Back in the 1970s, during my youth, I used to love a British SciFi series called Space: 1999. The premise was that on September 13, 1999, the nuclear waste being stored on the moon exploded, knocking the moon out of its orbit, hurtling it and the inhabitants of Moonbase Alpha into outer space.
I loved everything about the show — the flared-leg costumes, the Eagle Transporters, the transportation tubes, the stun guns, even the cheesy 1970s theme music.
So imagine my delight when I learned of Space: 2099! No, it’s not a remake like J.J. Abram’s Star Trek or SciFi Channel’s Battlestar Galactica. Rather, Eric Bernard has rebooted Space: 1999 by condensing each original episode of Space: 1999 into a 2-3 minute episode. He’s also added more special effects and edited the dialogue so that all of the original characters say “2099” instead of “1999.” You can watch all of the new episodes HERE.
It’s the “perfect storm” convergence of my nostalgia and geekiness. Memories of my brother and I playing with the Moonbase Alpha Adventure Playset cascaded my mind. That Adventure Playset was pure awesomeness! The entire set, including cast and aliens, was assembled out of punchout fiberboard and occupied hours of imaginative playtime. I also remember playing with my Space: 1999 Stun Gun Water Gun. That was one fun summer!
But soon nostalgia gave way to reflection. As a SciFi geek, I’m fascinated with the various visions of the future that the genre offers, especially since many of the visions are really attempts to address contemporary social and political issues. Lately, I’ve been wondering about what is generating so many horrific post-apocalyptic visions of the future in recent months — Terminator: Salvation, 9, Daybreakers, 2012, Avatar, and The Book of Eli. As a culture, have we become so cynical that we can only envision a devastated future? In the new movie, Legion, even the ever-patient, all-loving God is now depicted as the ultimate cynic, completely giving up on humanity and sending his demonic-looking angels to wipe us out.
Frankly, I’m getting tired of watching visions of the future that are either inhabited by zombies, vampires or killer automatons or filled with images of natural disasters and post-apocalyptic devastation. It’s boring.
I’m not necessarily looking for movies that depict an utopian vision. It’s just that global hopelessness is becoming too cliche for the genre.
Journeying Home 
Since our humble beginnings in 2008, many of you have shown enormous interest in our Space 2099, and it is with great anticipation that I inform you all of an exciting new development. First, I want to thank all of you who have been instrumental in bringing Space 2099 to public attention. Initially started as a work of fandom, this project has grown to include members within every major field of movie and television production.
As a result, we have now pooled our skills to create an entirely new entity called Retcon Studios…a new kind of production company dedicated to reintroducing classic motion pictures and television programming to today’s modern audiences… but with the respect for original content and quality that older audiences are seeking.
Our team is intent on renewing classic works with a contemporary feel and look… by correcting inconsistencies within story narratives, by re-editing works for appropriate pacing, and by replacing or enhancing visual effects and other elements. This resulting hybrid of old and new will entice a previous audience to watch these works again, while also giving modern audiences the ability to appreciate the same work. With the advent of high-definition television, media providers seeking innovative methods of continuing revenue from their back catalogues will be drawn to the services we provide. You can see our website at http://www.retconstudios.com
Although other offering are in the works, Space 2099 continues to be our flagship project. Being a two year science fiction television series, it has and continues to present major challenges… from adapting its story to today’s near-future to addressing major chronological and scientific inconsistencies. As its story was never fully completed during its original run, we are hard at work adapting it now to promote the possibility of a sequel series.
Which brings me to our sister project, Space 2099 Legacy . The proposed sequel series brings our original story forty years into its own future, finding the Alphan citizens (old and new) living on the planet Terra Nova. However, the return of the Earth’s moon (Luna) will place their existence in jeopardy. They will need to decide who will stay behind, who will return to their origins, and what “the destiny of humanity in space” awaits them. Our website http://www.space2099.com/legacy
I am inviting you to visit our new websites and our new Facebook group for legacy, as well as view the updates on our Space 2099 website. Our team greatly appreciates your support on Facebook, Yahoo and other venues, and hopes you continue to do so.
With our production team in place, we at Retcon Studios are now ready to deliver on the greatness these classic works can achieve… in the hopes we can make your memories better than you remember…
I think that it is the best idea in a long time. I would really like to work with you guys in some way. It seems better to do this than all those tired remakes.
Terence