UFO

UFO was the direct ancestor of Space: 1999. The series was first broadcast in the UK in 1970, and finally reached US screens in 1972. High ratings in the US led to a second series being planned; those plans eventually became a new series, Space: 1999.

The live action series featured a secret organisation, called SHADO, which defends the Earth from alien invaders. The format is somewhat unwieldy and over dependent on hardware (like Space: 1999). SHADO, headed by ruthless commander Ed Straker, is administered from a secret base under a British film studio. Earth's defence includes a moonbase equipped with single-seat Interceptors, submarines that can launch fighter aircraft (Skydiver), and tank-like SHADO-mobiles on land. Despite the organisation being secret, its name is written prominently on all its vehicles.

The setting is 1980, although fashion is still in the late 1960s (Nehru jackets are ubiquitous). Like Space: 1999, the series was widely criticised for wooden characters. Unlike 1999, several stories tried to do focus on relationships, although the results were dull. The last episodes in the series were most interesting, as the aliens tried to manipulate minds to attack SHADO.

When UFO was shown in the US in September 1972 the ratings were good. Sylvia Anderson, with new writer Christopher Penfold and designer Keith Wilson, began work developing a second series. In the new format, the war with the aliens had escalated and the action had now shifted to space, based in a larger moonbase. After Christmas 1972, the ratings for UFO fell sharply, and ITC lost interest in a second series. But Lew Grade agreed to back a new series. The preproduction work for UFO II became the basis of Space: 1999. In the initial format for the new series Moon City had been set up to protect against aliens. Moon City's defence included Interceptors and lunar versions of the SHADO mobiles, as well as moon hoppers for lunar excursions. The weaponry was written out by the time the first episode was filmed, but series publicity still explained how Moonbase Alpha was designed to protect the Earth from alien attack.

Many people who worked on Space: 1999 had also worked on UFO. Among the familiar names were Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, Reg Hill, Barry Gray and Keith Wilson. SFX director Derek Meddings was busy working on the James Bond films. His deputy Brian Johnson had worked on Kubrick's 2001 A Space Odyssey while UFO was being filmed, but now returned to the Anderson company to took over. Art director Bob Bell was preparing a third series of Gerry Anderson's The Protectors (the project fell through and he eventually designed The New Avengers). His assistant Keith Wilson stepped up to design Space: 1999 (Keith had designed the costumes and sets for UFO). Model designer Mike Trim worked on the nuclear waste areas for Breakaway before returning to teaching. Wag Evans of Space Models, who had built the original Thunderbirds vehicles and many other classic Anderson designs, built the Eagles. Writer Tony Barwick was working on other series, but he did contribute two scripts as a freelance in the second series. When director Lee H Katzin dropped out, UFO veteran David Tomblin was brought in on the directing team.

UFO and Space: 1999 have many similarities, and share many of the same flaws. The design and special effects are striking, but the characters and acting are often boring. Being Earth-based, UFO has dated very badly, in fashion, storylines and Barry Gray's music (although it is still very catchy). The target audience seemed to veer between juvenile (in the elaborate premise and hardware) and adult (stories of broken marriages, violence and drugs). Many stories rely on reworked spy and soap opera plots. The last stories sometimes have a very 1960s focus on hallucinations and trippy weirdness. But at its best the episodes had clever plots and the effects were always impressive.

Few props were carried over into Space: 1999. The wedge shaped typewriter in Main Mission used to belong to Straker's secretary, while SHADO binoculars appeared in a number of episodes (The Last Sunset and The Last Enemy, for instance). A spacesuit helmet was used on one the Darian radiation suits in Mission Of The Darians.

• Gerry Anderson Productions [Catacombs]
• The Complete Book of Gerry Anderson's UFO by Chris Bentley (Reynolds and Hearn, 2003)
• UFO episode guide [Fanderson]
• UFO fan site [Marc Martin]