Gerry Anderson’s first live action TV series. It is the near future 1980, and earth is under attack from an unknown alien threat. This is being kept undercover and a secret organisation headed by Ed Straker (Ed Bishop) is the Earths only protection. This Organisation SHADO (Supreme\u00a0Headquarters Alien Defence Organisation) have their headquarters hidden underneath the Harlington-Straker film studios which has been set up as a cover and for which Straker is also the studio boss.<\/p>\n
This fast actioned series was deemed to be too adult for a family audience and ended up being shown in a late evening slot. Pity, as this is one of the best UK science fiction series to have been made. It has everything from its futuristic cars with their gull-wing doors, the secret Moonbase with its Interceptor spacecraft, which had massive single use missiles on the front. Skydiver the submarine with its front section that separated to become a single seat fighter aircraft. The land based SHADO mobiles, large almost tank like tracked vehicles that would seek out UFOs if they had been able to evade the other defences and land.<\/p>\n
All of this tracking and locating of UFOs was made possible by SID the Space Intruder Detector orbiting the Earth which could monitor all the space surrounding our planet. Then of course the Moonbase girls resplendent in their silver uniforms and purple wigs.<\/p>\n
Twenty six episodes of this series were produced in the ITV hour long format during late 1968 – 69, with the show being broadcast around the UK from 1970 to 1973. The USA received the show in syndication during 1972.<\/p>\n
The Aliens intentions on Earth were to harvest humans for spare parts or donor organs in order to keep their own population alive.<\/p>\n
Some of the other main cast included. George Sewell (Col Alec Freeman), Michael Billington (Col Foster), Wanda Ventham (Col Lake), Gabriella Drake (Lt Gay Ellis) and Dolores Matez (Nina Barry).<\/p>\n