UFO: The Alien Files

Chris Dale delves into UFO's aliens, who would regularly attack the earth and attempt to shatter the defences of SHADO.
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[@GerryAndersonTV]

Were you scared of the aliens in UFO? Would you like to have discovered more about them in the series? Let us know!

[@frankenstein4567]

I wasn't scared, but as far as discovering goes... I would love to see more documentaries about this fabulous series. I'd love to see where the cast took their careers. We're "40 Years" from the series timeline, an anniversary is in order! Wonderful entertainment.

[@Neil070]

@@frankenstein4567 Sadly some, like Ed Bishop, Peter Gordeno and George Sewell, are no longer with us. Wanda Ventham paused her career to have a son, who is also an actor of some renown, under the name Benedict Cumberbatch.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

*UFO* _should have_ continued. TV executives -- NOT meaning the folks at Anderson Productions -- were {and are} IDIOTS....

[@exidy-yt]

Scared? Found the series far too late for that. Intregued? Very much so! I would give all my internet points to see either a far delayed second season or a full re-imagining of UFO with modern effects but original style mysterious storylines. Brilliant series.

[@Warriorking.1963]

No I was never scared watching this series, although I was too young to fully understand what the story was behind the aliens coming to Earth. To me it was just the "spiny spacecraft" being attacked by the people who lived underground. I also had a crush on Ayshea, but you can hardly hold that against me. Years later when I was old enough to understand it more (still had that crush on Ayshea), my absolute favourite episode "Destruction" also left me totally confused! As the narrator explains in this video, if the aliens need human organs to survive, wouldn't killing all life on Earth tend to be an extreme case of cutting off their nose to spite their face? I tried to square this circle for a long time. The closest I ever came to it was that they had figured out a way to use artificial organs, so they then decided to kill all life on Earth, and then adjust the atmosphere, environment, etc. so it would be suitable for them. Then they'd just pack all their little suitcases, climb on their spacecraft, leave their dying world with no natural resources left, and hop over to populate Earth. Of course, in later episodes they continued hunting for human organs, so my little rationalisation doesn't really hold water unfortunately. A great series which deserved another series in which we could have learned more about the aliens, but unfortunately we got Space 1999 instead.

[@tantraman93]

The costumes, the wigs, the make-up, the groovy music (the interceptor launch theme!!), the amazing models, the amazing special effects, the multi-racial cast...UFO was ahead of its time.

[@jackmessent3490]

UFO is such a great series.

[@williambabyak1094]

UFO was my introduction to science fiction, back in 1972. It has been one of my all-time favorite series. R.I.P. : Gerry & Sylvia Anderson Ed Bishop George Sewell Michael Billington Peter Gordeno Vladek Sheybal Harry Baird Grant Taylor

[@lukeyznaga7627]

you are not alone, William. I still love that show. My brother Pierre also loved that show.

[@ronwhite8503]

What !! No Gabrielle Drake ?!? As a ten year old I thought she was amazing. As a sixty three year old, I realise I was right.

[@reubendobbs8011]

Loved it, I was only a nipper 7 when it started it was on a Friday night after the news and rugby special found it quite scary but loved it .

[@tonyhoban6600]

​@@ronwhite8503 the list is those that have died ! She is still around at 79 hopefully for some more years .

[@jmccallum34]

I'd love to see a reboot of UFO. Still one of my fave sci-fi series.

[@rnunezb]

Darker and violent.

[@jagnut6745]

There was an attempt vat a re-boot in 1996 and more recently a film version but these all fell through. Love UFO as I grew up with it and luckily I got to meet George Sewell through work.

[@CameronHuff]

they would have to do it right. make it more gritty maybe.

[@Neil070]

With improved sfx, it could be amazing.

[@kjamison5951]

I would expect it to be similar in tone to BSG. The rebooted version. There’s an opportunity to introduce themes and plot points that echo current and ‘possible future’ global events. What TNG did for Star Trek.

[@robinj.9329]

I got to watch this series on it's very first pass over U.S. audiences! Way back in the early 1970's. I saw much potential for a long run and excited fan base. But suddenly POOF! And it was gone, not to be seen by me (or anyone I know?) for many years. Too bad too! It is still one of my favorites, from "The Golden Age" of television.

[@davidbarlow431]

If there was ever a sci-fi show that was ideal for a modern day reimagining then UFO is the one.

[@ColonelStraker]

10:47 The music was, itself, equally amazing.

[@minicle426]

Evangelion is the closest to that. Given how much it was influenced by UFO.

[@crimsondynamo615]

@@minicle426 wait seriously?

[@adamwalkervfx]

Technically we already have. It's called XCOM.

