Guest Artists/Additional Cast
Christopher Lee as Captain Zantor
Roy Dotrice as Commissioner Simmonds
Writer
Anthony Terpiloff
Director
Charles Crichton
Background
Filming on 'Earthbound' began on Friday March 15th, 1974.
The episode was written by American Anthony Terpiloff who had worked on a TV movie called
'Poet Game', and had scripted on 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents', 'The Avengers' and 'The Protectors'.
Keith Wilson wanted to make the Kaldorians look suitably alien and so designed their look to incorporate
long white hair and built-up noses.
Guest star Christopher Lee was not happy about wearing the false nose and upon completion of the first
day's shooting was even less pleased when it was removed and took an amount of his skin with it.
The script called for the Kaldorians to tower over the Alphans and so when
Lee stands up in the Kaldorian ship he is shot from the waist up, and in order to appear taller he had to stand on a box.
At six foot four, Lee is only an inch taller than Martin Landau.
The Kaldorian spaceship was built in two different scales by Space Models and was featured in a number
of publicity stills showing it in the Eagle hanger beneath Alpha. The line of Eagles seen in these shots were all cardboard
cut-outs, darkly lit and shot from a very low angle.
The layout of the Main Mission set had been overhauled with the desks now more widely spaced and with
no steps leading to the viewports, and it remained in this configuration until 'Missing Link'.
Information from 'Production Notes: Series One' booklet by Michael
Richardson
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