapolation or a continuation. Not a rip off of the LEM. Thanks for your comment! oh and I never meant the Silver Surfer when I developed the logo. But that's a cool thought.
Ha, I'm sitting here at my workshop desk, my toy Eagle just to the left of me,... Tom 57, film set construction London UK (subscribed) edit: a link to your Kickstarter wouldn't go a miss?
I have found my people! Yes, Space:1999's Eagle and the Starfuries from Babylon 5 are my top 2 science fiction spacecraft. And for exactly the reasons detailed in the video. Both acknowledge zero-g maneuvering and are imminently realistic designs that could be built and work pretty much as depicted in both shows. I am so glad to find SO many people this passionate about the Eagle. Thanks for this teaser video. Can't wait to see the complete documentary.
Fantastic, Jeffrey! I cannot commend you enough on your voice, narration, cinematography, editing, music, and the sharing of your interactions with these amazing people. And your own passion and efforts in this wonderful endeavor! Well done. Can't wait for the feature length!
This is such a great project to be involved with! This our childhood! Great work Jeffrey, we look forward to working on the rest of the show with you and the team here at Pinewood Studios!
Awesome stuff. If you look at my own lenghty comment somehwere here among all others you will se that I am a huge fan and a somewhat fair collector of Space: 1999 stuff. Some stuff I still have saved from my childhood in the 70's. Space: 1999 gave me my life long obsession with sci-fi and it's still my number one favourite show of them all. Thank you for that. 👍
I watched this show as a kid. My cousin was just as interested, she was mesmerized. I didn't have any of the models but bought Carlton comics of the show. Still have them and the recent Space:1999 Technical Publican from Fanderson. Sad to see the Kickstarter was cancelled, I was going to donate, guess I came aboard too late.
I can really recommend both "Space: 1999 The Vault" by Chris Bentley and "Space: 1999 Technical Operations Manual". Both containing tons of information and photos. The photos of original outfits, outfit designs, gadgets etc. Even weaving in UFO as a bridge to Moonbase Alpha. That the S.H.A.D.O. moonbase was a secret base that at the time of Space: 1999 was abandoned but still existed. Their underground catacombs and UFO interceptor ships and all left there. Also weaving in early drawings of the Eagels never used as early ships used before finally the Eagles, as we know them, were designed etc. So many great ideas, art-work and photos in those books.
I had the Space 1999 communicator. It was a walkie talkie shaped like the comm device used by the crew. It was so damn cool. I looked forward to the show every week here in the states/ Living in Chicago then, now I live in Wisconsin. I am a 61 year old gal. I was a total nerd back then. I went into computers and still do it. I love what I do.
I wish still had that communicator, probably worth some good money now. I do still have the Moon base alpha patch I wore on my parka. Although now it sits behind glass all nice and safe.
I built one from scratch using all sorts of parts, including the viewfinder CRT from a camcorder. Never actually functioned, but it looks great. No idea where it ended up.
OMG, I am majorly geeking out right now. 😮 I had no idea what I was getting ready to watch when I clicked on this. I am soooo excited for this! I lovvvvved "Space 1999" when I was young! (I'm 65 now). Can't wait to see the finished film! Thank you for doing this! ❤
I was amazed, and sometimes terrified by this show as a kid. It explored many possibilities, while emphasizing how incredibly dangerous the Alphans predicament was. The first season was awesome. The eagles were my favorite. American influence on the show diluted the hard core formula that made this show great. It was an excellent show none the less. If another episode(s) is made, it should resolve the series. What happened to Moon Base Alpha?
My brother put together a model of an Eagle when we were kids. He also had the Space:1999 soundtrack album on vinyl, which we used to listen to all the time. I never saw the actual series until around 2011, and I really enjoyed it.
This looks like a great project and looking forward to the film in 2025. Remember watching the syndicated re-runs on Monday evenings back in good ol' 1978.
I loved the Eagle when I saw the series and build my first model of it in the 70s, and I still loved it when I built one of the new 13" versions of it last year. (I didn't have room for the 22" version.) And I'm greatly looking forward to your documentary! "I have an incredible faith in the human spirit." - Cmdr Koenig
Last week, I decided to watch Space: 1999 on Prime. It was the first time I'd watched it since the 70's. I had an Eagle back then, but I had totally forgotten about the Stun Gun and Commlock. When they first pulled out the stun gun, I told my wife, "I had one of those! I used to carry it with me everywhere!" Good memories. Then this pops up in my feed. Looking forward to watching it when it comes out.
Awesome. You just got another subscriber. I still have my old Dinky Toy Eagles, the green passenger one and the blue cargo/freighter one which I bought as a kid in the 70's. I also still have the dolls...hrmmmph...I mean action figures, both the ones by Palitoy (not all of them) and the ones by Mattel, of course the airfix models (I painted one as vip pod, one as rescue and one plain white, as well as the mk IX hawk which I painted with dark yellow cockpit etc, since it looked dark yellow on our old tv back then, not orange). I have also picked up collecting some again and have quite a few of the Sixteen12 die-cast Eagles, laboratory, cargo/freighter, regular with some laser damage which came with the orange version of the Mk IX Hawk, the VIP Eagle. Some of them came with the laser tanks, so I got all 3 of those and the rescue Eagle came with the Kaldorian Spacecraft and an airlock, from the episode "Earthbound". One set came with 2 Eagles and even the Moonbase Alpha underground hangar. I also have one of their latest releases, Swift, from "Brian The Brain" episode. Then Sixteen12's Alan Carter in spacesuit with a moon buggy and Commander Koenig in a Spacesuit and a laser rifle. They are all really high quality. The best ones ever made (that I know of), in my opinion. I also have a bunch of the new plastic model kits, but not gotten around to building any of them yet. Alan Carter was also my hero as a kid. I remember the photo of him in his Alpha outfit, but inside a copy/replica of Star Treks Galileo 7 shuttlecraft from some convention back then. I have never had the privelege and opportunity to meet any of the cast, since in our country we only have like one sci-fi convention a year and none of them have ever been invited to visit one of those yearly conventions. I'm so jealous, but at the same time happy for those I seen in varous videos who gets to meet the actors on various conventions. I had the old red Space: 1999 Technical manual as a kid, ordered via Starlog Magazine, if I remember correctly, but I borrowed it to someone and then it's been lost over time. I still have 2 vinyl albums with narrated stories and a promotion fold out thingy. It's supposed to be pretty rare these days. It's the size of a 12 inch vinyl cover, which when folded out the bottom is round shaped as half the moon and the other half is one the side that shows when not folded out. When folded out it becomes the entire moon and a rescue Eagle flying in front of it. The Spoace: 1999 logo on it is not the same as later used in the show, so it's an early promotion material. I got that by phoning the national broadcast network in our country as a kid (they originally aired only 10 episodes back then) and asked if they had any photos or anything I could have. They sent me that along with an envelope with a Space: 1999 logo on and 4 black and white photos. Not sure if the envelope and photos are in the basement somewhere, but that fold out thingy I have up here along with the vinyl records. I also have a couple of really good books with tons of photos and info "Space: 1999 The Vault" by Chris Bentley and "Space: 1999 Technical Operations Manual" plus a couple of shirts with prints on. Of course DVD's and Blu-Rays as well. Space: 1999 was the series that got me hooked for life on sci-fi. Later came Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers In The 25th Century, Alien franchise etc and I also got hooked on Star Trek TOS when they re-aired them in the 70's, but Space: 1999 will always be my first sci-fi show. It is still my favourite and holds a special place for me. It's awesome to see the show and it's brilliantly designed Eagles get the recognition they deserve. I'm sad that I missed out on buying the Sixteen12 Eagle limited edition signed by Brian Johnson, since I could not afford it at the time, but such is life. Brian Johnson is another hero of mine. If Interviewing Brian Johnson, you should try and get a hold of Martin Bower too. Brian designed the Eagles and did the special effects and all. Brilliant he was, but don't forget the model builders like Martin Bower among others. He is also credit as Special effect artist in many projects. Credited for the Mark IX Hawk from the episode "War Games", laser tank models seen in the episode "The Infernal Machine" and "The Super Swift" from the 2 part episodes "Bringers Of Wonders". Brian designed a lot of the ships, but people like Martin Bower built some of them. Martin supposedly built the two various Gwent models and the 3 laser tanks in just 12 days for the episode "The Infernal Machine". Now that is amazing model work in such short time. There was also another guy, whom I have forgotten the name of, who did the repaint job and turned the Mk IX Hawk into it's iconic orange look which it had in the filming of the episodes. Changing it last minute from it's original white look, which was deemed to look too much like the Eagles and confuse the audience...5 minutes later...I found his name, Cyril Forster. I think his title was art director / SFX assistant. He painted the window notches white and the orange cockpit and details, used and seen in the aired episode. After filming it was repainted again and they added back the black window notches (still keeping the orange cockpit and details), so there have been 3 different paintschemes used on that same model. Still the orange with white window notches was the one used in the episode, so I guess considered canon, since the orange with black window notches was never used in any episode. Neither was the original all white paintscheme. I remember my plastic kit model came with the instructions for that original white paintscheme, but I tried to emulate the one I saw on TV as best I could as a kid. Anyway, awesome video and I look forward to the full documentary. To see Nick Tate/Alan Carter in the cockpit of an Eagle again will be truly amazing. 👍
I'm a 52 year old male living in Washington, DC. I've been a daydreamer all of my life. Recently I've had dreams of re-inventing Space: 1999 for the current time. I've even dreamed stories and plots. One of the things I've been attempting to realize is a design for an updated Eagle. I've even played with AI image generation to limited success. It's good to know I'm not the only one who still loves this show and the iconic stories and settings they gave us. Thank you for making this video.
