=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Society of the Rusting TARDIS Newsletter (#17)
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>>> Items of interest to British media fans and Seattle-area residents,
<<<
>>> and whatever else I feel like spewing about. You have been warned.
<<<
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Okay, so I didn't get a newsletter out last week. So whaddya expect for
free,
anyway? :-)
I've (reluctantly) decided to change how the mailing list is organized.
Rather than keep one list for "my" mailings and another for Kris Sabo's,
I'll
be trimming hers down much more and including them with the regular SotRT
mailings. I realize that many of you are already on her list and don't
want
to read (or in some cases pay for) the same stuff twice, so I'll be a bit
more severe in my editing, but then, you can always get her stuff straight
from the horse's mouth. Um, so to speak. (Sorry, Kris :-)
Sound bites:
Starting this week on BBC2: "Look at the State We're In", a series
of
six short satirical films on British laws. The first is called
"The
Organisation", with Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson.
Rumours about who will star in the American "version" of AbFab:
(1) Carrie Fisher and Barbara Carerra, (2) Carrie Fisher and Sandra
Bernhard, (3) Kristy Alley (with Carrie Fisher writing it). And so
on.
CBS/FOX video has announced that they will release "Absolutely
Fabulous" and "Middlemarch" in the U.S. later this year.
Some time ago this newsletter reported that "Spitting Image" had
been
cancelled. Well, it appears that the same people will be doing a
new
series to be called "Rubber News". It appears to be similar to the
old show, but they claim that it will not be "a slave to politics".
Rumour has it that the seventh season of "Red Dwarf" is not in
production because Grant Naylor is/are working on a second season
of
"The 10%ers". But then again, Grant and Naylor have supposedly
broken up.
Even if you're not a "Forever Knight" fan, if you attended Anglicon
8
you'll be glad to hear that the USA Network has acquired the rights
to the series. USA will air a 3rd season of the show, composed of
22
episodes, starting this fall. So Nigel Bennett will have steady
work
for at least another year.
Also of possible interest to Anglicon 8 attendees: "Animaniacs"
will
move from FOX to WBN this fall.
And speaking of pseudo-networks, UPN has cancelled _every_ show on
their schedule, except for "Star Trek: Voyager". The best thing
that
could be said of these shows is they had better ratings than any of
the programmes on the Warner Brothers network.
"Speed Racer" will be coming to the big screen, starring Johnny
Depp.
And if you think that's hard to swallow, Nicholas Cage will be
playing Racer X.
Comic Relief 1995 ("Red Nose Day 5") raised over 10 million pounds
for charities in the UK and Africa. (But '93 was a better
programme,
IMHO.)
Bravo now has a web page: "http://www.uaep.co.uk/bravo.html". They
advertise "complete daily schedules for May and June, background
information about programmes, including an episode-by-episode guide
to Twin Peaks, ITC and Twin Peaks stills, video clips from our
promos, and more.
Anyone remember "Flying Blind"? Tea Leoni will be starring in "The
Naked Truth" this fall on ABC (Wednesdays at 9:30pm). She plays a
tabloid photographer.
Local news:
The Seattle International Film Festival is underway. I'll have
copies of the schedule at the next video meeting, but you can pick
one up in the Broadway Market (where the tickets are on sale).
I've
gone to six films so far, so that leaves ~37 to go. (There are
well
over 100 films to choose from. So go choose some.) You can also
get info via the web: "http://www.film.com".
For some reason they're not advertising it by name. What am I
talking about? Patrick Stewart's new film, "Jeffrey". It's the
"Special Sneak Preview" at the Seattle International Film Festival
(June 2nd, 9:30pm at the Egyptian). They mention that it also star
s
Steven Weber and Sigourney Weaver, and that it is a "gay romantic
comedy". Some secret - I knew what it was instantly and I've been
living in a cave for the last couple of months. For info call
325-6828. To order tickets, call 325-6150.
"Pulp Fiction" (the Japanese release) is available for rent at
Scarecrow Video. It _is_ subtitled, but it's also letterboxed, and
the subtitling is below the picture.
"Pledge" returns to KBTC for the first two weeks of June.
