All That Glisters (Space: 1999)
| "All That Glisters" | |
|---|---|
| Space: 1999 episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 4 |
| Directed by | Ray Austin |
| Written by | Keith Miles |
| Original air date | 28 October 1976 |
"All That Glisters" is the fourth episode of the second series of Space: 1999 (and the twenty-eighth overall episode of the programme). The screenplay was written by Keith Miles; the director was Ray Austin. The final shooting script is dated 9 March 1976. Live-action filming took place Thursday 18 March 1976 through Wednesday 31 March 1976.
It is 565 days after leaving Earth orbit, and Eagle Four is outward bound from Moonbase Alpha. Its mission is to locate and procure a quantity of milgonite. Two days previously, spectroscopic analysis indicated the presence of the rare mineral in a distant solar system. The ore—a vital component of the Moonbase life-support system—is detected on one planet. As they will have little operating time on the surface, John Koenig orders the excursion Eagle fitted with a specialised laboratory module equipped to handle a variety of scientific duties. During the long journey, Maya and mission specialist Dave Reilly assess the planet.
Reilly, an exploration geologist, has a career spanning from wildcat oil wells to uranium mining. Though born and raised an Irishman, he considers the State of Texas home and affects the persona of an American cowboy—Stetson ten-gallon hat, cowboy boots and frequent use of Western colloquialisms (which contrast with his thick brogue). To the chagrin of Tony Verdeschi, the geologist also loves the ladies and is brashly chatting up Maya. As she fancies Verdeschi, the naïve Psychon girl is oblivious to Reilly's interest.
The planet is an ecological oddity. Despite long-term geologic evidence of liquid water existing on the surface, it is one vast desert. There is no sign of recent (or future) rainfall, despite the dense cloud formations. The instruments also detect a minimal but unidentifiable form of life. Unconcerned, the team sets down close to what sensors read is a major milgonite deposit. Due to the Moon's extreme distance and velocity, the entire mining operation must be completed within a three-hour period of time. The on-board computer is programmed to relay a verbal countdown in fifteen-minute increments.
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