The Peter Tyler Interview
You know on the raw effects footage on the DVDs, you see the clapperboards for some of the shots? Well, included on these clapperboards are the words "CAMERA - P. TYLER". And we've got hold of P. Tyler.
Peter (to give him his full first name) was the Director of Photography for the model shots on Dwarf, and he has very kindly provided us with this interview, which gives fascinating titbits of information about the production of the visual effects, as well as Peter's opinions on the series and on the industry in general. He also gave us some lovely pictures, taken from his own archives, for which we thank him from the bottom of our rehydration units. He's a smashing bloke.
But he's wrong about the planet pool sequence.
Comments
Wow! Bloody brilliant! And he doesn't skimp on the raw facts and details either!
And *the Trial of a Time Lord space station sequence*?! Aka 'the best model shot ever in history ever'?!
What a great guy. You get better and better - if I'd had a Red Dwarf site I would never have even thought of asking the minatures director!
Long live G&T!
Posted by Darrell Jones at February 25, 2004 11:05 PM
A brilliant interview. It was particularly refreshing that he was not afraid to say that VII and VIII were not as good as I-VI. Or, indeed, that he was not afraid to call the VII and VIII CGI what it is--"dire." And the pictures he gave you are absolutely fantastic.
Posted by Austin Ross at February 25, 2004 11:56 PM
I agree - he is pleasingly outspoken about the final two series, as well as being an all-round excellent interviewee. Very good.
Posted by Simon at February 26, 2004 12:01 AM
It all well and good praising G+T for this pant wetting exclusive but think about me! It's not easy being the runner up, you know! :P
Posted by Cappsy at February 26, 2004 12:04 AM
Excellent, no bs, interview!
Posted by ThunderPeel at February 26, 2004 04:00 AM
>It all well and good praising G+T for this pant wetting exclusive but think about me! It's not easy being the runner up, you know! :P
Dont worry, you all copied me when I e-mailed the guy who played Lee Harvey Oswald :D haha1! Dont feel to bad Capps, be like me, and just not be that bothered :D
Nice exclusive guys.
Posted by Drzymala at February 26, 2004 07:59 AM
It�s not really a competition. I�m delighted that The White Hole is doing so well. If we all pull together we can be greater than the sum of our parts, and all that.
Posted by Ian Symes at February 26, 2004 09:36 AM
Aye, only joshing Symes.
That has to rank as the best interview by any Dwarf fan site though. That guy is an email interviewers dream!!!
Posted by Cappsy at February 26, 2004 11:32 AM
What a top bloke, great pics and I tend to agree with him on the 'Planet Pool' shot.....
Posted by Cpt-D at February 26, 2004 12:30 PM
Fantastic. That's all I have to say.
Posted by Pete Martin at February 26, 2004 02:16 PM
It's actually really weird, as I noticed the black line round the green planet when it goes into the white hole the other day. It's actually really weird, as I noticed the black line round the green planet when it goes into the white hole the other day. It is slightly odd, but I don't think it ruins the shot. It's actually really weird, as I noticed the black line round the green planet when it goes into the white hole the other day.
Posted by John Hoare at February 26, 2004 03:36 PM
Someone punch him out!
Posted by Ian Symes at February 26, 2004 03:58 PM
Are you alright, John?
I think you need a lie down...
Posted by Darrell Jones at February 26, 2004 03:58 PM
Somebody, please - shoot me in the head.
The animation of the white hole itself at times is a bit odd, too; rather juddery. It's all still very impressive, though. Pete does the sequence down way too much.
Meanwhile, can anyone wait to see the girder coming down in the classic Starbug-with-exploding-landing-bay shot on the V DVD? That just sounds fantastic...
Posted by John Hoare at February 26, 2004 04:03 PM
It sounds bloody brilliant! And he's an artist. They always bitch about their own work. ive always liked the planet pool sequence, really.
Imagine the pile of wank we would have had to endure in it's place if they had had the money to remaster series iv *shudders*
Posted by Cappsy at February 26, 2004 04:30 PM
>It�s not really a competition.
