Scripts meant for the second series

Hallo,

I recently watched a TV program about U.F.O. -- there they mentioned
some scripts that had been written for a second series, alas never
shot (life is unjust, we know that). Are these scripts available
anywhere? Possibly a copy in the Internet? Which kind of series did
they have in mind?

Thanks a lot! Cheers,

Enzo

If you find out more, please let us know!

Jim Main
--- Vincenzo De Florio <[hidden email]>
wrote:




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> I recently watched a TV program about U.F.O. -- there they mentioned
> some scripts that had been written for a second series, alas never
> shot (life is unjust, we know that). Are these scripts available
> anywhere? Possibly a copy in the Internet? Which kind of series did
> they have in mind?

This is a subject which I have been interested in for years. My
conclusion (so far) is that there were NO scripts written for
the second season of UFO. I think they got to the point of
thinking about making a second season of UFO, but the whole
project evolved into Space:1999 before any scripts were written.

Note that my UFO FAQ once said that scripts were prepared, as
I thought that I read that somewhere, but I since
not found any evidence for it, so I removed that statement.

Note that I have emailed both Sylvia Anderson and Johnny Byrne
(writer for Space:1999) about this, and neither could provide
any useful information. The only people remaining who might
know something are Gerry Anderson and Christopher Penfold,
and when both of them have told the story of the evolution
of UFO into Space:1999, they never mentioned UFO-2 scripts.

Note that I do have on my website a marketing proposal
for a series which seems to be a mix of UFO-2 and Space:1999,
which must have been written sometime during the transition
between the two concepts:

http://ufoseries.com/marketing/menaceInSpace.html

Also note that I have an unfilmed script for an episode
of UFO, but this was written during the first shooting
block at MGM studios:

http://ufoseries.com/scripts/patriot.html

Marc

> The only people remaining who might
> know something are Gerry Anderson and Christopher Penfold,

Here is an excerpt of an interview with Space:1999 writer
Christopher Penfold which talks about this subject -- from
this, it appears that Keith Wilson or Brian Johnson might
also be good people to ask:

"During that time Gerry was having early discussions
about reviving 'UFO' for a second series. Originally
it was going to be called "UFO 2" although I remember
other working titles. I think 'The Space Ark' was one
of them. Eventually Gerry hit upon '1999' which had
been a working title for a long time. Not many of us
liked it but, as working titles tend to, it stuck. We
all felt it was terribly derivative of '2001: A Space
Odyssey' and of course a lot of people working with
Gerry at the time had also worked on that."

"The initial discussions were, I remember, how to develop
the concept of "UFO" sufficiently to make it both
recognizable with the first series and yet a development
of it. I think they were planning to use the same cast.
There was a big moment during a story discussion when the
central idea of 'Space: 1999' was dropped in. I can't
quite remember who it came from. It may have been Brian
Johnson, Keith Wilson or it may even have been me. I
remember there was a great surge of excitement for the idea
that what was actually going to happen was that the moon
was going to blast out of orbit. I think that was probably
the moment when it ceased to be 'UFO' and became something
else. It seemed like a really good idea."

You can find the full interview here:

http://www.space1999.net/catacombs/press/wrefppenfold1.html

Marc

> I remember there was a great surge of excitement for the idea
> that what was actually going to happen was that the moon
> was going to blast out of orbit. I think that was probably
> the moment when it ceased to be 'UFO' and became something
> else. It seemed like a really good idea."

Also note that this quote is in direct conflict with other
reports that UFO-2 was cancelled due to falling ratings.

That's the problem when you start asking people what exactly
happened -- everyone's story conflicts with everyone elses!
Of course, it WAS a long time ago... I have trouble remembering
what happened last week! :-)

Marc

Where do you find shows discussing UFO????

I NEVER see them here...... :-(

Dave H.
USA
-------------------------------------------------------------------



----- Original Message -----
From: Vincenzo De Florio
To: [hidden email]
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2007 10:05 AM
Subject: [SHADO] Scripts meant for the second series


Hallo,

I recently watched a TV program about U.F.O. -- there they mentioned
some scripts that had been written for a second series, alas never
shot (life is unjust, we know that). Are these scripts available
anywhere? Possibly a copy in the Internet? Which kind of series did
they have in mind?

