and sell it to an American network on the strength of the production values and on the appeal of popular American actors Martin Landau and Barbara Bain being cast in the lead roles. Indeed, Landau and Bain had been cast partly because a US network had made a verbal agreement to purchase the series if they were the stars. The series was to debut in September 1974, but the executives changed at the US network, and the prior verbal agreement was worthless.
The American market was vitally important financially as the huge investment made in the series could not hope to be recouped without it, and so ITC again tried to sell the series to the American networks for the 1975 fall season. The networks, however, turned the series down. As Abe Mandell said in October 1975: ‘The networks just don’t like to accept any project they don’t have complete control over,’ and Space: 1999 was by that point a fait accompli . Besides, added Mandell, ‘It’s all shot in England, far out of reach, and they don’t like that idea.’
ITC, not willing to concede failure, proceeded to embark on the first major syndication effort in television history, touring around the United States and selling the series directly to the individual broadcasters that would air it, including network-affiliated stations. Many of these stations eventually pre-empted programming from their own networks in favour of Space: 1999 . In those days, that was quite a major departure, but these stations were eager to broadcast Space: 1999 as the 1975 fall network schedule was largely being judged a colossal disappointment. The shows most frequently dropped in favour of Space: 1999 were The Invisible Man (NBC), Barbary Coast (starring William Shatner, on ABC) and CBS’s The Montefuscos and Fay . Other shows that were replaced by the adventures of Moonbase Alpha included: (on ABC) Welcome Back Kotter , Happy Days and The Six Million Dollar Man ; (on CBS) Rhoda and Phyllis (both spin-offs from The Mary Tyler Moore Show ), Good Times and Cher ; (on NBC) Ellery Queen and Sanford & Son .
On 12 March 1975, ITC ran a four-page feature in Variety proclaiming Space: 1999 to be ‘The Ultimate Adventure Series,’ and hyping the ‘Simultaneous world-wide premiere in 101 countries in September 1975.’ The ad consisted of quotes from station executives around the United States, as well as a letter from Abe Mandell in which he wrote: ‘We wish to thank all our friends in broadcasting for the unprecedented way in which they have so enthusiastically welcomed our new space science fiction series, Space: 1999 . It is completely overwhelming … Space: 1999 is a dramatic and unqualified sales success in every way that a new product can be judged a sales success, and in some new ways. Many local stations have bought the series to pre-empt prime time network entries starting in September ’75 … Everyone has told us that Space: 1999 will be the big hit of the 1975-76 season.’
Among the vast amount of praise heaped upon the series by the 36 television executives quoted in the ad were the following:
‘The special effects are really out of this world and Martin Landau and Barbara Bain are excellent. We are betting that New Yorkers will eat up Space: 1999 , and I expect the rest of the country will as well.’ – Hendrick Booraem, Jr., Vice President/Programs, WPIX, New York City.
‘ Space: 1999 is the finest programme that I have seen in years and I cannot understand how the networks let this slip by.’ – Robert M. Bennett, Vice President, General Manager Operations, WCVB-TV (ABC), Boston.
‘ Space: 1999 meets the test of all family programming. Great production values! Great star quality! By far the most promising and exciting first-run series for the coming season.’ – David E. Henderson, President Broadcast Division, WJAR-TV (NBC), Providence.
‘I can’t tell you how happy we are to own Space: 1999 . It’s a magnificent show – superb acting –
The American market was vitally important financially as the huge investment made in the series could not hope to be recouped without it, and so ITC again tried to sell the series to the American networks for the 1975 fall season. The networks, however, turned the series down. As Abe Mandell said in October 1975: ‘The networks just don’t like to accept any project they don’t have complete control over,’ and Space: 1999 was by that point a fait accompli . Besides, added Mandell, ‘It’s all shot in England, far out of reach, and they don’t like that idea.’
ITC, not willing to concede failure, proceeded to embark on the first major syndication effort in television history, touring around the United States and selling the series directly to the individual broadcasters that would air it, including network-affiliated stations. Many of these stations eventually pre-empted programming from their own networks in favour of Space: 1999 . In those days, that was quite a major departure, but these stations were eager to broadcast Space: 1999 as the 1975 fall network schedule was largely being judged a colossal disappointment. The shows most frequently dropped in favour of Space: 1999 were The Invisible Man (NBC), Barbary Coast (starring William Shatner, on ABC) and CBS’s The Montefuscos and Fay . Other shows that were replaced by the adventures of Moonbase Alpha included: (on ABC) Welcome Back Kotter , Happy Days and The Six Million Dollar Man ; (on CBS) Rhoda and Phyllis (both spin-offs from The Mary Tyler Moore Show ), Good Times and Cher ; (on NBC) Ellery Queen and Sanford & Son .
On 12 March 1975, ITC ran a four-page feature in Variety proclaiming Space: 1999 to be ‘The Ultimate Adventure Series,’ and hyping the ‘Simultaneous world-wide premiere in 101 countries in September 1975.’ The ad consisted of quotes from station executives around the United States, as well as a letter from Abe Mandell in which he wrote: ‘We wish to thank all our friends in broadcasting for the unprecedented way in which they have so enthusiastically welcomed our new space science fiction series, Space: 1999 . It is completely overwhelming … Space: 1999 is a dramatic and unqualified sales success in every way that a new product can be judged a sales success, and in some new ways. Many local stations have bought the series to pre-empt prime time network entries starting in September ’75 … Everyone has told us that Space: 1999 will be the big hit of the 1975-76 season.’
Among the vast amount of praise heaped upon the series by the 36 television executives quoted in the ad were the following:
‘The special effects are really out of this world and Martin Landau and Barbara Bain are excellent. We are betting that New Yorkers will eat up Space: 1999 , and I expect the rest of the country will as well.’ – Hendrick Booraem, Jr., Vice President/Programs, WPIX, New York City.
‘ Space: 1999 is the finest programme that I have seen in years and I cannot understand how the networks let this slip by.’ – Robert M. Bennett, Vice President, General Manager Operations, WCVB-TV (ABC), Boston.
‘ Space: 1999 meets the test of all family programming. Great production values! Great star quality! By far the most promising and exciting first-run series for the coming season.’ – David E. Henderson, President Broadcast Division, WJAR-TV (NBC), Providence.
‘I can’t tell you how happy we are to own Space: 1999 . It’s a magnificent show – superb acting –
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