TW Talks to Legend Adrienne Barbeau

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

Adrienne Jo Barbeau is an American actress and author best known for her roles in one-time husband John Carpenter’s horror films such as Someone’s Watching Me!, The Fog, Escape from New York, and The Thing, all John Carpenter-related projects. She has also worked with George A. Romero on Creepshow and Due occhi diabolici. Her work with other horror directors includes the Wes Craven comic book monster movie Swamp Thing. More recently she has become well known as the voice of Catwoman in Batman: The Animated series.

TW: How did you get into acting?

AB: My mother sort of prodded me to take ballet lessons when I was little and then voice lessons in the fifth grade, and by the time I was in high school, I was doing musicals with the San Jose Civic Light Opera, which was a very commercially successful community theatre organization in the San Francisco Bay area.

TW: You won universal acclaim as Rizzo in the stage musical version of Grease for which you also won a Theatre World Award. Do you like musicals?

AB: Not really. I’d much rather read a book than see a musical. There are a few I love doing (my first Broadway role was Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof and this past summer I did the show once again, this time playing Golde) and I love the score to Jesus Christ, Superstar and to Chess, but I’m not really a musical comedy fan.

TW: Maude was a huge success with Bea Arthur who would later go onto the Golden Girls. What are your fondest memories of your time on the show?

AB: It would be easier to answer what my least fond memories were – none. I loved doing Maude for the entire six years we were all together. They truly were my family – Conrad Bain, especially. He played Maude’s next door neighbor, Arthur. Connie just passed away a few weeks ago and I feel his loss deeply, as I do with Bea.

TW: It must be wonderful when an on screen relationship boils over into real life. What was Bea like to work with? She is a favourite in our house.

AB: Bea was the most giving actress I could ever hope to work with. All she cared about was making the show the best it could be; if that meant giving someone else the joke, she was the first person to suggest it. She was the ultimate professional. Always the first in the rehearsal hall and the last to leave. Knew her lines by the end of our first work day. And a warm, loving, funny, funny surrogate mom who could cook rings around the rest of us.

TW: You are to this day a sex symbol to millions. Are you comfortable with that?

AB: You know, the funny thing about that label is that I’ve probably only done two or three sex scenes in my career – and the first one was with a slimy green monster. But I don’t mind, not at all. As long as that’s not the only label they pin on me.

I’ve probably only done two or three sex scenes in my career – and the first one was with a slimy green monster

TW: You wrote your autobiography There Are Worse Things I Could Do which is very insightful. you come across as a very open and honest person. Are those qualities you respect in people?

AB: Oh yes. Communication is of the utmost importance to me. Probably why I don’t like texting. I want to hear the emotions in your voice, especially if I can’t see the expression on your face. And honesty is a given. I’m always stunned with astonishment at discovering someone I know might have lied. I tend not to know them for long after that.

TW: You were married to John Carpenter for a time and appeared in several of his movies. Which one holds the fondest memories for you?

AB: Oh boy, that’s a hard one. I love The Fog because I love the location where we filmed, and the entire cast and crew were like family. I love Escape because I love my character, Maggie, and I had such a good time with all the guys – Kurt, Donald Pleasance, Ernie Borgnine, Harry Dean, Isaac Hayes. And Someone’s Watching Me is the film on which I met John, so that’s special, too.

TW: John seems a very hands on director who brings out the best in his casts and knows exactly what he wants. Does it inspire actors when they watch a director like this at work?

AB: I guess it depends on the actor. I loved being directed by John; I’ve never heard one of his actors say otherwise.

TW: The Fog is one of my personal favourites ever, the remake was awful. Did you like the way Stevie’s storyline was a virtual standalone movie on its own? She was a strong lady who faced the pirates alone.

AB: I love Stevie, yes, definitely. I never really thought about the fact that she was all alone throughout the film, at least not at the time we were shooting. I just loved that she was willing to sacrifice so much to do her job and help save others.

TW: That sequence on top of the lighthouse was breathtaking. Was it a hard one to do?

AB: It was only hard in that I had to act the entire scene in reverse – to allow for the fact that they couldn’t make the fog evaporate on cue, they could only shoot it into the scene, not suck it out. It’s a lot easier to understand if you read the chapter in my book. I still get exhausted just trying to explain!

TW: You also did Escape from New York. When you were doing these movies did you realize they were classics?

AB: No. Not at all.

TW: Kurt Russell seems a very intense actor that has fun along the way. Is he a delight to work with?

AB: Kurt is definitely a delight. A great actor and a good, good guy. We don’t share the same political views, but that never stopped us from enjoying each other.

TW: You have also done voice work for Batman and other animated shows. Is that a harder genre as the performance lies in the vocalization rather than visuals?

AB: I don’t think it’s half as hard; it’s just pure fun. And I don’t have to put on make-up or stand out in the freezing cold at 3 a.m. in some flimsy costume or worry about what my hair looks like! Who could ask for a better gig?

Kurt is definitely a delight. A great actor and a good, good guy. We don’t share the same political views, but that never stopped us from enjoying each other

TW: Did that lead to the computer game characters? Are you a games fan?

AB: No, I’m not a gamer, but I love the way my stock went up with my older son, Cody Carpenter, who’s been playing games for 25 years, and my almost 16 year olds, who love them, too. Of course, they play FIFA most of the time, but they’re still impressed that mom is ‘in’ Halo 4 and God of War and some of the others.

TW: In Star Trek you played a Romulan.Do prosthetics bother you?

AB: Only when the make-up artist screws up and they have to be re-applied a bunch of times. That didn’t happen on Star Trek, though. They had their procedure down to a science.

TW: You filmed a scene for the Halloween remake which ended up cut from the movie. Is that frustrating as an actor to discover you ended up on the cutting room floor?

