Ed Bishop reads Stupid White Men excerpts

Just watched a fascinating programme about the American filmmaker
and writer, Michael Moore, on BBC4 (I believe it was on BBC2
earlier in the week. Some excerpts were read from his recent
book, 'Stupid White Men'. I didn't see his name in the credits,
but the voice reading the excerpts was unmistakably that of Ed
Bishop.

James

I think you're right.

He wasn't in the credits at the end.

His voice has got deeper over the years, but it was definitely EB.

Peter.

-----Original Message-----
From: James Gibbon <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email] <[hidden email]>
Date: 17 November 2002 22:23
Subject: [SHADO] Ed Bishop reads Stupid White Men excerpts

Hi all,

Well, our time allotted to discuss the UFO episode THE DALOTEK
AFFAIR has come and gone, so it's time to move onto our next
episode -- A QUESTION OF PRIORITIES. Any comments on this
episode? (hopefully so, since it's widely regarded as one
of the best of the series!)

Marc

Ok;
Question is one of the episodes that really brings out the qualities of UFO.
The difference between Confetti Check and Question is dramatic, in one we
have Straker trying to organize SHADO in secrecy, even from his wife. While
in Question, he wrestles with his conscience on doing the right thing. The
dedication and inner conflict that he shows was brilliant. I don't think
anyone could have done it better then Ed.
It reminds me of the conversation between Straker and Nina at the end of
SubSmach. "I guess that whats life's all about.... the things we never say".
Think of who much this episode would have been different if Straker could
have explained what he had bootled up inside himself.
Just a few thoughts.

Steve Christensen

> Well, our time allotted to discuss the UFO episode THE DALOTEK
> AFFAIR has come and gone, so it's time to move onto our next
> episode -- A QUESTION OF PRIORITIES. Any comments on this
> episode? (hopefully so, since it's widely regarded as one
> of the best of the series!)
>
> Marc

...and it is, Marc :-)
Well, I did my homework the last time (April 2001) therefore I
haven't to go through the episode again and can give my impressions
(edited) so quick :-)

A QUESTION OF PRIORITIES (in German it's called DER FREMDE, that
means "The Alien" or "The Stranger"): the first ep I ever saw in my
life. And only the last quarter of it and in black and white and on a
small telly - but I loved it! (And still do. 8-)) God, was it
sinister!

* After Straker and his son watched the shooting and throw down an
object, both have the same kind of smiling. And look again when they
drove in the car and smile to each other. Obviously Barnaby Shaw was
a good choice for playing Strakers son :-)

* BTW: Ed as loving father is great (I bet on it that some ladies on
this list will agree :-))

* The radar screen shows two lines going incessantly from the upper
right to the lower left - what's the use of this?

* When Straker arrives at the hospital you can see how uncomfortable
it is to get out of a car with these gull wing doors: Straker has to
bend over deeply. (And if you watch closely you can see the pole on
the left which holds the wing door open.)

* When the UFO has crash-landed in the sea there are some shots from
IDENTIFIED to be seen (the red boiling water e.g.).

* The scenes with the Alien and the old blind Lady are the ones which
I like the most. That's e.g. what I like so much on the series.
Just wonderful! 8-))

* Oops! Just a moment! Why are there so much lamps switched-on in an
house of a BLIND woman? To make it more comfortable for possible
visitors? Like the Alien is? :-)

* When Mary beseech Ed to don't let Johnny down this time, this
part of the scene was cut in the german version.

* This is one of the eps were you can see a diver near Skydiver for
scale comparisons - and one can see that Skydiver must be pretty
small.

* I wonder if this is the only transporter with mobiles available to
SHADO. There should be a lot of them stationed all over the world
(therefore at least one in England too), otherwise they would be not
very effective.

* SID tells that the "second UFO is re-sighted". How did he know that
this is the one from before?

* Have you seen this? The UFO is able to shot a simple person far
away from the sky! What a shot! On the other hand we see them missing
bigger targets from a closer range (like in CAT WITH THEN LIVES, when
they attack Moonbase - and missed it! And again! And again...). Maybe
the best shooter of the Aliens was killed in AQOP? 8-

* The complete tragic ending of this ep is cut in the german version!
Instead we can see Straker driving to the hospital and hear a voice-
over from the Doctor who tells Straker that the medicine has arrived
in time (!), which becomes confusing when you watch the german
version of MINDBENDER (TOEDLICHE TRAEUME). So if you can, avoid the
german version!

* The last shot in the german version is the sleeping Johnny. This
scene was cut in from the middle of the episode.

So long!
Christian

Coincidentally, Chronicle, formerly Science Fiction Chronicle reviewed the
first half of the A&E UFO set in the SF Cinema section written by Jeff Rovin.

Here it is!

Chronicle
November 2002 issue #230
Page 21 bottom second column and top third column

Half (thirteen) of the episodes of the British series UFO (1969,
but shown in the U.S. in 1972) have been released in a boxed set. The
hour-long series was produced by Gerry Anderson (Thunderbirds), his first
life-action series. It is set in 1980, when Commander Edward Straker (Ed
Bishop) leads SNADO (Supreme Headquarters, Alien Defence Organization) in
its war against aliens. SHADO has one base on earth, ships beneath the
sea, and a base on the moon. Little is known about the extraterrestrials,
save that they are humanoid and suffering from "hereditary sterility" (!!).
Most of the adventures focus on human drama rather than action, though
there are a few dogfights here and there. The best episode is "A Question
of Priorities" in which Straker must decide which gets the resources; his
dying son or an alien trying to defect. Bishop is a strong, compelling
presence and a really good actor. The supporting players are quite
credible, even the purple-haired moon-base ladies. The miniatures by Derek
Meddings (the James Bond and Superman films) are top-notch, the composite
effects generally fine. The biggest drawback is that the science is weak
(fires on the moon, sound in space, punctured EVA suits causing suffocation
and not decompression), and the spaceships sound like jet fighters...in
space. But the colors are striking, the transfers flawless, and the set
worth a look.

The magazine should be on the newsstands now and is usually carried by
Barnes and Noble and Borders.

Marc, if you like I could scan the page for you, but there are no pictures,
just text and a small ad (For Worlds of Wonder) at the bottom of the
page. The rest of the magazine is devoted to SF publishing news and book
reviews with a couple of other columns on short fiction, magazines and a
film review column by Alan Dean Foster. Also featured is an interview with
the late Charles Sheffield who died of cancer last month.

What I typed is what they wrote...about UFO. A pretty good review I think,
but I've noticed over the years Jeff Rovin has a soft spot in his heart for
classic SFTV like UFO and Thunderbirds and also old 1950's era SF movies.

At 01:07 PM 11/18/02 -0800, you wrote:
>Hi all,
>
>Well, our time allotted to discuss the UFO episode THE DALOTEK
>AFFAIR has come and gone, so it's time to move onto our next
>episode -- A QUESTION OF PRIORITIES. Any comments on this
>episode? (hopefully so, since it's widely regarded as one
>of the best of the series!)
>
>Marc