Fanderson

Fanderson is a UK based Official Gerry Anderson Appreciation Society. It is a non-profit organisation, and the only such society worldwide that is endorsed by Anderson Entertainment Ltd., Gerry Anderson Productions plc and ITC Entertainment Group Ltd.

Formation

The club was formed on 20th August 1981 at a meeting convened by ITC at which the various clubs were asked to merge to form a single society to which ITC would give all available assistance (except financial) rather than continuing to assist the variety of clubs and societies that followed the works of Gerry Anderson

As ownership of the ITC part of Anderson's productions has subsequently changed hands, so the club has maintained reciprocal relationships with PolyGram, Carlton, Granada Ventures, and now, ITV. It also maintains relationships with the owners of the non-ITC Anderson productions such as Southern Star (Terrahawks) and Carrington Productions International (Lavender Castle).

The club today

Fanderson is run independently of the programme copyright owners, or Anderson himself, though the club values the relationships it has with the many talented cast and crew members of the Anderson productions, interviewing them for FAB magazine and, on many occasions, inviting them for personal appearances at conventions and events. The sole exception to this is Sylvia Anderson, whom the committee doesn't contact out of respect for the club's Honorary President, Gerry Anderson, with reference to his and Sylvia's acrimonious divorce and Gerry's imposed isolation from his first son.

As a non-profit organisation the club produces a regular magazine 'FAB' for its members, along with exclusive merchandise including books, soundtrack and mini-album CDs, DVDs, badges, stickers and other paraphernalia. The club also arranges conventions at which like-minded fans can meet with the cast and crew of the various Anderson productions, enjoy episodes, buy merchandise and raise money for charity.

To the exasperation of many fans, UK tax law resticts sales of all club products and services to members. On occasion the club has been criticised for the relatively high prices of some of its merchandise, although the quality of same products has never been questioned. This is often due to the club's insistence that copyright owners, musicians, writers and the like always receive their dues, through organisations such as the MCPS or through royalty agreements.

Although the majority of Fanderson members are based in the UK, the membership includes people from European countries such as France, Germany, Italy, from the USA and Canada, and from even further afield in Japan, Australia and New Zealand. As at June 2008 the club has circa 1100 members worldwide.

* [http://www.fanderson.org.uk External link]