2003 Archive 
Season 1 Laserdisc Box Sets
From catalog information there appears to also be 2 larger box sets - each large box set containing 12 discs of the first and second seasons with the second box set containing the 2 part episode "Bringers of Wonder" not offered on the J2 Image pressings.
The catalog numbers for these 2 large ITC Memorial Box sets are as follows:
- Bandai/Emotion Season 1 (BELL-18) 12 discs/CLV LD#5238
- Bandai/Emotion Season 2 (BELL-20) 12 discs/CLV LD#5239
Although a couple of individuals I've spoken with have seen literature on these, I have yet to meet anybody who can confirm the existence of these or who has actually seen the latter (2nd season) box although it cannot be dismissed as nonexistent.
A Japanese source told me that due to poor sales of the original series on laserdisc following in this review, the second series was never released although the catalog numbers and an announcement was made and published in advance of this set. It is possible this source is wrong, but until proven to actually exist I will only say don't get your hopes up. At the time of writing, the exchange rate was 126 ¥ to $ 1.00
Bandai/Emotion Space 1999 Season 1 Set Volume 1
(BELL-566) ¥ 15,800
This box is similar in size to the Aliens Directors Cut, Twilight Zone Creative Vision and Outer Limits box sets although it is hinged together by a tape strip on the left side connecting the cover to the back along the likes of the Twilight Zone/Aliens boxes instead of the totally removable cover of the outer Limits box sets. At first glance this electric blue box is very striking. It has a flat non-glossy appearance as do the other boxes.
The cover has a very large detailed painting of an Eagle spacecraft coming at you at a downward angle with a pilot and co-pilot visible through the windows. The spacecraft is at considerable distance above Moonbase Alpha beneath which is lit from within as if at night. Behind the Eagle and on the horizon of the moon is an electrical lightning storm of some type. The painting is obviously more of a dynamic art piece than an actual recreation of a scene from the show. As far as the other Gerry Anderson laserdiscs on Bandai/Emotion I've seen to date, these box sets win hands down if in nothing else in their packaging. These box sets fits nicely and snugly in the larger box set sized plastic Chicago One Stop sleeve sold by Ken Cranes (http://www.kencranes.com).
Volume One on the spine has only English as does the cover. Great for a westerner when looking through ones collection. The only exception is the red paper band many throw away or lose. This band contains mostly Japanese, but does contain some English. The words UFO (no doubt a reference to another Gerry Anderson show) 1st and 2nd Season Set and 1st Season Set vol. 1-4 can be made out.
The back of the box has 6 photos which appear to be taken from 35mm still frames as opposed to publicity shots due to their non "staged" look. These photos are arranged in 2 rows of 3 - one below the other. The photos are right to left 1st row: Landau and Bain in silver jackets, rescue eagle liftoff from pad, missiles from "Testament of Arkadia". Second row photos are: spaceship from Arkadia approaching Moonbase Alpha, command personnel discussing photos, and 2 moon base personnel with containers of waste from the pilot episode.
The episodes are as follows:
- Breakaway
- Matter Of Life And Death
- The Infernal Machine
- Dragon's Domain
- The Testament Of Arkadia
- The Last Enemy
The discs themselves are in the cheap-o style plastic sleeves which are in 3 separate 12" by 12" thin paper sleeves similar to the weight and durability of some 45 record printed sleeves of yesteryear. These need careful handling and are no way near as nice as the heavier cardboard sleeves found in the Japanese CBS/Fox Time Tunnel or other Bandai/Emotion sets. In this first set, the dark blue sleeves containing the 3 discs are printed in a Moonbase blueprint motif with the Moonbase Alpha blueprint lines being a lighter sky blue color on top of the dark blue.
There is a supplement of sorts as well called Space:1999 1st Season Set: Volume 1 Annual File 1. This is a folded 8" by 11" folder into which the following loose printed items are sandwiched:
- A color flyer 7" by 10" of the Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet all in Japanese. There are 2 numbers 03 (3563)6021~3 and fax - .03(3563)6020. Perhaps the Bandai/Emotion folks themselves. If you know someone who speaks Japanese and feel like giving it a shot - go for it.
- An 11" by 11" white paper with episodes and information all in Japanese with the exception of the words chapter/track and the English name of the episode beside the Japanese translation.
