I am and have always been an absolute fan of Space:1999, which is still my favorite scifi series to this day (well, the first season at least), and I'll tell you this: I'm 100% convinced that no reboot could do that series justice. I'm not systematically against reboots, but in that particular case, I think what made the series so unique is not just the scripts (which were excellent), not just the sets (which were fabulous)... It was a combination of several key elements that can't be reproduced:
- First of all the novelty of it when it came out; we had never seen a series take a "serious" look at space, showing it as a dangerous place where death awaits at every corner (it was the antithesis of Star Trek and its unrealistic view of fraternizing across the galaxy with all kinds of species).
- Then there is the pace: it was slow, with long moments of silence and tension, and that made us feel the anguish of the characters (the second season did away with that aspect to give a more mainstream format).
- Then there is the music, which sustained the tension so well, giving aural shape to the mysteries and dangers of space, in a way that was not unlike Japanese OSTs.
- Then there is the remarkable array of characters, not larger-than-life but very down-to-earth folks trying to stay alive in a hostile universe. Koenig and Russell are anti-heroes, older than the regular scifi heroes, more prone to thinking than fighting, and Bergman adds wisdom and experience. You don't get the usual brash youngsters that seem to be a given in most scifi series, simply because there is no attempt to create heroes youngsters could identify with, but rather look up to as role models.
- Then there is the very choice of actors: Landau and Bain were separated at the time of filming but they had a deep connection that is real on the screen; you can totally believe that these two mean the world to each other, without a need for any outward expression of their feelings. Also the guest actors were just amazing, with the likes of Christopher Lee, Brian Blessed, Joan Collins and many others.
- And of course, there is the input, vision and creativity of the Andersons, who had gained experience on UFO and were giving this show their utmost.
Rebooting Space:1999 would at best mimic the original show but probably couldn't touch its spirit. You'd need producers, directors and actors totally committed to creating something odd, something offbeat and devoid of any attempt to be fashionable. A show appealing to the viewer's intelligence and not their guts. But that would be a non-starter, since the necessities of the market dictate that a modern show must have action, preferably with sex, violence and swearing every two sentences. "A show that makes you pause and reflect?? You gotta be kiddin' me!" Unfortunately we live in an age of instant action/reaction, where people often consider it uncool to use their brains, and prefer, for instance, games that resort to violence rather than solving puzzles. What I'm saying, in essence, is that the original show was made to appeal to a category of human beings bred on a different set of values, at a different pace, a generation that is now ageing and finds very little echo of its timeless classics in today's fast-paced world. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy modern scifi, I actually do enjoy some of it, but the stuff I like best is not necessarily the most successful one from a commercial viewpoint...
