Fly Me to the Moon

I’m willing to suspend disbelief for most television. I’m fairly certain that everyone on Gray’s Anatomy would be sued for sexual harassment in real life, and it’s clear that anyone visiting Jessica Fletcher on Murder She Wrote would be killed. Everyone she came into contact with ended up dead. Seems to me that she should be the prime suspect. I couldn’t suspend that disbelief for Space 1999. Even at 11, I watched it and would say, “Yeah right. You’ve got to be kidding.” The basic plot is that a nuclear waste explosion on the lunar surface lodges the moon out of orbit and sends it hurtling through space. The hapless crew of Moonbase Alpha is forced to go along for the ride. The moon is racing along so fast that they pass through distant planetary systems and visit scantily clad aliens.

On the upside, the design of the show was super groovy and mod. Everyone had matching leisure suit uniforms in beige. The furniture was high gloss molded plastic. The typography, Countdown, was the future of all type. I can’t see myself watching an entire episode. The whole moon leaving orbit and flying faster than light speed is too much for me to accept. But I’m digging the leisure suits.