UFO

When the original success of THUNDERBIRDS and CAPTAIN SCARLET finally
ground to a halt, it was important that Gerry Anderson and his Century 21
Productions follow with a radically different show, whilst maintaining the excitement
and suspense. They failed with the largely overlooked THE SECRET SERVICE, and
received only moderate success with JOE 90. U.F.O. was the change of direction
needed. This was Anderson's first foray into live-action on a series - if you discount
the live shots of Stanley Unwin in the aforementioned intermediary - after years of
puppet serials. This, combined with excellent model work, offered more realism to the
plots. In my opinion U.F.O. was the best of the Gerry Anderson shows. But let's
examine how I came to that decision.

After one of many UFO incidents involving the mutilation of human bodies, the secret
Earth protection unit, SHADO (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organisation), is
put into operation. It takes ten years to set up, and commences action in 1980 (which
sets the plot ten years in the future). There is a fully automated Moonbase control,
with a nearby tracking station satellite, SID (Space Intruder Detector), for detecting the
approach of the alien machines. Three Interceptors, resembling bladeless helicopters
with front-loading missiles, are launched from beneath the moon surface to attack.
This is the first line of defence. If one manages to penetrate the Earth's atmosphere,
SHADO Control is informed. This is a sophisticated complex situated 80 feet beneath
the Harlington-Straker working film studios, which employs 400 people. From here
operatives can dispatch Skydiver, any one of a fleet of advanced submarines, to the
area; the nose of the boat detaches to become an airborne fighter plane, Sky 1, ready
to destroy the intruder. Ground forces are conducted by the SHADO Mobiles, heavy
but easily manoeuvrable tracked vehicles, with short-range powerful tracking devices
and weaponry.

The controlling force of SHADO is Commander Edward Straker, an ex-US Airforce
Colonel. A serious and efficient leader sporting platinum blond wig and formal
buttonless suits, he is often abrupt without actually shouting, and does not suffer
fools. However, he is fiercely protective of his personnel, backing them fully if
personal justification warrants the action. This support could mean the difference
between no further action being taken and a prompt court martial - and no one can
walk away from a top secret military organisation! Straker was played by American
actor Ed Bishop. The majority of his acting experience prior to this was on stage,
although he had a bit part in the film 2001 - A Space Odyssey. In 1969 he appeared in
the Anderson movie DOPPELGANGER (changed to Journey to the Far Side of the
Sun for release stateside), from which many props were reused for UFO. In
CAPTAIN SCARLET, he was the voice of Captain Blue.

Straker's right hand man and SHADO's second in command is Colonel Alec Freeman.
Unfortunately, Freeman's sole purpose seems to be to follow Straker around like a lap
dog and to act as a perpetually worried wall for Straker to bounce his ideas and
solutions off. The character is so laid-back that it is quite shocking to witness him
punching out a thug in Court Martial. Freeman was played by George Sewell, also
previously a stage actor, and a co-star in the DOPPELGANGER film. Sewell's talents
were later much better displayed in the SPECIAL BRANCH series.

By far the best character in the series is Colonel Paul Foster, and that is ironic because
he almost missed out on being auditioned. There is more of an affinity with Foster for
what he endures and because he is introduced into SHADO rather than already being
established. In Exposed he is a pilot for the Ventura Aircraft Corporation. Whilst
testing an experimental jet, he inadvertently flies into a dogfight between a UFO and
Sky 1. His co-pilot dies in the crash, and Foster is ridiculed and threatened every step
of the way by undercover SHADO personnel, especially when it is established that he
has reported UFO sightings before. But it all turns out to be an elaborate test before
accepting him into the organisation. Foster often seems to be the jinx of the team,
experiencing several unpleasant situations over the 26 stories. In Survival he is
abandoned, thought dead, on the moon surface; in Court Martial he is sentenced to
death for selling SHADO information to the press, only for it to materialise that his
apartment had been bugged to gain film studio industrial secrets; and in Ordeal he is
kidnapped by the aliens and placed inside a liquid-filled helmet for the journey into
space, before we discover that he has passed out at a fitness centre and dreamed the
entire thing! He is friendly and easy-going, and only occasionally loses his temper. He
appears to be the most useful and adaptable operative in SHADO, being Moonbase
Commander, and often seen as on-the-scene director of the SHADO mobiles, as well
as a flexible agent. Foster was played by Michael Billington. When auditioning took
place Rose Tobias Shaw, casting for the programme, recalled speaking with him about
a small part in The Prisoner. As far as the show is concerned it was a fortunate twist
of fate; without the acting talents of Billington and Bishop, it would have been severely
lacking in style. Dismiss those critics who at the time condemned the acting as more
wooden than the puppets of other Anderson projects. This was on the whole just
'clever' critiquè.

Standard Moonbase operations are conducted by three female personnel, adorned
with tight-fitting silver jumpsuits and short purple wigs, with striking make-up to
match. They were: Lt. Gay Ellis, played by Gabrielle Drake (who went on to play a
regular part in the soap Crossroads); Lt. Nina Barry, played by Delorez Mantez (who
incidently appeared in the pilot episode of Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)); and Lt.
Joan Harrington, played by Antonia Ellis.

