Tuesday 26 May 2015

UFO 7TV

I must be honest this idea only came to me at Salute this year. But now that I look back I was probably only going to end up here anyway.  Back when it first came out I was not a fan of the TV series "UFO" by Gerry Anderson much preferring other TV series like "Colditz" or even Captain Scarlet (and the Mysterons). But in the past few years it has grown on me. Without knowing it I first built a moonscape, well that is to say I knew I was building it and was enjoying it, but was never really aware why. I don't mean that in a "Close encounters of the third Kind" build a mountain, I am sure you get what I mean. I was building it as mostly I just wanted to. I even painted up a handful of astronauts but not really enough to do anything with telling myself that at the time there just was not enough astronauts figures to make the project viable as well as the fact that I could not find any suitable aliens in space suits. So the Project did not go anywhere after my initial burst. (That is just so me!)

Then a chance conversation with Tim at the wargames club where he mentioned the various "Dinky" diecast toys from the period. When I was a kid one of my best friends John had this toy. Not this actual one but this diecast model. Anyway I asked Tim what scale it was but he was unable to tell me. It was about 40 years ago so I could not remember. So I looked it up online and still could not find an answer so I looked for the cheapest I could get on eBay just to get an idea.

While I know I will never get an exact scale, looking at the seats inside the cabin I would say that it is about the right scale for a 28mm figure. From that realisation it quickly became apparent that a tabletop version of the now, "classic" UFO series was a strong possibility. I already had a moon scape (I will have to re-do some of it and remove about 1/2 the craters but still). I already have the Astronauts and the Aliens. (they were humanoid and wore space suits as well). I have a set of rules almost perfect for the series, and now I have a "Shado Mobile" diecast toy.


 So I have just about gotten everything I need. yes it will all need work to bring it to life, but I have all the basics.

Talking of the "Shado Mobile" considering the cheap eBay price, where the postage cost more than the product it is not in bad nick. Obviously it is missing tracks and also missing the rocket. But as you will never fire the rocket using the spring on the diecast model the missing rocket is the least of my worries. It will need a new coat of paint to hide all the chips and scratches but that is stock in trade for wargamers!

 A couple of the axles are also bent, but as I will mount it on a base and not "trundle" it across the floor as most kids wouldhaving bent axles and no tracks is a modelmakers bread and butter. For a start I could take the tracks from another model kit, or I could use an elastic band of the correct size and width or I could make them from plastic as they are now not going to need to move. So overall while I know I will sweat and swear at it and myself I am very happy and expect to realise this project in the next few months. Well at least the start of it.

So now back filled with vim and vigor I have a new and unlikely project to fulfil.

Thanks for tuning in, and I hope this project excites you as much as it does me.

Cheers from Clint


34 comments:

  1. A nice new project for you then Clint :)

    I vaguely remember watching the series in my (ever so slightly) younger days, but don't recall any details.

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    1. Thanks Tamsin.
      Should you want to you can watch it again on YouTube. But it is very sexist by todays standards. But the ideas are still acceptable for a wargame. With an Alien invasion as the background. I think it could work well as a skirmish game.

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  2. Wow! I remember having that vehicle as a kid. Used to love that show. Will be watching this project with interest, wearing rose tinted nostalgia goggles of course.

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    1. Thanks Bob. If you don't mind the work the Shado 2 mobile is quite cheap to pick up at boot fairs or on eBay. (As mentioned the postage was more than the diecast model). Crooked Dice do Astronauts, so what else do you really need? The Shado 2 is about 28mm as well so there really is no heart break.

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  3. Good on you for taking on this project. I absolutely loved UFO when it first aired and I still do now. I keep hoping that Crooked Dice will add to their not-UFO figures. I look forward to seeing how you progress.

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    1. Thanks Bryan, Being honest I was never that fussed when I was young. But now that I am getting older I think I may be reverting to a childhood I never really left! I also hope CD release some more stuff.

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  4. I can also say that I did have one of those toy vehicles as a child. Mine also was missing the tracks and the missile!
    I reckon I must have been given it as a hand-me-down from an older cousin (like most of my stuff growing up) as I'm probably too young for the UFO series and franchise popularity.

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    1. Thanks Roy. You never know I may have your exact Mobile! Chances are against it of course but you just never know.

