#HE CO-CREATED PEEP SHOW

[rome-roy]

I should have known. I know I should have known. But I am losing my mind over Jesse Armstrong’s writing credits.

If this man can go from writing for kids tv, to creating/writing iconic British sitcoms and sketch shows, to creating one of the greatest tv shows of all time, you really can do anything.

[selyeji]

nouvelle vague

joão felix x reader

summary : you were simply an intern and he was on loan, you’ll blame the full moon.

warnings : not proofread, angst, joao is toxic and stupid, m*gui…

you stood on the elevator, holding onto your bag with both your hands. legs crossing while you lean against the railing, your gaze lowered to the floor. it was your first day as an intern, helping in the clubs social media and journalism.

the chimes of the door open, from your gaze you saw white sneakers, black pants and a pair of football cleats. dangling from his index and middle finger to carry it around. assuming he was a player for the club, you raise your head looking at his face. the bright lights of the elevator made his brown hair glow, his eyes were hooded and dark, ears busy listening to music.

softly sending a smile and a nod towards him, to show proper respect. he smiles back as he places his focus on pressing the buttons for his floor. you started to scrape off a hangnail on a finger of yours, it was a bad habit if yours. you did it to distract yourself or whenever you felt nervous.

the football player arrived on his floor first, footsteps echoed through the empty hallways once he exited the elevator. as you went up, you fixed your posture, eating a mint and fixing your hair. nervous for the new work space.

the moment you entered the office, your boss guided you around to introduce you. arriving to your own table, you started to place your things down. arranging a few files, pens and your laptop.

deciding to check on the photographers kn the training ground, you walk outside to the field. immediately facing the blue sky and green grass. jogging over to the area where most staff sat, creating small talk. until you saw those familiar boots again, white with cuts of grass under its heel.

the brown haired man from earlier, his hair messed up and the sun creating light highlights on his curls. it wasn’t until now you had a good look at him. he was handsome, perfect smile. your pupils darting up and down to look at his muscular but slim form.

…

the day started to pass by, the sun rays peeping out the pink blue clouds. you started to gather the necessities back in your bag, greeting you co-workers on your way out. you waited for the elevator once again to reach your floor, the doors slide open.

the player from earlier, met again. you were surprised, majority already went home. he was still in the building while you were expecting to get back alone. you shrugged it off, it was your first day either way. you wouldn’t know their schedule, maybe you were the one getting into their usual routine. he softly greeted you, recognizing you from earlier that day.

…

in the next days of the week, getting into the same elevator and seeing the same face. this became a daily routine of seeing other. you two got closer and closer, introducing each other and usually creating small talk. it was nice to get closer to someone aside from the people in the shared office.

it was after a long day of work, sun already set as the purple sky blended. you decided to visit a nearby music shop, it was your go-to shop whenever searching for vinyls or cds. the cashier already recognizes your face from the amount of times you visited.

pushing the glass door, entering the warm room. you already had your earphones on walking over to the cd section. looking over the new albums released, the arrangement wasn’t really organized by genre.

your peace was disturbed with a male voice, removing one of your earbuds. you look up to see joão, he smiled at you, showing his straight white teeth.

“i love the smiths” he said, referring to the album you were holding. you were a bit taken back, of course they’re known worldwide but here? not as much. “The Queen Is Dead is my personal favorite album. what about you?” he continued and asked you.

“Louder Than Bombs.” you grin sweetly at him, a bit of pink tint on your cheeks. he still stood on the opposite side, you two separated by the racks of cds on your side while vinyls on his. joão starts to look through the vinyl albums.

“you prefer vinyls over cds?” you ask him. continue to looking for yours. “of course, the albums are big enough to flex your music taste to people.” he joked. you chuckle, “im more of a cd person, you could listen to it everywhere.”

you two continued to talk, wasting the time in the store. recommending albums to each other, you two shared a passion for music, whether it was rap, r&b, jazz, pop or whatever. the two of you said your goodbyes once he left the store. you stood on the counter, deciding to buy the albums he recommended.

you rushed back home, your smile did not leave your face at all even after he left. quickly taking a warm shower, feeding your cat before going over to your desk.

turning on your lamp and cd player, before taking out the cd from the case and putting it on the player. you look at track-list while listening. based from the titles, you were expecting more love songs. you listen through the entire album, it was more of soft songs but it was for sure a great album. turning off the light, deciding to go to sleep.

…

you woke up early as usual, doing your daily routine before going off to work. you usually brought your own burnt cd with your custom playlist, but deciding to bring the other album you bought. deciding to listen to it on the way with your portable cd player.

once you arrived, elevator with him again. you both smile at each other. joao notices the music you were listening to, grinning to himself. but decided not to disturb you as usual.

you arrive to your office, quietly working on your own until you realize you finish the entire tracklist already. deciding to check up on the photographers on the field once again.

joao kept looking at you more than usual, smiling more until you noticed. once it got repetitive you just gave a lazy confused face, making him laugh. you went back to the office continuing your work.

the day ended, stretching your back while walking to the elevator. joao was already there as usual, he raises your brow at you while smiling. giving him a confused look you asked “what?”

“how was the album i gave you? didn’t think you would actually listen to my recommendations.” you connected the dots realizing he heard it blasting too loud earlier.

“surprisingly good from you. both albums were pretty great. plus whats the point of recommending if you’re not gonna listen anyways?” you raise your chin, smiling.

“hey wait surprisingly? what does that mean?” he asks, acting offended.

“nothing, if you heard it earlier, why didn’t you ask beforehand?” you chuckle. “i don’t wanna disturb you while listening to ethereal music. especially coming from me.” he says in a sassy tone. you laugh it off with him.

ever since then the two of you got close, always striking a conversation whenever you saw each other. whether it was on the field or not. the two of you definitely shared a lot of interests. it made you way more comfortable in your work space.

…

the sky was pitch midnight, the glowing of night life clubs became a source or light. you walk around the neon lights finding a specific bar. a friend of yours was performing tonight. they weren’t a big hit band but they still performed gigs often.

you walked in with a large crowd already waiting, the band was already preparing their instruments onstage. deciding to go the bar next to it, ordering a juice. you definitely did not want to deal with a headache in the morning.

before you knew it, the drummer started counting and the performance started. you still sat on the stool, taking sips every so often.

you felt a tap behind your shoulder, you turned your head, checking behind you. joao looking down on you smiling, he wore a white hoodie and black pants.

“mind if i sit next to you?” he asked, his head nodding to the side to the empty seat next to you. you smiled softly and said sure.

“didn’t know you went to these kinds of places.” joao yelled through the loud music and guitar. “im only here to support my friend actually, she’s the bass player over there.” you yelled back, pointing to your friend on the stage.

looking back to joao, the blue and purple lights that spread throughout the room, hitting his face. his eyes were already staring into yours, reflecting the bright lights in the room but kept it on yours.

your faces got closer, elbow leaning on the counter. your eyes going back and forth from his eyes to his full lips. before your lips could even collide, you two were distracted by the sudden yell of the crowd. a impressive guitar solo started playing, the room filled with cheers and claps. you laughed at joaos face while clapping, your romantic session ended.

leaning near to his neck you whisper, “let’s continue this later…” saying in a playful tone. you maintain eye contact as you smile.

once the performance ended, you greeted your friend goodbye after creating small talk. you walk out, already seeing joao waiting for you. he looks up from his phone, smirking. “let’s go, i know a spot.” he said, his hand out inviting you to hold hands.

grabbing his palm, intertwining hands. he walks you to the beach, it had a way nicer view of the ocean, you haven’t discovered this place before. he sat on the sand, tapping the empty spot beside him insisting you sit down.

you sat on the grainy sand, looking up to the night sky. it was a full moon, stars behind it but still shining in their own way. bringing your legs to your chest, you look beside you to see joao. his hands behind to lean on the ground.

moonlight reflected to his defined cheekbones, he raised his hand up to your jaw. dark pupils staring into your eyes, tucking a hair strand behind your ear before kissing you. your body started leaning against his, pushing the kiss further and further.

once you two separated, catching your breath. your head rested on his shoulder, refusing to look him on the face. too embarrassed on what would happen now. joao broke the silence through his giggle, picking you up while your legs hugged around his waist and your arms snake around his neck.

he carried you over to his car, which was surprisingly parked just nearby the beach. putting you down on the passenger seat, kissing your forehead in the process. once he got to the drivers seat, immediately leaning to rest his back.

“open up the compartment.” joao said, smirking as his hands rise up to the back of his head. you raise a brow while pouting your lips, wondering what he was talking about, your muscles immediately soften. the compartment was filled with cd cases.

“woah… i thought you were a vinyl person…” you said, still amazed looking at the different music you still haven’t listened to.

“can’t play them in a car no?” he laughs it off. you look over to him, the muscles in his arm clearly defined and showing. his white teeth showing through his perfect smile. you blush, admiring his features.

…

since that night, you and joao have gotten way closer than before. more than friends, but you weren’t even sure what was going on between you two.

he’d often let you stay at his house, play video games, cook, eat, shower together, make love. you two were like a couple, not publicly.

you laid down on joaos couch, waiting for him to get back home. scrolling through the internet finding something to entertain yourself with, you come across an interview. it was pretty recent from twitter, you play it to see joao.

smiling to yourself until the interview asked, “are you currently in a relationship? seeing someone?”

