Space: 1999/Quotes

Quotes from the series

A giant leap for mankind. It's beginning to look like a stumble in the dark.

—John Koenig, "Breakaway"

I suppose we... all believe what we want to believe. Perhaps that's what reality is.

—Victor Bergman, "Black Sun"

Quotes about the series

My opinion of Space: 1999 is that it's very well dressed; it has good sets; it has some handsome actors and no story. But we're comparing it, unfortunately, to Star Trek

—William Shatner, Starlog #3, January 1977, page 35

And mostly, I've always thought that most of the science fantasy or science fiction things that I look at are rather devoid of any irony or humour. Let us think of something for which one cannot say one single thing – except that it employed a lot of people. Space: 1999 – Now, that was an exercise designed – it seems to me by accident – to put the whole viewing public into a coma. There wasn't one single redeeming feature to it. In spite of the fact that the expertise that went into it was stupefying! Marvellous designers of costumes and sets, excellent actors, lovely music, lovely special effects. Why didn't it work?
I think that somehow when they set out on that project, they were actually impressed by the project! Why don't they just tell a few adventure stories within the formula of Space: 1999?
No! There were these actors with their hearts on their sleeves being – damn it! so sincere – and it was so ponderous.

—Tom Baker, Starlog #34, May 1980, page 37

The plots and characterisation on Space: 1999 have been primitive. All the events that take place are science fiction clichés. By the time the commander has frowned, and the scientist has raised his eyebrows, and the medical officer has flared her nostrils, they are all spent forces. They may be good actors, but no one has any lines of consequence to say, any deeds of interest to do. They are not characters, but stuffed scarecrows.
Again the situation is enormously different in the case of Star Trek where great effort was put into building believable characters who interacted with events and with each other in characteristic fashions. We could expect Captain Kirk to make hard decisions and to temper forcefulness with humour. We were always ready for First Officer Spock's cool calm, his rationality and his sense of ethics. We could count on Dr McCoy's dedication, emotionality and short temper. Every other regular had quirks that grew familiar.
Most of all there was a consistent streak of humour in Star Trek and an obvious affection of the characters for each other. Neither humour, affection, nor any other human characteristic has so far been visible on Space: 1999.

—Isaac Asimov, "An Expert's Verdict: 'Trek' Wins", Cue magazine, 1975 - written during the airing of the first season

[S]ure, special effects, marvellous, wonderful special effects. But there is a limit, I tend to think, to the degree of dramatic tension which can be extracted from explosions. One bang after all is pretty much like another. But one human being is not.

—Barry Morse, discussing Space: 1999 at Fanderson 82, October 1982

Back to Space: 1999