Good! :D I couldn't have the time to put as much effort into my site as g&t and white hole, plus I only have a limited space on my site so I can't keep the backlog of stuff you do either :\
wah!
In other news I finally have my site editor thing back so I can update of some sort this weekend :D standby for shitness!
Posted by Drzymala at February 26, 2004 05:04 PM
Things are starting to cook at my end too. Even though bugger all is happeneing with Red Dwarf at the mo the fan sites are still on form!!
Posted by Cappsy at February 26, 2004 05:11 PM
*LOOKS AT HIS*
:\
Posted by Drzymala at February 26, 2004 05:30 PM
It's better than Floor13 *runs away from KK*
Posted by Cappsy at February 26, 2004 05:31 PM
I'm hoping to update abit more in the coming weeks, what could really do with is help, I always update loads then just don't bother. But it ain't easy finding someone to help out alot :\
Posted by Drzymala at February 26, 2004 05:42 PM
I must admit it's a pisser foing a site on your own. I think i've managed to beat my best mate into writing a pro-remastered article though...
Posted by Cappsy at February 26, 2004 05:58 PM
:-o
Posted by John Hoare at February 26, 2004 06:03 PM
>>I must admit it's a pisser foing a site on your own
Yes it is, especially with my mental mood swings where 1 minute i feel good and in the mood to do summat on the site then I just lose enthusiasm for 3 months :\
I've tried gettin a few ppl to help, some do little reviews which is a great help. Though I wish I had a full time helper like the 2 G&T Knobheads, I mean, nice guys
:D
Posted by Drzymala at February 26, 2004 06:46 PM
He couldn't be more right about series VII & VIII. Going CGI was a bad move and was always going to disappoint. The model sequences are so much more fun and a big part of what Red Dwarf is (at least to me). The CG seems so against the whole point of the show!
It probably won't happen, but what they should do for the DVD is totally re-edit series VII to take away some of the horrible CG and replace it with models, even if they have to do some new filming (yeah right...). The extended episodes should also be included as standard, but definitely with the laughter track as without it seems...stupid.
As for series VIII.....maybe it's better not to go there at all...
Posted by Listaz at February 26, 2004 07:29 PM
As long as they keep the originals on there. Even though the broadcast episodes are sub-standard, I'm such a pedant that I'd be very angry if we didn't get them, warts and all.
Posted by Ian Symes at February 26, 2004 08:17 PM
I agree. i do think we should get the broadcast versions but on the other hand I'm sure they will want to include the extended episodes. The problem with that is there's no room on the two disks...
Posted by Cappsy at February 26, 2004 08:21 PM
I think the VII DVD *will* feature the complete Xtended 'Tikka to Ride', but not the other two, which will just have their deleted scenes in the standard excised footage compilation.
I'd quite like a version of 'Out of Time' on the series 6 disc with the 'urine re-cyc' ending inserted. We won't get it of course, but it'd be nice to have.
Posted by Darrell Jones at February 26, 2004 08:40 PM
And then people like me can predent it all finished there...
THe thing is that i'm looking forward to the VII and VIII DVD's quite a lot. For a start the episodes will eb amde watrchable by commentaries (which may include some crew by then) plus the extras should be good.
Posted by Cappsy at February 26, 2004 08:46 PM
Damn my typing to hell!
Posted by Cappsy at February 26, 2004 08:47 PM
The very mention of VII and VIII makes Cappsy's fingers tremble.
Darrell - good call. That sounds like the sort of thing they'd do. Cf. Japanese The End, Backwards Forwards.
Posted by Ian Symes at February 26, 2004 08:51 PM
And then maybe the original one hour special of 'Back in the Red' for Series VIII?
That's another thing too, I'm really looking forward to seeing the alternative endings to 'Only the Good...'.
Posted by Cappsy at February 26, 2004 08:57 PM
Incidentally, Tyler fans, watch Horizon - The Voyage of the Beagle this Saturday at 8:15 on BBC TWO.
