ITV Studios America and HDFilms have teamed to develop Space: 2099, a reimagining of the 1970s British sci-fi series Space: 1999 created by Gerry & Sylvia Anderson. HDFilms’ Jace Hall, who recently executive produced ABC’s reboot of another sci-fi franchise, the 1980s mini-series V, is executive producing the new project.
Contemporary Reboot Of 1970s Sci-Fi Series 'Space: 1999' In The Works
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Y’know what? This might actually work. I have a lot of fondness for the original, wooden writing and all. Hopefully the monsters will be better this time, though!
Do not mess with the theme music!
YAY! The original was cheesy, cheap but not a bad Star Trek substitute. Hope there’s cameos for Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, Catherine Schell & Stuart Damon.
Or their spirits. I think they have passed on!
Passed on? What are you talking about? All four are alive and well.
And Nick Tate! Got to have Nick Tate.
Um. My friend and I, in our drunken stupor, were just saying someone should do this. Seriously, possibly at the same time this post was going up. Effing amazing. It was totally meant to be.
I am so pumped about this you have no idea. Thank you, x2099!!!!! Please hire Bear McCreary for the score……
Is this the same “Space: 2099” project that Retcon Studios have been working on for the last two years? That one isn’t strictly a remake, it’s a careful tweaking of the original episodes, such that all references to dates in the 1990s are redubbed to so they now say some date in the 2090s, and stuff.
If this is a completely NEW project, by someone else… then it’s like what happened with the planned revival of the original Battlestar Galactica that ALMOST happened a decade ago (they even had sets being built, cast signed up, and a production schedule)… but where STUFF happened, the project lost momentum suddenly due to world changing events that were totally beyond their control, and in the interim the studio got absorbed by another company, who had no knowledge of that project, and execs at the new parent company independently decided to do a new BSG… as a reboot!
Well, if this IS a whole new, from scratch remake/reboot that’s independent of that Retcon Studios operation, I HOPE they stay as close to the spirit and essence of the original as they can, and also maintain the LOOK of the original wherever practical. If they keep the 2001: A Space Odyssey-inspired, cerebral nature of the first season of the original, they could have a winner here.
This is not the same project as the Retcon Studios version.
There is no reason to, change the title to 2099, the wast would have, been sent to the Sun, rather than dumped on the Moon, once in space that would be allot easier, doesn’t mater how long it took to get there.
A great series, especially in its first season. For years now, I have been advocating that the name be changed to Space: 2099 or 2199 so that it may be revived as a TV series or as a movie franchise, imagine Tom Cruise in the role of based commander with an international cast in tow, etc. It is a big high-concept property, one, that if done right, will blow the collective minds of a whole generation.
The main-concept, begins with nuclear dumps on the moon blowing- up, propelling the moon out of Earth’s orbit, and into deep space, turning the moonbase into a makeshift Noah’s Ark for the base personel.
Sorry, that’s “in the role of base commander”
Season One was exactly the opposite of everything described above by ‘e’… it was filmed beautifully with top-notch special effects (for the day), boasted interesting and inventive stories, and had nuanced performances from Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, Barry Morse, Nick Tate and the rest of the cast. It was never meant as a substitute for any other sci fi show – and it still stands apart today. Just take a look at the recently released blu-ray disks! And yes, a Nick Tate appearance in the new series would be incredible.
Hooray!!!!!!!!
The people who did over and destroyed ‘V’ are now to be let loose on one of the best Scifi’s of the 70’s? It does not bode well for the success of the project – please let Ronald D Moore take it over!!!
Ron Moore there’s a scary thought. He needs to be kept far away from this after the god awful job he did with new Battlestar Galactica.
Yes, please let Ron Moore work his ‘godawful’ magic on half the shows on TV… because that would be a vast improvement of excellent TV. The new BSG was awesome, Virtuality was way too cool for FOX (it never had a chance, but the pilot was incredible), and even Precinct 17 was really promising.
awsome news but dont cheese it up. be serious and use authentic British actors perhaps John Barrowman in the lead as Commander Koenig yes hes Scottish technically but a fine actor.
“use authentic British actors”, but then you suggest John Barrowman, who doesn’t have the faintest accent, Scottish or British. Technically a Scot, since that’s where he was born, but raised in America from the age of 8.
Actually, Barrowman has a native Scots accent – he can (and usually does) affect a perfect American accent. He usually only sounds Scots when he’s with his parents – there is video out there.
Erm… if you’re “British” you are automatically either English, Scottish, Welsh, or (some) … “Technically” speaking…
(some) Irish
Erm… “technically” Scottish (like Welsh, English and some Irish) is “British”…
The original was one of the most ludicrous and scientifically bankrupt science fiction programs ever made. People are wiser about plausibility than they were in the seventies. It won’t fly today.
Let’s reboot one of those great Supermarrionation shows instead, a live action Supercar, Fireball XL5 or Stingray. I would only LOVE to see it.
I’m a fan of Captain Scarlet meself. Even if it is a live action “reboot”, I would like to either see the actors propped with string or have Jonathan Frakes direct it! Make it so Number One!
Of course it could fly today: like any other reboot, it won’t be a clone. Besides, it’s not like pretty much any of the sci-fi on Tv today does more than casual lipservice to science at all. It doesn’t make it bad – just fiction.