Highlights
include a repeat of "Tales of the City" during the first week, and
an
"EastEnders"/"Doctor Who" marathon on Saturday, June 10th. (I'll
be
down there that night, so don't make my sacrifice meaningless by
not
pledging, okay? :-)
I picked up a flier advertising something called "The Seattle Area
Official X-Files Convention" on June 24th. Unfortunately, it
appears to be a "Creation Con". They promise "special guests".
Call 818-409-0960 for details.
Miscellany:
If you're planning on being in London on June 5th, you might want
to
stop by HMV, where Craig Charles will be doing a signing to promote
the release of "Red Dwarf" season six on video. (The first half
was
actually released on May 1st.)
There will be a Robin of Sherwood convention in Novi, Michigan,
July 5-7, 1996. Invited guests are Mark (Nasir) Ryan, Ray (Will
Scarlet) Winstone and Richard Carpenter, creator of the series. No
memberships will be sold at the door - preregistration only. For
more info, contact chrisrhood@aol.com or "Spirit of Sherwood" (the
official RoS club), 1276 W. Marshall, Ferndale, MI 48220.
Jeff's comic pick of the month: "Lisa Comics" (issue #1). Lisa
Simpson gets her own comic book, and get this - according to Matt
Groening, it's actually aimed at young girls. When is the last
time
_that_ happened? (Actually, it was probably DC's "Angel Love",
nearly
ten years ago.) This is a clever update/parody/tribute to "Alice
in
Wonderland", and has to be read to be appreciated. (For example,
Otto and his lookalike "Bob" (a.k.a. Tweedledee and Tweedledum)
live
in "Backwords Country" and go around saying things like "Aha", "A
Toyota", and "Swap God for a janitor, rot in a jar of dog paws".
Okay, so maybe I couldn't write a review to save my life. So what?
Buy this book.
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Date: Tue, 9 May 1995 17:54:59 -0400 (EDT)
From: Randy/Jean-Marc Lofficier
Subject: NEW WHO UPDATE 05/09/95
NEW DOCTOR WHO UPDATE 05/09/95
NEW INFORMATION:
Matthew Jacobs has been signed to write the script of the two-hour
DOCTOR WHO made-for-television feature, to be co-produced by BBC
Worldwide and Universal Television for the Fox Network.
Matthew was born in England. In 1986, he wrote "Smart Money", a
BBC TV feature, and directed "Vardo", a short feature which was
very well received at the London, Edinburgh and Sydney Film
Festivals.
His "Hallelujah Anyhow", which he wrote and directed for the BBC
in 1990, was nominated as best TV film of the year by the WGGB. It
was the London Film Festival's centerpiece, and was successfully
screened at the Sundance and Seattle Film Festivals.
Matthew has also worked as a writer for a variety of American and
British productions, including Jim Henson's "Monster Maker" (1989).
He wrote "Paper House" (1989), a feature film which won two fantasy
awards at the Avoriaz and Brussels Film Festivals, and "Somewhere To
Run" (1989), a Thames production, which won the Europa Award. Another
of his scripts, "Some Lie and Some Die" (1990), was nominated by the
WGGB as best TV film of the year.
More recently, Matthew has written scripts for the ABC/Lucasfilm/
Paramount television series, "Young Indiana Jones" (1991-93).
Of interest to DOCTOR WHO fans will be the fact that Matthew's father
is Anthony Jacobs, who played Doc Holliday in "The Gunfighters".
Matthew visited the set when he was 8, and met William Hartnell,
whom he remembers as being quite nice to him.
Needless to say, Matthew is excited by the prospect of writing
the new DOCTOR WHO television feature.
The producers expect the script to be completed by mid-July, at which
point it must still be approved by Fox, Universal and the BBC. Do not,
therefore, expect any major announcements until then.
Now for those who don't check the FAQ:
SUMMARY OF OTHER AVAILABLE INFORMATION:
BBC Worldwide and Universal Television have signed a script deal
with the Fox Network for the development of a two-hour (with
commercials), made-for-television DOCTOR WHO feature.
