The 17th episode of UFO in production, Sub-Smash, was the last ever production to be made at MGM British Borehamwood Studios. It is argued that the production of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey took so long to make (using vast amounts of studio space but paying no rent as it was an MGM Production, that the studio had become uneconomical to run. From 1969-70, British Film and TV production was undergoing a short-lived boom, so there was no available or suitable studio space to house productions. Production on UFO halted for five months, and Sub-Smash was completed on Friday 28th November 1969. The remaining nine episodes were to be shot at Pinewood Studios when studio space could be booked. But the break in production gave Century 21 an opportunity to review the direction of the series and make some changes. For the remaining nine episodes, the pacing would become faster with the stories taking on a different feel and look to the remaining seventeen (yet of course still remaining quintessentially UFO and Gerry Anderson) with the concept of the aliens explored even further, particularly in the story The Cat With Ten Lives.
As with a long time between an episode's production, it meant that many of the main cast moved onto other work, understandably. Whilst Alec Freeman was ordered by ITC New York to be dropped as Gerry Anderson was told blatantly to "get rid of the old, ugly guy", with George Sewell never being told the reason why he left. It was decided his role would be replaced with Colonel Virgina Lake, who had appeared in the first episode Identified. Also drafted in were a number of new writers and directors - experienced from other ITC shows who proved they could produce stylish end products in a short space of time. As the production was on hiatus for five months, production efficiency was now essential. These included new directors Jeremy Summers and Cyril Frankel and new writers Terence Feely and David Tomblin - an absolutely talented writer. Production would return on UFO on Monday 11th May 1971, in a slightly different format...
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UFO: The Vault
Non-FictionGerry 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...
