The Seance Spectre
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"The Seance Spectre" is the twentieth episode of the second series of '' Space: 1999'' (and the forty-fourth overall episode of the programme). The screenplay was written by
Donald James Donald James (born Donald James Wheal; 22 August 1931 – 28 April 2008) was a British television writer, novelist and non-fiction writer. Life and career Born in World's End, Chelsea, and educated at Sloane Grammar School and Pembroke Colleg ...
; the director was
Peter Medak Peter Medak (born Medák Péter, 23 December 1937) is a Hungarian-born film director and television director of British and American productions. Early life Born in Budapest, Hungary, he was the son of Elisabeth (née Diamounstein) and Gyula Med ...
. The original title was "The Mutiny". The final shooting script is dated 16 September 1976. Live-action filming took place Monday 18 October 1976 through Saturday 30 October 1976.


Story

It is 2012 days after leaving Earth orbit, and Moonbase Alpha is operating under strict security protocols. Three weeks ago, a celestial body was sighted and given the code-name 'Tora'. Long-range analysis proved inconclusive, but within twenty-four hours the
Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
will be in range to determine whether it is a habitable planet. Not wanting to raise false hope, John Koenig has ordered all knowledge of Tora classified. Command Centre is off-limits to all but senior executives and access to the information channels by the general population has been restricted. In the Recreation Centre, Greg Sanderson is ranting about the restrictions. Once Alpha's finest surface-exploration team leader, he has degenerated into a loud-mouthed malcontent. Controlling his team (Cernik, Stevens and girlfriend Eva) with a
Svengali Svengali () is a character in the novel ''Trilby'' which was first published in 1894 by George du Maurier. Svengali is a man who seduces, dominates and exploits Trilby, a young half-Irish girl, and makes her into a famous singer. Definition ...
-like charisma, he presents his latest conspiracy theory—how the Alpha elite are hiding the fact the Moon is approaching a habitable planet. Marching on Command Centre, Sanderson breaks in and stuns the executive staff. As he views Tora, he declares the irregular mass of dust and gas to be a planet. Another 'astro-prediction' will be required to determine its habitability. Locking the door, the four join hands in a
séance A séance or seance (; ) is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word ''séance'' comes from the French word for "session", from the Old French ''seoir'', "to sit". In French, the word's meaning is quite general: one may, for example, spea ...
-like ring and concentrate. Koenig and Alan Carter are flying reconnaissance. Observations show that the Tora formation is shifting position—the mutual attraction between it and the Moon has locked them on a collision course. When Koenig tries to radio in the forecast, there is no response. The four mutineers have slipped into a hypnotic trance and Sanderson's prophesies of a habitable planet drown out the Commander's warning. Returning to base, Koenig retakes Command Centre and confines Sanderson and company to Medical. Helena Russell reports the trance was the result of
autohypnosis Self-hypnosis or auto-hypnosis (as distinct from hetero-hypnosis) is a form, a process, or the result of a self-induced hypnotic state. Frequently, self-hypnosis is used as a vehicle to enhance the efficacy of self-suggestion; and, in such case ...
. The underlying cause of their behaviour is 'greensickness': a mental condition in which subconscious tensions are generated by a prolonged existence in an artificial environment. In extreme cases, these tensions manifest a psychological craving for contact with nature, resulting in disorientation and hallucinations. The doctor reckons the team's condition has been exacerbated by their job: month-long survey missions out on the barren lunar wasteland. The data from Eagle Four's on-board computer shows Tora to be a mass of dust and atmospheric gasses, with electrical storm activity and various precipitations forming a freakish 'weather belt'. The Moon could pass straight through unless it contains a solid centre. With that threat, Koenig prepares a reconnaissance mission. In the Medical Centre, Sanderson rejects Helena's treatment, assaults the guards and escapes. Confronting Koenig, he insists Tora's true nature has been suppressed to prevent them settling there; as long as the Alphans remain on the wandering Moon, 'Commander Koenig's
