Bob Mathias (Space: 1999)

Bob Mathias is a fictional character from the British science-fiction television series Space: 1999. He is played by actor Anton Phillips.

Character Biography

Bob Mathias is a medical doctor, serving on Moonbase Alpha at the time of "Breakaway", Space: 1999's opening installment. During this time, he acted as Doctor Helena Russell's deputy as well as one of her closer friends.

Like Helena Russell, Mathias had served a role in the 1996 Ultra Probe mission. Mathias was present on Moonbase as a staff physician when astronaut Tony Cellini's lifeboat was recovered and Cellini - barely alive - brought to Alpha. Between this incident and the arrival of John Koenig as the new commander of Moonbase Alpha in September 1999, Helena Russell became the base's medical chief and Mathias became her primary associate.

Series One

Mathias was always seen to be protective of his patients and the Medical department. In a possible future in "War Games", he gave his life to allow as many casualties as possible to be removed from a treatment room in danger of decompression; Mathias was blown out the broken window he had attempted to shore up when an alien strafing attack shattered it completely. One can surmise from several altercations with Paul Morrow over command decisions that threatened the operation of Medical Section (see "Force of Life" and "The Testament of Arkadia") that the two men were not on the best of terms for this very reason. One wonders if there was another falling out, between Mathias and Koenig (possibly over the Tony Cellini case); in the first few episodes, Koenig calls him as 'Mathias' or 'Doctor'; during the 1997 flashback sequence in "Dragon's Domain", Koenig addresses him as 'Bob'.

Mathias seems to have a background in pathology, as he is seen or referred to as performing several autopsies during the course of the first year. He also seems to be well-versed in the maintenance of the Medical Centre equipment

Mathias was not often seen outside his duties as physician. In "Black Sun", he is seen playing chess with Technical chief David Kano, stating that Kano would never beat him. Under the influence of the Guardian of Piri, Mathias was seen to be entertaining one of the nurses with acts of prestidigitation at a party in the Medical Diagnostic Unit.

Series Two

Unlike other supporting characters from the first series, the Mathias character was invited back by American producer Fred Freiberger for Year Two and would appear in the first two episodes "The Metamorph" and "The Exiles". Dissatisfied with his minor role in these episodes and at having not been given a contract, Anton Phillips left the series. He would get a verbal mention in the third installment "One Moment of Humanity". He would be replaced by actor Jeffery Kissoon as Doctor Ben Vincent, then a revolving door of other physicians—Doctor Raul Nunez and Doctor Ed Spencer. The fan-produced Moonbase Alpha Technical Journal explained his absence as his taking a sabbatical from his physician duties to pursue a research project in psychiatry.

External links

• Space 1999 Cybermuseum - Moonbase Alpha Technical Notebook Bio, Bob Mathais
• Space 1999 Catacombs - Character Profile, Bob Mathais