Zienia Merton has died

Posted on 18th September 2018 by 1266 Nick Williams

The Club is deeply saddened to hear of the death of Zienia Merton. Beloved for her role as for Senior Data Analyst Sandra Benes in both series of Space:1999, she was a great supporter of Fanderson over the years, while her humour and warmth made her a firm favourite with fans at conventions. This is reflected in her appearance in A Message from Moonbase Alpha, a 7-minute film recorded for the Breakaway convention, held in Los Angeles 1999 to mark the year the Moon left orbit in the series.

Zienia made her TV acting debut in the early ’60s and after Space:1999 went on to appear in series as diverse as Hammer House of Horror, Lovejoy, Casualty and – more recently – The Sarah Jane Adventures.

An obituary will appear in FAB 91.

She will be dearly missed.

Martin Landau has died

Posted on 17th July 2017 by 1266 Nick Williams

We are saddened to hear of the death of Martin Landau at the age of 89.

Martin died suddenly on Saturday in Los Angeles of “unexpected complications” following a hospital visit. His death was announced by his publicist Dick Guttman, saying: “We are overcome with sadness.”

Perhaps most famous for his role as Rollin Hand, magician, actor and master of disguise in Mission:Impossible, he will always be remembered by Anderson fans for playing the much-loved Moonbase Commander Koenig in Space: 1999.

Win a copy of Ennio Morricone’s Space:1999 soundtrack!

Posted on 13th October 2016 by 1266 Nick Williams

Daniele Winkler and Claudio Fuiano

Fanderson is offering a copy of the Italian Space:1999 soundtrack CD to one lucky club member, courtesy of Claudio Fuiano & Daniel Winkler, the guys behind the mastering of the CD (pictured above). To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is answer these three easy questions (hint: all of the answers are in FAB 84) :

1) Who provided the vocals for Ennio Morricone’s end credit theme to Spazio:1999?
2) Which company produced a six-piece Supercar tableware set in the 1960s?
3) Which Fanderson member received a letter from Lady Penelope in 1965?

Email your answers to fabmail@fanderson.org.uk, quoting your fanderson membership number or full name. The closing date is 1st November.

Good luck!

Read more about the release

Replacement Space:1999 Year 2 CD booklets on the way

Posted on 26th July 2016 by 1266 Nick Williams

Members who were among the first to receive our Space:1999 Year Two CD will soon be receiving a replacement booklet in the post, direct from our manufacturers.

Although we’ve received nothing but compliments on the soundtrack album, the paper quality in the original booklets was not up to our usual specification so they’ve been replaced in all new stock, with replacement booklets now mailed to members who bought CDs before we got the corrected stock.

There’s no change to the content or design of the booklets, so feel free to keep the original booklet for regular ‘thumbing’ whilst keeping your new booklet pristine!

Yet to order your copy? You can buy yours online today from Fanderson Sales

IMPORTANT: FANDERSON SALES ITEMS ARE AVAILABLE TO FANDERSON MEMBERS ONLY.

Ennio Morricone’s Space:1999 score to be released

Posted on 22nd July 2016 by 1266 Nick Williams

Penta Music has announced that it will be releasing a Space:1999 soundtrack CD – scored by Ennio Morricone!

Penta has confirmed that the CD will be released on the truly fitting date of 13th September.*

The CD features the music created for the Italian theatrical release that premiered on 14th January 1975, and consists of three episodes edited together into a feature length format: Breakaway, Ring Around The Moon, and Another Time, Another Place.

The theatrical release of Space:1999 (or Spazio 1999) pre-dated the series’s debut on Italian television by a year, with the first six episodes being broadcast from 31st January 1976. A further six episodes followed in July 1976, and the remaining twelve episodes during the autumn of the same year.

The series’s original iconic score was removed from the Italian theatrical version and replaced with a fascinating score by Morricone, who composed original material featuring frantic jazz themes and futuristic electronic sequences, reminiscent of Barry Gray’s work on UFO.

The release also includes avant-garde library material by Morricone selected from the RCA promotional series of vinyl LPs, Dimensioni Sonore, performed by symphonic orchestra, all in full stereo. Also included is the final large orchestral theme heard over the end credits, featuring vocals from Edda Dell’Orso and I Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni. This was re-used for the 1979 mini-series Orient Express, again scored by Ennio Morricone.

The 70-minute CD comes with a full-colour 20-page booklet containing:

archive stills
a foreword from Fanderson chairman Nick Williams
plot information and credits for the three episodes.

This will be the perfect companion to Fanderson’s own Space:1999 CDs, and explores another side of this hugely popular Anderson series.

Order your copy from www.beatrecords.it today

* The date on which Moonbase Alpha is blasted out of Earth’s orbit in the series.

Fanderson releases Space:1999 Year Two Soundtrack

Posted on 1st May 2016 by 1266 Nick Williams

Space: 1999 Year 2 soundtrack CD

Space:1999 fans rejoice!

Fanderson has confirmed the release date of its Space:1999 40th Anniversary Year Two Soundtrack CD. This lavish product will be available from 1st June 2016.

However, Fanderson members can pre-order their copy right now.

Fully updated and remastered from Fanderson’s double-CD release in 2000, this 4-CD album runs for approximately four and a half hours and contains music from Space:1999 Year Two episodes, as well as the compilation films Destination Moonbase Alpha and Cosmic Princess.

The release features new library tracks and archive material courtesy of composer Derek Wadsworth. The set is complemented by a sumptuous full-colour 40-page booklet and a special 40th Anniversary slipcase.

Not a member of Fanderson?

Our sales items are available exclusively to Fanderson members.

If you want to get your hands on this and other exclusive releases such as our Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet sountrack CDs, you can join the club online.

