Incredibly clever and inspiring lady. She is so underrated as a creative force. She made those Anderson shows come alive in so many ways. Just a genius.
I think the idea for the purple wigs was brilliant! It was new then too, and gave the show a totally out-of-this-world feel, which was refreshing and new. We didn't question it. It looked totally cool, and made us all go WOW!! have you seen that new series U.F.O. I think that one of the great things about the series was it gave us eye-candy too with all the gorgeous styles of clothing, makeups, cars, and space vehicles that was WAY ahead of its time! Oh, those awesome silver costumes too... it was kind of like a music video. Have you seen how many films and TV series have copied the hair style in recent years? This was a series created that would push the envelope... created for people that think outside of the SciFi box. Thank you Sylvia for adding so much visual appeal to U.F.O. and the SHADO organization!!
Sylvia, you did a wonderful job. UFO looked the part totally, and that was because of your intuitive futuristic genius. All the men looked like real men, and the ladies, wow, all absolute beautiful corkers, enhanced by your creative talent. Purple wigs, just ingenius, and you are correct, they simply look just right for the moonbase role. Everything about UFO was right, even the start (beatty) and end (spooky) music. Great actors, sets, looks, glamour, excitement, suspense. I miss entertainment like this as there is nothing like it on TV today.
The idea of purple wigs and catsuits could have been truly lame but wasn't. It was Sci-Fi and futuristic and the Moon Base ladies sold the look. They were hot and Sylvia Anderson was dead on.
A brilliant series better than the excellent Space 1999. Gerry Anderson mentioned that it was his favourite live-action series and he wished he could have done more.
Those two ladies definitely made UFO, a "must watch" TV show! Just of what those two ladies could've done for "RAF Recruiting", if someone had gotten the idea to use them in recruiting ads!
Yes thank you Sylvia. Perhaps you could have made Colonel Foster's silver suit a little tighter but the coloured hair turned out to be a reasonably accurate prediction of what was to come.
except they were all the same...made no sense to me. would have made more sense if the women on Earth did the same thing but then that would also be weird.
I always thought the reason given the moon girls had purple hair was because it was due to a reaction with the chemical mixture of the moonbases life support system. Thats why it was purple on the moon but reverted back to normal once back on earth, Why the male moon interceptor pilots hair wasn't also purple was never explained. Later I read that they were Purple simply because Sylvia Anderson liked it.
In the paperbacks published of the series, reference was made to the "mauve anti-static wigs" worn by the women on Moonbase. No hint as to why the male pilots in the same base didn't have to do anything special to prevent static; it's not like they all had crewcuts or anything.
suspect bollocks as a reason.. because Ellis was on Earth and had her natural hair colour .. and she hadn't been back long within that episode. Marketing hype maybe for magazine sales.
4 ปีที่แล้ว
So now I know where Lady GA GA got her hair inspiration.
Don't forget the Japanese Anime Culture. Gabrielle Drake (Lt. Gay Ellis) commented the purple wig SHADO moon women influenced the colored haired pop girl trend in anime shows, manga & video games in the 80s & beyond.
It just occurred to me that another alliterative appellation I had just half completed suggests itself; lilac-locked lunar lasses. But this is more forced because lilac is a decidedly paler hue than is mauve. What better ones can you come up with? ;)
She wanted to try the Lt. Ellis super-sexy-silver-suit "moon-girls" bit on the 1975 "Space 1999" serial, but her and hubby Gerry split up, and an italian company took over their production.
Mrreciprocat The first season seemed to be cut directly from the cloth of Stanley Kubric's 2001, a space oddyssey. Episodes like "the dragon's domain" were very sci-fi and fantasy horror. The second season seemed to become childish and stupid, no longer directed to the young adult set, but geared more toward children and morons.
I haven't seen anyone comment on the moon staff stuffed bras. No way these women all had ample bosoms. Clearly not Lt Gay Ellis (Gabrielle Drake) 👍 Not that I'm complaining 🤠 /220927
Some thing about the series U.F.O. was really screwed in backwards! The "moon girls with purple hair and mylar outfits" should have been on an asteroid in another dimension sending the flying saucers to spy on the "shadow" organization or some thing, and the "moon base" should have been similar to the "Alpha colony" from Space 1999. - Oh Well...
What never made sense was when the girls went to Earth... their hair was not purple. So it was just a moon uniform? If they had purple hair, that would be one thing, but they just all wear wigs on the moon? Seemed odd.
