Friday, January 11, 2013

Addicted

     Despite fonky sets, insane costumes, purple hair and plot holes, I'm finding UFO at least as much fun now as when I watched it in reruns as a child. The willingness of the Andersons to let the plot take some very dark turns make it unlike most televised SF (Star Trek and the count-on-it 15-minute Happy Ending spring to mind) and compensate for the somewhat greater degree of pulpiness.  (You can find most episodes on YouTube.)

     In a wider sense ;), consider that both UFO and the earlier The Invaders are obviously disinformation, black propaganda tending to discredit any leaks about the Hidden Frontier as detailed in my writings at I Work On A Starship.  C'mon, look at the obvious parallels: bell-shaped "flying saucers" landing onesie-twosie in isolated locations, humanoid-looking aliens (or humans taken over by aliens), opposed by a lone man everyone thinks is nuts (The Invaders) or a covert organization (UFO, obviously a reference to the USSF-NATO alliance then waging a war of feint and standoff with the Edgers' "Federation of Concerned Spacemen").  UFO in particular all but hangs a lantern on it by hiding SHADO HQ under a film studio!  Anyone trying to reveal the real facts after those shows had been on the air would have been laughed at.

6 comments:

Alan said...

I've always loved that series. Have the DVD set and the theme is a secondary ringtone on my phone. (the primary is Tank! from Cowboy Beebop.) Yes, I am that dorky.

Keads said...

Hey wait a minute! I loved the UFO series and it died for a lot of reasons IMHO. My take on it is here.

danno said...

UFO was a hidden pleasure back then...
what else would have some making time for a show on 4:30pm Sunday afternoons?

I was hoping for some online episodes, but only turned up DVD sales... I just might have to splurge...

Bob said...

I remember drawing UFO-inspired art in class when I was attending Catholic school. Good times.

Miguel said...

Mini skirts and fishnet clothing: The perfect series for a boy entering puberty back then.

Roberta X said...

You know the men are wearin' fishnet tops, too -- and they're a fit & handsome bunch.