There was an attempt to for a remake called Space: 2099 but it never got off the ground. I am in total agreement. An updated version would be a welcome series because, like then, what was presented LOOKED REALIATIC AND VIABLE. Keep at your project and good luck.
I'll watch it. I was a kid from the 80's and had three staples. Space 1999, Battlestar galactic and Robotech. All three were more mature than anything else around. In the end I became an IT guy now working on Cybersecurity and AI. Those formative years set me on this path. I am who I am today because of shows like this.
This is wicked! I've been a fan of the show, and specifically the miniatures since I was a kid. It's part of what inspired me to become an industrial designer and model maker. I've been designing building and restoring Eagle Transporter toys for over 20 years. I'm at a point now where I might release a full replica of the famed Mattel Eagle. I can't wait to see your film!
I was about 6 or 7 when it first aired in the UK and it was way ahead of it's time. We should also not forget that the series UFO paved the way to it's existence.
Love the video! Remember sitting in my home watching Space 1999 in 1975 with my father. He didn't understand my immediate immersion in the show. Every time any of the transports or external moon shots were on the screen, I was in heaven. Some of the plots like the pilot show, still move me to flights of joy. Built three Eagle models in my life, still have one sitting on my collection shelf beside my USS Enterprise and X-Wing. It commands the center piece place in my heart. Looking forward to your work. Good luck to you!
Me too, as a kid. One I painted as VIP pod, one as rescue and one as plain white passenger pod. I also still have two of the Dinky-Toy ones. These days I have quite a few of the Sixteen12 die-cast Eagles. They are really masterfully done. Top-notch quality. Also the new improved plastic kit models by Round 2. They are so much more detailed, but I haven't gotten around to building them yet.
I was ten years old when Space 1999 first broadcast on the ITV network in, I think, the winter of 1975. Filming had begun in December 1973 but the production was literally, hell lol. I remember being absolutely gripped by the technology and the vision, already, even at that age, a big fan of Gerry Anderson. It's for me, both strange yet satisfying to know this often-strange little sci-fi series, overshadowed like all others by Star Trek, could pack such a punch for youngsters around the world, but especially in the USA, the home of Star Trek, lol. Brian Johnson's team at Pinewood, for me, were better than anything in Hollywood - yes, I said it! From 2001-A Space Odyssey, to UFO, Space 1999 and even Star Wars, the team proved they could achieve anything a director wanted, for a fraction of the price of Hollywood lol. Looking forward to seeing your finished project. Thanks and great work. Deeply envious of some of those guys' Eagles!
Loved the show as a kid and I had one of the toy Eagles (the cargo carrying one with the radioactive barrels) made by Dinky back then. If there’s two SiFi shows from the 70’s that should be remade, it’s this and Blake’s Seven, would love to see these shows made with today’s SFX. Also I’d like to commend you on a top notch documentary, production and editing all very professional 👏. I look forward to the finished film. Liked and subscribed.
The blue or white one with red cargo pod? I always wanted the white one, but could only find the blue one around here. I still have it, as well as the green with a white pasenger pod.
Lovely to see Brian Johnson again. I first met him on the set of "Empire Strikes Back" at Elstree in 1978, long after his great work with Gerry Anderson. The Eagle is iconic in many ways. I'd love to see a full-sized mockup sitting in a parking lot somewhere. I'm sure it can't be that difficult. ;)
I am an Aerospace Engineer because of Gerry Anderson, but I am a downcast one because of the way our culture and political will left so much promise behind. The Eagle was a glimmer of hope in a world that continues down a bad path. I first saw Space: 1999 nearly 50 years ago and like many others, we saw The Eagle and thought, that's where we're going! But we never got there. Oh well, at least we still have those memories. In my living room, a small Eagle model sits atop of a box containing a bottle of Dom Perignon 1999. I'll either drink it on my 70th birthday or when I get to The Moon. I'm betting on 70. Hats off to Gerry Anderson, Brian Johnson, Derek Meddings and the modelers who showed us what the future could hold. Yes, it is an "obsession."
I remember waiting with baited breathe to watch the episodes of Space 1999! I was crushed when they cancelled the show. I, of course, as a child HAD to have as many of the toys as I could get, but children can't have nice things because they just ruin them, but I played with my Eagle toy until it fell apart, and that was indeed a long time, right up until Star Wars was in the theatres and I them had to have the toys from that and my Space 1999 toys went into obscurity and I think they were sold in a yard sale one year after Star Wars came out. Of course, now I kick myself for it but as a kid you don't think the same way. It would be cool to see a recreation of the Series with today's technology and an update of the Eagle ship. Even or perhaps especially a computer game made from the series that stays true to the old designs and the characters. there is so much that could be done with Space 1999 as a video game. If only wishing could make it happen.
I also watched it on TV when aired back in the days (although they only aired 10 episodes here and years later 4 more) and I also saw Star Wars in cinema with my dad. I still have my old die-cast Eagles though. The Airfix models too plus a bunch of more recent die-cast Eagle releases by Sixteen12. Very nice ones. Perfect quality and detailing. I can highly recommend them if you want to relive your childhood and things one could only dream to have back then, as far as details goes.
...the eagle became the main character - that line is pretty much how i think may sf fans feal. i hate it when you have a special effects/vehicle heavy show and yet they do not make toys for those very things or they rebrand some other toys as offical versions like they did in the 70s-90s. I really could care less about some action figure of a side character unless I hve nice, authentic vehicle to put them in. The ship first then the action figures. i guess that is the beauty of 3d printing now.
Yes, Toy development had a L-O-N-G lead time in the 70's. But so did storylines. Remember when it took a whole year to finish one story arc in comic books!?. Oh well, simpler days. Please consider supporting our Indiegogo Campaign! www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-eagle-obsession-documentary/x/10831077#/
A few years ago I have build the newly released Eagle model kit (since the one I have build as a child was long gone). I just looks beautiful - much better than the model kit of the seventies. What an iconic, ever lasting design!
Cool video buddy. Own a few eagles myself and saw the show when I was growing up. I've been following your progress on this documentary with interest, especially as i am huge fan of all things Gerry Anderson. I cannot wait to see the finished film.
so many memories, so many emotions.... I love space 1999... In that time I want that future, I belive in that future... Good Lord!!! Thanks for the memories...9 years then, 58 now and feels that like a couple of months... Thanks, Thanks a lot... cheers from the other side of the world
Saw the Dinky version of the Eagle before the TV show in a toy shop in Wales in 1975. Didn't care what the show was going to be like, as that ship blew me away [even painted green!]. Anyone else buy the white freighter version and swap the pods over? Still got them, along with Product Enterprise, Airfix, Sixteen12........ After Space 1999 and 2000AD in the 70s, the actual 21st Century has been a bit of a disappointment.
I had the Dinky Eagle Transporter as a kid. I loved that toy so much I even overlooked it being the wrong colour (it was green). It was heavy and solid too. Chunky metal thing. I doubt it would be made like that today as a toy for kids. There was a realism to the ship. It looked like it had evolved from the real Eagle moon lander.
Personally, I always thought the Eagle design was much more "real" a concept that could have actually been developed and safer tham SpaceX's Starship.... Sorry Elon.
As an Aussie kid in the 1970s, Space 1999 was my favourite show, with a great cast and of course I was thrilled an Aussie had a major part. I too was totally obsessed with the Eagle. Best sci-fi space ship that looked like it could actually be real. Then at the end of the video when you said there’s more to come - omg, yes - sub!
