Close Up: The Worst Episode?

Just got to the end of the first four of the Carlton DVDs with the episode
Close Up.

Is it just me, or is this the worst and least interesting episode of them
all?? There are only two points of interest for me: firstly Gay Ellis
rather resentfully telling Straker her schedule was only a rough one (and
Strakers long gaze after her),and secondly Barry Gray's cracking 'Sleeping
Astronaut' music while the astronauts are working on the probe. (If it
wasn't for the music the sequence would be rather boring...)

The rest of the episode seems to consist of an awful lot of padding
(interminable shots of launch controls etc).

Anyone else agree?

Simon

"Simon Morris" wrote:

I do agree that it's one of the very worst episodes, mainly because
the script doesn't make a lot of sense. I have never noticed the
redeeming features you refer to here! Having said that though, it's
one of the episodes I remembered most after first viewing thirty
years or so ago, mainly because of the suspense of waiting for the
results from the probe. And the fact that they end up with nothing
seems to underlines the sense of mystery surrounding the Aliens.

James

Hi there!

I'm new to the group, so bear with me in case this doesn't work. As to
"Close Up," this was the first episode of UFO I ever saw! I was about 10 and
was just amazed by the hardware in it. When I got the View-Master sometime
later, I was really thrilled to find out that it was the same episode. I
don't think that it's the "worst" episode of the series (I haven't even been
able to see all of them yet-can't wait for the Region 1 DVD release).

Actually, I basically like every episode of the series I've seen, with only
the "flower children" flashbacks from "The Long Sleep" and that interview in
one episode ("Conflict?") with the actual ufo expert (Dr. Strangis?)
bothering me.




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>Is it just me, or is this the worst and least interesting episode of them
>all??

I think the directory (Alan Perry) of CLOSE UP would agree with you.
He's always hated that episode, and put the blame on the script he
was given. However, after reading the original script, I think the
episode would have been much better if they stuck to it, rather
than deleting the Lt. Ellis sub-plot and replacing it with filler.

As for it being the "worst" episode? Well, for me, ORDEAL is the
worst episode...

Marc

On Wednesday, April 10, 2002, 10:29:34 AM, Marc wrote:

MM> As for it being the "worst" episode? Well, for me, ORDEAL is the
MM> worst episode...

Oh, come on. Gotta be "Cat With 10 Lives" or "The Psychobombs."

Nothing like completely changing your premise in mid-series for no
appearant reason!

--

Jonathan Andrew Sheen

http://www.leviathanstudios.com
Leviathan of the GEI (Detached.)
[hidden email]

"What'dya expect? I'm a New Yorker!"
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Why Ordeal?

1999 Lives,
Anthony
----- Original Message -----
From: "Marc Martin" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2002 10:29 AM
Subject: Re: [SHADO] Close Up: The Worst Episode?


<snip>
> As for it being the "worst" episode? Well, for me, ORDEAL is the
> worst episode...
>
> Marc
>

For me the worst episode is "Close UP', the reason is not the plot, but the
waste of expediture. With a Cdr. like Straker, it's hard to believe that the
they would not double or triple check the probe. Making sure that everything
was functioning properly, as this might have been their last chance. Also
the probe, could have been sending interment signals back to earth on its
position.
As usual I like the Moonbase scenery! The lunar modual scene was a bit too
long however.
I guess it was a weak story outline in the begining.
Just my $.02
Steve Christensen



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>Why Ordeal?

To me, ORDEAL is an awkward episode -- the directing, editing, and
acting all seem "off". Not so much the scenes with Foster, but
mostly the stuff with Straker, Freeman, and Jackson. Of course,
since it's all a dream, one could argue that it's SUPPOSED to be that
way, but I'm more of the opinion that was a shortcoming of director
Ken Turner, as his previous episode FLIGHT PATH suffered from similar
problems. (although to be fair, Ken also directed some of the best
episodes of the series, so I guess he was a fast learner!)

Also, ORDEAL is also full of filler shots, because it's yet another
episode where some of the original script was removed (the escalating
ridiculousness of the dream).

And although I don't necessarily mind the "it was all a dream" at the
end, I think they could have took more advantage of the dream to make
something really outrageous (like in Space:1999's WAR GAMES, where
they killed off several regulars and destroyed the base). Instead,
the overall story was realistic enough that they could have left off
that ending and made it a "real" episode.