dictatorship A dictatorship is a form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, which holds governmental powers with few to no limitations on them. The leader of a dictatorship is called a dictator. Politics in a dictatorship a ...
' is safe. Koenig is concerned that Sanderson's deluded beliefs could poison the entire community. To dispel rumours of a cover-up, the Commander agrees that the mission will be simulcast to the general population. Also, all data from Tora will be processed by Moonbase Computer. Satisfied, a smug Sanderson is escorted back to the care unit. As Koenig and
Maya Maya may refer to: Civilizations * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (Ethiopia), a popul ...
depart for Tora, Helena begins treating Sanderson, Cernik and Stevens. Eva is discharged as her ailment is ''not'' greensickness and quite untreatable—she is in love with Sanderson. Her misguided loyalty leads her to turn in a false medical-emergency call. After the Medical staff leaves, she incapacitates the guards with an anaesthetic aerosol and frees Sanderson and company. With eager anticipation, the entire base focuses the survey mission. When approaching Tora, Eagle One links up with Main Computer. At range three, the ship enters the atmosphere belt;
Sandra Benes ''Space: 1999'' is a British science-fiction television programme that ran for two series from 1975 to 1977. In the opening episode, set in the year 1999, nuclear waste stored on the Moon's far side explodes, knocking the Moon out of orbit an ...
analyses the data and confirms it to be unbreathable. At range two, instruments display a kinetic reading that could either be an atmospheric vibration or a gravitational pull. Flying through an opaque haze, Koenig is increasingly concerned by the possibility of a solid central mass. Sanderson and his cronies have hidden in a service area of the Computer Section. After Sahn's report, Sanderson protests that Earth's atmosphere is also unsuitable at its outer limits. Koenig must be ''forced'' to penetrate further; to do so, he tears several circuit-boards out of a
computer processor In computing and computer science, a processor or processing unit is an electrical component (digital circuit) that performs operations on an external data source, usually memory or some other data stream. It typically takes the form of a micropr ...
. When the potential gravity reading appears to fall to zero, Eagle One is cleared to proceed. However, Koenig's piloting instincts tell him something is amiss; approaching range one, he can feel external forces acting on the ship, defying the claim of zero gravity. A diagnostic of the computer system is conducted and the malfunction is discovered. Tony Verdeschi aborts the mission too late. Sanderson chuckles as the
Eagle Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, j ...
strains against intense gravitational forces, out of control. From out of the mist, a planetary mass appears. The ship crashes, half-buried in a 'swamp' of thick dust and loose rock. The Eagle is in poor shape—hull integrity compromised, voice transmission silenced, oxygen recycling plant damaged—but telemetry shows the engines and guidance system are functional. Carter establishes a remote link and, under automatic control, blasts the ship free from the surface. However, it is a three-hour flight back to the Moon and only one hour's worth of
oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as ...
remains. With both spacesuit helmets damaged in the crash, Koenig has an inspiration: Maya can become a source of oxygen by transforming into vegetation. When the ship lands, the emergency crew finds an unconscious Koenig surrounded by a dense thicket—which recedes as Maya ends her third one-hour stint as vegetation. To Helena's relief, Koenig quickly recovers when given oxygen. After a medical check, Koenig surveys the vandalised computer processor, then contacts the vandal. Sanderson and his band have locked themselves in a travel-tube capsule stopped between stations. Koenig informs them that Tora is a lifeless
proto-planet A protoplanet is a large planetary embryo that originated within a protoplanetary disc and has undergone internal melting to produce a differentiated interior. Protoplanets are thought to form out of kilometer-sized planetesimals that gravitationa ...
; they have arrived millions of years too early for the blue skies and green fields seen in their hallucinations. Sanderson balks — the latest astro-prediction has shown that not only is Tora an Earth-type world, but the Moon will be drawn into orbit around it. With eight hours until collision, the staff brainstorms. With their limited supply of