Other regular characters include: Lt. Ford (Keith Alexander) - SHADO
communications coordinator); Miss Ealand (Norma Ronald) - Straker's secretary, who
controls the door-seal mechanism when his office descends to SHADO control.
Doctor Jackson (Vladek Sheybal) is a SHADO doctor and psychiatrist. Judging the
character over several stories, I never really knew how to take him; at times he was the
caring professional, then he would suddenly metamorphose into a dangerous and
argumentative man with the necessary authority. He is even seen to be an assistant to
General Henderson in Court Martial. Jackson comes across as being rather creepy,
and thus I was always half expecting him to be some sort of spy. General Henderson
(Grant Taylor) is present at the birth of SHADO. In Identified, the pilot episode, he is
an authoritative but reasonable official. However, in every subsequent story in which
he appears he is a loud and brash individual who screams and shouts like a spoilt child
every chance he gets. He exists only to make Straker's life a misery, as the SHADO
commander is answerable directly to him. Every time Straker wants something
considerable achieved - usually a substantial financial request - he is fought every step
of the way. It is a constant battle of wits and words, and it usually involves a moral
victory being won. This is a much needed opposite to Straker, the twist being that this
opposite works for the same side. As little is known about the aliens themselves, there
is no bad guy as such - only a bad race!

Through a gradual process over the entire series we learn several snippets of
information about the aliens. They are humanoid. They have green skin as a result of
sustained breathing of watery liquids from the face plates of their red helmets. This to
prevents bodily stresses otherwise experienced when travelling great distances through
space. A bioatrophillic compound in the liquid prevents the hair discolouring.
Hardened white lenses similarly protect the eyes. They have a weak muscular structure
(a fact which never seems to translate to the fight sequences), and a body temperature
three degrees paranormal. The aliens constantly send raiding parties, in squat circular
UFOs with glassy exteriors, towards the Earth with the sole intention of obtaining
human organs required to prevent their own race from dying out. In Identified, an alien
survivor of a UFO crash is returned to SHADO Control, where it is discovered that
the subject has many transplanted body organs. The same alien ages to death without
its protective environment, in a transformation scene involving two actors; this is
because of the effect the Earth's atmosphere has on them. Even the UFOs themselves
disintegrate if on Earth any longer than approximately two days. The facial appearance
of the aliens is striking, offering a haunting malevolence, which is best displayed in The
Sound of Silence.

It is also discovered that the aliens have several technological abilities. In E.S.P. a man
whose wife is killed has his powers enhanced by the aliens for destructive purposes.
In Kill Straker, Foster is programmed with a series of emitted sound pulses and
flashes of light. Initially, he disrupts SHADO by reporting Straker's decisions as
incompetent, before attempting to kill him on Moonbase. Mindbender sees an alien
rock, purposely left on the moon surface, effect the minds of any who handle it. There
are nice scenes in this story where Straker sees the entire SHADO operation as a
movie being filmed by the studios, and it is an ideal opportunity to show off the
various sets. In Timelash, the aliens give a SHADO operative the ability to freeze a
millionth of a second in time, in exchange for his help. Straker, also outside of that
moment, is forced to track down and stop the man. Reflections in the Water sees
Straker and Foster discovering an undersea replica of SHADO control, along with
doubles of themselves, learning voice syncopation for recorded radio commands.
Also in this story it is learned that the aliens have some sort of ability to shape the
molecular structure of water.

There are other similar examples which all demonstrate a single important point: the
continuity in U.F.O. is virtually non-existent. Seldom do the aliens learn from their
mistakes, and never do they repeat or adapt any plan with a modicum of success.
Refections in the Water suggests that they possess complete details of SHADO's
defences; why, therefore, do they not totally destroy the SID satellite, and send in
excess of three UFOs on any one occasion, when they know full well Moonbase has
only three operational Interceptors? I used to imagine that perhaps the aliens
harboured some sort of memory defect which prevented them as a race from
immediate progression. It's a nice idea, but surely machines would enable them to
store the relevant information? SHADO learns from each outing, but accomplishes
little or nothing to alleviate any encroaching problem - as if by destroying a single UFO
it is wiping out an entire race's knowledge of the situation. Oh, well, maybe this
continuity problem was discussed at the programme's conception, and it was decided
that it would make for a tiresome series if the episodes were too alike. I learned early
on to judge each story on its own merit.

