Disappointed

I joined this group a few weeks ago after buying the megaset. I set to watching it, hoping to revel in some childhood memories. But it was a huge disappointment. The writing on the show is so bad that I can't believe I ever watched this stuff at all. Some examples:

Straker deliberately kills his own son because of a mission that ends up failing anyway. Calling that heroic is sick and anyone who says so shouldn't be allowed near children at all.

Alec started out well, chatting up the women, seemed like a fun guy. But byepisode three he was little more than a whining yes man to Straker. It's awonder they took so long to drop him.

There's a 'he was only dreaming' episode, always a bad idea.

By the end of the series they were resorting to cleavage. In the audio commentary, Wanda Wentham says that people still ask her to autograph photos ofher in the purple shirt. Come on, guys, the woman's over seventy, get a girlfriend!

Everyone talks like Julie Christie in 'Darling'.

Straker finally gets his hands on an alien, but injects him with poisonous drugs after half a minute of interrogation, one of the setbacks of insisting on stand alone episodes.

The DVD enhancement shows that Straker wears blue eye shadow. No one shouldever take orders from a man who wears eye shadow. How could such a person be placed in charge of planetary security?

There are some unncessarily futuristic features like Straker's lavish bar. What's wrong with a bottle? And no one should drink on the job.

The clothes are horrible. Everyone seems to be wearing pyjamas.

All the smoking is disgusting and makes the show look dated.

Dr. Jackson is a 100% creep. My skin crawls when he's on the screen.

Ah well, there's always Stargate.

A disillusioned Rebecca.

Hi Rebecca,

I agree with many of your comments but ...

"Everyone talks like Julie Christie in 'Darling'.

...

There are some unnecessarily futuristic features like Straker's lavish bar.
What's wrong with a bottle? And no one should drink on the job.

The clothes are horrible. Everyone seems to be wearing pyjamas.

All the smoking is disgusting and makes the show look dated."

Isn't this just the problem with viewing something from 40 years ago?
Smoking makes it look dated simply because it genuinely is dated.

Also, you might find some people with a soft spot for the clothes. I
wouldn't be seen dead in them, mind, but give it a few years and who knows
what fashion might come back around? I certainly didn't expect to see flares
receiving another airing!

No criticism, just an observation.

Kevin

> I joined this group a few weeks ago after buying the megaset. I set to
> watching it, hoping to revel in some childhood memories. But it was a
> huge disappointment.

That sort of thing can happen -- certainly I've tracked down TV
shows that I enjoyed as a child, but then watching them as an adult
I found them utterly unwatchable. Although for me, UFO holds up
better than many.

Marc

You think that's bad?  Imagine MY disappointment when I bought the megaset (17 discs) of Space: 1999, and found that it STILL sucked, LOL!  And the DVDs had terrible sound and picture compared to the great job done on theUFO DVDs.
 
But seriously, sorry to hear that you're not enjoying the series 40 years later.   I had the exact opposite reaction when I first bought my UFO DVDs.  Being a small boy when it first aired, at the time it was all about the hardware and special effects for me (guess it's a "guy" thing).  Story line, characterization and "fashion sense" ran  a distant second for your average young lad, I believe.  Now seeing them as an adult male, I still enjoy the hardware and special effects, but have a new-found appreciation for the story line/characters, which I was almost oblivious to as a kid.  Admittedly, some of the writing is good, and some not so good.  But I find myself enjoying the series much more 40 years later, simply because I'm seeing the "whole picture" now, which was lacking in me during the first run.
 
On the bright side, you can probably sell your UFO DVD set, and not lose much of your investment.  If I didn't already own two sets, I'd buy 'em.
 
Jeff
P.S.  Agreed that the fashions, drinking, and smoking date the show.  But that was reality back then.  A much different time. Better in some ways than today, worse in others.

--- On Wed, 6/17/09, aredhel1984 <[hidden email]> wrote:


From: aredhel1984 <[hidden email]>
Subject: [SHADO] Disappointed
To: [hidden email]
Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2009, 9:24 AM








I joined this group a few weeks ago after buying the megaset. I set to watching it, hoping to revel in some childhood memories. But it was a huge disappointment. The writing on the show is so bad that I can't believe I ever watched this stuff at all. Some examples:

Straker deliberately kills his own son because of a mission that ends up failing anyway. Calling that heroic is sick and anyone who says so shouldn't be allowed near children at all.

Alec started out well, chatting up the women, seemed like a fun guy. But byepisode three he was little more than a whining yes man to Straker. It's awonder they took so long to drop him.