[@davidbarlow431]

@@adamwalkervfx is that a US show? It doesn't ring any bells.

[@AtheistOrphan]

Ayshea Brough never failed to raise my................interest in sci-fi.

[@frankenstein4567]

She sure had that serious-look and that pouty-lips thing down to perfection. Oh, and the hair too. She is just beautiful.

[@commanderstraker6732]

My favourite Gerry Anderson series of all time! Ultimately it’s demise was due to the failure to sell the second series to the American networks. Whether adult themes in some of the episodes was the reason they couldn’t market the series as a family show. Michael Billington (Col. Paul Foster) would’ve made a great James Bond!

[@richardbeech4448]

He made a Bond Villain "Sergei Barsov" In the opening scenes of the "The Spy who loved me"

[@sorvad99]

I loved this show, it was way ahead of its time. I still watch it now on DVD

[@jeffcraddock3580]

Great series, and one of the coolest theme songs in TV History.

[@cyberleaderandy1]

And the end title was very like Spaces 1999 in style.

[@ashdrive]

Best TV series EVER!! Very well put together as to the history of The Aliens in UFO...

[@ryanstephenkristoferkearns1319]

I remember watching it on ITV 4 and I am pleased to have the complete series on DVD.

[@ronwhite8503]

As a child of the 60's I have wonderful memories of the Anderson's series beginning with Supercar. UFO was by far the best of their work and I am still watching it now.

[@reubendobbs8011]

Four feather falls I remember watching first

[@thecarolinahoosier3596]

I was a kid and only saw sporadic episodes, but I bought both seasons on DVD when they came out. Always a big fan of of Gerry Anderson’s work.

[@SPiderman-rh2zk]

Growing up these scared the living daylights out of me. I can only imagine how kids back in the 70s saw them in the age before CGI and so on. I loved this series, the dedicated Straker, the devil-may-care Foster, the sinister Dr Jackson, among others. Really well put together.

[@mariakelly1059]

Dr. Jackson wasn't sinister.

[@NoFaithNoPain]

It was the sheer Alienness of them, the claustrophobia of the fluid filled helmets. Yes, frightening and addictive

[@Renegade2786]

I wonder if UFO is what inspired the Vidiians in Star Trek Voyager.

[@andysimmons2648]

This is a wonderful trip down memory lane and reminds me why I loved UFO so much. I must dig out my DVDs and binge watch it again soon.

[@johnmooney9403]

There will never be another Gerry Anderson! He was a genius!

[@wkgmathguy218]

When UFO first aired hee in the USA I was about nine or ten years old, though I didn't see it then. Once on a shopping trip with my mom I saw a novel based on the show and managed to convince myself that it was a true story. :D

[@royjudson4380]

As a 10 year old back in 1970, i loved the episode when a Alien saved Paul Fosters life on moon base, a clip was shown at the end of this video.

[@lindadonovan7544]

Ed bishop absolutely gorgeous not bad as an actor ether loved this series as a kid never get sick of watching over and over

[@permiek]

Thanks Chris, excellent work.

[@trevorrandom]

My favourite Gerry Anderson live action show

[@martingeerars9640]

This show deserves a 21st century reboot. Either cinematic or TV, I'd love to see that. Done right, it would be fantastic

[@shauntbarry]

This needs a reboot so badly.. Maybe end with the eventual Moonbase Alpha progression to Space 1999 (2099??)

[@baptiste6875]

What I saw of UFO reminds me a bit of the Captain Scarlet vibe

[@gregsmall5939]

Not a coincidence. Created by the same producers.

[@FWCC1]

Loved this as a kid! TODAY I have all episodes on DVD. I was fascinated by this show as a kid. Recorded the opening theme on cassette player. Long Live UFO

[@WasNotWas999]

13 Aliens disliked this video

[@Clipgatherer]

“Dr Doug Jackson’s” Eastern European accent was always rather charming. 😊

[@Benlu64]

Yes they should have given him a foreign name really. It's like Fitzhugh (Irish?)in Land of the Giants who had a foreign accent as well!

[@stevo2992]

At the tender age of 10 I had my first crush with Gabrielle Drake (Gay Ellis). I think it was the purple hair. I'm happy to report she is alive now at 76.

[@AtheistOrphan]

Steve White - Ayshea Brough for me!

[@stevo2992]

Atheist Orphan Hard to argue with that, also alive and well at 71. (Now if she only had purple hair......🤔)

[@mariakelly1059]

I had a crush on Ed Bishop.