“no, im not seeing anyone right now.”

“so you’re available?”

“yes.”

his answer echoed in your head, repeating and repeating. sure you were fine with being private, especially with pressure in social media, but this?

publicly saying you’re available, acting like a person wasn’t waiting for you back home. you were tipped off, pissed even. did he not consider you worthy? were you just a replacement until he found someone new?

you turned off your phone, hand hanging off the side of the couch as you grip onto your device. staring onto the blank ceiling, the white light bulb still lighting up the room. the door creaks open, you raise your head to see joao entering the house. removing his shoes before stepping in. he walked over to you as you stood up, embracing you into a hug.

“hey babyy…” he mumbled. he was soft with you, in the field he’s fiery and aggressive but now he’s just soft and sweet. you heart warmed up, forgetting about the interview, passing it off as wanting to keep things more private and secured.

“let’s just take a shower can we… scrub my back for me?” he asked, using his dark puppy eyes again to get what he wants, his cheeks pouting. “fine…” you smiled, before leading him into the bathroom.

…

you forgot about that day, what happened. well you tried, you kept getting reminded about it. you were paranoid if he was out with someone else. you never showed it to him or anyone else. you acted unbothered.

you were at your office, getting off your seat for lunch break. you decide to go out to eat, forgetting to pack your own lunch. you walked to a nearby cafe, it was a local shop, not much customers around this time. you ordered a coffee and pasta. you sat down waiting for your order, scrolling in tiktok until you come across and familiar face, with another one.

you look closer to find joao, sat with magui in a restaurant. he only got back from international break a few days ago. you were heartbroken, everything inside you shattered to pieces.

scrolling through the comments on how he doesn’t learn his lesson and never move on. they were always right, he never made an effort to move on. your name was called, you order was already ready. turning off your phone to clear your thoughts and to bring back your tray.

you began eating your food, staring out the cafes glass window. blankly staring as people walked pass, going on with their day. you were finished with him, he was an asshole from the start.

after you finished your food, you went back to work. letting the hours pass by. but your thoughts never left, your legs bounced the whole time, you couldn’t focus properly.

your shift ended, you quickly grabbed your bag and things. going onto the elevator, unfortunately he was already there. you kept the gaze of your eyes lowered, not getting even a view of his face. quickly just wanting to get out.

you had your earphones on, nothing played. you just wanted joao to get off your back for now, once the doors opened. you rushed out, quickly running out the building. unfortunately joao caught up, he knew something happened to you.

he grabbed your wrist, making you turn to him. you stopped on your tracks, facing him, your eyes filled with hatred. joao was taken back.

“what happened baby?” he asked, his tone filled with pure sweetness.

this time you didn’t soften, you were done with him.

“seriously you’re gonna act nothing happened? with magui?” you took your hand back.

he was shock, his eyes widened. he didn’t expect her to find out, nor anyone.

“please i can explain darling-“ his face turned into a worry look.

“oh so you can call me a pet name but can’t even place a label between us?” you cut him off. “us? you really think friends would do anything like we do? after everything? don’t try to establish a relationship you don’t want.” you continued. tears started to build up in your eyes.

you ran off, before anyone could see you. getting into your apartment before breaking down. everything felt heavy, like the world was against you. your bedsheets stained with tears that will last.

…

it’s been weeks since then, you decide to walk over to the shore. its late at night, you couldn’t sleep from all the energy drinks you consumed from wanting to study longer. the moon was bright as ever.

you saw that same spot again, where everything started. you internship has ended while joaos loan contract wasn’t extended. you were glad you didn’t get to see him anymore. he’s back at portugal, but you also knew he would get to see magui again.

there was nothing you could do now, joao was cruel and deep like the ocean. but it would make sense if magui was the moon, affecting him like the ocean depended on her. you were simply a star, something you look for when the moon is not at sight.

daily click to help palestine

a/n : w2e save me… please save me w2e if you can hear me please😭😭 sorry but every good romcom mentions the smiths therefore it needs a place here

[poetryandfluffycats]

Rosé, Please

A/N: saluting all bsd fans currently coping with chap 118 heres some kunikida for your troubles

Pairing: Kunikida Doppo x fem!reader, sight Dazai Osamu x fem! reader

Content: Its not that Kunikida is jealous of men like Dazai who often pick up girls at the bar, not at all! He's perfectly content with his singleness and his co-workers constant affairs, and he's well aware what to do when one of Dazais lovers shows up at the Agency's doorstep. But this time.. this woman, shes different somehow.

Warnings: suicide mention(dazai being dazai), alcohol mentions, reader is mentioned to have green eyes and short hair

Words: 2.1k

Oneshot under cut!

Kunikida Doppo was a man of ideals. His whole life was structured around these ideals to create the perfect life. Perfect life, perfect job, perfect wife and perfect family. Courting by age 25, a wedding on the beach at age 28, first child at age 30 and two children alongside a golden retriever and a white picket fence to match by the age of 35. In his mind, that was the ideal life for a man to have.

A life that didn't account for the dangers of being a member of the Armed Detective Agency.

The sun was settling along the Yokohama skyline, creating a ray of yellow that shone through the Agency's office. Kunikida sat perched in his chair notebook in hand as he jolted down the events of the day. Paperwork, check in with the president, one small case solved by himself Kenji and Dazai and there was the report regarding that. He glanced up at the date, Thursday. He could go grocery shopping after he left work and still have enough time to cook a hot dinner of chicken noodle soup and rice-he remembered having some left over from the previous night. 4:45pm. If he left now he could get a head start on the after-work traffic and make it home a bit earlier.

Kunikida sighed. The office was quiet. He liked the quiet, although it hardly ever was quiet enough for his liking. With the other members of the Agency constantly causing trouble for the man he barely got any time to himself anymore. Whenever he thought he was alone and free to relax, Dazai would pop up beside him bagging on about some new way to kill himself or a woman he kissed in a drunken state at the bar, or Atsushi would show up with a bruise the size of Japan after having a meltdown while on a mission or the Tanizaki siblings would appear out of no where and ruin his evening g with their constant touching and moaning. He felt that he could never catch a break in this place.

But today, all was at peace. Not even a spare peep from that bandage waster he called his partner. It was a change, a welcome one. Kunikida could feel his bones relaxing, his muscles softening and the joints of his knees popping under the table as he stretched out his long limbs. Polished dress shoes tapped gently against the tile of the floor. Kunikida thanked whatever force was out there that he was able to rest even if for a few mere moments. He didn't need much. 30 minutes would be nice, an hour would be amazing, even longer and he'd be on his knees praising the gods for blessing him with such leisure.

A knock.

Peace isn't everlasting, Kunikida often found. He closed his notebook and placed it down on the desk in front of him, moving a hand behind his head to release his hair from his ponytail, inhaling deeply but not allowing the scowl on his face to set in.

"Come in"

The door creaked open. Not Dazai, Dazai would have flung it open whilst shouting something about how bored he was or something, Dazai wouldn't have knocked at all. A small sigh of relief could have been heard from the blonde if anyone was listening carefully. Instead of the brunette, a pair of unfamiliar eyes and a mess of black hair peered around the door frame, accompanied by a voice that sounded almost too timid and unsure for a human to have.

"Hi... I'm sorry to disrupt you, Mr Kunikida. Is Dazai here?"

Ah, Kunikida remembered those eyes now. Dazais latest lady friend, the woman with bight green eyes, the softest tuft of hair and a voice as sweet and sugary as cold vanilla ice cream on a hot summers day. She looked too naive for Dazai. A bunny rabbit being lured into a trap by the big bad wolf, her sweetness would most definitely get her heart broken by the man. Kunikida couldn't quite remember her name, although it wasn't as if he expected her to stay around long enough for it to matter.

In his ideals, Kunikida wished for his partner to find someone to live out his future with. The ideal woman for Dazai would be one that could hold out on her own, someone strong with an even stronger backbone who could settle Dazai down and get him to sit down for a change. Someone to ground him. Aside from that, long hair, a small and slim frame, and a good fashion sense were all things Kunikida believed his so called friend would be interested in. Staring at the girl in front of him, he realized that she checked none of those box's.

"He's gone home. Was there something I could help you with?" Kunikida pushed his glasses up his nose with a singular finger, straightening in his posture in the process to appear more professional. To think, this woman had almost caught him slouching! What a tragedy that would be. He made a mental note to add 'check building is clear' to his list of evening tasks before he made the mistake again.

The woman's face dropped immediately, her gaze falling to her heels. She was dressed up, Kunikida noticed, a pair of sparkly stilettos on her feet and her body wrapped in a black dress that stopped a few inches too high for his eyes not to wander. He prided himself on being a man of pure modesty, however, it was hard not to notice when a young ladies legs were exposed in such a way. A white coat hung over her shoulders to complete the look, short hair clipped back with a silver star hair pin.

