Review for UFO - The Complete Series

Knowing that many people now scan read and possibly drop off a review early, I’ll cut to the chase on this release. It’s 10/10 perfect. There – I’ve said it, and frankly that’s not like me at all. In fact, in over ten years of reviewing hundreds of DVD’s and Blu-Rays, I think I’ve only ever awarded 10/10 twice and not once in the last five years, despite some excellent releases. Call me old-fashioned, but for me 10/10 means there is no room for improvement. Everything about the release is as good as it could possibly be – from the film or series itself, though to the transfer, the audio quality and the extra features. This release scores 10/10 across the board.

I should say that it’s tough to be impartial about UFO. It features Ed Bishop in the lead role, someone I worked with many times, and its guest artists also feature many people I had the privilege of working with over the years – like Patrick Allen who voiced many radio adverts and corporate videos I worked on through the eighties.


It’s also set in Pinewood studios*; a front for SHADO, a top-secret agency dedicated to the fight against malevolent, invading UFOs which is housed underneath a sound stage there. Having had an office at Pinewood, it’s great to see it in its heyday. It’s also where I met Gerry Anderson on a couple of memorable occasions (once for an interview for this very rag). *Actually the series was initially shot at Borehamwood but had to relocate some months in when MGM shut it down.


But even if there was no personal connection to the series, it is by any yardstick an excellent series – beautiful to look at with superb production and costume design and some of the most impressive model-making and special effects committed to celluloid, including blockbuster movies from the USA.


It hails from the halcyon years of television when, if there was a sniff that it may get picked up for distribution across America, impresarios like Lou Grade would invest handsomely in on-screen production value, and he understood that he could trust Gerry Anderson and crew to translate that into something special.


Filmed in 1969 and 1970 across 16 months (with a five-month break during a studio swap) UFO was Anderson’s first foray into standard ‘human’ film-making as a Producer, other than his early feature and utterly unremarkable film ‘Crossroads to Crime’ from 1960, and the UFO-like feature, ‘Doppelganger’ which was made just prior to UFO and which, to a large degree, set the template for the series.


Gerry Anderson, his wife Sylvia and business partner Reg Hill (who comprised their Century 21 Production company) had built their considerable reputation on so-called SuperMarionation series like Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and Joe 90.
He jokes (in the feature length documentary included in this set) that it was wonderful to finally work with subjects who could not only walk properly, but when they spoke, it would always be in synch. Others, in the same documentary, joke that, as actors, they were pretty much expected to behave as the puppets did, with reduced expression and perfectly formed costumes, hair and make-up. Whatever the case, it was a potent mix and the end results were stunning.



Somewhat like Captain Scarlet, there is little or no room for humour in the series (no Parker or Brains to lighten the dark mood) and there is no doubt that invading UFOs is a serious business. It’s tough to know whether the series was intended for children as it often deals with very adult themes, often dark and occasionally violent.

In the UK, the first series was originally shown in the 5.15pm 'tea-time' slot on Saturdays and on Saturday mornings during an early repeat, by both London Weekend and Southern Television but in the US it took a 9pm slot initially. Whether it was intended for kids or not, there is no doubt that we older kids of the day absolutely devoured it. I still have some of the Dinky toys to prove it.

It broadcast in the UK and Canada in 1970 and in US syndication over the next two years where all 26 episodes (bar one which was thought too risqué as it involved a lady trying to seduce Straker by stripping down to her underwear) aired, including the scene-setting pilot.


Whilst the general population were generally unaware, alien UFOs were starting an attack on earth. To defend against this, a secret organisation called SHADO, the Supreme Headquarters, Alien Defence Organisation, was  established, headed by Commander Edward Straker (blonde wig wearing Ed Bishop), a former US Air Force Commander and Astronaut.

He poses as a film studio boss at Harlington-Straker Studios (actually Pinewood for the most part although the exterior of his office was filmed earlier on in production at ATV’s studio at Borehamwood).


In fact, some of the best episodes for me were when they majored on film-making in some way – as in "Timelash" and "Mindbender" where the UFO sets could be seen for what they were; an unusual and creative move for the time. (Now we see copious ‘making of’ features but back then this was all pretty magical to viewers). The whole studio as cover ruse was actually very sensible as it allowed SHADO to move all kinds of incredible vehicles around at all times of the night and day without arousing any suspicion – just business as usual. Of course, it must have also saved vast sums on set-making too but that kind of invention is how Anderson always managed to make such great looking series; getting the best bang for the buck.


Anderson fans will find plenty of great vehicles and gadgets. The SHADO control centre is impressive with its myriad buttons, knobs and lights and the constant whir of computer (and audio) tapes. Set in 1980 (ten years from release date) this futuristic vision clearly expected much of the next decade – after all, a man walked on the moon for the first time during filming for the series so it was an era where anything seemed possible.

