Keepers of Croydon - Saturday 13th January

The first Keepers meet up of 2007 is scheduled for Saturday 13th January. This will be a Croydon pub meet.

The plan is to meet at The George on George Street at Noon.

If you fancy joining us all and haven't been to a Keeper of Croydon event before contact me at KeepersOfCroydon@doctorwhofans.net for more details.

Dalek Invasion of Earth - The Game

You will need:

1) A team of people - at least three and preferably one in a wheelchair.
2) To keep alert!
3) A pen, paper and a time keeping device!
3) A map if possible.
4) Sensible footwear.
5) To be drezzzed for the occasion.

The object of the game:

Starting on the South Bank of the Thames in London (just opposite Parliament) you will need to get to the Royal Albert Hall as quickly as possible and without being spotted by the Daleks (The Police).

The rules:

1) You must pass through Whitehall and Trafalgar Square.

2) If any Daleks look directly at you you must add 10 minutes onto your overall time when you have made it to the destination. If the Daleks are travelling in multiple units each Dalek gaze still equals ten minutes and you must count them all.

3) People using a map must add 5 minutes to every glance! What kind of freedom fighter are you?

4) Daleks in motorised vehicles do not count! Ignore them.

5) Daleks displaying guns count double! Yikes.

6) You can recapture time via the TARDIS (the pub!). For every Pint / large glass of wine / double spirit consumed you gain 50 minutes! Time spent in the TARDIS is not counted thanks to the Zero Room. Daleks are neutralised when they enter the TARDIS so ignore them.

Play away and Good Luck!
If you play the game be sure to post up your time with details of penalties and TARDIS trips.

And a Merry Christmas To Everyone...

The Keeper would like to wish you all a very nice festive break - have fun!

Review: The TV Movie

The TVM was transmitted in May 1996 and was a co-production between the BBC (BBC Television and it's commercial arm, BBC Worldwide), Universal Television and the Fox network. How it ever got made with those four egos working overtime is anyone's guess and executive producer Philip Segal deserves a medal for coming out of the production in one piece, and with a fully watchable, entertaining romp beneath him.

It's fast becoming a cliche that the TVM is a fine example of how not to reinvent Dr Who but the truth is that each part of the production partnership wanted the same thing - a successful American version of a British 'classic'. Hindsight is a great thing.

On Broadcast the programme was a complete success... in the UK. It got all the hype you'd expect and fared well in the ratings, viewers seemingly didn't mind too much about the Americanisation, complete with car chase. In the USA the production team(s) had good reason to think that the show fitted Fox's demographic but with all those continuity references (see below) and a plot that involved two outsiders coming into town for a battle that didn't make any sense, they were onto a hiding to nothing.

The American audience were witnessing a pivotal moment in their cultural history. Unfortunately for the people in Hollywood and White City, the moment is commonly known as the 'last ever episode of Rosanne'. Any American people watching Dr Who were likely already fans of the show or at the very least Sci-fi fruitcakes, with dribble running down their chins. Under such circumstances US TV firms run away very quickly but just slower than their advertisers. And they did. After all, the chin dribblers were getting plenty from Fox already and they didn't need to spend millions of dollars on another show for just one tiny group of the population. This show had no legs.

Just as Michael Grade was right to cancel the programme in the mid 1980's so were the powers that be right to leave the TVM well alone. They were probably worried as to where it went next. Outer space? Back in time? Into the future? Who gives a toss? Where's my money?

Segal has spoken a number of times since the broadcast of having to make certain decisions to please the backers. The major one being that Eric Roberts was connected to Fox Toosday Night Movie and therefore was contracted to appear in the show. Ironic then that Roberts' performance is now one of the highlights. His over the top hammy performance was just so spot on and in keeping with the script that you really want him in every scene. Moreover his brief portrayal of Bruce shows that his casting was more than suitable for the show.

You can imagine Eric getting the script of "The science fiction event of the Millennium" through the post. "Yes! I've got a part in panto!" And that's what the TVM is - a big fat slice of pantomime where you get to boo and hiss at the baddie and the goodie is just a girl in a silly wig. Oh that's harsh! McGann does a good solid job here. With it being on telly like, he can't just turn up and read his lines into the microphone so he moves a bit too.

Actually it's a shame he isn't in it from the start but for some strange reason the producers and their four production masters thought it best to make this a continuity fest. Not only do we have the Old Doctor, in the guise of the largely talentless Sylvester McCoy (not doing too badly in his last outing - but all he does is die), we also have mention of 13 lives, Time Lords, the planet Skaro, and the Daleks - and that's just the pre-credits!

Some of the decisions were bizarre but you can understand what they were trying to achieve in keeping the Britishness of the character but Americanising the drama. The problems stem from two areas of the production. The first is the script. Despite explaining the premise of Doctor Who in the first two minutes with a major info dump, Matthew Jacobs decides that the rest of the plot needs no explanation at all. There's some good pacing and wonderful lines for the Master but it's best not to delve too deeply into the story because you end up with more questions than answers.

Dr Grace Holloway takes all this in her stride considering. Within a few hours of killing the old Doctor, Jacobs' script has her snogging the new one, despite the fact that he's clearly just a nutter. Within minutes she's being chased on a police motorcycle by another nutter in an ambulance and she's wittering on about finally meeting the man of her alien dreams. Women.

The other big problem is the over the top direction. Geoffrey Sax does exactly what the script required and deserved. Panto time. And you can't blame him. With 90 minutes to show how exciting Dr Who could be he pulls out all the tricks and goes for the glitzy big shots and special effects.