There's a 'he was only dreaming' episode, always a bad idea.

By the end of the series they were resorting to cleavage. In the audio commentary, Wanda Wentham says that people still ask her to autograph photos ofher in the purple shirt. Come on, guys, the woman's over seventy, get a girlfriend!

Everyone talks like Julie Christie in 'Darling'.

Straker finally gets his hands on an alien, but injects him with poisonous drugs after half a minute of interrogation, one of the setbacks of insisting on stand alone episodes.

The DVD enhancement shows that Straker wears blue eye shadow. No one shouldever take orders from a man who wears eye shadow. How could such a person be placed in charge of planetary security?

There are some unncessarily futuristic features like Straker's lavish bar. What's wrong with a bottle? And no one should drink on the job.

The clothes are horrible. Everyone seems to be wearing pyjamas.

All the smoking is disgusting and makes the show look dated.

Dr. Jackson is a 100% creep. My skin crawls when he's on the screen.

Ah well, there's always Stargate.

A disillusioned Rebecca.
















[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In [hidden email], "Marc Martin" <marc@...> wrote:
>
> > I joined this group a few weeks ago after buying the megaset. I set to
> > watching it, hoping to revel in some childhood memories. But it was a
> > huge disappointment.
> Many thing's change in 40 years The show was never a end on a happy note program. We grew up in a smoking was ok world and that's what got put into the show .
Jay
> That sort of thing can happen -- certainly I've tracked down TV
> shows that I enjoyed as a child, but then watching them as an adult
> I found them utterly unwatchable. Although for me, UFO holds up
> better than many.
>
> Marc
>

Geez, your replies are difficult to read.  It's almost impossible to pickout your words from what has been posted before.  Why not just top-post,if bottom posting is an issue?  Please help a fellow Wisconsite out here, Jay.  :)
 
Jeff

--- On Wed, 6/17/09, [hidden email] <[hidden email]> wrote:


From: [hidden email] <[hidden email]>
Subject: [SHADO] Re: Disappointed
To: [hidden email]
Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2009, 11:37 AM








--- In SHADO@yahoogroups. com, "Marc Martin" <marc@...> wrote:
>
> > I joined this group a few weeks ago after buying the megaset. I set to
> > watching it, hoping to revel in some childhood memories. But it was a
> > huge disappointment.
> Many thing's change in 40 years The show was never a end on a happy note program. We grew up in a smoking was ok world and that's what got put into the show .
Jay
> That sort of thing can happen -- certainly I've tracked down TV
> shows that I enjoyed as a child, but then watching them as an adult
> I found them utterly unwatchable. Although for me, UFO holds up
> better than many.
>
> Marc
>
















[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Rebecca,

So sorry that's how you feel. The show is 40 years old, and that was a longtime ago. Things have moved on, and as someone else said, "In some ways for good, and in other ways not so." Who at the time UFO was made would ever have believed that we would be even discussing this show, (via email, web etc.) and probably all the other GA shows 40+ years on.

The special effects still do hold up despite being made "good enough for TV". I guess Derek Meddings would be cringing if he knew the kind of technology that would allow us to scrutinize his work to such depth... I think he could and should be mighty proud if this SFX work. Some of is is way more believable than many current digital offerings - currently the subject of another thread on this site.

It was the mid seventies before I ever saw UFO in colour, and the hair and makeup do come under strain in certain areas. But, again this show and the other were made at a time before VCR was coming on the scene, let alone DVD's satellite, and repeated showings. They were made under a strict budget, and were made to a very high standard for the day.

The thing I love about UFO is that it challenges ideas, sensibilities, is certainly provocative (in many areas) and promotes discussion.

I guess it's like living in the same house for 40 years; you get blind to the cracks and creeks, the untidy and out of place items. As a newbie walking into the house with fresh eyes, you see it blatantly for what it is, but I guess it takes 40 years to love the soul beneath the possibly jaded facade.

But hey, that's democracy, and to quote Voltaire, "I disapprove of what yousay, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

Best,

Griff

--- In [hidden email], "aredhel1984" <aredhel1984@...> wrote:

> The special effects still do hold up despite being made "good enough for
> TV".

Oddly enough, some of the effects look even better in HDTV than they do
on regular TV -- there are certain "long shots" in UFO where you can't
really see what's going on a regular TV (on the lunar surface, in space,
etc.), however you can actually see what's going on in HDTV.

