Posted by Karl Barcia on
URL: https://www.shado-forum.com/Henderson-vs-Straker-tp1493584p1493617.html

I've been away but glad to b back. Read the posts with interest,
especially the Straker vs. Henderson discussions. Great stuff!! I
thought there was a lot of positive writing on the speculation from
members that really intrigued me to which I've replied. I have to
say I have to agree with Denise - only because I'm scared she might
dis me off ;-) - and James Gibbon about continuity error as an
explanation to the sudden change in relations between the two hard
men of SHADO.

(To 'dis' is how a young would-be-rapper would say to you if they
want to criticise you rather sharply).

Denise Felt wrote:

You can read all you want into the storyline,
> > but the simple fact is that they never explain it!


and

James Gibbon wrote:

...like the unexplained change in attitude toward Dr Jackson
in 'Court Martial' or Foster's hairline travelling in a different
direction from everyone else, it certainly _is_ a continuity
issue...

And what about the alien spacesuits losing their chain mail and
getting what looked like the silver shoulder and chest pieces similar
to the female Moonbase crew! Didn't the female Moonbase crew
have a changed look too? It's these things that really struck me
when I first started to watch UFO again... the continuity errors.

Anyway... I would imagine that as a writer you would have to have a
comprehensive profile and personalities of all the main characters
before writing a storyline. It's difficult to imagine a major
shift in relations between the main protagonists - unless of course
as,

Sheila wrote:

... the fact there were so many different writers working on the
series...

However, we witness the continued quarrelling between `H' and
Straker in later episodes, which is at least consistent, if not
explanatory.


James Gibbon wrote:

...I imagine that the writers simply thought it would be more
interesting to have a bit of tension between Straker & his boss, so
they just made it happen...

Well, it wouldn't surprise me! It would be interesting to see
the original scripts and each of the character profiles.

A TV series such as UFO would have been tightly budgeted and like
most things in life there seems never enough time to complete things.

There is a visible pooling of resources on the set of UFO.
Didn't Foster have his own car? It was a blue wedge shape one
wasn't it? It just doesn't look right that he drives around in
Straker's car. Unless of course, we are expected to believe that
Straker has given permission of some kind to senior SHADO personnel
that they have access to all company(Film Studio)cars.

The things that spoil a good episode are missing hubcaps from the
organisation's cars. Which disappear in one scene only to
reappear in the next.

Maybe the producers were expecting us to accept the changes in
continuity as a natural progression over time. Who knows! Certainly
they were presumptuous in expecting us to turn a blind eye when
personnel assumed different roles, changed attitudes or even
disappeared during the course of the series!


Rob wrote:

...Perhaps General Henderson was also Mary's father?.. Father-in-laws
always take their daughter's side when a marriage crumbles, after
all. ;-)...

This sounds remotely familiar... Is this true? It would explain a
lot of things;-)

Karl