Gerry Anderson‘s UFO , one of the seventies ’ most secretly amazing display , is getting a movie version . But is America really ready for the show ’s bluff mix of grim moral equivocalness and absurdpurple wigging ?
UFO is n’t as well - known today as some of Gerry Anderson ’s other appearance , such as the Supermarionation series Thunderbirds ( otherwise sleep with as what Trey Parker and Matt Stone were parodying in Team America : Wold Police ) or Space : 1999 ( which , for all its gallant intentions , might be the one show that can outdo the original Battlestar Galactica when it total to outer space opera cheesiness ) .
But , despite its dated 1970 ’s style – let ’s just say bell - bottoms were heavily featured and leave it at that – UFO was believably the best of the bunch , offer an uncompromising look at a urgently underfunded paramilitary organization as it seek to support Earth against an alien threat it barely understand . This establishment was SHADO , or Supreme Headquarters Alien Defense Organization , led by Commander Ed Straker . Straker ’s cold , calculating fictional character made him an unlikely hero , but it also provided the show with much of its dramatic heft , as his singleminded pursuit of the enemy left him ever more detached from his friends and family .
The show also had the standard Gerry Anderson categorization of cool vehicles and equipment , include a Moonbase – infamously staff by aphrodisiacal young charwoman whose uniform dwell of sparkly silver catsuits and purple wigs – and a submarine that launched a fighter jet . I ’d attempt to explicate further , but the opening sequence does a much good job of set up the assumption ( it ’s also indescribably cracking ):
Though the show confessedly got off to a rough start , with some poorly paced , ungraciously acted other episode ( considering most of the creative squad had drop the previous decade working with puppet , that ’s not entirely surprising ) , UFO promptly developed into an exciting mix of action and play . Its last nine episodes , made after a forced calendar month - farsighted product intermission , represent the show in top form and is some of the best science fiction ever made for British television .
So that ’s the original show , which I heartily recommend check out . But what about this new movie ? Not much is yet known , although it will retain the original ’s nigh - future setting . The TV show was made in 1970 but was specify in 1980 , and the movie feature a like decade - recollective gap , as it will take place in 2020 .
Joseph Kanarek and Ryan Gaudet are currently writing the screenplay . UFO will be their first screenwriting course credit . The film is being bring forth by Avi Haas and Henri M. Kessler as well as crack - producerRobert Evans , who used to be notable for being behind the likes of Chinatown and The Godfather but is now mostly celebrated just for being super - producer Robert Evans .
Admittedly , this is n’t quite the dream squad I ’d need handling a personal favorite like UFO , but I ’m going to persist optimistic . The show ’s dark note , unsealed foeman , and complicated fictitious character arguably make it a set far better with the science fiction of today ( like Battlestar Galactica ) than it ever did with the lighter shows of the 70s ( like , well … Battlestar Galactica ) . UFO was ahead of its fourth dimension , but its time might just be right now .
[ Sci Fi Wire ]
Gerry AndersonMoviesTelevision
Daily Newsletter
Get the best tech , science , and culture newsworthiness in your inbox day by day .
News from the time to come , bear to your present .
You May Also Like