1999 was originally built to be UFO1990 a 2nd season of UFO after 10 years had passed and there was now a moon city. UFO rerun ratings dropped, so a SF novel, Breakaway, was adapted to the sets/models. The moon hoppers on UFO were the very believable next generation of Lunar Excursion Modules...and would be the prototype for The Eagle a few years later. UFO was mostly filmed with left over props and some models and cars from their movie "Doppelgangers"
Holy crap! I hope people stay and watch to the end. The new Eagle VFX are worth the wait. This is absolutely FANTASTIC work. You nailed the quality. This feels EPIC in scale. So well done. Thank you for making this. It's great to know I'm not alone in my love of this classic sci-fi vessel.
Very cool! One of my fave sci-fi shows, and the visual FX and models were a big part of that timeless look. I devoured magazines on the making of shows like Space 1999 and to this day, I still enjoy learning about that side of the film industry. Indeed, I can say that Brian Johnson and other FX gurus like Trumbull, Dykstra, Edlund, Tippett and Johnston were part of the reason I now work as a VFX supervisor at an animation studio. I look forward to your finished film - good luck!
I'm looking forward to your film very much. I've been a Star Trek fan all my life, but Space:1999 filled a significant SF gap in the 70s. I, too, was enamored by the Eagle. I still have the die cast version and I built several iterations of the Eagle over the decades. The latest was a Lego-like brick kit over 2 feet long. It is well passed time that Space:1999 was recognized for its imagination and iconic Spacecraft.
Even though the original premise was iffy, Gerry and crew did a fantastic job with the series. I loved Space 1999, course I also obsessed over UFO, which was Space's predecessor in a way.
This is an amazing project. Thanks Jeffery. Until I saw this documentary I thought I was one of the very few people that liked the Eagle shape..WHO KNew!! I remember that my sister brought me the Eagle Freighter (Booo!) for my birthday, which for some reason had a green midsection but as I was a kid with no money it was still great to have. I still own it today. I'm just about to turn 60 myself and you have just reignited my passion for this ship. Thank you so much.
Absolutely amazing. Thank you for bringing this to us all. Nice to know there are other Space 1999 and Eagle fans out there. Looking forward to more of your incredible work!
Achievable. That's how Space 1999, Moon Base Alpha, felt to me. As much as I enjoy and thrill at many of these other science fiction space-based worlds (Star Trek, Star Wars, UFO, Battlestar Galactica etc) the only one that felt "real" was Space 1999. And when I say 'real', I mean structurally, not actually. Let's face it, some of those episodes were far out man. A few of those writers were running the oxygen in their helmets a wee bit thin. But the engineering aspect seemed so, if you'll pardon the expression, down-to-Earth. With current technology we can achieve a safer facility on the moon, most probably the inflatable systems we see NASA about to use to build the next space station. But those Eagles, NASA absolutely needs to make those a reality. .
It would be great to watch it with CC (Close Captioned) or Subtitle. I watched it at the age of 8 when it came out in the U.S. I still love this TV Show. I hope there will be a new reboot TV Show but in a different year. Perhaps like 2049 (50 years different from 1999).
I've always been fond of the Eagle transporters and the external shots of the base in "Space: 1999", yet I found the show and its storylines to be rather awkward, reminiscent of the overly dramatic style of 1950s B-movie Buck Rogers or "Thunderbirds". Even as a child, I considered it somewhat lackluster, although I must concede that the Eagle transporters were its standout feature for me. The lack of significant attention from the sci-fi community in 1999, including the absence of any reruns, seems to validate my opinion. It suggests that the show's reception, even at the time of its airing, was lukewarm at best. The series, it appears, didn't age well nor did it make a lasting impression during its original broadcast period.
The Eagle was like the physical incarnation of the later Superman tagline: "You will believe the ship can fly." Still the one "real-looking" ship from my youth.
Wow that is amazing. Looks like a fantastic film. And amazing projects, I was that kid in 1976/77 onwards in England who also fell in love with the spaceship and the show. My dad bought me the dinky toys. Which i unfortunately No longer have. And the annuals etc. I really look forward to seeing more about this on you tube. It would be so amazing if ever new sort of continuation of the show could somehow be written & created. Fantastic cheers
Frankly, we’ve not gone back to the moon because it’s highly unobtainable. We still struggle to figure out how to deal with lunar dust, power, food, water, gravity, radiation, etc.
The first season of space of Space 1999 was pretty good. It did not insult one's intelligence like Battle Star Galactica. But the second season was simply awful. Like many people who grew up during the Apollo era I feel let down by the way the future has turned out. By now (2024) I thought we would have moon cities, spaceships like the Eagle, O'Neil Space Colonies, and outposts on Mars. In addition, I believed that by the third decade of the 21st Century we would be mining the asteroids and supplying the Earth with cheap abundant solar energy from solar power stations in geosynchronous orbit. Back in the day like many Science fiction aficionados, I envisioned humanity becoming a multi-planetary species. Boy' what a sad disappointment that turned out to be. If someone back then had told me that after exerting all that effort to go to the moon, we would then turn our collective backs on our future in space, I would have not believed them? Instead, it looks like the people who mocked and derided the idea of manned space exploration are having the last laugh?
I had the 1976 Mattel Eagle 1. That thing was 3 feet long and took up the entire top of my dresser. My favorite toy as a child, and the one I most wish I still had. But I have to admit I liked Anderson's UFO series a bit more than Space 1999. Just a bit.
Bravo, nice work! Very much looking forward to this exploration of like-minded and similarly inspired folks. I can honestly say I went into the visual effects business largely due to Space:1999 and the incredible Eagle. Thanks for giving the iconic design and the people who made it happen their due!
I remember eagerly awaiting the pilot episode only to accidentally fall asleep and miss it. Back in those days, if you missed the pilot episode, you had no hope of seeing it again. For some reason, pilot episodes were rarely if ever re-run in the 1970s. It wasn't until over 30 years later that I finally was able to watch the pilot episode on TH-cam.
Glad there are others out there with an appreciation of Space 1999.
There are many, many of them, they are just not vocal about it.
Still the best looking ships in sci-fi. They haven't dated one day. They look like they can actually fly. Can't wait for the full film.
O H M Y G O D !!!! This 59 year old Australian just returned to 1976 when he first saw an Eagle AND the first ever Aussie character in a Sci-Fi series; Alan Carter - greatly looking forward to view your documentary.
59 Year old America, I'm with you buddy. We saw it after you did, but I was just as blown away.
Two years behind you, but ditto to all the rest.
Those awesome days when you could watch Doctor Who at 6:30pm on the ABC, then it was either CH 7 or 9 that ran Space 1999 in the “M” time around 11:00pm.
He was one of the best characters of that show!
UK checking in, 1975 for us I think. Loved it. and the toys were metal!!!
As did this 59 year old Canadian! :)
I loved all the characters but Alan holds a special place in my heart. The action man! In 2014, I went to the New York comic con dressed as Alan. 140K attendees and I was the only Alphan cos player. :)
Someone’s gotta build a life size version as a house.
Fully agree on that one.
Someone did fit out their flat/ apartment as Moonbase Alpha, replicating the wall panels, doors (with replica control panels), but best of all, had actually collected original show-correct furniture pieces (very rare, still 'designer', and therefore, still very expensive). It was online, years ago. No idea if it still is...
Yeah if only I had a few million bucks to spare, I'd have one built for sure! And with a full size launch pad and everything!
I had tears coming down my eyes seeing the passion and love for the Eagle.
50 years is a long time for a kid to wait…
By the Year 2000 wasn’t just hype to us but a real dream of a better tomorrow.
As a child, I would take pictures of my TV screen in the dark of Star Trek and Space:1999.
The results were hit and miss but I got a few really good photos of an Eagle leaving a planet and the USS Enterprise.
This was in the days of 8MM home movies.
This is why View Masters were so popular then. No internet, cellphones, emails…just mags and newsletters through the mail.
September 13, 1999 a final message from Sandra (late Zienia Merton) was made that gave some closure to the series.
At 61, I look to SpaceX to achieve what my generation could not.
To the future…
I did EXACTLY the same!!! Will be 62 soon and I still get that...'Eagle' feeling every damn time since I was 13!!
I did too using a Polaroid camer. Normal camera would just be a blank TV screen. I still have some of those old polaroids I took of the Millenium vs Tie fighter battle from the first Star Wars movie. That sequence was shown in a TV program reviewing movies. Our old Philips VCR (no, not vhs) could actually paus the screen, so i could take the photos.
I built the Eagle out of coat hangers and egg crates. I flew it millions of miles in our living room as a kid. Great vid.
