"The purple hair explained" Topic

This news feed link

Explains this now fully:

At last: I finally understand. They had computer interfaces and heart rate/blood pressure monitors built into their wigs.

Can't work out why it was their heart rate and blood pressure that needed monitoring rather than other people's but…

Not that I'm keen on this subject mater, you understand werelords.com/ufo/index.htm

Discuss

John T

Ha! Brilliant! Perhaps the computer interface causes physiological changes that need to be monitored? Its the silver nappies that really need an explanation

silver nappies that really need an explanation

Space Chastity Belts.

Thinking ahead on the part of the costumier… ;)

John T

They had computer interfaces and heart rate/blood pressure monitors built into their wigs.

Using 1980s tech? That wouldn't have been very pretty. Speaking of "not very pretty", they should do a re-make of UFO with 1980s fashions (or am I getting too meta?).

Ron

Has someone explained the "getting changed in a unisex changing room and converting your day clothes into leisure wear with a bacofoil skirt "?

Not that I'm complaining about that classic scene – it's very "of its time"

Silly question, what movie/show are those woemen from?

Thanks.

P.

UFO

Sci-fi series from the creators of Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet etc.

Aliens, who look like humans and breathe washing up liquid to cross space, are kidnapping humans to use as involuntary organ donors. Earth has set up SHADO (Supreme Headquarters Anotherword Defence Organisation) to combat their intrusions. They have three main lines of defence: space (the purple haired women are from Moonbase, but also work at the Crossroads Motel); the atmosphere (where submariners wear costumes made out of fishing nets); and on land (where the merchandisers were in charge of vehicle design).

Superb series that was actually set in 1984. I have the boxed set and still enjoy rewatching them.

And the scene that 20th Maine is talking about is where one of the Moonbase ladies removes the legs and arms from her work silver nappy suit, leaving her in a skimpy silver body, and then completes her now-mufti outfit with a silver mini skirt.

I still have my Corgi SHADO Interceptor which fires a great big plastic rocket.

Purple hair in 1984, who'd have thought it:)

I'm easy ! Any hair color works for me !

The aliens need humans because:

"In the Gerry Anderson series UFO, the medical exams uncovered that the invading aliens were suffering from "hereditary sterility". In other words, if your father was sterile, then so are you! How's that again?"

link

Ha! I have the DVDs for this show. It is absolutely cheesy now, but as a small child, it was awesome to watch the pilots slide down chutes and shoot giant missiles at the aliens.

Aliens, who look like humans and breathe washing up liquid to cross space, are kidnapping humans to use as involuntary organ donors. Earth has set up SHADO (Supreme Headquarters Anotherword Defence Organisation) to combat their intrusions. They have three main lines of defence: space (the purple haired women are from Moonbase, but also work at the Crossroads Motel); the atmosphere (where submariners wear costumes made out of fishing nets); and on land (where the merchandisers were in charge of vehicle design).

Hadn't realised it was a documentary…

Doug

Headquarters under a movie studio . submarines that launch figher jets . great show …cheesy with very little contentunity but way cool .

So, wait, are you saying that a purple toupee will show the way when summer brings me down? What about a purple toupee and gold lamé? Will they turn my brain around?

According to my book "The Complete Gerry Anderson's UFO", the wigs were meant to be purely for fashion. Wigs were fashionable in the late 1960s, ergo, by 1980 they were going to be MASSIVE! And in bright colours not found in nature!

The jumpsuit that becomes a skirt and top combo is work wear and leisure wear. Because sparkly leggings with zips on them are itchy as heck.

…You can blame Sylvia Anderson for all this, by the way.

The Aliens' plans were to raid the Earth for body parts, thus the show was slightly ahead of its time by predicting what alien abductee weirdos would say were the reasons for aliens coming to our planet in the 70s and 80s. 3/4s of the way through the show's run, it turns out that the aliens true form isn't the humanoid one we've been seeing so far.

When the Andersons sat down to plan UFO, they could not envisage a 1980 that was awash with flares, kipper ties, wavy hair, large stereos and small computers (UFO had it the other way around) and everyone no longer interested in the Moon.

had the best theme song too
YouTube link

the infamas changing scene
YouTube link

Its the prototype of the PS5…

"…Cheesy…"?

Cast out the blasphemer!

I thought the wigs were to protect them from radiation.

In any case, their fashion sense certainly got my attention back then. They were hot!

All the cloths/costumes in those shows were designed by Ms. Sylvia Anderson who has a weird fetish for beige, otherwise I had no problem with the designs and no issue whatsoever for the women who wore them.

As a kid I thought they were 'moon women'… some other group of aliens SHADO had run into.
Like most kids my attention span was pretty short and I'm not sure I understood much of it since I was multitasking between my hotwheels' need for speed and fighting off my sister (who always wanted to watch some crappy show about a giant singing hippo).

I will echo ubercommander's comment as the wigs being part of the moonbase female uniform. I have the DVDs and recollect this coming up in either the commentary or the special features.

This is the same source that mentions that the trackball typing in the opening credits is being done by Sylvia Anderson manually, and then sped up.

I don't think UFO is cheesy, either. Just a bit dated.

I know really the wigs were just for fun/fashion/uniform (there was some talk at the time about them being anti-static coz men don't have hair) but the article was just too wacky to not point out.

Having said that two of the mail leads also wore wigs (though not purple, obviously…).

Look up more on this series here ufoseries.com

And – as Coelacanth pointed out – interfaces using 80's techno (when there's a wonderful picture of Gay Ellis in her space suit, in my original post, which patently has a Maplins* project box with four squares of coloured plastic on it, attached to what looks an awful lot like shower piping) no: it doesn't bear thinking about :)

And who cares anyway: they looked stunning to me, even at the time, and stil do now, silver nappies and all…

John T

* For US readers, subtitute the word 'Radio Shack'

As a kid I too thought the purple hair was just their normal color or dyed that way. Been so long since I've seen an episode I don't remember much of it. All I really remember is UFO preceded Space 1999, not really sure if Space 1999 was a sequel or not.

Space 1999 was destined to be a sequel set a dozen or so years further on with a bigger moonbase and more spaceships (the beautiful Eagles being a case in point) but the show was pulled after they'd started work on the props (moonbase and Eagles already built).

Anderson said "what do you want me to do with this lot then?" and the producers (Lou Grade, specifically) said "write something else" so they did and so we got the poor, alien of the week, shape shifting animal alien, "I've got a metal heart and so no emotions" nonsense of Space 1999 with some trick models that were built for UFO season 2.

UFO is a far 'harder' series for the most part. Oh, and with better costumes for the ladies…

John T

At least with Space 1999 we got to see the wonderful Eagles and Moon Base.

Still want to build a Moon Base model for gaming!

Shapeshift alien lady did not show up till season 2 (made a couple years later then season 1?) First season was old DR dude (sadly wooden lady was there the whole time).

Kabrank

Ah, but that's the point: the best bits of Space 1999 were the bits done for UFO season 2!

A follow on with that moonbase and them eagles would have been wonderful, even without the purple wigs…

Dynaman "First season was old DR dude"

I don't understand!?! :)

But anywauy, sure season 2 of 1999 was worse than season 1, but neither were as good as UFO: not by a mile.

In my opinion, obviously.

John T