Bring The Magic Home!: The Story Of ITC's Carlton Video Home Entertainment

11 - Unidentified Flying Objects

After a very successful 2001 range, Carlton announced in very early January 2002 that UFO would be released on DVD. My third favourite Anderson series, the first 13 episodes were due for release on March 18th, and the special features were announced to include commentaries by Ed Bishop & Gerry Anderson, photo galleries, and an alternate opening sequence & deleted scenes gallery. They were available to preorder shortly after the announcement. Both Anderson and Bishop recorded their commentaries on 17th January (although some sources say Anderson's commentary was from 2000). Anderson who even directed the first episode himself mainly discussed the filming of the series (and admitting he had a crush on Gabrielle Drake as Lieutenant Ellis in the commentary!), and Bishop would discuss the making of the series from an actor's perspectives and how well it has stood up. He would also help to promote the DVDs for Carlton via several interviews and photos, and fan reactions to the DVDs were overwhelmingly positive. Volumes 1 and 2 and the first box set (containing Volumes 1-4) was released on March 18th. Volumes 3 and 4 were available on May 13th. 

That week, Carlton announced on 10th June, Volumes 5 and 6 plus the second box set (containing Volumes 5-8) would be available, and were soon up for preorder. Volumes 7 and 8 would be released individually on August 12th. All the discs (like the previous Carlton releases) were Region 0 and were gloriously remastered and the big sets featuring exclusive picture cards. Volumes 1 and 8 contained four episodes, with the other sets containing only three stories - either rated a U or PG, with the exception of Volume 8 as a 12. The covers are a creepy black colour scheme with (usually) crafts from the series on the front of the individual sets and complete sets. 

The inside leaflets of individual volumes would again feature the front DVD cover and behind the scenes information with chapter details. The box sets would also feature similar items and would be held in a Digi-pack set with stills from the series matching the black creepy style of the DVD range. The menus would begin to open with the series' titles theme and a SHADO designed computer monitor with a screen showing clips from the episodes. The extras menus were designed as tracking monitors, whereas the stills features in the special features would have Moonbase style computer screens and buttons. The scene access screens were designed as Moonbase Interceptors on their launch pads. The extras of the eight discs are as follows;

1 - Alternate sequences on Identified and Exposed, Gerry Anderson commentary - Identified, production gallery, deleted scenes gallery, behind the scenes gallery

2 - Character bios, production gallery, deleted scenes gallery, behind the scenes gallery

3 - SHADO Dossier 1, production gallery, deleted scenes gallery, behind the scenes gallery

4 - SHADO Dossier 2, production gallery, behind the scenes gallery

5 - SHADO Memrobillia Gallery production gallery, behind the scenes gallery

6 - Ed Bishop commentary - Sub-Smash, storyboards - The Cat With Ten Lives, production gallery, behind the scenes gallery

7 - Doppelganger illustrated text feature, production gallery, behind the scenes gallery

8 - Key actor profiles, production notes, production gallery, behind the scenes gallery

The A&E American releases were roughly around the same time, whereas Carlton would begin to focus on their next release would be a series a little less well-regarded than his previous series. That would lead to Gerry Anderson's The Protectors...