Posted by Ian Symes at February 26, 2004 09:01 PM
I am really hoping for the 1-hour version of BITR. I wonder how far they got in editing it? Possibly not that far, but if not it could just be put together now.
I hope wonder if Peter'll end up working on the new series of Doctor Who...
Posted by John Hoare at February 26, 2004 09:06 PM
Yes, hope wonder. What's your point?
Posted by John Hoare at February 26, 2004 09:06 PM
I'd prefer it if they reinstated the laughter track for 'Tikka To Ride Xtended' though. All those long pauses are embarrassing...
Posted by Darrell Jones at February 26, 2004 09:09 PM
I like it without the laughter track personally. Helps me to forget that the episodes are *supposed* to be funny.
Posted by jesley carrion at February 27, 2004 10:59 AM
I don't miss laughter tracks in "The Office", but I'm not overly keen on the Xtended Tikka to Ride. There are some dreadful pauses as they walk down the deserted street, and sit at the campfire.
Posted by Pete Martin at February 27, 2004 01:00 PM
Is it possible that the excised weren't shown in front of an audience for the laughter track recording? It would explain the lack of it on the X-Tended VHS releases.
I would prefer it without the laughter track as that's how it was originally released.
Posted by Cappsy at February 27, 2004 01:42 PM
Only because you're used to laughter being present in those scenes though. I don't think you'd find them lacking otherwise. I like the absence of the laughter track - it actually made it funnier because I wasn't being told to laugh in a really forced, over the top way that didn't match what the scene was worth. Made the whole thing more atmospheric too.
Posted by jesley carrion at February 27, 2004 01:43 PM
The absence of recorded laughter on some bits would be easily rectified - loads of what you hear in VII is canned anyway. The audience they screened it too were having none of it, and just sat appalled in near-silence.
Posted by Darrell Jones at February 27, 2004 02:06 PM
Is that a fact?
Posted by Cappsy at February 27, 2004 02:09 PM
Yup. I've heard it from more than one source.
Posted by Darrell Jones at February 27, 2004 02:28 PM
Excellent!
Although Series got huge laughs and even CLAPPING from it's studio audience. The deluded fools.
Posted by Cappsy at February 27, 2004 02:32 PM
Which "Series"?
Posted by jesley carrion at February 27, 2004 03:36 PM
VIII.
Not sure what happened there. Sorry chaps.
Posted by Cappsy at February 27, 2004 04:26 PM
>>Although Series VIII got huge laughs and even CLAPPING from it's studio audience. The deluded fools.
It pisses all over Mad About Alice
Posted by Drzymala at February 27, 2004 05:06 PM
That's not the point.
Posted by Cappsy at February 27, 2004 05:12 PM
Yes, VII and VIII are hated by the vast majority. Personally I find Series VIII funny
Posted by Drzymala at February 27, 2004 05:15 PM
I find series VIII funny too and think it 'Pisses'
over a lot of things...I don't think the 'Majority'
hate VII & VIII, but probably don't like them as much as the others and at DJ last year VIII beat
Ser 1 in their poll....I maintain it's down to taste and everyone has different Ideas, but hey, I'm a Deluded Fool :-)
Posted by Cpt-D at February 27, 2004 07:24 PM
"I find series VIII funny too and think it 'Pisses' over a lot of things...I don't think the 'Majority' hate VII & VIII, but probably don't like them as much as the others and at DJ last year VIII beat Ser 1 in their poll....I maintain it's down to taste and everyone has different Ideas, but hey, I'm a Deluded Fool :-)"
VII lacked jokes I feel, 8 didn't, and when you consider alot of comedies it is a cracking series! If you compare it to RD 1-6 then I can see why people don't think they're great. Its my 3rd favourite series if I'm honest, behind 5 then 6
Posted by Drzymala at February 27, 2004 08:07 PM
Stop trying to make series VII and VIII out as being anything more than the lice scraped from a once-magnificent-stallion corpse. It makes me sick.