nuclear explosive A nuclear explosive is an explosive device that derives its energy from nuclear reactions. Almost all nuclear explosive devices that have been designed and produced are nuclear weapons intended for warfare. Other, non-warfare, applications for nuc ...
s, they can neither destroy Tora nor affect its trajectory. They must alter the Moon's course. Koenig suggests recreating by design the accident which started their mad journey, making the decision to detonate a nuclear-waste disposal site. Computer predicts the abrupt two-degree shift in course required would result in significant damage—and a zero survival rate. Koenig orders an immediate evacuation; if the plan fails, life will continue aboard the fleet of Eagle transporters. Sanderson interprets Koenig's actions as a ploy to retain his command. For the sake of the community, he and his followers remain in the travel tube—counting on the Commander's concern for their lives to prevent him detonating the waste pits. As he rants on, the others express their growing doubts: ''Is greensickness distorting their judgment? If the danger is real, what will prevent Koenig from sacrificing their four lives to save the Moon? Is Sanderson any less a dictator than he claims Koenig to be?'' When the matter is placed to a vote, the result is three-to-one in favour of evacuation. Though taken aback by their defection, Sanderson accedes to majority rule and restarts the travel unit. After the evacuation, Koenig and Maya remain to secure Moonbase against the explosion's effects. Just as they are warned that Sanderson never evacuated, the crazed man bursts in on them and guns down Koenig with a stun-blast; threats against Maya's safety keep the others from landing. The self-chosen messiah intends to wait out the two hours twenty-three minutes to the false 'collision'. Attempts to make him see reason—even from Eva—only serve to fuel his rage and he decides Koenig must die for his crimes against the Alphans. He is disarmed by a Maya-transformed reptilian beast, but escapes. When Koenig recovers, he and Maya quickly seal off and depressurise Alpha, then proceed to the disposal site in Eagle Two. Older and located some distance from Disposal Areas One and Two, it was not involved in the cataclysmic explosion of 1999. Six concrete-capped shafts store atomic waste ten thousand feet below the surface. One will be blasted open, then an atomic trigger-device introduced and remote-detonated to start the chain reaction. From above, Verdeschi's Eagle Three spots a moon buggy parked amid the surrounding hills; Sanderson has driven from Alpha and is waiting for them. The trigger's timer is set for eighteen minutes—the time left before the collision is unavoidable—and Koenig suits up and lopes across the lunar surface to the nearest waste silo. As Sanderson watches from his hiding place, the shaft is blasted open. He targets Koenig's back with a stolen laser rifle just as he is sighted from the air. Eavesdropping on their frequency, Sanderson is warned. He turns to shoot at Eagle Two, damaging her, just as Maya fires the ship's laser. Sanderson recovers from the near-miss and runs to stop Koenig as he affixes the trigger. The two men tussle, and Koenig ends up hanging by his fingers from the rim of the open shaft. As Sanderson tries to stamp down on his hands, Koenig catches his leg and the mutineer loses his balance and plunges down into the silo. At eight minutes before detonation, Koenig makes his way back to Eagle Two. Boarding the damaged ship, he finds the command-module hatch jammed. Trapped beneath the damaged pilot's seat, Maya cannot reach the door's manual release. With four minutes remaining, Maya transforms into a Psychon toddler, wriggles free and opens the hatch. Lifting off, Koenig blasts away at full throttle. The final seconds tick away on the trigger and the waste area is consumed in a massive explosion. As the blast-glare dies, they observe the success of the operation as the Moon safely passes Tora. Days later, Alpha is back to normal and the staff is spending their off-duty time in the theatre and media rooms. To avert future outbreaks of greensickness, Helena has made the viewing of many hours of nature footage mandatory; her theory is saturation with images of trees, meadows and streams will equate nature with boredom. It seems to be a success as everyone is bored stiff—with the exception of Verdeschi and Carter, who get great pleasure out of their nature watch as all ''their'' screen-shots include
pin-up girl A pin-up model (known as a pin-up girl for a female and less commonly male pin-up for a male) is a model whose mass-produced pictures see widespread appeal as part of popular culture. Pin-up models were variously glamour models, fashion models ...
s.