[@GlasgowGallus]

Great wee channel this, hope its more than a tribute and serves as a platform of interest to reboot this and other excellent Anderson works. Thank for all your work mate 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@davidmoore570]

This show was my introduction to Science Fiction what a great production this was !! I remember going to a UFO convention here in London back in 1986 met some of the cast is there any one else that attended that day ?

[@ThePathStrider]

I like that this inspired one of my favourite computer game franchises. *Hello, Commander.*

[@chitlika]

Long past time for a remake of this brilliant show

[@SharpChronofighter]

My all time favorite TV Series 💙!

[@mysterymanla6158]

BEST sci-fi show ever. It treated it’s audience with the utmost of respect.

[@thomridgeway1438]

Any alien race that has creme de menthe inside their helmets, can take over Earth happily as far as I am concerned.

[@CMDR_Verm]

As a young boy I was mesmerised by UFO and convinced that this was the 1980 I was going to grow up to. We did at least get cars with gull-wing doors ( as long as you're a millionaire lol) but everything else stayed grim and grey. I'd love to see UFO reborn as a proper adult series with the serious themes they were only allowed to touch on back in the 70's. It's not as if UFO's have gone away have they?

[@phoebegardiner9819]

This was great! I actually learnt a lot about this series now, that I hadn’t really learnt before about UFO. Fantastic stuff!

[@highwindsclarke2685]

The 2 episodes that do not feature the opening sequence are Confetti Check AOK and The Psychobombs. Patrick Allen played Turner in Timelash.

[@Doctorgoatboy]

I wish there were more UFO.

[@mnbv990]

That was a great little film.

[@seattlebeard]

I grew up with this show. It's still the coolest thing I've seen on tele.

[@gregorydotson6776]

Back in the 1990's that ran reruns of this series on the Sci-fi channel.

[@Neil070]

Forces TV has rerun the show a couple of times in the last few years. Difficult to follow the schedule of these smaller channels, though.

[@davidflack6430]

Currently on Legend

[@rolandexclusive6306]

I must have missed this when I was younger!!! Darn! Time to catch up!

[@sockthepuppet7296]

It's available for free on the Airy T.V. app.

[@vroommoorv1540]

Like XKCD says, "you're one of today's lucky 10,000". Enjoy it, I envy you seeing it for the first time.

[@rolandexclusive6306]

@@sockthepuppet7296 Thank you

[@rolandexclusive6306]

@@vroommoorv1540 :D

[@knshinn2]

An astute friend of mine once convincingly theorised that the Aliens of UFO are the inhabitants of the counter-Earth from Doppelganger/Journey To The Far Side Of The Sun...

[@leswhitehouse]

I always loved the UFO's. In fact my mobile ringtone was the sound they make!

[@johnfisher247]

Yes I used to watch this when I was 9 years old. I always wanted to work for this agency.

[@batphink2655]

I was 7 aos yes they spooked me out at time,but I couldn't stop watching it was all so well produced and acted!

[@Zardoz4441]

Whatever happened to the cool scifi style of the sixties? Who stole my space age future?

[@dannyparis3383]

This information is so groovy about the TV show UFO that needs to be more of it

[@markfindlay8636]

Alien space ship, life span of Greg's sausage roll once it's hits our atmosphere!

[@patrickPilcher]

I'd love to see a remake of this. It was a great series...

[@qetoun]

I like the idea of bodysnatcher idea for the aliens.

[@ListerDavid]

One UFO dislikes this video.

[@gaz11h]

Great series

[@danielsolarcincotta7196]

amaba esa serie,siempre espere que se haga un remake!

[@iandeeley9033]

Another great video from Chris Dale! #UFOFOREVER!

[@robbob5973]

Great. Never saw this " true " show before this , 🤔🚂🇺🇸🙏✌👍

[@gerry5134]

Enjoyed that, thank you

[@chheinrich8486]

No physical body, mayby a relative of the mysterons

[@wolfganggugelweith8760]

Who knows if some of this things which in this films happened are in some ways the truth? I am sure there is something out around our earth.

[@jonstephenson609]

Very fun to watch.. Enjoyed the show ... Thanks

[@mariocifuentessaavedra7912]

Fantastic..!

[@MH5XXXX]

I LOVE THIS SHOW. i have seen a digital version of it online. i wish it would be used as a new series.

[@j.sterling9167]

There's no doubt this was one of many of Gerry Anderson's ingenious series, it lead to Space 1999 which was just as amazing. One thing though, for the aliens being a so called "Advanced Race" with space craft that can fly at Sol 12 and have a powerful laser to destroy big objects, isn't it a bit odd that the weapons they carried were similar to earth machine guns and not a laser type weapon?