Thanks a lot! Cheers,

Enzo





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

According to Tony Barwick's interview in that magazine...er...whatever it was called...TV Zone perhaps...no scripts would actually be written until everything else was completely worked out. So if the format for season 2 became Space:1999's format, then the first script would've been written for that format, not UFO's. The confusion probably came from an Ed Bishop interview where he said that the second season was being prepared when it all fell through. He said something like "Tony Barwick was writing new scripts" but Barwick denied this, so Ed was probably making an assumption based on the call he got from Gerry Anderson about the second season being in pre-planning stages.

Dunno if it helps, but 1999's format changed before the one it ended up with and Johnny Byrne apparently rewrote Matter of Life and Death which had been written to suit the earlier version of the format (in which Moon City was the name of the Colony which became Alpha).

I personally think the early 1999 story "Ring Around the Moon" in which an Alphan (Helena) is abducted and returned under alien control is like a UFO 2 plotline that's been rejigged with new aliens. I could see them using Virginia Lake as the one who gets snatched off the Moon surface and returned as a zombie and Straker having to find a way to set her free of the alien control.

Z

Marc Martin <[hidden email]> wrote:
> I recently watched a TV program about U.F.O. -- there they mentioned
> some scripts that had been written for a second series, alas never
> shot (life is unjust, we know that). Are these scripts available
> anywhere? Possibly a copy in the Internet? Which kind of series did
> they have in mind?

This is a subject which I have been interested in for years. My
conclusion (so far) is that there were NO scripts written for
the second season of UFO. I think they got to the point of
thinking about making a second season of UFO, but the whole
project evolved into Space:1999 before any scripts were written.

Note that my UFO FAQ once said that scripts were prepared, as
I thought that I read that somewhere, but I since
not found any evidence for it, so I removed that statement.

Note that I have emailed both Sylvia Anderson and Johnny Byrne
(writer for Space:1999) about this, and neither could provide
any useful information. The only people remaining who might
know something are Gerry Anderson and Christopher Penfold,
and when both of them have told the story of the evolution
of UFO into Space:1999, they never mentioned UFO-2 scripts.

Note that I do have on my website a marketing proposal
for a series which seems to be a mix of UFO-2 and Space:1999,
which must have been written sometime during the transition
between the two concepts:

http://ufoseries.com/marketing/menaceInSpace.html

Also note that I have an unfilmed script for an episode
of UFO, but this was written during the first shooting
block at MGM studios:

http://ufoseries.com/scripts/patriot.html

Marc




Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.com 

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

Try You Tube...there's an Ed Bishop interview there and other Anderson oddities such as "Message from Moonbase Alpha" and Retrodate's pop video of the UFO theme music.
Z

davrecon <[hidden email]> wrote:

Where do you find shows discussing UFO????

I NEVER see them here...... :-(

Dave H.
USA
----------------------------------------------------------

----- Original Message -----
From: Vincenzo De Florio
To: [hidden email]
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2007 10:05 AM
Subject: [SHADO] Scripts meant for the second series

Hallo,

I recently watched a TV program about U.F.O. -- there they mentioned
some scripts that had been written for a second series, alas never
shot (life is unjust, we know that). Are these scripts available
anywhere? Possibly a copy in the Internet? Which kind of series did
they have in mind?

Thanks a lot! Cheers,

Enzo

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





Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.com 

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

> If you find out more, please let us know!
>
> Jim Main

Sure thing!

> Where do you find shows discussing UFO????
>
> I NEVER see them here...... :-(
>
> Dave H.
> USA
An Italian channel, of course ;-)

It was an old VHS rip from some "Channel Jimmy" or so... It featured an
interview with Paolo Malaguti himself!

Fantastic!! Thank you very much!

> You can find the full interview here:
>
> http://www.space1999.net/catacombs/press/wrefppenfold1.html
> <http://www.space1999.net/catacombs/press/wrefppenfold1.html>
Again, thank you so much!