She shook her head, fiddling with a loose thread on her coat. Perhaps it was old and that's why it was fraying on the edges. "No...no, its fine. We were supposed to meet for drinks tonight but I guess he forgot... again"

"I see. Do you want me to pass on a message?"

Kunikida could almost see the metaphorical dog ears on her head droop downwards. Being a man of his certain ideals, it was harder for him to pick up girls than it was for the others in the agency. His standards were high, although he hated to admit it. Unlike Dazais woman, Kunikida wanted his soulmate to have a good head on her shoulders, but not be so smart that she would outshine his duty as a man to protect. A stable job, forgone of the Port Mafia and agency alike, perhaps a lady who worked at a cafe and always smelt of freshly baked sweets would do. Someone he could sit at the dinner table with him late a night, a whiskey glass in his hand and a glass of Rosé in hers, her voice smooth as silk as she told him stories of he day.

Yes. That was the kind of woman he wanted. That was the ideal woman. Not the woman who stood in front of him, staring at him with teary doe eyes and a heart of glass because she fell for the tricks of a man akin to a demon. It wasn't her fault Dazai was a womaniser, he supposed.

"Could you tell him to call me? And that, when he has time, I have a bottle of his favourite whiskey waiting for him... if he still wants to meet"

Kunikida nodded, picking up his notebook off his desk and jolting down a few words to remind himself of the request later on. "Consider it done, Miss..?"

"(name)"

"(name)" He repeated. Pretty, like poetry. "I'll have him ring you tomorrow when he comes in"

The smile he got in return could have melted the ice cold hearts of even the evilest men, Kunikida noted that down in small handwriting as well. A pretty smile went a long way in the world. She bowed her head and turned on her heel, leaving the room just as sliently and as timidly as she entered.

For some unknown reason, Kunikida couldn't stop himself from doing the next thing he did. Maybe he was compelled by his morals, or maybe God was playing a cruel prank on him, but whatever the case his feet were moving on their own and the words were spilling from his lips.

"Miss (name), wait!"

She stopped in her tracks, turning her head to gaze at the man. Kunikida cursed himself for not sounding more confident in his words. them coming out a lot shakier than he had expected. Why was this woman making him so nervous now? She wasn't anything near what he liked, surely his brain had been tricked into going after her because he would have never had otherwise.

"Hm? Was there something else you needed Mr Kunikida?" Her eyes were filled to the brim with disappointment of Dazais forgetfulness and downright disrespectful nature towards woman. Poor thing looked like she would burst into tears at any moment.

He cleared his throat and straightened his back, pushing his glasses up his nose once more and adjusting his blazer vest. He could feel his armpits sweating underneath the suit he wore and he prayed it wasn't obvious to (name). "You say you have a spare bottle of whiskey, yes? I happen to like whiskey myself, so I was wondering if you would grant me the pleasure of sharing it with you instead of Dazai?"

Oh heavens, what was he even doing? This wasn't a part of his plan or his schedule for the night. Here he was throwing away a perfectly fine evening to spend time with a woman that he wouldn't have given a second look otherwise. Who did he think he was? Trying to take home his partners lover? Had the lack of attention from woman made him sink so low?

A soft giggle came from plump lips. Angelic. A choir of angels calling him into temptation. He could see the devil now and he was berating him for not following his ideals to a T. It was hard to care when you saw someone looking so defenceless but so beautiful.

"I won't sleep with you in exchange for company, if that's what you're thinking"

"What! No, I'm sorry, that wasn't what I meant!-"

"I'm messing with you" Another giggle followed by her turning around to fully face him. Kunikida could smell her perfume now, cinnamon and nutmeg. Like the taste of a warm hot-crossed bun on Easter morning. "I'd love to share a drink with you. Theres just a little problem, I don't drink whiskey, I brought it specially for Dazai..."

The blond thought back to his earlier plans for the evening before (name) had appeared and set it upside down. Paperwork, grocery shopping, dinner. He knew what to do. "What's your drink of choice? I was planning on going to pick up some food on the way home, I can pick you up a bottle and bring it round, if you'd like"

"Are you sure? I can pay you back"

"Nonsense, its my duty as a man to provide for the woman I spend time with, you can pay me back with your happiness" He cringed as the line left his lips. He could have willed himself to die in that moment if he had the power to. The redness and sweat of his pits had reached his face now, his cheeks matching the colour of the now setting son.

But her smile never faltered, in fact, it grew. "Rosé, please. Just whatever you can find. I live on the east side of town, apartment 37 in the complex beside the bakery. Come at 6?"

"I'll see you then"

And then, (name) left with a spring in her step, the aura around her looking much brighter than it had been when she walked in. His eyes lingered on her figure until she was out of sight, only the sound of her heels click-clacking against the floor evidence as to her being there. Kunikida glanced at the clock. 5pm. In an hour, he'd be at a woman he just mets apartment sipping alcohol and talking about who knows what. In 2 hours he could be tangled in the bed sheets with her, her soft hands roaming all over his body, his lips pressed against hers and the smell of perfume sticking to his clothes for days after.

Everything was wrong. This date went against every single one of his ideals. Yet, the adrenaline was addicting, just like the smell of (names) perfume. Maybe, just maybe, one day off wouldn't hurt.

"Damn you Dazai, take the woman on a date yourself next time"

[panelshowsource]

Hello! I know this is a bit weird but I’ve been watching a lot of old mock the week reruns lately and have discovered chris addison, would you happen to have any recs for things he’s done? Thanks so much!

haha aww not weird at all! we love chris!!!

he's done sooooo much over the years so i'll try and narrow it down to some of my very fave things!

he is one of the stars of arguably the greatest tv series of all time, the thick of it, and one of the best spin-off features of all time, in the loop, both of which i cannot recommend enough to literally every person who breathes within AT LEAST an 80-foot range of me. britcom writing icon simon blackwell of the thick of it and peep show fame has worked with chris many times since, including co-creating the sky series trying again (which you can watch here) as well as the recent fx series breeders :)

he's really great on have i got news for you, which he's done many times (his most famous ep is probably this one hosted by tom baker), but personally i love him on qi!! my fave of his is series h episode 7

chris hosted his own comedy series show & tell in 2011 where guests brought items and stories to present, very cute stuff (because of this ask i'm about to rewatch s01e04, you will understand why (WHY ARE THEY ALL SO TINY!!))

you'll most certainly want to watch his as yet untitled

he did a few episodes of underrated dave panel show argumental, my fave of his is probably s03e01 it's so stupid lmao

ugh i know i wouldn't be staying true to myself and my brand if i didn't mention he was on a very good episode of catsdown

ALSO HE WAS IN DOCTOR WHO!!!!!! series 8 icon

there's a lot more ofc 😭 but i hope that's enough to kick off ur new obsession 🥹🥹🫶

[uncaught-coolfish]

Fuck it I guess I'll go first.

Why oh fucking WHY was the Ever After not the fucking AFTERLIFE!!!! Seriously, this would have been so perfect as a fucking arc not only for Ruby and her team encountering the people who had died along the way while helping them grow. Since you know when good ol' MKEK, aka. "We can't write for shit." did say Volume nine was about growth until they double baked for one of the most poorly written depictions of mental health ever. This was so bad that it made Thirteen Reasons Why look good! Yeah I went there!!!

The amount of missed opportunities that was there we could have seen Penny explaining to Ruby why she had to die in order for Winter to get the Maiden Powers proclaiming that it was more suited for her rather than herself.

Weiss reuniting with her grandfather and even standing up to her father again along with her antecedents and descendants that she is her own person now and reinforces it by showing Jacques why he was never worthy of holding up the Schnee title.

A final showdown between Blake and Adam with the inclusion of Spirit Sun (since in Before the Dawn, he said he saw visions of a tree. Pertaining to Yggdrasil which I am calling it that since in Volume nine it was only called the Tree and that was it.) with blake promising that she will try to make humans and faunus try to understand and come together in her own way if she must. While Sienna Khan and the other faunus murdered by humans or anti-faunus rights activists all place the future of the Faunus on both hers and Suns shoulders.

Yang learning from people from Taiyangs bloodline how to control her anger so much so that she even admits that she isnt perfect to Blake and tells her to find someone that will love her more than she. Alluding to Sun as he was there more for her than Yang was, which the two agree in a platonic manner.

Oh and the fact we could get to see a mix of Ancient Remnant peeps, Afterans and even mythological creatures (respectfully since they NEARLY shat the bucket there) Oh and the BIGGEST ONE OF THEM ALL .

RUBY MEETING SUMMER ROSE

Sweet Jesus even up the stakes a little by having their souls fall apart as they travel across the Ever-After in a Race Against Time Arc but at the same time we see their semblances Evolve and Grow against the main villain the Red Queen (Not the Red Prince since I like to think he is cared for by the Curious Cat) and the Curious Cat not being some stupid twist villain again but this time someone who was created by the God of Darkness as one of the only "good" creations he had seen. and at the end the Tree of Yggdrasil gives Ruby and Co.... the biggest question to be answered right in front of them.

A WAY TO BEAT SALEM

Like holy SWEET MOSES it is so easy to do a Journey through the Afterlife Arc while giving the characters more time to flesh out and help them grow.