Marc

--- In SHADO@y..., Marc Martin <marc@u...> wrote:
> Also, ORDEAL is also full of filler shots, because it's yet another
> episode where some of the original script was removed (the
> escalating ridiculousness of the dream). ... Instead,
> the overall story was realistic enough that they could have left
> off that ending and made it a "real" episode.

In that story are serious events such as several SHADO trainees in
the gym being killed (shot? gassed?) by the aliens who abducted
Foster. To me, the summary dismissal of those events and the whole
story and any resulting plot discontinuities, as "and it was all a
dream", does not belong in a story as intelligent and serious as UFO.
I am tempted to ignore that last bit and treat it as real.

It may have inspired the Countdown comic strip UFO story "The Snatch"
where Foster is abducted to the alien homeworld and there he teams up
with two other abductees and they steal a UFO each and fly home.

And a P.S. re Sky 1: also, to me the shape of Sky 1 is a very bad
aerodynamic shape for a jet fighter, with that big flat rear end
where it joins onto Diver. No real plane is that shape. I admit that
real bullets are often that sort of shape. I could accept Sky 1 being
missile-shaped and fired from a tube like a torpedo.

"Brian Lindstrand" wrote:
> Hi there!

Hi Brian, and welcome!

> Actually, I basically like every episode of the series I've seen,
> with only the "flower children" flashbacks from "The Long Sleep"
> and that interview in one episode ("Conflict?") with the actual
> ufo expert (Dr. Strangis?) bothering me.
>

One of the interesting things about UFO is that there's a wide
variety of views on favourite episodes, good bits / bad bits and
so on, as you'll no doubt notice here on the list!

Your point about The Long Sleep definitely underlines that -
the sepia-toned flashback sequences from Covent Garden, Tower
Bridge and Piccadilly Circus are what makes it special for me.
Otherwise I admit it's a bit dodgy, like some of the other later
eps (Timelash in particular was really scraping the barrel).

I agree about the weird UFOlogist bloke - would have liked them
to have left that out.

Cheers
James

Marc Martin wrote:

> And although I don't necessarily mind the "it was all a dream" at the
> end, I think they could have took more advantage of the dream to make
> something really outrageous (like in Space:1999's WAR GAMES, where
> they killed off several regulars and destroyed the base).

Did they do that in Space 1999?? They did it in Captain Scarlet
first!

>Your point about The Long Sleep definitely underlines that -
>the sepia-toned flashback sequences from Covent Garden, Tower
>Bridge and Piccadilly Circus are what makes it special for me.

Interesting. I see your point. I guess my "problem" with that sequence is
that it ties the show too much to the time period in which it was made, not
that it offends me or anything.

>Otherwise I admit it's a bit dodgy, like some of the other later
>eps (Timelash in particular was really scraping the barrel).

So has anyone who was involved with the series talked about the latter
episodes as being not as good as the earlier ones? Personally, I got a kick
out of "Psychobombs," even though it is rather goofy.




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Simon Morris wrote:

> Just got to the end of the first four of the Carlton DVDs with the episode
> Close Up.
>
> Is it just me, or is this the worst and least interesting episode of them
> all??
snip
> Anyone else agree?

Well, it certainly is a BORING ep, but I'm not sure I'd call it the
"worst." <ponder> Least interesting, maybe, but I think The Cat With Ten
Lives is maybe the worst, although, I'm biased because of the ROTTEN way
they treat that cat in that ep.

And really, Close up is pretty stupid - those pics are still worth
something and why the heck didn't they include a homing or some kind of
GPS device on the probe so they would know WHERE this planet was? The
whole thing is stupid. <nod nod> Yeah, I agree ......

But that poor little kitty .....................


And then:

Brian Lindstrand wrote:

Hi, newbie!! <waving>

Yeah, that weird interview - did they include that as filler because the
ep was too short or what? Have you seen The Cat With Ten Lives, yet,
then? <ptooey> Hate that ep. I mean, it's only redeeming quality is Paul
loking disheveled after the, um, cat fight. <smirk>

And Marc said:
<<
As for it being the "worst" episode? Well, for me, ORDEAL is the
worst episode...
>>

WHAT?! Paul half naked in the sauna?? GAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! <Y
collapses>



-- Y, kitty slave

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Interesting you say that Marc - when I first saw the episode as a kid back
in the mid 80's, my VCR missed the last few minutes, and I had no suspicion
that it was a dream sequence.... Semmed like an ordinary episode to me(!)