I hope you made it back for supper.
My dad worked as a graphic artist, one day he brought a stack of color printed miniature mockup sheets of all kinds of cardboard boxes, so me and my brothers cut them up and folded them and they made cute little (2-3") color boxes, so that inspired me to make a small papercraft of the Eagle !
So 1975-76 ?
There was no recording devices back then, so I had to take notes in the few seconds the Eagle was on the tv screen...
I so which I would of kept it.
My friend welded one when we were in school. He was amazing at that stuff. We loved Space 1999.
I'm from Portugal, I saw both Space 1999 series on black and white TV for the first time. We didn't have color TV here yet.
I was 7 years old at the time and I was on vacation with my parents in a place where the hotel's TV reception was very bad.
My father found a portable TV, connected to the car battery, we drove many kilometers until we found a place where the reception was good enough.
We took a whole month's vacation in those days!!!
For us, missing 3 or 4 episodes of the series was unthinkable.
Even if it was on a B&W screen the size of a cookie, little bigger than that of the series' famous communicators.
I will certainly look forward to seeing this documentary.
I bought a collector edition of the Eagle when the show was still on the air. As a teenager, I had a mural of the moon on my wall and the Eagle was suspended from the ceiling with thread. Today, it's in mint condition, displayed in my office.
my brother and I had those. I think mine was a transport and his was a freighter. as far as i know, he still has his, but i cannot recall what became of mine.
Awesome! Treasure it
58-year-old in Canada here, and this brings back great memories of watching Space:1999! I believe I built a model of an Eagle as some point back then. Looking forward to the show!
60-year-old Canadian here. I remember watching on CBC Saturdays at 5pm. I have a large die cast rescue eagle on my shelf. The season one bluray was really well done (though not cheap).
59 year old Canadian. Space:1999 was indeed on the CBC - Saturdays before Hockey Night in Canada.
I still draw the cockpit and exterior of the Eagle when I doodle......best designed fantasy spaceship ever.
NICK TATE! I met Nick several years ago (2011 or 2012) in a coffee shop in Toluca Lake. Started talking, about all his roles. I hadn't twigged he was from Space 1999. When he said he worked in London on a TV show in the 1970s with "My good friend Martin Landau", I realised it could only be that. "What ... show ... was ... that?" - "Space 1999" - "And which character did you play?" "Chief astronaut Alan Carter!" - and then it was like I saw his young 1970s face over todays! That was great. Had him over for dinner at my sisters in Burbank, the man has great stories! Glad to see him going strong.
That is so awesome.
He is one of a kind!
Woohoo! The reason the Eagle design works is because it genuinely looks like it should work- a no frills and versatile work-horse craft. As an astronomy and Sci-Fi obsessed child in the 70s (I still am!), I had an Eagle Transporter, an Eagle Freighter (both by Dinky) and a plastic Hawk kit (by Airfix), all of which I slowly destroyed by incessant re-enactments of crash-landings in the garden (sounds effects by me). Seeing the incredible models and collections in this video brought it all back. Thanks for reminding me of the awe and fun Space 1999 gave me back then, Jeffrey!
You're welcome. Thanks for the kind comment!
The Eagle makes sense as a ship that works in space.... ONLY in Space. as a vehicle that lands on and takes off of planets, it makes no ruddy sense at all. It's not built for atmospheric entry and it has absolutely no space for.... fuel... the stuff that you need to burn out of those rocket nozzles.
I too have both of the Dinky models, but alas, because of similar Garden Emergency Landings, my green Freight version is well-battered!
Had the same and did the same lol, also played the 45 record over and over with the follow along book.
Space: 1999 was my first exposure to science-fiction as a pre-teen and I immediately fell into the world of sci-fi. It played on one of our two available local channels at 10 pm weekly but my bedtime was at 8 (yes, I was that young). My mother, bless her heart, would agree to wake me up just before 10 so I could watch the next episode. It will always have a place in my heart.
Great story 👍
That's the kind of parent I needed. Everything I wanted to watch was past my bedtime and my mother was merciless. If only I'd known they'd be available when I grew up.
The Eagle spacecraft from SPACE: 1999 is finally getting its due and I couldn't be more excited. I'm in my 50's and I grew up at a time when having a base on the moon was a very real possibility and the design of the Eagle added to that believability factor. Seeing the iconic ship getting the respect it deserves is truly heartwarming.
You got me, can't wait to see what you do. Please try the kickstarter again. This best selling Sci-fi author will help. Many days sitting on my living room floor watching this as a 12 year old boy.
Space 1999’s Eagle made so much sense that when the tech arrives, future designers can just hand a model to engineers and say “OK, make this real.”
As long as it doesn't have to land on the Earth, a spaceship can have any shape. The Eagle's modular construction, its versatility, makes it a logical design. It is mostly a space shuttle without wings.
@@xhagastbut there were may episodes of it flying through atmospheres of planets.
@@XtremiTeez I am talking of it as a design for real ships. It would work on the low gravity of the Moon.
@@xhagast so when they showed it taking off and landing on planets with atmosphere and gravity like Earth's, did that seem unrealistic to you?
Oh man, I loved watching Space 1999. Had the Eagle model and wished I still did. What a real piece of space hardware.
Not to mention my ridiculous crush on Sandra Benes.
The memories the series brings me. I was 10 years old when it aired, and I remember my grandmother and I watching it together, never missing an episode. My grandmother made sure I was home in good time so that she and I could watch the series. Even when I was sick, she would make up the sofa so I could lie down and watch. She made sure the whole world stopped and no one could disturb us when it aired. She was over 60 years old then. When the Eagle model kit came out, she bought it for me.
WOW! THOSE SURELY ARE SOME TREASURED MOMENTS!! Grandma likening your favorite show and watching together plus all the little things-TRUELY special!
Great memory!
I can very much relate to the term "The Eagle Obsession" I have 11 Eagles and 1 Hawk from "Space 1999" as well as a collection of vehicles and ships from "The Thunderbirds" "UFO" and "Star Trek" the Orion and Moonbus from "2001 A Space Odyssey" the Dropship from "Aliens" the Spinner from "Blade Runner" and even the Starbug from "Red Dwarf" and it all started with a diecast Dinky Toys' Eagle, UFO Interceptor and SHADO2 from the 1970s (which I still have in a box) and was rekindled by a series of diecast Eagles that were released between 2004 and 2006.
Are they all the old Dinky-Toy ones, or also some of the newer Project Enterprise and later Sixteen12 versions? I guess the once between 2004 and 2006 are the Project Enterprise ones.
@@Lord_Funk I think they are Product Enterprise I have a set of the smaller diecast as well as the larger scale Eagles which includes the Hawk.
I used to draw the Eagle at every opportunity, on any surface. I ignored so many school lessons drawing Eagles on every classroom desk. Such an icon. The Enterprise made no sense. I knew the Eagle. I understood the Eagle. It was the first ship that made me think, yeah, this is really going to happen one day.
Same here! In 2nd and 3rd grade i doodled the Eagle every chance I got. Poor drawings, of course, I could barely draw stick figures. But I tried the best I could, fun times!
My office is filled with Eagles, Space:1999 premiered when I was 10 years old and encapsulated the awe and mystery of space for me. Can't wait for this documentary!
Can't wait to see it! I wish someone would do a reboot of this show.
Yes....but not Disney.
I had that dream for a long time. Especially when martin landau was still alive as well. Like we get back to the the planet the Alphans settled on, building on that message from Sandra. Then some new catastophy threatens that planet (maybe a large meteor) and the Alphans realizing that the base could not support them all, so they send up their kids to handla the base. The meteor strike the planet and hurdle the m,oon out of it's orbit aghain and the moon sets off on continous journeys. That way paying respect to the old actors and characters. Like them handing over their legacy. The Eagles not getting some silly redesign to look "hip and cool" in 2024 for some younger audience etc.
Nowdays I'm not so sure though. Battlestar Galactica reboot was really well made, but that was back in 2004. Since then and nowdays reboots or people taking up old franchises has often dropped the ball. Star Trek movies by JJ Abrams and TV-Series by Alex Kurtzman are not at all as good as older Star Trek. Also their new ship designs are hideous. Especilly Klingon ships. Disney Star Wars is mostly not the Star Wars I'm looking for etc (except for a few exceptions like rogue one and andor).