- An 8" by 11" paper with ITC printed on the top. It appears to be a breakdown of the various ITC Gerry Anderson laserdiscs and video cassettes in Japanese.
- Three medium brown cards designed to be hole punched and placed in a ringed binder although I don't think anyone would do so. These are printed on both sides and have pictures of a large eagle model above and SFX technician, what appears to be a rip-off of the back cover art (Chesley Bonestel?) of the MGM 2001: A Space Odyssey gatefold LP of yesteryear with 2 Moonbase personnel replacing the 2 ape suit 2001 astronauts but in the same poses and in the Space:1999 design space suits. Other photos include schematics of the base itself and the command center.
Sound: I noticed the sound to actually be better on the English tracks as opposed to the Japanese tracks. This is the opposite which was the case on the Bandai/Emotion UFO discs. In fact, when there were computers whirring or other background SFX sound design etc in the background on the English track and I changed over to the Japanese track, these were either subdued or in many cases nonexistent during the Japanese dubbing. The Japanese tracks seemed to concentrate more on the dubbing of voices than the plethora of sounds.
During the opening theme music when I changed back and forth looking for a difference, my ears detected none unlike the UFO discs in which there was a difference in sound quality. There was one scene in The Testament Of Arkadia where an alien lady leader is speaking on a viewscreen where her voice is a bit muddied, but otherwise the sound was okay. The discs seemed to be recorded a bit on the low volume side as compared with other laserdiscs so one might have to ramp up the volume a tad. My impression is in the dubbing process on the Japanese track, some SFX effects were lost or mixed incorrectly or just plain too low.
Video: Sharp, detailed, and gorgeous colors as one would expect from Bandai/Emotion. Some drawbacks though - in the pilot, there is a black squiggly mark for about a second which is noticeable and obviously on the original source element/material used. There is also some round "water type" spot on another episode in this set for a brief moment. There appears to be a consistent amount of dirt on all of these episodes. Minor, but more noticeable in the introduction with Landau standing against the white background where the dirt speckles are more noticeable. When the video is compared to the likes of the UFO and Captain Scarlet Bandai/Emotion discs - the difference shows.
As an overview these discs are worth purchasing and are quite good - but not as scrubbed and mint as the Bandai UFO elements were or quite as carefully taken care of. I noted perhaps 2 or 3 well done splices as well. One is an Eagle landing on a pad and it jumps down a hair (missing frame or two) as it's in the process of landing. The other 2 were during non critical times as well, but missing frames nonetheless. These are few and negligible and in no way detracted from the presentation.
Overall opinion: Much better quality than the Image discs which are great for rot. The small defects I mention should in no way detract from the viewing experience and are mentioned more as a nit-picking than critical items.
These sets can still be found occasionally and are recommended as many folks scalp the original series Image J2 Space:1999 Image discs in addition to the fair prices of around 55 dollars for the more common ones (as of the time of this writing).
I backed out of an auction on Image Volume one containing "Breakaway" in 1997 and the disc went for over a hundred. These Japanese boxes are not cheap. The list price is $125 before premiums for scarcity, taxes, shipping etc are added on from Japan. This does not include the premium collectors will expect for shaking these out of print discs from their hands. I saw an auction of a couple of these box sets around October 1997 and the starting bid was $200.00 each set.
When considering the prices collectors want for their first season Image discs and the difficulty in obtaining the first few of these Image discs and other volumes which were scarcer or more desirable or a combination of both, these sets are still a bargain in being able to obtain many episodes in one fell swoop and chronological order as well as a better all around product than the J2 discs.
Bandai/Emotion Space 1999 Season 1 Set Volume 2
(BELL-567) ¥ 15,800
This box is the same size as box 1 and is also very striking. The base box color is charcoal gray with an orange removable paper band containing the same information as the other bands on the other boxes. The cover has a very large detailed painting of an Eagle spacecraft flying at you at a downward angle to the right with the moon and a large black planet due to an eclipse. As before the painting is obviously more of a dynamic art piece than an actual recreation of a scene from the show.
The back of the box has 6 photos which again appear to be taken from 35mm still frames as opposed to publicity shots. These photos are arranged in 2 rows of 3 - one below the other. The photos are right to left 1st row: Overhead shot of Moonbase Alpha, Eagle on pad with explosion from section of Moonbase nearby, Landau, an older man and Bain in another role she played. Second row photos are: Bain and Landau in Eagle cockpit, Mission crew in space suits with foam creeping in, and the actor who plays the immortal being in the asteroid who wants to torture etc.
