Not too hot, not too cold – the planet is in the right place spatially. But is it a suitable home for the Alphans?

Although I fully expect Nick Briggs to play with Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s formula for Space 1999 at some point if these box sets continue – maybe even having the Alphans find somewhere to move for a time if a way round the ticking clock of the Moon’s ongoing path can be devised – it’s not going to come this early in the run, and we know going in that whatever the Alphan exploratory force finds on the planet, it’s not going to allow them to leave. But what particular obstacles will they find in their way in Andrew Smith’s second script?

Smith comes up with a workaround for the language barrier between Alphans and the indigenous population that allows for parlay very quickly. One group meets Anthony Howell’s Prime Herris Stenbar, while the other encounters Pippa Bennett-Warner’s Allandra and gets themselves in trouble as they carry out the necessary investigations.

Mark Bonnar, Maria Teresa Creasy and Clive Hayward feel more settled into the roles now, with Tim Bentinck’s Commissioner Simmons still sticking his nose in – you really can’t have two captains on a ship, and Simmons is going to need to curb his involvement. (And yes, if you want a clue about that plotline listen to the extras.) Iain Meadows’ sound design is called on to create some vivid mental pictures, although I’m hoping that Joe Kraemer’s scores will become more individual to the episodes as the Moon continues its journey.

Verdict: Solid investigative work by the Alphans adds a procedural element to this adding to the more down to Earth (so to speak) attitude of the series. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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