Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3856 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-03-18
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 4
• Formats: Box set, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 4
• Running time: 620 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
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, was like a more serious version of Anderson's Captain Scarlet (1967)--in the near future of 1980 a hi-tech secret organisation, SHADO, waged covert war against mysterious alien attackers. Ed Bishop played the American head of SHADO--he had had 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 camp fancy dress party than the front line of a futuristic war, this cult classic eventually evolved into Space 1999 (1975).

On the DVD: this four-disc deluxe box features the first 13 episodes. The first disc includes an alternate, more violent opening scene, while later discs feature text transcriptions and photographs from scenes cut due to TV running time restrictions. All discs provide extensive galleries of publicity and behind the scenes photos, as well as character profiles or a history of SHADO. The opening episode, "Identified", features a commentary by Gerry Anderson, in which he talks in general about the production of the series and Ed Bishop does the same for the episode "Sub Smash". From the animated menus onwards these 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, colourful and detailed that they could have been filmed last week. --Gary S Dalkin

Special Features
4:3
English
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital English
Dolby Digital
Gerry Anderson Commentary
Alternate Opening Sequence
Production Gallery
Deleted Scenes Gallery
Behind The Scenes
Main Character Profile
SHADO Dossiers

Synopsis
This 1970s live-action Gerry Anderson sci-fi series is set in (the then-futuristic world of) 1980, a time when alien invaders have begun to kidnap humans for ghastly purposes. Earth's only hope is the secret SHADO (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organisation), led by Commander Ed Straker (Ed Bishop). This four-disc set features 13 episodes from the first season, including "Identified," "Computer Affair," "Conflict," "The Dalotek Affair," "The Square Triangle," and more.

Customer Reviews

A Real Gem
It's great to see what some of the fellow British reviewers have said about this show. UFO, in my opinion, does rank as the best British sci-fi televsion series to date. These earlier episodes are sometimes a little slower than the later ones but in no account to they suffer for it as they do tend to study more character driven plotlines with a nice balance to some great action set pieces. This especially applies to Commander Straker in episodes such as 'A Question of Priorities' which is compelling viewing. The imagination here is also stunning. Much has been written about the purple wigs and who cares why they have them; they look awesome as do the girls that wear them but that's another story! The design work on the show including it's vehicles and special effects is also of the same high standard including SID, the talking satellite with a cool, polished voice.

In reading some of the american reviews I was stunned to see some people attacking this show for it so so-called 'low budget special effects' or 'Thunderbirds-style special effects'. The show was indeed produced by the very same team that produced Thunderbirds and the effects are stunning. Even when Thunderbirds and Stingray were made in the mid 60's let alone UFO, the effects the shows demonstrated were way ahead of their time, especially considering they were made often made on a low budget and for television.

One other factor I must agree on is the standard of re-mastering. All 26 episodes in both box sets are stunning both on the visuals and the audio and are a real credit to the team at Carlton Visual Entertainment.

To finish with, I highly recommend this set. Its great television on most fronts and is a worthy rival to some of the best of Star Trek.

Shiny refurbishment
Arguably Gerry Anderson's television masterpiece, UFO receives a superb spit-and-polish in the shiny shape of this 13-episode digipack. Made between 1969 and 1970 and set, laughably, in the eighties, the series concerned the efforts of a secret military organisation to repel sinister visitations from a distant planet. It was Anderson's first live-action series following a succession of family-friendly puppet shows. The themes and plotlines were noticably adult in content, a fact that goes some way to explaining the difficulties TV schedulers had with it at the time.
Uniformly attractive characters inhabit a bizarre world of string vests and purple wigs - the programme may have had a unique look but occupied no reality known to mankind. Suspend your disbelief, however, and there is much to enjoy here: mostly excellent stories, great hardware, Derek Meddings' fabulous miniatures and far-out Hammond-organ jazz! The tone is often jaw-droppingly pessimistic - surprising after the fun-filled antics of Thunderbirds - and in Ed Bishop, we had a charismatic, no-nonsense lead, even if wardrobe did undermine much of his authoritative work by squeezing him into romper suits.
The extras have been studiously assembled, if you like squinting through pages of tiny text, but at least they include a cherishably honest director's commentary from Gerry Anderson on the opening episode, and plenty of insightful behind-the-scenes stills and info. The animated menus are nice, too - full marks to Carlton, once again. The main reason to buy these, however, is the digital remastering. The crisp images, especially the studio scenes, look as though they could have been shot yesterday. Indeed, you can even see how the make-up's been applied.
Interceptors, immediate launch!

Gerry Anderson at his absolute best.
Every available superlative could be used to describe this Gerry Anderson series. Set in the then futuristic year of 1980 when earth was being attacked from space by a race of humanoid aliens. Travelling to earth they aimed to steal human organs to replace parts of their failing bodies. The 'Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organisation' or SHADO for short is based beneath a working movie studio where Commander Ed Straker also takes the role of movie executive.

With an array of Anderson style futuristic vehicles on the ground, in the air, in space and beneath the sea, sets and clothing bringing the illusion to life. Thankfully the fashions never caught on in reality! As for the purple anti-static wigs and silver uniforms worn by the female SHADO operatives on Moon Base you'll have to decide for yourself.

Gerry Anderson had always wanted to produce a 'live action' series and with the UFO series Lew Grade gave him his well deserved opportunity. Boy did Gerry Anderson take his chance with both hands. Not that the puppet series of Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and Stingray were poor by any standards but UFO took the genre to a whole new level.

Now a cult series with many fan clubs around the globe, this is a must have collectors item that no UFO or Gerry Anderson fan can afford to miss. The effects were ground breaking at the time as were the techniques used to create such great illusion.

Great performances from Ed Bishop as the ice cool Commander Ed Straker, Michael Billington as the action hero Col Paul Foster, George Sewell as Straker's sidekick Col Alec Freeman and of course Gabrielle Drake as Lt Gay Ellis to name just four of the main cast.