Join Fanderson

Space:1999’s Roy Scammell to attend The Future is Fantastic!

Posted on 6th September 2015 by 1266 Nick Williams

Space:1999 fans will be pleased to know that actor and stunt artist Roy Scammell will be attending The Future is Fantastic on Saturday 3rd October.

Roy appeared as Jim Nordstrom in Space:1999’s opening episode, Breakaway, and went on to play monsters in the two Year Two episodes, The Bringers of Wonder Part 1 and The Dorcons.

There’s still time for you to register your tickets for the convention – Fanderson’s first full-weekend event in five years…. Will you be there?

Ticket Prices

Tickets to The Future Is Fantastic! are just £65 per person for one day, or £110 for the whole weekend. We’ve managed to keep the ticket price the same as our TV21 convention in 2010 because we’re a fan club and no-one is taking a salary from it. Note that Saturday or Sunday-only tickets do not include any refreshments that are included in the weekend ticket.

Trial Memberships

If you’re not already a Fanderson member you must apply for a trial membership with your ticket to The Future Is Fantastic! at a special trial price of just £10. The trial membership will start when you arrive at the convention and run until 31st December 2015. This will get you the latest issue of the club’s FAB magazine, membership badge, enable you to buy our merchandise at the convention at special prices, access to our full range of merchandise online, access to the members’ area of the Fanderson Forum.

Members

£110 full weekend Member includes some refreshments click here
£65 Saturday only Member click here
£65 Sunday only Member click here

…and if you have already paid a deposit:
£60 as final payment of £90 – full weekend Member click here *
£25 as final payment of £55 – Saturday only Member click here *
£25 as final payment of £55 – Sunday only Member click here *

Trial Members

£120 full weekend Trial Member includes some refreshments click here
£75 Saturday only Trial Member click here
£75 Sunday only Trial Member click here

…and if you have already paid a deposit:
£70 as final payment of £100 – full weekend Trial Member click here *
£35 as final payment of £65 – Saturday only Trial Member click here *
£35 as final payment of £65 – Sunday only Trial Member click here *

* Final payments for fans who have already paid a deposit for the early bird prices. Early bird prices have now closed. If you have yet to purchase your ticket or to pay a deposit, you must pay the full price.

You can find out more about what to expect at The Future is Fantastic! here.

Space:1999 CD wins award for Best Archival Release for 2014

Posted on 4th February 2015 by 1266 Nick Williams

Space1999 Sountrack CD Pack Shot

Fanderson’s 40th anniversary Space:1999 soundtrack CD has won an award for best Archival Release for 2014.

Reel Music announced that the triple-CD set had beaten these other great titles to first place:

Crash (1996) (Howard Shore) (Howe Records)
Dragon (2013) (Tim Phillips) (Eyeball Music)
The Pioneers of Movie Music: Sounds of the American Silent Cinema (1912-1928) (Various composers) (New World Records)
Predator 2 (1990) (Alan Silvestri) (Varese Sarabande CD Club)

Reel Music’s Alan Rogers called the Space:1999 release a ‘lovingly presented set’ and that ‘Barry Gray’s iconic scores have never sounded so good.’

Club members clearly agree, as the CDs have been flying off the shelves at Fanderson Towers since the set was released back in August last year.

The only down note for Alan was that ‘unfortunately, this release is limited to Fanderson club members.’

Well, with the club’s eagerly-awaited 50th anniversary Thunderbirds soundrack CD just around the corner, there’s certainly never been a better time to join Fanderson!

Check out our other soundtrack CDs

UFO and Space:1999 actors at Autographica 2014

Posted on 11th September 2014 by 1266 Nick Williams

Autographica logo Autographica 2014 is shaping up to be an absolute must for Gerry Anderson fans, featuring no less than three guests from different Anderson shows!

Taking place on the 19th – 21st September 2014 at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole, NEC, the guest list is headed by Ayshea Brough who played a SHADO Operative in 19 episodes of UFO. The next big name is Georgina Moon who appeared in 8 episodes of the series as Skydiver Operative Lt. Sylvia Howell.

To complement these actresses from UFO, Autographica has also been able to attract Tony Osoba from Space:1999, who played the 1st Security Guard in the episode Space Warp, and Del Henney, who was a detective in the episode of The Protectors, Triple Cross.

The show’s packed guest list also contains a range of James Bond girls and Doctor Who stars. There’s even the chance to meet a real-life astronaut!

To book your tickets go to www.autographica.co.uk or phone the ticket line on 01959 573792, open 9.00am to 5.00 pm Monday to Friday

Space:1999 40th anniversary CD available to pre-order now!

Posted on 31st August 2014 by 1266 Nick Williams

Fanderson’s eagerly awaited Space:1999 40th anniversary Year One soundtrack CD is now available for club members to pre-order online. The CD will be launched on September 20th, and is a full update of the club’s 1998 double-CD release.

Back in March, Fanderson caused a surge of excitement among fans when we announced we would be releasing the most comprehensive soundtrack CDs ever of Thunderbirds and Space:1999 Year 1.

The new triple Space:1999 album runs for over three and a half hours and, across its 80 tracks, contains music from every Year One episode as well as the compilation films Alien Attack and Journey Through The Black Sun.

Additional remastering has been undertaken to further improve the quality of the recording, new library tracks and Barry Gray archive material has been identified and are included in this new edition. The whole package is completed with a full-colour booklet that is almost double the page count of that in the 1998 edition and a special 40th Anniversary slipcase.

The Space:1999 40th anniversary CD is limited to just 1,000 copies, and is available exclusively for Fanderson members.

Due to expected very high demand for this product, we will initially restrict orders to 2 copies per member (we’ll be checking!).

Approximate running time: 212 minutes

Pre-order your copy NOW!