Streaming Sci Fi TV: Tracking down sci fi and fantasy shows of interest available on the streaming services.
What Is It?
This 1970 British-produced television series from Gerry Anderson (best known for his Supermarionation shows like Thunderbirds as well as the cult sci fi series Space: 1999) brought us a covert war between a secret organization known as SHADO (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defense Organization) and an alien race from a dying planet. The show focuses on how this conflict impacts the lives of SHADO officers as well as others who become involved.
Aired: 1970-71, Syndicated, 1 Season Totaling 26 Episodes
Starring: Ed Bishop, Michael Billington, Gabrielle Drake, George Sewell
Created By: Gerry and Sylvia Anderson
Why Watch It?
Some may consider it a campy relic of its time because the look and feel of the show has not dated very well. But if you can get past the cheesy (though good for their time) special effects, outlandish costumes, laughable 70’s music, corny dialog, and exceptionally wooden acting, you will find that this show is actually a decent little sci fi sleeper. Instead of following a formulaic alien-encounter-of-the-week format, UFO actually delved into the implications of its interstellar conflict and showed the consequences of the war. It delivered moral quandaries and downbeat endings–not a typical thing for ’70s television–that helped it transcend its visual campiness. Not every episode was a classic, but the show had more than its fair share of good stories over its short run and is definitely worth checking out. (You can read more about UFO at Cult-SciFi.com).
Where Is It Streaming?
This series used to be everywhere on the free streaming services, but then it disappeared early in 2025. It has now shown up again on Pluto TV as one of their On Demand offerings. There are ads during the episodes, and sometimes Pluto can get pretty annoying with those. But this is definitely a good way to sample the series if you have never seen it or if it has been a while since revisiting it. It is also available to purchase VOD from providers like Amazon.com.
Stream or Purchase VOD
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