Cast


Starring

*
Martin Landau Martin James Landau (; June 20, 1928 – July 15, 2017) was an American actor, acting coach, producer, and editorial cartoonist. His career began in the 1950s, with early film appearances including a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's ''North ...
— Commander John Koenig *
Barbara Bain Barbara Bain (born Mildred Fogel; September 13, 1931) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Cinnamon Carter on the action television series '' Mission: Impossible'' (1966–1969), which earned her three Primetime Emmy Awa ...
— Doctor Helena Russell


Also starring

*
Catherine Schell Catherine Schell (born Katherina ''Freiin'' Schell von Bauschlott, 17 July 1944) is a Hungarian-born actress who came to prominence in British film and television productions from the 1960s. Her notable roles include the Bond girl Nancy in ''O ...
Maya Maya may refer to: Civilizations * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (Ethiopia), a popul ...


Featuring

*
Tony Anholt Anthony Anholt (19 January 1941 – 26 July 2002) was a British television actor, known for his role as Charles Frere in the BBC drama series '' Howards' Way'' (1985–90). In 1974 he was cast as Mark Colebrook, a crooked architect in ''Contact ...
Tony Verdeschi *
Nick Tate Nicholas John Tate (born 18 June 1942) is an Australian actor popularly known for his roles as pilot Alan Carter in the 1970s science fiction television series '' Space: 1999'', and James Hamilton in the 1980s Australian soap opera '' Sons an ...
— Captain Alan Carter *
Zienia Merton Zienia Merton (11 December 1945 – 14 September 2018) was a British actress born in Burma. She was known for playing Sandra Benes in '' Space: 1999''. Early career Merton was the daughter of Minny and Cecil Burton. Her mother was Burmese, and ...
Sandra Benes ''Space: 1999'' is a British science-fiction television programme that ran for two series from 1975 to 1977. In the opening episode, set in the year 1999, nuclear waste stored on the Moon's far side explodes, knocking the Moon out of orbit an ...


Guest stars

*
Ken Hutchison Aitken Hutchison (24 November 1948 – 9 August 2021) was a Scottish actor. Life and career Hutchison played roles in many episodes of ''Play for Today'' from 1970 to 1980, such as in " Just a Boys' Game". Hutchison played Norman Scutt in the ...
— Greg Sanderson *
Carolyn Seymour Carolyn Seymour is an English actress, best known for portraying the role of Abby Grant in the BBC series '' Survivors'' (1975), and Queen Myrrah in the '' Gears of War'' franchise. Career Born Carolyn von Benckendorf in Buckinghamshire to an ...
— Eva


Also featuring

*
Nigel Pegram Nigel Pegram (born 22 November 1940) is a South African-English actor and voice artist. He is best known for playing Eric in ''Robert's Robots'' (1973–1974), Group-Captain Ruark in ''Get Some In!'' (1977–1978), Sir Reginald in ''All Dogs Go ...
— Cernik *
James Snell James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...
— Stevens * Christopher Asante — Command Centre Security Guard


Uncredited artists

* Robert Reeves — Peter * Quentin Pierre — Security Guard One (Pierce Quinton) *
Harry Fielder Henry Arthur Fielder (26 April 1940 – 6 February 2021), sometimes credited as Harry H. Fielder or Harry Aitch Fielder, was an English actor who worked extensively in British film and television from the 1960s to the 1990s. Career Fielder was ...
— Security Guard Two (George) * Jenny Cresswell — Nurse * Christine White and Candy Wilson — Maya/Child * Venicia Day — Maya/Bikini Girl (removed from final cut)


Music

The score was re-edited from previous ''Space: 1999'' incidental music tracks composed for the second series by Derek Wadsworth and draws primarily from the scores of " The Metamorph" and " The Exiles".