D.

).

----- Original Message -----
From: "Marc Martin" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2002 3:29 PM
Subject: Re: [SHADO] Close Up: The Worst Episode?


> As for it being the "worst" episode? Well, for me, ORDEAL is the
> worst episode...
>
> Marc



Hah! Talk about one man's meat being another man's poison!!!!!! I always
quite liked ORDEAL....although its always a little bit of a cheat to wrap it
all up by saying " It was all a dream....it didn't really happen!"

Simon

--- In SHADO@y..., "Dan Box" <mr-natural@b...> wrote:
> ... I had no suspicion that it was a dream sequence. ...
> Seemed like an ordinary episode to me(!)

When I first saw that episode in the 1970's, I thought that while
Foster was in SHADO's hospital recovering from his time in an alien
spacesuit and were he had been, matters at the gym were patched up
and Foster was given a false impression (perhaps drug-aided) that the
whole thing was a dream.

>So has anyone who was involved with the series talked about the latter

>episodes as being not as good as the earlier ones

Ed Bishop has always commented on the latter episodes as being
"the good ones". Some of the cast and the directors have
commented that the earlier episodes were too slow, and that
the earlier episodes were better because the pace was faster.

But you see, which episodes are better and which are worse
depends on the criteria you use!

Marc

>Ed Bishop has always commented on the latter episodes as being
>"the good ones". Some of the cast and the directors have
>commented that the earlier episodes were too slow, and that
>the earlier episodes were better because the pace was faster.

Oops! That's supposed to say that the LATTER episodes were
better because the pace was faster.  

I think director David Lane is the only person in the cast
& crew that had something negative to say about the latter
episodes, and he was commenting on the ITC directors who
were brought in and how they just did "standard" direction,
and nothing special.

Marc

Simon Morris wrote:

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Marc Martin" <[hidden email]>
> To: <[hidden email]>
> > As for it being the "worst" episode? Well, for me, ORDEAL is the
> > worst episode...
>
> Hah! Talk about one man's meat being another man's poison!!!!!! I always
> quite liked ORDEAL....although its always a little bit of a cheat to wrap it
> all up by saying " It was all a dream....it didn't really happen!"

I like Ordeal, too, although, probably for different reasons. <smirk>
But the ended explained a bit for me. I mean, the way Straker was acting
and Alec - I was, like, what is going on?? But then, since it was a just
a dream, that explained the odd behavior ...

=========================
Brian Lindstrand wrote:

> >Otherwise I admit it's a bit dodgy, like some of the other later
> >eps (Timelash in particular was really scraping the barrel).

Ooooooooooooh, who said that????? Timelash is my fave ep ....

> So has anyone who was involved with the series talked about the latter
> episodes as being not as good as the earlier ones? Personally, I got a kick
> out of "Psychobombs," even though it is rather goofy.

Heh. There are some cute bits in Psychobombs. Like when that guy tosses
Straker across the car "like a ragdoll" and when Jackson says,
"Unfortunately, you'll live, Commander." LOL!

==========================
Denise Felt wrote:

> >Yuchtar <[hidden email]> wrote:
> >WHAT?! Paul half naked in the sauna?? GAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! <Y
> >collapses>
>
> Yuchy,
> Take a deep breath now. And try to remember that Marc is a MAN. He doesn't
> understand the importance of Paul's chest like we do. *grin* Actually,

Heh heh.

> Paul's chest is the one redeeming feature of this otherwise boring episode.
> But I can't call it the worst episode, because believe it or not, there were
> episodes even more boring! (BTW, we agree on our least fav episode. Stupid
> storyline! Poor kitty!)

YES! Poor furbaby. <grump>

-- Y

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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
"An apple a day keeps the, uh ....
No, never mind."
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=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
http://yuchtar.users4.50megs.com/
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Something just occurred to me after having watched Close Up again... is it
possible that Kelly intentionally caused the camera in the B142 to fail in order
to obtain funding for his microphotography project? After all, it's a bit or a
coincidence... maybe it deserves investigation by SHADO security ;-)

Also, why did they have to fund a new B142 spy satellite specifically for
Project Discovery? There was already one 'up there' with a camera at the
beginning of the episode to supply the proof of concept images to satisfy both
SHADO and the Astro Space Administration for funding...

Later,

Griff