The Society of the Rusting TARDIS

The Society of the Rusting TARDIS (SotRT) is an informal gathering of people who enjoy British television. It started in 1985 as a "Dr. Who" video group (hence the name), but the lack of new Dr. Who programmes gradually shifted the focus to include all British television. There are also socials, where, without the distraction of videos, people can actually converse.

Meetings

Where: Round Table Pizza 5111 25th Ave. NE Seattle, WA (map)+ Roving socials elsewhere

When: Video meetings are on the 2nd, 4th and 5th Wednesdays of each month (except the 4th Wednesday in December). Socials are on alternate weeks (exception: 5th Tuesday the week of a 5th Wednesday). Roving Socials are in between the 2nd and 4th Wednesday video meetings.

FAQ Newsletters Miscellaneous Links What's New

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

by Jeff Stout (onan@eskimo.com).

Q: What is the purpose of the Society of the Rusting TARDIS?

A: The Society of the Rusting TARDIS (SotRT) is an informal gathering of people who enjoy British television. It started in 1985 as a "Dr. Who" video group (hence the name), but the lack of new Dr. Who programmes gradually shifted the focus to include all British television. There are also socials, where, without the distraction of videos, people can actually converse.

Q: What kind of programmes are shown?

A: Science fiction, comedy, mystery, drama, and even the occasional documentary. We show many things that are eventually shown on BBC America, PBS, or A&E (we showed "Red Dwarf" long before the PBS stations did, and "So Graham Norton before BBC America existed), and in some cases episodes that were never broadcast in the US (e.g. several episodes of "Jeeves & Wooster").

Q: When are the meetings?

A: Video meetings are held on the 2nd, 4th and 5th Wednesdays of each month at the Round Table Pizza just northwest of University Village (5111 25th Ave. NE) in Seattle. The sole exception is that the second video meeting in December is usually cancelled due to the holidays. People start showing up around 6:00 pm, videos start at 6:30pm, and they run until ~9:30pm.

Socials are held on all other weeks, on Tuesdays, at the same Round Table Pizza at 7:00, EXCEPT the social that falls between the 2nd and 4th Wednesday*. That is the "roaming" social, and it is held at a different bar/restaurant/pub each time (because some people actually think there is such a thing as too much pizza).

(*This could be the second or third Tuesday, depending on whether the month starts on Wednesday or not.)

Q: What is expected of me at meetings?

Not much. You can eat, read, knit, write letters, or sleep. However, if you want to talk during the videos, please go out into the main restaurant.

Q: Who is that moron who runs the meetings?

That would be Jeff Stout. If for some reason he looks familiar, it's because he's on those oatmeal boxes. Oh yeah, and he begs for money at KBTC. (If you have nothing better to do, visit the "From the Brain of Jeff" Web page.

Q: What is the SotRT mailing list?

A: It is an electronic mailing list that summarizes news and gossip from the net, lists upcoming events of interest in Seattle, describes what videos will be shown at the next meeting, and whatever else I feel like putting in it. To be added to the mailing list, send email to onan@eskimo.com.

Q: What other activities does the group engage in?

A: The SotRT has been known to have the occasional picnic and party, and provides volunteers to answer phones during Dr. Who (and other British- related) pledge drives at KBTC (the Tacoma PBS station).

Q: What are the dues?

A: There are no dues. The meetings are open to anyone who exhibits reasonable social courtesy. If that money is burning a hole in your pocket, consider giving it to KBTC.

Q: How did the Society of the Rusting TARDIS get started?

A: ORIGINS OF THE SOCIETY OF THE RUSTING TARDIS

[By Ryan K. Johnson, Dictator-For-Life (rkj@eskimo.com)]

The first organized (as far as I know) meeting of "Doctor Who" fans in Seattle took place on June 22, 1985 in the basement of a building on Westlake to watch camera copies of the 22nd season. Nancy Hewes baked a cake in the shape of a Dalek and told me if I didn't start a club soon, she would. A few months later, Ron Katz came through Bellingham with one of his "Doctor Who Fan Club of America" events and I put up posters announcing a new club forming on August 28, 1985 at the downtown Seattle public library. Over 60 people turned out as a result, and we named the club and I was chosen President. The following month we showed our first video: a camera copy of "An Unearthly Child." In November the club helped me make my second "Doctor Who" video, "Visions of Utomu."

Meetings were soon moved to the Rendezvous Restaurant in Bell Town for nearly a year, and quickly expanded to twice a month on the second and fourth Wednesdays. After a brief move to Andy's Diner in 1986, we moved to the Shakey's Pizza at Pier 70, to the Shakey's Pizza on Aurora Avenue for several years, then Round Table Pizza in Mountlake Terrace, and finally to the Round Table in the U District. Socials were introduced on alternate Tuesdays in April 1991.