AB: That was the first time that had happened to me and it was just more of a surprise than anything else. I guess it hadn’t crossed my mind that it could happen. But in that case, the fun was in doing the scene with Malcolm and working with Rob Zombie, so it really didn’t bother me to lose it from the finished project.

TW: Carnivale was a great show. What attracted you to the role of Ruthie?

AB: I loved Ruthie. Loved the whole show and everyone attached. Even the caterers were great. But just imagine, at a time when most roles for women my age are nurses or judges or lawyers, being able to play a sensual, spiritual, psychic, snake dancer who has a love affair with a boy half her age, and sees dead people to boot!

TW: You also starred on stage as Judy Garland. What research does an actor have to do when playing a real life celebrity? Are you a fan of Judy’s work?

AB: I really wasn’t familiar with her work before I started my research. What I became a fan of, more than her singing or acting even, was her wit and her ability to tell a story. She was a true raconteur – or raconteuse, if that’s the feminine form of the word.

TW: And you also starred in Argo which is a great movie. It must be very satisfying to stand back and see all your hard work click into place in a movie that everyone loves?

AB: I’m very proud to be a part of Argo. I absolutely love it.

TW: What are you working on at the moment?

AB: Well, that’s the downside of having done Argo. The last three projects I’ve been offered pale so in comparison that I turned them down. Next week I start on a new video game, but that has to remain nameless until it’s released. And my third book (second vampire novel) Love Bites just went on sale as a digital ebook on Amazon.

I’m very proud to be a part of Argo. I absolutely love it.

TW: Where can our readers find out more about you and your upcoming projects?

AB: My website is www.abarbeau.com and my twitter account is also @abarbeau. There are several Facebook pages that purport to be me, but the one I oversee is Adrienne Barbeau and you can tell it’s the real one because I mention my boys’ soccer team in my profile. I’m pretty good about keeping in touch. And if any of your readers are in London this summer, I’m planning on appearing there to sign photos and say hello. Check my website for the specifics.

TW: Adrienne, many thanks.

Heroes of Doctor Who: Dodo

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

Every week we look back at one of the characters from Doctor Who’s long history, it could be a major character or a minor one, but they all helped create the history – and character – of the Doctor.

Dodo literally stumbled aboard the Tardis without explanation. Played by Jackie Hill, Dodo seemed to be the victim of behind the scenes politics and bad writing in an era where change was about to sweep the show.

Before long, we would see not only Steven and Dodo disappear but the first Doctor too. In her handful of stories Dodo was a resilient girl who slipped right into the trio but with very little character development. It was believed by Steven that she was the descendant of one Ann Chaplet, a woman he had become close to but had been forced to leave behind on the Doctor’s orders during the Massacre. History had, according to the Doctor, decided she was to die but it seemed he was wrong when fate threw Dodo through the doors and into their lives. The sloppy entrance was explained in the BBC novel Salvation where Dodo becomes a fully-rounded character with a background. Aliens impersonating gods threatened the world and Dodo was part of it all.

But on television she served as the viewer’s hook to the Doctor’s world. She was the first companion to sing as the adventure the Gunfighters saw her and Steven become an unlikely duo at the battle of the OK Corral where the Doctor is mistaken for Wyatt Earp.

She was also the first companion responsible for changing the course of an entire species when she passed the common cold to humans aboard the Ark. This allowed the one-eyed alien slaves, the Monoids, to become the dominant force aboard the generational ship. It was also the first time a real live elephant appeared on the show. As with many episodes of this time, some are missing, having been wiped by the BBC as per their policy of the day. Therefore we are missing the majority of the Celestial Toymaker, a fondly remembered story where the Doctor faces an eternal entity called the Toymaker who trapped space travellers and forced them to play his games. However they were fixed to fail and those poor souls became pawns in the Toymaker’s games for all eternity.

Dodo and Steven face the majority of the story alone against the games where they have to rely on their own wits to survive while the Doctor is trapped at the mercy of the Toymaker.

This gave Dodo a real drive and showed the potential she could have had in the best traditions of a Doctor Who companion. However, her day was over when Steven left them in the Savages. She and the Doctor land in modern day London where they meet new companions Ben and Polly in a battle against the force Wotan and its War Machines. And she didn’t get a proper exit, something I still find disrespectful to any character in any show. Dodo simply disappeared, having gone home and leaving the Doctor a note. As I’ve said before, if you put a character on screen to help viewers identify with the Doctor’s world, then viewers invest time and emotion in them. To simply wipe them off like a second thought is an insult to both the actor and audience alike.

Jackie has rarely given interviews about her time on the show, she has done some conventions but mostly remains private. Thankfully, the novels have helped in redefining the characters of old as it seems writers see the opportunity to enhance those that weren’t well served by their time on the show. She hasn’t as yet done any Big Finish audio plays but there is always the chance. In this upcoming fiftieth year, it is more important than ever to look back and realize that every companion has helped build the legacy that is Doctor Who. Dodo is no exception and she may one day return through those police box doors in one form or another.

TW talks to Brent Spiner

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

Few fans of modern sci-fi will not recognise the face of Mr Brent Spiner. One of the few who can truly be called a living legend in the world of sci-fi. From the iconic Mr Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation, to Independence Day, from Frazier to Warehouse 13, from The Big Bang Theory to his new webseries Fresh Hell, Brent is a big part of what we here at the Time Warriors love so much. Owen had the honour of chatting to Brent recently…

TW: Was acting something you always wanted to do?

BS: As far back as I can remember I wanted to be an actor. I used to do pratfalls when I was a small boy. An homage to Jerry Lewis, I think.

TW: You have a wonderful singing voice. Was music part of your childhood?

