Psychobombs - ITV 4

Hi all,

ITV 4 screened UFO episode "Psychobombs" two weeks ago. Please
accept my apologies for the delay – had a well-earned break :-)  
This screening looked better than previous ones, although if memory
serves, it always did for some reason. There were *four* edits I
spotted, from the beginning;

All three psychobomb characters are standing together and the camera
zooms onto each face in turn, in between seeing the UFO with
flashing green light

The conversation between Straker and Clarke in the car discussing
their respective livings

Shots of the red sports car with all three psychobombs approaching
the tracker station, pulling up and Daniel Clarke getting out

Same car arriving at the Skydiver docking station; Clem Mason
getting out and walking into the "restricted area"


This isn't one of my favourite episodes, mostly because I dislike
the incidental music, it's not "UFO" – I'm guessing from an
earlier "supermarionation" and is used far too much, imo. The
special effects shots are good and novel ones of Skydiver leaving
dock. Also *lots* of spectacular explosions, Derek Meddings was
having a field day :-)

The most interesting aspect of this episode is the alien's use of
mind control…. no, it *really* is – Linda Simmonds knickers are
totally irrelevant and gratuitous ;-D They know Lauritzon has been
ordered on-board Skydiver 3, so must use telepathy as well. Perhaps
questionably they could also have been using mind control on Paul
Foster, from the way he comes onto Simmonds – are the aliens
exploiting sexual attraction here? ;-)

Nevertheless, all three psychobombs have no recollection whatsoever
of what they have done when controlled, but can distinguish when
they are themselves. Yet, right at the end, Linda Simmonds gets
electrocuted because Straker is right (of course!) yet surely she
should have realised she was herself and would have stopped?  

Obviously the aliens have a sense of humour to set up the delivery
of their ultimatum; why not have taken Straker out there and then?  
Dr. Jackson delivers his theory in his usual style, but can anyone
lip-read what he is saying at the very end of the scene? There's
nothing in the dialogue continuity script, but he's definitely
saying something ;-)

I suppose all this nit-picking means I don't really like this ep,
although it's entertaining enough if you don't think too hard about
it…………………;-D


Sarah

> This isn't one of my favourite episodes, mostly because I dislike
> the incidental music, it's not "UFO" – I'm guessing from an
> earlier "supermarionation" and is used far too much, imo.

That music was from STINGRAY. The UFO episode REFLECTIONS IN
THE WATER also features a lot of music from STINGRAY.

(not having seen STINGRAY prior to watching UFO in 1972, this
never really bothered me, and I didn't realize the music was
"recycled" until decades later)

> Dr. Jackson delivers his theory in his usual style, but can anyone
> lip-read what he is saying at the very end of the scene? There's
> nothing in the dialogue continuity script, but he's definitely
> saying something ;-)

We would need the original script to know for sure... (I don't
have this). It would appear that during the editing of this
scene, they decided it would be more dramatic to end with him
saying "A PSYCHOBOMB!", and muted out whatever was supposed
to follow that.

Marc

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

> That music was from STINGRAY. The UFO episode REFLECTIONS IN
> THE WATER also features a lot of music from STINGRAY.

Thanks - I don't have any "Stingray", I did catch some eps many
years ago but wouldn't have realised. I did think it wasn't
a "Thunderbirds" or "Captain Scarlet" as I'm a bit more familiar
with Barry Grays music on these series :-)

 
> (not having seen STINGRAY prior to watching UFO in 1972, this
> never really bothered me, and I didn't realize the music was
> "recycled" until decades later)


It's just not "UFO" - too heavy and overly dramatic, but still
obviously Barry :-) I just wonder how different the episode
would "feel" if the incidental music was more typically UFO style(?)

 
> We would need the original script to know for sure... (I don't
> have this). It would appear that during the editing of this
> scene, they decided it would be more dramatic to end with him
> saying "A PSYCHOBOMB!", and muted out whatever was supposed
> to follow that.


Yes, the "Psychobombs script" is the finished dialogue only, I agree
it's more dramatic. It makes me smile because, I've often thought
that Vladek's acting style suggests he might have enjoyed "ad-
libbing" and I was wondering if he was here? Without the original
script though, it's impossible to know ;-D

Incidentally, is there a reason why not all the UFO episode scripts
are on your UFO Series site? Is ITV 4 following a specified
production order (haven't checked yet) I'm wondering if they've
missed some episodes out, as I've always thought "Mindbender" was
one of the last to be screened in any of the episode orders?


BTW, thank you for putting up the music and effects tracks, I'll get
round to listening to them - so much to do, so little time :-)


Sarah

> Incidentally, is there a reason why not all the UFO episode scripts
> are on your UFO Series site?