Please note that this is a *SCRIPT* commitment, and NOT yet a *FILM*
commitment. The script and the budget must still be approved by Fox,
Universal and the BBC in order for the feature to be filmed.
Due to various factors too complicated to explain here, mostly having
to do with Dreamworks SKG (the new Spielberg/Katzenberg/Geffen studio),
Amblin's name has been removed from the project.
It is inaccurate to refer to the new DOCTOR WHO as "Amblin Who",
"Spielberg Who", "U.S. Who" or " American Who", as the BBC is,
and will be, actively involved in every creative phase of the project.
Also, the executive producers in charge of the new DOCTOR WHO, Philip
Segal and Peter Wagg, and the writer, Matthew Jacobs, are all British.
They are all fans of, and well acquainted with, the original DOCTOR WHO.
Prior to working for Amblin, Segal was an executive at ABC, and was
involved in the programming of "Twin Peaks", "ThirtySomething",
"Young Riders" and "Young Indiana Jones". This production is, for him,
the fulfillment of a long time desire to see DOCTOR WHO brought back to
television. Segal made a recent appearance at Gallifrey One in
California, where his presentation was warmly received by the fans.
Peter Wagg's credits include producing the U.S. version of "Max Headroom".
Alan Yentob and Michael Wearing, respectively of BBC and BBC Worldwide,
are monitoring the production on their end.
If the script and the budget are acceptable to all, the producers would
like to shoot the feature in the fall, for a November broadcast, during
the rating sweeps period. It is too early to say where the feature will
be shot. The BBC will likely show it in the U.K. around the same time
that it is shown in the U.S.
If the feature gets good ratings, and is well received, it is likely
that it will be followed by a regular series, but there are no
certainties about this at this time.
As announced previously, the producers intend to cast a British actor
to play the part of the Doctor.
The theme music will remain virtually unchanged, but a new master will
be recorded (for technical reasons).
Production designs will be updated. Whether we like it or not, DOCTOR
WHO must now compete with TREK and BABYLON-5 in the area of visual
effects. But every effort will be made to preserve traditional design
elements from the Original Programme. For example, the TARDIS will remain
a police box.
Randy & Jean-Marc Lofficier
(For DOCTOR WHO, fan liaison)
rjmlof@haven.ios.com
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Subject: EXCERPTS FROM THE TeAPOTT MAILING LIST
[If you want the whole thing, get on _her_ mailing list.]
"THERE'S A PENGUIN ON THE TELLY" (TeAPOTT of Baton Rouge)
-A group devoted to the serious watching of anything even remotely British.
*Kristin C. Sabo, current dictator- sabo@rouge.phys.lsu.edu (504)768-7815
kristin_s@deq.state.la.us (504)765-0166
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->WHERE CAN *I* BUY BRITISH VID?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Where can I buy British videos in the U.S.?
(http://cathouse.org/CathousePeople/MelindaCasino/FAQ/index.html)
This is from the alt.comedy.british FAQ, by James Kew/ j.kew@ic.ac.uk. You
can find this on the web at:
http://cathouse.org/BritishComedy/Info/a.c.b_FAQ/
Lionheart Television
630 Fifth Avenue Suite 2220
New York, NY 10111
Tel: 212-705-9300
The following mail-order vendors sell NTSC tapes:
Critics' Choice Video
Telephone 1-708-775-3355 (information, Mon-Fri 0700-2100, Sat
0900-1700
CT), 1-800-367-7765 (orders, 24h; Spanish-speaker available during
hours above), 1-800-727-2900 (TDD, hours as above) or fax
1-708-775-3355. Critics' Choice Video, P.O. Box 749, Itasca, IL
60143-0749.
Fusion Video
Telephone toll-free 1-800-959-0061 or write Fusion Video, 17311 Fusion
Way, Country Club Hills, IL 60478-9906. Ask for their catalogue "The
British Video Collection".
Laughinghouse Video
Telephone 714-956-9032 (1030-1800 pacific time) or write P.O. Box
8572,
Anaheim, CA 92812-0572. Email contact Michael Walsh (MrWally@aol.com).
Laughinghouse can import PAL-format videos and provide a "free" NTSC
copy. Their 500 page/6000 title British TV and film catalogue costs
$10, and includes a $5 discount coupon for use on your first order.