Hot Take Assessment:

This is a really cool idea actually. Tbh I think what I would’ve done for the Ever After is keep the gang separated for longer than like. Half of the first episode.

Keep yang alone since she was the first to go down. Maybe have that connect to her backstory of being abandoned by Raven. Maybe have Blake & Ruby sticking with each other. Develop more of the bond that the two started to have in V8 bc that was really cute and I’m bummed it kind of went nowhere.

Keep Weiss alone and actually FOCUS ON HER AND DONT MAKE HER INTO COMIC RELIEF and how she deals with the fact that her entire home is just. gone. Also the fact that she was the last one standing after her friends presumably died around her.

The one thing I’d change from V8 here is that none of ORNJ falls. Not in a “Jaune gets too much screen time” way, but in a… it makes the cast less messy for this season, way.

And have Neo in the shadows chasing them around. Maybe even throw in some familiar faces, deceased or otherwise. Some purgatory like thing idk.

I might just make that a fic😧

TL;DR Ever After should’ve been a lot less Alice in Wonderland (because they somehow made wonderland boring :() and a lot more Avatar’s Swamp episode.

[a-forbidden-detective]

Curious add-ons: The Continuity, et al., Episode 12 (Part 8)

Unrelated to RKDD, but these words from voice actor Yuichi Nakamura during the JJK Jump Festa last Saturday best describes why anime fills the void of continuity in the manga. There are movements and moments that one can be explored in the anime.

That’s why I do appreciate the animators for adding more details to the scenes to patch the continuity in the series up that are not self-evident in the manga.

Toto didn’t appreciate the flying axe come to his way that he just shrugged it all off. In the manga, Akira didn’t show his reaction, but the animators made sure that they showed him really shocked and angry. Ron took a notice of it that it added to his conclusion of the case. The villagers do that to deter outsiders coming to their place.

Ron touched Toto’s shoulder and signalled for him how to get away from the mob.

Though it is strange to see Toto as tall as Ron here.

Languages. So @eiko-hoshino (thanks so much!!) sent me images of the original Japanese version of the anime and so far, the English translation is not at all so far off, compared to, say, the German version. I talked about the slight changes Wataru Watari and co. had done that Ron is not talking only for himself, but he included Toto to his endeavour. It is interesting to me that they made some alterations that greatly contribute to RonToto.

Japanese version

Subtitles in English

Translation is tricky. Some manga purists refuse to buy translated versions because according to them, reading translations is like reading someone else’s filtered lens. Localising the language used in translation is mixing social and political environments. Which I agree in some aspects. There are puns and idioms in Japanese that the translators completely altered to English or other languages. This has become a hot topic too after the Magus Bride/AI controversy wherein the mangaka was also citing the problems with pirated versions/fan translated scans.

Anyway, the above mentioned screen caps with EN subtitles were translated according to the original Japanese anime version.

Now that the first season is coming to a close and the official RKDD site is taking its sweet time to give us a preview, a peep, of the upcoming episode, I heard from the grapevine that some people are not satisfied with Diomedéa’s works. Complaints of anatomical and voice synchronization errors surface. If you are watching JJK 2 and following its animators’ social media accounts, you might have an idea what kind of criticism the artists encounter regularly concerning their works. On the other hand. MAPPA is not the most ideal company one ever has.

All in all, the RKDD anime is quite decent. (I do hope they are paying their staff fairly though.) On Crunchyroll it earns 4.8 stars. Also, the animators have given their all creating those killer backgrounds imbued with colours and details. Remember the onsen arc with the autumn colours? Or the raindrops and the countryside landscape in the recent episode?

Akira Amano seems to be satisfied with it. Of course there must be some other options and I do understand where these unsatisfied viewers are coming from, but I am just glad that they are animating RKDD. And, hopefully, we are getting a second season sooner than later.

[henrysglock]

Pulling @krokodilsredimudil'stags from this post

OKAY THIS IS SOMETHING IVE BEEN CHEWING ON FOR A LONG TIME!!

Now, I don't have a full "analysis", but I've got a web of things I've noticed.

Let's start by looking at an Observer (September pictured here):

Bald, grey suit, darker tie. They can both see and move within past, present, and future. They exist outside of time, a new branch of humanity from an alternate future. They're guardians of the timeline, making alterations to ensure that specific ends are reached.

Now, there's a certain character this sounds a whole lot like, who we've discussed before in the context of Vecna/001: Dr. Osterman/Dr. Manhattan.

He can also see past, present, and future all at once, and he can manipulate the universe to get his desired ends.

Particularly, though, what connects him to Vecna/001:

Dr. Manhattan's theme, Prophecies by Phillip Glass, which comes from the documentary Koyaanisqatsi, plays over young Henry/Edward's introduction in 4.07.

As Dr. Osterman becomes a blue, super-powered, pseudo-God "Dr. Manhattan"...so, too, does 001 when he becomes Vecna:

The 001 -> Vecna transformation sequence is beat-for-beat the same as Dr. Osterman's transformation into Dr. Manhattan:

So this all already puts Vecna tangentially into the realm of Observers.

But what makes this paralleling interesting is this:

That man is not Jamie Bower. Period. The man we're told becomes Vecna is not Jamie Bower.

For reference...here's Jamie Bower under similar lighting/injury:

Proto-Vecna? Not the same (as I've detailed here and here).

He may not look like Jamie, but he does look like Modine/Brenner:

(as I've detailed here)

Meaning if we hand-wave and mumble a little to tie Brenner and Vecna together, we get a true Dr. Manhattan-type character. A doctor who fucked around and found out and ended up a fucked up blue pseudo-God.

Which becomes even more interesting when we consider that, from a certain point pre-Gate, Brenner does not change outfits. He always wears a dark grey suit and a darker tie...just like an Observer.

(This exact costuming detail has been driving me batty because it makes it impossible to put Brenner's scenes in chronological order. He's always wearing the same thing, meaning I have to rely on the outfits of those around him to try and piece it together, which is...insanity-inducing)

This becomes even more interesting when we consider that William Bell had plans to create a brand new universe out of the decimation of the existing two and act as the God of that universe.

Which, initially that makes you go:

"Okay, that's a 001 thing"

Except...

However, he does so with just a shit ton of chess references, much akin to how Henry describes Brenner in NINA:

While also being heavily Brenner paralleled in shot choices and character design:

And here's Bell's New Universe plus its inhabitants, as compared to demodogs:

However, after having his plans thwarted, Bell then pairs up with the Observers, selling the Fringe team out to them in Season 5, which leads them into the final timeline reset.

We also know, from season 5 of Fringe, that "normal" humans can become observers by co-opting their technology:

(peep the Bowie reference)

And we have a Brenner who is a) in direct connection with William Bell and the cortexiphan trials and b) is not located by the end of Fringe.

So like...I have nothing but questions, honestly! I wonder if Brenner is somehow tied to that Brenner, and if he has Observer-like abilities the way Peter does when he co-opts the Observers' technology. Our Brenner predates cortexiphan, and he predates Walter/Bell's discovery of the alternate timelines...

So who's to say he's not tied to Fringe's Brenner? Our Brenner is known for his LSD trials in pursuit of pushing the limits of human ability.

I mean, the Duffers even go so far as to say that Brenner was looking for Henry to show him "other worlds about how our universe works".

That's textbook Fringe. That's textbook Bell and Bishop. Were Stranger Things to be something of an offshoot, Brenner would be in exactly the same line of work as Bell and Bishop. Hell, Richard Brenner in ST could very well be meant to be tied to Fringe's Brenner. We just don't know, and we won't until Season 5.

I just... [REDACTED] Brenner, William Bell, Walter Bishop, Peter "Test Subject 01" Bishop, Olivia "Subject 13" Dunham, Henry Dunham, Henrietta Bishop, Ella and Eddie Blake (named for his grandfather, Eddie Dunham). Martin Brenner, Richard Brenner, Peter Ballard, Peter Owens, William Byers, William Hargrove, Henry/Edward "001" Creel, El "011" [REDACTED], Eddie Munson...etc., etc. into eternity.

Bell, Bishop, Brenner.

Anyway, I do have a working graphic for this web of connections, though:

[touloserlautrec]

For the ask game! 29. Create a text conversation between two characters to show us their dynamic.

OKAY, you asked for it, co-writer. And boy did this get away from me. (from this ask game)

Fox's phone--Text log with "Sandy-doodle-doo"

Saturday 8:47 PM Sandy: Hey

Saturday 9:11 PM Sandy: Hey

Saturday 9:14 PM Sandy: Hey u up

Fox: Sadly

Sandy: I have an important question for you

Fox: Shoot

Sandy: Say a man had a new bottle of whiskey

Fox: I'm with you and I like where this is going

Sandy: And say he also came into possession of a worm

Fox: Sandy I don't love where this is going but I am picking up what you're putting down and no

Sandy: Could I put the worm in the whiskey and make it awesome like tequila but awesomer because it's barrel aged

Fox: I love your weird, beautiful brain, but please back away and put the worm down

Sandy: Would you still love me if I were a worm?

Fox: Maybe

Sandy: What if I told you I have a snuggie with your name on it?