The episodes are as follows:
- Mission Of The Darians
- The Troubled Spirit
- Space Brain
- War Games
- End Of Eternity
- The Full Circle
The discs themselves are in the same cheap-o style plastic sleeves in a 12" by 12" thin paper sleeves similar to those of box 1. In this second box set, the dark gray sleeves containing the 3 discs are printed in an Eagle blueprint motif with the Eagle blueprint lines being a lighter sky blue color on top of the dark gray background. Each disc sleeve has different information.
There is a supplement of sorts as well called Space:1999 1st Season Set: Volume 2 Annual File. This is a folded 8" by 11" folder into which similar items as are included in box 1 are sandwiched. Again there are medium brown cards designed to be hole punched and placed in a ringed binder. These are printed on both sides and have various pictures. Some of these are of Brian Johnson in his model shop with shelves of kits to be cannibalized, paint etc behind him while he assembles a rather large Eagle, a perfect side, front and rear shot of an Eagle model, various angled shots of Eagle models with some power booster pack being mounted on its top, differences between scout, rescue and other Eagles, and the War Hawk (is that the name?) Eagle looking craft with SHADO amongst the Japanese - obviously a referral to the Gerry Anderson UFO series.
Sound: Same as box 1 and the other boxes.
Video: Sharp, detailed, and gorgeous colors as one would expect from Bandai/Emotion. Did not notice any major problems. There were a few moments I stepped out of the room while the discs were playing, and unless there was something during one of those brief excursions the video should all be just fine.
Overall opinion: Again much better than the Image discs which are great for rot. The film elements did not have the couple of items I noticed with a couple of episodes in box 1.
Bandai/Emotion Space 1999 Season 1 Set Volume 3
(BELL-568) ¥ 15,800
This box is the same size as the others and is also very striking - perhaps the best looking set of the 4 in my opinion. The base box color is violet/burgundy with a yellow removable paper band. The cover has a very large detailed painting of an Eagle spacecraft flying from right to left at a level flight with the moon in blood red and again a large planet almost entirely black behind the moon with an aura/eclipse from behind. There is also the large spaceship resembling a passenger jet which is from the episode where the large planet touches the moon and disappears. As before the painting is obviously more of a dynamic art piece than an actual recreation of a scene from the show.
Volume Three on the spine has only English as does the cover. The yellow band contains the same information as the band on the other boxes.
The back of the box has 6 photos which also appear to be taken from 35mm still frames as opposed to publicity shots. These photos are arranged in 2 rows of 3 - one below the other. The photos are right to left 1st row: Looking out the window of an Eagle at another Eagle, Landau, Bain and Morse in blue jackets, large alien ship above Moonbase Alpha. Second row photos are: Landau and 2 actors who play the inventor of the deadly drive of the voyager ship and his assistant, mines floating in space in a string with an approaching planet, and the fellow from "Force Of Life" burned and walking into nuclear furnace.
The episodes are as follows:
- Death's Other Dominion
- Collision Course
- Voyager's Return
- Alpha Child
- The Last Sunset
- Force Of Life
The discs themselves are in the same cheap-o style plastic sleeves in 12" by 12" thin paper jackets similar to those of the other boxes. In this third box set, the dark violet/burgundy sleeves containing the 3 discs are printed in a War Hawk styled Eagle spaceship blueprint motif with the blueprint lines being a mustard color on top of the dark burgundy background. Each disc sleeve has different information.
There is a supplement of sorts as well called Space:1999 1st Season Set: Volume 3 Annual File. This is a folded 8" by 11" folder into which similar items as are included in box 1 are sandwiched. Again there are medium brown cards designed to be hole punched and placed in a ringed binder. These are printed on both sides and have various pictures. Some of these are of alien ships and the Eagle cockpit long voyage craft from the episode where a monster is found aboard another ship with a graveyard of other ships floating about, a Stungun blueprint card with various photos, and a Commlock blueprint with various photos.
Sound: Same as the other boxes.
