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TV SERIES · 1970– · UK

UFO

30 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026

30 Interesting Facts About UFO

Interesting Facts (26)

  1. #001

    In Britain people drive on the left side of the road and the steering wheel is on the right side of the car. However, in UFO's version of 1980s Britain, both of these were reversed. The series' creators were following the predictions of the time, which held that the United Kingdom would change its driving system in the near future. This change never happened, just as the predicted American switch to the metric system never happened.

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  2. #002

    When the series ended, Ed Bishop returned to New York and had trouble getting TV roles, so he supplemented his acting income by painting and decorating. One day he was wallpapering the kitchen of a couple in the next house who were watching the series on television in their living room, and they did not recognise him. "I nodded my head and there it was, they were watching UFO. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I think I did both. If I'd said, 'By the way, that's me; do you mind if I sit and watch?' they would have had a fit. I suppose all of this is part of the rich fabric of life as an actor."

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  3. #003

    The gull-wing doors on the futuristic cars did not actually work and were raised by wire or by hand, so the whole door is never seen while it is being raised or lowered.

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  4. #004

    In reality, the "Harlington-Straker Film Studio" is actually BBC Elstree Neptune House, BBC Elstree Studios, Eldon Avenue, Borehamwood. These days it is better known as "Holby City Hospital".

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  5. #005

    Principal photography on the series began in April 1969 at MGM British Studios, Stages 6 and 7, in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. However, towards the end of that year, the untimely closure of MGM's Borehamwood Studios caused production of the series to be suspended after filming of Sub-Smash (1970), while waiting for another studio to open. Production resumed in June 1970 at Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, and was completed in September. The temporary shutdown led many actors who were not under contract to pursue other projects, making recasting necessary for some roles. After the series was completed, the episode order was shuffled to make the various character disappearances less noticeable.

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  6. #006

    Later in her life, Sylvia Anderson explained that the female Moonbase personnel wearing purple wigs were a combination of visual appeal and practicality — the wigs provided a striking and futuristic look, but also saved the production a significant amount of time and expense, both from styling the hair of each of the female Moonbase personnel for every episode and from the need to keep the 'look' of their hairstyles consistent from episode to episode.

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  7. #007

    Lieutenant Mark Bradley was dropped after four episodes because the producers found Harry Baird's acting inadequate. Baird was also frustrated by the lack of advance notice about which actors would work on which episodes. He reappeared in several later episodes through stock footage.

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  8. #008

    The Interceptors were never shown to have any kind of backup weapon. After firing their single missile, hit or miss, they would effectively be useless for the rest of the battle.

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  9. #009

    When George Sewell could not return to the series, Ed Bishop suggested Wanda Ventham come in his place.

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  10. #010

    The film studio used as the cover is called Harlington-Straker. Although it is clear that Straker is Ed Bishop, Harlington's identity was never revealed, and it was probably just an unidentified name.

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  11. #011

    Gerry Anderson later said that on the UFO set he lost his temper with Shakira Caine so badly that he always feared the idea of some actors meeting Michael Caine in character and getting punched in the nose.

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  12. #012

    The name of the planet the aliens come from is never mentioned.

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  13. #013

    The control consoles, computer units, lighting panels and spacesuits of SHADO HQ and Moonbase were reused extensively in later 1970s TV shows such as Doctor Who (1963) and The New Avengers (1976), as well as in feature films including Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Carry on Loving (1970) and Confessions of a Pop Performer (1975).

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  14. #014

    In the series the term "U. F. O." is usually not spelled out; it is most often pronounced as a word, "you-foh." Only automated systems, such as the computer voice on the interlink satellite, pronounce it "you-eff-oh."

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  15. #015

    Only two alien costumes were made, so no more than two aliens are ever seen on screen at the same time at any point in the series. In the episode Ordeal (1970), Colonel Paul Foster (Michael Billington) is carried by two aliens while wearing an alien spacesuit, but whenever Foster is on screen one of those two aliens is always off screen.

