September the 13th 1999!

While being laid up with a chest infection I found myself watching my aunt's extensive collection 1870's TV DVD's. One of these sets was Space 1999, a programme I thought would be trivial and stupid. But not so. It is an excellent piece of 20th century television and makes far better viewing than any daytime television.

The basic plot is that on September the 13th 1999 the Alpha moon base, with 300 occupants, is blasted out of orbit. However this explosion is not the result of some fantastic science fiction phenomena, ather it is the result of earth's nations dumping all their atomic waste on the moon.

This progranne, made over thirty years ago is addressing similar issues that we are facing today, sustainability and the impact of technology on nature. I was suprised by this and kept watching. In another excellent programme, Stingray, which is set underwater explores the issue of what humanity can do once we have exhausted the natural resources that we have come to take as for granted.

While it is easy to dismiss these programmes because of their warped ideas on what the future may be like, bubble cars and space tourism in 2000, we should also recognise the fact that they often get it right.