This was definitely a show ahead of its time, which was never given a fair chance. Only one season was produced, and was poorly distributed in the US, where it had the most potential.
Aliens are coming to Earth and abducting humans (sound familiar?), ostensibly to provide transplant material for their dying, nearly sterile, humanoid race. A multi-national super-secret organization called SHADO (Supreme Headquarters, Alien Defence Organisation) is formed to combat this threat, with American USAF col. Ed Straker in charge. No one outside the organization is aware of it's existence, not even the immediate families of the operatives. Any civilians having alien contact are immediately given amnesia drugs by SHADO to force them to forget.
This was a real show with real characters. Portrayal of the effects of job secrecy and other stresses on the agents were realistic and very moving. The episodes portraying the effects of running SHADO on Straker's marriage (Confetti Check A-OK) and on the life of his son (A Question of Priorities) were two of the best written episodes of any TV series.
As always, there was the Super Cool hardware of Gerry Anderson everywhere. Interceptors launched from the moon engaged in dogfight style battles with the UFO's (6+ years before "Star wars"). "Skydiver" submarines launched fighter jets from underwater for atmospheric combat. Tanklike "Mobiles" closed in on UFO's on the ground
The sexy "Century 21" fashions of Sylvia Anderson were everywhere. From the Nehru Jackets with "priestly" collars for the men, to the purple wigs and silver bodysuits for the women who ran moonbase, no one so completely and fully depicted the future as she did then.
Combine this with the incomparable music of Barry Gray (including a theme that put Hawaii Five-o and Danger Man to shame) and you've got one unforgettable show. It's a shame that it only lasted one season. The Anderson's should have held out for a second season of UFO, instead of wasting all of their valuable resources on that mediocre Space:1999.
