Space: 1999 was the first attempt since the demise of
Star Trek in 1969 at producing a large-scale weekly science
fiction series, and the show drew a great deal of visual
inspiration (and technical expertise) from the Stanley
Kubrick classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. The show's special
effects director Brian Johnson had in fact previously
worked on both Thunderbirds (as Brian Johncock) and 2001.
It was the last in a long line of successful science-fiction
series that the Andersons produced as a couple, beginning
with Supercar in the early Sixties and including the famed
marionette fantasy series Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain
Scarlet and Joe 90 and the gritty live-action alien-invasion
drama UFO (TV series). The Andersons' marriage fell apart
and their partnership dissolved during production of Space:
1999, although Gerry Anderson has continued to produce
TV series into 2005.
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