"I'm sorry to disillusion you, Straker, but I can get you some great shots of Earth with a two dollar camera from a balloon."
Written by Tony Barwick
Directed by Alan Perry
Filming Schedule: Monday, 29th September – Thursday, 9th October 1969
Original UK Airdate: Wednesday, 16th December 1970 (ATV)
Tech; Lunar Module, Interceptors, UFO, SID, rocket and space probe.
Cast; Straker, Foster, Freeman, Ellis, Ford, Barry, Waterman, Ayshea
Additional cast; Joseph Kelly Neil Hallett Young James Beckett Tracking Station Operator Alan Tucker Gary North Mark Hawkins Launch Controller Frank Mann Launch Control 1st Operative Robert Sherman Launch Control 2nd Operative Robert Howay Launch Control Harry Clive Endersby Interceptor Pilot John Levene
My overall rating; 8/10
The location filming was shot at Neptune House, BBC Elstree Studios, Eldon Avenue, Borehamwood (Hertfordshire) and Sudbury House, 15 Newgate Street (London EC1). The track Sleeping Astronauts from Doppelganger recorded in March 1969 can be heard with Foster and the Interceptor Pilots float in space, whilst a track from the Stingray episode The Big Gun can be heard when the satellite arrives at the alien planet. Neil Hallett is another actor with a huge number of credits to his name such as Doctor Who: Timelash (1985 as Maylin Rennis), Crown Court, The Saint, Return Of The Saint, The Sweeney, The Professionals, The New Avengers, Z Cars, Out Of The Unknown, Department S and The Newcomers. James Beckett had also appeared in Doctor Who with Attack Of The Cybermen (1985 as Payne) as well as Manhunt, Crossroads, No Hiding Place, The Persuaders, Z Cars, The Sweeney and Dixon Of Dock Green. Alan Tucker and Mark Hawkins both returned to the series whereas Frank Mann has a small acting career on TV including Callan, Paul Temple, Sherlock Holmes and the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever (1971).
Robert Sherman was also in The Sandbaggers, Return Of The Saint, Jackanory, Space: 1999 (Dragon's Domain as Newscaster), Space Precinct (Body and Soul as Alden Humes) and the James Bond movies The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker and Superman IV; The Quest For Peace. Robert Howay has a smaller credit too including TV shows such as Paul Temple, Police Surgeon, From A Bird's Eye View and Riviera Police. Clive Endersby, although more of a writer than actor, starred in Katy, On Camera, Encounter, Vendetta, Detective, Out Of The Unknown and Detective. John Levene is best associated with playing companion Sergeant Benton one and off on Doctor Who from The Invasion (1968) right up to The Android Invasion (1975). He also played a Cyberman in The Moonbase (1967) and a Yeti in The Web Of Fear (1968) and in The War Games (1969). He also starred in Z Cars, Adam Adamant Lives, Special Branch, The Adventurer, Beetleborgs and Coronation Street.
I do quite like this episode, a lot. The whole set up of the organisation setting up the satellite and Moonbase and all. The only thing I have about the episode is that they didn't get the range of magnification so that it was all for nothing in the end. It's a shame. But that if we knew where the aliens' home planet was and what it was like, it would ruin the mystery about the aliens. Perhaps it wouldn't have been bad for the photos to have been sent back to SHADO, but had been destroyed somehow by say UFO incident. Nevertheless, I still really enjoy this episode.
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