Ed Bishop had such incredible BLUE eyes! So expredsive! The "UFO" directors made good use of them to punctuate a scene quietly yet powerfully. "Natural assets" at work.
I love ❤️ Ufo,too!The stories were alway’s 😻 amazing!It’s just too bad that great 👍 show’s aren’t made l8ke this today!Journey to the far sid3 of the sun “is high on my list “of film’s as well!
Great characterization. Straker is awesome. Best lead character in SF TV. See also Responsibility Seat where he tells Jo Fraser that since his divorce, he's kept himself to himself and Mind Bender, in which the death of his son and his painful rejection by wife Mary comes back to haunt him again. This sub plot in which they develop Straker's tragic personal life across several episodes is one of the things that makes UFO special, giving it more emotional depth than most TV series of the era. There are other great themes, too. Five episodes deal with Straker's conflicts and clashes with hot headed new boy Paul Foster, (Exposed, Court Martial, Ordeal, Survival) culminating in Kill Straker. And there's some gripping ones about aliens controlling people (Kill Straker, ESP, Pyschobombs, Cat with 10 lives) and the best are the last four about aliens distorting reality (Mind Bender, Timelash, Long Sleep and Reflections in the Water). All in all, a stand out series which has lasting power.
The sad thing is the mother had EVERYTHING TO DO WITH HER SONS DEATH. IF SHE WOULD HAVE ALLOWED HIM TO COME IN THE HOUSE AND SEE THE MODEL BOAT THE BOY WOULDNT HAVE RAN OUT OF THE HOUSE.
Since the transport diversion of the mobiles turned out to be totally a wasted trip. Oh if only Ed stayed the extra minute so John could show him his boat!!!
I guess,this episode show’s(well,in this Ufo 🛸 episode)the ‘hazard’s’of being married to the military,and a wife,who get’s suspicious 🤨 of what you’re doing at night?Sadly,these thing’s do happen in real life….!An affair starts,and than,boom!There goes the marriage!
A quick Google search tells me this show was only aired in the UK, Australia, Italy, and Japan. And, that it was aired put of sequence due to technical deficiencies at the production studio. It never aired in the US.
A few year’s ago,I saw Michael Billington(who was retired by 2003,and 2004)in a science fiction convention.He did an imatation of Vladek Sheybal during that time.He said that Sheybal would ‘draw out’his pronuciation of word’s.And,also,that Sheybal didn’t like how he looked,and was mad 😠 about this,but,that he was an excellent actor.Billington was right!He((Vladek Sheybal)was a good actor!
With all the recently disclosed UFO information from the US government, it would be of great interest to see where the British SciFi community would take this series if it were taken out of the mothballs, updated, modernized, and given PROPER military advisers as I believe it should have way back when!
I seem to recall Ed Bishop from a few Sci-Fi movies or tv appearances in the 50s-60s, in the era of black and white...perhaps I am even remembering appearances on American series ? A big shame that the series didn't get at least a 5 year run. Excellent job by all persons involved.
For the longest time I thought Ed was an English man doing a great job of "speaking American " back then. Cudos and RIP George "Ed" Bishop, you handsome guy , and "Nina" Delores Mantez, lovely lady💜. The "Tom Jones" navy net shirts and tight pants are a trip 🤣
Hey, hope you're well, FandersonUfo! Just watching this again. It's a brilliant compilation. When I was young, I used to dream of having these three episodes together in a movie format so I could show people how awesome UFO is. Before I knew what a "story arc" was, this show amazed me with this series of episodes about Straker's tragic personal life. If I could wish for a Straker of Shado Two, it would be Responsibility Seat, Mindbender and Long Sleep. It strikes me how Straker runs down the girl in Long Sleep and he says the same thing as the man who ran down his son. She's a girl who seems not unlike Mary when Straker was young and once again, there's a decision to be made and a very dark ending. Seems a fitting way to end the story of this dark hero.
