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Anton Phillips on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row

Space:1999‘s Dr Bob Mathias, actor Anton Phillips, is a guest on today’s edition of BBC Radio 4’s culture and arts magazine show Front Row.

75 years since The Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury Docks from Jamaica on 22nd June 1948, Front Row marks the artistic and cultural contribution of a generation of people from the Caribbean, now characterised as the Windrush Generation, who arrived then, soon before or in the years following.

Presenter (and Space:1999 fan) Samira Ahmed talks with the Jamaican-born actor and director Anton Phillips about his career, including starring in Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s cult classic and directing James Baldwin’s The Amen Corner in a landmark production on the London stage. The eagle-eared will also hear Alibe Parsons (Communications Officer Alibe in Year Two) in a clip from The Amen Corner.

Click here to hear the programme or search on the BBC Sounds app (the programme may not be available if you’re outside the UK).

RIP Ray Austin (1932-2023)

Ray Austin – stuntman, actor, director, producer, screenwriter and novelist – died on 17th May.

Ray worked on many cult British TV series, including The Avengers, Department S, The New AvengersThe Professionals, Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased), Return Of The Saint and The Saint.

To Fanderson members he will probably be best known for directing the Space:1999 episodes All That GlistersAlpha Child, Collision Course, End Of Eternity, The ExilesMissing Link, Mission Of The Darians, Ring Around The Moon, and The Troubled Spirit.

You can read more about Ray’s amazing career on his website, and we’ll have an obituary for him in FAB Express 104, due this summer.

Personalised Moonbase Alpha helmets!

Hot on the heels of their replica Moonbase Alpha helmet collection, specialist collectible manufacturer Sixteen 12 is making it possible to own your personalised helmet!

The helmets will be complete with display stand and Space:1999 metallic base logo, and have a recommended retail price of £299.99 + shipping.

Sixteen 12 need a minimum order of 100 units to make the project viable. If you’re interested (under no obligation) simply e-mail your name, and the name you would like on your helmet to steve@sixteen12.com by 7th April.

35% off Network Blu-ray Discs

Network are offering 35% off a selection of their high definition titles on Blu-ray Disc in their latest HD35 promotion.

The selection includes loads of classic British TV and film, and for Anderson fans the titles of most interest are likely to be Fireball XL5 A Day In The Life Of A Space General (colourised), Joe 90, UFOUltimate Space:1999Terrahawks, and New Captain Scarlet,

The promotion ends at 16:00 on Tuesday 18th April, so go shopping now by clicking this link to see all titles in Network’s HD35 promotion.

UPDATED: Limited stock… back in stock!

Fanderson is surprised, but delighted, to report that limited stock of some of our most requested titles will be available again very soon.

Our triple-CD Space:1999 Year One soundtrack and Century 21 mini album sets 1, 2 and 3 will all be available soon once again via our Shop. The stock was found during the relocation of Fanderson Sales a few weeks ago, and preparation for our advent calendar. Some had been inadvertently packed into boxes with other titles, whilst other boxes had been incorrectly labelled.

Once Christmas preparations are out of the way (including our fantastic advent calendar), we need to carefully check and count what we’ve got for stock control purposes, but we hope to have them available again in time for a happy new year!

One or two other items are already available once again – just click on the Low Stock Remaining category when you go to the Shop.

Keep an eye on the website for further news, and save those Christmas pennies!


 

UK: Catherine Schell as star guest at London Film Fair

Space:1999 co-star Catherine Schell has been announced as the star guest at the London Film Fair on 18th June 2023.

Established in 1973, the London Film Fair enables fans to meet the stars of their favourite classic cinema and cult television programmes. You’ll have the chance to get an autograph and have your photo taken with the guests. The London Film Fair will appeal to avid film buffs, collectors, archivists researchers and students making it a must attend event. The conventions also brings dealers from all over the UK, Europe, US, Canada, Australia and South America that specializes in vintage and modern film memorabilia. Items cover the history of cinema from the silents to the present day blockbusters.

With stalls selling stills, vintage posters, modern posters, programmes, magazines, books, DVDs, soundtracks, lobby cards, toys, autographs, videos, postcards, actors and directors signings, it’s a must for anyone with an interest in cinema and cult television!

The London Film Fair will be held on 18th June 2023 at The Royal National Hotel, 38-51 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0DG. Click here for details, including other guests.


 

UK: Anderson series now available free on ITV X

Many of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s classic productions are now available, free of charge, on ITV’s new streaming service ITV X. Anderson programmes owned by ITV are usually free of commercials on the platform.

All episodes are available of Supercar, Thunderbirds (including the crowdsourced ‘anniversary episodes’, Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons, The Secret Service, UFO, The ProtectorsSpace:1999, Terrahawks and New Captain Scarlet.

For some reason, only selected episodes are available of Stingray and Joe 90, whilst Fireball XL5 isn’t there at all! Curiously, only selected episodes of ITV’s own 2015 reboot Thunderbirds Are Go are available.

ITV X is free to view, with most of the above content available ad-free too. There’s a free seven-day trial of the subscription Premium service (normally £5.99 a month) which offers even more content, all ad-free, with access to additional content over on BritBox.


 

The Anderson Collection – action figures from Big Chief Studios

Big Chief Studios have announced their first range of retro collector action figures, enabling fans to create their own miniature adventures.

Designed with collectors in mind, each 3.75 inch figure in The Anderson Collection sports five points of jointed articulation, authentic character likenesses and detailed costumes. Priced at a pocket-friendly £14.99 each, the figures are made for fans to build a collection, and with a far simpler product specification manufacturing lead times are drastically improved from their previous studio scale puppet replicas.

Collection 1 is due in December and includes Troy Tempest, Scott Tracy, Captain Scarlet, Joe McClaine, Ed Straker and John Koenig. Collection 2 will follow in 2023 and is due to include Lt George “Phones” Sheridan, Virgil Tracy, John Tracy, Captain Black, Lt Green and Alan Carter.

Mission Of The Darians watchalong

Next Saturday, 24th September, Fanderson members are encouraged to join an online ‘watchalong’ of Space:1999 Mission of The Darians with episode director Ray Austin and actor Prentis Hancock.

Watchalongs are like the episode commentaries on DVDs, but live. Fanderson’s first watchalong was Space:1999 The Last Sunset with actor Zienia Merton, at the Stand By For Action convention on Sunday 19th May 2002.

You can register to be part of the watchalong by emailing livesinthepictures@gmail.com