It would have to be someone who really had a passion and understanding of Space: 1999. Respecting it's legacy and canon. Not just random writers, producers and diorectors. Not trampling all over it. Maybe very hard held in restraints and overseen by Gerry Andersons son, or something like that. If not it would most likely turn into something completely different. Shoehorning in various "messages" that do not fit the story, tons of cgi with lense flares and looking more like some New Years lightshow with firewaorks than a serious TV-Series/Movie. Tons of stupid over the top action tempo. Just look at what happend already back then when the American division of ITV (or was it itc, I can't remember exactly) started interfearing too much. Removing characters like Professor Bergman, Paul Morrow etc. Turning the stories in series/season two into more action based silly stuff with less serious topics and things that would make you go "hmmm". Sure some good episodes, but mostly series/season one was a lot better story wise. Series/season two lowered the series ratings and then it was cancelled.
It seems like Hollwood and even broadcast companies like BBC, these days, can not make series anymore for the ones that are actual fans and like the series. Look at latest Dr. Who. I would not want anyone to do something like that to Space: 1999. I have no idea what they think they will accomplish by insulting the fans and what audience they think will watch it instead? Clearly it's not going so well, since movie and series flop one after another. The same with Marvel.
@@scottbrower9052Most definitely!
It's a show that still has so much potential... as it did back in the 1970s. And in this era of remakes and remakes of remakes... I'm genuinely surprised nobody has succeeded in bringing it back to the small screen.
I agree about season 2 there was a couple of good one's but the rest were real clunkers in my opinion plus were some of the main characters were either killed off or lost on a planet.@@Lord_Funk
Ha! I was watching this thinking, "This needs to be three times longer!".
And then I learn it's just a trailer!
Absolutely outstanding, really looking forward to it! I have very fond memories of Space: 1999 and the Eagle I had then (long since lost to history unfortunately).
Thank you! 😊
I'm so proud that my Eagle build is playing a part in Jeffrey's masterful Eagle documentary!!!
I know I'm not the only one here who will have a hard time waiting for the full movie to premiere. We all follow excited!!
Davs mand. I have watched your videos on your channel for years now. I hope to one day be able to visit you and watch your masterpiece. That is if that is even allowed? I live in a country not too far away and I do undersyand Danish well, I even worked in Denamark as a DJ back ion the 80's, so it's not like an around the world trip for me. I actually gave Gerry Anderson store the tip of your videos and channel some time back. Also to a Space: 1999 collectors from Italy who puts together Space: 1999 conventions in his country. They have even had some of the actors visiting that convention over the years. Still that would be along trip for me, so I have not been to any of his conventions in Italy. Anywasy. Your work is mazing and I liked how you wore the Koenig shirt from Gerry Anderson in more than one of your videos. It was sold out in my size, so I only have the Paul Morrow version. 😎
@@Lord_Funk You shall be very welcome 👍 however right now it is not assembled, but it will be again.
@@jwenneberg That's so sweet of you. Thank you. I also saw the video of you having put it together at a convention. It stood next to some large windows.
If you look up SciFiWorld which is a convention put together by a guy called Jesper Isberg. Most often in 4 differet locations during a year. I often visit at least two of them which are not too far from me every year. It's the same convention just in different locations. Sometimes the guest can vary a bit too from location to location. Maybe you could hook something up with him and have it displayed there.
This year they had a full size X-Wing made by a guy from Germany set up and you could get photos taken either infront of it or sitting in the cockpit. They have had things like a full size Batmobile, jeep from Jurassic Park, even one fo the tanks used in Saving Private Ryan (or maybe it was brothers in arms) displayed over the years.
It would be awesome to see Your Eagle there and get to meet you in person. There is this one guy that I have talked to at the conventions who comes there fully dressed in an Alpha season 1 outfit, with the season one silver jacket, laser gun and comlock etc. Not sure how many others are Space: 1999 fans there, but it's all about movies, mainly sci-fi, horror, fantasy and anime. Of course 501 Legionis there and they are all dressed up as various Stormtroopers and characters from Star Wars. Tons of visitors are also dressed up as cahracters from various movies and such. LoTR, Harry Potter, Halo, alot as Anime characters etc.
Tons of people visting every year. Many from Denmark too. I remember one Danish guy who I saw first time in 2009 dressed as Indiana Jones and he still comes dressed as Indy to this day.
Also always various guests. I have met John Rhys-Davies/Gimli there and he signed two of my Dwarfen axe replicas. Billy Dee Williams/Lando Carissian, Michael Bien from Terminator and Aliens etc. Different guests each year.
Next occasion is in Mars, but that location is a bit far away, both for you and me as well. However In April it's held in a location just across Öresund from Copenhagen. Closer for you. That's the one I have visited every year since 2009.
Even if you don't bring your Eagle I can really recommend vistiting it. I personally always visit in the first day (saturday) since that is usually the most busy day. I'm there like 40 min before opening and usually get very near the entrance in the queue. Soon after the queue can get pretty long and be around a whole block.
Sundays are a bit more laid back and calm, but at the same time you can make nice deals with sellers that day for collectibles, since they want to sell stuff before they wrap it all up, but it can feel a bit dead on Sundays compared to the busy Saturdays.
@@jwenneberg I did reply again, but I now notice that TH-cam AI bot/algorithms have deleted my comment. It is something I have noticed happening a lot lately. Now I have to figure out what word or words in my reply the AI bot deem as unsutiable, so I can rewrite those words and post it again. It seems with all the staff cuts/layoffs Google has made, more and more is handed over to AI and it's self learning bots which do not work well at all. Just common words can be deemed "problematic" or as "foul" language and whole comments just gets deleted, even if they in fact contain no foul language. It seems it can get deleted just because the bot thinks the whole topic is unsuitable, or some words are used more than x amount of times in a comment.
@@jwenneberg I have tried to reply again twice now, but TH-cam bot have deleted both times within seconds. It's happening a lot lately. It seems Google makes more and more is to be handled by AI which do not work well at all. Just common words can be deemed as not suitable and whole comments just gets deleted, even if they in fact contain nothing bad at all. It even seems it can get deleted just because the AI thinks the whole topic is unsuitable, or some words are used more than x amount of times in a comment.
Occasionally I come across these gems on TH-cam, finally something really worth watching. Now you need to hook up with Musk and see if he can make a real one !!!!!!
I am 55 and Space: 99 has to be my favourite show of all times. I watched and rewatched every episode so many times and even bought the DVD sets when they were available. I was extremely fascinated by the Eagle, I loved its modular approach and everything it could do. However, I did not realise until now that I was not alone loving this spacecraft. I can't wait to watch this documentary and learn about all those fans who went over and beyond by collecting miniature Eagles and even building some themselves. Wow!
You are far from alone. I have a bunch of them on my shelves, along with the Kaldorian spaceship, the Mark IX Hawk, Swift and the moon buggy. It's not too late to pick up collecting them again. Join in in reliving your childhood dreams. 😎
Dont know this ship but Future dude rocks!!
Congratulations Jeffrey!! You’ve succeeded in truly striking a chord.
Wow thank you so much for doing this, this series was so important to the sci fi genre and the first season has left a lasting impression of what we all wanted the future to be.
Wow, wow, and triple wow. If you'd told me 15 minutes ago that an extended trailer for a documentary about a seventies TV show would bring tears to my eyes I would've confidently told you you were nuts, but here we are. If Netflix picks this up (and they should) it will smash all records for a documentary. Really can't wait for the finished film.
I´m 59 years young now, but I saw the series on TV when they were aired in Germany. Then, when I saw the "Eagles" in toy shops I bought - ok, my mother did - 4 plastic Eagles from "Airfix" and some metal ones (I forgot the brand). I also got the Falcons. Then I build myself the moon base made of wood. I recorded on audio tapes (cassettes) all the series, because I relistened them afterwards. Then after some decades I found the series on TH-cam and of course I downloaded everything. Space 99 and the Eagles are the love of my S/F-life. Then I wrote a comic, using photographs and put everything in school note books to have my own story. - I still hope, someday there will be a full-length movie which I would pay tickets to see it in the cinema.
Great to see some hard-nosed footage! Jeffrey, you're doing the fandom and the show proud. Thank you so much for doing this.
I used to have the toy as a kid in the 80’s, metal, with the detachable cargo section etc.
still a very watchable TV show.
At least Season 1 is. Season 2 was a travesty to suit American "tastes."
@@cpnscarlet yeah can’t argue with that.
Dinky Toys…
Was it the blue or white with red cargo pod Eagle, or do you mean the green one with a white passenger pod)? If you got a hold of the white with red cargo pod and had the green with white passanger pod, you could swap and make the all white passenger Eagle. Unfortunately, in my country I could only find the green passenger and the blue cargo one. Never the white cargo version, but happily I did have the plastic model kits too, which I could paint as I wanted.