BS: Yes. I had a stepfather between the ages of 6 and 13. He had owned a record store at one time and kept many of his favorite recordings. We listened to them at dinner every night. Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Louis Prima, you name it.

TW: You moved to New York and acted in several musicals including Sunday in the Park with George. Was that daunting the first time you did it or did you think, man , I’m living the dream here?

BS: It wasn’t really daunting because that’s what I’d been trained to do. It was exciting. But, I had a great teacher in high school who directed a musical every year. He was really a sort of genius. I’ve been in Broadway musicals that weren’t as good as the shows we did in high school. So, I was really prepared when I got my first breaks. Of course, working with the likes of Stephen Sondheim was beyond a dream.

“Humans don’t really need to shoot each other. It’s not one of the essentials”

TW: Who were your musical influences?

BS: Truly, everyone I ever listened to. As I said before, Sinatra, who was, of course, the greatest. But I liked Bing Crosby and Perry Como and Roy Orbison and Elvis and, well, I could go on and on.

TW: What gives you the better challenge as an actor, breaking a character down in a script or giving him an additional voice through song?

BS: It’s all challenging and fun at the same time. Acting is very ephemeral. You never really know whether you’re going to solve all of the problems and come up with something believable and interesting. You just give it your best shot. Acting, singing, it’s all the same. A series of problems to be solved.

TW: You are also have great comedy timing as shown in the recent Big bang Theory and Fresh Hell, your new web series. Is comedy a quality you try to being to any role?

BS: Yes. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever done anything that wasn’t seasoned with a little comedy. It’s what I do best. Of course, it corresponds to my world view. I see everything as a bit of a comedy.

TW: I have to ask were the cast of Big bang Theory star struck when you came to the show?

BS: You’d have to ask them. They didn’t bow or anything. But they were very nice. Remember, Wil Wheaton and Levar had already been there (both starred with Brent in Star Trek: The Next generation as Geordie and Wesley). So, I don’t think it was that big a deal to them.

TW: Threshold was an amazing show, Such a high concept and intelligent story line, way ahead of its time. Were you disappointed it never got the chance to go further?

BS: I think we’re going to do another season. It’s not written yet, but we have a lot of ideas for it. In fact, we have enough ideas for at least two or three more seasons.

TW: How did Fresh Hell come about? It’s very Curb Your Enthusiasm in nature and you play it so well. It’s a great examination of the culture of celebrity and fame where you really take yourself to new heights. it’s almost docu-drama of a sort with the comedy element like the porn star agent.

BS: It’s an idea I’d toyed with for a long time. I met the director, Chris Ellis, and told him about it. He liked it and brought on the brilliant writer, Harry Hannigan. We like to think of it as a sit-trag. It’s funny, but it’s also painful. And as much as it is about the double edged sword of celebrity, it’s really about all of us who’ve gotten older and feel used up. The character has been kicked out of a fraternity he’s always wanted to be in and is desperate to get back to where he once belonged. That’s happened to a lot of people. Particularly during these uncertain economic times.

“I see everything as a bit of a comedy.”

TW: Is there a chance it could do to a full television series?

BS: I wish. I’d like to have a budget so we could pay the people who work for us. If you know anyone who wants to finance it for tv, send them my way.

TW: In the heckling scene in the theatre you get told to talk like a Borg and engage, all Star Trek references. Was that based on a real life experience?

BS: Not at all.

“I think we’re going to do another season [Of Threshold]. It’s not written yet, but we have a lot of ideas for it”

TW: How do you relax?

BS: I don’t.

TW: Are there any musical roles that you still want to play?

BS: I did a production of “Man of La Mancha” in Los Angeles. It was an extraordinary production. Brilliant director with a brilliant concept. I’d like to do it in New York or London, but the lyricist, who holds the rights, won’t give them to me. He doesn’t seem to think I’m a big enough star to do it. Shame.

TW: If Brent Spiner became president, what would the first thing you would change about the world?

BS: No more guns. For anyone. If you get caught with one, you go to jail. Humans don’t really need to shoot each other. It’s not one of the essentials, like food or freedom. And no more genetically modified food.

TW: Would you take part in any reality television like Dancing With the Stars?

BS: Not in the least. Is being on one of those shows a good thing? I don’t know maybe if I did, the lyricist of “Man of La Mancha” would give me the rights.

TW: Looking back over your career, what has been the highlight so far?

BS: I’ve had many. But they all involve the people I’ve gotten to meet and work with. I’ve always been a fan, myself. And working with people I’ve admired has been the biggest thrill.

Heroes of Doctor Who: Sarah Jane Smith

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

Once again we wander with the Doctor through the many people in his travels who helped define the man, the time traveller and the character. Of all the ones we’ve covered so far, it’s arguable that none have been more important that today’s…

You know that old saying you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone? Well, I never really knew what that meant until Elizabeth Sladen passed away.

It’s hard to believe it’s over two years (20th April, 2011) since this talented actress passed away from cancer. Indeed it’s easy to think she’s still out there making a brand new series of the Sarah Jane Adventures.

When her death was announced it was like a family member died. Liz was so young looking and full of life and yet, in the space of a few short months, she was gone. It truly was a blow to fandom and the showbiz world in general. No one had a bad word to say about her and she was genuinely loved. She was the bridge between generations, amassing a whole legion of new fans as well as all the classic Who fans.

Sarah Jane debuted in the third Doctor story the Time Warrior, a spirited journalist who ended up fighting a Sontaran in medieval England. She was deeply suspicious of the Doctor at first, believing he was behind the disappearances of the world’s leading scientists. Not only did she witness this new monster but it was also the first story to name the Doctor’s home planet of Gallifrey. It was also June Brown’s only Doctor Who appearance and is now the nation’s favourite busybody Dot Cotton in EastEnders.

