geordiesdad When I write this review I try to take into account that the original Star Trek was produced 7 years earlier than this. In light of that fact and the studio awareness of what the then 'modern' viewer expected in their 'future' it falls VERY short in production values. The acting is, as well, quite dreadful and the writing is no better. The scenarios are childish and fit for audiences in the 50's. All in all, it is what Britain was capable of producing at that time...given a few more years they went on to make some absolutely splendid shows but sadly, this is a poor throwback to the paper rockets of years ago. Don't waste your time unless you want to see how they were UNABLE to reach the heights Star Trek met.

junk-monkey moon base 3 breaks one of the first rules of TV SF and at first I didn't spot it. I took me some time to work out what was so peculiar about this show. I knew, from a few minutes into the first episode, there was something profoundly odd going on but couldn't put my finger on it.At first I thought it might have been the flashing "Artificial Gravity is ON" signs that seem to litter the corridors - They are there more a sop to the nit-pickers in the audience rather than serving any internal logic to the story - surely even the densest of Astronauts would be able to tell the difference between 1/6 and a full 1 G. (though, to be fair to the show, it DOES attempt to simulate 1/6 G whenever anyone stepped outside the base by use of slow motion filming and bouncy, slow motion "I'm in space" acting).Then I thought it might be the ropey camera work: this show seems to have been performed like a stage show, the actors doing long scenes with 2 or three cameras shooting simultaneously; the editor then cutting between the various angles. Obviously, as in all live performances, people didn't hit their marks exactly and the cameramen have to re-frame constantly to get people's heads in. This looks pretty amateur by today's standards but I'm not a connoisseur of 70s TV so don't have much to compare it with - I guess at the time it must have looked OK.Then it might have been the downright dodgy accents. The European's moon base is populated by RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts) trained actors assuming variable "French", "Spanish" and the standard "All purpose Eastern European" accents. Even Donal Houston's Welsh accent (and the man IS Welsh) sounds weirdly fake - (what is it by the way, that made the BBC at this time think the future would be populated by dynamic Welshmen? Blake of "Blake's Seven" was played by Welshman Gareth Thomas) - the only American on view (in at least the first 2 shows) has an accent that is totally bizarre: sort of constipated West Indian - sort of not.Then I finally realised what it was that was so unsettling... the Door Handles! The doors on moon base 3 open like regular doors in houses! Hinged Doors in Space? Everyone knows that in the future all doors will slide into the wall as soon as anyone approaches them. Star Trek, Babylon 5, Space 1999, you name it, doors slide... ever since Buster Crabbe played "Buck Rodgers" way back in the 1930s, doors in the future slide... but not in the cash strapped BBC of the 1970s they didn't. Why pay 2 props guys to pull doors open when you've got an actor who will do it on cue for half the price?All in all, this show is of historical interest but not worth getting excited over.

JHC3 I'd never even heard of this series when I stumbled across a PAL DVD edition in my local video store. I've long liked Ralph Bates' work and figured I'd give it a chance. My time was not wasted. The series is set in the early twenty-first century. A group of European countries has established Moonbase 3. It is an underfunded science station on the lunar surface, one of five such bases. Others are operated by the United States,Soviet Union, China, and Brazil. The series' six episodes tell stories of everyday life at the post, mostly from the perspective of the senior staff. The plotlines of most episodes involve the psychological and character weaknesses of thoseposted to the base. Events and characters from previous episodes are referred to in later episodes thus displaying continuity superior to many better known and more successful science fiction series. The final episode is downrightriveting and involves the possible extinction of life on Earth. The series had many strong points. Special effects are acceptable by early1970s standards and involve a lot of model work. The teleplays are intelligent and there was a genuine effort to portray the environment and space travel in a scientifically plausible manner. "Moonbase 3" is by no means perfect, but given the limitations of budget, it was a solid piece of work. It certainly warranted more than six episodes and is, in my opinion, superior to the better known "Space1999." Hopefully BBC or some licensee will consider releasing this onto DVD in the U.S. one of these days.

CharlesD-2 I watched this series on the sci-fi channel and it was quite a pleasant surprise. I'd never heard of this 70s sci-fi series before but it was british and done by some of the same people who also worked on Doctor Who. This series was most definitely influenced by Doctor Who and other films and tv series but it was unique in it's own vision of the future and man's future of the colonization of space. The series ended on a wonderful episode and should have been brought back for at least another. This is definitely a massively underestimated classic.