Fox: Then definitely yes I would still love you. Please don't drown yourself in whiskey

Sandy: Too late ;) hang on lemme send you an unsolicited pic

Sandy: [pic of a snuggie, custom printed with a photo of Fox's face tiled on it]

Fox: 🤣🤣🤣 you're fucking kidding this is amazing is that real???🤣🤣🤣

Sandy: u know it bb

Sandy: come over ;)

Fox: Swooning, omw but please get rid of the worm

Sandy: Her name is STEPHANIE and she is my GIRLFRIEND so you SHUT YOUR MOUTH

Sunday 1:12 AM Fox: I wnat you to know that i am v pleased but also teh bathtub is v hard to pour

Sunday 1:14 AM Fox: I can't believe you'd get me drunka nd not even text back when I am drowningg

Sunday 9:03 AM Sandy: Hey sorry I missed ur text I passed out pretty much as soon as you left. We forgot to turn off the game, it looks like one of your Sims perished in the bathroom with his cereal, sorry RIP

Sunday 10:45 AM Sandy: Hey man, you okay? Did you really drown?

Sunday 10:58 AM Sandy: Should I come over and check on you?

Sunday 11:04 AM Sandy: I'm coming over

Sunday 11:14 AM Sandy: I'm here. Your door is locked. U home?

Sandy: Okay, I'm slipping a note under your door and if you're dead you'll have to haunt me about it.

Sunday 12:31 PM Sandy: I texted Anise and she said you're with Louis. Condolences. But peep the note under your door when you get home

Sunday 6:59 PM Fox: Hey sorry, my phone drowned in the bathtub last night but all hail the bowl of rice. Also, wtf, you do know that putting a note that says "S.O.S." under my door to try to help me isn't how that works, right?

Sandy: Yay! You're not dead! 🎉

Fox: Just sliding right past that one, huh?

Sandy: 🤷‍♂️

[reluctantjoe]

Mathew Baynton: ‘I’ve never done any Shakespeare – although I’ve played the man himself’

Best known as part of the troupe behind hit TV series Horrible Histories and Ghosts, Mathew Baynton tells Fergus Morgan about returning to the stage – in the RSC’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream – and how his Bottom will be sweet and sincere

Actor and writer Mathew Baynton will be familiar to most from his screen roles – as Deano in Gavin and Stacey, Simon in Peep Show and as lovelorn 19th-century poet Thomas Thorne in BBC One’s much-loved and recently concluded sitcom Ghosts. In fact, television has taken up most of Baynton’s time lately. When he steps on stage as Bottom in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream later this month, it will be his first theatrical role in more than a decade.

“I never made a conscious decision to do less theatre,” Baynton says. “There has been stuff that never worked out, some near misses that didn’t happen and it ended up being 10 years. I love Shakespeare but I’ve never had the chance to do any, although I’ve played the man himself a couple of times. I have had that Uncle Monty realisation from Withnail and I that I will never play Romeo or Hamlet, but there are loads of great Shakespeare roles that I want to do, such as this one.”

Born in 1980, Baynton grew up in Southend-on-Sea. He was “comedy obsessed” as a child – “I used to have everything from Blackadder to French and Saunders on VHS,” he remembers – then became interested in the physical theatre comedy of troupes such as Peepolykus and Spymonkey. He completed a degree in directing at Rose Bruford College, then travelled to Paris to train at the prestigious Ecole Philippe Gaulier school. 

In 2009, he collaborated with five other comedians – Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond – on the CBBC sketch show Horrible Histories. The six of them subsequently formed the collective Them There, and went on to create the series Yonderland and Ghosts. Baynton also co-wrote the 2013 comedy The Wrong Mans with James Corden, and stars in recent blockbuster Wonka as a conniving chocolatier. He lives in London with his wife and children.

“Every influence I’ve ever had is in there somewhere,” Baynton says, when asked about his approach to comedy. “In some ways, though, the older I get, the more I think that being funny is almost innate. It feels like a rarer quality than any other. It is hard to teach someone who has no funny bones to be funny. Ultimately, I just like collaborating in a room with like-minded people, trying to make stuff funnier and better. It feels natural to me. It feels not dissimilar to playing in a band.”

What production made you fall in love with theatre?

I had a wonderful theatre studies teacher called Mr Valencia, who borrowed the school minibus and drove us into London to see shows. He took us to some absolute crackers. One that stands out in particular is Complicité’s The Street of Crocodiles. That blew my mind.

What are you finding inspiring at the moment?

I’m an avid consumer of all kinds of art. I like discovering new things. I don’t get to the theatre as much as I’d like to, though. The most amazing show I saw recently was Accidental Death of an Anarchist starring Daniel Rigby and written by Tom Basden. That was completely inspiring.

What do you wish you could change about the performing arts industry?

Firstly, tickets are way too expensive. Secondly, access to our industries is really difficult. We lose an awful lot of voices that would enrich our industry because they can’t afford a career in the arts.

What is the worst thing that has happened to you on stage?

I can’t think of anything off the top of my head. On television, you can corpse and do another take. On stage, there is that hot panic when you realise you can’t hold on. I don’t think it will matter too much if that happens in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It would be different if I was playing Macbeth.

What is the best thing that has happened to you on stage?

I’m lucky that I have been able to work with some of my heroes. To pick a recent example, on the first day of shooting for Wonka, I was in a green room at St Paul’s Cathedral with Rowan Atkinson. I was sat there with Blackadder. That was a pinch-me moment.

What role do you really want to play?

There are loads. I’m hungry to do lots of stuff, not just comedy. I’d love to play Malvolio one day. I was asked this question on the red carpet for Wonka, and I said that I would love to play Jack Skellington if they ever did a stage adaptation of the Tim Burton film The Nightmare Before Christmas.

What projects are you involved in at the moment?

I’m playing Bottom with the Royal Shakespeare Company until the end of March. My Bottom does have some similarities to Thomas in Ghosts. I look a lot like him, I suppose, and I’m playing him with sincerity, too. Bottom is just really, really keen on putting on a show and there is something sweet and interesting about that.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon from January 30 to March 30: rsc.org.uk

[rose-riot-johnson]

Hello, my Tumblr Peeps. I'm probably a little late doing this, however recently, I discovered that Akira Toriyama who has created series such as Dragonball, Dragon Ball Z and a few other series, has passed away. Aside from a couple fanfics I have written pertaining atleast a couple characters from any of the Dragon Ball series, I haven't talked about nor posted about nor rebloged about any of Dragon Ball series ) if I did mention about any of the Dragon Ball series at all, otherwise), however alongside Sailor Moon and 1 of the older Gundam series, Dragon Ball Z is 1 of the 1st animes I remember watching, when I was little. So, I did get to watch anime mainly on the weekends, especially Dragon Ball Z. While I haven't been watching it, as I used to, however Dragon Ball Z was (and still is) a part of my childhood (same with Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball GT). I don't think I could show my appreciation enough for Akira Toriyama (when it comes to his series) with this post alone, however I do have alot respect for him, especially believing that Dragon Ball Z is 1 of the animes that really helped the anime landscape. I will admit, to me his death was definitely unexpected and I feel he was gone too soon. As of late I have been noticing alot of people who are fans of the Dragon Ball series and who are in many fandoms, including creators of other animes including the creator of Bleach Tite Kubo (I believe), One Piece creator Oda, and the artist of Blue Lock Yusuke Nomura, posting about tributing to him or dedicating posts for or other good things about him I believe. I have also seen a few mention about Akira on Tumblr, especially on their dedication for him,as well. I can't think on how to word things in this post, however this is the best I could word this post and know things won't be the same without him. So, rip to Akira and condolences to his family, his friends, his loved 1s, and all of his co-workers🕊️🦋Akira Toriyama will be missed and never will be forgotten🦋🕊️

[qiqi-media]

Another question: what's the whole point of VK Day and why is Mal and co deciding who should be coming to Auradon or not instead of Ben, the 'king' himself? It's like giving applications to SA victims to seek refuge.

Also, I see where you're coming from with Lonnie. The poor girl was written so poorly that they, the writers don't even bother to include her in the disastrous 'wedding'. I think she and Audrey were never close, so maybe she wasn't so quick to defend Audrey, but still she could have done something. In addition, I was reading a response to a ask I sent in terms how the writers treated Lonnie and this person says Lonnie was this 'token Asian' that was forced in descendants.

As for Audrey, I believe she was suffering from a lot of trauma and genuinely needed help. She was neglected by her parents, her grandmother emotional manipulate and abuse her, Ben openly cheats on her with Mal...it's too much for her to bear. Agree?

I'm pretty sure the point of VK Day was because nobody wanted to go, the movie contrasted from the books in this regard. In the books they make a dumb system 'to be fair' to the kids who wanted to come to Auradon that they have to apply. (This is dumb because the C4 who were the worst ones on the Isle got hand picked and ended up living the best lives in Auradon while the kids they terrorized watched.) They didn't want special treatment given to particular kids (Which happened anyway because Dizzy, the one Evie wanted off got picked ) but when they realized nobody was really applying VK day was created to like hype up the kids to apply. But there's other dumb things involved like, they had to say something about their favorite C4 member....You mean the Isle bullies(Mal really but you know the C4 was a gang altogether) , you're asking kids applying for freedom which of their former tormenters were their favorite? Then I believe there was something about parent's permission which in a normal situation that's like duh of course but it was canon that most villain parents were abusive until D3. So why would actively abusive parents let them get away from them?? Whole thing was stupid and they should've just left Ben in charge because at least when he was the only one running it was no apply for freedom bs.

