A letter which was included with the UFO-2 proposal booklet was from producer Michael Mundell, who agreed to act as producer for the series. As a rather amazing coincidence, Michael actually appeared in the original UFO series, playing Interceptor pilot Ken Matthews in the episodes IDENTIFIED and COMPUTER AFFAIR -- he was the one who was killed in COMPUTER AFFAIR!Michael's letter below is in the form of a letter from his character in the series to General Straker...
Ken Matthews
Major General Edward Straker
65 Bellevue street
Cammeray
N.S.W 2062
Australia
Tel: 61 2 9954 0936
S.H.A.D.O.
13th June 1996
Dear General,
May I say how delighted I am to find you still in the service and about to receive the acknowledgement that you and S.H.A.D.O. deserve for your work in ensuring humanity's survival into the future.
After my unfortunate encounter with an U.F.O. I was forced to take up another existence. From my present world of Australian film making and current occupation as a producer and director with Film Australia, I commend Bump Map and their writer, Michael Winter, on a superb proposal for bringing your exploits, and those of your gallant men and women, before a new audience.
I know only too well the difficulties you are experiencing with Financial Services and Brigadier General Freeman. As an interceptor pilot, I was constantly made aware of the tensions between accountants and combat experienced personnel such as ourselves. To me the present situation presents many possibilities for conflict and misunderstandings - doubtless good dramatic fodder.
One area which has changed for the better since my time is in the widening of expertise to include personnel from the former communist block and the developing nations - so may interesting people with different approaches and customs.
The increase in responsible roles for females is also to be welcomed. Personally, I have always enjoyed working with the opposite sex and welcome the greater responsibility entrusted to them by today's S.H.A.D.O.. Incidentally, do they still retain the purple wigs and the costumes that were so flattering to the female form?
Technology, of course, is light years away from my day and some of the new designs seem extraordinarily exciting and breathtaking in their concept. I hope all equipment has been thoroughly tested and proved under combat conditions but I am sure you have the best interests of your people always as first consideration.
Beware the fifth columnists, those that seek to infiltrate the organisation or those powerful interests that seek to form alliances for their own advantage with the alien forces. I can see many areas of dramatic conflict here.
We had a lot of fun in my day and I am sure that your people still know how to enjoy themselves. Humour is a vital ingredient of any organisation and I am delighted that there are still opportunities for it to surface amid the drama and tensions of life in the modern S.H.A.D.O..
What a lot seems to be happening in your life. I never realised the extent of your responsibilities and look forward with enormous interest to seeing some of the many exploits of S.H.A.D.O. enacted on the small screen.
The public seems to have an insatiable appetite for fictional accounts of extra-terrestial life forms or weird experiences (see the popularity of a television program such as The X Files) so I am really delighted that your exploits will soon be hitting the television screens and bringing a bit of really exciting story telling to a new audience.
I look forward to it.
Yours sincerely,
Ken Matthews,
S.H.A.D.O. Interceptor Pilot (deceased).
Typed by Michael Mundell, Producer Film Australia, 13/6/96.