Long Sleep / UFO Re-Reurn on ITV4

Very much enjoyed watching 'Long Sleep'at the weekend on ITV4. This was
one of only two episodes I'd only partially seen previously (the other
being 'Mindbender'). Despite there being no Skydiver / Moonbase action
it has become one of my favourites. I can see that with scenes of
attempted rape, drug taking and the somewhat horrific ending, this
episode justified its adult material tag which led to it being
untransmitted in the teatime slot from its original run. Was this the
last episode actually filmed?

I like the idea that Straker was responsible for putting Tessa Wyatt in
a coma in presumably 1970 or thereabouts. Also the unexplored plotlines
of why was Straker in that area? And who was the passenger?

My enjoyment was tempered only by a couple of plotline absurdities. How
do you explain away the landing and takeoff of a space tug in the
(presumably) Home Counties. Also to find the bomb fuse in the same open
topped barge moored in exactly in the same position 10 years later is
somewhat stretching credibility. Nonetheless, the 'Long Sleep' has
become one of my favourite episodes, as I find the juxtaposition of
1970s hippy culture with aliens and UFOS irresistable.

On a related note, I see that ITV4 are re-rerunning the whole series
from scratch again on Tuesdays ('Exposed' is on next week). Perhaps
this means UFO will become a permanent fixture on UK terrestrial TV
from now on!

> Was this the last episode actually filmed?

Yes... Fanderson has worked out that THE LONG SLEEP was the last
episode filmed. I assume that they did this by looking at the
original scripts and call sheets, and noting the dates on them.
I have a copy of the script for THE LONG SLEEP, and although the
original script is undated, it is followed up by several pages
of script revisions, which are dated 20 August 1970.

Ed Bishop has been quoted as saying that the last episode made
was TIMELASH, but it appears that he was mistaken (as happens
a lot in interviews with Ed and/or Gerry). There have also
been several magazine articles which also state that TIMELASH
was last -- I don't know if this was based on the Ed Bishop
quote (which originally appeared in a UFO fan club newsletter
from 1975), or based on some broadcast order where TIMELASH
was last.

Marc

yeah i noticed that. i was flicking through the
channels and saw that UFO was on. i think it's the
episode Exposed next Tuesday. Briilant that they're
repeating it. Regards Andrew

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Of course, there is the problem of people trying to recollect after several
years a point which may not have seemed to be important at the time, but the
shooting of episodes may not have been neat as most people might imagine.

The ITC series were often completely shot and completed long before they
were to be broadcast and so it made sense, wherever practical and efficient,
to shoot as many scenes as possible on a given (non-standing) set or
location together, regardless of the episode.

On the Champions, for example, a snowscape set was built and then snow
scenes for several episodes shot back to back. William Gaunt recalls a
similar arrangement with a submarine set where the actors had trouble
remembering which shot was for which episode.

In the case of UFO, there were a number of sets which appeared in most
episodes, which made it worth leaving them standing, but some sets, like the
sizeable live action moonscapes, may well have had to be struck when not in
use. It would have been efficient to shoot moonscape scenes for several
episodes at once to reduce the number of times which the set had to be
rebuilt.

It was also not unusual in these series, if the schedule had slipped, for
shots or whole scenes to be picked up later while shooting a different
episode.

Generally, if it is discovered during editing that extra shots would solve a
problem it is not unusual to "pick up" these shots later, especially if the
unit is still shooting.

It is always preferable to shoot exteriors before studio interiors, partly
because it is always easier to make a set conform to any exterior location
or lighting it has to match rather than the other way round, and partly
because of possible weather problems. If you shoot the exteriors first and
the weather is bad you can move onto a set and shoot interiors instead, the
other way round you have nothing to shoot.

In the case of both the episodes, Timelash and The Long Sleep, suggested as
final episodes I suspect they both have a higher than average number of
exteriors shot by the main unit. It would have been very risky to schedule
all these exteriors too close to the end of shooting because a week or two
of bad weather would have left the unit with nothing to shoot if all the
interiors had been completed. It would therefore have made sense to schedule
some weeks (possibly more scenes-worth than were in those two episodes
alone) of interior studio shots for the end of the shoot.

In any case, the last few days of most shoots are a mad scramble to pick up
any and all shots which were left until "later" because suddenly there is no
"later" left.

Any of these factors might contribute to confusion when it comes to
remembering which episode was shot last. It may not be as simple a question
as it at first appears.

Regards
John



----- Original Message -----
From: "Marc Martin" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2006 2:57 PM
Subject: Re: [SHADO] Long Sleep / UFO Re-Reurn on ITV4


> Was this the last episode actually filmed?

Yes... Fanderson has worked out that THE LONG SLEEP was the last
episode filmed. I assume that they did this by looking at the
original scripts and call sheets, and noting the dates on them.
I have a copy of the script for THE LONG SLEEP, and although the
original script is undated, it is followed up by several pages
of script revisions, which are dated 20 August 1970.

Ed Bishop has been quoted as saying that the last episode made
was TIMELASH, but it appears that he was mistaken (as happens
a lot in interviews with Ed and/or Gerry). There have also
been several magazine articles which also state that TIMELASH
was last -- I don't know if this was based on the Ed Bishop
quote (which originally appeared in a UFO fan club newsletter
from 1975), or based on some broadcast order where TIMELASH
was last.

Marc



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