It's also available in a PC version (Windows 3.1, supports 16 colours,
256 preferred) at the same price. Also available: import music,
multimedia titles, and books (as yet no catalogue).
Signals
Telephone toll-free, any time, 1-800-669-9696, or write Signals, WGBH
Educational Foundation, P.O. Box 64428, St. Paul, MN 55164-0428. They
accept major credit cards over the phone and take checks with mailed
orders. They have a few different catalogues; request the video
catalogue.
The Video Catalog
Telephone toll-free any time 1-800-733-2232 or write P.O. Box 64267
St.
Paul, MN 55164-0267. They also offer a custom order service, "Video
Trackers". Call 1-800-71VIDEO (1-800-718-4336), toll-free between
0700-0000 CT; if the title you want is currently available, they'll
find it for you.
Video Collectables
Telephone toll-free 1-800-268-3891 (USA), 1-800-387-5758 (Canada) or
write Video Collectables, 350 Newkirk Road, Richmond Hill, Ontario,
Canada L4C 3G7. They'll mail you a free catalogue."
_____________________________________________________________________
Melinda "I want to be the story-telling woodland sprite of the '90s."
Got a question for me? It's probably answered in this FAQ:
http://cathouse.org/CathousePeople/MelindaCasino/FAQ/index.html
->THE DOCTOR ON THE WEB:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Nitro-9 Homepage:
http://nitro9.earth.uni.edu/doctor/homepage.html
Trans-Dimensional Junk:
http://www.phlab.missouri.edu/ccpeace_www/Dr.Who
The Admiral's Page:
http://ouray.cudenver.edu/~mwzecca/dw/index.html
Into the Vortex:
http://alf2.tcd.ie/~domalley/who.html
Paul `Ozymandias' Harman : pih@doc.ic.ac.uk
->TOUR THE "STREETS", GRANADA STYLE:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>From che015@news.salford.ac.uk Tue May 2 10:33:28 CDT 1995
Someone on alt.fan.holmes was asking about the tour of the Baker Street
set.
It is part of the Granada Studios Tour in Manchester (large city 200-
250 miles from London in the NW of England). They also have many other
working sets that you can tour round, including the set for "Coronation
Street", a 30-yr-old British soap opera set in a fictional town modelled on
Salford, near Manchester; a two-thirds scale set of the House of Commons
and
one of Downing Street. They also have demonstrations of special effects (
which is actually just blood and gore) and sound effects. There is quite a
bit of audience participation.
You'll need a whole day to really see it properly, and it's well
worth the price of admission.
24 HOUR INFORMATION LINE: +44 161-832 4999
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The Muppets Take On TREASURE ISLAND
-----------------------------------
JIM HENSON PRODUCTIONS has started work on the new MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND
feature. TIM CURRY has signed to star as the legendary Long John Silver.
The film will also star JENNIFER SAUNDERS of ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS. She will
play a character by the name of MRS. BLUVERIDGE opposite KERMIT, MISS PIGGY
and the rest of the Muppet cast of characters. [Hollywood Column, N.Y.
Daily News dated 4/19/95]
--++--
->AND NOW A WORD FROM YOUR DICTATOR...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Also- Rumor has it that Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson may head
the list of guests for a major convention in this country next year.
I'll keep you all updated as firm information becomes available.
Promise. [I'll be the first one in line for tickets to this, I
assure you.]
--++--
>From casino@pobox.upenn.edu Sat May 13 09:28:04 1995
==================================
B R I T C O M E D Y D I G E S T
==================================
VOL. I APRIL 1995
No. 12
A monthly electronic newsletter on British comedies.
~~~~~~WARNING~~~~~~
APRIL FOOL'S DAY MAY BE GONE BUT IT IS NOT
FORGOTTEN HERE AT BRITCOMEDY DIGEST
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Britcomedy Digest (ISSN 1077-6680)
Copyright (c) 1995 by Melinda Casino. Reproduction for personal and
non-profit use is permitted only if this copyright notice is retained. Any
other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
***BRITCOMEDY NEWS***
by Michelle Street
*CRAIG CHARLES SERIES AXED*
Just when he thought things were looking up after being acquitted of rape
charges, "Red Dwarf" star Craig Charles was dealt another blow when his
upcoming series "Go Getters" was canceled because of the negative publicity
surrounding his trial.
