UFO Set 1 (4pc)

Starring:Ed Bishop, George Sewell
Studio: A&E Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
UFO was Gerry Anderson's first live-action TV series after a decade of producing such children's animated classics as Stingray (1963) and Thunderbirds (1964). The premise of UFO, which ran for a single season of 26 episodes in 1970, was like a more serious version of Anderson's Captain Scarlet (1967): in the near future of 1980, a high-tech secret organization, SHADO, waged covert war against mysterious alien attackers. Ed Bishop played the American head of SHADO--he had been previously featured in Captain Scarlet and Anderson's Doppelganger (1969)--though in all other respects this was a thoroughly British production. As with all Anderson series, UFO evidenced remarkable technological inventiveness and groundbreaking production values, coupled with startling lapses in fundamental logic too numerous to list.

Much more adult in story and content than earlier Anderson productions, and surprisingly dark with its pragmatic view of human nature and downbeat endings, the show now seems like a forerunner of The X-Files and the equally short-lived Dark Skies (1996). Barry Gray's memorable theme and atmospheric music greatly enhanced the overall impact. Stylishly made, though terribly sexist by current standards and featuring eye-catching costumes more fitted for a campy dress party than the front line of a futuristic war, this cult classic eventually evolved into Space 1999 (1975).

The UFO DVDs have been beautifully designed and produced. The mono sound is exceptionally strong, and the restored and remastered picture is almost unbelievably good for a 1970 TV show. With barely a flaw anywhere, the episodes look so clear, colorful, and detailed that they could have been filmed last week. This four-disc box features the first 13 episodes: "Identified," "Computer Affair," "Flight Path," "Exposed," "Survival," "Conflict," "The Dalotek Affair," "A Question of Priorities," "Ordeal," "The Square Triangle," "Court Martial," "Close Up," and "Confetti Check A-OK." --Gary S Dalkin
Description
Head back to the future with SHADO! The year is 1980, and earth is under attack from a mysterious race of aliens. Their origins are unknown, their goals unclear. But they are capturing humans to harvest their organs. In a lead-lined bunker 80 feet beneath a London film studio, the members of SHADO (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organization) strive to save the otherwise helpless planet. Led by the dedicated Commander Ed Straker, SHADO recruits the finest agents from every nation. From a secret moon base and a fleet of submarine interceptors, they deploy an incredible arsenal of high-tech weapons to stop the extra-terrestrial invaders.

Amazon.com

UFO was Gerry Anderson's first live-action TV series after a decade of producing such children's animated classics as Stingray (1963) and Thunderbirds (1964). The premise of UFO, which ran for a single season of 26 episodes in 1970, was like a more serious version of Anderson's Captain Scarlet (1967): in the near future of 1980, a high-tech secret organization, SHADO, waged covert war against mysterious alien attackers. Ed Bishop played the American head of SHADO--he had been previously featured in Captain Scarlet and Anderson's Doppelganger (1969)--though in all other respects this was a thoroughly British production. As with all Anderson series, UFO evidenced remarkable technological inventiveness and groundbreaking production values, coupled with startling lapses in fundamental logic too numerous to list.

Much more adult in story and content than earlier Anderson productions, and surprisingly dark with its pragmatic view of human nature and downbeat endings, the show now seems like a forerunner of The X-Files and the equally short-lived Dark Skies (1996). Barry Gray's memorable theme and atmospheric music greatly enhanced the overall impact. Stylishly made, though terribly sexist by current standards and featuring eye-catching costumes more fitted for a campy dress party than the front line of a futuristic war, this cult classic eventually evolved into Space 1999 (1975).

The UFO DVDs have been beautifully designed and produced. The mono sound is exceptionally strong, and the restored and remastered picture is almost unbelievably good for a 1970 TV show. With barely a flaw anywhere, the episodes look so clear, colorful, and detailed that they could have been filmed last week. This four-disc box features the first 13 episodes: "Identified," "Computer Affair," "Flight Path," "Exposed," "Survival," "Conflict," "The Dalotek Affair," "A Question of Priorities," "Ordeal," "The Square Triangle," "Court Martial," "Close Up," and "Confetti Check A-OK." --Gary S Dalkin

Description

Head back to the future with SHADO! The year is 1980, and earth is under attack from a mysterious race of aliens. Their origins are unknown, their goals unclear. But they are capturing humans to harvest their organs. In a lead-lined bunker 80 feet beneath a London film studio, the members of SHADO (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organization) strive to save the otherwise helpless planet. Led by the dedicated Commander Ed Straker, SHADO recruits the finest agents from every nation. From a secret moon base and a fleet of submarine interceptors, they deploy an incredible arsenal of high-tech weapons to stop the extra-terrestrial invaders.

