I've written about Gerry Anderson's sci-fi telefilm The Day After Tomorrow: Into Infinity here on the site before. Here's a high quality, 30-second montage of clips, which gives a good taste of what the program is like, accompanied by some of Derek Wadsworth's terrific score.
The television film, which was also a series pilot, was shot between seasons of Space: 1999 with pretty much the same crew, and aired on American television as part of the NBC Special Treat series of specials for children in December, 1975. It starred Nick Tate and Brian Blessed, Joanna Dunham, and child actors Martin Lev and Katherine Levy.
Visually, this is what I think of when I think of 70s sci-fi....
I remember this from its first BBC showing in the 70s. I vaguely recall that it was trailed as being a realistic presentation of interstellar travel. As you hinted at in your full review, there's a touch of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY about it, but with none of the mysticism.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be fair to say that 2001 had a lasting impact on how British film and TV approached space. SPACE:1999, of course, owed much to Kubrick's film in the design department, especially in season one.
Interestingly enough, I just watched this last night. After many years of waffling, I finally joined "Fanderson", the official Gerry Anderson Fan organization, who offer all sorts of interesting books and videos.
ReplyDelete"The Day After Tomorrow" is paired with the original "Space Police" pilot starring Shane Rimmer. I also purchased a DVD that pairs a documentary about "UFO" and "Space:1999". For a fan organization, all the videos are very well done! I highly recommend joining if you are a Gerry Anderson fan as I am!
Darn it! I was 11? and I didn't see it...
ReplyDeleteHow is Nick Tate not a member of the Space Opera Hall of Fame?!?
ReplyDeleteI clearly remember the opening of this... Alan from Space: 1999 was easy to recognize. But I don't recall where the story went.
ReplyDeleteI reviewed the telefilm HERE.
ReplyDeleteWow! I had completely forgot obout this film and remembered loving the spaceship design! (like all of Andersons stuff really!).
ReplyDeleteJust stumbled on your site - I'm going to spend a lot of lunch hours here I think, thanks for sharing.
I saw it in the 70's would love to see it again, wish it was on disc or tape, as old as it is I still like it..
ReplyDeleteI remember bumping into this after school in or about December 1975. It was already in progress when I found it and my first thought was it was a Space 1999 cross-over of sorts or a flashback episode with Alan Carter. Very quickly I realized it was something else altogether but obviously from the same creators and studio, special effects and handful of actors from SP1999. I have not seen it since, but I recall on moment well, where they took a family vote, to press on or go back home, with the words "if but one wants to return we'll head back"...or something to that effect. It was a solid production and I liked the ship. Ah, nostalgia!
ReplyDeleteWhere can we obtain the entire show on DVD?
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it's still available, but the official Gerry Anderson Fan Club used to offer it on disc.
DeleteYouTube removed the clip--that figures! :P
ReplyDelete