Wow!  I'm ba-ack from a 10 day vay-kay (yes, tis true--the DNC drove me out of town--though I had actually planned the trip months ago).  Thank you all very much for your hearty, generous wishes!  On my birthday, I was at an idyllic farm in Ontario.  We had wonderful weather and I cooked a lasagna dinner, with chocolate cake for dessert, for a lovely group of people I adore.  It's a Philippine custom to cook dinner for your friends on your b-day--I'm not Filipino but I have fun with this custom on certain years... I ended the evening with a romantic, HOT (in EVERY sense of the word) wood sauna with my hunky boyfriend... mmmrrrrrowrrrr... (happy contended purring from Gothick).

While we were playing, I did hear an odd, echoing SHRIEK of indignation coming from far, far away... and I wondered just what it was--a wet kitty in a state of barely contained fury???  And now, looking at Connie's GENIUS artwork, I know who was haranguing me--Miss Judith Fellows, Chaperone Extraordinaire!

I'll make sure there's nothing sharp and pointed in reach on my next visit to tea with Our Judith!

Heather, you should write the Judith/Pepe story!  I LOVE IT!!!

And I want to see it SOON... you know what I mean, Missy... DON'T MAKE ME TAKE STEPS...

cackling yet again with delight,  Steve

Hey Jennifer!

Me in the shower with Don--I drop the bar of soap, yell "oopsie!" in a high squeal, and turn around and bend down very s-l-o-w-l-y to pick it up.

Evil cackles,

Steve the Incorrigible

These are all great shows, but my top favorite scenes are the ones with Mrs Johnson in the diner.  Clarice projected such realism in that part.  I'm older than Mrs J was supposed to be at this point, and she looked and talked like such an "old lady"!  It's really too bad that that character was watered down so much in the later years.  I always love it when I play the episode when Cassandra is asking her about her dreams and she snaps:  "I'm too BUSY for dreams!"

Great coments, Emerald Rose! (btw, do you own or have you ever heard any of the songs by that band, Emerald Rose?  They're really fabulous if you like good Celtic music, with a hearty Pagan edge.)

Best,  Steve

I'm not opposed to the petition, although I personally have no interest in new DS products.  I do have a morbid curiosity in the rejected pilot because of all the hoopla (plus, I think Alec Newman is seXXXy).

Just for what it is worth, I have heard that for whatever reason, industry types are much more impressed by old fashioned snail-mail letters than online petitions.  Perhaps people who have a serious interest in this should start a campaign to have fans send snail letters to Burton's office.  Someone could write up a template letter--the fan could just send this as is, or embellish it according to personal preference.

I also disagree that the "DS franchise" (a phrase I personally detest) is in serious trouble.  Those electric disc-thingies are selling like the proverbial hotcakes, and the entire series is STILL in print, IN ITS ENTIRETY, on VHS.  Do you know how quickly most material goes out of print on VHS and DVD?  I think DS has an excellent track record in terms of niche marketing.

As for its absence on the small screen, I blame WorldVision.  I have no details, but I bet they're asking the usual way-beyond-the-market price for the b'cast rights.

G.

That's a really interesting little piece, Victoria.  Thanks for sharing it.  It does sound as if the "preview" is still on the cards--I do hope we get to see this.

I personally find that make-up artist's work beyond OTT, but he won me over with his obvious devotion to Dark Shadows.  That did look like Alec Newman in the top photo.

My apologies to fans of the English language (a once popular tongue, gradually wiped out in the late twentieth century)--my original post should have spelled the phrase "back-pedaling," though I suppose there's a certain macabre justice to the way my fingers insisted upon spelling it.

G.

I played all three promos--FANTASTIC work!  I think my favorite is the Parallel Time one; in part because it's an exciting promo that doesn't give too much of the story away.  The 1967 one could run on the WB today, although the writing, acting and direction are about 500 times better than the WB's standard (if you can call it that).  but I'm not bitter...

G.

Huh. sounds like backpedalling to me, plus ye passing of ye olde bucke...

G.