"UFO"
The Cat with Ten Lives (1970)

Director:

David Tomblin

Writer:

David Tomblin (writer)

TV Series:

"UFO" (1970)

Original Air Date:

30 September 1970 (Season 1, Episode 3)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Acronym In Title | Alien Attack

Cast

Ed Bishop	...	Cmdr. Ed Straker
George Sewell	...	Alec Freeman
Wanda Ventham	...	Col. Virginia Lake
Alexis Kanner	...	Lt. Jim Regan
Geraldine Moffat	...	Jean Regan
Dolores Mantez	...	Nina Barry
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Andrea Allan	...	Moonbase Operative Carol Miller
Steven Berkoff	...	Capt. Steve Minto
Michael Billington	...	Col. Paul Foster
Ayshea Brough	...	SHADO Operative
Windsor Davies	...	Morgan
Colin Gordon	...	Albert Thompson
Al Mancini	...	Lt. Andy Conroy
Lois Maxwell	...	Miss Holland
Mel Oxley	...	Space Intruder Detector SID (voice)
Vladek Sheybal	...	Dr. Doug Jackson
Eleanor Summerfield	...	Muriel Thompson

Check out the cast...

To be honest, the premise of this episode, that of an astronaut being taken over by the mind of an alien in a Siamese cat's body, is downright silly, even by UFO's standards, and seeing Alexis Kanner leaping around and meowing like a cat is hilarious, however, it is worth watching for several reasons. It was written and directed by David Tomblin, who had been heavily involved in 'The Prisoner' and many other ITC shows, and who would go on to even greater things, being First Assistant Director on 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' among many others. Talking of 'The Prisoner' many of this episode's cast members had also worked on that show (Colin Gordon (the bespectacled Number 2), Alexis Kanner, Michael Billington, Al Mancini and Wanda Ventham). Not surprising really in that Rose Tobias Shaw was Casting Director on both series. There is also a strong Bond movie contingent here too, again Michael Billington, Ed Bishop, Steven Berkoff, Vladek Sheybal, and Miss Moneypenny herself Lois Maxwell. Also gracing the screen is the veteran actress Eleanor Summerfield and the show features an early performance by Windsor Davies. Quite a high calibre cast for what is possibly one of the poorer episodes of a generally excellent series.