As for why the C4 were even in charge that my friend I have no idea why because there's literally no reason to. It would make sense for Evie out of the four to be involved because she wanted to get involved after D2 but the other 3 especially Mal who showed a complete lack of care to anybody on the Isle, no idea why they decided to get involved. Not only get involved but to completely become the face of the program. In D3 streets were named after them, kids were shouting for them and for what?? Literally cannot figure out why, it would make sense for kids to hate them seeing as how if Auradon was ruled by someone not as kind, they would've ruined the chances of them even being freed multiple times. They also had no actual political power in Auradon, Mal got what she had because she was Ben's girlfriend and the other three were her best friends so they got special treatment. Why are they now having heavy involvement in the freeing of the others kids who again they terrorized when they were in a gang on the Isle. So why all of a sudden kids love them and are cheering them for 'paving the way' is just fan service at this point. I heard no one shouting their love for King Ben the person who they actually would be freed by and started the whole program, not one peep.

Not sure about the books, but in Audrey's diary she regards Jane and Lonnie as her closet friends who she would eat with frequently. To me it's more about her relationship with Ben, like okay let's say she wasn't as close with Audrey, she definitely wasn't too close with Mal at this point either so maybe she was being happy for Ben. But no next time it happens she takes Mal's side and pretty much shows no regard for Ben in that scene. Even with her sub-plot it was very generic, there's just very inconsistent writing going on with Lonnie so I can see why people say she's the token Asian because she really wasn't given much to do or say at all she was just there.

Audrey was failed by everyone in Auradon really. That's why I've always believed firmly the adults should've held themselves responsible in D3. I don't even think it's the cheating that really broke her, it hurt her a lot for sure. I hate that people act like they were just a high school relationship, he was. along with the other Aks was her life partner and was dropped and betrayed just like that with no reason.(From her POV until she found out he was drugged) But I really think it was the isolation, and berating that she got afterwards that really contributed to it. Her own grandmother even after seeing her react to the engagement instead of comforting her, berated her like it was her fault. So I definitely agree, even at the even of D3 Audrey's story doesn't feel over. Like how is she supposed to just live in peace with all of them after that? That's why in my mind she always ends up leaving Auradon and creating a new life, because how would she be friends again with people who treated her so poorly?

[freakingoutthesquares]

Russell Senior birthday 18.05.23. A flashback to 1980 - 19 year old Russell created this Sheffield Edition of The Bath Banker Fanzine, 30p including free fortune telling fish!

I have transcribed as best as I can - the fanzine scans (PulpWiki & Bar Italia Forum) show the original fanzine is faded and so it was hard to read in many areas. I've kept in the spelling mistakes.

I believe the rest of the fanzine was scanned (but not uploaded) but not positive about that. As ever, always on the lookout for an actual copy ... hopeful, but not holding my breath.

Text below:

PULP—Teenage Kicks riff on ½ acoustic guitars but different words. They claim to have written "Stepping Stone" - it's the definative version! "Subtlety time, dedicated to Elvis" sounds like "Don't Fear the Reaper" a bit. A dirge. "Message for the Marshians" with a keyboardist who hadn't learnt the other songs. Another dirge. The appearance of the front man is entertaining. A fun band. Tuning up of hopelessly out of tune semi-acc. "Happy House" riff out of tune, different words. "I won't say that this is the penultimate song because that's pretentious. "This is for dancing but I don't suppose anybody's going to dance. Sounds like "Christine" and is a disco spoof! I wonder what Kieth Strong would say. Vast cheering for encore.

--------

THE CURE APPARTMENT PASSIONS BRISTOL LOCARNO ANOTHER LATE JOURNEY BY TRAIN

INTO A PUB WHERE WE HAD A LITTLE GAME (WHICH YOU MIGHT LIKE TO TRY YOURSELF) THE FIRST PERSON TO SAY YES OR NO HAD TO ASK THE BARMAN HOW OLD THE WATTLE ON THE ROOF WAS. OF COURSE BARMEN DON’T USUALLY KNOW WHAT WATTLE IS SO THE LOSER WOULD LOOK A PRAT, AND INDEED WAS.

ONTO THE HALL AND VARIOUS MODS, PUNKS AND RUDE BOYS WERE BROODING ABOUT. INSIDE IT WAS JUST LIKE A TOP RANK ONLY MORE PLUSH. THE FIRST BAND CAME ON AND PLAYED A GOOD SET OF FAIRLY STRAIGHT “NEW MUSAK” THE QUALITY OF THE SONGWRITING WAS VERY HIGH, INTERESTING AND CATCHY AT TIMES WEIRD. THIS WON THEM INCREASING APPLAUSE AND ENCORE CALL. THEY A DIFFICULT JOB TO DO BECAUSE THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE NIGHT WASN’T EXACTLY CONDUICIVE FOR A BAND IN THEIR POSITION TO GO DOWN WELL. WORTH SEEING IN A SMALLER VENUE AS A MAIN BAND. SHARP TREBLY GUITAR CONTRASTED WITH A RUBLY BASS SO THAT THE TWO SOUNDS WERE TOTALLY SEPARATE. THE VOCALIST (THAT MEANS SINGER BUT SOUNDS MORE INTELLECTUAL) DID SOME POPPING, TINNY SOLOS USING HARMONICA TO GOOD EFFECT.

THE PASSIONS WERE A VERY ODD BAND, PERHAPS THE MOST EXPERIMENTAL OF THE NIGHT. THE LEAD SINGER & BASE WERE WOMEN IN ILL-FITTING SUITS. THE GUITAR DOMINATED THE SOUNDS BY USING VARIOUS EFFECTS AND TAPES. THE MUSIC DIDN’T GRAB ME MUCH, THOUGH IT COULD WELL DO ON REPEATED LISTENING. DISCORDANT, “HUNTED” IS ONE THE LESS EXTREME SONGS SOULFUL SINGING. UNFORTUNATELY THEY HAD TO GO OFF AFTER FIVE SONGS AS A MIKE WOULDN’T STOP FEEDING BACK. NOT THE KIND YOU HEAR ON NOEL EDMUNDS. BUT NEITHER ARE THE CURE AND HE PLAYS THEM. (SHAME COS ONLY JOHN PEEL SHOULD PLAY GOOD BANDS.)

SO TIME FOR THE BIG BAND. VARIOUS TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. MINIMAL EQUIPMENT AND CREW MEANS A LONG TIME GETTING THINGS JUST RIGHT, PARTICULARLY THE ANGLE OF THE LIGHTS. “NEW MUSICAL CONCEPT – JUST WATCH THE ROADIES SETTING UP” QUIPPED A WAG. CHANTS GO UP. EVENTUALLY THEY PEEP AROUND THE CURTAINS SMILING, RAPPORT IS IMMEDIATELY ESTABLISHED. THIS MUSIC WAS LIKE A DREAM, DRIFTS OF WORDS AND MUSIC, COOL INTROSPECTIVE, THOUGHTFUL, ETHEREAL DREAM/NIGHTMARE. THEY HAD AN ATMOSPHERE THE BAND DID NOTHING BUT HAD AN AWESOME STAGE PRESENSE, NOT SUPERHEROES. SLEEPY HALF SHUT EYES, CAREFULLY POSITIONED LIGHTS SHONE UP AT ABOUT 15” FROM THE FLOOR BATHING ROBERT SMITH’S FACE WITH A SPECIAL GLOW. THE SONG “FOREST” WAS A MICROCHOSM OF THE CONCERT. AS IN THE SONG, THE CONCERT WENT DEEPER INTO THE FOREST TO GET LOST AMONGST POWERFUL IMAGES, “KILLING AN ARAB” WAS THE LEAST WELL PERFORMED SONG “GRINDING HALT” AND “FOREST” THE REST. MORE FORCE THAN THE ALBUMS. THE ATMOSPHERE CREATED SOMEWHAT ON RECORD WAS TOTAL IN CONCERT. FOREST HAD A FALSE ENDING AND STARTED UP AGAIN MUCH TO THE SURPRISE OF THE AUDIENCE. THEY WENT OFF AND CAME BACK TO TWO ENCORES WITH FIVE SONGS IN ALL. THEY DIDN’T GET THE RESPONSE THEY DESERVED BUT THEN THE CURE ARE A BAND TO SAVOUR NOT GO WILD ABOUT. THEY SOUND LIKE THE PICTURES ON THE RECORDS.

THE ROADIES SAID WE COULD SEE THE BAND IN 15 MINS AND WE GOT CHUCKED OUT AFTER 1O. A BAND IN EMPATHY WITH ONE ANOTHER INVISIBLE WIRES CONNECT THEM. STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU SEE THEM. – RUSSELL.