Posted by jesley carrion at February 27, 2004 08:22 PM
Nice analogy! *applauds*
Posted by Cappsy at February 27, 2004 08:28 PM
>>Stop trying to make series VII and VIII out as being anything more than the lice scraped from a once-magnificent-stallion corpse. It makes me sick.
If thats your view, fair enough. Why don't you go watch Mad About Alice?
Posted by Drzymala at February 27, 2004 08:31 PM
"I'm giving you a big wet sloppy kiss with oodles of Tommy Tongue!"
"But I'm your sister!"
"...Yes. I know. But I was really pleased to see you."
Some of VIII is very funny. It's the inconsistancy (of humor, plot, and the general atmosphere of the show) that is the problem. I really do like a lot of 'Only The Good...' for instance, but most of the mirror universe stuff feels ill-thought-through and rushed, and the ending just doesn't work. But it has some great moments in.
"You're gonna squeeze their rolls? Well, hey, that's irritating. But in many ways they'll be quite relieved."
Posted by John Hoare at February 27, 2004 08:56 PM
8 is inconsistant I agree and the 3 and 2 parters rob you of more eps. I personally think Cassandra is a brilliant episode and kinda like an RD idea of old.
As for jokes, well, it always makes me laugh. All 52 episodes make me laugh, just some eps less than others, mostly in 7 :D
The fact that people waste there time getting upset that they hate 7 and 8 with a passion shows they probably need someone to suck them off
Posted by Drzymala at February 27, 2004 09:06 PM
Oh, I don't have any problem with people getting upset and passionate about it - it's good that people care about something. Just as long as it doesn't spill over into personal abuse, of course.
Posted by John Hoare at February 27, 2004 09:12 PM
I suppose a blow job could be seen as abuse :D 7 and 8 aren't as bad as alot of todays shit, that is all. Theres alot more funnier stuff in the shitter dwarf than there is in about 64 recent comedies created by the Beeb
Posted by Drzymala at February 27, 2004 09:22 PM
A blowjob is only abuse if you use your teeth.
This is probably the most sensible bit of advice ever given in a VII/VIII debate.
Posted by John Hoare at February 27, 2004 09:26 PM
You don't wanna nip the tip, makes you hit the wall when you pee
Posted by Drzymala at February 27, 2004 09:29 PM
"Just as long as it doesn't spill over into personal abuse, of course."
The only reason I'm going with this is that I can't find a character in Red Dwarf with a camp, high-pitched, whining voice for any sort of comparison.
Posted by Plainly Assembled at February 28, 2004 12:01 AM
You cunt.
Posted by John Hoare at February 28, 2004 12:08 AM
What about Kryten in Ouroboros?
Posted by Ian Symes at February 28, 2004 01:40 PM
You cunt.
Posted by John Hoare at February 28, 2004 01:40 PM
Anybody who likes Red Dwarf series VII and VIII sounds like the offspring of Kryten in Ouroboros and the psychiatrist from Back in the Red.
Posted by Plainly Assembled at February 28, 2004 02:53 PM
>> Anybody who likes Red Dwarf series VII and VIII sounds like the offspring of Kryten in Ouroboros and the psychiatrist from Back in the Red.
No, thats just personal opinion. I only like 2 eps in 7 and like series 8. If you dont like that, well, you know which hole you can shove it into
Posted by Drzymala at February 28, 2004 03:00 PM
>> If you dont like that
By that I mean my opinion
Posted by Drzymala at February 28, 2004 03:01 PM
"No, thats just personal opinion."
No, it was personal abuse. As we have already identified.
Posted by Plainly Assembled at February 28, 2004 03:06 PM
Well if its ok to slag off ppl who like 7 & 8 then its ok to slag of those who slag them off :D or summat like that :D
Posted by Drzymala at February 28, 2004 03:22 PM
I said it was "personal" abuse. What are you taking offence for?
Posted by Plainly Assembled at February 28, 2004 04:45 PM
I'm not, I take offence at very little, I cause offence however :D
Posted by Drzymala at February 28, 2004 04:50 PM
Matt - he was making an ironic comment about what John had said.
