Return to Space 1999 main page Trivia (click here): nfvsifn kjfgnjdf hg dcfgb gghde Help rescue Commander John Koenig from slavery! (click here) TV-Commentary - Space 1999 Was Dr. Helena Russell a Robot? Dr. Helena Russell never displayed any emotion on Space 1999. She was as wooden as a robot, even when around Commander John Koenig. Was that because her character on Moonbase Alpha was supposed to be so stiff, or because she was a bad actress? The problem with her woodenness is that when characters on Space: 1999 were taken over by aliens they would act wooden so you would know that they were taken over by aliens. But when Helena Russell was taken over by an alien, Commander John Koenig never noticed a difference because she always acted the same. This was confusing, wasn't it? By the way, ever notice how Helena pivots in the opening credits with that wooden expression on her face? Do you think they had her on a revolving pedestal, or do you think she was programmed to turn like that whenever she was activated? Click here to post a message        Beta posts on 1/25/2006 8:06:55 PM As for 'wooden', that's a matter of perspective. I prefer the description of "pious, soulful gazes". Such a saintly woman as Helena can't be overly emotional!        Nurse Paul posts on 1/4/2006 6:04:49 PM Barbara Bain rocks. She was attempting to play her chacter as an emotionally controlled doctor. Unfortunately it appeared wooden but it has caused us all moments of unparalled hilarity as she gets tossed around the place and lands with a facial expression the same as when she took off. When they made her show a more emotional Helena in the second series, it lost a lot of the charm and individuality of her character, which was a shame. She was the original Botox girl!        Brian Piecuch posts a bold assertion on 2/3/2005 7:49:59 AM She was great playing a cavewoman. Too bad in other episodes they actually expected her to do more than grunt and hit people on the head with stones.        The commentator Dana posts on 2/3/2005 2:13:49 AM A few more emotional examples... *The Full Circle(This cavewoman can emote...fear, anger, rage, jealousy) *Alpha Child(Joy in the 1st birth on Alpha)        The commentator Dana posts a gentle reminder on 2/3/2005 1:57:23 AM I agree...Barbara did show emotion in many an episode. Yes...Most of the time she played Helena as collected and strong, but she definitely let the character get emotional too. Some emotional moments(that come to mind): *Matter of Life and Death(Her husband is found "alive"...she finds herself numb to his return after so long, but I don't know of any robots that become frightened when a planet begins to disintegrate...do you?) *The Last Sunset(Plenty of emotion here....she enjoys the breeze from the open Moonbase window....and when Paul is trying to kill her....well...let's just say she wasn't very robotic). I don't see how anybody can find her robot-like. Dana        The commentator Ana Maria Campos posts a gentle reminder on 2/2/2005 7:11:41 PM Sorry, my dear but to me BARBARA BAIN is a great actress and, if sometimes, the character wasn't good, in my opinion, is the director fault... this is the director job: to do your best to the actor/actress does his/her best.        Brian Piecuch posts a bold assertion on 2/1/2005 8:38:58 AM I don't think the point is the way she plays her character. I guess she plays the role of a doctor correctly. She is strong, calm and seems to be properly driven by her "Hypocratic Oath". The point is that she's a terrible actress. I guess her being on the show happened because her agent negotiated a package so that the better thespian of the Bain-Landau marriage would sign up for the show. Now Martin Landau, he was something. I love is "Shatneresque", over-the-top approach to his role.        The commentator Ana Maria Campos posts on 1/30/2005 5:54:05 PM Of course NOT! She's the chief medical officer in Moonbase Alpha. She wasn't a fragile little girl. She's a doctor looking to all people in this base. Her job was very important and serious. Maybe to show fragility and fear isn't part of her personality nor of the her important position in Alpha. Do you imagine an hysterical, fickle and emotional person like a chief? How do you think that an astronaut is? Probably, a person treined to be always under control. Click here to post a message Other Recent Space 1999 Discussions "One moment of humanity"--teaching androids how to punch Best Episode: The Beta Cloud Best Episode: Seance Spectre Silliest Episode 7/30/2008 2:49:34 PM Whatever happened to Paul, Kano, Sondra,and Victor? 4/29/2008 4:24:27 PM Best Episode: War Games 2/8/2007 9:07:51 AM Best Episode: Guardians of Piri 11/20/2006 10:44:02 AM Best scenes 11/11/2006 2:03:47 AM How come Moonbase Alpha never ran out of Eagles? 10/19/2006 10:45:57 AM What's with "The Prisoner" jackets? 10/19/2006 10:37:25 AM What happened to Puma? 10/19/2006 10:35:03 AM The cool guns and communicators used on the show 10/19/2006 10:31:19 AM Were there racial quotas on Space 1999? 9/21/2006 9:55:58 AM Do those spacesuits look familiar....? 5/31/2006 2:27:08 PM What was with the zippered sleeves? 4/18/2006 6:24:03 PM Was Victor Bergman axed from Moonbase Alpha because he was too boring? 3/9/2006 6:27:02 PM Space Brain: Attack of the killer soap bubbles 3/4/2006 7:56:35 PM Was Allen Carter related to the Crocodile Dundee guy? 2/7/2006 8:49:11 PM The Metamorph: using Alphans as 9 volt batteries 2/6/2006 6:33:41 AM In Ring Around the Moon, why was Dr. Helena Russell used as an 8K modem? 1/28/2006 10:14:25 AM Was Dr. Helena Russell a Robot? 1/25/2006 8:06:55 PM Was Kano in love with "computar"? 1/22/2006 9:13:13 AM Best Episode: Dragon's Domain 1/19/2006 6:23:56 PM Why did they need photo ID's on Moonbase Alpha? 12/28/2005 4:15:25 AM Who could possibly love Maya? 10/21/2005 12:45:01 AM Was Yasko a quota replacement for Sondra? 6/7/2005 11:56:47 PM Didn't the series have great music? 3/15/2005 5:21:12 PM "The Bringers of Wonder"--do the Alphans need glasses? 3/8/2005 9:22:47 PM Note: the views expressed here are only those of the posters.

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