Review of Moonbase 3: The Complete Series

Introduction

A BBC sci-fi show, with a heavy Dr Who influence. No, not Blake`s 7 (that`s coming out soon though), but the lesser known Moonbase 3, of which only six 50 minute episodes were made, by Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks. It is rumoured that 13 episodes were originally planned. It stayed away from the "aliens attack unwanted colonists" or "is there life on the moon" angles, and concentrated purely on the base and its inhabitants. Plenty of Dr Who connections as I mentioned just a moment ago, so watch out for Peter Miles (the evil Nyder in Genesis of the Daleks), Michael Wisher (Davros in the same story) and Dalek operator Cy Town. Look out also for Edward Brayshaw, who played Mr Meaker in Rentaghost!

This is a 2 disc set, with 150 minutes on each disc. The episodes all stand alone quite nicely, but there is quite a bit of continuity between them. You can pick up most of the themes from the first episode though, as this sets the scene quite well, introducing you to the characters and setting the tone. Considered to be very authentic at the time, how does it stand up 30 years on?

Video

A standard 4:3 transfer, but with a story behind it. This is actually a PAL->NTSC->PAL conversion, as those naughty BBC types don`t have the original tapes any more (like many series from this era). Luckily Fox (it was a co-production) had kept their NTSC conversions.

Having said all that, it looks quite good for a 625->525->625 conversion, and it has been cleaned up a bit. The colours aren`t perfect, and it does look a bit grainy on occasions, but you probably won`t see it much better without significant investment. And that`s never going to happen for a title like this...

Audio

A Dolby Digital Mono soundtrack, which is pretty much as you`d expect for a 30 year old show for which the original master tapes no longer exist. It`s all clear and audible though, including a soundtrack by Dudley Simpson, another Dr Who stalwart. Dick Mills and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop were also involved.

There is also the very memorable quote from the final episode: "I`ve always held that the last words of mankind will not be the secret name of God, but "what is this knob for?"

Features

Not a sausage. Would have been very nice to see interviews at the very least!

Conclusion

Science fiction without aliens? A base on another planet not under attack by evil forces? Well, that`s what you get here, but for me it didn`t work. The episodes are slow and plodding, and the plots are often a bit dull and contrived. It does improve in later episodes, but you might have lost interest by then. I think Terrance Dicks himself sums it up perfectly:- "The trouble was we built a format for ourselves that was too restrictive. I think we got some very good scripts, but somebody said they were stories that could have taken place in a lighthouse, a submarine or in a deserted fort in the desert, anywhere where people are isolated in a harsh environment."

If you are a fan of the series, then this set is the best you`re going to get. I`m afraid that I can`t recommend it to anyone else though.