SHADO

Re: Food for thought...definitely!

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Pam McCaughey

Re: Food for thought...definitely!

Hi Andy and all - I Just read the blurb you sent about the 4 UFO eps which
were pretty controversial in their time. I wonder if that's why my mother
tried to bar me from seeing the show part way through its run? Maybe she
believed it was too adult for a 12 yr old? I doubt if I was mature enough to
understand some of the themes encapsulated in the aforementioned episodes. I
remember seeing them, but I don't think I "got it" if you know what I mean.
Pam

'Mindbender' was a surreal episode in which Straker touches a

>hallucinatory alien rock. He finds himself wandering around the UFO
>studio set, having his dialogue stopped by a shout of 'Cut!' from
>Sylvia Anderson, talking to Paul Foster, who tells him he is an actor
>called Michael, and watches 'rushes' of previous episodes.
>Feely's 'Timelash' was deemed to be risky after Bishop and Wanda
>Ventham injected themselves with drugs to counteract an alien device
>which was slowing down time. 'The Responsibility Seat', a
>straightforward tale of the isolation of command, contained scenes in
>which beautiful spy Jane Merrow seduced the SHADO chief. The last
>episode caused the most fuss. 'The Long Sleep', with its monochrome
>tinted hallucinatory dream sequences, plethora of drug speech, and an
>implied rape, was provocative enough to be totally banned in certain
>regions.

andy_lovie

Re: Food for thought...definitely!

Hi Pam,

<<the 4 UFO eps which were pretty controversial in
their time. I wonder if that's why my mother
tried to bar me from seeing the show part way through
its run? Maybe she believed it was too adult for a 12
yr old?>>

Quite possible. I'm a fan of 'UFO' (obviously !), but
would have to think twice about letting very young
children see some (a small minority of) episodes.
Having said which, 'A Question of Priorities' -
showing as it does the death of a child - would be the
one I would be least likely to permit a child to
watch, rather than any of the four others regarded by
some as 'dodgy.' Perhaps this is because it is the
only episode which upsets me to some extent to watch
some scenes in it now, namely the accident scene
itself and Mary's denunciation of Straker in the
hospital.

<<I doubt if I was mature enough to understand some of
the themes encapsulated in the aforementioned
episodes. I remember seeing them, but I don't think I
"got it" if you know what I mean.>>

Yes, I know exactly what you mean. That is my memory
of watching the episodes first time round - I totally
failed to pick up on the drug use etc. The most scary
thing I remember about the series was the alien/s -
still remember walking home on a clear, cloudless
night, almost able to hear the eerie 'UFO' music and
afraid of an alien appearing from behind a tree...
while watching it now, these characters in red jump
suits and gold chains seem the height of high camp,
not scary at all. Guess it's all in the eye of the
beholder.

Mind you, according to Gerry Anderson (I think in the
'UFO Behind the Scenes' video produced by 'Fanderson')
- he didn't realise these episodes referred to drug
use, and he was in his 30s or 40s at the time...
showing a surprising degree of naivite. Shame
perhaps... a more subtle approach to these questions
could have ensured a second series. Or at least
ensured 'UFO:1999' was produced rather than the bland
and insipid 'Space:1999').

Regards,

Andy

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