Zienia Merton facts for kids

Zienia Merton (born December 11, 1945 – died September 14, 2018) was a British actress from Burma. She was famous for her role as Sandra Benes in the science fiction TV show Space: 1999.

Early Acting Career

Zienia Merton's parents were Minny and Cecil Burton. Her mother was Burmese, and her father was half-English and half-French. Zienia grew up in different countries like Singapore, Portugal, and England. She first went to school in Portugal. Later, she attended the Arts Educational School in Hertfordshire, England. This school is now called the Tring Park School for the Performing Arts.

Her very first time performing on stage was in 1957. She was a dancer playing a rat in The Nutcracker ballet. This show took place at the Royal Festival Hall in London.

Zienia's first big science fiction role was in 1964. She played Ping-Cho in the Doctor Who story Marco Polo. This original TV show is now lost. She also appeared in other early TV shows. These included Strange Report (1968) and The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970). In 1971, she was a main actress in Casanova. She also had a small part in the Beatles' movie Help! (1965).

Starring in Space: 1999

Zienia Merton's most well-known role was Sandra Benes in Space: 1999. This was a science fiction TV series. It was made by Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson from 1973 to 1976. She starred alongside actors like Martin Landau and Barbara Bain.

In 1999, Zienia played Sandra Benes again. This was for a short film called Message from Moonbase Alpha. A writer from the original series, Johnny Byrne, wrote it. This short film was a surprise when it first showed in Los Angeles. It premiered on September 13, 1999. This date is important because it's when the Moon is blasted out of Earth's orbit in the show's first episode. Many fans see Message from Moonbase Alpha as the final episode. It gives a good ending to the series. You can find it as a special feature on a DVD called UFO and Space: 1999 Documentaries.

Other TV Shows and Films

After Space: 1999, Zienia Merton appeared in many popular TV shows. These included Grange Hill, Return of the Saint (1979), and Bergerac (1983). She also acted in Tenko (1984) and Lovejoy (1986). Later, she was in Casualty (1986–2002) and EastEnders (1998–2003). She also appeared in The Bill (1999–2005) and Coronation Street (2008).

In 2008, Zienia filmed a guest role for the TV drama Law & Order: UK. This episode was shown in 2010.

In 2009, Zienia returned to the world of Doctor Who. This was 45 years after her first appearance. She recorded a special episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures. It was a two-part story called The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith. It aired on BBC One in October 2009.

In 2018, Zienia Merton narrated an audiobook. It was the novel version of Marco Polo, her first Doctor Who story. This was her last professional job.

Later Life and Passing

Zienia Merton was diagnosed with a serious illness in 2017. She passed away on September 14, 2018.

Books Written

Zienia Merton also wrote a book. It was called Anecdotes & Armadillos. She wrote it with Robert E. Wood. It was published in 2005.