Yes, there is a very good reason -- I don't have them all!! Back
when I started the website, I only had one UFO script, for SUBSMASH,
which had been given away as a prize at a Fanderson convention in
the 1980s and had been photocopied enough that it was available
through script dealers. In subsequent years, Paolo Malaguti was kind
enough to copy/scan for me the scripts he had, which Ed Bishop
had been giving to him as gifts during his many visits to Italy.
There are still 3 of these that have not made their way to the
website (ESP, CONFLICT, COURT MARTIAL), and hopefully I will
find the time to get these online.

I know that Fanderson has copies of *all* the UFO scripts, so its
certainly possible that we will get a chance to see them all - someday.
They released one paperback book containing 4 episode scripts (IDENTIFIED,
COMPUTER AFFAIR, FLIGHT PATH, SURVIVAL), but I don't think it sold
well, and I don't think more of these books are being planned.
(they also released separate script books in the past which
contained IDENTIFIED and TIMELASH).

So that leaves us with the following scripts that I have never
seen -- EXPOSED, THE RESPONSIBILITY SEAT, KILL STRAKER, THE SOUND OF
SILENCE, THE CAT WITH TEN LIVES, DESTRUCTION, THE MAN WHO CAME BACK,
THE PSYCHOBOMBS, REFLECTIONS IN THE WATER, MINBENDER. If anyone
here has a copy of these scripts, I'd be interested in getting
photocopies/scans so that they can be put onto my website.

> Is ITV 4 following a specified
> production order (haven't checked yet) I'm wondering if they've
> missed some episodes out, as I've always thought "Mindbender" was
> one of the last to be screened in any of the episode orders?

I think they are using the original 1970 UK episode order for ATV... ?

Marc

Hi all,

It occurs to me, that at the rate I'm going, I'm *never* going
to get around to transcribing and uploading the 3 UFO scripts
that Paolo Malaguti sent me 3 years ago. I mean, I've proven
in the past that I can completely transcribe a script and
get it onto the website in less than a week (I proved this
with the scripts for THE LONG SLEEP and also the unfilmed
script for THE PATRIOT). However, in the past few years
a free week's worth of time has been difficult to find.
(and when I did it with THE PATRIOT last year, I ended
up getting sick afterwards from lack of sleep!)

So, for those of you who would like to see what a *real*
UFO script looks like -- Ed Bishop's personal script even,
with his own notations handwritten in -- here you go:

http://ufoseries.com/temp/esp.zip
http://ufoseries.com/temp/court.zip
http://ufoseries.com/temp/conflict.zip

These zip archives contain color scans (JPEG format) of each
page of these scripts. These archives are about 17 MB each,
so you'll probably need a fast connection to download them.
I like to transcribe these into text files as this greatly
reduces the size of the download (down to only ~150kb).
Although I suspect that some will find the color scans more
interesting than a text transcription.

Thanks to Paolo Malaguti for sending these scans
to me (3 years ago)!

I'm still planning to put text transcriptions of these
scripts on the website sometime in the future, but for
those of you who want to see them now, download away!

Marc

P.S. I hope I don't see copies of these scripts up for
auction on eBay next week... I can see it now -- "Ed
Bishop Original UFO Script", sold for US$500... :-(

>> Is ITV 4 following a specified
>> production order (haven't checked yet) I'm wondering if they've
>> missed some episodes out, as I've always thought "Mindbender" was
>> one of the last to be screened in any of the episode orders?
>
> I think they are using the original 1970 UK episode order for ATV... ?

Looking at my UFO FAQ Question #16...

http://ufoseries.com/faq.html#16

...it does appear that ITV4 are using the original UK broadcast
order for ATV Midlands. Looking at the recent past and near
future:

12. THE PSYCHOBOMBS
13. SURVIVAL
14. MINDBENDER
15. FLIGHT PATH
16. THE MAN WHO CAME BACK
17. THE DALOTEK AFFAIR
18. TIMELASH

Marc

Where did you transcribe THAT one ?

--- In [hidden email], Marc Martin <marc@...> wrote:
>
I can completely transcribe a script and
> get it onto the website in less than a week (I proved this
> with the script for the unfilmed script for THE PATRIOT).  

Pat wrote:
> Where did you transcribe THAT one ?
>
> I can completely transcribe a script and
>> get it onto the website in less than a week (I proved this
>> with the script for the unfilmed script for THE PATRIOT).

It's on my scripts page, top of the page:

http://www.ufoseries.com/scripts/

Marc