UFO: The Vault

EPISODE 9 - ORDEAL

"You just better hope I'm never in a position to press the button on you."

Written by Tony Barwick

Directed by Ken Turner

Filming Schedule: Friday, 8th – Wednesday, 20th August 1969

Original UK Airdate: Wednesday, 14th April 1971 (ATV)

Tech; Skydiver, Sky One, Moon Mobiles, Interceptors

Cast; Straker, Freeman, Foster, Ellis, Ford, Jackson, Barry, Waterman, Ayshea

Additional cast;

Frazer Basil Moss Sylvia Graham Quinn O'Hara Joe Franklin David Healy Medic Joseph Morris Perry Peter Burton Gary North Mark Hawkins

My overall rating; 4/10

The location shooting was filmed at Neptune House, BBC Elstree Studios, Eldon Avenue (Borehamwood - Hertfordshire) York House School, Redheath, Croxley Green (Rickmansworth - Hertfordshire). Whilst Barry Gray composed another new score for the episode, and a track reused from The Secret Service: Last Train To Bufflers Halt when Ellis attempts to release Foster's helmet, the music from the opening party scene is The Beatles' Get Back whilst the instrumental playing during the subsequent party flashback scene is Trampoline by The Spencer Davis Group. The song at the end Beautiful Dreamer sung by Foster while in the sauna is by Stephen Foster written in the early 1860s. Basil Moss returns to the series from Exposed and The Dalotek Affair, and later The Sound Of Silence. Quinn O'Hara has starred in lots on-screen including Dallas, Matlock, Burke's Law, The Man From UNCLE, The Lively Ones, The Smith Family, The Saint and Fantasy Island. 

David Healy is another actor who has a long association with the Andersons, using his vocal talents for Captain Scarlet, Joe 90 (as Shane Weston) and The Secret Service, and would later go on and voice roles for the one-off pilot Space Police and the Space Precinct episodes Protect And Survive and Double Duty. His other dozens of credits include The Airbase, Spy Trap, James Bond's Diamonds Are Forever, People Like Us, The Dick Emery Show, Tales Of The Unexpected, Supergirl (1984), Dallas, Blake's 7 and Return Of The Saint. Joseph Morris has a smaller acting career appearing in shows like Z Cars, Crossroads, Special Branch, Manhunt and Dixon Of Dock Green. Peter Burton returns from Computer Affair and will return in Close Up (both starring as Dr. Murray, unlike in Ordeal as Perry), whilst Mark Hawkins also has a small career. He would later return for The Responsibility Seat and Close Up whilst he also appeared in Strange Report, The Spanish Farm, Virgin Of The Secret Service and The Caesars. 

Hmmm. A dream episode. Was it really necessary for it all to be a dream? Yeah, it might have been kind of weird for the aliens to kill everyone at the centre rather than to use their bodies, except Foster. Bit disappointing it was all just a dream. Just like Attack On Cloudbase or Joe 90's The Race, it never really needed to be a dream. Were they popular in the 60s and 70s TV? The possibility is defiantly there to explore some very strange concepts in dreams. It might have actually been a pretty decent episode if the dream stuff was all taken out. The party bit though, we've all been there. Also, the scene when Ellis attempted to take off Foster's alien helmet was a beautifully performed and directed moment. Just because I gave it a 4/10 doesn't mean I hate it, but after I watch it, especially the first time watching, I say to myself - hmmm. That it? This is not bad in the same way Physician Who is bad, believe me. Physician Who is a god-damn unholy disgrace and an abomination beyond all imagining. Everything about it is repugnant and moronic. Not only is it an insult to all Doctor Who fans or to even humanity, but to the very notion of rational thought. Ever since that worthless abomination I really began to appreciate everything else, even the stuff I used to hate I now think is, whilst still not great, but is brilliant in comparison. Comparing this to Physician Who, Ordeal hardly touched me. Though isn't awful it's just not very good to me, not necessarily bad, but no.