The Complete UFO Megaset
by Gerry Anderson
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DVD Cover Information
Director: Gerry AndersonBrand: A&E
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; Mandarin Chinese (Published)
Format: Box set, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 1352 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-10-28
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Model: AAE-70988
Studio: A&E Home Video
Product features:
- COMPLETE UFO MEGASET, THE (DVD MOVIE)
Movie Reviews of The Complete UFO Megaset
Movie Review: Good Claen Campy Sci-Fi Fun
Summary: 5 Stars
UFO - A lavish live action science fiction television series set in the distant future of the 1980's. The show was developed in Britain in 1969,1970 and then released (syndicated) to American audiences in 1970, the show ran for 2 seasons before it was canceled.
Synopsis:
I'm going to try and keep this simple, (which is not gonna happen) there are a lot more and better show summaries out there.
The show was about a super secret base located on the Moon (Moonbase) known as S.H.A.DO.W. (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defense Organization). Lead by Commander Ed Straker, who is a former United States Air Force Colonel, His job! To defend Earth (Mostly Great Britain though) against the horde of; Evil, Bad, Angry, Invading Aliens (pick one). The Aliens who were in humanoid form (Mostly seen in a space suit) were here to harvest human organs to prolong and restore their dieing race (This was explained in a later episode of the series) the only sad point to this was that the aliens were never really exploited to their full potential in the series run.
To help defend The Earth and Moon there were plenty of high-tech vehicles to save the day. First off, Moonbase had it's own defenses, three UFO Interceptor spacecraft (each carrying one nuclear missile per spacecraft - try doing that today). Second line of defense was S.I.D. (Space Intruder Detector) An orbiting computerized satelite around the moon to warn against oh I don't know, UFO's maybe! Number three was an earth based Submarine known as SkyDiver, part submarine and part flying submersible which a detachable undersea-launched vehicle known as the Sky One, it's job was to attack UFO's in Earth orbit. Last line of defense were the ground units on Earth called SHADO Mobiles, (A bus fitted with caterpillar tracks, only cooler looking). Oh and and in a couple of futuristic cars and some gadgets and there you go.
Now how did this organization stay hidden from the public? Well, it was under the disguise of Harlington-Straker Studios, A movie studio in England that was located directly above S.H.A.D.O.W. Headquarters How convenient, Kill 2 birds with 1 stone).
The action of the show was pretty well split between the Earth and Moon, There was the Moonbase interior and exterior scenes, A lot of British locations, scenic as well as SHADOW and the Harlington-Straker Studios sets. Then there were plenty of Space shots, underwater and atmospheric shots, Flying Space ships and UFO' all via special effects.
Plot point:
The premise of the show was fairly simple, find and stop the the Aliens at all costs. On the other hand the characters on the were fairly complex and it had it's share of complicated episodes at times (especially in the second season) plot twists and of course a lot of special effects. The thing to know here is that this show was developed for the mature audience market and not really a kids show, but it had it's share of spaceships, UFO's and secrete hi-tech military type bases to draw in the younger audience. But by todays standards (2010) the show falls a little on the campy side, but it still had it's share of complex scripts, (with a few psychedelic ones) characters and special effects.
Character effects:
Female Moonbase personnel in uniforms and had purple hair (wigs maybe?) and extensive eye make-up (maybe to make them look futuristic)
Ed Bishop, who had dark hair in real life, bleached his hair white, later began wearing a white wig.
Other male characters in the series also wore wigs, it was thought they would become fashionable by the 1980s.
Oh lets not forget the sheer trousers and jump tops for the guys piloting skydiver.
The use of tobacco and alcohol consumption. Straker futuristic home bar in his office, though Straker does not drink Col. Freeman partakes fairly regularly. Straker is also seen smoking in SHADO headquarters, and many of the Moonbase personnel also light up frequently.
Here is a basic (and I mean basic) rundown of some of the characters on the show.
Ed Straker (Ed Bishop) Former U.S. Air Force pilot and astronaut originally from Boston who organized SHADO following a series of UFO attacks in 1970.
Col. Paul Foster (Michael Billington) He masquerades as one of Straker's film producers in the studio.
Lt. Gay Ellis (Gabrielle Drake) Often seen as Moonbase Commander during the first half of the series.
Col. Alec Freeman (George Sewell) SHADO's first officer, Straker's right hand man at times.
Gen. James Henderson (Grant Taylor) Straker's superior officer, He heads the International Astrophysical Commission, a front for SHADO at times a not
so likable guy, which helped add contention to the series.
Capt. Peter Carlin (Peter Gordeno) commander of the submarine SkyDiver and pilot of its interceptor aircraft, Sky One.
Lt. Nina Barry (Dolores Mantez) Space Tracker at Moonbase, later replacing Lt. Ellis as its commanding officer.