Charles, 30, was reportedly shocked when he heard of the cancellation. "I
had no idea this was happening," he said. No idea at all. I haven't had a
letter from anyone telling me about this."
Executives at ITV were apparently concerned because "Go Getters" is a
daredevil program aimed at children. Even though Charles was found innocent
of raping his former lover, the sensational aspect of this trial, plus the
newspaper reports in which he admitted to drug use, made executives
question
whether he would be a suitable star/role model for a children's series.
This decision not only affects Charles but others who were scheduled to
appear in the series, such as Danniella Westbrook, Michaelea Strachan,
Keith Chegwin, and presenter Lloyd Grossman.
*BAFTA AWARDS ANNOUNCED*
It didn't win Best Picture at the Academy Awards, but "Four Weddings And A
Funeral" swept the BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts)
Awards, which were handed out in London on Sunday, April 23rd.
The romantic comedy, starring Hugh Grant and written by Richard Curtis (of
"Black Adder" fame) won five of the top awards. Here is a list of the
winners in the major categories:
FILM
----
BEST FILM: Four Weddings and a Funeral
BEST DIRECTOR: Mike Newell, Four Weddings and a Funeral
BEST ACTOR: Hugh Grant, Four Weddings and a Funeral
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Kristin Scott Thomas, Four Weddings and a Funeral
TELEVISION
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BEST COMEDY: Two Fights, Two Weddings, And A Funeral (BBC 2)
BEST ACTOR: Robbie Coltrane, Cracker (ITV)
BEST LIGHT-ENTERTAINMENT PERFORMANCE: Rory Bremner (Channel 4)
BEST COMEDY PERFORMANCE: Joanna Lumley, Absolutely Fabulous (BBC 1)
LLOYD'S BANK PEOPLE'S VOTE
--------------------------
Film: Four Weddings and a Funeral
Television: Cracker
*THE COMEDY STORE NOW HAS A HOMEPAGE*
Comedy fans now have an easy way to find out what's happening at one of
London's most famous stand up clubs. As part of the growing trend of
businesses publicizing themselves online, London's famed Comedy Store now
has its own homepage at http://193.131.77.142/comedy/. This nifty page will
give you information about tickets and upcoming performers at the club. For
those who live in London or are planning a visit there, it will be a handy
guide to what's on, while those of us in the rest of the world can just
look
at it and drool.
__________________________________________________________________________
-+-
DISCLAIMER: Serious, and all-encompassing disclaimers apply. ie- no one is
really responsible for this newsletter. ;)
-> Just another public service announcement from your Cruise Director <-
............................... Kristin C. Sabo -
sabo@rouge.phys.lsu.edu
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Currently planned for the next Rusting Tardis video night (May 24), at
Round Table Pizza, 5111 25th Ave. NE (in Seattle):
Have I Got News For You
The Vicar of Dibley
Glam Metal Detectives
Nice Day at the Office
Absolutely Fabulous (season 3, episode 3)
[reflects weight before cooking, some settling of contents may occur
during shipping, offer void where prohibited, batteries not included,
your milage may vary]
Coming in the near future: more of the new season of "Absolutely Fabulous",
and the new season of "Goodnight Sweetheart".
The next Rusting Tardis Social (May 30, 7pm) will be held at Round Table
Pizza, 5111 25th Ave. NE (in Seattle).
See you on Wednesday.
"If he considered that any particular thing was a
menace to the health and well-being of the
community,
he would leave no stone unturned, no manhole cover
unlifted, no drain un-disinfected until he had
eliminated the obnoxiousness."
--"Rodent Mutation", Bron Fane (actually
Robert Lionel Fanthorpe)
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The standard disclaimers apply to everything here except this statement.
To subscribe/unsubscribe to this list, send mail to "onan@eskimo.com".
The Society of the Rusting TARDIS web page - http://www.halcyon.com/sotrt/
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