@@Lord_Funk hmmmm, think it was white , with a door that flipped down on the pod. I was a little kid, a long time ago lol. It was second hand and kinda scratched up. But I remember it being metal, with spring loaded landing feet.
This looks about right.
2.bp.blogspot.com/-KhSMXb8JI-Q/TZhJrr5RphI/AAAAAAAABdw/1Bo2oVHKeKA/s1600/Eagle%2BDinky%2BToys%2BSpace%2B1999%2BCosmos%2B01.jpg
Your initial channel intro...
Silver surfer vibes
The point you make about the Eagle and the Lunar Module ( Both of which I made from Revell kits) struck me - I hadn't considered that. The more I think on it, the more the Eagle "suggests" the Lander module, rather than mimics it.
Brian has been involved in so many British classics. He inspired me to get into theatre tech.
I agree. It feels like an extrapolation or a continuation. Not a rip off of the LEM. Thanks for your comment! oh and I never meant the Silver Surfer when I developed the logo. But that's a cool thought.
Ha, I'm sitting here at my workshop desk, my toy Eagle just to the left of me,... Tom 57, film set construction London UK (subscribed) edit: a link to your Kickstarter wouldn't go a miss?
"It made sense"
My reaction also when I first saw the "Eagle" in Space 1999.
I have found my people!
Yes, Space:1999's Eagle and the Starfuries from Babylon 5 are my top 2 science fiction spacecraft.
And for exactly the reasons detailed in the video. Both acknowledge zero-g maneuvering and are imminently realistic designs that could be built and work pretty much as depicted in both shows.
I am so glad to find SO many people this passionate about the Eagle.
Thanks for this teaser video. Can't wait to see the complete documentary.
Fantastic, Jeffrey! I cannot commend you enough on your voice, narration, cinematography, editing, music, and the sharing of your interactions with these amazing people. And your own passion and efforts in this wonderful endeavor! Well done. Can't wait for the feature length!
This is such a great project to be involved with! This our childhood! Great work Jeffrey, we look forward to working on the rest of the show with you and the team here at Pinewood Studios!
Awesome stuff. If you look at my own lenghty comment somehwere here among all others you will se that I am a huge fan and a somewhat fair collector of Space: 1999 stuff. Some stuff I still have saved from my childhood in the 70's. Space: 1999 gave me my life long obsession with sci-fi and it's still my number one favourite show of them all. Thank you for that. 👍
I watched this show as a kid. My cousin was just as interested, she was mesmerized. I didn't have any of the models but bought Carlton comics of the show. Still have them and the recent Space:1999 Technical Publican from Fanderson.
Sad to see the Kickstarter was cancelled, I was going to donate, guess I came aboard too late.
I can really recommend both "Space: 1999 The Vault" by Chris Bentley and "Space: 1999 Technical Operations Manual". Both containing tons of information and photos. The photos of original outfits, outfit designs, gadgets etc. Even weaving in UFO as a bridge to Moonbase Alpha. That the S.H.A.D.O. moonbase was a secret base that at the time of Space: 1999 was abandoned but still existed. Their underground catacombs and UFO interceptor ships and all left there. Also weaving in early drawings of the Eagels never used as early ships used before finally the Eagles, as we know them, were designed etc. So many great ideas, art-work and photos in those books.
Of all the sci-fi ships we've seen in the last 50 years, the Eagle has to be the most believable of them all.
I had the Space 1999 communicator. It was a walkie talkie shaped like the comm device used by the crew. It was so damn cool. I looked forward to the show every week here in the states/ Living in Chicago then, now I live in Wisconsin. I am a 61 year old gal. I was a total nerd back then. I went into computers and still do it. I love what I do.
I wish still had that communicator, probably worth some good money now. I do still have the Moon base alpha patch I wore on my parka. Although now it sits behind glass all nice and safe.
I built one from scratch using all sorts of parts, including the viewfinder CRT from a camcorder. Never actually functioned, but it looks great. No idea where it ended up.
It was called a comlock, for communications and locking device, because it could also lock and unlock the doors to various areas of the Moonbase.
OMG, I am majorly geeking out right now. 😮 I had no idea what I was getting ready to watch when I clicked on this. I am soooo excited for this! I lovvvvved "Space 1999" when I was young! (I'm 65 now). Can't wait to see the finished film! Thank you for doing this! ❤
Eagles and Hawks were SWEET.
The Eagle, the millenium falcon and perhaps the Liberator.
All childhood favourites.
I was amazed, and sometimes terrified by this show as a kid. It explored many possibilities, while emphasizing how incredibly dangerous the Alphans predicament was. The first season was awesome. The eagles were my favorite.
American influence on the show diluted the hard core formula that made this show great. It was an excellent show none the less. If another episode(s) is made, it should resolve the series. What happened to Moon Base Alpha?
I still have my Eagle Model I received as a gift from my grandparents in 1978
Very tasteful introduction. A tribute to the show Space 1999 as well as the Eagle.
My brother put together a model of an Eagle when we were kids. He also had the Space:1999 soundtrack album on vinyl, which we used to listen to all the time. I never saw the actual series until around 2011, and I really enjoyed it.
This looks like a great project and looking forward to the film in 2025. Remember watching the syndicated re-runs on Monday evenings back in good ol' 1978.
@FutureDude - Eagles forever! Made one in the Starfield game. Wish they had one in Star Citizen! I used to have the Dinky toy. o7
I loved the Eagle when I saw the series and build my first model of it in the 70s, and I still loved it when I built one of the new 13" versions of it last year. (I didn't have room for the 22" version.) And I'm greatly looking forward to your documentary! "I have an incredible faith in the human spirit." - Cmdr Koenig
Last week, I decided to watch Space: 1999 on Prime. It was the first time I'd watched it since the 70's. I had an Eagle back then, but I had totally forgotten about the Stun Gun and Commlock. When they first pulled out the stun gun, I told my wife, "I had one of those! I used to carry it with me everywhere!" Good memories.
Then this pops up in my feed. Looking forward to watching it when it comes out.
Awesome. You just got another subscriber. I still have my old Dinky Toy Eagles, the green passenger one and the blue cargo/freighter one which I bought as a kid in the 70's. I also still have the dolls...hrmmmph...I mean action figures, both the ones by Palitoy (not all of them) and the ones by Mattel, of course the airfix models (I painted one as vip pod, one as rescue and one plain white, as well as the mk IX hawk which I painted with dark yellow cockpit etc, since it looked dark yellow on our old tv back then, not orange). I have also picked up collecting some again and have quite a few of the Sixteen12 die-cast Eagles, laboratory, cargo/freighter, regular with some laser damage which came with the orange version of the Mk IX Hawk, the VIP Eagle. Some of them came with the laser tanks, so I got all 3 of those and the rescue Eagle came with the Kaldorian Spacecraft and an airlock, from the episode "Earthbound". One set came with 2 Eagles and even the Moonbase Alpha underground hangar. I also have one of their latest releases, Swift, from "Brian The Brain" episode. Then Sixteen12's Alan Carter in spacesuit with a moon buggy and Commander Koenig in a Spacesuit and a laser rifle. They are all really high quality. The best ones ever made (that I know of), in my opinion. I also have a bunch of the new plastic model kits, but not gotten around to building any of them yet.
Alan Carter was also my hero as a kid. I remember the photo of him in his Alpha outfit, but inside a copy/replica of Star Treks Galileo 7 shuttlecraft from some convention back then. I have never had the privelege and opportunity to meet any of the cast, since in our country we only have like one sci-fi convention a year and none of them have ever been invited to visit one of those yearly conventions. I'm so jealous, but at the same time happy for those I seen in varous videos who gets to meet the actors on various conventions.
I had the old red Space: 1999 Technical manual as a kid, ordered via Starlog Magazine, if I remember correctly, but I borrowed it to someone and then it's been lost over time. I still have 2 vinyl albums with narrated stories and a promotion fold out thingy. It's supposed to be pretty rare these days. It's the size of a 12 inch vinyl cover, which when folded out the bottom is round shaped as half the moon and the other half is one the side that shows when not folded out. When folded out it becomes the entire moon and a rescue Eagle flying in front of it. The Spoace: 1999 logo on it is not the same as later used in the show, so it's an early promotion material. I got that by phoning the national broadcast network in our country as a kid (they originally aired only 10 episodes back then) and asked if they had any photos or anything I could have. They sent me that along with an envelope with a Space: 1999 logo on and 4 black and white photos. Not sure if the envelope and photos are in the basement somewhere, but that fold out thingy I have up here along with the vinyl records. I also have a couple of really good books with tons of photos and info "Space: 1999 The Vault" by Chris Bentley and "Space: 1999 Technical Operations Manual" plus a couple of shirts with prints on. Of course DVD's and Blu-Rays as well.
