The Complete Book of Gerry Anderson's UFO
Written by Chris Bentley Reynolds & Hearn £12.99 Reviewed by Andrew Pixley

Having awarded such high marks to Chris Bentley for his recent works in the Gerry Anderson field, I was rather hoping that some weaknesses in his latest offering might allow me a variation to the continual praise which I seem to be lavishing on his work. But - unfortunately - Chris is clearly a fellow who understands quality and attention to detail, and so I'm forced to admit that his new volume, devoted to the live action series UFO, has continued to set high standards and given me a most enjoyable and informative read.

The problem is that - while there are items in the book which I feel have been covered elsewhere or which have only cursory interest for me - there is no way that I can criticise their inclusion. I suspect that Chris must be tiring of having to introduce the fundaments of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, Lew Grade and ITC for a third time - but to omit them would render the work less accessible and comprehensive. And, anyway, regardless of such material, there is so much crammed into the covers which has delighted me that I feel it is certainly value for money.

Quick run-down of contents then. A series of well chosen/written newspaper cuttings relating to UFO activity leads into a comprehensive pre-production chapter (some of which may well be familiar to members of Fanderson). There is then a very comprehensive run down of production at both MGM and Pinewood Studios, detailing shooting dates, cast changes and other trivia. The cast and crew are then accorded biographies before SHADO is covered in some detail. The obligatory episode guide gives cast lists (including extras), guest star biogs, script changes, bloopers and shooting locations before we get to the piece de resistance - scripted missing scenes from 12 of the 26 episodes. There's also a section on merchandise and no less than nine (count 'em - nine) potential episode orders.

The slight downside to the book is that, unlike Carlton's tomes on Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons, the pages lack the luxury of colour. But, then again, UFO is a pretty obscure show for the mainstream market, and the increased page count and array of fascinating monochrome stills do compensate for this possible deficiency.

Sorry to be predictable, but ... full marks again. 10


TV Zone Magazine - Issue 171 (January 2004)
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