"The Square Triangle" is the tenth 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

Alan Pattillo Alan Huchison Pattillo (17 July 1929 – 16 January 2020) was a British writer and director who worked on ''Supercar'', '' Fireball XL5'', ''Stingray'', and '' Thunderbirds'' television series. He won an Emmy in 1979 alongside Bill Blunden for ...

and the director was David Lane. The episode was filmed between 3 September and 15 September 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 9 December 1970. Though shown as the ninth episode, it was actually the eleventh 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

Straker allows a UFO to land in Southern England in an attempt to capture the craft, and its alien crew, by sending out a fleet of SHADO mobiles. After the UFO lands safely, a lone alien survivor has a fight with a game warden and his dog, causing the alien's uniform to rip and his helmet to shatter. The alien kills the human with a machine gun-style weapon, drags the corpse to the UFO, and then self-destructs the craft in an attempt to get away by substituting the human with himself. Colonel Foster and his crew identify the charred corpse as the human and not the alien; moreover, they find a piece of the aliens uniform and use the surviving canine to track his location within the surrounding woodlands. Meantime, in a cottage close to the landing site, Liz Newton is conspiring with her lover Cass Fowler to murder Liz's husband, Jack. Liz plans to shoot Jack upon his arrival at home and then claim that she thought him to be an intruder. To that end Cass coaches her in the details of her alibi and it's made clear that he is the driving force in the plan. However, their scheme is foiled when the alien suddenly appears at the front door and is shot instead. Foster and his investigation team arrive with the dog to find the dead alien, from which the conniving pair are taken to SHADO headquarters, where they are debriefed of the events, and eventually given an amnesia drug to make them forget everything that had occurred within the previous twelve hours. Meanwhile Foster continues the investigation at the cottage. When Jack returns, Foster questions him to deduce the couple's murderous plan. At SHADO, Foster explains a theory that the pair originally planned to kill the husband and if released, there was no stopping them from doing it again. Straker points out that they cannot provide the body of an alien or turn over the pair to the authorities because SHADO is not in the "moralizing business", from which Straker orders Foster to get everything possible about the destroy UFO, and Colonel Freeman to check on the autopsy of the alien. The pair are released. The final shot shows Liz in the near future looking at a non-identifying gravestone during the end credits with a far shot of an approaching male that appears to be Cass. RE: Released as episode 10, it actually is episode 11 according order of productio

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 *

Gabrielle Drake Gabrielle Drake (born 30 March 1944) is a British actress. She appeared in the 1970s in television series '' The Brothers'' and ''UFO''. In the early 1970s she appeared in several erotic roles on screen. She later took parts in soap operas ''Cr ...

— Lt. Gay Ellis *

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 * 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

Adrienne Corri Adrienne Corri (born Adrienne Riccoboni; 13 November 1931 – 13 March 2016) was a Scottish actress. Early life She was born Adrienne Riccoboni in Glasgow in November 1931, the daughter of an English mother (Olive Smethurst) and an Italian f ...

— Liz Newton

Featuring

Patrick Mower Patrick Mower (born Patrick Archibald Shaw; 12 September 1938) is an English actor who has portrayed the role of Rodney Blackstock in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' since 2000. As well as portraying Rodney, Mower has appeared in various films ...

— Cass Fowler *

Allan Cuthbertson Allan Darling Cuthbertson (7 April 1920 – 8 February 1988) was an Australian-born British actor. He was best known for playing stern-faced military officers in British films of the 1950s and 1960s. Early life Cuthbertson was born in Perth, W ...

— Jack Newton * Anthony Chinn — Alien *

Godfrey James Godfrey James (16 April 1931 – 29 October 2019) was an English actor. His film appearances include: '' Séance on a Wet Afternoon'' (1964), ''Witchfinder General'' (1968), '' The Oblong Box'' (1969), ''Cry of the Banshee'' (1970), ''The Blood ...

— Mitchell, game warden * Hugo Panczak — Navigator in SHADO mobile

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. This was also his second episode having previously appeared as an officer on Skydiver in

Sub-Smash "Sub-Smash" is the eighth episode aired of the first series of ''UFO'' - a 1970 British television science fiction series about an alien invasion of Earth. The screenplay was written Alan Fennell and the director was David Lane. The episode was ...

. Locations included

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 ...

and Black Park Cottage in

Iver Heath Iver is a large civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England. In addition to the central clustered village, the parish includes the residential neighbourhoods of Iver Heath and Richings Park. Geography, transport and economy Part of the 43-square ...

, Buckinghamshire.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Square Triangle, The 1970 British television episodes UFO (TV series) episodes