Posted by
SHADO on
URL: https://www.shado-forum.com/Disappointed-tp1512277p1512282.html
You think that's bad? Imagine MY disappointment when I bought the megaset (17 discs) of Space: 1999, and found that it STILL sucked, LOL! And the DVDs had terrible sound and picture compared to the great job done on theUFO DVDs.
But seriously, sorry to hear that you're not enjoying the series 40 years later. I had the exact opposite reaction when I first bought my UFO DVDs. Being a small boy when it first aired, at the time it was all about the hardware and special effects for me (guess it's a "guy" thing). Story line, characterization and "fashion sense" ran a distant second for your average young lad, I believe. Now seeing them as an adult male, I still enjoy the hardware and special effects, but have a new-found appreciation for the story line/characters, which I was almost oblivious to as a kid. Admittedly, some of the writing is good, and some not so good. But I find myself enjoying the series much more 40 years later, simply because I'm seeing the "whole picture" now, which was lacking in me during the first run.
On the bright side, you can probably sell your UFO DVD set, and not lose much of your investment. If I didn't already own two sets, I'd buy 'em.
Jeff
P.S. Agreed that the fashions, drinking, and smoking date the show. But that was reality back then. A much different time. Better in some ways than today, worse in others.
--- On Wed, 6/17/09, aredhel1984 <
[hidden email]> wrote:
From: aredhel1984 <
[hidden email]>
Subject: [SHADO] Disappointed
To:
[hidden email]
Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2009, 9:24 AM
I joined this group a few weeks ago after buying the megaset. I set to watching it, hoping to revel in some childhood memories. But it was a huge disappointment. The writing on the show is so bad that I can't believe I ever watched this stuff at all. Some examples:
Straker deliberately kills his own son because of a mission that ends up failing anyway. Calling that heroic is sick and anyone who says so shouldn't be allowed near children at all.
Alec started out well, chatting up the women, seemed like a fun guy. But byepisode three he was little more than a whining yes man to Straker. It's awonder they took so long to drop him.
There's a 'he was only dreaming' episode, always a bad idea.
By the end of the series they were resorting to cleavage. In the audio commentary, Wanda Wentham says that people still ask her to autograph photos ofher in the purple shirt. Come on, guys, the woman's over seventy, get a girlfriend!
Everyone talks like Julie Christie in 'Darling'.
Straker finally gets his hands on an alien, but injects him with poisonous drugs after half a minute of interrogation, one of the setbacks of insisting on stand alone episodes.
The DVD enhancement shows that Straker wears blue eye shadow. No one shouldever take orders from a man who wears eye shadow. How could such a person be placed in charge of planetary security?
There are some unncessarily futuristic features like Straker's lavish bar. What's wrong with a bottle? And no one should drink on the job.
The clothes are horrible. Everyone seems to be wearing pyjamas.
All the smoking is disgusting and makes the show look dated.
Dr. Jackson is a 100% creep. My skin crawls when he's on the screen.
Ah well, there's always Stargate.
A disillusioned Rebecca.
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