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  16. #016

    The pilot's special effects were reused throughout the series. These include the launch of Sky 1 from Skydiver, the launch of Sky 1 in flight, the launch of interceptors from Moonbase, the exterior and interior views of SID, the descending ramp and UFOs in flight.

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  17. #017

    The two SHADO cars were originally built for the film Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969), which explains why they are left-hand drive. The film is set in Portugal, where cars are left-hand drive, unlike Britain, where cars are right-hand drive. Gerry Anderson explained this by saying that in the future (1980) Britain had switched to driving on the right side of the road, that is, to left-hand drive.

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  18. #018

    On 31 December 1994 the video game company Microprose released a game titled "UFO: Enemy Unknown" in the US, known there as "X-COM: UFO Defense." Although not directly based on the TV series, it was confirmed that many of its elements were directly inspired by the UFO TV series.

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  19. #019

    The premiere run in the United Kingdom was chaotic, with programme controllers apparently unsure where the series fitted in the schedule; for example, Confetti Check A-O.K. was shown on a Sunday afternoon, while Mindbender and The Long Sleep were shown in some places two years later on a Friday at 11.30pm.

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  20. #020

    Unlike other Gerry Anderson series, which were set under the proposed banner name "Century 21" in the 21st century, this series was set in what was then the near future: 1980. While the series depicts a technologically advanced future, it makes many incorrect predictions about what 1980's technology would be, using for example fax machines, tape-based computers (based on 1970s mainframes), slide rules and physical maps.

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  21. #021

    SHADO was initially named UFoeDO (Unidentified Foe Defence Organisation).

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  22. #022

    Captain Peter Carlin was intended to be one of the main characters, to the point that he was heavily promoted in the series' merchandise and comics. He was dropped after six episodes because Peter Gordeno's manager was worried that he was too much of a typical actor and said that his role in the series was only meant to give him a little acting experience. Ultimately Lew Grade had Gordeno removed from the series because of a rivalry with that agent dating back to the early sixties. Carlin's role was given to Colonel Paul Foster.

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  23. #023

    Before joining the series, Gary Myers was a model known as the original "Milk Tray Man" action hero in Cadbury's Milk Tray's long-running television commercials, which he played from 1968 to 1984.

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  24. #024

    Colonel Alec Freeman was written out of the series because George Sewell was busy filming Manhunt (1970) and Paul Temple (1969). This was mainly due to a six-month break in production during which he took on other acting work to support himself. In addition, American financiers, particularly Abe Mandell of ITC America, demanded Sewell's removal from the cast because they felt his "pock-marked" features were unsuitable for American audiences.

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  25. #025

    Dr. Shroeder was written out of the series after four episodes following Maxwell Shaw's hospitalization for a heart condition. He was replaced by Dr. Doug Jackson and Dr. Frazer.

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  26. #026

    This was Grant Taylor's final acting role. He was diagnosed with cancer during production and died shortly after the series ended.

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Production Story (1)

  1. #027

    Gerry Anderson intended the second season of the series to focus on the aliens' attempts to destroy the Moon. When "UFO" was cancelled, Anderson developed this idea as Space: 1999 (1975).

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Behind the Scenes (1)

  1. #028

    The female Moonbase personnel wore purple, pink and blue wigs because Gerry Anderson thought this colour looked best under the set's lighting.

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Characters & Cast (1)

  1. #029

    Colonel Paul Foster was broadly modelled on James Bond. Michael Billington auditioned for the role several times without success, despite later appearing in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977).

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Easter Eggs & References (1)

  1. #030

    Because the series was made immediately after Gerry Anderson's previous film Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969), many sets, set pieces and even actors were used. Both cars — Straker's and Foster's — such as the six-wheeled trucks, were from the film. The spacesuits were also recycled. In fact the actors Ed Bishop (Straker), George Sewell (Freeman) and Keith Alexander (Ford) were all from Doppelgänger.

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Sources & editorial notes

Reference databases

  • IMDb IMDb title page (trivia)

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