Realizing her mistake, Sarah Jane struck a quick rapport with the Doctor, battling Ice Warriors, seeing a dinosaur invasion, Daleks and giant spiders which ultimately led to the Pertwee regeneration into Tom Baker.

And here was where the magic really began. To this day no other era or companion stirs such fond memories as the fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane. Together they embarked on true classics which seemed to just flow week after week. She was the first to encounter Davros, the deadly creator of the Daleks which came full circle in Journey’s End when she faced Davros once more alongside the tenth Doctor. From the Zygons, to the Krynoids and Mandragora, Sarah faced them all, her relationship with the Doctor was one of deep love and friendship. She and Tom had a fantastic chemistry off screen which translated on screen, cementing the fourth Doctor and Sarah in everyone’s hearts. It seemed she would be there forever and became the second companion ever to be thrown off the Tardis (the first being Susan) because the Doctor had been recalled to Gallifrey and aliens were forbidden and in the comic strip the seventh Doctor told her he changed that rule when he became president. To change a fundamental law that had stood for centuries is a true testament to how much the Doctor admired and respected Sarah. It could be said that he wanted to travel alone after this because it hurt too much when Sarah left.

But such was the impact of Sarah Jane Smith that she was asked to return to see in the fifth Doctor’s arrival but Liz declined. But she did return in the first ever spin off – K9 and company. Intended as a launch pad to a new series, it wasn’t to be but she teamed up with the third Doctor in the Five Doctors where she faced the Cybermen and a Raston Warrior robot. She appeared in Downtime, a video spin-off staring Sarah Jane, Victoria and the Brigadier. This was stuff of pure fan boy dreams and just left people wanting more.

Although she continued her adventures in numerous novels and comic strips, it wasn’t until the tenth Doctor’s first season that the bridge was truly made between the old Doctor Who and the new and it came in the form of Sarah Jane Smith when she and K9 met the Doctor again in a battle with the bat-like Krillitanes in a school. The moment she saw the Tardis and turned to face the new Doctor was pure magic and for me personally, this was the moment David Tennant became the Doctor. Seemingly having forgotten the events of the Five Doctors, Sarah revealed she had been in love with the Doctor and she waited for him but when he never came back, she thought he was dead. This meeting freed her from the past and she left with a brand new K9 (above) and zest for life but not before telling Rose life with the Doctor was worth getting her heart broken.

And of course Russell T. Davies had other ideas and children’s television asked him to create a new show for younger viewers. So the Sarah Jane Adventures was born. Sarah would become the Doctor figure with two young friends and a new son in the form of Luke who had been created by the squid like Bane (top). The show was a ratings success and used its parent show’s aliens, including the Slitheen, Sontarans and finally brought back the Brigadier for one last adventure before his death tragically a few months before Liz herself, as well as creating new villains and monsters of her own. The kids loved it and so did everyone else. K9 returned eventually before being carted off with Luke to university. For a kid’s show, it dealt with hard-hitting adult themes including Alzheimer’s disease and the plight of the homeless in the Curse of Clyde Langer which showed even Sarah Jane and her team were helpless in the face of real human problems. Even the tenth and eleventh Doctors returned in two stories and so did Jo Grant (below) to stand beside Sarah Jane in the Death of the Doctor. Both series were tied together in brilliant and imaginative ways and the cast became ambassadors for the show as much as the Doctor Who team and the joy was that fans didn’t see them as a separate entity but part of the Who universe.

Liz was due to rejoin the fourth Doctor in a brand new series of adventures for Big Finish but her untimely death put paid to that. When the announcement of the team up came, people were genuinely excited at the old magic returning, but it wasn’t meant to be.

With only three adventures completed for broadcast, the last story was one of family and the cementing of new character Skye as Sarah’s daughter alongside Luke, her adopted son.

And that was it. It is hard to believe she’s gone and so is the series and we will never see or hear her again in new adventures, but the body of work that is genuinely loved by people all over the world is breathtaking and a real achievement to the lady herself.

If I achieve even half of what Liz Sladen has, I’ll be a happy man.

Heroes of Doctor Who: Adric

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

One of the most maligned companions ever, Adric, played by Matthew Waterhouse was introduced to replace outgoing companions Romana and K9 in Tom Baker’s final season.

The character outline was for Adric to be an Artful Dodger type, straight out of Oliver Twist. The signs were good; according to John Nathan Turner, Matthew gave an outstanding audition and I remember him being introduced on Top of the Pops a few days before his debut in episode one of Full Circle and feeling excited about this new companion.

The Tardis is drawn into another universe and lands on the planet Alzarius just as Mistfall comes – and when the mist comes so do the giants. Adric is a mathematical genius but yearns to be with his rebel brother who has rejected life aboard the Starliner which is preparing to return to their homeworld, Terradon, which is engaged in a relentless system repair. Challenged to prove his loyalty to his brother’s gang, Adric steals some fruit but is chased by a Decider who is swallowed by the swamp. Injured, he stumbles across the Tardis.

Despite his super healing abilities, Adric contributes little to the story and stows away when the Doctor resolves everything. Their next battle is against vampires and here’s where Adric’s character begins to unravel as he pretends to side with the vampires but the acting doesn’t really convince and the execution doesn’t pull it together. Again, in Warrior’s Gate – Romana’s final story – Adric does little but wander about and get captured.

But in Keeper of Traken he finds a friend in Nyssa, daughter of the tragic Tremas but Matthew’s acting is again lacking. It’s as if the writers aren’t sure what to do with him and his character is all over the place.

