Project UFO
Encyclopedia
Project UFO was an NBC television series which lasted two seasons, from 1978 to 1979. Based loosely on the real-life Project Blue Book
, the show was created by Dragnet veteran Jack Webb
, who pored through Air Force
files looking for episode ideas. This was the final show produced by Webb's Mark VII Limited
, but in the case of this show it was produced in association with Worldvision Enterprises (now CBS Television Distribution
).
The show featured two U.S. Air Force investigators charged with investigating UFO sightings. The first season starred William Jordan
(as "Maj. Jake Gatlin") and Caskey Swaim (as "Staff Sgt. Harry Fitz"). Jordan was a rather nondescript leading man, while Swain (who had never had any significant acting experience before landing the role) added diversity as a Southerner with a pronounced accent. In season two, Jordan was replaced by Edward Winter (as "Capt. Ben Ryan"). Aldine King ("Libby") was another regular. Dr. Joyce Brothers
appeared in two episodes.
In the pilot episode, Gatlin informed the newly-assigned Fitz that, since it is impossible to prove a negative, their job was to prove that each UFO sighting was real, by researching and disproving possible alternate explanations. Gatlin also told Fitz that he himself had once seen "something I can't explain" while flying as an Air Force pilot, which led to his interest in Blue Book.
In retrospect, Project UFO anticipated many of the themes of the X-Files, though of course without that show's romantic subtext or anti-government (or for that matter, anti-alien) paranoia. As with Blue Book, many of the UFO sightings on Project UFO turned out to have conventional explanations. Some, however, were left unexplained, and suggestive of alien contact. By the second season, the investigators had themselves experienced a UFO sighting.
In an odd reversal of the Scooby-Doo
dynamic, the series eventually settled into a pattern in which the investigators would spend most of the hour uncovering some conventional explanation for a UFO sighting, only for the last five minutes to reveal that UFOs (or some similarly unexplained phenomena) were involved after all.
" played. A voice-over (narrated by Webb) then spoke:
Notable was the extensive use of miniatures for the UFOs by Brick Price Movie Miniatures (now Wonderworks), usually cobbled together from off-the-shelf model kits.
Project Blue Book
Project Blue Book was one of a series of systematic studies of unidentified flying objects conducted by the United States Air Force. Started in 1952, it was the second revival of such a study...
, the show was created by Dragnet veteran Jack Webb
Jack Webb
John Randolph "Jack" Webb , also known by the pseudonym John Randolph, was an American actor, television producer, director and screenwriter, who is most famous for his role as Sergeant Joe Friday in the radio and television series Dragnet...
, who pored through Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
files looking for episode ideas. This was the final show produced by Webb's Mark VII Limited
Mark VII Limited
Mark VII Limited was the production company of actor, producer, and director Jack Webb, and was active from 1951 to 1982. Many of its series were produced in association with Universal Television; most of them aired on the NBC television network in the U.S....
, but in the case of this show it was produced in association with Worldvision Enterprises (now CBS Television Distribution
CBS Television Distribution
CBS Television Distribution is a global television distribution company, formed from the merger of CBS Corporation's two domestic television distribution arms CBS Paramount Domestic Television and King World Productions, including its home entertainment arm CBS Home Entertainment...
).
The show featured two U.S. Air Force investigators charged with investigating UFO sightings. The first season starred William Jordan
William Jordan (actor)
William Jordan is an American television and film actor. He played Major Jake Gatlin in the television series Project UFO.-Personal life:Jordan was born in the state of Indiana...
(as "Maj. Jake Gatlin") and Caskey Swaim (as "Staff Sgt. Harry Fitz"). Jordan was a rather nondescript leading man, while Swain (who had never had any significant acting experience before landing the role) added diversity as a Southerner with a pronounced accent. In season two, Jordan was replaced by Edward Winter (as "Capt. Ben Ryan"). Aldine King ("Libby") was another regular. Dr. Joyce Brothers
Joyce Brothers
Joyce Brothers is an American psychologist, television personality and advice columnist, publishing a daily syndicated newspaper column since 1960.-Personal life:...
appeared in two episodes.
In the pilot episode, Gatlin informed the newly-assigned Fitz that, since it is impossible to prove a negative, their job was to prove that each UFO sighting was real, by researching and disproving possible alternate explanations. Gatlin also told Fitz that he himself had once seen "something I can't explain" while flying as an Air Force pilot, which led to his interest in Blue Book.
In retrospect, Project UFO anticipated many of the themes of the X-Files, though of course without that show's romantic subtext or anti-government (or for that matter, anti-alien) paranoia. As with Blue Book, many of the UFO sightings on Project UFO turned out to have conventional explanations. Some, however, were left unexplained, and suggestive of alien contact. By the second season, the investigators had themselves experienced a UFO sighting.
In an odd reversal of the Scooby-Doo
Scooby-Doo
Scooby-Doo is an American media franchise based around several animated television series and related works produced from 1969 to the present day. The original series, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, was created for Hanna-Barbera Productions by writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears in 1969...
dynamic, the series eventually settled into a pattern in which the investigators would spend most of the hour uncovering some conventional explanation for a UFO sighting, only for the last five minutes to reveal that UFOs (or some similarly unexplained phenomena) were involved after all.
Opening credits
The opening montage showed flying saucer diagrams and schematics, while a minor-key version of "Ezekiel Saw the WheelEzekiel Saw the Wheel
Ezekiel Saw the Wheel is a famous folk song, covered by such artists as Woody Guthrie, Paul Robeson, John Lee Hooker, the Dixie Hummingbirds, the Tillers, the Fisk Jubilee Singers, and Gold City...
" played. A voice-over (narrated by Webb) then spoke:
- "Ezekiel saw the wheel. This [UFO diagrams] is the wheel he said he sawMerkabahMerkabah is the throne-chariot of God, the four-wheeled vehicle driven by four "chayot" , each of which has four wings and the four faces of a man, lion, ox, and eagle...
. These are Unidentified Flying Objects that people say they are seeing now. Are they proof that we are being visited by civilizations from other stars? Or just what are they? What you are about to see is part of (a) 20-year search."
Notable was the extensive use of miniatures for the UFOs by Brick Price Movie Miniatures (now Wonderworks), usually cobbled together from off-the-shelf model kits.