When I first heard the Gerry Anderson series was going to be released in two boxed sets, I scoffed. No way would anyone be so kind as to release a series over 30 years old. Particularly one that got so little attention and was cancelled after one short year. Luckily, I was wrong. Anderson's UFO was his first true live action series, made in 1969/1970, having carved out a niche with his trademark supermarionation (ie: puppets on strings for those of you too young to remember) in series such as Thunderbirds.

UFO was set in the then distant future (a whole ten years) of 1980 and concerned a small government organization that was set up to protect the Earth from a group of hostile alien forces from some unknown planet, far away. Over time, we learn that the alien's planet is running out of resources and/or room so they need to colonize Earth. There is, of course, one small problem with their idea-Earth already has plenty of indigenous life forms, particularly the one known as Man. Here's what the dvd cover said about this 4 disc set:

"SHADO's fight to save the world continues with the final 13 episodes of UFO, the first live-action series from legendary producer Gerry Anderson (Thunderbirds, Space: 1999).
In the year 1980, mysterious aliens are kidnapping humans and harvesting their organs, apparently in an attempt to extend their own lives. Earth is defended by SHADO (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organization), led by Commander Ed Straker. Whether scrambling high-tech interceptors from their lunar base or patrolling the oceans--a favorite alien hiding place--in their Skydiver submarines, SHADO's agents must perform their vital task in absolute secrecy.
A rarely-seen science fiction classic from one of the most innovative minds in television history, UFO features a strong cast, gripping story lines and extraordinary special effects from David Meddings (Batman, The Spy Who Loved Me)."

The episodes in this set were:
14) The Responsibility Seat: We find out the Commander is not above fixing his own mistakes and we get to see his second in command show why he's not the boss.
15) E.S.P.: A man who's ability to read minds is enhanced by the aliens for their own purposes.
16) Kill Straker!: The Commander's most trusted field agent is used as a tool by the aliens. This episode had a great audio commentary track by the Director Alan Perry & Actor Mike Billington.
17) Sub Smash: After tangling with an alien ship at sea, the Skydiver is trapped under water. The crew must deal with the situation before they suffocate. The Commander's claustrophobia is revealed here and added to the fun. There was also a commentary here by Creator Gerry Anderson although it wasn't as good as the first one.
18) The Sound Of Silence: A famous horseman is abducted by the aliens and Colonel Freeman must recover him before it's too late.
19) The Cat With Ten Lives: The aliens use a household pet to control a pilot and use him to destroy the Moonbase.
20) Destruction: After the Navy shoots down a UFO, the team are sent to investigate. What they found was a really bad situation that nearly helped the alien's plans.
21) The Man Who Came Back: When an astronaut is found alive, after being presumed killed by aliens, it becomes quite clear that he was released by them in order to further their cause.
22) The Psychobombs: Some abductees were set up with peculiar bombs in order to destroy the SHADO headquarters. How they are dealt with provides a look at the all or nothing nature of the alien killing business.
23) Reflections In The Water: After a week of heavy UFO attacks, it looks like the aliens are gong to stage a mass attack. Will the resources of SHADO be enough to handle it?
24) Timelash: The Commander goes crazy and starts tearing up SHADO Headquarters yet no one knows why. We learn that a saboteur insider teamed with the aliens to alter time and only Commander Starker and Colonel Lake could stop him. This episode had a great commentary too.
25) Mindbender: Both the Moonbase and Earth Headquarters are under attack. The aliens once again used mind altering substances in what appeared to be a social commentary about drug use.
26) The Long Sleep: A woman nearly killed by Commander Straker 10 years ago awakes from her coma with a secret about a super bomb, capable of destroying half of England. The team races to find out what she knows before the aliens do so they can save the day.

Picture: The picture was great! If not for the fashion and other clues, you'd never have guessed this series was so old, based on how excellent a job was done on the dvd mastering. The show was presented in it's original full frame format.

Sound: The audio was also excellently remastered. It never ceases to amaze me how the limitations of the source material can be overcome by digital technology.

Extras: The extra's included the 3 listed audio commentaries, a lot of alternate video outtakes, photogalleries, and a Gerry Anderson biography. The two sided dvd cover listed all the episodes with directors and writers too.

Final Thoughts: This was one of those shows where it worked on multiple levels. You could take it as a straight up spy show, the alien factor being a bit of fantasy thrown in for good measure, as a kids action show, or, often enough, as a social commentary about the tumulus times of the late 60's/early 70's. Even though there was certainly a basic formula at work, like virtually all other TV shows past and present, the show also reached beyond it's boundaries often enough. It was made clear that none of the cast were perfect heroes or that everyone thought the same way. I also couldn't help but like seeing those purple-haired ladies on the Moonbase (proving it was probably a major influence on so many Japanese anime releases since then).

On the negative side of this wonderful series, the pacing was certainly not as action packed as current audiences are used to. The deliberate mood and pace contributed to it's untimely demise but also make it more of a classic now. Just looking at the opening montage you can see where MTV producers learned the style that became so popular back when that little cable show started up. As a pop culture influence, Anderson's show will live on in many ways. I highly recommend this one for all that it is. If you have an interest in this type of show, you really couldn't expect them to do any better than this. Great Job!