_________

YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THAT MARK JACKSON HAS BEEN BANNED FROM THE LEADMILL FOR SEXISM, AN ORGANIZATION I HAVE ADMIRATION FOR. SUSPECTING SOMETHING FISHY AND OUTRAGED AT THIS UNFAIR AND MISGUIDED ACT I QUESTION ONE OF THE ORGANIZERS. MY FAITH RESTORED SHE ASKED ME TO PRINT THAT IN NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM IS THIS TRUE. SO HERE IT IS:-

MARK JACKSON HAS NOT BEEN BANNED FROM THE LEADMILL.

AND ALL THE ORGANIZERS LIKE HIM AND SAY HE’S WELCOME BACK.

----------------------

1980 – THE FIRST 15 MINUTES – NEUTRON RECORSD

THERE MAY BE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS RECORD. IT HAS FOUR TRACKS BY FOUR SHEFIELD AREA BANDS. IT COSTS £1.20ISH. AND COMES IN ATTRACTIVE PACKAGING.

VICE VERSA – “GENETIC WARFARE” ELECTRONIC SYNTHEISED, SPACE. SOME BITS GOOD, OTHERS ? DERIVATIVE “I AM THE FLY/I LOVE MY WIFE”

I’M SO HOLLOW – “I DON’T KNOW” WAILING RIFF WHICH IS NOTHING SPECIAL, GOOD WAILING VOICE, STRANGELY HOOKY, VERY VERY, VERY, VERY….

CLOCK DVA – “BRIGADE” SONIC DRUMMING AND RIFF, CHUGGING MILITARISTIC RHYTHM, SPACE SAX AND KEYBOARDS, SINGING EMOTIVE, PIPING SOLOS, WAILING VOICE, CRESCENDOES, STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.

STUNT KITES �� “BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE” DEFUNCT PUNK BAND, AN UNCOMPROMISED SEX PISTOLS “COME ON AND JOIN THE IN CROWD/ COME ON AND HAVE A BITCH.” “YOU’RE AFRAID TO LET YOUR HAIR DOWN COS IT MIGHT SPOIL THE DYE.” 1977 AT IT’S STUNT KITEST. ONE FINDS ONSELF SINGING IT IN THE STREET.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­______________

ALTERNATIVE ENTS – MONOCHROME SET / ESSENTIAL LOGIC / FAD GADGET

______________

THE TICKETS FOR THIS DID NOT SELL WELL BECAUSE UNIVERSITY TASTES DO NOT VENTURE INTO ANYTHING REMOTELY REMOVED FROM COMMONPLACE.

IT WAS AN AMBITIOUS EVENT TO STAGE, CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT OUR LOVELY PREZ HAS TURNED DOWN THE UNDERTONES AND TOYAH AS BEING TOO RISKY. THERE WERE ABOUT 15 FILMS IN ALL. THE FIRST ONE CONSISTED OF A FEW DOTS BOUNCING UP AND DOWN. OTHER FILMS WERE A NAZI PROPAGANDA FILM, ANDY WARHOL BITING HIS LIP FOR 15 MINUTES, THE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS SIT-IN. BY FAR THE BEST FILM WAS ONE ABOUT TWENTY MINS LONG IN B&W WHICH WAS, I THINK, FRENCH. IT WAS A SERIES OF SILENTLY CONNECTED NIGHTMARISH EVENTS. A MAN IN A STRNAGE DRESS CUTTING A LITTLE GIRLS EYE, A WOMAN IN A BUSY STREET SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE PUSHING A DISMEMBERED HAND ABOUT. THE MAN IN THE DRESS RIDING A BICYCLE TO A WOMANS HOUSE, GOING INSIDE AND ATTACKING HER. SHE FIGHTS HIM OFF AND FOR A WHILE HE STANDS BACK, THEN IN WHAT SEEMS TO BE A FLASH OF INSPIRATION HE STARTS PULLING ON A ROPE AND DRAGS TOWARDS HER A PIANO WITH A DEAD HORSE AND TWO PRIESTS WITH THEIR HEADS IN NOOSES. IT WAS AS GARBLED AS THIS ACCOUNT.

FAD GADGET WAS A ONE MAN BAND APART FROM ONE SONG WHEN A GUITARIST JOINED HIM. HE PLAYED SOUNDS ON A SYTHESISER AND SANG ALONG. THE CLIMAX OF THE SET WAS “COITUS INTERRUPTUS/MISSION IMPOSSIBLE” IN WHICH HE TRIED TO COPULATE WITH HIS SYNTHESISER WHILST SWALLOWING THE MICROPHONE IN UNDERSTANDABLE HEAVY BREATHING.. THE AUDIENCE DIDN’T QUITE KOW HOW TO TAKE THIS – HE WENT OFF TO CRIES OF “WANKER” OR WAS IT “BANKER.”

ESSENTIAL LOGIC WERE ESSENTIALLY PUNK WHICH STARTED PEOPLE BOPPING, HOWEVER THE SONGS STOPPED AND STARTED AND CHANGED TEMPO SO OFTEN THAT LIKE AS NOT YOU WERE LEFT LOOKING STUPID DANCING. EVENTUALLY PEOPLE GAVE UP. A SAD CASE OF PUTTING BREAKS IN FOR THE SAKE OF IT. APART FROM THAT THEY WERE GOOD, A LITTLE X-RAY SPEX. WHEN ANY PUNK GROUP WITH A FEMALE SINGER (LAURA LOGIC) HAS A SAX LEAD THERE ARE GOING TO BE COMPARISONS.

MONOCHROME SET DIDN’T GO DOWN TOO WELL, THEY LOOKED CONSPICUOUSLY ART COLLEGE TYPES. THEIR MUSIC IS NOT EASY TO PIN DOWN, MOR EXPERIMENTAL WITH A TOUCH OF NOEL COWARD. GOOD BUT NOT VERY. “MONOCHROME SET” THE SONG WITH ITS AIRY VOIICE AND SULTANESQUE (NEW WORD) GUITAR STOPED DRUMBEATS WAS TYPICAL BUT BY FAR THE MOST DISTINCTIVE. THE LEAD SINGER LOOKED LIKE HE CAME FROM A SILENT MOVIE. THE WHOLE GROUP SEEMED DISTANT AND FADED, NO AUDIENCE RAPORT – I’D SEE THEM AGAIN THOUGH.

THE GIG WASN’T TOO PEACEFUL, AN AIR OF MENACE, BLOKES AT THE FRONT WERE VICIOUS AND SOMETIMES THE BOUNCERS OVERDID IT, THINGS WERE THROWN, FIGHTING, SHAM 69 SCENES AT THE END WITH A STAGE INVASION AND OBSCENITIES SHOUTED DOWN THE MICROPHONE, DAMAGE. TOWN PEOPLE ARE MORE LIVELY BUT SOON THEY WON’T BE WANTED BECAUSE OF A DESTRUCTIVE MINORITY.

-----------------------------

CALLED NEW MODEL SOLDIER

(DERIVED FROM SHOP)

RUSS: TELL ME ABOUT YOUR BAND

DAVE: WELL, I MET MIGGS AND PAUL (THE OTHER TWO MEMBERS – PAUL PLAYS GUITAR AND MIGGS PLAYS BASS + GRINDS A LOT) AT THE CLASH CONCERT IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR. [LOSE 10 STREET CRED POINTS]                   

RUSS: I THINK YOU SHOULD GET A KEYBOARDIST                         

DAVE: WHY?             [WHY DOES HE LEAVE SPACES]

RUSS: BECAUSE IT WOULD ADD THE NECESSARY ATMOSPHERE THAT YOUR SONGS DEMAND BUT LACK.             [ WHAT JOURNALISM!]

DAVE: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IF I SAID THAT WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING A DRUMMER? [ARE THESE LYRICS]

RUSS: ER, GOOD IDEA.

DAVE: (SPEECHLESS)  

RUSS: (PLOUGHS ON WITH NEXT QUESTION) i THINK THE THINGS WE’RE NOT SAYING ARE MORE INTERESTING THAT THE THINGS WERE ARE WRITING.

DAVE: i WOULD TEND TO AGREE WITH YOU ANYWAY, WE’VE BEEN TOGETHER AS A BAND SINCE THE END OF JANUARY… ER… ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO HEAR ALL THIS?

RUSS: NO! WHAT ABOUT YOUR MUSICAL DIRECTION?

