"He's an out and out risk, Alec, and we can't afford to take chances."
Written by Ian Scott Stewart
Directed by Ken Turner
Filming Schedule: Monday, 26th May – Thursday, 5th June 1969
Original UK Airdate: Wednesday, 20th January 1971 (ATV)
Tech; UFO, Sky One, SHADO Car, SID, Handheld rocket launcher, Lunar Module
Cast; Straker, Freeman, Ellis, Carlin, Ayshea, Barry, Shroeder
Additional Cast;
Paul Roper George Cole Carol Roper Sonia Cox Medic Dawson Keith Grenville SHADO Guard David Daker
My overall rating; 9/10
Originally titled "The Sun Always Rises", the story's location filming took place Neptune House, BBC Elstree Studios, Eldon Avenue (Borehamwood - Hertfordshire) and Greensleeves, Windsor Road (Gerrards Cross - Buckinghamshire). Music for this episode was re-scored from episodes such as The Square Triangle and Ordeal with tracks from earlier Anderson shows can be heard throughout; from the Thunderbirds episodes, The Perils Of Penelope, Sun Probe and the feature film Thunderbirds Are Go, with a brief track from The Secret Service: Last Train To Buffler's Halt when Roper looks into the sun and Joe 90 episode International Concerto when Roper's wife shoots the shotgun and Colonel McClaine when the UFO is destroyed. George Cole has a vast acting career, awarded an OBE. A veteran British film, TV and stage actor whose impressive career spanned over 60 years, he is perhaps best remembered for playing Arthur Daley in Minder. His other credits include Heartbeat, Midsumer Murders, Gideon's Way, Dad and Jackanory.
Sonia Fox however appeared in Compact, The Sentiment Agent, Danger Man, The Saint, Emergency Ward 10, Man In A Suitcase and Crossroads. Keith Grenville also has a smaller career including Emergency Ward 10, Conflict, The Power Game, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), Doomwatch, Shaka Zulu and Timeslip. David Daker does have a huge acting career from Detective, Trial, Dixon Of Dock Green, O Lucky Man!, Thriller, Z Cars, All Creatures Great And Small, Two People, Dick Turpin, Moonfleet, Play For Today, Coronation Street, Minder, Boon, Midsumer Murders, Doctors, Holby City and the Doctor Who serials The Time Warrior (1973/74 as Irongron) and Nightmare Of Eden (1979 as Rigg).
SHADO don't trust anyone! In this interesting story, Paul Roper (dressed like Captain Black - Century 21 Fashions - and his pretty wife with a definite age difference are being received threatening calls from the aliens to give secret co-ordinate information to them. I never actually understood the whole threatening call thing with Freeman working out what he's doing. I actually thought it was Freeman who was making the calls, and I wondered why Straker let him off so easily. SHADO don't trust anyone. Roper always seemed to be worrying about his woman too, which would easily make him more nervous. I've got to say the car chase with the UFO was stunning, with some of the best explosions of the entire Gerry Anderson canon with that petrol station. The ending too was rather dark with the damage of Roper's spacesuit as he desperately struggles for breath to fix his spacesuit. The sad thing is that we only just hear the Lunar Module which was probably only seconds away from him just before he died. This show is dark, and we're only three episodes in.
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UFO: The Vault
Non-FictionGerry Anderson's UFO was the first big budget British live-action television series of a secret government organisation named SHADO (Supreme Headqauters Alien Defence Organisation) combat a dying alien race who have come to Earth in order to survive...