      I will also claim I am far to young to have enjoyed the series first time round, but I feel my nose growing Pinocchio like as I type that!

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  5. I also had one of these as a kid - I loved it!

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    1. Thanks Edwin. I seem to be the only person never to have had one before! I did have an SPV though.

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  6. Unlike you I fell in love with this show first time I saw it. I can't wait to see the progress on this project!

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    1. Thanks Robert. When it came out in 1970 I was more interested in Joe 90 or captain Scarlet. I am going to pretend I was just too young for it. I think the reality is that most of my friends were not that interested in it.

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  7. This is going to be fun to watch! I like it when one of you guys starts something new and exciting. Have fun with it!!!

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    1. Thanks Anne. The first stage is going to be addressing the moon scape boards so not that exciting to look at, or do or clean up afterwards!

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    2. I remember watching you put new boards together in the past and it was very interesting. Am I correct in remembering you doing a waterfall in past?

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    3. Yes there was a waterfall never finished because winter set in and birds built a nest on it. I have since realised that it is far too heavy to transport so has been left for the foreseeable future.

      Thanks Anne

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  8. I love UFO with Colonel Styker and co but for me it was just the whole realness of it that made me love it. I watched it again a year or so ago and it had lost none of its appeal,

    And in my opinion you could be find a better set of rules in 7Tv for this. I just wish that someone did the figure range

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    1. Thanks Pete. No ruleset is perfect and I am happy to go with 7TV, unless there comes to be a better set. As for people making the figures you can get most that you need from Crooked Dice again not perfect but with similarities.

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  9. Oh yes.. That does it alright.. Fond memories !

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    1. Thanks Dave, Now the work begins as I try to bring it to fruition.

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  10. Looks like a great new project. Look forward to seeing this develop.

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    1. Cheers Lee. You might have been a little too young for this when it came out in 1970! I hope I can do it justice.

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  11. Now look at that, a thing of beauty!

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    1. Thank you Michael, let's hope I can carry it through to completion.

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  12. I remember this series well - set in the hi-tech future of 1980, when, as we all know, the Nehru jacket made a comeback, and shiny synthetic pageboy bobs and lurid eye make-up were part of the uniform for young women working in a defence facility ON THE MOON.

    When I watched it again years later, I found myself wondering, "what were the production designers thinking?" At the time, though, my eight-year-old mind accepted it without question because, let's face it, the SHADO interceptors and the SHADO mobile were so cool.

    I'll be following this restoration with interest, Clint - please keep us posted!

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    1. Thanks Evan. I was most struck to see so many people smoking in the TV series! As for the purple bob hair do's they were really cool.

      I hope I can do it justice. First step will be to reimagine my moon scape. Which may get started today. (But will take weeks)

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  13. Cracking stuff mate. I'll be following this with interest!

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    1. Thanks Millsy. I will endeavour to make a start today.

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  14. Awesome shall look forward to seeing more on this project. I can't say I saw this series its on a long list of stuff i've been recommended to watch though. As to the smoking its amazing how it being banned from publics places for a few years changes perceptions so quickly it does seem really odd now. Yet not so long ago people smoked everywhere cinemas and allsorts when you go back through all the old shows and movies.

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    1. Cheers Simon. You echo my thoughts about smoking in TV and movies. It used to be cool and now definitely uncool at least in the media.

      I am not so sure I would totally recommend UFO, it is not great TV in quality story acting or production! That said there are a couple of good ideas and it will work as a game I think.

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  15. Another proud owner of a SHADO mobile here too. There was also a Moonbase Interceptor die-cast too.

    I can't believe CD haven't done the aliens yet, especially as they did a 'Straker'.

    The purple 'hair-dos' were in fact anti-static wigs for working in an oxygen-rich environment... although I cannot think of a worse thing to have to avoid creating a static spark. Fuzzy science huh?

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    1. Indeed it was sexist in many ways, but Earth's first line of defence - Moonbase was commanded by a woman, who was assisted by women in the key roles. The guys did the donkey work of taking the missiles where they were needed, but it was the women who did all the brain work for firing solutions etc.

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    2. Thanks Jim, that did make me smile. I agree purple anti static wigs what all the best dressed fuzzy scientist should wear.... Maybe they all do!

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