"If it had to be anyone, I'm glad you're here. I mean... I'm glad it's you."
Written by Alan Fennell
Directed by David Lane
Filming Schedule: Tuesday, 18th – Friday, 28th November 1969
Original UK Airdate: Wednesday, 11th November 1970 (ATV)
Tech; Skydiver, Sky One, underwater UFO.
Cast; Straker, Foster, Freeman, Waterman, Barry, Ford
Additional cast;
Jim Lewis Paul Maxwell Tony Chin Anthony Chinn Holden John Golightly Albatross Pilot Turner Burnell Tucker SHADO Diver Ross Alan Haywood Mary Rutland Suzanne Neve John Rutland Barnaby Shaw
My overall rating; 10/10
Filming for "Sub-Smash" featured at Neptune House, BBC Elstree Studios, Eldon Avenue, Borehamwood (Hertfordshire) and Marlyn Cottage, Ley Hill, near Chesham (Buckinghamshire). A brief track from Joe 90's Colonel McClaine is used as Skydiver recovers from the hit from the UFO with a track from Supercar's The Runaway Train being used when the UFO at the start is revealed. Other tracks from episodes include ESP and The Square Triangle. The episodes also feature flashback footage to the episodes A Question Of Priorities and Confetti Check A-Ok. Paul Maxwell is another actor who was well associated with the Andersons, working on Fireball XL5 as Steve Zodiac, as well as providing the voice of Captain Ashton in the Thunderbirds episode Alias Mr. Hackenbacker and as Captain Paul Travers in Thunderbirds Are Go (1966), and the first 12 episodes in production of Captain Scarlet before being unavailable to do the recording sessions. He also appeared in Coronation Street, Man At The Top, Emmerdale, The Champions and The Lotus Eaters to name a few. Anthony Chinn would later return for The Sound Of Silence as an alien, and would later appear as The Protectors regular Chino.
He also starred in Z Cars, Rogue's Rock, The Monkey King, Moonbase 3, The Champions, The Avengers, and films such as James Bond's Dr. No, Goldfinger, You Only Live Twice, A View To A Kill and other films like Raiders Of The Lost Ark. John Golightly was also in Poirot, Sapphire And Steel, Mitch, Angels, Bergerac, Sapphire And Steel, Public Eye, Emergency Ward 10 and movies like 1984. Burnell Tucker starred in Space Precinct (Deathwatch as MIA Commander), Doctor Who: The Angels Take Manhattan (2012 as Old Gardner), The Champions, The Saint and later UFO episode in The Sound Of Silence as G.S.P. 4 Co-Pilot Scott. He also appeared in films such as Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, the first two Superman movies and Flash Gordon. Alan Haywood was also in Doctor Who: The Myth Makers (1965 as Prince Hector), Richard The Lionheart, The Saint, Z Cars, Crossroads and Gerry Anderson's Doppelganger.
Another great story. It's brilliant to see the crew of the Skydiver Sub start cracking up and seeing them escape, for example when Anthony Chinn goes wild and kills himself and the brilliant line of Straker with the dead body of Chinn with his eyes open as Straker says as you get older you begin to appreciate what life is and what it means. And seeing the moments of Straker's marriage as he remembers whilst alone in Skydiver is really deep. Also seeing his sweat off his brow as the air begins running out, as he also begins to look animated creepily.
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