=-=-=-=-= Society of the Rusting TARDIS Newsletter (#49, 10/22/96)
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>>> Items of interest to British media fans and Seattle-area residents,
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>>> and whatever else I feel like spewing about. You have been warned.
<<<
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Based on complaints I've received and a higher-than-usual number of
"unsubscribe" requests since the last newsletter, I've taken the
subscription
list private. So the only mail you should receive in connection with this
list will be from me. I'm in the process of automating the list, but it
seems clear that even when I do, I should set things up so that only the
list-owner (me) can use it.
In the meantime, I've taken the (perhaps unreasonable) position of not
unsubscribing anyone who requested it in the hope that this will encourage
them to stay. If you still want to unsubscribe, send me another notice and
I'll delete you. Sorry for the inconvenience.
And hey - don't forget about the bonus 5th-Wednesday-of-the-month video
night on October 30th (with a rather bizarre "treat" for you "Doctor Who"
fans).
On tap this time:
Quick news items
"Game On" (a review of the second season)
Upcoming SotRT events
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Subject: Quick news items
Sound bites:
The "final" episode of "Ab Fab" has been completed. "The Last Shout"
is currently a 90-minute episode, but it may air as two 45-minute
episodes. How does it end? Well, the last line was changed at the
last minute from "Bollocks!" to "Cheers Sweetie"/"Darling!". It is
expected to air in the UK in November or December.
In other AbFab news, Eddie and Pats will appear in the Halloween
episode of "Roseanne," which airs on October 29th at 8pm.
"Bottom" (starring Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson), supposedly
finished after it's third season, will be back for a fourth in 1997.
Stephen Fry's latest book, "Making History", is apparently a
science-fiction/time-travelling/history-altering story.
Local news:
Festival Hong Kong at the Varsity: On October 24, Samo Hung's
"Encounter of the Spooky Kind" (one of the best of the HK
supernatural films). And on November 7, Jackie Chan in "Supercop"
(the US version - hsss...) and his big break "Drunken Master". Call
206-632-3131 for showtimes.
Randy Rogel, Guest of Honor at Anglicon 8, will be appearing at the
5th Avenue Musical Theatre Company in "Me & My Girl" (through 11/03)
and "Singin' in the Rain" (12/03 - 12/22). For info, call
206-625-1900, or check out "http://www.speakeasy.org/5thavenue".
Miscellany:
Here's an interesting programme from the late '70s: "Our Show", a
Saturday morning show on LWT with presenters Susan Tully (Michelle
on "EastEnders") and Nicholas Lyndhurst ("Goodnight Sweetheart").
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Subject: "Game On" (a review of the second season)
[This will be of most interest to those who caught season one at the video
meetings. --jeff]
Two years after its first appearance, "Game On" returns for a welcome
second series on BBC2, minus the not inconsiderable talent of Ben
Chaplin. So, the big question is.... does the show work without him?
For those who haven't had a chance to see the show, a brief recap is
probably in order. "Game On" revolves around the lives of three
mismatched twenty-somethings sharing a flat. Admittedly this isn't
exactly the most novel comedy concept around, but the quality of the
writing, by Andrew Davies ("A Very Peculiar Practice," "House of
Cards," "Middlemarch," etc.) and Bernadette Davis elevate the series
well above its lowly roots.
The cast of characters includes Martin (Matthew Cottle), nervous,
virginal, but a nice bloke; Matthew (Ben Chaplin originally, now Neil
Stuke), cool, manic... and too afraid of the real world to venture
outside the flat; Mandy (Samantha Janus), blonde, gorgeous and
unfortunately rather uncontrollably shag-happy.
Whereas the first series explored the obvious potential in these
character flaws, the loss of Chaplin to Hollywood fame and fortune (he
starred along with Uma Thurman and Janeane Garafolo in the recent hit
"The Truth About Cats and Dogs") seems to have been jumped on by the
writers as an opportunity to take the show in a different direction.
Indeed, the first episode of the new series sees Mandy two weeks into
a life of yoga and celibacy, Martin losing his virginity *and* getting
to keep the girl, and Matt at least able to communicate coherently
with a member of the opposite sex at close quarters (even though he's
convinced himself he's a vampire).
Neil Stuke was destined to have a difficult time stepping into
Chaplin's shoes, but he pulls it off rather well, a tribute to his own
talent as well as that of the writers. Stuke originally auditioned for
the role for series one, but lost it to Chaplin, so one imagines that
he's trying rather hard to make it his own.
I must confess to laughing my bollocks off all the way through, from
Martin's glassy-eyed mutterings about his new-found girlfriend ("I'd
be up her like a rat up a drain..."), to Mandy's scholarly assessment
of his tackle ("No strange lumps or bumps, medium size. Freckles *are*
unusual, but quite attractive.").
With the first series receiving a welcome and very timely video
release, the future for the show looks increasingly bright. Game on
guys, definitely game on.
---------->by Steve Roberts, 100717.3331@CompuServe.COM
Britcomedy Digest (ISSN 1077-6680) Copyright (c) 1995, 96 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.
[To subscribe to Britcomedy Digest, send e-mail to
LISTSERV@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
with the following text in the message body: SUBSCRIBE BCDIGEST-L
firstname_lastname, replacing "firstname_lastname" with your own name.
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Subject: Upcoming SotRT events
Oct 23: Video night Round Table Pizza, 5111 25th Ave. NE, Seattle
Oct 29: Social Round Table Pizza, 5111 25th Ave. NE, Seattle
Oct 30: Video night Round Table Pizza, 5111 25th Ave. NE, Seattle
Nov 05: Social Round Table Pizza, 5111 25th Ave. NE, Seattle
Nov 13: Video night Round Table Pizza, 5111 25th Ave. NE, Seattle
All events start at 7pm unless noted.
Currently planned for the next video night (Oct 23):
Goodnight Sweetheart: Season 3, episode 2
The Thin Blue Line (starring Rowan Atkinson)
Have I Got News For You
Not the Nine O'Clock News
The World of Lee Evans
The Two Ronnies: A single sketch (with a bizarre cameo)
Currently planned for the bonus video night on Oct 30:
The Thin Blue Line (starring Rowan Atkinson)
Have I Got News For You
The World of Lee Evans
Coogan's Bluff: "Natural Born Quizzers"
The Time the Place (A daytime talk show - today's topic: "Doctor Who"
fans)
Coming soon: "Father Ted", "Dressing for Breakfast", "French and Saunders",
and Neil Gaiman's "Neverwhere".
See you on Wednesday.
"The city slept. Men slept. Women slept. Children
slept. Dogs and Cats slept."
--"Space March of the Robots", Leo Brett
(a.k.a. Robert Lionel Fanthorpe)
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The standard disclaimers apply to everything here except this statement.
Contents Copyright 1996, Hand of Onan Enterprises, unless otherwise noted.
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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