Posted by Joey at February 28, 2004 08:25 PM
Yesh!?
Posted by Drzymala at February 28, 2004 10:18 PM
You see, I'm too subtle for people who like series VII and VIII.
Posted by Plainly Assembled at February 28, 2004 11:25 PM
Clearly you're talking rubbish :P
Posted by Drzymala at February 29, 2004 10:10 AM
I think this is someone's cue to say "I think everyone's right...except me...so just forget I spoke, okay".
I didn't say it was MY cue, though.
Series 8 is a big pile of poo. Series 7 is a completely different entity so lumping them together always seems unfair. IMHO, 7 is vastly superior to 8.
Okay, so there's not as many "laugh lines" as in 8, but there's also a complete absence of jokes about periods and pantomime characters.
As for this crappy poll at DJ. I suspect the vast majority of the remaining members of TORDFC are still blind to the faults of the show. I was slated from every concievable angle when I suggested that series 7 "wasn't that great" way back in 1997.
Thank Lister they never printed my feelings about series 8.
Posted by Pete Martin at February 29, 2004 09:01 PM
Some fans can't see the sense in picking the show to bits. They say things like "2IT@S RED DWRAF SO ITS GUD sTOP COMPANIN!!!!111"
Posted by Cappsy at February 29, 2004 09:08 PM
"2IT@S RED DWRAF SO ITS GUD sTOP COMPANIN!!!!111"
Never heard anyone say that to be honest, cept that one handed, dim witted, blind norwegian once....
Posted by Drzymala at February 29, 2004 10:59 PM
Yeah, he was a total bastard.
Posted by Cappsy at February 29, 2004 11:05 PM
:D
Posted by Drzymala at March 1, 2004 07:56 AM
"Some fans can't see the sense in picking the show to bits. They say things like "2IT@S RED DWRAF SO ITS GUD sTOP COMPANIN!!!!111""
What they mean is: "It's not worth picking to bits because it's nothing more than light entertainment."
Posted by jesley carrion at March 1, 2004 09:50 AM
It's a lot more than that, to some people.
Posted by Cappsy at March 1, 2004 10:22 AM
Clearly it is worth picking to bits. Hence this website, and countless others like it.
Posted by Ian Symes at March 1, 2004 10:49 AM
Surely if a fan feels that Red Dwarf is "nothing more than light entertainment", paying thirteen quid (or whatever) for fan club membership is a bit daft.
The great thing about Ganymede and Titan, White Hole, BITR and others, is that they acknowledge the faults of the programme but are still enthusiastic about its numerous qualities.
Just becaue you're a fan, it doesn't mean you have to love the show unconditionally.
Posted by Pete Martin at March 1, 2004 01:24 PM
I henceforth declare myself utterly fucking great because nobody else has yet taken the plunge.
Posted by Plainly Assembled at March 1, 2004 02:23 PM
Person A: "Some fans can't see the sense in picking the show to bits. They say things like 'It's not worth picking to bits because it's nothing more than light entertainment.'"
Person B (if you look closely you can tell that it's person A again): "It's a lot more than that, to some people."
I'd just like to say that I find this a particularly funny conversation. I hope there's more.
Posted by jesley carrion at March 1, 2004 02:30 PM
>The great thing about Ganymede and Titan, White Hole, BITR and others, is that they acknowledge the faults of the programme but are still enthusiastic about its numerous qualities.
Well said Pete. If anything does happen in the future with RD i hope we'll see more sites popping up.
Posted by Drzymala at March 1, 2004 02:52 PM
www.aardman.co.uk
Posted by Penguin News at March 1, 2004 04:16 PM
I will like to have more fan sites about. TI could grow into quite a good little website community.
Allthough, it's nice to be in a minority....
Posted by Cappsy at March 1, 2004 04:50 PM
>>I will like to have more fan sites about
Lets hope the Movie happens then :\
Posted by Drzymala at March 1, 2004 05:38 PM
Here's one thing, though. I love Red Dwarf, and I'd love there to be more fansites for it. But seeing as there are RD fansites around, and there are loads of fantastic shows that don't have one, you could argue that it would be better for someone to start up a site for a different show they love...