The so-called SID (Space Intruder Detector) was a satellite which scanned the skies for imminent attacks, often to be headed off by three interceptor aircraft with large nuclear missiles on their nose, stationed on Moonbase (on the moon). If UFOs made it past that first line of defence then it was down to the earth-based SHADO team using vehicles like Skydiver, a submarine from which it was possible to launch Sky One interceptor aircraft. Then there were the giant, caterpillar wheeled SHADO mobiles. In short, like Thunderbirds before it, an impressive array of fantastic models. These were greatly enhanced by Derek Meddings spectacular effects including some major explosions.


The stories themselves are stand-alone, whilst also contributing to a wider story-arc. It’s not necessary to view them in order, but why wouldn’t you? They vary from full on UFO assaults to more complex mind-games, politics and the complexity of human relations as well – often sophisticated in construct.


There is no doubt that, in common with Captain Scarlet and the invasion of the Mysterons, that UFO was a disturbing series; its bright colours and incredible costumes belying its dark core. Not only was Earth under invasion, aliens were abducting humans to get access to their organs for transplants. In fact, it’s never actually clear that the alien invaders, in their red suits and giant silver helmets, aren’t just human beings under alien control, a theme first used in Captain Scarlet. It was also a series that felt no obligation to deliver happy endings in the way that Thunderbirds and Stingray had either.


Straker, somewhat a cold-fish, is often seen battling personal demons including the break-down of his marriage, or having to make a life or death decision on whether to divert a SHADO aircraft to deliver life-saving medicine to his son, or continue to intercept a UFO – two scenarios which haunt him throughout the rest of the series.

Image quality throughout this set is absolutely stunning. A brand new high definition transfer in original aspect ratio from original 35mm film negatives; it is as good an HD image as you are ever likely to see for a TV series of this vintage. Beautifully crisp in every detail, the series has never looked better. It’s a huge uplift from the Carlton DVD sets.


Not only that, if you like your audio effects in 5.1 then you can enjoy that option here with re-mastering that makes every explosion a surround sound extravaganza. Curiously, having tried 5.1 for a couple of episodes, I reverted to mono for the others I viewed prior to this review. I’m just a traditionalist at heart.


The special features housed on this set are plentiful and informative, including a couple of decent audio commentaries and a feature length interview led documentary.

Here’s what you get in full (along with my observations).

· From Earth to the Moon: brand new feature-length documentary with interviews, archive video, audio and stills - many of which have never been seen or heard before. The focus is, understandably, with surviving members of cast and crew and their positive recollections of the series, although there is also a brief archival interview with Gerry Anderson talking about the series, and some audio commentary from Ed Bishop and Gerry Anderson taken from a convention.



· The Women of UFO: new documentary discussing the improving sexual equality depicted in the series and the role of science fiction in striving for that change. This features many of the same interviewees as the main feature and is a lot of fun. A shame that there was nothing from Gabrielle Drake (Lt. Gay Ellis) who, with her purple bob, became an iconic image for the series alongside Ed Straker. Indeed, there is very little mention of her anywhere on the features.

· Identified: SHADO New Recruits Briefing: a newly created SHADO briefing film narrated by Matt Zimmerman (who also features heavily in the documentary despite only appearing in one episode) which actually explains much of the background and context for the series in a fun way.

· Exclusive 600 page book on the making of the series by renowned archive television historian, Andrew Pixley. (I can’t comment on this as I didn’t receive a copy with the review set, but I imagine, with Andrew’s involvement, that it will prove to be the definitive guide)

· Archival film material including textless episode title backgrounds, textless end titles, stock footage, TV spots, extra footage for Identified and Exposed, unused footage from Timelash and The Long Sleep, Italian trailers – absolute gold dust for fans! Archival interviews.

· Audio commentaries: Fantastic contextual commentaries on Identified with Gerry Anderson and Sub-Smash with Ed Bishop.

· S.I.D. Computer Voice Session and audio outtakes for these sessions and Kill Straker!.

· Archive Ed Bishop audio interview from 1986.

· Tomorrow Today: Future Fashions with Sylvia Anderson.

· Extensive image galleries – including previously unseen images.
 

If you are a Gerry Anderson fan or not, this set represents the very best of British sci-fi television from its absolute heyday. Network have, to use common parlance, knocked the ball out of the park with this release. It looks stunning, it sounds stunning and it ships with a wealth of additional features. In short, it’s a perfect ten. If you have any interest in classic TV sci-fi, you simply have to add this to your collection. Although the price tag may put some of you off, even if you have the existing Carlton DVD sets, I would highly recommend that you upgrade. This a keeper that you will want to re-visit again and again.

And it looks like pre-orders have already exceeded all expectations and deservedly so...I wouldn't wait too long to get a copy!