Video: Sharp, detailed, and gorgeous colors as one would expect from Bandai/Emotion. Did not notice any major problems. As when viewing box 2 there were a few moments I stepped out of the room while the discs were playing, and unless there was something during one of those brief excursions the video should all be just fine.
Overall opinion: Again much better than the Image discs which are great for rot. The film elements did not have the couple of items I noticed with a couple of episodes in box 1.
Bandai/Emotion Space 1999 Season 1 Set Volume 4
(BELL-569) ¥ 15,800
This last box set of the first season episodes is the same size as the others and is also very striking. The base box color is dark green with a lime green removable paper band. The cover has a very large detailed painting of an Eagle spacecraft flying from right to left at a downward angle with the moon in the lower left corner. The moon has an explosion starting on it similar to the Genesis torpedo effect beginning as seen in the Star Trek movies. To the right of the moon is an Earth like planet with different continents. As before the painting is obviously more of a dynamic art piece than an actual recreation of a scene from the show.
Volume Four on the spine has only English as does the cover. The yellow band contains the same information as the band on the other boxes.
The back of the box has 6 photos which as in the other 3 sets appear to be taken from 35mm still frames as opposed to publicity shots. These photos are arranged in 2 rows of 3 - one below the other. The photos are right to left 1st row: Bain and others laying down in "Guardian of Piri" with globes all around, a view from a distance of an alien city with a dome, Christopher Lee as a passive alien. Second row photos are: Lifeboat Eagle making getaway from Alpha in "The Black Sun", Bain and Landau clutching each other in a time of stress, and the small shelter/hut constructed on the surface of the planet from "Another Time, Another Place".
The episodes are as follows:
- Guardian Of Piri
- Missing Link
- Another Time, Another Place
- Earthbound
- Ring Around The Moon
- The Black Sun
After the last episode on this disc there are 2 supplemental opening credit sequences of the series with Japanese jazzy/pop style music and Japanese credits. These 2 opening sequences vary in length and the footage used. A curiosity to see how the show was once offered in Japan.
The discs themselves are in the same cheap-o style plastic sleeves in 12" by 12" thin paper jackets similar to those of the other boxes. In this fourth box set, the black sleeves containing the 3 discs are printed in a Stun Gun and Commlock blueprint motif with the blueprint lines being a light green color on top of the black background. Each disc sleeve has different information.
There has been some mention that the episode "Ring Around The Moon" has a little more running time in this Bandai/Emotion version than the J2 Image release. Running time of the Bandai/Emotion version from start of opening teaser (sans ITC revolving bit on the J2 Image discs) to end of end credits is 51 minutes and 48 seconds for those who would like to compare with the J2 Image version to get an idea of just how much time this may or may not be. There does seem to be some slight difference in film elements used. Perhaps these are "missing" scenes not on the Image J2 versions.
There is a supplement of sorts as well called Space:1999 1st Season Set: Volume 4 Annual File 1. This is a folded 8" by 11" folder into which similar items as are included in box 1 are sandwiched. Again there are the medium brown cards designed to be hole punched and placed in a ringed binder. These are printed on both sides and have various pictures. These photos focus on the various aliens themselves and Japanese toys (such as AIRFIX) of Space 1999.
Sound: Same as the other boxes.
Video: Sharp, detailed, and gorgeous colors as one would expect from Bandai/Emotion. Did not notice any major problems. As when viewing the other boxes there were a few moments I stepped out of the room while the discs were playing, and unless there was something during one of those brief excursions the video should all be just fine.
Overall opinion: Again much better than the Image discs which are great for rot. The film elements did not have the couple of items I noticed with a couple of episodes in box 1.
Closing comments/opinions
The show itself does not, in my opinion, measure up to the writing and style of Gerry Anderson's UFO series and the pacing is somewhat slower than some of his other productions. Kudos though go to the pre Star Wars technical effects designs and miniatures which are excellent. The show does have its moments. It also has some sci-fi and horror acting alumni of note to include the late Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.
Having owned both the Bandai and Image versions, these Bandai discs are the best way to own this series to date except for mint 16mm or 35mm prints which I imagine are exceedingly difficult to obtain and a great many of those in collections having turned red and or vinegaring.
It would be nice to confirm the existence of the second season of Space:1999 on laserdisc as information from Japan is often sketchy at best. There have been many science fiction shows on television over the years. This one has some decent episodes and should be part of a well rounded science fiction collection.