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UFO - Timelash
episode 18
UK 1971
produced by Reg Hill, Gerry Anderson (executive) for Century 21 Television, ITC
directed by Cyril Frankel
starring Ed Bishop, Wanda Ventham, Patrick Allen, Michael Billington, Grant Naylor, Vladek Sheybal, Norma Ronald, Douglas Nottage, Ayshe Brough, Dolores Mantez, Ron Pember, Jean Wladon, Kirsten Lindholm, John Lyons, John J.Carney
screenplay by Terence Feely, 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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Pretty much out of nowhere, Straker (Ed Bishop), commander of the alien
defense organisation SHADO, appears in the SHADO headquarters, smashes a
few computers, then dashes off and by murdered SHADO operative Turner
(Patrick Allen) onto a rooftop where he collapses over his knocked out
second in command Virgina Lake (Wanda Ventham). He's in a deep coma or
something, and only a very special drug administered by SHADO's creepy
head doctor Jackson (Vladek Sheybal) brings him back to consciousness to
tell his tale ... Straker and Virginia Lake where driving through the
countryside during sunset when a UFO attacked ... and suddenly they found
themselves in the film studio that serves as a front for secretive SHADO
in brought daylight. Thing is, everybody but them seems to be frozen in
time ... everybody but Turner, an insignificant operative, of course, who
has been cooperating with the aliens to freeze time (don't ask how) and in
return has been promised to gain control over SHADO. From here on starts a
game of cat and mouse, and it's unclear for the longest time who's the cat
and who's the mouse - but Turner has an unbeatable advantage, he can move
back and forwards in time, thus manages to appear and disappear at will.
Eventually, Straker and Virginia Lake can locate the UFO that's aiding
Turner, but when they want to blow it out of the air, Turner knocks out
Virginia Lake and steals one of the key components of Straker's rocket
launcher. What follows is a chase through the studio complex in toy-like
go-karts, and finally Straker shooting Turner dead, being able to see
through the dynamics of his time travel abilities. Then he shoots the UFO
out of the skies, and destroys the computers that have made the
time-freeze possible - which is where and when his employees have found
him at the beginnings of the show ... Now the story of this
episode is of course gobbledegook and has so many narrative and scientific
holes it would make a Swiss cheese blush. That said though, in all its
utter nonsense, the episode makes sense in itself at least, and the whole
thing is so well-timed that at least while watching the lack of reason of
the story will not matter at all - and some nice elements, like the
hilarious go-kart chase and quite a few fun details do make this episode
pretty enjoyable. And that Ed Bishop, who carries most of the story on his
shoulders, is at his best here, doesn't hurt one bit of course. Fun,
actually.
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