Space: 1999 was the series that got me hooked for life on sci-fi. Later came Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers In The 25th Century, Alien franchise etc and I also got hooked on Star Trek TOS when they re-aired them in the 70's, but Space: 1999 will always be my first sci-fi show. It is still my favourite and holds a special place for me.
It's awesome to see the show and it's brilliantly designed Eagles get the recognition they deserve. I'm sad that I missed out on buying the Sixteen12 Eagle limited edition signed by Brian Johnson, since I could not afford it at the time, but such is life. Brian Johnson is another hero of mine.
If Interviewing Brian Johnson, you should try and get a hold of Martin Bower too. Brian designed the Eagles and did the special effects and all. Brilliant he was, but don't forget the model builders like Martin Bower among others. He is also credit as Special effect artist in many projects. Credited for the Mark IX Hawk from the episode "War Games", laser tank models seen in the episode "The Infernal Machine" and "The Super Swift" from the 2 part episodes "Bringers Of Wonders". Brian designed a lot of the ships, but people like Martin Bower built some of them. Martin supposedly built the two various Gwent models and the 3 laser tanks in just 12 days for the episode "The Infernal Machine". Now that is amazing model work in such short time.
There was also another guy, whom I have forgotten the name of, who did the repaint job and turned the Mk IX Hawk into it's iconic orange look which it had in the filming of the episodes. Changing it last minute from it's original white look, which was deemed to look too much like the Eagles and confuse the audience...5 minutes later...I found his name, Cyril Forster. I think his title was art director / SFX assistant. He painted the window notches white and the orange cockpit and details, used and seen in the aired episode. After filming it was repainted again and they added back the black window notches (still keeping the orange cockpit and details), so there have been 3 different paintschemes used on that same model. Still the orange with white window notches was the one used in the episode, so I guess considered canon, since the orange with black window notches was never used in any episode. Neither was the original all white paintscheme. I remember my plastic kit model came with the instructions for that original white paintscheme, but I tried to emulate the one I saw on TV as best I could as a kid.
Anyway, awesome video and I look forward to the full documentary. To see Nick Tate/Alan Carter in the cockpit of an Eagle again will be truly amazing. 👍
I'm a 52 year old male living in Washington, DC.
I've been a daydreamer all of my life.
Recently I've had dreams of re-inventing Space: 1999 for the current time. I've even dreamed stories and plots.
One of the things I've been attempting to realize is a design for an updated Eagle. I've even played with AI image generation to limited success.
It's good to know I'm not the only one who still loves this show and the iconic stories and settings they gave us.
Thank you for making this video.
There was an attempt to for a remake called Space: 2099 but it never got off the ground. I am in total agreement. An updated version would be a welcome series because, like then, what was presented LOOKED REALIATIC AND VIABLE. Keep at your project and good luck.
@CliftonWood: From Paris - same age, exactly - same kind of daydreamer person, woolgathering all the time - Space 1999 fan too.
@CliftonWood @ogungou9 Exactly the same age here and exactly the same condition as you two :)
I'll watch it. I was a kid from the 80's and had three staples. Space 1999, Battlestar galactic and Robotech. All three were more mature than anything else around. In the end I became an IT guy now working on Cybersecurity and AI. Those formative years set me on this path. I am who I am today because of shows like this.
OMG i remember having my first alien crush on Maya, lol
This is wicked! I've been a fan of the show, and specifically the miniatures since I was a kid. It's part of what inspired me to become an industrial designer and model maker. I've been designing building and restoring Eagle Transporter toys for over 20 years. I'm at a point now where I might release a full replica of the famed Mattel Eagle. I can't wait to see your film!
I wish the transport vehicles they will use for the moon bases end up looking similar to the Eagle transporter. It really looks like it would work!
I was about 6 or 7 when it first aired in the UK and it was way ahead of it's time. We should also not forget that the series UFO paved the way to it's existence.
Absolutely brilliant. 🎉thank you
71 and I loved that show.
What a great project!!
Love the video! Remember sitting in my home watching Space 1999 in 1975 with my father. He didn't understand my immediate immersion in the show. Every time any of the transports or external moon shots were on the screen, I was in heaven. Some of the plots like the pilot show, still move me to flights of joy. Built three Eagle models in my life, still have one sitting on my collection shelf beside my USS Enterprise and X-Wing. It commands the center piece place in my heart. Looking forward to your work. Good luck to you!
Me too, as a kid. One I painted as VIP pod, one as rescue and one as plain white passenger pod. I also still have two of the Dinky-Toy ones. These days I have quite a few of the Sixteen12 die-cast Eagles. They are really masterfully done. Top-notch quality. Also the new improved plastic kit models by Round 2. They are so much more detailed, but I haven't gotten around to building them yet.
if there was ever a movie that needed to be made, it's Space 1999. Story driven, practical effects, a less is more approach.
I was ten years old when Space 1999 first broadcast on the ITV network in, I think, the winter of 1975. Filming had begun in December 1973 but the production was literally, hell lol. I remember being absolutely gripped by the technology and the vision, already, even at that age, a big fan of Gerry Anderson.
It's for me, both strange yet satisfying to know this often-strange little sci-fi series, overshadowed like all others by Star Trek,
could pack such a punch for youngsters around the world, but especially in the USA, the home of Star Trek, lol.
Brian Johnson's team at Pinewood, for me, were better than anything in Hollywood - yes, I said it!
From 2001-A Space Odyssey, to UFO, Space 1999 and even Star Wars, the team proved they could achieve anything a director wanted, for a fraction of the price of Hollywood lol.
Looking forward to seeing your finished project. Thanks and great work. Deeply envious of some of those guys' Eagles!
You are 100% right on every point!
Loved the show as a kid and I had one of the toy Eagles (the cargo carrying one with the radioactive barrels) made by Dinky back then.
If there’s two SiFi shows from the 70’s that should be remade, it’s this and Blake’s Seven, would love to see these shows made with today’s SFX.
Also I’d like to commend you on a top notch documentary, production and editing all very professional 👏.
I look forward to the finished film.
Liked and subscribed.
The blue or white one with red cargo pod? I always wanted the white one, but could only find the blue one around here. I still have it, as well as the green with a white pasenger pod.
Lovely to see Brian Johnson again. I first met him on the set of "Empire Strikes Back" at Elstree in 1978, long after his great work with Gerry Anderson.
The Eagle is iconic in many ways. I'd love to see a full-sized mockup sitting in a parking lot somewhere. I'm sure it can't be that difficult. ;)
I am an Aerospace Engineer because of Gerry Anderson, but I am a downcast one because of the way our culture and political will left so much promise behind. The Eagle was a glimmer of hope in a world that continues down a bad path. I first saw Space: 1999 nearly 50 years ago and like many others, we saw The Eagle and thought, that's where we're going! But we never got there. Oh well, at least we still have those memories. In my living room, a small Eagle model sits atop of a box containing a bottle of Dom Perignon 1999. I'll either drink it on my 70th birthday or when I get to The Moon. I'm betting on 70. Hats off to Gerry Anderson, Brian Johnson, Derek Meddings and the modelers who showed us what the future could hold. Yes, it is an "obsession."
Save that bottle for a journey through a black sun.
I remember waiting with baited breathe to watch the episodes of Space 1999! I was crushed when they cancelled the show. I, of course, as a child HAD to have as many of the toys as I could get, but children can't have nice things because they just ruin them, but I played with my Eagle toy until it fell apart, and that was indeed a long time, right up until Star Wars was in the theatres and I them had to have the toys from that and my Space 1999 toys went into obscurity and I think they were sold in a yard sale one year after Star Wars came out. Of course, now I kick myself for it but as a kid you don't think the same way. It would be cool to see a recreation of the Series with today's technology and an update of the Eagle ship. Even or perhaps especially a computer game made from the series that stays true to the old designs and the characters. there is so much that could be done with Space 1999 as a video game. If only wishing could make it happen.
I also watched it on TV when aired back in the days (although they only aired 10 episodes here and years later 4 more) and I also saw Star Wars in cinema with my dad. I still have my old die-cast Eagles though. The Airfix models too plus a bunch of more recent die-cast Eagle releases by Sixteen12. Very nice ones. Perfect quality and detailing. I can highly recommend them if you want to relive your childhood and things one could only dream to have back then, as far as details goes.
Wow! Simply wow. So many wonderful memories. Gonna watch this project. Thank you.
All space ships designed and filmed entirely at Pinewood Studios Buckinghamshire, UK. A British Production 🙂👍
Wow, loved this. To have Apollo and space 1999 into one vid.....wonderful.