This was also a chance to free Dr Who from the 'theatre' approach that was the established style for most of its original run and Sax takes it on. The result is a cinematic feel for sure but it resembles a shiny B Movie. Not that I'm complaining because that's part of its charm. It's just way over the top and coupled with the script it makes the film a great throwaway Sunday matinee rather than the start of a long running series.

The movie itself is great fun and I still enjoy watching it, largely for Roberts who makes a perfect Master for a Sunday afternoon. The TVM is categorically not 'bad' television but then neither is pantomime 'good' theatre.

P.S. Is this Character's surname 'Jenkins'. I feel we should be told!

Coming Soon: Revelation of the Daleks

The Most Disgusting Screen Kiss Ever!

The famous first kiss in the TV Movie has always produced hot debate amongst fankind.

Here is a snapshot of the moment when The Doctor gave Grace Holloway a very wet clinch.

See the gross out city levels of saliva falling from his mouth, if you dare.


Freezing the scene frame by frame was one of the most harrowing moments in my life but it didn't stop me from taking another snapshot and showing it to you all.

Here's the gloop a few frames later falling towards his chin and clothes. Grace Holloway can't believe her eyes.

At the time Paul McGann and Daphers Ashbrook said it was a very nice moment but at last the truth can be told.

This should stop women from banging on about how sexy McGann is - he's like a dog eating hot chips and you know it!

Regeneration or Rejuvenation

So here's the evidence. What do you reckon?

Keepers of Croydon - Part of the Dr Who Fan Network!

Please see the attached link to the website of the Dr Who Fan Network.

http://www.doctorwhofans.net/

The network includes a number of London based fan groups of which the Keepers is just a part. If you live in London it's likely there's a group near you! Check the website for details.

Dr Who And The Guilty Pleasures

There's a major difference between erotica and porn. Whereas one is designed to provide a full and long sensual experience the other is designed as a quick and dirty fix. And so it is with watching Dr Who.

Imagine the postman has just delivered your brand new DVD of The War Games. You were planning to go shopping for some essentials but you decide that staying in your dressing gown might now be the best plan of action.

You slip the DVD gently out of its packaging and slowly guide it towards your face for a close look. You gradually move your tingling fingers over its glossy surface and they seem to glide effortlessly towards the opening. Its scent fills your nostrils as you slowly open the box.

You open it wide and see the light shining off the disc. It seems to go straight to your heart and as you roll your eyes and your knees go weak the inlay card slips out of the box and falls gracefully towards the floor. Each time you try to catch it the card flips teasingly making you look like the fool you know you are.

You try to hide your blushes and when you pick up the card your heart misses a beat. The list of special features is tantalising. Ten episodes fully restored and Vidfired, a commentary, production notes and documentaries. Oh God.

You touch the disc for the first time. A shiver. The eject function on the machine plays hard to get as you fumble a little. Once the disc is in the player you enjoy many hours of unadulterated pleasure. The picture is crisp and clean. The product is immaculate and neat. No wonder it smelled so good, it's been very well looked after.

Hours later you lie back and relax.
Contentment.

On the other hand....

You're meeting your Who mates down the pub when one of them thrusts a brown paper bag in your hand. You start to reach into the bag to see what's inside but he grabs you "Don't look now. Save it for later, when you get home". You nod and he releases his grasp.

When you're on the bus home you take a peak into the bag, intrigued. Oh a video! You're excited. You take a look at the spine. In black ink, poor handwriting it says "The Five Doctors" with "Crossroads" struck through just above.

You rush home and you're straight into the living room without opening your bag of chips. The VCR accepts the video quickly, as if it knows that your satisfaction must be immediate. Before you've had time to settle Hartnell is on the screen. You quickly open the chip bag and curse the fact that you don't own ketchup in a squirty bottle - how long is this gonna take?

Then the titles and that music, you've got hot chips in your mouth and you stare boggle eyed at the poor picture quality. This could be 9th generation! Heck it might have even been recorded on Betamax, converted to VHS and passed down through fankind. Is that possible? It doesn't matter right now. Just keep watching. Keep watching, keep watching, keep watching.

Whichever way you watch Dr Who, I hope you have fun!

The Keepers Christmas Party - Dec 9th 2006

The Keepers of Croydon had their annual Christmas Party on Saturday December 9th.

Highlights Included:

A 15 minute version of The Christmas Invasion
A festive viewing of K-9 & Company
A Merchandise Prize Draw

The Keeper's slippers
The 1st Annual Keepers of Croydon Awards ceremony

The Keeper would like to thank everyone who attended for making this a very jolly occasion!

Was Dr Who Ever 'Good' - Rules

I've always loved watching Dr Who but recently I grew up. Sort of. A bit. Perhaps.

I started to watch the show in a different way and for one very simple reason. When the show returned courtesy of Russell T Davies and Co. at BBC Wales it came complete with solid writing, great acting and the best special effects that the Beeb could afford. When I was growing up Who didn't have such blessed gifts and I noticed this horribly when I started watching a few DVDs of the original show in the last year or so.

At first I thought 'stuff this' I'll give all the DVDs I've bought over the years away. But then I grew to appreciate the rubbish in a whole new way. My new mission is very simple: To discover when or if Dr Who was ever truly great television and to critically assess it all in the process.

I want to look at the wider picture: How long would a casual viewer carry on watching an episode; was the story / episode comparable to other TV drama at the time of its transmission; did Dr Who set the standard; could a viewer get the same experience watching anything else; Was it any good? That's the question that needs answering. And as fans we've been getting it wrong for decades (maybe).

Fans often say something is 'good' when they mean 'I enjoyed that'. I'll be looking for the genuinely good regardless of whether I enjoy watching the stories or not. I'm hoping that I'll find that some of the stories really are good...

Wish me luck.