Posted by John Hoare at March 1, 2004 09:09 PM
Something I've been thinking about doing but I can't think of any of my favourite shows that i can write as passionately about as I can with Red Dwarf.
Posted by Cappsy at March 1, 2004 10:47 PM
I'm going to do Woof!, The Trap Door, and sadly Hippies at some point. It's just a case of finding the time...
Posted by John Hoare at March 1, 2004 10:56 PM
I'm rolling Radio Active/KYTV, Spitting Image, Who Dares Wins and the music of Phil Pope into one site (still probably about a year off), and eventually I'd love to do ones about Armando Iannucci and One Foot in the Grave.
Another ambition is to start a fanzine about comedy songs.
Posted by Darrell Jones at March 2, 2004 01:42 AM
Ian has his own beastiality site, he told me when he was drunk
Posted by Drzymala at March 2, 2004 08:01 AM
Can any of you guys remember this:
http://www.freewebs.com/sammyssupertshirt/faq.html
?
Presumably Woof! was the programme about the ginger-haired kid who found himself turning into a dog every now and then, preceded by an itchy nose and the need to suddenly crouch behind a parked car? Because I used to rush home from school to see that. I also think the holiday programmes like that huge-scale of the Mouse Trap game need some record that they actually existed.
The Knightmare fan-site is very good by the way.
Posted by jesley carrion at March 2, 2004 09:53 AM
I have a pretty clear memory of Sammy's Super T-Shirt, which can only be a compliment since I probably only saw it once about 18 years ago.
Posted by Pete Martin at March 2, 2004 10:25 AM
Yeah, I saw it maybe once as well, the same length of time ago, but it's stuck like a rock in my memory. It was a lot of effort to find that website - I couldn't remember the title of the film so I had to search by what I could remember, found the Childrens Film Foundation website that had that one listed, along with another one I could remember about some several silver balls that were magical all jangling around causing things to happen, actually pre-dating ET so there. That one's called Glitterball I think.
Anyway, old programmes are great. They should still make old programmes now, they're much better.
Posted by jesley carrion at March 2, 2004 10:45 AM
Yep, that was Woof! - a brilliant programme. It got very close to launch, and then was put on hold when I got involved in G&T; but believe it or not, even I get bored writing about Dwarf CONSTANTLY, so it would be good to have a change. There's hardly anything about it on the net; there's not even an episode guide. I did get as far as putting one together from old Radio Times listings...
The Knightmare site is superb, you're right. Exactly how to do a fansite.
Posted by John Hoare at March 2, 2004 05:13 PM
Can anyone else remember that huge-scale Mouse Trap game on Children's TV? Or a similar thing with a dungeon with kids apparently being tortured by being stretched on racks and having slime poured over them etc? And something else in a caravan and some kind of talking bi-pedal goat or sheep or something. These weren't programmes as such, as far as I can remember, but the bits surrounding the programmes, perhaps like Dick and Dom are now. Perhaps exclusively weekend or holiday shows.
If anyone has any video recordings of kids TV they should post clips onto emule or something. The Knightmare site has adverts and Children's TV intro-segments from the 80s and they make me feel really warm. I recorded a fragment of the Broom Cupboard with Philip Scofield back in them days, with Heathcliffe & Marmaduke, Top Cat, Record Breakers and something else, but it was in audio and a few weeks later I wiped over fragments of it with me being a vulgar six year old (or whatever age).
This is all totally relevant to the thread, so.
Posted by jesley carrion at March 2, 2004 08:20 PM
I'm dying to do a Quantum Leap site but they're already 10 a penny.
Posted by Cappsy at March 2, 2004 09:31 PM
Incidentally, find your favourite Children's Film Foundation film listed here:
http://tv.cream.org/lookin/cff/
Read it and weep fat boys. (From the era of when Oven Chip adverts didn't have to be politically correct.)
