So... returning to my review of old sci-fi TV shows that I had never seen before, here's a quick view of a British Sci-Fi show titled Space: 1999 by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson (of Thunderbirds fame, and Space Precinct, which I also think I wrote about before).

This is one trippy show... The premise of Space: 1999 centers on the plight of the inhabitants of Moonbase Alpha, a scientific research center located on the moon. Humanity had been storing its nuclear waste in vast disposal sites on the far side of the Moon, but when an unknown form of "magnetic radiation" is detected, the accumulated waste reaches critical mass and causes a massive thermonuclear explosion in... 1999. The force of the blast propels the moon like an enormous booster rocket, hurling it out of Earth orbit and into deep space at colossal speed, thus stranding the 311 personnel stationed on Alpha. --- OK! OK! Suspend your disbelief for a moment and enjoy the camp-factor ---  Anyway, the moon seesentially becomes the spacecraft on which the protagonists travel, searching for a new home. Not long after leaving Earth's Solar System, the wandering moon passes through a black hole and later through a couple of "space warps" which push it even further out into the universe. During their interstellar journey, the Alphans encounter an array of alien civilizations, dystopian societies, and mind-bending phenomena previously unseen by humanity. Several episodes of the first series hinted that the Moon's journey was influenced (and perhaps initiated) by a "mysterious unknown force", which was guiding the Alphans toward an ultimate destiny. The second series used simpler action-oriented plots.

The first season wasn't bad.  I disliked the "cold open" that basically said "here's what you're about to see!" (why not make it an advertisement for an upcoming episode instead?), but I just skipped through that filler.  The technology in the first season was pretty basic, almost no monitors for output, and their computer analysis output was on ticker tape! Monitors were introduced in Season 2, and their command center somehow got an upgrade.  Where did they get the equipment while hurdling through space? Who the bleep knows?

Additional changes between seasons include more uniforms and other insignia that were introduced to make their uniforms seem like there are divisions on the ship that matter. It was as if someone found stuff in a closet somewhere and thought that they should be used. Hey everyone! Look!  New jackets and patches! I wonder why Earth Command never mentioned these? 😂

Barry Morse was not in season 2... he played a professor/doctor of some sort in Season 1, and even though he didn't have a ton of screentime (relatively speaking), he was an interesting character.  In season two he was replaced with a younger and possibly "hunkier" person who has more screentime than the good doctor ever did.  I was getting "Wil Riker" vibes from this guy.

There were also much more overt relationships and googley eyes on the moon, and I guess the writers tried to "ship" Koenig and Dr. Russell - why?

A question I thought of was How many darned Eagles do they have?!?!  We saw at most 2 in season 1, now they have a fleet?!

The show basically devolved into a weird alien-of-the-week format...a metamorph shows up on episode one of season two, but why? Also the weird muttonchops on her cheeks and the kitty kibble eyebrows...simply no. The second season was produced by Fred Freiberger, who also produced season 3 of Star Trek TOS...so I guess there's a common thread as to why both of these seasons stink 😅

I read a comment on reddit after finishing this that said "in our family we don't talk of season 2" - LOL.  This is probably sage advice.  See it once to experience it, but Season 2 is just bad.