UFO: The Vault

EPISODE 22 - THE PSYCOBOMBS

"One unlocated Ufoe is one Ufoe too many!

Written by Tony Barwick

Directed by Jeremy Summers

Filming Schedule: Tuesday, 30th June – Friday, 10th July 1970

Original UK Airdate: Wednesday, 30th December 1970 (ATV)

Tech;  UFO, Skydiver, Skydiver hanger, Straker's car, Foster's car

Cast; Straker, Foster, Lake, Ayshea, Jackson

Additional cast;  

Linda Simmonds Deborah Grant Clem Mason Mike Pratt Daniel Clark David Collings Captain Lauritzen Tom Adams The Executive Alex Davion Skydiver 3 Captain Robin Hawdon Skydiver 3 Navigator Christopher Timothy Lieutenant Blythe Peter Blythe Plain Clothes Officer Oscar James Room 22 Guard Aiden Murphy Fairfield Tracker Station Guards Peter Davies and Derek Steen Police Motorcyclist Gavin Campbell Security Men Nigel Gregory and Hans de Vries Skydiver 3 Engineers Peter Dolphin and Mark York

My overall rating; 10/10 - I'd give it an 11/10 as it's so damn good!

Filming took place at Heatherden Hall Gardens, Pinewood Studios, Pinewood Road, Iver Heath, (Buckinghamshire), Albion, Common Road, Langley, Slough (Berkshire) and Alphage House, Fore Street, The Barbican (London EC2). Like Confetti Check A-Ok, this episode does not feature the show's opening titles due to its story being so packed with an incredible plot. The episode also re-scores music from Thunderbirds Are Go (1966) with a track from the Stingray episode The Ghost Ship (which was actually used only three times throughout that show) is used as the main theme for The Psycobombs fourteen times! Other tracks from The Ghost Ship, Raptures Of The Deep and the opening Stingray episode (simply called Stingray) as well as Joe 90's Arctic Adventure and other UFO episodes such as Identified and Ordeal are reused. Deborah Grant appeared in Not Going Out, Doctors, Casualty, Peak Practice, Crown Prosecutor, Westbeach, Bergerac, Bread, Room At The Bottom and The Power Game. 

Mike Pratt, most famous from Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), also starred in The Brothers, Cakes and Ale, Crown Court, The Adventures Of Black Beauty, Callan and The Pathfinders. David Collings starred in Press Gang, Holby City, Sapphire and Steel, Blake's 7, Dark Towers and a dozen other programs. He died in March 2020 and also has a long association with Doctor Who; starring in Revenge Of The Cybermen (1975), The Robots Of Death (1977), Mawdryn Undead (1983) and as The Doctor in several Big Finish audio adventures. Tom Adams appeared in Focus North, Emmerdale, Strike It Rich, The Enigma Files, Spy Trap, Z Cars and Doctor Who: Warriors Of The Deep (1984 as Commander Vorshak). Alex Davion was in Gideon's Way, Whodunnit, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Saint, The Avengers and Out Of The Unknown. Robin Hawdon was in Chalk and Cheese, Wives and Daughters, Compact, The Flying Swan, Suspense and The Human Jungle. 

Christopher Timothy appeared in Midsomer Murders, Eastenders, Casualty, Inspector Lewis, All Creatures Great and Small, Crown Court and Hot Metal. Peter Blythe was in The Alan Clark Diaries, Foyle's War, Rumpole Of The Bailey, After The War, Couples and Special Branch. Oscar James was in Gangsters, The Professionals, Emmerdale, out, The Goodies, Special Branch and Bottle Boys. Aidan Murphy was in Doctor Who: The Time Monster (1972 as Hippias), The Sinners, Charge!, Inside Story and The Bill. Peter Davis has only also been in B&B and The Expert whilst Derek Steen was in Kate, Wicked Woman, Who Is Sylvia, Love Story and For Amusement Story. Gavin Campbell starred in Escape, Department S, Vendetta, Softly Softly, Play For Tomorrow and Grange Hill. Nigel Gregory returns to the show whilst Hans de Vries was a Cyberman in Doctor Who: The Tomb Of The Cybermen (1967) and also starred in Man In A Suitcase, Vendetta, Department S, The Pathfinders and Dixon Of Dock Green. Peter Dolphin was in The Tripods, Dixon Of Dock Green, Danger Man, Theatre 70, Debt To A Spy and Coppers End. And finally, Mark York also starred in Blake's 7, Up Pompeii, Police Story, The Bill and The Greatest American Hero.

Absolute perfection from start to finish. The start not featuring the opening titles (which was cut due to timing as stated earlier or because the logo being seven minutes into the show so was far too late in) but it's like the episode is saying that we're going to cut right into this episode this time. The sound effects of the alien hypnotism were creepy too, and the uses of the Stingray music I felt worked perfectly in this episode, bearing in mind at the time I hadn't actually seen Stingray until a few months later in May-July 2017, but actually feel they work better here (especially the main theme for The Psycobombs which really was a highlight which Barry Gray composed way back in 1963). We could be here all day on about how this episode is simply one of television's greatest masterpieces. And I would give this an 11/10 because I fell in love with it so much on first watching. But for the listings, I'll keep this perfection at a 10/10. Everything is on point with this one.