Perhaps the “hair” in those “wigs” had fine strands of a high-nickel alloy called Mu-metal, and other strands of a special RF shielding alloy? Given that they were the *Brains* of the moon base, and the aliens (maybe?) had mind-control hardware that worked - sort of…
I everything Anderson (except Joe 90 and Terrahawks--yuck) UFO and Space: 1999 are the closest to my heart. Unfortunately, time has been kind to some of the female costumes. Bishops' Nehru Suits still look pretty dope--however, the "Moon Girls" suits are cringe worthy to me now. And it just make any sense too--you can see them on Earth or doing duty at SHADO HQ or SKYDIVER and they're even more gorgeous without the purple wigs and creepy eyelashes.
Well she forgot to let women wear those fishnets w/o bras. That alone makes it sexist. And of course that alone would have made the show watchable even w/o a script. :).
I always thought the purple wigs was one of the most dumbest things (along with those, obviously sexist skin tight silver sparkle outfits) this show ever showcased. What was the purpose of the purple wigs???
My speculation was that the purple wigs had some kind of mind-shielding properties, and the aliens were able to control minds to a modest degree. The strange clothing possibly had similar properties. (???) Given that the women were the command-staff of the moon base, it makes *some* sense to put them in wearable Faraday shields!
Rest in peace, Sylvia. You played a major role in the success of some of the most groundbreaking sci-fi TV series of all time.
Incredibly clever and inspiring lady. She is so underrated as a creative force. She made those Anderson shows come alive in so many ways. Just a genius.
I think the idea for the purple wigs was brilliant! It was new then too, and gave the show a totally out-of-this-world feel, which was refreshing and new. We didn't question it. It looked totally cool, and made us all go WOW!! have you seen that new series U.F.O. I think that one of the great things about the series was it gave us eye-candy too with all the gorgeous styles of clothing, makeups, cars, and space vehicles that was WAY ahead of its time! Oh, those awesome silver costumes too... it was kind of like a music video. Have you seen how many films and TV series have copied the hair style in recent years? This was a series created that would push the envelope... created for people that think outside of the SciFi box. Thank you Sylvia for adding so much visual appeal to U.F.O. and the SHADO organization!!
As a real young child in the 70's, I always thought they were three alien girls that secretly worked for SHADO. LOL
Purple *Mental Shielding Wigs.*
Sylvia, you did a wonderful job. UFO looked the part totally, and that was because of your intuitive futuristic genius. All the men looked like real men, and the ladies, wow, all absolute beautiful corkers, enhanced by your creative talent. Purple wigs, just ingenius, and you are correct, they simply look just right for the moonbase role. Everything about UFO was right, even the start (beatty) and end (spooky) music. Great actors, sets, looks, glamour, excitement, suspense. I miss entertainment like this as there is nothing like it on TV today.
The wigs were Brilliant idea and had a great overall look!
The idea of purple wigs and catsuits could have been truly lame but wasn't. It was Sci-Fi and futuristic and the Moon Base ladies sold the look. They were hot and Sylvia Anderson was dead on.
A brilliant series better than the excellent Space 1999. Gerry Anderson mentioned that it was his favourite live-action series and he wished he could have done more.
I loved the music used on the UFO series especially when the fighters were launched to take out the UFO's.
Oops we missed! back to base then.
Lt Ellis was always my favourite character from Moonbase. Ayesha was my favourite in shadow control.
mine too
Agree.
Those two ladies definitely made UFO, a "must watch" TV show! Just of what those two ladies could've done for "RAF Recruiting", if someone had gotten the idea to use them in recruiting ads!
RIP m'lady
the purple wig was my first love, and many years later i coloured my hair purple
When I watched this show in 1970 all TVs were black and white, very few people had color TVs. I had idea they were purple wigs.
Yes thank you Sylvia. Perhaps you could have made Colonel Foster's silver suit a little tighter but the coloured hair turned out to be a reasonably accurate prediction of what was to come.
except they were all the same...made no sense to me. would have made more sense if the women on Earth did the same thing but then that would also be weird.
Sylvia was as much a genius as Gerry Anderson, more so in many ways!
I love this Lady
I always thought the Moon Chicks were hot especially Lt. Ellis!
Happy to have a signed/numbered copy of her book. But never seen or heard the lady!
Thanks for putting this on!
She was a true lady 💜
This show is running on HULU right now. It's a hoot. After that, check out SPACE 1999.
I loved the moon base, purple haired girls.
Am I the only adolescent male who had (those) dreams about Lt. Ellis?
Lady Penelope in the flesh!
well said Silv
Don't worry Sylvia - Woman and Girls will have purple hair in the future
I always thought the reason given the moon girls had purple hair was because it was due to a reaction with the chemical mixture of the moonbases life support system. Thats why it was purple on the moon but reverted back to normal once back on earth, Why the male moon interceptor pilots hair wasn't also purple was never explained. Later I read that they were Purple simply because Sylvia Anderson liked it.