The first live-action series from legendary producer Gerry Anderson (Thunderbirds, Space: 1999), UFO features the same innovative sci-fi sensibility and extraordinary special effects as his cult-classic "super-marionation" shows. This set includes the following episodes: Identified, Computer Affair, Flight Path, Exposed, Survival, Conflict, The Dalotek Affair, A Question of Priorities, Ordeal, The Square Triangle, Court Martial, Close Up, Confetti Check A-OK.

Customer Reviews:

Classic sci-fi.......2007-06-11

As before, the acting is not so good, and the stories are weak, but I love this show!! First saw it in 1970 right after seeing Apollo 11 land on the moon the year before! I never thought that I would see it again as so few channels run foreign sci-fi TV programs!! If you like Space 1999, then this will be enjoyed as well! I'm glad I got it!!

THIS SHOW IS STILL COOL.......2005-09-24

This show is a taste of the 60's fantasy TV. I love it. My 10 year old daughter watches some of this shows with me. Great special efects, for 1969, if you consider they didn't use any CG scenes at all. It even looks good on my 51" wide screen TV; on "wide zoom" it gets a little distorted but that is how I watch it now. When I saw it as a kid I must have been really stupid because I don't remember all the hotties, just the doom, doom, doom, doom, toorurum...theme. The bad thing is, my wife doesn't believe me...I don't care, I am keeping these DVD's. I found some UFO diecast models on EBAY. This is cool stuff...

One of the finest SF series ever made........2005-08-25

I looked for 30 years to see these again. Just simply awesome.

A beautiful DVD set.... brings back alot of memories........2005-08-19

I was in the 2nd grade back in 1973 when this show came out, but like everyone else here this show had a HUGE impact on me. I remember it used to come on late at night, way past my bedtime, so it was a thrill to stay up and watch it. And my little UFO lunchbox was my pride and joy! LOL (I was the only kid that had it and I still have it to this day). During lunch in the cafeteria I remember my friends and I gawking at the big-boobed submarine girl in the fishnet top just as intently as the fighter jets and stuff. For a 7-year-old everything about it was awesome. Yes, it WAS a cool show, but even back then I knew it was weird -- and creepy, too -- yet it was unforgettable.

So today, in 2005, when I just happened to see the box sets in the bookstore I just HAD to get it -- and I'm glad I did, too. Like every other guy of my generation who's posted on here, watching UFO again after 35 years brought back tons of fond memories. Sure the acting is terrible and the plots make no more sense to me now than they did way back when, but I love it. The DVD's themselves are impeccably clean and bright -- I am VERY impressed with the whole ensemble. Great job.

It doesn't get any better than this!.......2003-10-24

If you look up "cool" in the dictionary, you will find a cast photo from Gerry Anderson's 1969-1970 cult classic TV series "UFO." It's too bad this series lasted only one season. It's an unusual mix of American and British ideas, something that doesn't happen much in British or American TV.

At first I thought the series (especially the pilot episode) was like watching Austin Powers played straight, but it soon became evident that there was much more to the series than that. Sure, it has the Sixties look with clothes and decor and cool cars, but the overall storyline contains depth. And as it progresses, the stories become darker and more multi-layered.

Set 2, which contains the last 13 episodes, deals with more kidnappings and multilations by the aliens who are out to harvest the organs of earthlings, but all this just proves the point of how important SHADO was (is?) to the protection of planet Earth and to the human race.

So buy Set 1 and give yourself some time to get into the characters and it won't take long before you find yourself on a roller coaster ride enjoying some first class sci-fi adventures. I have a feeling that by the time you get to episode 13 in Set 1, you will have to have Set 2 of "UFO" in your collection so you can see the whole ball of wax.

Long live Commander Straker (Ed Bishop), sci-fi guru Gerry Anderson and all the other talented people who brought "UFO" to life in the distant future of... 1980. Yep, you heard right, 1980!

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