> I personally think the early 1999 story "Ring Around the Moon" in
> which an Alphan (Helena) is abducted and returned under alien control
> is like a UFO 2 plotline that's been rejigged with new aliens. I could
> see them using Virginia Lake as the one who gets snatched off the Moon
> surface and returned as a zombie and Straker having to find a way to
> set her free of the alien control.
How I wish this could be true!!
> This is a subject which I have been interested in for years. My
> conclusion (so far) is that there were NO scripts written for
> the second season of UFO
The people at Channel Jimmy were convinced of the opposite; if memory
serves me well, they said that Paolo had some.
> Try You Tube...there'
> s an Ed Bishop interview there and other Anderson oddities such as
> "Message from Moonbase Alpha" and Retrodate's pop video of the UFO
> theme music.
> Z
Which address please?

Thank you all so much for your kind replies!

Cheers

Enzo

> > This is a subject which I have been interested in for years. My
> > conclusion (so far) is that there were NO scripts written for
> > the second season of UFO
> >
> The people at Channel Jimmy were convinced of the opposite; if memory
> serves me well, they said that Paolo had some.

Well, if Paolo had scripts for the cancelled 2nd season of UFO, I
think we'd know about it by now!

Marc

Marc, do you have the new Network remastered Season one release of
Space 1999? I seem to remember in some of the extras Chris Penfold
talking briefly about coming to work on UFO 2 and it evolving into
Space 1999. I "think" this is new material. I haven't watched every
extra on them (I think this may be the LAST Space 1999 DVD set I ever
buy so I'm spacing out the viewing of these new discs) and I don't
remember if there any information in what Chris said that I haven't
heard before, mostly from the real experts...you and this list! : - )

But if you don't have the set it would be a simple job for me to pull
an audio excerpt off the disc and send it to you for you to compare
with what we know.

On the topic of cast remembering UFO and what it was like to work on
the series I asked Shane Rimmer at the last Space 1999 convention
what is was like to be in the first episode he said,

"Phil, I don;'t remember a damn thing about that. Now be quiet!"  

: - )  

On the Ellis Clipboard issue, it reads like something one of my
building principals might write.  


--- In [hidden email], "Marc Martin" <marc@...> wrote:
>
> > The only people remaining who might
> > know something are Gerry Anderson and Christopher Penfold,
>
> Here is an excerpt of an interview with Space:1999 writer
> Christopher Penfold which talks about this subject -- from
> this, it appears that Keith Wilson or Brian Johnson might
> also be good people to ask:

> Marc, do you have the new Network remastered Season one release of
> Space 1999? I seem to remember in some of the extras Chris Penfold
> talking briefly about coming to work on UFO 2 and it evolving into
> Space 1999.

Yes, I have the Network Space:1999 DVDs, and I think I watched all
of the extra features, and I don't recall hearing anything new on
that subject...

Marc

I've just asked Paolo Malaguti about "this" script.
PM thinks that Vincenzo is referring to Albert (?) Hasting's script which
Hastings made back in 1995-1996. Paolo says he probably mentioned it during
his interview with Canal Jimmy.
Nothing related to any official Gerry Anderson production though.
Bye now.
teresa
ISOSHADO

----- Original Message -----

> The people at Channel Jimmy were convinced of the opposite; if memory
> serves me well, they said that Paolo had some.

Well, if Paolo had scripts for the cancelled 2nd season of UFO, I
think we'd know about it by now!

Marc

Teresa - ISOSHADO wrote:
> I've just asked Paolo Malaguti about "this" script.
> PM thinks that Vincenzo is referring to Albert (?) Hasting's script which
> Hastings made back in 1995-1996.

Ahhh, and that wasn't even a script, but rather an idea for
a story...

Marc

Something about Straker finding out that his son Johnny hadn't really died at the end of A Question of Priorities but Henderson had let him think he was dead, wasn't it?

Marc Martin <[hidden email]> wrote: Teresa - ISOSHADO wrote:
> I've just asked Paolo Malaguti about "this" script.
> PM thinks that Vincenzo is referring to Albert (?) Hasting's script which
> Hastings made back in 1995-1996.

Ahhh, and that wasn't even a script, but rather an idea for
a story...

Marc




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