Must-see TV shows are futuristic classics that shouldn’t be missed. Of course, not every must-see is perfect. That’s why we’ve rated them 1-5 on the patented “crunchy goodness” scale.
Title: Space: 1999
Date: 1975-1977
Vitals: A disaster throws the moon spiraling out of Earth’s orbit, with the inhabitants of a moonbase along for the ride. Somehow, the runaway moon manages to fly much faster than the speed of light, allowing it to visit countless alien worlds.
Famous names: Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, Barry Morse, Catherine Schell, Gerry Anderson, Sylvia Anderson
Crunchy goodness: 3
Stunt casting: Joan Collins is Kara, one of the last survivors of a super-advanced race who wear togas and survive by stealing organs from a group of hairy barbarians. (Who’d begrudge Joan Collins a kidney?)
The shit: The camera always zooms into Catherine Schell’s eye whenever her sexy shapeshifter turns into a bird or donkey, as the plot requires.
Life lesson: When you find a new home planet that looks perfect and idyllic, you might want to check for alien mind controllers, vampires, ancient intelligences or creepy blobs before you settle in.
