"Our planet is dying. Our natural resources are exhausted. We must come to Earth – we must come to Earth to survive!"
Written by Alan Fennell
Directed by Ken Turner
Filming Schedule: Thursday, 23rd October – Tuesday, 4th November 1969
Original UK Airdate: Wednesday, 21st October 1970 (ATV)
Tech; UFO, Mobiles, Mobile Transport Trucks.
Cast; Straker, Freeman, Foster, Ellis, Barry, Ford, Ealand, Bradley, Shroeder
Additional cast;
John Croxley John Stratton Dr Ward Douglas Wilmer Stella Croxley Deborah Stanford SHADO Security Man Stanley McGeogh Gate-Man Donald Tandy
My overall rating; 10/10
Filming for the episode featured at Sara Lee Factory, 225 Bath Road, Slough (Berkshire), Neptune House, BBC Elstree Studios, Eldon Avenue, Borehamwood (Hertfordshire) and MGM Borehamwood Studios, Elstree Way, Borehamwood. A new soundtrack was composed by Barry Gray for the episode, yet when Straker and Freeman explore the house a track from The Secret Service episode Last Train To Bufflers Halt is used. John Stratton appeared in many screen productions such as Doctor Who: The Two Doctors (1985 as Shockeye), Forget Me Not, Z Cars, Coronation Street, The Black Tulip, Detective, Letters From The Dead, The Expert, Resurrection and The Newcomers.
Douglas Wilmer as also in The Protectors (The Tiger and the Goat as Commander Whiting), Space: 1999 (Dragon's Domain as Commissioner Dixon) as well as Love Story, The Baron, Sherlock Holmes, An Enemy Of The People, Nicholas Nickleby, The Black Tulip, Sherlock and Shine On Harvey Moon. Deborah Stanford was in Target Luna, Sierra Nine, Front Page Story, The World Of Wooster, Mogul and Fraud Squad. Stanley McGeogh appeared in the Doctor Who serials Colony In Space (1971 as an alien) and The Sea Devils (1972 as Castle Guard Drew), The Doctors, Resurrection, Dad's Army, Softly Softly, Frontier, Haunted, Jason King, Neighbors and the later UFO episode Mindbender as a SHADO Guard. Donald Tandy was in Eastenders, Seal Morning, Brendon Chase, Crime Of Passion, Sergeant Cork, Danger Man, Suspense and The Saint.
An interesting episode based around extra-sensory-perception, and a brilliant guest performance with John Stratton. The scene of the UFO crashing into the house as the cat ran away with a funny meow, crashing into the house and killing Stratton's wife and seeing the horror and sweat on his face was truly gripping. And then of course a brilliant explosion yet again when the UFO properly exploded itself. Another brilliant moment was when of course Stratton, under alien influence, has Straker and Freeman at gunpoint. Another gripping and tense and perfect scene with Stratton shouting out brilliantly written dialogue such as "Why do you attack us? Our natural resources are exhausted. We must come to Earth! We must come to Earth to survive". Also brilliant was the fear felt in Straker and Freeman as they courageously and calmly fight against Croxley as he prepares to kill Straker. Personally my favourite episode in the original 17 episode run - and one of my favourite episodes of the series altogether.
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UFO: The Vault
Literatura FaktuGerry 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...