Now, it has been well documented that Matthew wasn’t well-liked by his co-stars who, to this day, haven’t changed their minds, despite meeting him for several DVD documentaries, and the infamous story of his giving national treasure Richard Todd acting tips have gone down in Who history. Again, in Kinda and Four to Doomsday he attempts his pretend to betray the Doctor trick and given the backstage gossip you have to wonder how much Janet Fielding’s real life dislike of him ran over into the scripts but you can sort of understand.

However, it also reflects lazy writing and complete lack of defining the character beforehand, so to put all the blame on the actor isn’t really fair. There is no point in sticking a character in a show just to fill numbers. What was intended never materialized character wise. In Castrovalva he is kept prisoner by the Master, his mathematical abilities tapped to help create the illusionary town of Castrovalva as a lure for the Doctor. It is Adric that saves them as the town, actually a space/time trap, begins to collapse and as Adric is the one that created it, only he can see the way out. Even in The Visitation and Black Orchid Adric does little more than eat and run around a forest including suffering the old classic: a sprained ankle. The classics never die do they?

However contracts had been signed and he had to appear in these stories. There was an attempt to show a possible relationship with Nyssa which ultimately went nowhere. Perhaps it was the increased numbers in the Tardis crew that caused his character to fade away. However in Earthshock not only did the Cybermen return and kick ass, but Adric joined an exclusive Doctor Who club that he shares with only two other companions.

He died.

The Cybermen have accidentally sent a bomb-filled freighter back in time where it was to crash and cause the extinction of the dinosaurs. It cannot be changed, it is history and the Doctor is helpless to stop it. As Tegan and Nyssa beg him to go back for Adric, the camera cuts to the boy, knowing what is coming, all alone and futilely holding the wires of the computer that could save everything, he says quietly, “Well, now I’ll never know” (see video below)…

Bang. Adric is no more. And the tragedy is, Adric will never know that he just saved the Earth. He dies believing his death is for nothing. He appears as a hallucination in the next story Time Flight but outside of that he never returns bar comic strip appearances and novels where he is actually used to great effec,t especially missing adventure Cold Fusion where the fifth and seventh Doctors meet and there is a beautiful moment where the fifth Doctor notices the seventh Doctor looking sadly at Adric and he cannot say what is to come.

In the Big Finish story The Boy that Time Forgot, it is revealed Adric survived the explosion and is now an old megalomaniac the Doctor must stop. However he isn’t played by Waterhouse but by Andrew Sachs. To date, Matthew has been the only surviving companion not to return to the role in Big Finish. He now lives in America and has published his autobiography which is fascinating stuff. He gives his side of the story and even in the DVD commentaries there is still a hint of old wounds.

Love him or loathe him, Adric is a part of history and in the seconds of his death, viewers forgot they disliked him and mourned his loss. Now if only that standard of writing had been put into his character from the very beginning then maybe history would have played out very differently.

Doctor Who The First Question

By Owen Quinn author o the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

It’s been fifty years coming! Tonight we may or may not discover the Doctor’s name and his greatest secret but did you know it’s been done before? Owen looks back twenty five years to the seventh Doctor’s battle with Nazis, Cybermen and the Lady Peinforte, a witch that knows his greatest secret, the secret that must never be told, Doctor Who?

It is the question that has been asked from the very first episode. Even then, the Doctor didn’t know or at least seemed not to. Ian Chesterton calls him Doctor Foreman and the Doctor mutters to himself, ‘Eh? Doctor Who?’. Whilst we learned that he was a Time Lord from Gallifrey who had stolen a magic box who was on the run from his own people, it seemed that was it. Now the question has become legend and is the first question, the oldest question in the universe and one that must never be answered. The answer terrifies the Silence who never want it revealed, so the Doctor must die before he reaches the Fields of Trenzalore where the question will be asked at the fall of the eleventh.

It seems a relatively new concept to most viewers but the question was tackled before. During the seventh Doctor’s era at the time of the 25th anniversary, Silver Nemesis saw the introduction of one Lady Peinforte played by Fiona Walker, a sorceress from the 17th century (see video below). It was revealed that she knew the Doctor’s secret and who he really was. In a battle that saw the Cybermen, Peinforte and Nazis race to possess the Nemesis, an ancient weapon of mass destruction from Gallifrey, the Doctor was almost revealed as he came face to face with the witch. She had previously encountered the second Doctor in an unseen adventure in which, somehow, she learned who he was. When they came face to face at the climax of the story, the question was asked: “Doctor Who? Have you never wondered where he came from, who he is?” Ace (Sophie Aldred) replies, “Nobody knows who the Doctor is.” Peinforte grins and answers slyly: “Except me.”

All of this was part of the Andrew Cartmel grand plan to reintroduce mystery to the character. We all thought we knew who the Doctor was, but did we really? As the old saying goes, you never really know anyone for sure and here it seemed the Doctor had a secret history. In the novelization of Remembrance of the Daleks, we saw flashbacks to Gallifrey when Omega and Rassilon gained the power of time travel for the Time Lords. Official history always said that these two were responsible but a third person was introduced. Known only as the Other, he was a shadowy figure that ensured that the event took place and when we later discover that the first Doctor had actually arrived on Earth to leave the Hand of Omega, another super weapon, for the Daleks to find, everything we knew went out the window.

It was indicated that the Doctor was in fact the Other and may at some point become this character from the dawn of Time Lord history itself. Other theories included that the Doctor had somehow become part of this character in an unseen adventure, almost a host of sorts, possibly at the moment of one of his regenerations Could it be his life as a wandering traveller was merely his way of blowing off steam as the momentous events that shaped the future of the Time Lord race faded into the background? Was he the Other who had somehow become immortal and survived from that day,assuming a new identity to cover some secret?

