The Making and Unmaking of Gerry & Sylvia Anderson's UFO (BEHIND THE SCENES) 

I`m 59 and I`m STILL devastated that there was not a 2nd series of UFO. I LIVED for UFO as a youngster. It would have been fascinating to see how another series would have developed.

DEEP RESPECT to this GREAT MAN. He deserved a knighthood for his work in TV and film. RIP Gerry in my world SIR GERALD ANDERSON! Deeply missed.

Totally here for the behind the scenes information. Not for the thumbnail of Gabrielle Drake putting on her miniskirt. Oh no.

As a kid, this was my favourite watch on the telly. Brilliant stuff!

I vividly remember sitting on Santas knee in Fenwicks toy store in Newcastle telling him I want an Interceptor toy for Christmas, I watched Santa then say to my Mam, did you hear that, she nodded and on Christmas morning I opened up this box and reached new realms of happiness :)

UFO was a far superior show in every way, I remember back then how disappointed I was with space 1999 and the news no more UFO episodes, 😩😩😩

Mr. Anderson created my childhood shows! In America I watched in the '70's, growing up.❤❤🤗😁🌟🌟🤘 I'm still a kid at 54 and enjoying these classics, online! Genius, man. ❤🤗😁🤘

1:09 - Gabrielle Drake in a miniskirt: what l lovely sight. She was one of the reasons I watched this show.

My childhood in a box; loved it.

Those STRINGS at the beginning to introduce the production company is striking! Also, that series' intro music is JAMMING! 💥💥💥💥

Someone NEEDS to make that season 2 of UFO. I'm a big fan of Space: 1999, but "UFO Plus" sounds fascinating.

For me UFO was Gerry's greatest series. While there is a part of me that would have loved to see more episodes I'd also be worried they'd go in the wrong direction and not be as good as the first series. Maybe it's better we just have the 26 and we're not talking about it going downhill. With those superb later Pinewood episodes it really went out on a high.

Nice interview.

One of my favourite programmes ever, never sure if for kids or adults. Apart from B&W screens it still holds up, as for Space 1999 couldn't stand it- Mr Anderson thank you for so many happy memories God bless

When i was ten, i had a sticker book of this show and i was fascinated by the girls and their fantastic hair color. This really looked like the future 🤓

UFO was far more superior than Space 1999 in every way. Space 1999's storylines got more and more bizarre as it went on. It was pretty much a children's show which I guess says more about the American market who didn't get the storylines from UFO.

I was a UFO addict when it was first on TV. Set in 1980! So far into the future! 1980 was 43 years ago. Damn......

G.A. has such a relaxing ASMR Voice. His narrations on the DVD set is wonderful.

Just noticed. Gabrielle Drake in a miniskirt is in the thumbnail. Obviously the uploader thinks the same as I do !

My favorite show as a kid, I was in love with Alan!!!!!

I'm 60 now, That was my favorite show since the moon landings. I was 7 at the time and every Sunday evening I look forward to a new episode then I was heart broken when I learned it wasn't airing any more. I really liked that car and wish I could have one like it.

Excellent show. I watched it religiously as a kid. I highly recommend getting the UFO Megaset on DVD. I was just watching the first episode (Identified) the other night. The theme song is my Ringtone. Yeah, you could say I'm a Fan. 😁👍🛸

Lovely to see you Gerry you are a true artist i even got a boxed set of Captain Scarlet took me ages to find .Deep respect for this man "Wow "

I had a Dinky brand UFO interceptor toy as a child.

At nearly 60 years old, I am STILL enjoying UFO as much, if not more than I did when watching it in syndication in the early 70s in Portland, Oregon, on KPTV Channel 12...and I have to agree that, IMHO, Space 1999 (although interesting) was no UFO. So thankful it can still be enjoyed today!

So, Lew Grade killed off both UFO & Thunderbirds and his nephew Michael Grade killed off Dr. Who, what a family epitaph...

I barely remember UFO, and if not for the internet, I would almost believe I dreamed it. But I was a big fan of Space:1999, and I had some of the toys. Both shows looked so cool for the time.

Space 1999 was my favourite show growing up

Such an important and well done show. A lot of love went into the models.

I loved this show. Never missed an episode. We had these slides at school and we would pretend we were bording the ships.

A brilliant man, I watched all these back in the day, joyful to watch again

UFO is my favourite tv show of all time, I can only hope that karma caught up with that american who denied us a 2nd series. Utter utter b'stard.

