"Mindbender" is the fourteenth episode aired of the first series 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 The alien invasion or space invasion is a common feature in science fiction stories and film, in which extraterrestrial lifeforms invade the Earth either to exterminate and supplant human life, enslave it under an intense state, harvest people ...

of Earth. The screenplay was written by

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 ...

and the director was Ken Turner. The episode was filmed from 30 June to 10 July 1970 and aired on the

ATV Midlands Associated Television was the original name of the British broadcaster ATV, part of the Independent Television (ITV) network. It provided a service to London at weekends from 1955 to 1968, to the Midlands on weekdays from 1956 to 1968, and t ...

on 13 January 1971. Though shown as the fourteenth episode, it was actually the twenty-fifth to have been filmed. The series was created by

Gerry Anderson Gerald Alexander Anderson (; 14 April 1929 – 26 December 2012) was an English television and film producer, director, writer and occasional voice artist. He remains famous for his futuristic television programmes, especially his 1960s produ ...

and

Sylvia Anderson Sylvia Beatrice Anderson (; 25 March 1927 – 15 March 2016) was an English television and film producer, writer, voice actress and costume designer, best known for her collaborations with Gerry Anderson, her husband between 1960 and 1981. In a ...

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 ...

Century 21 Productions AP Films or APF, later becoming Century 21 Productions, was a British independent film production company of the 1950s until the early 1970s. The company became internationally known for its imaginative children's action-adventure marionette tel ...

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

During a period of intense sunspot activity which leaves Moonbase and Earth vulnerable to alien attack, a UFO hugs the lunar surface in an apparent effort to strike at Moonbase. However, it suddenly veers away and self-destructs. Interceptor pilots Conroy and Dale are sent out investigate; they find nothing to explain the alien craft's destruction but Conroy locates a curious diamond-like moon rock, which he keeps as a souvenir. However, when Conroy re-enters the Control Sphere on Moonbase he hallucinates that there are three Mexican bandits there. He starts to fight the bandits, unaware that he is actually fighting Nina Barry and other Moonbase operatives. Barry sets off an alarm but Conroy shoots and kills Dale. A search is ordered and Conroy is killed in the ensuing gun fight. Straker investigates Conroy's strange behaviour but can find nothing to explain it; the only connection Straker can make is that Conroy had an interest in the

Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...

and wrote Westerns in his spare time. Conroy's personal effects are returned to SHADO headquarters where they are sorted by Capt. "Beaver" James, a much admired retired astronaut. Upon touching Conroy's moon rock James also falls under its control and believes that SHADO HQ has been invaded by aliens: he gains possession of a guard's gun and starts shooting everyone he sees. James is subsequently killed after taking Col. Lake hostage: tragically James' gun was out of ammunition and had the guards known this, he could have been taken alive. The moon rock is still on Straker's desk and he picks it up instead of the glass paperweight he usually holds from habit during discussions in his office. Straker gets into an argument with Henderson over funding but just as the situation becomes heated, a film director shouts 'Cut' and Straker finds himself as an actor on a set. Straker wanders the film sets, which include the Moonbase control desk and Skydiver's Command And Control Centre. He returns to the set representing his office and the argument with Henderson continues. But in the heat of the moment he throws Conroy's moon rock against the wall, shattering it and eliminating its influence on him. Straker realises that the rock caused hallucinations in anyone who touched it and the UFO's destruction near Moonbase was in order to plant the rock on the surface.

Cast

Starring

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 ...

— Commander Edward Straker * Michael Billington — Col. Paul Foster *

Wanda Ventham Wanda Ventham (born 5 August 1935) is an English actress with many roles on British television since beginning her career in the 1950s. She played Colonel Virginia Lake in the 1970s science-fiction television series ''UFO'' and had a recurring ...

— Col. Virginia Lake *

Dolores Mantez Dolores Brenda Harding (''née'' Mantey; 17 October 1936 – 30 November 2012), known professionally as Dolores Mantez, was a British television actress of the 1960s and early 1970s, best known for her appearances in Gerry Anderson's scienc ...