Space was not so bad, but the moon could never travel at warp speeds like a steel ship, it would break apart, so going with that you could not have alien of the week as it would take ten of thousands of years to get any where, guess this is where the SF comes in… Re do Thunderbirds, I think it would go over better real life actors and we know we have enough real life disasters here for a story like that to work
A live-action Thunderbirds was made in 2004, directed by Jonathan Frakes (of Star Trek: The Next Generation). Even with Bill Paxton as Jeff Tracy, it was a total mess and ended up being a Disney kid-saves-the-universe movie. It likely killed the franchise for years. If you are “lukcy” you might find it on one of the cable movie channels late at night when there is space to fill.
Well, I suppose it was inevitable after someone made a movie of CAR 54 WHERE ARE YOU? Tha said, SPACE: 1492 was an idiotic show with a wooden cast and stupid, stupid plots. Unlike the original BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, you can’t even reimagine the original idea in a way that makes it work (an explosion powerful enough to blast the moon out of Earth’s orbit would blkow the asteroid to pieces).
A bad 70’s SCI-FI rework that would make sense would be THE STARLOST– great idea that was hideously done. (The only issue would be having to deal with the psychotic Harlan Ellison) But, of course, ITV doesn’t own that property, so…
While I agree about the moon, I think it merely shows your lack of imagination. But, hey, since I’ve bought Ellison dinner, I’m sure I’ll be considered psychotic as well…
The whole POINT of Space:1999 was that the scientifically impossible DID happen, and they were grappling with the why and how of it. Was it some Metaphysical unknown force? God? It’s no more outrageous than the idea of a crystal making a ship go much faster than the speed of light.
All still with us actually, Nid. As is Zenia Merton. Be great to see them cameo in a rebooted S1999.
figured sooner or later hollywood would get to remakeing tv shows. glad they decided to start with space 1999
If they can do a reboot like Russel T. Davies did the reboot of Doctor Who, they’d have a shot. Look to that show on how to reboot a science fiction franchise.
Remake STARLOST.
YESSSS!!! a little tweak here and there would make this memorable series a joy to watch once again. for the naysayers who criticize its scientific “foundation”, well, what do you know, many of those so-called scientific principles have been debunked in the last decades or so. so i say: let’s get this thing moving. if the only thing that keeps you from enjoying it is the implausibility of moon breaking out of orbit, then i say let’s look for seemingly more “plausible” reasons to explain it. the sci-fi and fantasy world is full of concepts like worm holes, parallel realities, alternate dimensions, etc. etc. gee, whiz, or why don’t you just read a science encyclopaedia and leave us to enjoy space:1999, er, space:2029. bring back the large and glorious moonbase, the awesome eagle ships, the dark mysterious universe, and the sexy shape-shifter maya!!! nothing wooden here at all except for some viewers whose limited mind cannot allow themselves to soar and enjoy the grandiose beauty of space and mysterious thought-provoking ideas that this memorable series showcased in its 1st season. where pure entertainment is concerned, its 2nd season is no disappointment, either! so, come one and come all. let’s return to moonbase: alpha!
No, no, those scientific princliples haven’e been changed much (at least the ones relevant in this case) in ages. Not in physics, chemistry, biology, etc. But I agree that he show could be easily tweaked into something that retains the spirit of the original without being so much of a test of suspension of disbelief.
As long as Gerry Anderson plays a role in the series’ development, I am all there.
The original Space:1999, first season was often ludicrous, sometimes badly written and frequently showed a blatant disregard for science, which is why Isaac Asimov panned it right after the first episode.
For all that, however, Season One had a look and feel to it, inspired by 2001, that no other show has ever replicated, and for that reason I remain strangely compelled by it. (And for all its cheesiness, who among us, who happened to be under 10 at the time, was not utterly terrified by that multi-tentacled precursor to the Alien franchise, the one that gobbled up humans and spat out their charred remains?…)
If they can retain the spirit of Season One, the mood, the music, the stark Kubrickian visuals, but rejig the premise to make it scientific, I for one will cheer. There are plenty of ways to do a moonbase story without having some implausible travelling-moon premise.
Huge fan of Space 1999 here. It was definitely NOT cheap or cheesy. In fact, it was the most expensive series produced at that time. Some people need to get their facts straight.
The concept only needs some minor adjustments. The WAY the Moon leaves orbit can be done creatively and in a scientifically plausible way.
I agree the original year one 1999 main title should be reused or referenced in 2099. The music of Year 1 1999 was EPIC and orchestral with electronics used from time to time. I hope the new series has an equally epic orchestral score that is as thematic as the orignal one was. Today’s series have forgettable “music”. I hope 2099 revives the big epic thematic sci-fi scores of the 70’s and prior.
I’m excited about this. I like what Jace Hall is saying so far. I don’t expect a carbon-copy of Space 1999 since the world, technology, and science has changed a LOT since 1975 and the new series should reflect that.
One thing science is discovering is that there are far more potentially habitable planets in the universe than we thought possible in 1975. In fact, we didn’t know for certain there were planets outside our own solar system then. So, the new show has a lot of potential.
Can’t wait!!
I told someone who didn’t like the show because of the implausible since that I believe fans of the show tend to overlook the bad science of the situation and focus on the stories. The stories of the first season and the look and feel is what I found special about it. Many times things happened to them and they didn’t know why – no tidy answers at the end of the episode. Of all the series that have tried to depict humans being in an unknown, unexplored universe, none have gotten it right except for Space:1999. I remember watching Space Brain late a night a long time ago. The only light was coming from the television. I felt like I was lost in space like the Alphans were. No series has captured that feeling for me since. Can’t wait to see if Space 2099 does the same thing!