Q: Where do the videos come from?

I get them from a variety of sources, but mostly from people who trade tapes with people in the UK.

Q: How can I get copies of some of this stuff?

To maintain my sanity (and to be fair), I do not make copies of my tapes or loan them out. I am, however, open to trading if you've got something I need. Or you could invest in a multi-standard VCR and find a trading partner in the UK....

Q: What other groups are there in the area that I might be interested in?

Anglicon is an annual British media convention held in Seattle in May. There are guests such as Craig Charles ("Red Dwarf"), Colin Baker ("Dr. Who"), and Paul Darrow ("Blake's 7"), panels, videos, an art show, dealer's room, etc.

The Emerald City Androgums are a Seattle-based Dr. Who appreciation group. For information, contact Eric or Laura Gjovaag at tiktok@eskimo.com and tegan@eskimo.com, respectively).

Society of the Rusting TARDIS Newsletters

To be added to the mailing list, send email to onan@eskimo.com.

Links

Every website has to have a section full of links - it's the law...

Anglicon The Pacific Northwest's annual British media convention.
British TV Show Reviews from Ryan K. Johnson, founder and self-proclaimed Dictator For Life of the SotRT.

British Media (warning - not updated in several years)

Absolutely Fabulous
- Tardis TV Archive
- Newsgroup: alt.tv.ab-fab.
BBC
- BBC Television Schedule
Dr. Who
- Dr. Siobahn Morgan's Dr. Who homepage The best Dr. Who page, with tons of other Dr. Who links.
- The Emerald City Androgums (a Seattle Dr. Who club)
- Newsgroup: rec.arts.drwho
Lovejoy episode guide, biographies, articles about the show, pictures, FAQ, and more.
The Prisoner
Private Eye. For those who don't already know, "Private Eye" is a British magazine featuring a mix of jokes, cartoons, gossip and (fierce) investigative journalism. The latter two have resulted in frequent lawsuits and large awards against them which are normally met by appeals to readers for donations. Currently the editor is Ian Hislop (of "Have I Got News For You" fame).
Red Dwarf
- Robert "Kryten" Llewellyn's Home Page
- FTP Site
- Newsgroup: alt.tv.red-dwarf
Rumpole A series of books by John Mortimer made into a British TV series and later shown in the U.S. in the PBS series, "Mystery."

Other Media (also a fairly old list)

Conventions Northwest Info and links for cons.
The Ultimate TV List
Hype Media, Arts, Entertainment, Pop Culture and Useful Information
Sci-Fi channel (The Dominion)
Tardis TV Archive Episode guides and miscellaneous files related to television programmes of all kinds.
Worf's Star Trek page Lots of great links to other Star Trek pages.

What's New

3-Sept-98: Site moved to Jeff Stout's account and updated...finally!; Updated Links; Newsletters up to the present
12-Dec-96: Finally revived the page after the stupid gits at Northwest Nexus deleted the directories!; Newsletters: #23 (back from limbo), #42 to #52.; Links: Ryan's British TV Reviews.
15-Jul-96: Newsletters: #24 to #26, #37 to #41.; FAQ: Link to "From the Brain of Jeff" Web page.
5-May-96: Newsletters: #27 to #36.; Links: Link to list of Dr. Who fan clubs, Monty Python site.
20-Sep-95: Newsletters: #22 (11-Sep-95).; Links: British Sci Fi Magazine, new and updated BBC links.
1-Sep-95: Links: Anglicon, Best of British Web Sites (new location).
24-Aug-95: Newsletters: #21 (22-Aug-95).; Links: Lovejoy.
8-Aug-95: Newsletters: #19-A (25-Jul-95), #20 (7-Aug-95).; Links: The British Actors' Register.; Mailing Lists: This section is new.
27-Jun-95: FAQ: Link to Emerald City Androgums homepage.; Newsletters: #17 (22-May-95), #18 (13-Jun-95), #19 (26-Jun-95).; Links: Chef!, Stephen Fry.
10-May-95: FAQ: Link to Emerald City Androgums homepage.; Newsletters: Newsletter #16 (10-May-95).; Links: Dr. Who. DreamWatch Online.
1-May-95: FAQ: Corrected Eric's address.
24-Apr-95: FAQ: Link to Ryan K. Johnson's homepage.; Newsletters: This whole section is new!; Links: more AbFab, British Comedy Pages, more EastEnders, Prisoner, Tardis TV Archive.
21-Apr-95: Links: GoTA, Conventions Northwest.

Web page originally written by Jim Taylor
Revised by Ryan K. Johnson (9/3/98)
Redesigned and updated by Jeff Stout and Nancy Weiner (4/2004)