Test pilot Ed Straker has an encounter that will change his life…

That slightly melodramatic tagline for the episode fits the slightly melodramatic tone that permeates some of Andy Lane’s opener for the series. If you’re expecting a version of Identified – the first episode of the TV series – then you’re in for a surprise: this is basically the story prior to the opening scenes of that episode (the scene is included) leading up to the opening titles.

One issue with bringing Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s series to audio is that one of the key selling points – the effects featuring the craft under their control – is of necessity restrained. Iain Meadows’ design incorporates that very particular rising and falling sound that characterised the UFOs, but we’re rather reliant on memory for scenes where our characters are in awe of the tremendous vehicles that they’re going to be able to use.

It means there’s more focus on the characters themselves – something which the TV UFO did try to do in some of its episodes – and Lane probably gives us more information about his version of Ed Straker than we found in most instalments of the show. By fleshing out this very early period, we get to spend more time with Straker and his family (forget any preconceptions about them – names may be similar but they themselves aren’t), and also are teased with the idea that Straker isn’t as ramrod straight as he might appear. I may be reading too much into things based on what we hear here, but I wonder if certain deployments are triggered because of this…

Jamie Robertson’s score initially seems odd, but it works for the same reason David Arnold’s Casino Royale did for introducing Daniel Craig’s Bond – elements of what we expect in terms of the pummelling title music slowly become more present as Straker is drawn into the shadowy world.

Barnaby Kay’s Straker is suitably reminiscent of, but by no means a slavish copy of Ed Bishop’s performance, while Jeany Spark’s Virginia Lake and Lynsey Murrell’s Gay Ellis make good foils for Straker in their scenes together. However, I’m not sold on Nick Briggs’ choice of accent for Doctor Schroeder (given the paranoia of the time that this mines, I’m surprised Straker doesn’t query his presence on a secret USAF base). In his role as director, though, Briggs mounts the tension suitably.

Verdict: A different take on the source material that gradually tightens its grip as the episode unfolds. 7/10

Episode 2: Things We Lost in the Darkness

As plans for SHADO come together, a pair of youngsters have a close encounter in the countryside…

Now that some of the necessary exposition is out of the way in the opener, Andy Lane’s take on UFO hits its stride with this second episode, which combines further planning for the future of SHADO (and explaining just who the Harlington in Harlington-Straker is) with the aliens’ encounter with a young couple, and the embryo organisation’s investigation. There’s a scene about two-thirds of the way through between Barnaby Kay’s Ed Straker, Samuel Clemens’ Alec Freeman and Jeany Spark’s Virginia Lake that sets the tone well, as the American makes things abundantly clear to his subordinates as to who’s running things, and how they’re going to be. For me it’s similar to the London Eye moment in Rose, where I thought, OK, this is going to work…

Clemens’ Freeman is markedly different from George Sewell’s original take on the character (which did seem to involve a lot of leering, from a rewatch of the pilot recently!), and the relationship between him and Straker has a lot of potential, particularly given how the Commander gained his position. Hopefully the interplay with Lake won’t go down a domestic route – although a scene with Mary Straker makes me think that’s unfortunately inevitable – and keeps her as a supremely competent officer.

The thread involving the young couple works well, and Lane doesn’t shy away from the body horror inherent in the series concept, or indeed the nastiness that the aliens are capable of – this is far more of a Torchwood-type series (and I suspect will appeal to those who are fans of that range) – with Iain Meadows’ sound design leaning into that aspect.

Verdict: A well-balanced episode furthering the backstory alongside a standalone encounter. 8/10

Episode 3: Full Fathom Five

Spoilers

Ed Straker’s inspection of SkyDiver comes as the sub is in a position to intercept a UFO…

What is it with Big Finish, Gerry Anderson creations and mutinies? The recent Space: 1999 set was built around one, and now the final story in this first box set of the reboot of UFO features a mutiny on board SkyDiver when the captain (a gender-swapped- from-the-original Captain Carlin) is feared lost after she obeys orders and follows a UFO down to the ocean floor. There’s a reason that mutinies are such rare events in most armed forces, and, at least in the case of UFO, the people involved here have been through basic training and all that is inculcated at that point, let alone served with distinction enough to be brought on board one of the most important military projects in Earth’s history. But no, apparently discipline just goes out the window. (And contrast this with the original series where Straker’s devotion to duty leads to an ugly choice…)

Setting this aside – and that is something of a big ask – we get a chance to hear SkyDiver in action (and the penny drops as to what it was that Straker was testing at the start of this series) although there seems to be a little bit too much criticism of the designs of the craft – the sensible point being made about what the sub is capable of without Sky 1 because of its shape surely would have been thought through a lot earlier, given the rigorous nature of the developments going on? It also feels too convenient that a UFO just happens to get past Moonbase’s Interceptors (again) when Straker is on SkyDiver. And isn’t it highly convenient that that particular UFO just happens to have on board one of the aliens who has Carlin’s brother’s eyes?

Yasmin Mwanza guests as Petra Carlin, and I hope that we will hear her back on board SkyDiver as the series progresses; Victor Alli has a thankless role as Lew Waterman (who’s a lieutenant commander, for crying out loud!), with the scenes between him and Barnaby Kay’s Straker fizzing with energy. Jamie Robertson’s score and Iain Meadows’ sound design benefit the story, although I’m still hoping there’ll be a reworking of the title music closer to the original – it’s not like the sheet music isn’t available!

This first set has been a mixed bag, neither replicating the original nor striking out in a completely new direction from the core concept. Spending three episodes setting SHADO up – rather than emulating the TV series in getting the viewer/listener on board for a time before the flashback episode – feels like two too many, and I really hope set two doesn’t spend an episode showing us Moonbase, and then one focusing on SID, before we actually get into SHADO vs the aliens.

Verdict: Good performances in a fundamentally flawed story. 6/10

Paul Simpson  

Click here to order from Big Finish