- "A funeral without a body. A symbol of human compassion. A long finger of tragic coincidence, stretching across a billion miles of space. Is this the end or the beginning? Where does the Universe end? Where does it begin?"
- ―Commander Ed Straker
| "Identified" | |
|---|---|
| Series UFO Season 1, Episode 1 | |
| |
| Air date | September 16th, 1970 |
| Writers | Gerry Anderson; Sylvia Anderson; Tony Barwick |
| Director | Gerry Anderson |
| Producers | Gerry Anderson; Reg Hill |
| Starring | Ed Bishop; George Sewell |
| Episode guide | |
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Identified is the pilot episode of the British television series UFO. Directed and written by series creator Gerry Anderson, it first aired on ATV on Wednesday, September 16th, 1970. The plot of the series revolves around SHADO, the Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organization, a secret government group located underground beneath Harlington-Straker Studios. The leader of S.H.A.D.O. is Commander Ed Straker. In this episode, a young man and his girlfriend come upon an alien space ship. The youth begins taking photographs of the ship when aliens in orange space suit emerge and attack them, harvesting their organs. A decade later in 1980, Commander Ed Straker learns about the UFOs after they shoot down a USAF plane piloted by his friend Commander Freeman.
Cast[]
Principal Cast[]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Edward Bishop | Commander Ed Straker |
| George Sewell | Colonel Alec Freeman |
Guest Stars[]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Wanda Ventham | Colonel Virginia Lake |
| Peter Gordeno | Captain Peter Carlin |
| Gabrielle Drake | Lieutenant Gay Ellis |
| Grant Taylor | General James Henderson |
| Basil Digman | Cabinet minister |
| Shane Rimmer | Lieutenant Bill Johnson |
| Antonia Ellis | Joan Harrington |
| Gary Meyers | Captain Lew Waterman |
| Michael Mundell | Lieutenant Ken Matthews |
| Harry Baird | Lieutenant Mark Bradley |
| Keith Alexander | Lieutenant Keith Ford |
| Jon Kelley | Skydiver engineer |
| Georgina Moon | Lieutenant Sylvia Howell |
| Dolorez Mantez | Nina Barry |
| Jeremy Wilkin | Lieutenant Gordon Maxwell |
| Paul Gillard | Kurt Mahler |
| Gary Files | Phil Wade |
| Matthew Roberton | Doctor Harris |
| Maxwell Shaw | Doctor Schroeder |
| Annette Kerr | Nurse |
| Stanley Bray | Alien |
| Edwina Carroll | Leila Carlin |
| Mel Oxley | Space Intruder Detector |
| Dennis Plenty | Lieutenant David Worth |
| Louisa Rabaiotti | SHADO operative |
| Gito Santana | Alien |
| Jack Silk | Motorcyclist |
| Penny Spencer | Janice |
Notes & Trivia[]
- This episode has been made available on The Complete UFO Megaset DVD collection.
- The opening scenes take place in the year 1970, while the remainder of the episode takes place in the year 1980.
See also[]
External Links[]