We know from the Three Doctors that Omega had become trapped in an anti-matter universe when he was presumed dead and that Borusa is alive and well in the Tomb of Rassilon at the heart of the Death Zone in the Five Doctors. So why couldn’t the Other have survived too, getting the best deal of the three; the chance to live a life travelling the universe. Could the reason he left Gallifrey be because he was a relic from another time and couldn’t live the life other Time Lords did? Had he in fact changed his own past to lay traps for the Daleks by getting his first incarnation to drop the Hand of Omega in 1963 for the Daleks to avert the Time War itself? If so, then the Doctor’s first meeting with the Daleks has to be seen in a whole new light.

Up to Remembrance of the Daleks, we thought the Doctor and Susan were just killing time in the 20th century in an Unearthly Child but twenty five years later we discover the Doctor had been there to set the Dalek trap and yet he gave no indication he knew what the Daleks were in the second story ever. Could it be the Tardis took them to Skaro on their second trip because the Doctor, having set his trap, had to ensure his meeting with the Daleks began properly? Which means he did have control over the Tardis after all so this does play into the Other theory. He knew of the Cybermen in the Tenth Planet yet we had never seen him meet them before and they became his second target for mass extermination in the 25th anniversary season in Silver Nemesis.

The seventh Doctor reveals a second weapon from Gallifrey, the living statue called Nemesis that is a massive bomb. It knows who he is and again we never saw how he came to get her on television. Lady Peinforte wants the Nemesis and at some point she briefly had it because it told her the Doctor’s secret. The Cybermen also want the statue as do a group of neo Nazis seeking to restore the Reich. It all comes to a climax in an abandoned hangar where Ace is about to be killed if the Doctor doesn’t hand over the Nemesis to the silver giants. They have already killed the last of the Nazis so it’s down to a battle between Peinforte and the Cybermen with the Doctor caught in the middle. Peinforte threatens to reveal all if he doesn’t hand it over to her. However the Doctor doesn’t seem that worried when he gives the power of the Nemesis to the Cybermen. Losing her prize, Peinforte grows angry when she continues: “I shall tell them of Gallifrey, of the Old Time, the Time of Chaos.”. The Cybermen reply that the secrets of the Time Lords mean nothing to them and Peinforte has lost her bargaining chip. Even at the end when Ace asks him directly “Doctor, who are you?” he smiles and puts his fingers to his lips. Now we know that the grand plan would have gone nowhere as you could never reveal the true story of the character. But it worked so well at the time. That second when Peinforte says those delicious words, ‘Doctor Who?’ viewers were on the edge of their seats. Not bad for an era that was generally slammed at the time but is now rightly regarded as containing many classics and the blueprint for the Russell T Davies era.

It was also here we learned that at some point a ginger-haired Doctor would become Merlin in another dimension, something that came as a surprise to him. So we know at some point the Doctor will get his wish and become ginger. Indeed, even now the eleventh Doctor is surprised to learn that his name causes such fear in the universe and when he arrives on Trenzalore, no lies can be told and the truth will come out. But why? What is it? Can a name bring down creation itself? In fact could there be more to the Time War than we were first told? The Doctor wiped out two empires in one go, so what is he really capable of? Armies have turned and run away at the mention of his name and he is known as the Oncoming Storm to the Daleks, when they had a memory of him, that is. What is it about the Doctor that is so terrible that the universe itself will hold its breath when the question is asked?

McCoy’s era reinvented the Doctor and gave us something to think about. A friend we thought we knew, now has a secret past which he can never speak of. A dangerous past that is too horrible to reveal. For Lady Peinforte, it was a bargaining chip that she was sure would make the Doctor cower in fear and do whatever she wanted him to. To the Cybermen,it meant nothing, but to us on this day, in this place, the Doctor is going to fall. In the Rings of Akhaten, he faces down the sun monster by revealing he knows things, terrible things that can never be said and maybe, just maybe, we are about to have some of those answered. Now, as we know the question will be asked, the first question, the question that must never be answered is about to fall…

Doctor Who, indeed?

Time Warriors talk to Alien Nation’s Eric Pierpoint

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

He’s the man who almost took over the Star Trek universe, he’s been to the Harte of Dixie and written a brand new book. But to millions of fans around the world he will always be George, the lovable Newcomer from Alien Nation. FTN are proud to talk exclusively to Eric Pierpoint. Here Eric tells us what happened the day the show was cancelled, how he made his George different to the movie version and exactly how he would have played the captain in Star trek. Oh and who is exactly is Caleb O’Toole?

TW: How did you land the role of George in Alien Nation?

EP: Hello Irish Friends!

First, I have to say, it is always terrific to hear from fans of Alien Nation. The show stands out in my career as one of the highlights. As I reflect on it, it was the best combination of producers/writers/crew/actors in my experience in over 35 years in the business. Though it certainly was a challenge in terms of how hard we worked (plus the make up… itchy all day!), it was ultimately the most satisfying television role of all. Ken Johnson, the executive producer and a friend for years, called me one day back in 1989 and asked me if I would be interested in doing AN. I looked at the film and thought, well, James Caan was pretty good as Sikes… so I told Ken I was interested in the role. He said, “No! I want you to play George!” So, I looked at the film again. Light bulbs went off.

TW: How did you try to make George different to the movie version? It must have been a pleasure to go to work every day given the quality of the scripts?

