"Identified" is the pilot and first episode of ''

UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are id ...

'', a 1970 British television science fiction series about an alien invasion of Earth. The screenplay was written by Gerry Anderson, Sylvia Anderson and

Tony Barwick Anthony Clive "Tony" Barwick (10 July 1934 – 18 August 1993)https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-10182/biographical-summaries-of-notable-people?itemId=447240&action=showRecord was a British television scriptwriter who worked ex ...

; the director was Gerry Anderson. The episode was filmed between 28 April and 12 May 1969, and aired on ATV Midlands on 16 September 1970. The series was created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson with

Reg Hill Reginald Eric Hill (16 May 1914 – 1999) was an English model-maker, art director, producer, and freelance storyboard artist. He is most prominently associated with the work of Gerry Anderson. Early life Born on 16 May 1914, Hill started his ...

, and produced by the Andersons and

Lew Grade Lew Grade, Baron Grade, (born Lev Winogradsky; 25 December 1906 – 13 December 1998) was a British media proprietor and impresario. Originally a dancer, and later a talent agent, Grade's interest in television production began in 1954 ...

's Century 21 Productions for Grade's

ITC Entertainment The Incorporated Television Company (ITC), or ITC Entertainment as it was referred to in the United States, was a British company involved in production and distribution of television programmes. History Incorporated Television Programme Compan ...

company.

Story

Two women and man come across a UFO that has landed in a wood. The man, Peter Carlin (

Peter Gordeno Peter Gordeno (20 June 1939 – 18 October 2008) was a British dancer, recording artist, cabaret singer, choreographer, and occasional actor. Biography Born as Peter Godenho in Rangoon, Burma, to an Italian American father and Scottish/ Bu ...

), starts filming the craft but the threesome are fired upon by the alien occupants. One of the women is killed, Carlin is shot and injured whilst the third, Carlin's sister, is abducted. Increasing UFO activity, starting in 1970, brings (as shown in the episode " Confetti Check A-O.K.") the United States, the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

, the United Kingdom, France and West Germany together to combat the perceived threat. Whilst ''en route'' to a secret meeting with the British Prime Minister, Col. Ed Straker (

Ed Bishop George Victor Bishop (11 June 1932 – 8 June 2005), known professionally as Ed Bishop or sometimes Edward Bishop, was an American actor. He was known for playing Commander Ed Straker in ''UFO'', Captain Blue in ''Captain Scarlet and the Myste ...

) and General Henderson's ( Grant Taylor) Rolls-Royce Phantom VI and two escort

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

motorbike A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle Steering, steered by a Motorcycle handlebar, handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: Long-distance ...

s are attacked by a UFO. Straker is thrown clear but Henderson is seriously wounded. After ten years of planning the international community has paid for the construction of a secret organisation – SHADO (the ''S''upreme ''H''eadquarters, ''A''lien ''D''efence ''O''rganisation) – in Britain to track and deal with any incoming UFO threats. Straker is now in command of this organisation. SHADO is hidden beneath Harlington-Straker, a working film studio used as cover for the underground base. Straker's cover involves being a film producer. Following a fire at Westbrook Electronics, Colonel Freeman (

George Sewell George Sewell (31 August 19242 April 2007) was an English actor, best known for his television roles, but also active on stage and in films. Early life and career The son of a Hoxton printer and a florist, Sewell left school at the age of 14 a ...

) is piloting a transporter aircraft from Los Angeles which contains top secret Utronic equipment to track UFOs in deep space, plus its creator Col. Virginia Lake. SID, the ''S''pace ''I''ntruder ''D''etector (an early warning computerised tracking

satellite A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioisotope ...

that detects incoming alien UFOs), detects an approaching UFO heading for the North Atlantic. Moonbase launches three interceptors which fire upon the UFO but it manages to escape destruction. SHADO control authorise ''

Skydiver Parachuting, including also skydiving, is a method of transiting from a high point in the Atmosphere of Earth, atmosphere to the surface of Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachut ...

submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

to launch Sky One

interceptor aircraft An interceptor aircraft, or simply interceptor, is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically for the defensive interception role against an attacking enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Aircraft that are cap ...

piloted by Capt. Peter Carlin. The UFO continues into Earth's atmosphere and tracks and fires at the transporter, but is shot down by Sky One. The UFO disintegrates in the sea. An injured alien occupant survives the UFO crash and is examined at SHADO's medical laboratory. The effects of Earth's atmosphere cause the alien to revert to his true age and die. Following an autopsy, SHADO discover that the alien has numerous organ transplants harvested from humans. It transpires that the alien's heart comes from Carlin's sister, who disappeared in the 1970 UFO incident shown at the beginning.

Cast

Starring

– Commander Edward Straker *

– Col. Alec E. Freeman * Gabrielle Drake – Lt. Gay Ellis * Wanda Ventham – Col. Virginia Lake *

– Capt. Peter Carlin * Dolores Mantez – Lt. Nina Barry * Gary Myers— Capt. Lew Waterman * Keith Alexander— Lt. Keith Ford *

Ayshea Ayshea (born Ayshea Hague, 12 November 1948) is a British singer, actor and television presenter. Biography Born in Highgate, London, and educated at Arts Educational School, London, Ayshea was trained in ballet, music, drama and dance. She mad ...

– Lt. Ayshea Johnson *

Norma Ronald Norma Ronald (1 March 1937, Northumberland, UK – 20 November 1993, Clara Vale, Ryton, Tyne and Wear, UK) was a British actress known for her appearances as Mildred Murfin in the 1960s BBC radio comedy series ''The Men from the Ministry'', as ...

