I get the teasing, too, because of my love for DS. I also have a fanatic love for historical ocean liners and cruise ships, and I know that sometimes I can get a big "mouthy" when I start talking about my interests, especially with friends who have absolutely no like-interest. So sometimes, us fans (of whatever we're fans of) - on very rare occasions - can get a bit annoying.
My best friend can't stand DS, and has given me ribbings about it. However, he's a big pro-wrestling fan, something I can't abide. Ammunition for a return round of fire! Anytime he would say something about me, a supposedly educated person, liking DS, I would quickly retaliate with: "Anyone who watches religiously pro-wrestling, buys the magazines, makes video tapes, is in no position to..." Works everytime. But then, back in 2003, I was able to combine my love of ships with my love of DS by first going on a cruise from New York to Bermuda, and then on the day we docked back in the Big Apple, off for a one-day visit to that year's DS Fest. My best friend - who hates DS - was along, including for the DS Fest (he loves ships, too, not as much as me, but he loves cruises). He had the time of his life, especially since David Selby was there and he got to meet him. My friend was a big Falcon Crest fan. He also got see and meet other stars he was familiar with, since many of them did go on to other things.
Now, regarding the Sci-Fi Channel. Talk about a once really classy cable outlet that went into the dumps with quality programing. Not only has it dumped virtually all the classic shows it once aired, and which were so much fun to watch again, but it use to produce many great documentaries about either a particular show, or about some horror/sci-fi-related topic. Many of us remember watching the first airing of the MPI documentary about DS made in the early nineties. I believe it was made for the 25th anniversary of DS's premier. There was also a really enjoyable documentary about Lost In Space and Irwin Allen, hosted by Bill Mumy, Jonathan Harris and the guy who was the voice of the robot. We had tons of classic horror/sci-fi movies to watch, rather than the insipid computer-designed-schmaltzy-looking-monster-eating-people-until-the-survivors-who-all-are-wearing-stained-torn-T-Shirts-corner-it-in-a-barn/cave/warehouse-where-it's-blown-up-at-the-end flicks now "gracing" the network. (And pro-wrestling! OMG, my worst nightmare....pro-wrestling!) Way back in the nineties, when I would crawl into bed, I would turn on the TV in the darkened bedroom and enjoy an episode of Boris Karloff's Thriller. Now it's all gone. Yes, there are a few high-quality shows on Sci-Fi; I enjoy Battlestar Gallactica, and on occasion I'll watch that one show (it's name now escapes me) that's a more light-hearted version of The X-Files. It's actually rather funny. But the golden days are gone. Sci-Fi isn't the only channel that was once high-class; AMC was, too, until it went "commercial."
Guess nothing stays the same anymore.
Gerard