I've seen a lot of sci fi over the years as no doubt you have as well. I can't think of a character who got this much detailed development earlier in a televised series before UFO and I'm not sure if any really have since. The style of production at the time was to minimize multi show story arcs so that a viewing public could just watch a series in almost any random broadcast order so Straker's story arc here is rather unique for the time. The compilation gathers most of the scattered bits together but a 4 hour version would have been possible as well. Gerry Anderson blazed a trail for complicated character development over an entire season which is now becoming a standard in the industry. It's just a dam shame that there does not seem to be many talented and disciplined writers available lately who are very good at doing so though. I really don't care about a detailed back story for a cartoon based character which is most of the current junk coming out of Disney or CBS Access right now. As I've probably said before the emphasis has been on CGI eye candy lately, good writing and detailed believable characters are not a priority right now. I hope the public will get bored with the current style soon and we may see a revival of sci fi of UFO quality but I'm afraid I dare not hold my breath waiting for that to happen. Always good to hear from you sir.
@@FandersonUfo And you! Yes, you totally nailed it there. Agree with you completely. I really felt how his wife came to see him as a monster who she hated by the end and the way that haunts him, in Sub Smash. It's like Breaking Bad or Sopranos how he becomes so tainted. Jo in Responsibility Seat is such a dodgy character, yet he turns to her as if he feels a "bad girl" is someone he can relate to now. Her line "it's a man's world, remember?" is so ironic as he gets another brutal kick in the teeth.
@@adriansherlockdamondark.1094 - if you can name me somewhere else in the genre where a character with that kind of depth was explored I'd be very surprised - maybe Babylon 5 tried but that was shallow stuff compared to Straker's journey in one season
@@FandersonUfo Nope. Straker is the best, hands down. The only character I've seen who is up there is Walter White from Breaking Bad. That was written by people who worked on X Files and the creator was a fan of Twilight Zone, but while it certainly uses science and has moments of horror, it's not regarded as science fiction. A lot of people think Avon from Blakes 7 was a dark and complex character, but he was not a patch on Straker in terms of depth or detail. In SF, Straker is second to none.
@@adriansherlockdamondark.1094 I had to grow up twenty years before I managed to notice all the aspects of Straker I'd been staring at the whole time - the real shame is that no series deserves a revival more - I bet it would draw a crowd if done well but there's the rub as always - I have little faith any one would know what to do with this story line today - meanwhile they've revived "Lost In Space" twice
As a kid watching the series years ago I didn't care much for Bishop's portrayal of Straker. To be honest I felt he was the only American they could get for the part and he wasn't up to it. After rearranging his story for the sake of clarity here I see how brilliant he was in the role. Ed Bishop. Well done sir. You are sorely missed by a new fan of your skills.
FandersonUfo funny side note, Ed Bishop's natural hair colour was dark brown, so he had to go to a women's beauty salon in Mayfair to get his hair the desired blonde colour. Perhaps the Andersons took inspiration from his portrayal of Captain Blue in Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
If I remember correctly there were 17 shows filmed and then a break in production of several months after which episodes 18 - 26 were filmed. I think Bishop went with hair bleach for the first 17 and then noticed that the bleach was destroying his natural hair to the point where he used a wig for the second round of filming.
FandersonUfo Ed Bishop was the actor that Gerry Anderson rated highest of all the ones that he worked with over the years. He said, "Ed Bishop is one of the most talented people I have ever worked with. My only regrets was that he didn't go on to become an international star, I would have liked him to have perhaps been James Bond"
Yeah,I liked it!And,the;Journey to the Far Side of the 🌞 Sun,film,too!This is still great,after all these year’s!I’m so glad that I have this 🎞 to this day!A high five,here(again!].Too,if you had a ;”Christmas wish list’,why not those fish net shirt’s,but,without;” anything showing!”I’m talking about the women,here!The men looked good 👍 in them,though!He,he!No,really!They did a good job all the way around!I still like this serie’s!I have it in my back bedroom on the dresser!Merry Christmas,and a Happy New Year 🎈 to all!
An excellent series! In "STAR TREK OS" only Leonard Nimoy's "SPOCK" had a fully fleshed "back story". Capt Kirk? Bones McCoy? Not even "SCOTTIE", Montgomery Scott, whose origins were obvious.