Posted by jesley carrion at March 2, 2004 09:49 PM
Weep at the content or the colour of the text?
Posted by Cappsy at March 2, 2004 10:02 PM
Most excellent.
Posted by John Hoare at March 2, 2004 10:04 PM
"Most Excellent" - to be said in an English accent just like Bill & Ted did.
Posted by jesley carrion at March 2, 2004 11:10 PM
"Can anyone else remember that huge-scale Mouse Trap game on Children's TV?"
Yes. I think Neil Buchanan was in charge of it. Wasn't it on a Saturday morning ITV thing called Motormouth?
"And something else in a caravan and some kind of talking bi-pedal goat or sheep or something."
(K)Nobby the sheep from Ghost Train?
Bits of Parallel 9 (Saturday mornings BBC1) were done in a caravan. The guests would come into the caravan on Earth and be teleported to Parallel 9!! Mercator Mk 1 had big long eyebrows and Brian the leather jacket-wearing pink dinosaur from Rotherham's catchphrase was 'Cup o' tea?' That's all I can remember.
I turned 21 last month, and God do I feel old?
Posted by clem at March 3, 2004 12:32 AM
Well I'm 24, so.
Posted by jesley carrion at March 3, 2004 09:50 AM
Was it really Neil Buchanan who did that? My memory tells me it was a black guy who would make "mooarhahaha!" laughter sounds (and who would try to speak in a deep voice a bit like the Knightmare bloke). I guess I'm blending it with the dungeon thing though. And I thought Motormouth and Mouse Trap were separate, that Motormouth had its own game within it, but I'm willing to be proven wrong on that too. Meanwhile I think it's sick that I was led to believe Mouse Trap was a good contraption-based game from that large-scale version. I excitedly requested and received the game one Christmas and discovered it to be shit. All flimsy, and annoying to assemble, and I could have forgiven the board game being as boring as hell, had the contraption part not been the same kind of novelty-pact that wore off as Boglins were destined to be! And could I win a Hi-Fi system or BMX or TV & Video with it? No is the answer to that. Fucking sponsorship. (Did anyone else believe that Hardware shoes could beat off evil creatures because of the shape of the red line underneath?)
Do you reckon, in the human-scale version of the game, that the contraption worked perfectly every time, live on air, or did they show pre-filmed footage of the contraption doing its thing as separate from the live bits? Or pre-film and edit the whole lot. Can you imagine how boring that would have been for everyone, presumably shivering in that studio because it was large and had a bare concrete floor, just waiting for the contraption to do what it was supposed to do? Because if that Mouse Trap game was anything like the one in the shops that boot would rarely kick the bucket straight for a start. And that trap would have been endlessly falling of its own accord, without the intervention of that comatose green bloke. Can anyone remember whether the green bloke in the large scale version had little stubby bits prodding out of his sides from where he was formerly attached to some larger infinity of them? Or whether they actually just took a real dead person who was mildewed and stiff from rigamortis?
And yes this is continuing to be on-topic.
Posted by jesley carrion at March 3, 2004 11:20 AM
"The guests would come into the caravan on Earth and be teleported to Parallel 9!!"
Some things in my youth made me feel ill at the time. "Ghost Train" and "Parallel 9" ring quite considerable bells to me. Something about the inanity of the guests and their burbled words, the cramped conditions of the location (not in a pleasant Broom Cupboard way either) and some kind of electronic culture of music that I never dug makes the terms "Ghost Train" and "Parallel 9" resonate deeply within me and stir a kind of emotional brain-oriented version of irritable bowel syndrome. Perhaps the very first period in my life of being utterly bored by something but forcing myself to watch it anyway?
Just now I'm thinking of the foam head that Nobby the Sheep had and want to pick his fucking features off, leaving great ugly foam-pick indentation wounds, just like I did with that mattress I had and several car seats. Yes people it was me!
Proof just beginning to emerge that we do indeed need a separate forum to discuss this stuff. Or for me to go on my own if you all so wish.
Posted by jesley carrion at March 3, 2004 12:44 PM
It might be an idea, you know; I'll think about it for the relaunch.
