Fans,

As is well known, the original 1967 Josette's music box theme was a track composed for Patrick McGoohan's series THE PRISONER.  I presume that this track somehow wound up in an ABC music library and that was how it found its way into our show.  I believe that episode of the McGoohan series was filmed sometime in the Fall of 1966 but I'd have to check that.  The series was broadcast on ABC, I think, sometime in 1967. When the 1795 storyline started on DS, Robert Cobert composed a new tune for the music box which was then used for the remainder of the series.  I was quite startled and perplexed (no internet and no DS reference books available then) when I first saw the 1967 shows in a 1976 syndication and the tune was different from the one I had known.

Anyhow, I was quite surprised when the tune showed up as background music in a scene in the 1972 ACE OF WANDS serial, "Mama Doc."  It's heard starting around the 8 minute 30 second mark here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCFay1dXFIE

ACE OF WANDS was produced by Thames television, which I think had merged with the studio that had produced THE PRISONER (Britain's ABC network), sometime around 1968.  I'd have to check Wikipedia for the specifics and dates.

ACE OF WANDS is about a stage magician named Tarot who gets involved with various occult themed mysteries.  In some ways it's reminiscent of 1970s DOCTOR WHO.  Tarot's companions are a brother and sister, Chaz and Micki.

The whole topic of "library music" in television and films is a fascinating one.  There are some really great tracks that wound up being circulated in this fashion.

G.

Those are both wonderful photos.  Any info to share on provenance and/or publication?  Don't go digging... sheer idle curiosity prompts the question.

Those script pages remind me of how intrigued I was by references to the "card room" in "Marilyn" Ross's hoDS novelization.   I wonder if the room that would have been the study in the TV series Collinwood (or so I would think) was called the card room in the movie because that was how this room was known at Lyndhurst.  Another completely pointless question... I had completely forgotten my pondering of this detail until I just now looked at those pages you posted.

Best, G.

Great look on Lara's face in that still.  I don't recall having seen that one before.

That ending leaves a lot of questions unanswered, which of course is part of the fun.  Looking at these beautiful captures, I wonder if Angelique had become fully embodied again at this point. She looks fully alive, not just a ghost, in these shots.

One possibility for what would happen next is that Tracy would either have been killed by Charles/Quentin, or her body would have been taken over by the spirit of Angelique.  Which would have been the same result, for her.

It all begs the question of whether Angelique in NoDS was actually a Witch, or not.  I personally feel that the story makes no sense unless she was actually a Mistress of the Dark Arts, but it's left open for each viewer to decide for themselves.

G.

The intrigue continues!

G.

SE Hinton is an accomplished writer with a seriously honed talent.  Her novel THE OUTSIDERS is now something of a classic.  Lovely to hear she is also a fan of our show.  I haven't read HAWKES HARBOR.  The title alone is an in-joke for DS fans.  Maybe I should see if the book is available on Kindle. Although I still enjoy print very much, I can get through a lot on my commute and lunch breaks now with the Kindle.

I'm repeating myself, but I thought ANGELIQUE'S DESCENT was very good until the final part where she had to write material that was canon and she flubbed so badly and her tone was so off that it was, for me, a trial to get through those pages.  For the record I felt the some way about Gregory Maguire's WICKED.  Very readable until he got to the material that repeated the original Baum novel.  Then, whoopsie.  He has a lot more talent than does Lara Parker the writer.  I always enjoy Lara Parker the actress.

cheers, G.

My heartfelt congratulations to you, MB, on a fantastic accomplishment with this massive undertaking!  Maybe in 2017 I'll finally get that Warners disc and have a look at the movie again.

Lovely to see Darren come in for the final weeks with some fab new material, too!

Happy New Year to all!

Best, G.

It's amazing just how many people knew the Halls socially.  I think they must have entertained a lot.

I've been able to see a couple of the early Euphemia episodes.  Love Grayson in the role.

G.