I was born in 1970, so I watched the show much later...and I LOVE IT, every time I watch it again.. I‘m a huge fan of Ed Bishop and his character Straker..🥰🥰🥰.. it is so brilliant, how Ed interpreted this internally torn character, I love such „complicated“ men 😅🙈...Straker is such a strong character in every sense, but not without human mistakes...SO GREAT....For me one of the best „Leading Officer“-characters in similar shows or movies.. and... nevertheless Ed Bishop/ Straker is really sexy , even for nowadays...🙈🔥🔥🔥🥰🥰🥰...these steel blue eyes are INCREDIBLE and incomparable 👀💙💙
It's the year 2020, the fashions, designed by Sylvia Anderson, were of the concept, of fashions, that were supposed to be of the 21st century; And yet we still aren't wearing those fashions. What happened? All the best Shaun of NYC
There’s a story in Ufo that says;Edward Straker may be in control for a lifetime of fighting the UFO’s.I could see that this would be nessarry,in order to prevent “a;total war”on earth!And,the storyline about divorce,visiting you’re children 👶 on weekends wasn’t explored much like this series does it!Divorce stories are a;”touchy issue,”just like real life!Best wishes for a Merry Christmas,and a happy 😃 New Year!
The ONLY mistake the producers of this show made was setting it in the "near" future of 1980. It was TOO futuristic looking for such a short time ahead if when it was shot. Contrast with "2001" shot a few years earlier but somehow MORE believable? Fascinating.
Though the old trope of his marriage falling apart because he was working all the time, but can't say anything. "You married a guy in Military Intelligence, unless you're cleared, he can't tell you what he's doing! You knew that when you married him!!! You even said so!!"
True enough but her family advised her to hire a private detective to follow him around and when he was spotted chauffeuring Nina Barry to her apartment it was something a wife would need a good explanation for.
Hi,folks!I’m a big fan of;Ufo,too!I have a book on Ufo that I lost,and which I can’t find.I bought it on e-bay,too !Dang it!I wish I could find it!Never the less,the series can tell the story here!I have great memories of watching this series with my dad during my days off of dance studio work.This series holds up well,for being made in 1969,and 1970!Best wishes for a Merry Christmas,🎁 and a Happy New year!🎊🎈 could find,because,it reminds me
Say,is that Ufo comic strip that Fanderson is selling,is this based on the series,too?It’s probably a dumb question,because,the storyline would be like the show!They also tried to re-make a Ufo show,but,I think 🤔 it “fell threw”due to not having a budget?At any rate,I think,it would be hard to replace the original actor”s!
@@bettyleeist - hi Betsye - I was just looking at what Fanderson official website has for sale right now and the closest thing to what you describe is the UFO 1972 Annual which has some new UFO stories - I don't think this series will ever be re-made at this point - Hollywood would have no idea what to do with it now and would make a mess of it - 👽
Oh okay!It’s no problem!One can alway’s go back to;”the good old day’s “of;Ufo!I mean,the original series,of course!A Robert Miall wrote the original series book’s!
Yeah,I can see where Hollywood;”shouldn’t touch the show!”They have enough 🍿 movies(both good and bad,(unfortunately),out there!Here in America,we also have Iowa Public Television,as far as British 🎥 film’s go!All Creatures great and Small is the newest film,right now!Too,there’s rerun’s to be done of;Ufo here!
Used to watch this on every Friday afternoon back in '85. I was 14 then, a reckless kid, skipping my Holy Koran reading class for the sake of Commander Straker and SHADO
@@helmyabdullah1962 - Greetings from Toronto Canada Helmy. Always good to hear from fans of Gerry Anderson from every part of the world. Very early winter this year here. - 12 Celsius tonight. Too cold too soon even for a Canadian. Best regards FandersonUfo
I hope someone can help me with the following question who exactly was Harlingen the first half the studio was named for hope someone can help I've been working on it wondering it for 56 years thank you
other than the name on the studio sign Harlington is never mentioned in dialog or portrayed by an actor in any scene - in theory a Mr. Harlington exists but is Straker's partner for running the studio and may have zero SHADO duties other than keeping things quiet about the sub basements - 🛸✨
Just noticed the image on the screen in the background of shot at 2:10:03 is the same image that appears in at least one episode of Space 1999, definitely the first episode, Breakaway
EvilDaveCanada in a documentary about UFO dating from 1995, Gerry Anderson kind of admits that the intended second series became Space 1999 due to the American TV networks panicking due to a drop in viewership in UFO. They had spent a lot of time and effort in the design and construction of the sets, including a bigger moonbase renamed moonbase alpha. Gerry Anderson went to them saying that he could "change this around and make it into a new series, hence Space 1999 was born"
EvilDaveCanada (love the pseudonym by the way) I would not argue that 'Space 1999' can't be considered a sequel to UFO. The 2 shows will always be connected. However other than a moon base being featured in both the two series don't share many other common themes and story lines. For those who are big fans of Moon Base Alpha and that storyline god bless and keep you. For me personally I would have preferred a continuation of the characters and themes of the first version where Anderson's ideas are not so sub-servient to the pressures that American network marketing 'geniuses' applied to 'Space 1999'.