– Miss Ealand

Also Starring

* Grant Taylor – Gen. James L. Henderson *

Shane Rimmer Shane Rimmer (born Shane Lance Deacon; May 28, 1929 – March 29, 2019) was a Canadian actor and screenwriter who spent the majority of his career in the United Kingdom. The self-proclaimed "Rent-A-Yank" of the British entertainment industry, he ...

– Lt. Bill Johnson

Featuring

* Basil Dignam – Cabinet Minister * Maxwell Shaw – Dr. Shroeder * Michael Mundell – Lt. Ken Matthews *

Paul Gillard Paul Gillard was a British stage and television actor. He appeared in British television series '' Crane'', '' Knock on Any Door'', ''The Avengers'', ''UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a U ...

– Kurt Mahler * Gary Files – Phil Wade * Matthew Robertson – Dr. Harris *

Annette Kerr Catherine Annette Kerr Peacock (2 July 192023 September 2013), known professionally as Annette Kerr, was a Scottish born actress of film, television and stage. Life and career During her childhood, Kerr moved with her family from her birthplace ...

– Nurse * Edwina Carroll – Leila Carlin * Gito Santana – Alien * Louisa Rabaiotti – SHADO Operative *

Penny Spencer Penny Spencer (born 1 January 1948) is a British actress, best remembered for her performance as coquettish schoolgirl Sharon Eversleigh in the LWT television comedy series ''Please Sir!'' (1968–70). She attended Coombe Girls School in New Ma ...

– Janis * Dennis Plenty – Lt. David Worth * Jack Silk – Motorcyclist

Music

An original score was composed for this episode by Barry Gray.

Production notes

During late 1968, Gerry and Sylvia Anderson collaborated with producer

and writers

Donald James Donald James (born Donald James Wheal; 22 August 1931 – 28 April 2008) was a British television writer, novelist and non-fiction writer. Life and career Born in World's End, Chelsea, and educated at Sloane Grammar School and Pembroke Colleg ...

and

to develop the format for the series and the pilot episode ''Identified''. Initially, Earth's defence organisation was to be called UFoeDO – Unidentified Foe Defence Organisation – which was not a secret operation like SHADO was to become. The commander of UFoeDO was to be a Commander Straeker—later shortened to Straker—with Ed Bishop cast in the role. Second in command was to be Alex Freeman—later named Alec—and played by George Sewell. Both actors had appeared in the Andersons' film ''

Doppelgänger A doppelgänger (), a compound noun formed by combining the two nouns (double) and (walker or goer) (), doppelgaenger or doppelganger is a biologically unrelated look-alike, or a double, of a living person. In fiction and mythology, a doppelg ...

''. Initially the Moonbase Commander, named Franco Desica, was to be played by Italian actor

Franco De Rosa Franco De Rosa (born 16 July 1944, Viareggio) is an Italian actor who was active in Italian and British cinema and television from the 1960s to the 1980s.Craig Walker On The Buses: The Complete Story -2011 Page 2046 DE ROSA, Franco Born in Viare ...

. De Rosa was later fired after three days of filming for causing considerable delays. De Rosa's character was dropped entirely from the show. Some of Desica's dialogue was repurposed for a new Moonbase Commander, Lt. Gay Ellis (played by Gabrielle Drake) (this character was initially called Lt. Paula Harris). The captain of the Skydiver craft, cast as Jon Karlin, was to be

Jon Kelley Jon Kelley (born August 5, 1965) is an American sports journalist, author, producer, and television personality. Born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, Kelley played four seasons as a running back for the University of Nebraska before graduating wi ...

, but before filming commenced the part was restructured and offered to dancer Peter Gordeno, and the character renamed Peter Carlin. Jon Kelley was re-cast as Skydiver navigator John Masters. Towards the end of April 1969, following five months of pre-production, principal photography for the pilot episode began with Gerry Anderson directing at

MGM-British Studios MGM-British was a subsidiary of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer initially established (as MGM London Films Denham) at Denham Film Studios in 1936. It was in limbo during the Second World War; however, following the end of hostilities, a facility was acquired ...

in Borehamwood. Second unit filming took place at

Burnham Beeches Burnham Beeches is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest situated west of Farnham Common in the village of Burnham, Buckinghamshire. The southern half is owned by the Corporation of London and is open to the public. It is also a Na ...

in Buckinghamshire; this included the UFO attack on Straker and Henderson's Rolls-Royce. This unit also filmed the scene with Peter Carlin (Peter Gordeno) and his sister Leila (Edwina Carroll) when they discover a UFO landed in a wood; this was filmed at

Black Park Black Park is a country park in Wexham, Buckinghamshire, England to the north of the A412 road. It is managed by Buckinghamshire Council, formerly County Council. It has an area of , of which two separate areas totalling have been designated a ...

at Iver Heath, close to

Pinewood Studios Pinewood Studios is a British film and television studio located in the village of Iver Heath, England. It is approximately west of central London. The studio has been the base for many productions over the years from large-scale films to te ...

. Additional location shooting included Neptune House at ATV Elstree Studios. This building was used as the administration block for Harlington-Straker Studios. Various SHADO members were filmed arriving at this building. In the episode, Colonel Lake holds a newspaper with the date of 24 August 1980; this details the exact date that SHADO became operational. Other locations used for the filming included Handley Page Ltd., Radlett Aerodrome, Hertfordshire.

References

External links

Screenplay for the episode
{{UFO (TV series) 1970 British television episodes UFO (TV series) episodes