I suppose that was a failing of the original effects, since the show
was supposed to be seen on small TV screens, not on huge movie theater
screens.

Marc

Hi Marc,

Yes, I do agree with you here.

Also, I've just got a new Samsung HUGE 50"+ LED technology TV, and I am seeing things/details at HDTV I couldn't see (in UFO (HD version), and other shows I am VERY familiar) with my previous plasma and then LCD TV's. Of course the quality of the feed source is hugely important, but just changing the screen has made a world of difference. The colour gamut is vast! You can see details in the shadows.

Anyone thinking of getting a Plasma or even LCD TV, think again (unless you're getting a really good price) LED display technology is an order of magnitude better than both. The manufacturers are beginning to dump these technologies and empty their warehouses ready for this new display technology (to be pedantic, LED's are so not new, but the latest TV implementation is).

I am just in the process of upgrading all my computer monitors to this technology (especially important in my work: www.griffwason.com). The colour accuracy is astonishing seemingly across the entire colour spectrum. In my studio, I am getting Adobe, RGB and CMYK colour print (profiles) accuracy almost right out of the box. I've never achieved this before, especially in the blue areas.

Sorry nearly all OT...

Best,

Griff

--- In [hidden email], "Marc Martin" <marc@...> wrote:

Whoa! if i didn't know better id say someone forgot there medication today or at least does'nt know enough to turn the tv off,


--- In [hidden email], "aredhel1984" <aredhel1984@...> wrote:

Hi rebecca
I think these are the reason I like UFO. Every cult show has it's idiosyncrasies. i cant describe why I like the the fact that they all smoke or why the girls on Moon base wear
purple wigs and the guys wear clothes like pjama siuts (I'm laughing as I wite this) but i do I love it.

Paul  

 

Hi Paul and almost everyone else who replied to my post. Maybe I was a bit harsh as I vented my spleen following my disappointment and only mentioned the negative points. I agree wholeheartedly that the special effects still look brilliant today and even better on DVD. No disputing that at all. I was a bit disappointed in the plots but realise I was taking it all too seriously.
As for my comments about Dr. Jackson, today I understand his multiple rolesas doctor, lawyer and 'executioner'. Budgetary constraints, I suppose. Since they're paying him, get him to work as much as possible and save on other potentially expensive actors. When you're a child you don't think of it like that.
As for Straker, I think that especially in the early episodes he was just far too rude and nasty to everyone, demanding perfection from all while he himself committed such horrendous blunders but brooked no criticism. In the second half of the series, he got better and became a bit more likeable. I think leaders, good ones, should be tough but fair. He had all these peoplearound him who obviously couldn't stand him but had been with SHADO since Day One. I personally wouldn't have lasted ten minutes with a man like thatand can't understand why so many women became attracted to him, but there's no accounting for taste. Alec would have made a much better boss.
My biggest gripe with the series is its stand alone episodes, meaning that nothing can develop. Every episode had to have the aliens coming but couldn't progress beyond that point, so that we're stuck in that little snapshot in future history. At the moment I'm wading through Stargate SG-1. Admittedly, it's hard to watch it from Season 3 onwards if you haven't seen the first two series. But my response is: tough toenails! Go back and watch the rest! It's great nowadays that TV shows have arcs and developments, so that you can keep wondering what happens next and get an answer.


--- In [hidden email], "paulhburns" <phburns1@...> wrote:

In A question of priorites, is a moraility story, like in Star Trek- Wrath
of Khan, the good of the many, outweigh the good of the few or the one.

Did he abuse his authority as commander of Shadow to fly the medicince from
US to Britain, yes. Which is why he couldnt tell Alec Freeman why that
flight was in the air or tell him what was on it. He prioritze that his job
as commander of the alien defense organization outweighed his job as a
father.

See also Star Trek-Journey to Babel, when Spock refuses to relinquish
command when Captain Kirk was hurt, and he took command, even though it
would mean the death of his father.

Think about this :) When Foster is brainwashed to kill Straker, what words
does he use to describe Straker? Just about the same words people use
against Spock :)

Bruce
----- Original Message -----
From: aredhel1984
To: [hidden email]
Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 10:24 AM
Subject: [SHADO] Disappointed





I joined this group a few weeks ago after buying the megaset. I set to
watching it, hoping to revel in some childhood memories. But it was a huge
disappointment. The writing on the show is so bad that I can't believe I
ever watched this stuff at all. Some examples:

Straker deliberately kills his own son because of a mission that ends up
failing anyway. Calling that heroic is sick and anyone who says so shouldn't
be allowed near children at all.

