UFO

In ones opinion this is the best of the Gerry Anderson productions. The various plot lines go into many different aspects of the personal lives of the characters, marriage break-ups, blackmail, interracial and sexual tensions (very new on TV in 1970), the loneliness of command and the mundane arguing of budgetry cuts. The acting is as good as anything seen today particularly Ed Bishop, Michael Billington and George Sewell. Excellent direction, marvellous sets and special effects on limited TV budgets. The programme stands the test of time and one thinks that young people of today would find it just as exciting as people did in 1970.

I watched this show as a child in Canada, and I remember it fondly. It was very ambitious in its reach - the anti-alien organization had at its disposal a moon base, space craft, special land mobiles and a submarine that could also launch a manned aircraft! This involved lots of models and special effects, and was very exciting at the time. I also enjoyed the personal life conflicts of the characters in the series; the show was not just an endless series of explosions and chases, it tried for a more serious, complex approach. It's funny now to look at the odd clothes worn and bizarre hairdos (including purple wigs as part of the uniform of the female personnel on the moon base!) but the show was meant to be taking place 10 years in the future, so it is possible that the unusual costuming was meant to add an exotic, futuristic atmosphere.

Everything you need to know about the show is contained in the opening credits; and they're some of the most eye popping and in your face since "Hawaii 5-0". Lots of quick cuts, flash frames, printouts and action shots showing you that aliens are attacking and that SHADO, Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organisation are on the case. All this is set to a thumping and groovy Barry Gray theme tune.

As a child, we loved the models, the action and the gimmicks. Sometimes we'd go to anywhere where there was a tube (like a waterslide or even a building site) and imagine us going down the chutes to enter our interceptors like the SHADO pilots did. As an adult, I never realized that under the mod fashions and shiny sets, there were some grim and downbeat stories in that show. Ed Straker was probably the first truly mean bastard to be a TV series main character. There was nothing he wouldn't do to stop the aliens, sacrificing his troops and even his family for the cause. Gerry Anderson said that Ed Bishop was the most talented actor he's ever worked with, and Bishop certainly is powerful in the role of Straker. Michael Billington was the man who might have been James Bond; he tested for the role 4 times and certainly you can imagine him in the part when you see him as Paul Foster here. Poor old Foster, every other week he was being set up by one side or the other.

The show has it's faults, what show doesn't? But UFO was a darker series than it's contemporary, Star Trek, because it had major characters arguing with each other, episodes where the aliens beat SHADO, personal tragedy and downbeat endings; all of which caused problems. A second series was going to be made, and the new moonbase sets were designed, new craft called "Eagles" were made when the network said that sci-fi set on Earth was a thing of the past; from now on it had to be about space exploration and lots of different aliens. So series two of UFO was canned and we got "Space:1999" instead. Ever feel short changed? The end credits of UFO were genuinely chilling which left the viewer feeling even more down! In the end, shows like "Blake's 7", "Babylon 5" and the new version of "Battlestar Galactica" owe a lot to Ed Straker and SHADO, with its charismatic yet ruthless characters, its interpersonal conflicts and humanity. My favourite episode? "Court Martial". Favourite line? Straker: "I'll listen to any reasonable suggestion, then I'm going to tell you how it's going to be"

For many years the Anderson team wowed us with many cutting edge development in the movie arts.

First there was SuperMarrionation (sic) with the Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlett, Joe 90 etc. These combines with great miniature special effects gave Gerry and Sylvia many of the skills necessary to launch themselves into live action TV.

And Launch they did with UFO. Catchy sound track, futuristic special effects, story lines, and a great supporting task they stunned TV watchers with their vision of the future.

At that time 2001 a Space Oddysey was out and a lot of the set and concept ideas from there were incorporated into UFO.

Looking back there are some humorous moments (Like purple wigs and a moonbase) but hey - for that time it was visionary. Since it was only set 10 years into the future from its filming great detail was taken to make it 'advanced' but not beyond the realms of possibility.

Many of the concepts re special effects were developed further into Space 1999.

Do watch it and remember that this was a turning point in quality SciFi TV from the UK.

UFO was one of the most ambitious science fiction series ever produced for television. The array of hardware ran from a base on the moon with interceptor space ships to submarines with a jet aircraft that could detatch itself from the bow & rocket through the ocean depts & into the sky. In between the S.H.A.D.O. organization had S.I.D., the satellite in space to detect enemy/alien saucers, to mobiles that were futuristic tank-like vehicles,and much, much more.These were all employed by the secret Supreme Headquarters Alien Defense Org. which was a collection of earth governments whose mission was to defend the planet from an unknown & hostile alien race invading us.Gerry Anderson created an epic series for TV that I doubt could be done these days for television due to what would be an enormous cost. If this premise is ever revived, it would be better served as a multi-million dollar feature film.I can't think of many U.S. series that had so much hardware, models, & fx all going on in them. To be sure it had its flaws.The Shado h.q. hidden beneath an operating movie studio hardly seemed the best choice for covert ops.The Interceptors, the first line of defense against the alien saucers, only had one missile to fire with no other weaponry on board,& the design for the alien saucers made it look more like a kid's toy.But you certainly got your money's worth & then some every week with this show.