[@charliedulin]

No. Their laser weapon and ship energy source was simply too large or heavy for them to carry in hand/backpack while in the field.

[@jaymorris3468]

Great series with uncanny parallels to recent info on the web , MMMM!

[@carlosLopez-cc1xo]

muy buena serie ya es un clásico

[@fdfac]

Incredible show that still works 😉

[@matthewblack7206]

I've always wondered how an Earth probe could have followed a UFO to another star system when humanity doesn't have faster-than-light technology! However; my fan fiction novella intends to answer that question. Writing it starts next month...

[@rnunezb]

Drag.

[@matthewblack7206]

@@borusa32 Yes, or a gravitational 'wake' that would accelerate the probe to high sublight speed before the UFO got out of range. Hopefully the probe would stand the stress. I used to wonder if the Aliens had a base way out in the Kuiper Belt or at least past Pluto.

[@jaymorris3468]

We just have to suspend our belief but your quite right.

[@duality5503]

Great series,.I always wondered why the SHADO vehicles had the name of this super secret organisation on them? didn't seem good for security, however love this show.

[@jamesmurray8558]

Those guys were really bad.I loved the adult themes. Wish there was second season.

[@DWNicolo]

Gerry Anderson was the Gene Roddenberry of Britain.

[@ewaf88]

Goodness this HD version really shows up the actor's makeup

[@darkstardavros]

It's a shame that series two never happened. Yes I know that we got Space 1999 instead but I still would have liked to have seen what happened in the end. I think that was my only real gripe with some of the TV shows that Gerry and Sylvia did. No proper endings. 😈

[@CJ-rf9jm]

Me too. I'd love to know what happened, both finding out who the aliens were n how they would've finally been driven off. Though I also love 1999 (which I discovered 1st) it too also never got a proper resolution n a jarring discontinuity of the 2nd season.

[@Neil070]

Not their fault. Fickle television execs usually cancelled without any chance to tie up loose ends or prepare a proper conclusion

[@darkstardavros]

@@Neil070 yes I know. Still bloody annoying though. They were actually part way through the second series of UFO before it got cancelled. Shame parts still sitting in a tin somewhere. Or not as the case maybe. 👿

[@Spaceflightlover2010]

I always thought it was cool that the aliens were ultra-advanced, but used machine guns instead of some cheesy ray gun. It lended an aura of realism to the show.

[@henryv69]

Bellissimo video

[@jamescampbell39]

Sounds like a Mysteron from Captain Scarlet.

[@colinp2238]

Now hold on just a doggone minute there, Chis boy. It took them until 1980 to get SHADO operational and almost immediately straight away they got results, so the clip of Straker saying that they had waited a long time was out of context. HE had been waiting since the attack on the car but that was before the conception of the organisation and planning of the strategies.

[@stephenfarthing3819]

Hmm! Survival is one of a strong reason for attacking. It's very clear that there's no easy way to win over them!

[@markmeade2937]

Gerry Anderson was a complete one off. Fireball XL5, Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons,Joe 90 and Secret Service. where so ahead of there time , only a British producer could come up with characters and storylines like that . Add to that he put together a creative team second to none with writers , directors , modal makers and special effects which made things WORK so well….. Then came the live action work, before UGO there was a film called Journey to the far side of the sun , a brilliant film and concept, staring Roy Things who was in the Quinn Martin tv series The Invaders another si-fi classic from the sixties. When he killed the aliens they would explode into fire and no evidence was left…. Then came UFO , which had it all just one brilliant show but was cancelled. And then came Space 1999, which for me as a kid of the seventies with the re-runs of Thunderbirds on Sunday between 11-12 o’clock are fantastic memories. Space 1999 first season was the classic one , fantastic writing and direction, brilliant special effects and the iconic Eagle Transporter . Gerry Anderson was and always will be a legend …….

[@shanestone9770]

Fantastic and brilliant Fabulous and beautiful Fun and beneficial

[@power2084]

Humans are not a race. Humans are a species.

[@kwakgreen]

If somebody was to reboot UFO with todays technology i.e. CGI, green screen etc, it would be a very different gravy.

[@mrteacup8781]

Such a shame these are not to buy digitally..

[@Tconcept]

When you look at scale models of the saucer, there is absolutely no room for a pilot, let alone an escape capsule.

[@GerryAndersonTV]

Check out our technical manual… we have cutaways showing how it all works!

[@StarWarsJay]

Watching this as a small child, I didn’t understand what the aliens wanted. It’s actually quite disturbing.