Whereas the puppet shows had been aimed primarily at a young viewing public
(although they have undoubtedly been enjoyed by generations of adults, even if they
will not admit to it!), U.F.O. was targeted at an older audience. The plots contained
many adult 'real life' problems and personal dilemmas which considerably aided in
making the central characters - particularly Straker and Foster - more earthy. For
example, in Survival, Foster is abandoned on the moon surface. Freeman is given the
unenviable task of relaying the news to Foster's girlfriend. When the man shows up
alive and well at the end she breaks off the relationship, explaining that she can't live
with the emotional stress of never knowing what he is doing and whether he is alive or
dead. In Confetti Check A-O.K., we see the early break-up of Straker's marriage after
his wife witnesses him leaving the home of a female SHADO operative, and he is
unable to detail the classified information. Similarly, A Question of Priorities, sees
Straker's son involved in a road accident. Straker uses a SHADO transporter to save
his life, but it is diverted by Freeman when an alien decides to defect. The boy dies as
a result, and Straker's ex-wife blames him personally. In Sub-smash, Straker is forced
to confront his claustrophobia when he and others are trapped aboard the
incapacitated Skydiver. The examples of personal tragedies are endless. And these
situations did not only involve SHADO personnel; in The Square Triangle, an alien
intrudes upon a couple's plot to kill the woman's husband.

Anderson and co. were not afraid to investigate controversial issues. Several ethically
taboo subjects were explored over the 26 episodes. In some stories, Dr Jackson
administers an amnesiac drug by hypodermic when security is breached. There is also
a more dangerous mind-enhancing serum which in The Long Sleep actually kills that
story's main character. The same thing happens to an alien in the pilot episode. The
Long Sleep included realistically filmed drug trip sequences shown in slow motion,
with tinted film and echoing sound. Also there is a man seen to age to death, and an
attempted rape. All this led to some ITV stations withholding the story. Racial
prejudice rears its ugly head, too. In Survival, Mark Bradley is offered Foster's
position as Moonbase Commander, which he initially turns down because he is black.
However, as Straker points out, racial prejudice burned itself out five years ago. As
this story is set in the futuristic year of 1981 (!), that would have made the year of final
attrition 1976. Sexism is alive and kicking in UFO, but I don't consider it to be
intentional; after all, three young women run Moonbase. I can't help suppressing a
snigger, though, when it seems Straker finds it impossible to enter a room containing a
woman without asking her for a cup of coffee!

The series was devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, with producer Reg Hill, the
tried and tested trio. Script editor Tony Barwick wrote twelve of the episodes himself,
including some of the outstanding plots. David Lane, who had previously worked as
producer on JOE 90, directed many of the stories, along with Ken Turner and Alan
Perry. Theme and incidental music was by Barry Gray, who displayed his versatility
by introducing a very different, sixties keyboard-orientated score, as opposed to jazz
influences on the Supermarionation shows. Whereas sets for previous Anderson
shows had to be built to a strict scale, this first foray into live action meant that Art
Director Bob Bell was able to purchase many life size props in standard shops, giving
the scene crew a slightly easier life. All interior live action shots were done at MGM
Studios, Borehamwood. The exterior shots of the Harlington-Straker Film Studios and
the surrounding lots were filmed at ATV, MGM and Elstree.

Special Effects were again created by Derek Meddings and his team at the Century 21
Studios in Slough. The impressive models were constructed in the same way as on
THUNDERBIRDS and CAPTAIN SCARLET. The basic shapes were built, then
detailed using components from hundreds of model kits, and dirtied to age them. They
worked on explosions and bullet shot effects, and designed, in conjunction with the
Ford Motor Company, three full-size futuristic Deloreon gull-wing-door cars.

U.F.O. had an increased budget of nearly £100,000 per episode - as opposed to
£38,000 on THUNDERBIRDS - and this is evident in the high production values of
the show. Although Sylvia Anderson's Century 21 fashions are very attractive, they are
the only prominent factor to date the show. This is exacerbated in the typical swinging
sixties party scene in Ordeal. Guest stars to have appeared in U.F.O. include, Jean
Marsh, Windsor Davies, Philip Madoc, Patrick Mower, Christopher Timothy, George
Cole, Michael Jayston and Tessa Wyatt.

The outstanding stories are, the aforementioned Court Martial, in which we discover
the purpose of the glass pane of swirling colours in Straker's office to be an
emergency escape route to the surface; The Sound of Silence, which has a little of
everything, and displays the malevolent look of an alien to good effect; Survival, in
which Foster and an alien fight for their very existence on the moon surface; Ordeal,
where Foster appears to be the subject of alien abduction; and Sub-smash, an
excellent emotional rescue.

This Century 21 production was a more than worthy contribution to ITC's network of
potential classics. U.F.O. premièred in September 1970. In many ITV regions it
received fragmented screenings, sometimes taking two and a half years to cover every
story. Some UK regions have never seen the entire season. The programme received
favourable reviews, and viewing figures were picking up to impressive levels in the
USA when U.F.O. came to the end of its 26 episode run. Another season was
planned, this time centred mainly on Moonbase, but this finally materialised as an
entirely new serial ... Space 1999. Oh, well, you can't have everything!

END

This feature first appeared in DreamWatch magazine.

Note: For anyone unfamiliar with this series, two DVD boxsets are now available. Start
your research now. Also, check out the Moonbase Interceptor, Skydiver and SHADO
Mobile collectables available from Product Enterprise.