— Lt. Nina Barry * Gary Myers— Capt. Lew Waterman *

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

Featuring

Basil Dignam Basil Dignam (24 October 1905 – 31 January 1979) was an English character actor. Basil Dignam was born in Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire. Before the acting, he tried many jobs, from a company clerk to a journalist. He acted on film and ...

— Cabinet Minister *

Stuart Damon Stuart Damon (born Stuart Michael Zonis; February 5, 1937 June 29, 2021) was an American actor and singer. He was best known for his 30-year portrayal of Dr. Alan Quartermaine on the American soap opera ''General Hospital'', for which he won an ...

— Howard Byrne *

Bud Tingwell Charles William Tingwell AM (3 January 1923 – 15 May 2009), known professionally as Bud Tingwell or Charles 'Bud' Tingwell, was an Australian film, television, theatre and radio actor. One of the veterans of Australian film, he acted in his ...

— Capt. Beaver James *

Al Mancini Alfred Benito "Al" Mancini (November 13, 1932 – November 12, 2007) was an American stage, television and film actor, born in Steubenville, Ohio. Acting career He was a 1950 graduate of London High School in London, Ohio. In 1960, he a ...

— Lt. Andy Conroy * Craig Hunter — Lt. Dale *

Steven Berkoff Steven Berkoff (born Leslie Steven Berks; 3 August 1937) is an English actor, author, playwright, theatre practitioner and theatre director. As a theatre maker he is recognised for staging work with a heightened performance style eponymously k ...

— Capt. Steve Minto *

Anouska Hempel Anouska Hempel, Lady Weinberg (born 1941) is a New Zealand-born film and television actress turned hotelier and interior designer. She is sometimes credited as Anoushka Hempel. Early life Hempel is of Russian and Swiss German ancestry and has ...

— SHADO Operative *

Suzanne Neve Suzanne may refer to: People * Suzanne (given name), a feminine given name (including a list of people with the name) * S. U. Zanne, pen name of August Vandekerkhove (1838–1923), Belgian writer and inventor * Suzanne, pen name of Renée Méndez ...

— Mary Rutland, Straker's ex-wife * Barnaby Shaw — John Rutland, Straker's son *

Philip Madoc Philip Madoc (born Philip Arvon Jones; 5 July 1934 – 5 March 2012) was a Welsh actor. He performed many stage, television, radio and film roles, and was recognised for having a "rich, sonorous voice" and often playing villains and office ...

— Steven Rutland *

Stephan Chase Stephan Chase (born Stephan de Montaignac; February 1945 - 27 June 2019) was a British actor of Cornish and Scots descent. He was educated in Ireland and England. Before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (R ...

— Film Director * Norton Clarke — First Assistant Director * Paul Greaves — Second Assistant Director * James Marcus — SHADO Operative * Peter Halliday — Dr. Segal * Sylvia — Sylvia Anderson (uncredited)

Production notes

The episode features scenes from two previous episodes: "

Identified ''Identified'' is the second studio album by Vanessa Hudgens, released on July 1, 2008 in the U.S. June 24, 2008 in Japan, February 13, 2009 in most European countries and February 16, 2009 in the United Kingdom. The album re ...

" and "

A Question of Priorities "A Question of Priorities" is the fifth episode aired of the first series of ''UFO'' - a 1970 British television science fiction series about an alien invasion of Earth. Tony Barwick wrote the screenplay and it was directed by David Lane. The e ...

". During the hallucinations suffered by Straker the 'actors' use their real names when talking to each other. In the movie studio filming sequence Sylvia Anderson has a cameo reading prompts and is referred to onscreen by her first name.194 – UFO – Mindbender
/ref> The scenes of Straker's hallucinations blur the barrier between the "reality" of the UFO universe and the viewer's reality, effectively removing the fourth wall. Locations used for the filming included

Heatherden Hall Heatherden Hall is a Grade II-listed, Victorian country house located in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England. It stands in the grounds of Pinewood Studios and is used as offices, film sets, and as a wedding venue. It was purchased by Lieutenan ...

and Gardens,

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 ...

; Studio Lot, Pinewood Studios;

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 ...

, Buckinghamshire; and Marlyn Cottage, Ley Hill.

References

External links

{{UFO (TV series) 1971 British television episodes UFO (TV series) episodes