[@marksinthehouse1968]

That was great ,shame series two was never made ,Lew grade should of thought about it more ,I’m sure it would included in the end a truce to help them stracker would of wanted that I believe ,in a trade for knowledge on light speed for eg

[@darkstardavros]

The aliens were using people for spare parts. The actual aliens themselves were nothing more than a bodiless entity using whatever person or creature they possed as a vehicle for their purposes. So because of their reliance on needing another physical form to exist a truce of any kind would have almost been impossible. 👿

[@marksinthehouse1968]

Yes that’s true ,thanks for that ,still would of loved series two though to have been made .

[@lukeyznaga7627]

Man...how I MISS THIS SHOW. You can talk about Firefly and you can talk about Smallville, but there should have been a bigger FAN SOCIETY and fan following of this great british cult SCI FI SHOW...ufo. UFO which was created by Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson!! STraker, moongirls at moon base. and Strakers "number 2" guy. Michael Billington! Even the psychologist doctor guy, was great.

[@ToyKingWonder]

I loved the doctor. One episode he was a bit of a dick testifying against Straker, that might have been his first episode, not even sure he was the same character. But as he was established as the doctor, he was great. Vladek Sheybal was his name, and he usually played a bad guy. He was the evil chess player in "From Russia with Love". Here he got to be a thoughtful good guy.

[@aaronatherton7431]

The people are not the aliens, the ships are the aliens....and there are different factions of aliens with their own plans and agendas for earth!

[@Tconcept]

So same storyline as captain Scarlet 😊 "this is the voice of the Mysterons"

[@GerryAndersonTV]

Quite different! Sounds like you need a rewatch!

[@Monkofmagnesia]

Little known fact: The green liquid in the helmets is minty fresh. :)

[@matthewblack7206]

The Interceptors should have been launched by 'magnetic slingshot' or booster stage; this would have given them some good, starting delta-v to get fast out into space.

[@colinp2238]

AND better armanent.

[@matthewblack7206]

@@colinp2238 Six nuclear missiles at least! Actually; the UFOs were so much faster than the Earth ships that the Interceptors would only have time for one, quick and hopefully accurate pass with one big 'Boom' each! A bit like Sopwith Camels only getting one quick burst at an approaching fast jet.

[@colinp2238]

@@matthewblack7206 One missile though,you don't need to launch craft for that but do it from a static platform.

[@matthewblack7206]

@@colinp2238 Yes, or even drones. Presumably, the Interceptors had pilots so they could take manual control; because the Aliens could jam the controlling transmissions for drones. SHADO could have placed big multi-missile platforms at the Lagrange Points around Cislunar space, so as to get great coverage of all 3 dimensions of space and views from multiple vectors. There also should have been multiple SID satellites watching out - not just one which would be a single-point failure.

[@colinp2238]

@@matthewblack7206 I suspect that the human element was more for dramatic effect.

[@ronmaxwell]

I wonder if the Aliens lived on the planet known as Meta in the series Space:1999

[@ickleshouse]

5:41, moon tank built on the same chassis as the Mobiles....

[@aliengrey6052]

I wonder if science fiction was getting too close to science fact was why these sorts of programs are discouraged.

[@Benlu64]

They seemed to change the idea of the aliens as the series progressed. At first a humanoid race trying to obtain body parts....towards the end the race didn't have a particular form. Did you notice that actor Anthony Chinn played a member of Skydiver's crew in one episode and was an Alien in another?

[@rogerstephens2749]

This show should be redone it would be awesome. But still using the models and just a tiny bit of CGI

[@yvonnerogers6429]

👍🏻

[@ReginaZdrojkowska]

Only the aliens that had guns and the ones that carried people off, but the younger captured aliens no especially after their motives were explained. I hoped there'd be another series maybe an updated one obviously by now: with the next gen of shado operatives. more exploration of the aliens planet while still keeping some secrets and with more background to the aliens and the shado operatives. There is lot s of potential for many more stories /episodes. Although many fans icludig me will miss Ed Bishop and the original cast if another series or more could be made and not be a hightly American influenced production to maintain the feel of the original but with the quality of say BABYLON 5 in terms of story and acting That would be great. I am sure many ufo fans would love it if any new ufo series or more had flashbacks to the original cast ,say in the present shado operatives induction briefings or something similar . ufo had tons of potential for many stories when it ended and hopefully more than 5o years later when economic conditions eventually improve ufo could return. Some episodes might not be as dark but others be dark and others a mix . That would lend it more realism as life isn't all good or all bad. so surely ufo if ever remade could reflect that. there so much potential in ca ufo the further generations or something with maybe some desendents of Straker and some of the original characters like freeman or colonel lake and foster ufo was agreat series very enjoyable looking abit dated in the style and some of the music now but could have great potential. I still like the original but a new series yes please