Production notes

* The episode carried the working title "The Mutiny" and had antagonist Greg Sanderson originally named 'Sandor'. A sequence showing Verdeschi and Carter coordinating the personnel and equipment evacuation from two Embarkation Areas was dropped before filming."The Mutiny" final shooting script dated 16 September 1976 Filmed but removed from the final cut was the end of the epilogue. After revealing that the two men are looking at pin-up girls, the viewer would have seen Maya transform into the last model to be pictured (portrayed by actress Venicia Day) and walk enticingly across the room. Verdeschi would then humorously have to stop Carter from chatting her up. Also cut for time was exposition about the waste-disposal site. Koenig would have informed Maya that these old nuclear-waste silos were designated Storage Area B-7 and had been set up in the 1980s. * This episode would feature the final appearance of
Zienia Merton Zienia Merton (11 December 1945 – 14 September 2018) was a British actress born in Burma. She was known for playing Sandra Benes in '' Space: 1999''. Early career Merton was the daughter of Minny and Cecil Burton. Her mother was Burmese, and ...
. Though receiving greater exposure in her second round of episodes, her continued lack of contract and reduced salary (compared to the first series) had her agent keeping an eye out for other work. Merton was offered a lead role in the Norwegian film '' Kosmetikkrevolusjonen''. Even after receiving the blessings of both
Gerry Anderson Gerald Alexander Anderson (; 14 April 1929 – 26 December 2012) was an English television and film producer, director, writer and occasional voice artist. He remains famous for his futuristic television programmes, especially his 1960s produ ...
and
Fred Freiberger Fred Freiberger (February 19, 1915March 2, 2003) was an American film and television writer and television producer, whose career spanned four decades and work on such films as '' The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms'' (1953) and TV series including '' ...
to leave, she still hoped to finish out the series; however, constant rescheduling repeatedly extended the ''Space: 1999'' production schedule. Forced to choose, she gambled that there would be no third series and made plans to leave the production for Norway. The notice from ITC cancelling the series came soon after, during the filming of this episode. She would be replaced in the final three episodes by American actress
Alibe Parsons Alibe Parsons (born 21 December 1945) is an actress who has worked in both film and television. On television, she is best known for her regular role in the 1970s BBC drama '' Gangsters'' as Sarah Gant. She also had a recurring role in the ...
playing a new character, Alibe. * Among the models ogled by Verdeschi and Carter, many will recognise 1970s science-fiction/fantasy genre actress and Navy Rum model
Caroline Munro Caroline Munro (born 16 January 1949)McFarlane, Brian (28 February 2014). ''The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition''. Oxford University Press. p. 538; is an English actress, model and singer known for her many appearances in horror, ...
. Sharp-eyed viewers will also recognise actor James Snell (who portrayed Stevens) from his previous appearance as the doomed Eagle co-pilot Cousteau in the first-series episode "
Space Brain '' Space: 1999'', a British science-fiction television series, ran for 48 episodes broadcast between 1975 and 1977. The first series (or season, often referred to as Year One) of 24 episodes began transmission in 1975, though production of the fi ...
".


Novelisation

The episode was adapted in the fifth Year Two ''Space: 1999'' novel ''The Time Fighters'' by Michael Butterworth published in 1977. Significant changes were made to the narrative as the author chose to blend this story with "
Devil's Planet "Devil's Planet" is the twenty-second episode of the second series of the British sci-fi television series '' Space: 1999'' (and the forty-sixth overall episode of the programme). The screenplay was written by Michael Winder; the director was T ...
". Koenig is off exploring when Sandor and his many followers overrun Command Centre; Verdeschi is the commanding officer in this story as Koenig is missing and presumed dead in the crash on Entra. Sandor and his cronies are rank-and-file Alphans, not surface explorers, and their mutiny is depicted as a workers' revolt; no mention is made of greensickness or its psychology. The story ends with Verdeschi dispatching Sandor and detonating the waste pits. These alterations would be reversed by Butterworth when he reworked the story for the Powys Media omnibus publication ''Space: 1999—Year Two''. In the 2003 novel ''The Forsaken'' written by
John Kenneth Muir John Kenneth Muir (born December 3, 1969) is an American literary critic. As of 2022, he has written thirty reference books in the fields of film and television, with a particular focus on the horror and science fiction genres. Biography Bo ...
, it is stated the events of this story were one of the consequences of the death of the eponymous intelligence depicted in "
Space Brain '' Space: 1999'', a British science-fiction television series, ran for 48 episodes broadcast between 1975 and 1977. The first series (or season, often referred to as Year One) of 24 episodes began transmission in 1975, though production of the fi ...
". The Brain protected the
proto-planet A protoplanet is a large planetary embryo that originated within a protoplanetary disc and has undergone internal melting to produce a differentiated interior. Protoplanets are thought to form out of kilometer-sized planetesimals that gravitationa ...
Tora, knowing that intelligent life would eventually evolve there; after its death, the protection ceased and the Moon and Tora would almost collide.''Space: 1999 - The Forsaken'', Powys Media, 2003


References


External links


''Space: 1999'' - "The Seance Spectre" - The Catacombs episode guide
{{DEFAULTSORT:Seance Spectre, The 1977 British television episodes Space: 1999 episodes