Well Bless you Gerry for the UFO Interceptor and the Eagle Transporter....models I still love and collect today

My family in Massachusetts loved the show. We would act out episodes, and even tried to speak the Queen’s English. Good times.

Let's be real we watched it for the purple hair and short skirts

The thought of a second series of a 'super' UFO being canned is the most disturbing thing I've ever heard! I lived UFO when I was a kid. I remember once I was prevented from watching an episode. I still have nightmares about that...😸😸😸 Seriously though, it has to rate among the most beautiful audio and visual feasts of any television production ever, along with Thunderbirds of course. Hard to choose between them, but I guess Thunderbirds has to win. Captain Scarlett was next fave with possibly the best theme, (and the 3 best road vehicles). Barry Gray was an utter genius with the music for those three. The Joe90 theme was amazing too, but not such a favourite to watch. I wish I could tell Gerry how much he added to a lads life. I guess he knew. Edit: Ha, ha. Not about me of course but his young viewers in general, doh!

That US guy wants hanging up by his crown jewels ! UFO was a really great programme and a second series would have been amazing, same for Thunderbirds. Oh well something else to blames the yanks for :)

Glad I have the series on DVD.. loved it as a teen!

This just shows that Powerful people can help or hinder a production because they dont understand ART. I saw UFO at 10 years old in 1970 and can still remember the Cool Cars, and the Purple haired ladies on moonbase. Absolutely Stunning. Star trek original series should have go on longer or the spinoff with the alien and black cat, would have been really cool. The guy was a Genius

Loved the programme

My favourite programme ever

I'm 65 years old...UFO . ... Big nostalgia. Grazie mille Mr Anderson

great 5mins on ufo and what turn into space 1999 (late 1973)

I loved both UFO and Space 1999 . Sad to think the talent for making these programmes has gone ...but not forgotten !

The ladies were fiiiiiine!

My favourite tv show by far when I was young

Just rewatching UFO on ITV+. Interesting to see the 1970s vision of the future and it’s still great fun.

Mr Anderson (ohh wait on...) Mr Gerry Anderson was a magnificent creator and visionary. I loved everything that I saw of his. Loved Thunderbirds, UFO and these shows were amazing... they set off imaginings and ideas... And I didn't realize UFO turned into Space: 1999... another show I loved. I'll have to try to find them on DVD or stream if they are available still.

The episode about Straker's son, holds up as good story telling and production even now.

A perfect Sunday afternoon.

This show was my JAM

Such a good show

Really liked most of the 1st series of Space 1999, the less said about the awful 2nd series though the better. UFO was far superior, and it is a real shame that Straker and his crew were not given a 2nd series, I think it would have been brilliant. One of life's missed opportunities there.

Oddly enough, Gerry never felt his career was a success, but he was wrong.I, like millions of children of the time found his shows fascinating and now,as a 63 year old man, I own all his shows and still think they are FAB.He was a genius, as well as all those who worked on these shows,especially Derek Meddings,for his special effects.

Loved the show

These Anderson projects were absolutely fantastic entertainment when I watched them in the 1960’s. Nothing else like them on TV and far superior to the remakes in animation form

A great series, look great even now. Quality from the golden age of TV.

UFO was far better in many respects than Space: 1999 (I still love season 1). UFO had plausible, excellent stories delivered by brilliant actors who were truly passionate about the series.

I love both deeply. I honestly prefer Space: 1999 to UFO, but both are something very very special to me ❤

Gabrielle Drake - enough said!

Those two were stars in so many things together and apart.

I loved the show as a kid.

1:08 drool. Loved this show.

When are all the UFO episodes going to be condensed into one epic blockbuster movie?????!!!!! It could kickstart a new tv series, if done right.

Blimey!!! 😉🇬🇧

Film industry can be so cruel!

Amazed Gerry got this all done even with shackles on his feet.

Hands up who would have told that Yank to Foxtrot Oscar.

I loved this show.....I was a young teen when it was on...Martin Landau was so handsome

1:08 - 1:15 The always gorgeous Gabby Drake as Lt Gay Ellis on Moonbase for SHADO.

CBS wants Gerry Anderson's UFO 🛸 series on Prime Time shows instead of syndicated.

Thought there was a link between the two shows

I only saw a couple episodes of UFO, but watched 1999 a lot!

Wow never knew about this before. IMO the best bits of UFO were the earth based episodes such as the one mentioned and the time Foster was court marshlled.

