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UFO - The Dalotek Affair
episode 17
UK 1971
produced by Reg Hill, Gerry Anderson (executive) for Century 21 Television, ITC
directed by Alan Perry
starring Ed Bishop, George Sewell, Michael Billington, Tracy Reed, Clinton Greyn, Philip Latham, David Weston, Frank E. Stranges, Basil Moss, Alan Tucker, Keith Alexander, John Breslin, Antonia Ellis, Dolores Mantez, Gary Myers, John Cobner, Richard Poore, Ayshea Brough
screenplay by Ruric Powell, created by Gerry Anderson, Sylvia Anderson, Reg Hill, visual effects by Derek Meddings, costumes by Sylvia Anderson/Century 21
TV-series UFO
review by Mike Haberfelner
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At a restaurant on earth, Paul Foster (Michael Billington), commander
of the moonbase on shoreleave, meets Jane (Tracy Reed), a woman he had an
affair with only a few days ago. She doesn't seem to remember him at all
anymore, and weirdly enough, this doesn't even surprise him ... Flashback
a few days, the moon: Jane is one of the scientists Dalotek, a private
research organisation, has sent up to the moon to do some basic research -
much to the dismay of SHADO, the military organisation entrusted with
defending earth against UFOs that operates the next-door moonbase. After a
meteorite crashes near Dalotek base, all the radio and video links to
earth go bust, and SHADO immediately suspects Dalotek to be the cause for
this, so commander Foster comes by the Dalotek place to do some
investigating, but he falls in love with Jane instead, and vice versa. Of
course, Foster finds no evidence that the Dalotek folks might be involved
with the broken videolinks, but if it wasn't their fault, whose was it? Eventually,
the Dalotek people find a device to block radio messages amidst the rubble
of the meteorite, which means the aliens must have crashed the meteorite
onto the moon on purpose to cut communication links with earth. Not only
is that a vital discovery, it also clears Dalotek of any wrongdoing, and
yet, all of the Dalotek folks including Jane have to be brainwashed
because SHADO is, as mentioned, a top secret organisation. So it Paul
Foster wants to reignite the spark between him and Jane, he has to start
at zero once more - which he does ...
Storywise, this episode
is a bit of a bore, because the plot isn't really compelling and there is
very little suspense to carry the thing - but the miniature effects are
once more the episode's saving grace, they're just beautiful to look at,
come across as utterly convincing even today, and also show a level of
creativity you would not expect from a TV show.
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