"Sub-Smash" is the eighth 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 Alan Fennell and the director was David Lane. The episode was filmed between 18 November and 28 November 1969 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 ...

on 11 November 1970. Though shown as the seventh episode, it was actually the seventeenth 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

When a freighter is sunk mid-Atlantic by an undersea UFO, Straker joins the crew on Skydiver to investigate despite his claustrophobia. As they search in the area where the ship was lost, Skydiver is attacked by the UFO and damaged, sinking to a ledge above the sea bed. However Skydiver is still able to launch Sky One, which tracks and destroys the UFO in Earth's atmosphere. Each of Skydiver's crew except Lt. Barry must then take it in turn to use a single, faulty escape hatch that now takes 90 minutes to reset after each use. Straker orders Barry to use an alternate hatch which can only be employed once but, unbeknownst to him, it fails to open, trapping Barry. Two crew members reach the surface where Col. Freeman awaits them in an amphibious rescue aircraft but Lt. Tony Chin succumbs to his injuries on Skydiver. Straker hears Barry's frantic yelling and frees her from the faulty hatch. They are the last two crew left on the submarine - Straker dealing with his claustrophobia - as the air is close to running out. Barry tells Straker that she's glad she won't die alone and that it's he who is with her (a reference to the episode "Confetti Check A-Ok" which reveals that Nina Barry was one of SHADO's founding operatives). Straker meanwhile has flashbacks to the significant events of his life: his marriage to Mary, the birth of their son John and John being hit by a car, as seen in the episodes "Confetti Check A-Ok" and "A Question Of Priorities". They finally manage to escape the sub when SHADO divers blow Skydiver off the ledge and they can access unblocked missile tubes.

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 *

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 ...

— Col. Alec E. Freeman * Michael Billington — Col. Paul Foster * Gary Myers — Capt. Lew Waterman *

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 * Keith Alexander — Lt. Keith Ford

Featuring

Paul Maxwell Paul Maxwell (born Maxim Popovich; November 12, 1921December 19, 1991) was a Canadian actor who worked mostly in British cinema and television, in which he was usually cast as American characters. In terms of audience, his most notable role w ...

— Lt. Jim Lewis * Anthony Chinn — Lt. Tony Chin *

John Golightly John Golightly (born 18 May 1936 in Reslven, Glamorgan) is a Welsh actor who has appeared in numerous British television productions over a 45-year period. His father was a transport foreman. After grammar school he trained as an actor at RA ...

— Holden * Burnell Tucker — Turner, Albatross pilot * Alan Haywood — Ross, SHADO diver * Suzanne Neve — Straker's ex-wife * Barnaby Shaw — Straker's son

Production notes

Anthony Chinn is one of 11 actors to appear in both ''

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 ...

'' and the ''UFO'' series. Locations included Neptune House at

ATV Elstree Studios The BBC Elstree Centre, sometimes referred to as the BBC Elstree Studios, is a television production facility, currently owned by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The complex is located between Eldon Avenue and Clarendon Road in Boreh ...

, Borehamwood; and Marlyn Cottage, Ley Hill, Buckinghamshire.

References

External links

{{UFO (TV series) 1970 British television episodes UFO (TV series) episodes