Capt. Lew Waterman (Gary Myers) An Interceptor pilot on the Moon, later promoted to captain, replacing Peter Carlin as commanding officer of Skydiver
and pilot of Sky One.
Lt. Keith Ford (Keith Alexander) SHADOWs main communications officer.
Lt. Ayshea Johnson (Ayshea Brough) SHADO headquarters officer, also seen waving at an (offscreen) Col. Alec Freeman in the opening credits.
There were obviously more characters that appeared on the show, but I figured these were worth mentioning.
Special effects:
This is what the show is all about here, no not todays SFX, CGI, motion control model space ships. In those days the show was about model space ships, UFO's (Held up with wires), underwater submarines, flying subs, transporters on treads, on and on. The overall effects were quite good noting the Moonbase model, the Moonbase interior sets, S.I.D. space station, UFO Interceptors, The actors in spacesuits weren't bad, the physical sets were very well done as well all the flashing lights and futuristic cars.
Special effects were supervised by Derek Meddings, which were of the highest quality of there time, considering how the limited resources of the special effects shop. Skydiver and Moonbase, SHADO pilots enter their interceptor craft by sliding down tubes. Kudos to the Andersons' earlier Thunderbirds to series. SHADO HQ and Moonbase control consoles, computers, lighting panels make later appearances in Doctor Who, Blake's 7, also in 007's Diamonds Are Forever. How can we forget the Trimphone, a British model of telephone designed in the 1960s.
The down side would be the UFO's that looked like shinny spinning tops, some of the model underwater scenes that sometimes looked like it was filmed in a fish tank, the astronaut space walks that end up looking like small dolls on wires (the dolls or figures were static, this tended to make them look like little tiny flying dolls). The computers in the show used magnetic tape drives that just kept spinning and spinning and spinning, the green computer screens. This is what dates the the show, well the white and purple wigs, fish net attire is what really gives it that 70's charactor.
Milestones:
The shows creator; Gary anderson who brought us (only some of his titles listed here)
TV Series: Supercar (1961-1962) - first Supermarionation production.
Fireball XL5 (1962-1963), Stingray (1964-1965), Thunderbirds (1965-1966), Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons (1967-1968), UFO (1970-1971),
Space: 1999 (1975-1977), Gary Anderson's New Captain Scarlet (2005). Feature films: Crossroads to Crime (1960), Thunderbirds Are Go (1966), Thunderbird 6 (1968), Doppelgänger (1969) Journey to the Far Side of the Sun. The special effects director Derek Meddings went on to work with George Lucas ala Industrial Light & Magic on what else STAR TREK! (Nooooooo it was Star Wars, but I'm sure He could remake Trek if He really wonted to, but thats another story). The show brought in a lot of new concepts for the 1980's, most of them didn't catch on for one reason or another. It's the look of the show with all it's cool SFX of it's time, the outfits worn by the actors, the over all feeling of this is the Future and we've got flying spaceships, astronauts living on the moon and aliens amongst us that give the show it's look and it's attitude. This shows not for everyone but if you like science fiction and action movies then it's worth looking into.
Space: 1999:
The series was syndicated on American television and the ratings were initially promising to prompt ITC to commission a new season of UFO a.k.a. UFO2.
ITC considered creating the new season with the action to take place entirely on the Moon where SHADO Moonbase becomes the main headquarters.
Pre-production on UFO 2 began with extensive research and design, however ratings for the syndicated broadcasts in America dropped, ITC canceled the plans for UFO2. Gary Anderson offered ITC a new series idea, Moonbase located on the Moon would be blown out of Earth orbit, this proposal developed into Space: 1999 leaving no trace of UFO in its plot of the show.
quigon87 - End of line.
Summary of The Complete UFO Megaset
The year is 1980 and the aliens have landed. But they do not come in peace they are capturing humans to harvest their organs apparently in an attempt to extend their own lives. Earth s only hope is S.H.A.D.O. (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organization) led by the stalwart Ed Straker. Working in complete secrecy its operatives deploy an incredible arsenal of high-tech weapons to stop the extra-terrestrial invaders The first live-action series from Gerry Anderson (Thunderbirds Stingray) and the precursor to Space: 1999 UFO features a strong cast gripping story lines and extraordinary special effects by David Meddings (The Spy Who Loved Me Batman). Now all 26 episodes of this rarely seen classic are available together digitally restored re-mastered and presented in their original broadcast order in this collector s DVD set.DVD Features: Commentary with Creator Gerry Anderson on the Premiere EpisodeFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: SCI-FI/FANTASY Rating: NR Age: 733961709889 UPC: 733961709889 Manufacturer No: AAE-70988Similar DVD Movies
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