The premise of Space 1999 is so bizarre really (if you think about it) that there always had to be something odd in the backstory. UFO and Space 1999 can almost (almost) be made to inhabit the same universe. I came across an illustration in a book recently of Alphans exploring old "military installations" in the catacombs of the moon and coming across abandoned UFO Interceptors. That's fun!

I remember this series first shown on UK TV at 10:30 immediatly after the test transmission for service engineers on BBC2. Brilliant series, and a bit close to the knuckle as I discovered later in life as a serviceman! Shame it never went beyond series 2. In the 90s I had the pleasure to work with a gentleman who did his film editing apprenticeship on UFO. Always thought of Space 1999 as almost a future UFO. What about a series based between the two? But God help anyone who tries to update / sex-up the Eagles!

UFO was so, so much better than Space 1999. Better writing, premise, atmosphere, style

Great

Thanks Gerry. While we're chatting I must say that the theme-tune change for S02 of Space 1999 was a crazy decision. Why did you dump Barry Gray dude.?

I liked UFO so much. I had one of the Dinky green SHADO mobile vehicles when I was a kid.

good and cool

As someone who still loves and watches UFO to this day, I am so disappointed series 2 of UFO was turned into Space 1999 (which I loathe - sorry). I personally prefer the more "realistic", darker and mysterious approach of UFO than 1999.

A genius.

A lot of the stuff (space suits etc.) for UFO were also used in a movie called Journey To The Far Side Of the Sun. Also, several of the UFO actors appeared in that movie.

The 1st season of Space 1999 was Great. And the music score was Excellent. But the 2nd season when they changed the Producers it became less Mysterious. They lost the Chemistry of the people who were in the 1st season like Barry Morse , Kano , Paul , and Sandra Benes. And when the studios starts to mess with the Chemistry of a Show and they start to insult the intelligence of the viewer that is when the show starts to fail. And maintaining Chemistry and having Good story lines is the key. But egos get in the way of Progress everything. When you want to make something cheap then cheap is what you are going to get ? You know what they say ? The Cheaper the crook how Gaudy is the Padder ? UFO was a Great Series too. They should have kept the Actor that played Alex Freeman in it. Because The Chemisty between him and Commander Stryker worked. I heard the reason why he was let go was because get this , they say that he a porked mark face that us American's would not like ? Meaning he wasn't a Handsome man. Like that should've mattered ? He was a Good Actor and he had Chemistry with Commander Stryker Character that all should have mattered. And they also took out some other Characters on the show that they should have kept too. I liked when they brought in Paul's Character he had a Good Chemistry with Commander Stryker too. All of them wore their Nehru Jacket suits well. But what with the purple wigs ? Was they trying to make a Fashion statement or Something ?

With all of the reboots nowadays, I’m surprised UFO and/or Space: 1999 haven’t been remade.

The mystery element of UFO really set it apart from Space 1999, Star Trek and the other scifi genre series of the era.

Too bad because UFO was great and Space 1999 not so much (for me at least). It's a shame how some arrogant US producer would dictate terms and end any possibility of a second season of UFO.

@1:08 He fixes the cable?

Never watched UFO!...but Space 1999 was the dogs cahunas as far as I was concerned back in the 70's...🤩...the 'Eagle' and their equivalent to Star Treks phaser the refashioned staple gun!!...every schoolboys favourite must have's!!...😳

Anyone who is interested in doing so, you can visit the final resting place of Ed bishop at the parish church of saint Lawrence, in napton in Warwickshire. He is buried next to his son who died tragically in a car accident in 1988.

The studios have a history of being brutal to scifi even from the very beginning huh. What could his real reason for such a bizarre request even be?

On my birthday, my wife wears the purple wig.

I have watched the whole series on Britbox. Fantastic show! Growing up in Montréal though, Space : 1999 ( or Cosmos : 1999, as it was called in French was way more popular than UFO. But not for me.

Was a shame my favourite character was not in the show very long.

I'll never forgive british tv to took away from us Gabrielle Drake with her miniskirts and purple wigs

I think the premiss of abduction was a little too near the knuckle. Yeah it's a show that's outlasted it's time. The real Shadow watch this.

Back then, I totally wanted the girl with the purple hair 1:15.

Classic TV 📺 😅

The episode where Sraker's boy was killed is not something Americans want to see..... I remember that 😢 and it gave the show a taste of what life is like... Great Job From USA