alt Hacker NewsI think Space: 1999's greatest achievement was its design. The whole aesthetic, from Alpha's styling to the clothing, is simply gorgeous, and easily surpasses the visuals of many series that followed.
That, and the funky theme, of course.
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I strongly agree.
The actual plots of Space1999 were pretty laughable but I don’t think the production design has ever been beaten, even it today’s shows. The sets and vehicles look fully functional, even the clothes look perfectly wearable despite being very 70s. Contrast this with Star Trek, with weird consoles and uniforms that look uncomfortable.
The theme is, of course, beyond reproach. I like to imagine the producers couldn’t decide between epic sci-fi chords, funk, and jangly surf guitar so the composer just said screw it and did all three.
Dat guitar. It lives rent free in my mind.
I watched the original series as a kid and when a local TV station sent reruns of 1999 at the nineties and I was so amazed by the design that I only realized how rotten the plots were when I bought a DVD box a decade or two later.
One has to understand that in the 1990s the old popular culture was very much gone. Now it is different. Everything old preserved in the net which is actually probably the biggest cultural change the internet has brought.
Besides I learned why I've always liked wearing black leather gloves: Balor, the evil artist. The coolest character in the series.