FandersonUfo if what I read is correct, the disagreements over who to cast for Space 1999 ultimately lead to the irretrievable breakdown in the relationship between Gerry and Sylvia Anderson
Veia estas aventuras espaciles cuando tenia seis, anos lo transmitian en el canal cinco y se beia a las nueve de la noche a mi me gustaba estas aventuras y eran en espanol mis padres no me dejaban ver completa la pelicula por su contenido en las chicas guapas .y me apagaban la tele a hora que tengo 63 anos y tengo interned lo disfruto 🤵🙋🇲🇽🌹❤️🚀🛫📡🛰️🌏🌑
I can, the only thing he could do was get the antibiotics, that made him feel useful when he was feeling like the third wheel. Even the nurses and at 1st the doctor didn't treat him as the dad because he wasn't with the wife. The threat from the ufo is also a bigger threat to his son, and everyone else.
The scene where Straker's honeymoon gets interrupted reminds me of the 6th season Mission Impossible episode Invasion. In that episode, Jim Phelps (Peter Graves) is on a date when he gets a tape from The Secretary to once again save the US from Commie invaders. This is the only time in 6 years we see the poor guy have a life outside of leading the IMF and what happens, NOTHING! He and Ed Straker could compare notes.
Bad luck he had to sacrifice his life and happiness to save the world. Not surprised he's a bit bitchy sometimes. Have not seen the original MI in years. Same level of story telling in most of the better MIs as UFO. Leonard Nimoy was great watch in it in the last season only if I remember correctly.
Thank you Fanderson for talking about;Mission Impossiable!I love ❤️ this show as well!I forgot that Mr.Phelps lost 😠 his wife in that show!By the way,the actor from that show had passed away at his home 🏡 of a heart attack a few year’s ago.Interesting that Ufo and Mission Impoossiable have similarities!Best wishes to all the Ufo fan’s out there!
Say,there is a close encounter here,about people “getting conditioned”by the aliens,or,whatever you want to call it?It has uh,the same storyline as Captain Scarlet!People “get zapped” by those UFO’s,and become space 👹 space monster’s,themselves!Still a great,if dated show!Ha!Ha!Dad once said to my mom;say,you should watch Ufo!That’s what we’re watching!To which mom replied;maybe later!Dad was serous and yet,comical about this!As we watched the show!Ha,ha,ha!It was 🤣 funny! minster’s themselves!spac3
One of my favourite (if not the favourite) TV prog when I was a teenager (and holds up really well). If Wikipedia is correct Ed Bishop is buried at the Church in Napton Warwicks UK .Coincidently for years i lived only a few minutes away but never met or knew that; bearing in mind he is American does anyone know his connection to Napton? Going back, I actually saw the two cars in Leicester when they were taken on some sort of tour some time after the series. I think the pink one might have been hand painted and the brown one appeared driveable
Since I posted my original comment about Ed Bishop and also the cars the series if the history of the brown one on the net is correct it was once owned by a friend of a girlfriend who I met only once. Now I am nothing to do with TV so what kanother) coincidence! Had I just known I would have asked all about them!
