Zienia Merton (11 December 1945 – 14 September 2018) was a British actress born in Burma. She was known for playing Sandra Benes in Space: 1999.
Early career Merton was the daughter of Minny and Cecil Burton. Her mother was Burmese, and her father was a half-English, half-French merchant. She was raised in Singapore, Portugal and England. She was educated at first in Portugal, but was later sent to Arts Educational school (today the Tring Park School for the Performing Arts) in Hertfordshire. Her first stage performance was as a dancer (playing a rat) in a Christmas 1957 production of The Nutcracker ballet at the Royal Festival Hall.
Merton's first significant science-fiction credit was as Ping-Cho in the 1964 Doctor Who story Marco Polo, long since lost in its original form. Her other early television appearances included Strange Report (1968), The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970) and Jason King (1971). She was a lead actress as Christina in the 1971 Dennis Potter TV adaptation of Casanova with Frank Finlay, and appeared on The Benny Hill Show in 1972, playing the wife of Hill's Chow Mein character. Her film roles included a brief appearance as an Asian high priestess in the Beatles' film Help! (1965), as Ting Ling in the film The Chairman (1969) with Gregory Peck, and The Adventurers (1970).
Space: 1999 Probably her most notable role is that of Sandra Benes in Space: 1999, the science fiction series produced by Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson between 1973 and 1977, with Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, Barry Morse and Catherine Schell. In 1999, Merton reprised this role in the short film Message from Moonbase Alpha, written by series writer Johnny Byrne. Its debut was at the closing ceremony of the Breakaway 1999 convention in Los Angeles, California, US on 13 September 1999; the date on which the moon is blasted out of Earth orbit in the pilot episode of the original series.
Other performances Following Space: 1999, Merton appeared in many popular television series including Grange Hill, Return of the Saint (1979), Bergerac (1983), Angels (1983), Tenko (1984), Dempsey & Makepeace (1985), Lovejoy (1986), Crime Traveller (1997), Doctors (2001), Dinotopia (2002), Casualty (1986–2002), EastEnders (1998–2003), The Bill (1999–2005), Judge John Deed (2006), Coronation Street (2008) and Wire in the Blood (2008).
In December 2008, Merton filmed a guest role for the eighth episode ("Samaritan") of the ITV drama Law & Order: UK. Although the series premiered on 23 February 2009, some episodes were held over for broadcast as "Series Two". "Samaritan" was first transmitted on ITV1 on 11 January 2010.
In May 2009, Merton returned to the world of Doctor Who, 45 years after her appearance in Marco Polo, to record a special episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures in the two-part episode The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith, broadcast on BBC One on 29 and 30 October 2009. She played the registrar during Sarah Jane's wedding.
In 2018, Merton narrated BBC Audio's release of the novelisation of Marco Polo. This turned out to be her final professional engagement.
Death Merton was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2017, and died 14 September 2018.
Books
Filmography
Film YearTitleRoleNotes1962Masters of VenusMarla1965Catch Us If You CanAllisonUncreditedHelp!High PriestessUncredited1969The ChairmanTing Ling1970The AdventurersDax's SisterUncreditedWhen You're With MePrincess TamaniWest German film1972Henry VIII and His Six WivesAnnette(scenes deleted)1977Kosmetikkrevolusjonen Lucy FernerNorwegian film
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1964Doctor Who: Marco PoloPing-ChoSeason 1: (7 episodes)The Indian Tales of Rudyard KiplingKashmiri girlSeason 1, Episode 7: "Mark of the Beast"1969The TroubleshootersLianeSeason 5, Episode 23: "It's a Very Bad Day for Travelling"Thirty-Minute TheatreRachelSeason 5, Episode 6: "Trespassers"OmnibusNoelSeason 3, Episode 9: "F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Dream Divided"Strange ReportZeba HameedSeason 1, Episode 7: "Report 3424: Epidemic - A Most Curious Crime"The Root of All Evil?MedelineSeason 2, Episode 5:"Floating Man"1970The Six Wives of Henry VIIIAnnetteTV mini-seriesW. Somerset MaughamMalay girlSeason 2, Episode 8: "The Door of Opportunity"ITV PlayhouseLeilaSeason 3, Episode 10: "The High Game"1971CasanovaChristina6 part BBC serial1972The Benny Hill ShowMrs. Chow MeinSeason 3, Episode 4: "Down Memory Lane"Jason KingZeniaSeason 1, Episode 24: "Zenia"Crime of PassionNicole MartineSeason 3, Episode 3: "Modeste"1973MadiganNataliaSeason 1, Episode 4: "The Lisbon Beat"Ego HugoGuernsey MaidTV movieBeryl's LotKaty PapademitropoullosSeason 1, Episode 1: "Getting Up"1975–1977Space: 1999Sandra BenesSeason 1: (24 episodes)Season 2: (11 episodes)1976Journey Through the Black SunSandra BenesTV movieAlien AttackSandra BenesTV movie1978Destination Moonbase-AlphaSandra BenesTV movieWilde AllianceDoloresSeason 1, Episode 7: "Well Enough Alone"Return of the SaintMilaSeason 1, Episode 2: "The Nightmare Man"Thank You, ComradesOlgaTV movie1979The Other SideKieuSeason 1, Episode 5: "Contacts"1980EscapeUnknownSeason 1, Episode 2: "Hijack to Mogadishu"1981The History ManMiss HoTV mini-series1982Cosmic PrincessSandra BenesTV movie1983BergeracCoraSeason 2, Episode 7: "A Miracle Every Week"AngelsSister DavisSeason 9, Episode 251984The BriefMrs. FrancisSeason 1, Episode 8: "Terry"Hammer House of Mystery and SuspenseNurse Lee ParquetSeason 1, Episode 5: "The Late Nancy Irving"TenkoNunSeason 3, Episode 91985Dempsey and MakepeaceLei ShanSeason 1, Episode 7: "Make Peace Not War"Grange HillMrs. WallaceSeason 8, Episode 151986LovejoyMiss TaylorSeason 1, Episode 2: "The Axeman Cometh"1986–2002CasualtyManson / Dr Helen Billington / Dr. Helen Billington / Hotel Receptionist4 episodes1989Capital CityMelinda LauSeason 1, Episode 5: "Pension Fund"1994–2005The BillRegistrar / Dr. Morgan / Magistrate / Surgeon4 episodes1995ChillerMaria MonsantoSeason 1, Episode 1: "Prophecy"1997Crime TravellerReceptionistSeason 1, Episode 7: "The Lottery Experiment"1998Peak PracticeJennifer KempSeason 6, Episode 5: "Another Day of Life"Heaven on EarthBarbara TuckerTV movie1998–2003EastEndersReceptionist / Dr. StokeleySeason 1: (6 episodes)1999The LakesGuest 2Season 2, Episode 92000Family AffairsDoctor MorriseyUnknown2001–2011DoctorsHelen Waterman / Dr. Sarah Reed / Ms. Reed3 episodes2002DinotopiaTeacherTV mini-series2006Judge John DeedDr. Dolores BleachSeason 5, Episode 5: "One Angry Man"2008Coronation StreetDoctorSeason 1: (3 episodes)Wire in the BloodMagistrateSeason 6: (2 episodes)2009Law & Order: UKJudge Katerina RoseSeason 2, Episode 1: "Samaritan"The Sarah Jane AdventuresRegistrarSeason 3: (2 episodes)2013Wizards vs. AliensTseringmaSeason 2: (2 episodes)
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