EP: I tried to give George a softness and humor that would work well with the gruffness of the Sikes character. I also wanted to make him even more “human” that the humans in a way. He had two big hearts. I think that worked well for those who can relate to someone who has so much to overcome, who try so hard to fit into a new world. Those new to the United States, who speak a different language, must try all the more to gain a foothold, to overcome prejudice. I also wanted him to be incredibly strong in his character, so you knew he would succeed in the end. I wanted him to be totally reliable and honest. I loved what the writers did with AN. It was a challenge every day to create new culture on the set. We had to be on our toes and inventive. I mean, just how do you stage a man having a baby? Or celebrate the fertilization through a third party as in THREE TO TANGO? When you get material like that, it makes those 4am make up calls every day ok. We did push the envelope as far as societal issues are concerned. I think that is what made the show. Prejudice was in every episode and portrayed without stigmatizing anyone. That is the luxury of doing this with alien characters. It is a mirror that we held up to society. I can’t tell you how many times I have been recognized, stopped in the street or a grocery store, by fans who were minorities. They loved the show and got the challenge of George and the Francisco family. I rode the subway at 3am in NY one time way past my stop because folks in the car recognized me and wanted to talk about the show. THAT was a huge highlight. And there were many, whether it was the birth episode, the GAME face off, or trying to play George playing baseball. Mostly, it was the cast and crew, the everyday laughs that made it great.

TW: Had you any idea the show was going to be cancelled? What was it like on the set that day and do you keep in touch with the others?

EP: We had no idea the show was going to be cancelled. After the first year, we were literally on our way to New York to do publicity. I got the call not to get on the plane, that they were shutting us down due to costs and also the head of the network who simply did not get the show. Of course, later we came back for five television movies. I think it was best as a series, though it was great to go back and do the films. Getting that phone call was great. We had no idea were were coming back. The outcry from the fans, coupled with Ken Johnson’s passion for the project and several network fans of the show, made it happen. As sad as it was the day we were cancelled, we were that happy we got to give it another try. So, letting it go after five films was not as difficult. We still get together to this day and most of us have remained great friends. I am in touch with Ken, some of the writers, Gary Graham, Terri Treas, Michele Scarabelli quite often. My house for barbecues!

TW: How did you get into acting?

EP: I got the itch to act when I was graduating from The University of Redlands. It seemed like a natural fit. It was discouraging at first when I tried to get my foot into the door. I felt I needed more training, so I went for a MFA acting degree at The Catholic University of America, which had a great drama department. I studied classical and modern theater for several years before I hit the streets of New York. My big break came in the form of a small film called WINDY CITY. It ultimately didn’t do much, but it got Hollywood interested. They flew me out to test me for various projects. Until then, it took over 80 auditions to get my first job in NY. My first television series came about in the early 1980’s. It was called HOT PURSUIT, and AN producer Ken Johnson was the Executive Producer. It was because of that show that we became friends and ended up in AN together. Of course, I have done so many different shows to date, but his stand out.

TW: You’ve almost been cast as the Star Trek captain on a number of occasions. What would your Captain have been like?

EP: I was considered several times for captain roles in Star Trek. Those did not pan out as the producers went with either a female or an African American lead. But, I still had a blast doing several alien parts. I did manage one captain role on DEEP SPACE NINE. I think had I been cast as the main captain in one of the series I would have given him a level of authority and laced the part with enough humor to add the other side. I figure if you’re going to watch these characters every week, humor goes a long way. The original Star Trek had that with Kirk and Spock.

TW: What have you been working on lately?

EP: Lately, I have been working as a recurring character on HART OF DIXIE, PARKS AND RECREATION and some other projects. The latest one is called FARMED AND DANGEROUS, a comedy about the genetically modified food business. It is coming out next month. I play a rich rancher who has developed food made out of oil to feed his cattle…things go HORRIBLY WRONG! You will see. Stay tuned. I’ll post on my website where to find it.

On what he would have brought to Star Trek as a captain: ‘I figure if you’re going to watch these characters every week, humor goes a long way. The original Star Trek had that with Kirk and Spock.’

TW: Tell us about your new book Caleb O’Toole. Have you always had a passion for writing? Where did you get the inspiration from for it?

EP: I have been writing a lot in recent years. My first novel, THE LAST RIDE OF CALEB O’TOOLE is coming out this September. It is historical fiction for middle readers (9-14) about Caleb and his two sisters who must survive a dangerous journey on the Oregon Trail in 1877. Right now you can preorder it on many sites including Amazon.com. The best thing it to go to my website. You can also join me on my Eric Pierpoint Connection Facebook page and ask questions about the book or showbiz. This is set up now in anticipation of the book’s release. Alien Nation fans especially welcome! Go to: www.ericpierpoint.net and hit the Author button, scroll around and read about it.

There is also a button you can hit that will take you to various book sites and you can order there. I’m, of course, really proud of this novel. And amazed that I actually had the discipline to sit and do it, research it. I took my dog, Joey, on my own great adventure (you can find photos of our trip on the website). We learned tons about the Western Migration and the challenges of pioneer survival. But, really, it is just a bloody good WESTERN and I hope you enjoy it. The inspiration to write it came from my own pioneer family history. My ancestors came across the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails in 1848. Many of the women were so called Prairie doctors…tough pioneer women who could tend to the wounded and sick along the way. This led the way for the menfolk to become doctors down the road. Much of this comes out in the book. I also have done a lot of work with children, so I wanted this book to appeal to them. I believe there is a hero locked inside every one of them. This book speaks to that.

Bye for now!

Revolution of the Daleks trailer released

By Owen Quinn video copyright BBC

‘How many people in the universe get to meet the Doctor let alone travel with her?’

I’m not a big fan of the 13th Doctor’s era mostly due to the writing but I have to say the Christmas special Revolution of the Daleks trailer actually has me excited. Could this be at last the story that elevates the show back to greatness? We will wait and see…

Heroes of Doctor Who: Tegan Jovenka

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

Once again we embark on a journey through the history of Doctor Who and pick out a character who helped make him the Time Lord we all know and love today…

Tegan, an Australian air hostess on her first day at work, had her aunt murdered and flung to an alien planet where the universe is teetering on the edge of destruction at the hands of a megalomaniac and the only thing standing in the way is a man in a scarf and an old police box.