...the eagle became the main character - that line is pretty much how i think may sf fans feal. i hate it when you have a special effects/vehicle heavy show and yet they do not make toys for those very things or they rebrand some other toys as offical versions like they did in the 70s-90s. I really could care less about some action figure of a side character unless I hve nice, authentic vehicle to put them in. The ship first then the action figures. i guess that is the beauty of 3d printing now.
Yes, Toy development had a L-O-N-G lead time in the 70's. But so did storylines. Remember when it took a whole year to finish one story arc in comic books!?. Oh well, simpler days.
Please consider supporting our Indiegogo Campaign!
www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-eagle-obsession-documentary/x/10831077#/
I had a Dinky toys Eagle that I played with forever. Wish it survived :D
Both of mine did. The green passenger one and the blue cargo one. I am very happy they did. 😎
A few years ago I have build the newly released Eagle model kit (since the one I have build as a child was long gone). I just looks beautiful - much better than the model kit of the seventies. What an iconic, ever lasting design!
Cool video buddy. Own a few eagles myself and saw the show when I was growing up. I've been following your progress on this documentary with interest, especially as i am huge fan of all things Gerry Anderson. I cannot wait to see the finished film.
so many memories, so many emotions.... I love space 1999...
In that time I want that future, I belive in that future... Good Lord!!!
Thanks for the memories...9 years then, 58 now and feels that like a couple of months...
Thanks, Thanks a lot...
cheers from the other side of the world
Saw the Dinky version of the Eagle before the TV show in a toy shop in Wales in 1975. Didn't care what the show was going to be like, as that ship blew me away [even painted green!]. Anyone else buy the white freighter version and swap the pods over? Still got them, along with Product Enterprise, Airfix, Sixteen12........
After Space 1999 and 2000AD in the 70s, the actual 21st Century has been a bit of a disappointment.
I had the Dinky Eagle Transporter as a kid. I loved that toy so much I even overlooked it being the wrong colour (it was green). It was heavy and solid too. Chunky metal thing. I doubt it would be made like that today as a toy for kids. There was a realism to the ship. It looked like it had evolved from the real Eagle moon lander.
Personally, I always thought the Eagle design was much more "real" a concept that could have actually been developed and safer tham SpaceX's Starship.... Sorry Elon.
As an Aussie kid in the 1970s, Space 1999 was my favourite show, with a great cast and of course I was thrilled an Aussie had a major part. I too was totally obsessed with the Eagle.
Best sci-fi space ship that looked like it could actually be real.
Then at the end of the video when you said there’s more to come - omg, yes - sub!
1999 was originally built to be UFO1990 a 2nd season of UFO after 10 years had passed and there was now a moon city. UFO rerun ratings dropped, so a SF novel, Breakaway, was adapted to the sets/models.
The moon hoppers on UFO were the very believable next generation of Lunar Excursion Modules...and would be the prototype for The Eagle a few years later.
UFO was mostly filmed with left over props and some models and cars from their movie "Doppelgangers"
Holy crap! I hope people stay and watch to the end. The new Eagle VFX are worth the wait. This is absolutely FANTASTIC work. You nailed the quality. This feels EPIC in scale. So well done. Thank you for making this. It's great to know I'm not alone in my love of this classic sci-fi vessel.
Very cool! One of my fave sci-fi shows, and the visual FX and models were a big part of that timeless look. I devoured magazines on the making of shows like Space 1999 and to this day, I still enjoy learning about that side of the film industry. Indeed, I can say that Brian Johnson and other FX gurus like Trumbull, Dykstra, Edlund, Tippett and Johnston were part of the reason I now work as a VFX supervisor at an animation studio. I look forward to your finished film - good luck!
I'm looking forward to your film very much. I've been a Star Trek fan all my life, but Space:1999 filled a significant SF gap in the 70s. I, too, was enamored by the Eagle. I still have the die cast version and I built several iterations of the Eagle over the decades. The latest was a Lego-like brick kit over 2 feet long.
It is well passed time that Space:1999 was recognized for its imagination and iconic Spacecraft.
Even though the original premise was iffy, Gerry and crew did a fantastic job with the series. I loved Space 1999, course I also obsessed over UFO, which was Space's predecessor in a way.
This is an amazing project. Thanks Jeffery. Until I saw this documentary I thought I was one of the very few people that liked the Eagle shape..WHO KNew!! I remember that my sister brought me the Eagle Freighter (Booo!) for my birthday, which for some reason had a green midsection but as I was a kid with no money it was still great to have. I still own it today. I'm just about to turn 60 myself and you have just reignited my passion for this ship. Thank you so much.
Absolutely amazing. Thank you for bringing this to us all. Nice to know there are other Space 1999 and Eagle fans out there. Looking forward to more of your incredible work!
Achievable. That's how Space 1999, Moon Base Alpha, felt to me. As much as I enjoy and thrill at many of these other science fiction space-based worlds (Star Trek, Star Wars, UFO, Battlestar Galactica etc) the only one that felt "real" was Space 1999. And when I say 'real', I mean structurally, not actually. Let's face it, some of those episodes were far out man. A few of those writers were running the oxygen in their helmets a wee bit thin. But the engineering aspect seemed so, if you'll pardon the expression, down-to-Earth. With current technology we can achieve a safer facility on the moon, most probably the inflatable systems we see NASA about to use to build the next space station. But those Eagles, NASA absolutely needs to make those a reality.
.
It would be great to watch it with CC (Close Captioned) or Subtitle. I watched it at the age of 8 when it came out in the U.S. I still love this TV Show. I hope there will be a new reboot TV Show but in a different year. Perhaps like 2049 (50 years different from 1999).
I've always been fond of the Eagle transporters and the external shots of the base in "Space: 1999", yet I found the show and its storylines to be rather awkward, reminiscent of the overly dramatic style of 1950s B-movie Buck Rogers or "Thunderbirds". Even as a child, I considered it somewhat lackluster, although I must concede that the Eagle transporters were its standout feature for me. The lack of significant attention from the sci-fi community in 1999, including the absence of any reruns, seems to validate my opinion. It suggests that the show's reception, even at the time of its airing, was lukewarm at best. The series, it appears, didn't age well nor did it make a lasting impression during its original broadcast period.
The Eagle was like the physical incarnation of the later Superman tagline: "You will believe the ship can fly." Still the one "real-looking" ship from my youth.
Wow that is amazing. Looks like a fantastic film. And amazing projects, I was that kid in 1976/77 onwards in England who also fell in love with the spaceship and the show. My dad bought me the dinky toys. Which i unfortunately No longer have. And the annuals etc. I really look forward to seeing more about this on you tube.
It would be so amazing if ever new sort of continuation of the show could somehow be written & created. Fantastic cheers
Frankly, we’ve not gone back to the moon because it’s highly unobtainable. We still struggle to figure out how to deal with lunar dust, power, food, water, gravity, radiation, etc.
Awesome nicely put together. Look forward to 2025, so many fans are here.
The first season of space of Space 1999 was pretty good. It did not insult one's intelligence like Battle Star Galactica. But the second season was simply awful.
Like many people who grew up during the Apollo era I feel let down by the way the future has turned out. By now (2024) I thought we would have moon cities, spaceships like the Eagle, O'Neil Space Colonies, and outposts on Mars. In addition, I believed that by the third decade of the 21st Century we would be mining the asteroids and supplying the Earth with cheap abundant solar energy from solar power stations in geosynchronous orbit. Back in the day like many Science fiction aficionados, I envisioned humanity becoming a multi-planetary species. Boy' what a sad disappointment that turned out to be. If someone back then had told me that after exerting all that effort to go to the moon, we would then turn our collective backs on our future in space, I would have not believed them? Instead, it looks like the people who mocked and derided the idea of manned space exploration are having the last laugh?
I had the 1976 Mattel Eagle 1. That thing was 3 feet long and took up the entire top of my dresser. My favorite toy as a child, and the one I most wish I still had.
But I have to admit I liked Anderson's UFO series a bit more than Space 1999. Just a bit.
Bravo, nice work! Very much looking forward to this exploration of like-minded and similarly inspired folks. I can honestly say I went into the visual effects business largely due to Space:1999 and the incredible Eagle. Thanks for giving the iconic design and the people who made it happen their due!
I remember eagerly awaiting the pilot episode only to accidentally fall asleep and miss it. Back in those days, if you missed the pilot episode, you had no hope of seeing it again. For some reason, pilot episodes were rarely if ever re-run in the 1970s.
It wasn't until over 30 years later that I finally was able to watch the pilot episode on TH-cam.