As I sit here typing away on my iMac after telling Alexa to turn the lights on, it becomes clear to me that the future I was anticipating in those far off summer holidays of 1971, has been well and truly exceeded.
Thanks for the quotes Steve! Although it sounds as if I'm taking the piss I genuinely love UFO – one of those rare series that actually gets better as it goes on. Timelash is stunning – ingenious concept and the action never lets up. And Mindbender is as nutty and (literally) fourth wall-breaking as anything Patrick McGoohan dreamed up in The Prisoner.
Loved it (when I could find it shunted around the ITV schedule), more serious yet also more preposterous than Space 1999. I prefer the vehicles on UFO though. I bought the (Australian?) boxset a few years ago but haven’t dared watch it in case it destroys my memory of it.
I think I've probably seen it when it was repeated, but can't really recall it at all, although the pictures you posted look familiar. However, I recently got the box set for free, and am even more eager to get to watching it now!
Loved the article, Steve! I was six living in ATV-land in 1971 and I was obsessed with UFO. At that age, schooldays involved spelling and sums in the morning followed by drawing with wax crayons in the afternoon. All I ever drew were UFOs, interceptors, mobiles and Skydiver. I still enjoy an episode on ITVX from time to time. I just wish there were more than 26!
Those dark helmets scared me. My excuse is that I was 6 years old. Thanks for the photos and videos -- now I'm going to have to watch some episodes on Amazon Prime. Those silver outfits imprinted on my brain and I still like them. The purple, identical haircuts, not so much.
A bit off-topic, but it reminds me... There was a children's TV show that I watched when very young called Timeslip. (Do you know it?) The second story ("The Time of the Ice Box") included cryonics, AI, and brain augmentation! Pretty remarkable for the time and the audience. (Also on Prime Video.)
If episodes are free to view on YouTube, I just may give the show another try, Steve! I was 15 in 1972 when UFO was aired at 7:00 on Saturdays (right before All In The Family). I thought the show looked terrific, but gave up on it after 2 episodes. UFO was paced way too slowly for me back then. (It’s kind of a shame that Amazon Prime makes you pay to watch the series, I’d prefer to watch it there...)
Hmmm... I see Episode 26/The Long Sleep there on YouTube. Is there another one that’s missing?
I also found the compilation movie called Invasion: UFO on YouTube and Amazon. The opening credits and music that ITC tacked on to it is godawful I must say...!
Thanks, yes, I see it’s on there, I just wondered if you were in the UK and seeing it for free. I didn’t know Timeslip was on there, so thanks for the heads up! I loved that show as a kid. I may well buy a couple of episodes.
Thanks for the quotes Steve! Although it sounds as if I'm taking the piss I genuinely love UFO – one of those rare series that actually gets better as it goes on. Timelash is stunning – ingenious concept and the action never lets up. And Mindbender is as nutty and (literally) fourth wall-breaking as anything Patrick McGoohan dreamed up in The Prisoner.
Loved it (when I could find it shunted around the ITV schedule), more serious yet also more preposterous than Space 1999. I prefer the vehicles on UFO though. I bought the (Australian?) boxset a few years ago but haven’t dared watch it in case it destroys my memory of it.
I think I've probably seen it when it was repeated, but can't really recall it at all, although the pictures you posted look familiar. However, I recently got the box set for free, and am even more eager to get to watching it now!
Loved the article, Steve! I was six living in ATV-land in 1971 and I was obsessed with UFO. At that age, schooldays involved spelling and sums in the morning followed by drawing with wax crayons in the afternoon. All I ever drew were UFOs, interceptors, mobiles and Skydiver. I still enjoy an episode on ITVX from time to time. I just wish there were more than 26!
Thanks for the nice feedback, Andy. I’m sure they were thinking of a reboot at one point, but I can’t imagine it would have the same appeal.
Those dark helmets scared me. My excuse is that I was 6 years old. Thanks for the photos and videos -- now I'm going to have to watch some episodes on Amazon Prime. Those silver outfits imprinted on my brain and I still like them. The purple, identical haircuts, not so much.
Cheers, Max! Are you watching it in the UK or US? Just wondered if it's free or you have to buy episodes?
A bit off-topic, but it reminds me... There was a children's TV show that I watched when very young called Timeslip. (Do you know it?) The second story ("The Time of the Ice Box") included cryonics, AI, and brain augmentation! Pretty remarkable for the time and the audience. (Also on Prime Video.)
If episodes are free to view on YouTube, I just may give the show another try, Steve! I was 15 in 1972 when UFO was aired at 7:00 on Saturdays (right before All In The Family). I thought the show looked terrific, but gave up on it after 2 episodes. UFO was paced way too slowly for me back then. (It’s kind of a shame that Amazon Prime makes you pay to watch the series, I’d prefer to watch it there...)
Thanks, Curtis. I also found them free on Archive.org. It seems that not all episodes are on YouTube. The one that was shifted to late night viewing in the UK was this one. It's interesting because it deals with psychedelics. https://archive.org/details/UFO.complete/UFO.26.The+Long+Sleep.avi
Hmmm... I see Episode 26/The Long Sleep there on YouTube. Is there another one that’s missing?
I also found the compilation movie called Invasion: UFO on YouTube and Amazon. The opening credits and music that ITC tacked on to it is godawful I must say...!
I’ll check it out…
Thanks, yes, I see it’s on there, I just wondered if you were in the UK and seeing it for free. I didn’t know Timeslip was on there, so thanks for the heads up! I loved that show as a kid. I may well buy a couple of episodes.
Amazon Prime offers it for two or three dollars per episode, but it looks like all episodes are available on YouTube (at least in the US).
I just found them free online here on Archive.org: https://archive.org/details/UFO.complete/UFO.01.Identified.avi
I love all of the Gerry Anderson shows, and SF in general, but somehow I never got to see this one. Must fix that!