For years, the name Gerry Anderson has been synonymous with the old TV series, “Thunderbirds.” I grew up watching the show, and remember thinking how cool the marionettes were and how badly I wanted to be a puppeteer. What I didn’t know was just how many shows Anderson had a hand in, and how little I knew about some of these favorites. Amongst the long list of series he’s created, the two I most remember were his forays into live action, “UFO” and the little known (yeah, right) “Space: 1999.” Both of these series are a part of most every older sci-fi fan’s list of favorite shows, though the most widely recognized is “Space 1999.” I watched “UFO” all the time when I was really little but my memories of the show were minimal.

Thinking about the series now, the main things I remember have to do with hair. I have faint images of a guy with really white hair and hot chicks with purple hair (from here on out referred to as the HCWPH).

When I received the upcoming “Complete UFO Megaset”, can you guess what was on the cover? That’s right… the dude with white hair and one of the HCWPHs. (I guess even the shows creators realized what people would fixate on.) It turns out the former was the main lead of the show played by Ed Bishop. As Commander Ed Straker, Bishop was the head of an ultra-secret British organization known as SHADO (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organization). Their job was to protect the Earth from hostile extra-terrestrial invaders. These guys were kind of like the ‘Men in Black’, only they were more the ‘Men and Women in Spandex and Lycra Jumpsuits.’

SHADO had quite an arsenal at their disposal, thanks to the same creative team that did all the special effects and model making for Anderson’s other popular series. Whether it was the Moon Base (no, not Alpha), the SST (Super Sonic Transport) or the orbiting alien detection device, all of these highly detailed models were realistic enough to carry over into Anderson’s first live-action series. By the way, speaking of the Moon Base, that’s where the HCWPHs worked, so I was glad the series focused a lot of its time there.

“UFO” was completely a product of the late 1960s and that was probably its only flaw. The plots were simple, but often violent and attention grabbing, but it was the show’s look that takes some getting used to when watching it today. Anderson set the series 10 years in the future, which at the time was 1980. Everything looked futuristic by their standards (computers with lots of flashing lights and videophones) but didn’t take into account how things might really change in terms of vehicles and clothing. What it boiled down to was that it looked like a very futuristic 1969. Very hip and ‘modern’ but a far cry from what 1980 ended up looking like.

When I sit down to watch a series that I haven’t seen in ages (probably 30 years) I worry that it might not appeal to me the same way it did back then. With “UFO” the only thing that threw me was the ‘look’ I spoke of. Beyond that, the series was pretty well written and performed, and though I may not have enjoyed it the same way I did as a kid, I still enjoyed it.

A&E Home Video did a terrific job restoring “UFO.” It probably looks better than it ever did during its initial run. The colors are extremely vibrant (especially the purple hair), and the sound was surprisingly clear. This Megaset includes all 26 episodes of the series spread out over 8 discs. There are even a few extras, which a re usually hard to find on older shows like this. For those into commentaries, there are 4 of them spread out over different episodes that feature various members of the original cast and crew.

All of the discs include production stills, and occasionally you’ll find some alternate video outtakes. I was also glad to see that they took the time to set up each episode with chapters to make it easier to find where you left off.

“UFO” is an often overlooked series, usually overshadowed by the later “Space: 1999.” But if Sci Fi is you really need to catch this show, and what better way than with this cool Megaset.

Episodes:
Identified
Computer Affair
Flight Path
Exposed
Survival
Conflict
The Dalotek Affair
A Question of Priorities
Ordeal
The Square Triangle
Court Martial
Close Up
Confetti Check A-O.K.
The Responsibility Seat
E.S.P.
Kill Straker!
Sub Smash
The Sound of Silence
The Cat with Ten Lives
Destruction
The Man Who Came Back
The Psychobombs
Reflections of War
Timelash
Mindbender
The Long Sleep

Starring: Ed Bishop, George Sewell, Michael Billington, Peter Gordeno, Wanda Ventham, Gabrielle Drake, Grant Taylor, Vladek Sheybal, Harry Baird, Antonia Ellis, Dolores Mantez
Extras: Commentary by Creator Gerry Anderson on the Premiere Episode “Identified”, Commentary with Director Alan Perry & Actor Mike Billington on “Kill Straker”, Commentary with Actor Ed Bishop on “Sub-Smash”, Commentary with Co-creator Sylvia Anderson & Actress Wanda Ventham on “Timelash”, Alternate Video Outtakes, Gerry Anderson Biography and Filmography, Production Stills Photo Gallery
Specifications: Full Screen
Studio: A&E Home Video
Release Date: 10/28/2003
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give UFO - Megaset a B.