It was a traumatic introduction for Tegan who would be the fifth Doctor’s stalwart companion, appearing in the entire run bar one story, Planet of Fire. Initially desperate to go home, Tegan eventually came to love life aboard the Tardis. And she became the first companion to leave the Tardis only to rejoin in a later story. The final story of Peter Davison’s Time Flight saw Tegan left behind at Heathrow Airport by accident, ironically the place she had been trying to get to throughout the entire series only to be captured by Omega in Amsterdam in the next story. This lead her to be reunited with the Doctor and Nyssa and she resumed her travels, having been fired from her job for being late. Tegan was a self-admitted mouth on legs and she and the Doctor had an initially fiery relationship. But the more she travelled, the more she loved it. She grew close to her companions, finding a sister in Nyssa and she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. If she didn’t like you, you knew it. She knew something was wrong with Turlough and let him know it, but when he redeemed himself in Enlightenment, she became fond of him, although his cowardice continued to annoy her. She was paired with the first Doctor in the Five Doctors and was the first companion to meet the Brigadier in Mawdryn Undead. Her instincts were spot on, knowing that the injured Mawdryn was not a newly-regenerated Doctor.

My own personal meeting with Janet fielding was at Panopticon years ago where I asked the panel what their favourite cliffhanger was and she answered by calling me on stage and threatened to throw a jug of water over me. Still, she smiled when I bought one of her photos to be signed.

In acting terms her finest hour came when she was possessed by the Mara in Kinda and Snakedance, using her as a bridge to come back to this world. Janet was astounding and there are some real chills in these stories, especially Snakedance. Tegan trusted the Doctor implicitly, even if she always didn’t show it, but in the end she left in Resurrection of the Daleks when all the carnage became too much for her.

Over her time, Tegan faced Cybermen, the Master, the Mara, Sea Devils, Silurians and Tractators and even a visit to her grandfather brought her face to face with the Malus, a demon-like monster trapped in a crumbling church.

Although he wasn’t exactly over the moon when she rejoined in Arc of Infinity, the Doctor was devastated when she left. She was an important part of his life, challenging him on many occasions to make sure the right thing was done. He was confident in her ability to handle an Eternal in Enlightenment, a race of beings that lived using other people’s minds.

She wasn’t afraid of tackling anything she believed was wrong, breaking into files on Frontios to reveal their dark secret and confronting them with it.

Janet became an agent and vowed never to return to Doctor Who ever but did DVD commentaries on nearly all her stories. Seeing the show as pigeon holing women, she stood firm and fans wanted to see her come back somehow outside of the comic strips and novels.

She eventually relented and agreed to do a one-off Big Finish story where she was reunited with the fifth Doctor in a fight against the Cybermen. But this time we learned Tegan was dying from a brain tumour and, in a moving speech, she told the Doctor she had lived more with him than most people do in a lifetime so she was going to take her chances with her illness, despite his begging her to come with him to find a cure. That was a brave move for the character but it didn’t end there. Janet enjoyed it so much she returned to do a new series of stories that reunited the fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Turlough and Tegan. They have also completed a series of Lost Stories; scripts that were commissioned or considered but never made. Now the world is reliving this Tardis team and they have been a roaring success. She has even been mentioned in the Sarah Jane adventures in the story Death of the Doctor in which we learn she is fighting for Aboriginal rights in Australia.

Tegan is back, loved as much as ever and who knows, she just might return for the fiftieth anniversary. Here’s hoping… despite the fact she tried to drown me.

Dave Prowse: A tribute to the man behind Darth Vader

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

All photos copyright Owen Quinn

The news today came through that Dave Prowse, the man that played Darth Vader in the first three Star Wars movies, died after a short illness.

I met him three times in Belfast. What he was best known for was being the Green Cross Code Man and the evil Darth Vader. When I was a kid I found out he was appearing at a shop in Belfast and I begged my Dad to take me down. Bless him he was knackered after a week’s work and Saturday was his rest day but he agreed. By the time I got there Dave was dressed as the Green Cross Code Man. I was kind of disappointed at not seeing him in the Vader costume but the good thing was at least I knew it was him. Anyone can wear a Darth Vader costume and pretend to be Dave Prowse. Green Cross Code Man was a favorite of mine too so it was a double bonus for me.

My memories are that he was a big fella and a bit snappy with the excited kids but he signed my Empire Strikes Back storybook which has been lost over time and numerous house moves. My mother bought me the Tauntaun that day and I was a very happy chappy. It was around that time that I became an autograph collector and wrote to lots of Star Wars actors including Dave Prowse. He sent me back a signed postcard of that classic moment of Darth Vader telling Luke he was his father. I still have it to this day and have to say Dave has a great signature. It’s very distinctive and like Vader you couldn’t mistake it for anything else.

I met him again years later in Belfast at W5 only this time I had my young son with me whom he signed an autograph for. It was only then I realized what a generational thing Star Wars fandom is as my son was caught up in the world of Star Wars just as I was at his age.

But as a science fiction fan I was already aware of Dave Prowse long before Darth Vader came into our lives. Prowse appeared in the Jon Pertwee story the Time Monster as the Minotaur. He was also Frankenstein’s monster, monsters in Space 1999, the Tomorrow People and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galay to name a few so this giant was on my radar froma young age.

Now he has gone but will forever live on in our minds and hearts as the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader. His legacy will live on even for this 52 year old fan because this year Santa is bringing me yet more Darth Vader action figures and guess what, this train will never stop.