"Close Up" is the eleventh 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 Tony Barwick and the director was Alan Perry. The episode was filmed between 29 September to 9 October 1969 and aired on the ATV Midlands on 16 December 1970. Though shown as the eleventh episode, it was actually the thirteenth to have been filmed.
The series was created by Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson with Reg Hill, and produced by the Andersons and Lew Grade's Century 21 Productions for Grade's ITC Entertainment company.
Story
SHADO place a B142 tracking probe (launched with NASA Rocket 712) equipped with a newly developed high resolution electron telescopic camera aboard in lunar orbit, during a spacewalk accomplished by Paul Foster and camera developer Lt. John Masters. A UFO is turned back by the SHADO Interceptors from Moonbase and the probe follows it back to its home world. The images the probe returns several months later have no information regarding range or magnification, however, rendering their intelligence value moot.
Regular cast
Ed Bishop — Commander Edward Straker
George Sewell — Col. Alec E. Freeman
Michael Billington — Col. Paul Foster
Gabrielle Drake — Lt. Gay Ellis
Dolores Mantez — Lt. Nina Barry
Gary Myers— Capt. Lew Waterman
Keith Alexander— Lt. Keith Ford
Ayshea — Lt. Ayshea Johnson
Grant Taylor — Gen. James L. Henderson
Production notes
Locations used for the filming included Neptune House at ATV Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, and Sudbury House, London.
Reception
TV Zone magazine considered this episode the worst of the series, commenting that the story lacks tension and the downbeat ending is "hardly worth a 50-minute wait". John Kenneth Muir also criticises the ending, noting that it sees Neil Hallett's character, an expert on microphotography, "lecturing to Straker about the importance of 'inner space', and understanding distance and magnification in photographs. Not only is this a seemingly basic fact treated as a cosmic revelation, but it makes all the other characters seem stupid for not realising it." Muir also describes "Close Up" as one of UFOs "most dated" episodes, partly because of its "sexist" portrayal of Lieutenant Ellis.