"I don't buy it, Straker. I just hope you've guessed wrong. Because if you're right, we're about to be killed!"
Written by Ruric Powell
Directed by Ken Turner
Filming Schedule: Wednesday, 2nd July – Monday, 14th July 1969
Original UK Airdate: Wednesday, 7th October 1970 (ATV)
Tech; Alien device, Lunar Module & Carrier, Interceptors, Sky One.
Cast; Straker, Foster, Freeman, Carlin, Henderson, Barry, Waterman, Ford, Ealand, Ayshea
Additional cast;
Captain Steve Maddox Drewe Henley Pilot – Space Ship Gerald Norman Navigator – Space Ship Alan Tucker Lunar Module Crewman Stevens David Courtland Joe Steiner Michael Kilgarriff SHADO Operative Louisa Rabaiotti
My overall rating; 8/10
Originally titled "Ambush", the episode's filming location included Neptune House, BBC Elstree Studios, Eldon Avenue (Borehamwood - Hertfordshire) and Sudbury House, 15 Newgate Street, (London EC1). "Steve Maddox" was later the name of John Koenig in the Space: 1999 pilot script Zero-G (later Breakaway). A new score was composed for the episode, with very brief tracks being heard from Thunderbirds (Sun Probe), Captain Scarlet (Lunarville 7) and Joe 90 (Colonel McClaine). Drewe Henley appeared in the TV version of Wuthering Heights as well as Z Cars, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), The Doctors, The Regiment, Special Branch, and the Gerry Anderson shows The Protectors (The Tiger and the Goat - Clarke) and Space: 1999 (The Bringers Of Wonder - Joe Ehrlich). He also appeared in the Star Wars movie A New Hope. However, Gerald Norman only has one actor credit - UFO.
Alan Tucker meanwhile has a large acting career with Softly, Softly, Detective, The Wars Of The Roses, Ace Of Wanders, Coronation Street, Z Cars, 1990, Crown Court and the Doctor Who story Planet Of The Daleks (1973 - as Latep). He also appeared in The Dalotek Affair (as a Lunar Module Pilot) and Close Up (as a Tracking Station Operative) David Courtland, who has a bigger career in the art and animation departments of works, his acting career is smaller in Spindoe and ITV's Playhouse and Sunday Night Theatre. Micheal Kilgarriff (who was 6ft 4!) starred in The Golden Spur, Taxi!, The Storyteller, Oscar's Orchestra, Watt on Earth and the Doctor Who serials The Tomb Of The Cybermen (1967 - Cyber Controller), Frontier In Space (1973 - Second Ogron), Robot (1974/75 - K1 Robot) and Attack Of The Cybermen (1985 - Cyber Controller). Finally, Louisa Rabaiotti returned as a SHADO operative from Identified.
You know, my favourite part of the episode is seeing the dynamic between Straker and Henderson. A tense and strained relationship. Seeing these two brilliant characters clash is thrilling to watch. Again, a slower-paced episode compared to later stories, but enjoyable and has a good concept. At first, I didn't actually realise Henderson was in the first episode either until the second watching as he was only in it for a little moment at the start!
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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...