However, until then, don't worry about going off-topic. There's only so much Dwarf talk even I can take before my head explodes.
LIKE LISTERS IN JUSHTICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by John Hoare at March 3, 2004 05:02 PM
Fab. I was feeling just a tad guilty there.
Posted by jesley carrion at March 3, 2004 07:10 PM
Oh, scroll down and feel nostalgic looking at the pictures here: http://www.angelfire.com/mb/boglins/ and here: http://www.80sarchives.com/toys/line.php?ID=35&series_show=&offset=
I've found a website which states that the original Boglins are now quite valuable creations in their boxes/cages if they are well preserved.
Curse my father who made me throw away the boxes/cages to make them squash together more efficiently in a cardboard box to shove in the loft. Curse him will you! And my mother who was met by his same wrath many years earlier, losing her Pemblefinn Rabbits or whatever they're called by the same fate - the originals of those (which she had) became valuable long ago. She was crying about having to lose those and not because of any potential rise in collectors value!
And let me just say my parents' house is stuffed with stuff that that "throw away all your junk" programme would have a ball with: newspapers, old Radio Timeses (plural anybody?), door handles, dead batteries, film cases, piles of videos of things taped off the telly, you name it. All MY DAD'S STUFF!
Posted by Plainly Assembled at March 3, 2004 07:26 PM
"However, until then, don't worry about going off-topic."
You might regret having said that. Sorry.
I've found this page talking about Mouse Trap which I thought was only in my head before this thread: http://www.ukgameshows.com/atoz/programmes/m/motormouth/
And I'd just like to say I was right: "So, Steve Johnson (previously doing It's Torture and Gunge 'Em In The Dungeon for Motormouth) cajoled two kids to make it round the four sides of the game board within eight (later seven) minutes."
That's the "mooarhahaha!" bloke, not Neil Buchanan by the way. And I now know the titles of the dungeon programmes so there.
Posted by jesley carrion at March 3, 2004 07:39 PM
Anybody else notice Motormouth actually being The Clothes Show in disguise?:
http://www.paulmorris.co.uk/satkids/motormouth.htm
Because I didn't notice it at the time.
Posted by Plainly Assembled at March 3, 2004 07:48 PM
"old Radio Timeses... piles of videos of things taped off the telly"
This isn't junk, boy! Whatever you do, don't let them throw it away!
Posted by Darrell Jones at March 3, 2004 11:19 PM
Warner Brothers could have bought the rights to the following action figure and saved themselves a lot of time, money and effort designing and moulding the Neo doll. Just sunglasses and a black cape would have done it:
http://www.80sarchives.com/toys/toy.php?ID=804&offset=0&series_show=1st
Posted by jesley carrion at March 4, 2004 12:34 AM
"Warner Brothers could have bought the rights to the following action figure and saved themselves a lot of time, money and effort designing and moulding the Neo doll. Just sunglasses and a black cape would have done it"
Dude, that would have been most heinous, not to mention totally bogus of them.
Posted by clem S. Preston, Esq. at March 4, 2004 09:56 PM
It would indeed be non-triumphant.
I think a crafty reincorporation of the line "Most Excellent" is required here.
Hopefully our little quotations won't ruin the fantastic surprise awaiting anybody who clicks on that action figure link.
Posted by jesley carrion at March 4, 2004 11:21 PM
the guy who presented Mouse Trap was called Steve Johnson
Posted by Ciaran at March 6, 2004 12:29 PM
I already posted with: "So, Steve Johnson (previously doing It's Torture and Gunge 'Em In The Dungeon for Motormouth) cajoled two kids to make it round the four sides of the game board within eight (later seven) minutes," so you can stop feeling revelatory now (you've had 8 days).
Posted by jesley carrion at March 14, 2004 09:27 PM
The Mouse Trap green man was quite big, and if I remember rightly, the "trap" was suspended from the roof by a wire. But I could be wrong about that.
Posted by Mr Flibble at March 21, 2004 09:00 AM
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