In the paperbacks published of the series, reference was made to the "mauve anti-static wigs" worn by the women on Moonbase. No hint as to why the male pilots in the same base didn't have to do anything special to prevent static; it's not like they all had crewcuts or anything.
suspect bollocks as a reason.. because Ellis was on Earth and had her natural hair colour .. and she hadn't been back long within that episode. Marketing hype maybe for magazine sales.
So now I know where Lady GA GA got her hair inspiration.
Don't forget the Japanese Anime Culture. Gabrielle Drake (Lt. Gay Ellis) commented the purple wig SHADO moon women influenced the colored haired pop girl trend in anime shows, manga & video games in the 80s & beyond.
She must have consulted on "Iron Sky". Isn't that exactly what they did?
I refer to these purple-haired lunar lasses as the mauve-maned Moon mavens. ;)
It just occurred to me that another alliterative appellation I had just half completed suggests itself; lilac-locked lunar lasses. But this is more forced because lilac is a decidedly paler hue than is mauve.
What better ones can you come up with? ;)
Jethro from The Beverly Hillbillies would call them moon maidens.
She wanted to try the Lt. Ellis super-sexy-silver-suit "moon-girls" bit on the 1975 "Space 1999" serial, but her and hubby Gerry split up, and an italian company took over their production.
Mrreciprocat What ever became of the "moon girls" then?, They never did make a debut, - or did they?
Mrreciprocat The first season seemed to be cut directly from the cloth of Stanley Kubric's 2001, a space oddyssey. Episodes like "the dragon's domain" were very sci-fi and fantasy horror. The second season seemed to become childish and stupid, no longer directed to the young adult set, but geared more toward children and morons.
Mrreciprocat It seemed like Sylvia Anderson really liked them.
😊❤
Was a silly cost saving but they didn't do it elsewhere in series
"... before Michael Jackson" LOL!
Purple 33 Birds
I haven't seen anyone comment on the moon staff stuffed bras. No way these women all had ample bosoms.
Clearly not Lt Gay Ellis (Gabrielle Drake) 👍
Not that I'm complaining 🤠
/220927
in the '70s I decided the purple haired women were all clones.
Some thing about the series U.F.O. was really screwed in backwards!
The "moon girls with purple hair and mylar outfits" should have been on an asteroid in another dimension sending the flying saucers to spy on the "shadow" organization or some thing, and the "moon base" should have been similar to the "Alpha colony" from Space 1999. - Oh Well...
She said 'negro'!?
If yer implying that is a bad word then maybe you should send a letter of complaint to
The United Negro College Fund.
It was a word in much more common use 30 or 40 years ago by everyone.
@@sailorgabbie can you imagine if she said "colored man"..
Purple wigs on the female crew - YEAH, BABY! White boots on the interceptor pilots - NOT SO MUCH...
What never made sense was when the girls went to Earth... their hair was not purple. So it was just a moon uniform? If they had purple hair, that would be one thing, but they just all wear wigs on the moon? Seemed odd.
Perhaps the “hair” in those “wigs” had fine strands of a high-nickel alloy called Mu-metal, and other strands of a special RF shielding alloy?
Given that they were the *Brains* of the moon base, and the aliens (maybe?) had mind-control hardware that worked - sort of…
What happened to her French-canadian accent?
it would have been easier if the moon girls had been bald.
I everything Anderson (except Joe 90 and Terrahawks--yuck) UFO and Space: 1999 are the closest to my heart. Unfortunately, time has been kind to some of the female costumes. Bishops' Nehru Suits still look pretty dope--however, the "Moon Girls" suits are cringe worthy to me now. And it just make any sense too--you can see them on Earth or doing duty at SHADO HQ or SKYDIVER and they're even more gorgeous without the purple wigs and creepy eyelashes.
".....a Knee Grow...."
Cancel her!
Well she forgot to let women wear those fishnets w/o bras. That alone makes it sexist. And of course that alone would have made the show watchable even w/o a script. :).
I always thought the purple wigs was one of the most dumbest things (along with those, obviously sexist skin tight silver sparkle outfits) this show ever showcased. What was the purpose of the purple wigs???
I think you have too watch through 1970/1971 eyes. No-one said it was sexist at the time.
My speculation was that the purple wigs had some kind of mind-shielding properties, and the aliens were able to control minds to a modest degree. The strange clothing possibly had similar properties. (???)
Given that the women were the command-staff of the moon base, it makes *some* sense to put them in wearable Faraday shields!