"You people were selected because of your outstanding character as well as intellect. What went wrong?"
Written by Tony Barwick
Directed by David Lane
Filming Schedule: Tuesday, 13th – Friday, 23rd May 1969
Original UK Airdate: Saturday, 15th May 1971 (ATV)
Tech; Mobiles, UFO, Mobile Transport Plane, Interceptors
Cast; Straker, Freeman, Ellis, Bradley, Ford, Shroeder
Additional cast;
Ken Matthews Michael Mundell Murray Peter Burton Operative Chris Granger Nigel Lambert Bill Johnson Shane Rimmer SHADO Mobile 1 Personnel Hein Viljoen and Dennis Plenty SHADO Mobile 3 Officer Hugh Armstrong SHADO Operative Rosemary Donnelly Captured Alien Hugo Panczak Aliens in Woods Gito Santana and Shane Rimmer
My overall rating; 9/10
Originally titled "The Computer Affair", the locations for the story took place at Black Park (Iver Heath - Buckinghamshire) and Neptune House, BBC Elstree Studios, Eldon Avenue (Borehamwood, Hertfordshire). UFO's second episode to be made, the episode is the show's first great episode in my opinion. It delves into issues with racism (despite saying some lines that couldn't be shown today) and explores character and psychological issues well, especially the moment when Ellis is being questioned and asked the word "Black". It's sometimes an awkward feeling for the Moonbase personnel knowing that a romantic feeling might be starting to bond between Ellis and Bradley. Straker's determination and driver supporting his strong character is well on display in this episode too. And the alien screaming when captured was shocking to watch too, :). Tracks from Thunderbirds Are Go (1966) can be heard when the UFO crash lands whilst we hear tracks from Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons episode Lunarville 7 when the Lunar Module arrives at Moonbase at the start of the episode.
Shane Rimmer returns to the episode very briefly as Bill Johnson and as one of the aliens - the other was played by returning Gito Santana, whilst the captured alien was played by Hugo Panczak with Micheal Mundell and Dennis Plenty (as SHADO Mobile 1 Personnel member rather than Lieutenant Worth) also returning from the first episode. Peter Burton however as Dr. Murray would return to his role in Close Up and play another character Perry in Ordeal. He'd previously been in Doppelganger and starred in Dr. No (1962) and Thunderball (1965) as well as Carry On At Your Convenience, and his TV shows he starred in include The Saint, Return Of The Saint, The Professionals, The Avengers, Man In A Suitcase, Brett and Press Gang. Hein Viljoen has a limited acting career with UFO being his last TV screen appearance before he had appeared in The Avengers, The Saint, Inspector Clouseau The Baron and Doctor Who: The War Games (1969 - as an uncredited Machine Gunner). Hugh Armstrong had been in The Wednesday Play, Minder, Screenplay, The Bill, London's Burning and Kiss Me Kate. Rosemary Donnelly meanwhile had been in Moonstrike, The Jazz Age, The Avengers, The Saint, Department S, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), and after UFO would return to screen acting in 1981 with Electric Angel.
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