The 1970s were a marvelous decade for sci-fi television shows. Inspired by the moon landing or perhaps by Uhura’s miniskirt, writers and producers looked upwards and outwards for ideas. Space: 1999's premise ripped the moon from its orbit after a nuclear explosion and sent it hurtling through deep space. Desperately clinging to the lunar surface was Moonbase Alpha and its crew, the poor souls who had no choice but to go along for the crazy ride.

The toys released by Mattel in 1975 included many action figures—main characters like Commander Koenig and Dr. Russell but also secondary cast and aliens only seen in a few episodes. The figures were 9 inches tall and came with polyester outfits and accessories, most notably the commlock, a versatile personal communications device. The figures soon had familiar backdrops to play in when Mattel released the Moonbase Alpha play set, which was big enough to fit the action figures. There were also spaceship toys: Eagle 1, a two-foot behemoth with detachable, self-contained command and engine modules. The Eagle’s midsection could also open up and reveal the interior where three miniature figures sat at the controls on one side and a working crane could be operated on the other side. A battery-powered Flying Eagle model was also available and could fly around while tethered to a control console. The Flying Eagle came equipped with a hook that could pick up other vehicles from the toy line like a moon buggy and assorted alien spacecraft.

For the fashionable little sci-fi fan there was the Space: 1999 accessories in human sizes. The Stun Gun came in water pistol, laser (i.e. blinking lights), and disc shooting varieties. Commlock communicators were sold in pairs and were functioning walkie-talkies that also made electronic space sounds. A Utility Belt, out in 1976, was a play set consisting of a compass watch, a stung gun and a radiation detector. If you can still fit into your Utility Belt, congratulations.

There were of course other tie-in items: lunchboxes, Colorforms, novelizations, model kits, puzzles and a board game. When the show was redesigned for its second season so were the action figures that traded their putty-colored uniforms for brightly-colored duds and new characters were introduced. Space: 1999 may not have been as popular as Star Trek or Star Wars but it had loyal followers who still collect the toys today. Online auction sites owe these shows a huge debt of gratitude.