In the future, a secret organization is the only force standing between the human race and utter annihilation. Aliens from another world have been landing on our world, harvesting organs for their dying race. The year is 1980, and UFOs are not only real, they're coming for us.
Commander Edward Straker (Ed Bishop)
As I have noted in previous articles about Gerry Anderson's various programs, he had never intended to be known for working with puppets. His mind was abuzz with gigantic action sequences, intense situations and emotionally engaging characters, all of which were presented in miniaturized form in his various supermarionation productions. After achieving success with several children's programs such as Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, Anderson explored a live action film, Doppelgänger. That success proved that he had what it took to produce a more sophisticated TV series using live actors rather than puppets. The result was ITV's UFO, an incredibly ambitious and experimental TV series that still makes an impact today.
The overall look and design of UFO is absolutely stunning. As a fan of Doctor Who, I am used to seeing science fiction 'on the cheap' with bubble wrap representing an alien and a sheet of tin foil standing in as 'unbreakable metal.' In sharp contrast, the costumes, props and various vehicles seen in UFO pop out of the screen in true retro-future style. Using prop cars built for the feature film Doppelgänger, the future world feels very tangible, a necessity for the themes explored in the series.
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In addition to the look of the program, the concept is incredibly adult, treating the threat of alien invasion as very real. Early episodes include civil servants addressing the set up and financial challenges of a global defense service against the possibility of invasion from another planet, lending credence to the action and drama that follows. Ed Bishop stars as Commander Straker (a voice actor from Captain Scarlet), a man who has sacrificed everything in the mission to defend the planet while retaining absolute secrecy.
But before I get to excited about the adult nature of the program, I have to address the absurd elements that make the program so attractive. Housed beneath a movie production studio, SHADO (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organisation) is populated by young sexy ladies in skin tight beige jumpsuits and able-bodied men in uniforms that keep no secrets. If that's not enough, an undersea base is manned by a crew adorned only in fishnets and belts. On the moon, a team of sexy darlings are dressed in purple wigs and hip-hugging silver (look for the late Nick Drake's sister as Lt. Ellis).
Col. Alec E. Freeman (George Sewell) and Lt. Gay Ellis (Gabrielle Drake)
While the plots involved adult situations such as murder and adultery, the program featured vehicles that were immediately made into toys for a no doubt confused child audience. I can only guess at what a kid would make of stories revolving around Straker's doomed marriage or even better a young man seducing his lover into killer husband only to get caught in the middle of a lost alien who ends up taking the bullet for an unsuspecting husband.
After a successful first series, planning began for a second year set entirely on the moon. Unfortunately, the deal fell through but the ideas were represented as Space: 1999. There was some news recently about a feature film adaptation of UFO under movie producer Robert Evans (of Chinatown fame).
I had a lot of resistance to viewing this series, and found the first episode a bit difficult to get through (a second viewing improved the experience greatly), but after a few stories I was hooked. If you are a fan of 1960's science fiction, you need to familiarize yourself with this program.
For more info, I highly recommend the fan site: http://ufoseries.com/
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