-snip-

A disillusioned Rebecca.

Unless I'm badly mistaken (it's happened before) the LED technology is
for the backlighting of the screen, not pixel display.

http://gizmodo.com/5271493/giz-explains-whats-so-great-about-led+backlit-lcds

Paul


Griff Wason wrote:
> Hi Marc,
>
> Yes, I do agree with you here.
>
> Also, I've just got a new Samsung HUGE 50"+ LED technology TV, and I am seeing things/details at HDTV I couldn't see (in UFO (HD version), and other shows I am VERY familiar) with my previous plasma and then LCD TV's. Of course the quality of the feed source is hugely important, but just changing the screen has made a world of difference. The colour gamut is vast! You can see details in the shadows.
>
> Anyone thinking of getting a Plasma or even LCD TV, think again (unless you're getting a really good price) LED display technology is an order of magnitude better than both. The manufacturers are beginning to dump these technologies and empty their warehouses ready for this new display technology (to be pedantic, LED's are so not new, but the latest TV implementation is).

Uh-oh, the Germans have arrived. Whatever you do, don't mention the war!

Paul


Techniker der überholten Systeme : arbeitsloser wrote:

Which one, specifically, shoudn't we mention, lol?

--- On Wed, 6/17/09, Paul Bowers <[hidden email]> wrote:


From: Paul Bowers <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [SHADO] Re: Disappointed
To: [hidden email]
Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2009, 11:19 PM








Uh-oh, the Germans have arrived. Whatever you do, don't mention the war!

Paul

Techniker der überholten Systeme : arbeitsloser wrote:















[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

On Wed, 17 Jun 2009 09:37:29 -0700 (PDT)
Jeffrey Nelson <[hidden email]> wrote:

> But seriously, sorry to hear that you're not enjoying the series 40
> years later. I had the exact opposite reaction when I first bought my
> UFO DVDs.  Being a small boy when it first aired, at the time it was
> all about the hardware and special effects for me (guess it's a "guy"
> thing).

I think I was 10 when I first saw UFO and I was mesmerised by it
like no other TV programme before or since. I can remember glancing
at the clock occasionally, watching those first broadcasts, to see
how much precious episode time was left. Very few programmes have
inspired me to do that, and none since I was 14 or so.

It wasn't just the hardware and special effects, although they were
a big part of it. The secrecy of SHADO and especially the location
under a film studio, the glimpse of 1980 style and technology, ten
years into the future - I found it all spellbinding.

But yes, 16 years or so later when ITV showed the repeats, I confess
I was more than a little disappointed. How did I fail to notice the
crowbarred in plot devices, the incoherent scripts, the dodgy acting?

Still, there's a lot to appreciate when you get over that and I
still get excited watching Sky One launch, or the astronauts jumping
down the launch chutes.

James

On Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:43:43 -0700 (PDT)
Jeffrey Nelson <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Geez, your replies are difficult to read.  It's almost impossible to
> pick out your words from what has been posted before.  Why not just
> top-post, if bottom posting is an issue?  Please help a fellow
> Wisconsite out here, Jay.  :)
>  

:D

I sort of miss the days when the Internet was populated by IT people,
engineers and other professionals. I've given up asking people to
trim posts, edit their replies into the right place and so on.

James

--- In [hidden email], "aredhel1984" <aredhel1984@...> wrote:
> The DVD enhancement shows that Straker wears blue eye shadow. No one should ever take orders from a man who wears eye shadow. How could such a person be placed in charge of planetary security?

Odd; the only time I noticed something odd about his eyes was in Mindbender, when he's laid out on the bed. There's a close-up of him and he looked like blue had been added to the outside of his eyes. Looked a bit strange.

<< I joined this group a few weeks ago after buying the megaset. I set to watching it, hoping to revel in some childhood memories. But it was a huge disappointment. >>

What?? How so.. UFO was one of the very best TV SF ever..

Sorry it was as jassy or jaded as much of todays shows are for you. Wasn't there anything about it you liked??

I wish you luck on getting a good price for your megaset.. Someone out there will want it.

Oh and welcome to the group.

>> That sort of thing can happen -- certainly I've tracked down TV
shows that I enjoyed as a child, but then watching them as an adult
I found them utterly unwatchable. Although for me, UFO holds up
better than many. Marc >>

Hey Marc.:)

That hasn't happened to me. I only enjoy them more. And a few have been even better then I remembered..

April