(June 19, 2000, 7:15 pm, EST)
By John Kenneth Muir
John: What are your reflections on the 25th anniversary of Space: 1999?
Martin Landau: It's amazing to me that as much time has gone by, because if we acknowledge that this is the year 2000, Space:1999 is a period piece. We still haven't done many of the things that were predicted in terms of an international moonbase - or any kind of base. It's more logical today, because of the Cold War being over.
But the series was an interesting one. I look back on it fondly. It's hard to believe it's been twenty five years. It seems like yesterday that we were in Main Mission, or Command Center, since the name changed after the first season.
John: Any thoughts on those days, working on the show?
Martin Landau: I have interesting and warm feelings of London in the seventies, of my kids growing up at Pinewood Studios, where we were entrenched for a lengthy amount of time.
John: What are your thoughts on a Space: 1999 revival?
Martin Landau: That's a very general question. It always gets down to the script. Mission Impossible - the movies, have nothing to do with the series....If you asked me that question prior to the first Mission: Impossible movie, I'd say I'm interested, but now I'd have to see a script.
If there were a Space:1999 movie, the script would have to be better than any show we ever did, or else there's no sense in doing it. That's a simple fact, because to get people to pay for things, there would have to be a wonderful script. Otherwise, it's mindless to do something like that.
To do a mediocre script after all this time and have it sort of lie there is not my idea of keeping the series intact. That's my genuine answer.
John: If you were happy with the script quality, would you reprise the role of Commander John Koenig?
Martin Landau: Yes, I think so. Again, it depends on the budget and how well it's going to be done. If you're playing with the big boys, your special effects have to be comparable; there has to be enough money in the budget to properly do the project, otherwise it looks cheesy and you can't do that extra take because you're limited to a certain film ratio, and you have to settle for things and compromise.
John: You've worked with a lot of Space:1999 people again...
Martin Landau: I just worked, interestingly enough, with Kevin Connor, who directed two Space:1999 episodes, and Keith Wilson, who was the production designer. I did a miniseries in Morroco in which I worked with both of these guys, and John Goldsmith wrote the miniseries [In the Beginning], and he wrote one of the episodes Kevin directed. Kevin and I hadn't worked together in twenty four years!
It's interesting to come across these people and work with them again a quarter of a century later. Kevin was a young director and Space:1999 was one of his early jobs when he got out of the cutting room. Keith was a young designer and now here he is still doing wonderful stuff.
I'm reminded continually of Space:1999 in many ways, not the least of which is these encounters with people I worked with on the series.
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