8:57 Very beautiful eyes and features,too beautiful for a man. Why not James Bond and a star cinema?Pity! Pity they cut the movie,for Space 1999,which wasn't at all,better. Pity,his wife didn't understand him. She wasn't at his level,neither intelligence,nor wisdom,up to the end. 8:57 8:57
They would mess it up, like every remake. But yes if there was a talented cast, a strong storyline, a great director ( so many elements) yes I would love to see a remake. All the best
The Asian male Lieutenant in this episode (Lt. Chin)is the same guy in “ journey to the far side of the sun .. aka doppelgänger... he’s the Mongolian Air Rescue guy after they crash on the “ new planet “ ..👍🏻
omg! I forgot to mention it. The fishnet shirts! omg! I am Really showing my age! How many of those things did I wear for pantyhose of every single color! Yes, a kid of the 70s! And, my mini skirt! Yes, I looked great! My parents had a fit. lmao. And, don't forget the boots! Yes, I left home early. Got married at 19.
Fashions were awesome back then. Grew up in the late 70's. Styles actually got more boring towards 1980. Your time would have been more fun. Have a nice evening Ms. Andrews.
@@FandersonUfo No.Asi es.Vivimos una epoca oscura en cuanto a lo que debe ser la autoridad;y los seres muchas veces pusilanimes que se arrogan ese derecho.😑
@@isammolina4842 - Los payasos peligrosos de un circo loco son populares ahora. Espero que la gente se vuelva inteligente antes de que sea demasiado tarde.
Best question I've ever had here. I doubt I can answer it. Just helps Straker's cover story look more plausible if he's got a partner in the film studio is the best I can do for you. lol -FandersonUfo
FandersonUfo , thanks for the reply ... I always wondered who is the Harlington in Harlington-Straker 😂😂😂😂... I have to admit the premise of having a movie studio as a cover story for supersecret government organization is pure genius👏👏👏👏👏
The aliens breath a green fluid which is contained only in the helmet portion of their space suits The green fluid is not circulated in the gloves, arm sleeves, leggings etc. The fluid would only discolour the aliens head not his hands or feet.
0:32 Oh, NO! I *SAW* it! How can a show about top-flight smart people fighting a covert war against aliens not know that they're fighting UFOs, *NOT* UFO'S?! *AAAAAIIIIIIEEEEEEE!*
Really?Dangerous clowns are popular in circuses?That’s 😟 scary!A few years ago,gangs in Russia 🇷🇺 terriozed the Russian country,and,the police were too scared to do anything about it!Yeah,this call’s for a Superman like;Edward Straker!This happened in the early 1990”s by the way.
Personally, I think the owner of this series should remake it with all the best new computar graphics, and abilities to create the impossible imagery , AND story lines that aren't so 1960s corny! You've gotta admit that the show really SUFFERS because of the imense amount of societal change between the 1960s, when it was written, and the 1980s, when the story line supposedly takes place. I mean, even with a relatively small budget, the writers of today could do wonders with this antiquated gem of a cult classic, and they could take out all the silly, goofy, hyper-sentimental, 1960s relationship nonsense! I mean really! The foolishness of Strakers personal relationships with his wife and son, strained because of an alleged "affair" that Straker didn't even have while his wife was PREGNANT?! I doubt like hell that the British military establishment would have allowed any high ranking, beyond top secret officer would have been compromised by RIDICULOUS photos and notes made by any foreign government or military power, leading to the officers wife's incomprensible and melodromatic outbursts, and given the weight of Strakers security clearance, his JOB would immediately afford his wife any and all mental health care and support necessary to prevent her instability from ever compromising the SHADO mission! It also highly improbable that people's interpersonal relationships wouldn't evolve at all from the 1960s through the highly turbulent decades from 1960 through the 1970s up to the shows 1980 time frame. The cheesy relationships depicted on this show seem to be taken from dime soap opera novels from the 1950s! As I remember, having been in my teens and 20s during the late 70s & 80s, military couples did NOT ACT this way, in fact, no one did! You literally have to go back to the 1950s to find women so, subservient and / or needy, regarding their husband,- ESPECIALLY women who were in relationships with military officers! I'm an American, and it's quite obvious that the British Military often does things differently, however, I'm certain that the British Military would obviously deal with any extraterrestrial threats in a similar way as the United States Defense Department and our Awesome Military!
