New range of Anderson Collectibles in the works, Space:1999 posters announced

By John Freeman on September 10, 2014

Anderson Entertainment, the company founded by Gerry Anderson, creator of TV hits including Thunderbirds and which now has a number of new projects in the works based on his ideas, including the Gemini Force One novels, has signed a licensing agreement with ITV to produce a range of limited edition collectibles over the next three years.

“With its extensive archives and connections to cast and crew of classic Gerry Anderson’s productions, Anderson Entertainment is in a unique position to bring a collection of products to the table to give these timeless shows a new lease of life,” says Peter Greenwood, worldwide licensing manager, Anderson Entertainment.

“We plan to give our fans and their families an invitation to come back and enjoy this vast creative output once more, and thanks to this new licensing agreement with ITV Studios we can do just that.”

The first releases will include a limited edition 50th anniversary Stingray lapel badge and a pair of digitally painted Space: 1999 posters by Eric Chiu (the concept artist on the Battlestar Galactica revamp) featuring the full main cast of Seasons One and Two of the iconic 1970s science fiction series.

Space 1999 Season One Poster. Image courtesy Anderson Entertainment

Space 1999 Season Two Poster. Image courtesy Anderson Entertainment

The two posters fit together as a panorama, and are each limited to just 1999 units worldwide. They will be revealed and go on sale on ‘Breakaway Day (13th September), the day the Moon was blasted out of orbit in the SF show, at the Alpha 2014 Space: 1999 convention in Peterborough.

Convention goers will also be able to pick up a limited edition Space:1999 postcard (below) at the event produced by model kit company MPC, who released a Space:1999 Eagle Transporter and “Alien” moon buggy kits last year and a model of Moonbase Alpha back in March.

Future items licensed from ITV will include a range of limited edition Thunderbirds collectibles that will be released for the show’s 50th anniversary next year.

“This licensing deal with ITV further cements the lifelong partnership Anderson Entertainment has always enjoyed with Britain’s leading independent television producer, and will allow us to add to the celebrations planned with them for next year’s 50th anniversary of the iconic, world-famous science fiction TV series Thunderbirds, added Jamie Anderson, Gerry Anderson’s son and managing director, Anderson Entertainment.

Anderson Entertainment has been busy developing many Gerry Anderson-related projects in recent years, with these merchandise offerings – all detailed on the official Gerry Anderson web site – just part of a wider push to both develop many of Gerry’s ideas, including Gemini Force One, and archive his work in books such as Gerry Anderson: A Life in Pictures.

While many of Gerry Anderson’s creations, some created with Sylvia Anderson, are owned by ITV, the company is actively licensing series such as Dick Spanner, the Starcruiser comic strip that featured in Look-In and other projects. They reacquired certain rights in Terrahawks some time back, which meant they could license a new eight-episode audio series, which launches from acclaimed auduo drama company Big Finish, in April 2015.

The original Terrahawks cast is on board for the project, with Jeremy Hitchen (Ninestein, Hiro, It-Star), Robbie Stevens (101, Hawkeye, Yung-Star) and Denise Bryer (Zelda and Mary Falconer) all joining the new audio series 30 years after production ended on the original TV show.

Despite Terrahawks being a very successful series in the 1980s sadly, the archival state of the series is poor. At the present time negatives for the series are missing and until recently certain episodes were believed to survive only on 1 inch tape format (which would prevent any serious restoration). Anderson Entertainment have been involved in a worldwide search for film elements.

<br /> • Official Gerry Anderson web site

• Alpha 2014 Space: 1999 convention site

• Terrahawks audio series information on the Big Finish web site

• More MPC Models Information on this US site: http://round2models.com/models/mpc

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.