DAVE: I WROTE THE LYRICS AND PAUL WROTE ALL THE MUSIC, NOT INFLUENCED LYRICALLY BY ANY OTHER GROUPS. MY MAIN INFLUENCE IS HORROR STORY WRITERS, STEPHEN KING, HP LOVECRAFT (SOUNDS LIKE A SEXSHOP). “SOMETHING WICKED” ABOUT ELDER [????] (STRANGE BUT FASCINATING WORLD OF NMS) AN AQUIRED TASTE LIKE YOGHURT. PEOPLE SAY “WHAT A LOAD OF SHIT” BUT GET TO LIKE US LATER. THE ATMOSPHERIC SONG ABOUT JACK THE RIPPER (REMINDS RUSS OF SUBWAY SONG) PAUL CHUCKED IT AT ME AND SAID “SING THAT” AND I SAID “WHAT’S IT ABOUT?” AND HE SAID WORK OUT FOR YOURSELF, SO I SING IT A COUPLE OF TIMES AND I STILL COULDN’T WORK OUT WHAT IT WAS ABOUT. ABOUT A MONTH LATER WE STARTED USING IT IN THE SET, HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS ABOUT JACK THE RIPPER AND ONCE HE TOLD ME THAT, IT SEEMED OBVIOUS. READING BACK WHAT I’VE JUST SAID, IT SOUNDS RATHER STUPID. [TRUE YOU ARE]

RUSS: TELL ME SOME JUICY FACTS ABOUT THE BAND

DAVE: JUICY FACTS? ALRIGHT, IN ACTUAL FACT, i AM AN ORANGE, PAUL’S A GRAPEFRUIT, AND MIGGS IS A BANANA.

RUSS: IRREVERENT SCOUNDRAL CAN’T YOU BE DECENT FRUIT LIKE LYCHEES?

pAUL: I’M DAVE, PAUL’S NOT HERE, AND SCOUNDREL IS SPELT WITH AN ‘E’        

RUSS: WELL FOLKS THAT JUST ABOUT WRAPS IT UP, OH AND MARTIN FEATHERBY WAS HERE.    

------------------------

UK Subs                 Pavilion                                3rd May 1980                     Review

This review won’t be long cos old Russell has got BIG PRINTING PROBLEMS at the moment. Besides, the gig wasn't very long anyway, although it was very eventful. Thus - as you will probably get bored if it's too long - here is a short review of the UK Subs.

I shall begin my tale on the train from good ol Wales. There were 20 to 30 Subs fans from Newport and Cardiff on there. I know this cos I have seen them at the Stowaway in Newport lots of times. Anyway, after even more punks got on at Bristol, I finally arrived at Bath. We stood on the bridge at first, watching the pretty colours get let into the Pavilion - blue-green, red, purple, white, tartan, yellow… lovely.

We went in after handing over our £2 worth of ticket. Not long after, as we settled down and were listening to the records we were knocked sideways. Obviously one little innocent bugger had said the wrong thing to the wrong person and woosh 60 people run after him (or his blood). Why did he have to run towards us! Just as we got over that the first band came on. Rip, tear, wack, grunt. They were awful (although better than those in the Nolan Sisters mould). I don't know who they were, but believe me, they were ten times less subtle than the Cockney Rejects and even less musically potential! After a few growls and the mass of spitting (both ways), they went off.

There were more fights in the interlude, more numerous and more violent. Bristol Cross fans were involved, so it seems because after it all died down, they formed a separate group in the middle and sang BRISTOL in football fan fashion. The atmosphere was electric from then on.

We decided to get a drink to cool down. No beer was on sale! We had a glass of lemonade. It was 25p. We decided to share it. The UK Subs came on and lo and behold, Charlie Harper was not drunk. The music was so loud it blew my ears off. At times it was so loud and full of fervour that I couldn't differentiate between the chords.

At first I thought they were going to play the first album in order cos they started with CID, I couldn't be you, I live in a car, Tomorrows Girls, (the first four tracks on the album). However, the first five minutes of this set over with they play some songs from “Brand New Age” which I wasn't familiar with.

The set lasted for 35 minutes. The crowd danced vigorously to the first 15 or so numbers, but only the fit endured it to the end of the set (another 8 to 10 songs!) Classics followed one another World war, rocker's warhead, Emotional Blackmail, crash course, Teenage. In the encore there was Stranglehold (of course) and B1C.

“B one C

B one C

I don't want to B one C.” Sung with as much effort and energy as CID at the start. There were two encores. The second had another new song, also disease and CID again.

“We’ve finished the numbers we'd rehearsed, so will start the set again… crash, crash, crash. “See that man dressed in black” … pogo, pogo. CID, CID, etc, etc.

People had got on stage by this time + one was arm in arm with Charlie Harper singing into the mic.

After the gig we went to the Crystal Palace and sunk a few pints of Dorchester… ah! A night to be remembered.

Taken from the original manuscript of Paul Pearce (Wales)

 ------------------------------

An interview with de tian the garbled version.

ME:-  Tell us about yourselves.

PAUL:-  There are four of us now, and we've all but abandoned the backing tape, which gives us a lot more scope.

ME:-  About the record:-

PAUL:-  We've only sold 200 out of 1000, 100 in Sheffield and 100 to rough trade. We can't get distribution because it's too odd. It was turned down by recommend, Projection, Bonaparte's, Small wonder.

ME:-  Can you compare yourself to anyone else?

MARTIN:-  We're not rock or pop. Not throbbing gristle. We don't use guitar, just natural sounds Over simple notes, Contemporary music avant-garde.

ME:-  What about stockhausen?

MARTIN:-  We’re influenced by him, but we’re not copying we’re also influenced by JArz, not [XXXXwnable

Paul: We're not subliminal. That's a load of bullshit.

ME:-  The future?

Paul: We want to play London, sell the records. XXXX will make some proper In my flat. We like to present the music in a way that standard rock audiences can listen to eg yourself. Hence we have the magician And slides.

ME:-  My experience was that I wasn't sure about the music, but I was interested.

MARTIN:-  You can spend too much time worrying about, understanding, looking for reasons which aren't necessary.

Paul: Understanding doesn't come into it, EG status quo.

ME:-  Tell me about “two Spires split” lyrics in “writings.”

PAUl. A long held idea. We both write a lot and wanted to put it into a XXXX It's sparse because it was typed up that way. Money isn't Our aim, We're all poor.

ME:-  Why the magician.

PAUL:-  All part of the visual presentation thing. This Afternoon Isn't ENOUGH Time to play (see review) We adapt our playing to what We're doing.

ME:-  Are you going to play any of your hits?

PAUL:-  A couple off the EP.

MARTIN:-  there’ll be less structure. More improvised structure within a structure.

PAUL:- More emotion than with tapes.

ME:-  What do you think of the local scene?

PAUL:-  There's plenty going on. bands accept t0o easily that they'll Big.  i don’t like Some of their motives. London needs to be shown what's happening. Clock dva are great advert. If people with more sense and money had been around Sheffield in the past days, they would have been something good were not standing for acceptance. It'll never get commercial like the push and the EXTRAS Who WERE ENGAGED and changed.

ME:-  Which venues do you like?

Paul: The Rotherham Arts Centre, the Crucible. but its XXXXXX XXXX

MARTIN:-  People doing it for themselves is good. I don't like XXXX XXXX AREN’T more important than other people. tWo spires is about A TENSION between Two Spires quite deep.

MARTIN:-  A trendy load of crap. (He's not serious.)

PAUL:-  The lyrics are A reflection on Sheffield, surrealism, It is XXXXXX.

PAUL:-  Over 100 instruments, we like hitting things.

MARTIN:-  Collecting personal instruments eastern XXXXX Via instrument. Sympathetic strings to give the Indian sound. we like clock dVA And the Lindsay string quartet.

ME:-  What's your favourite colour?

THEM:-  My eyes are bluey grey blue. Haven't got one XX? colour

THEM:-  The next record will have alternative XXXX And a version of old Shep.

The end

This interview was tastefully garbled

at the express request of De Tians.

---------------------- 

THE SATURDAY LEADMILL

THE NEW VENUE ON LEADMILL STREET BETWEEN XXXX XXXX XXXX THE POLY ON THE SITE OF THE ESQUIRE CLUB. EARLIER IN THE DAY THERE WAS XXXX X XXX CRAFT FAYRE.

THIS WAS A GOOD EVENT HAVING A RING OF THE MEDIEVAL MIXED WITH THE SIXTIES, ADD A DASH OF LIME AND YOU GET A REFRESHING COCKTAIL. WITH XXXXX XXX BUT XXX XXX (WHOLEFOOD YOU KNOW) WAS DELICIOUS XXXX XXXX XXXX APPLE JUICE, QUICHE, FLAPJACK + ALL THE MUESLI XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX VARIOUS JEWELRY STANDS, POTTERY. WE BOUGHT XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX AN UNCANNY RESEMBLENCE TO MY DAD. THEN DO YOUR OWN XXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXX PEOPLE HAD THOSE. THE SHEFFIELD FREE PRESS HAD A STALL OUT BUT I’D ALREADY XXX XXX. BY FAR THE BEST ATTRACTION WAS ONE OF THOSE INFLATABLES, A 40FT SQUARE, XXFT HIGH CUSHION OF AIR. AFTER ASCERTAINING THAT YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO BE A KIDDIE TO GO ON IT, A GREAT TIME WAS HAD.

BY THE TIME WE LEFT IT WAS STARTING TO FILL UP AND NO DOUBT THERE WERE EVENTS TAKING PLACE LATER. ON INTO THE DEEP GREY YONDER. NIGHT FELL (OR WAS IT PUSHED?) THE MUSIC WASN’T STUNNING BUT WAS A GOOD NIGHT AND TOTALLY WORTHWHILE ADVENTURE. (SUBTRACT AD)

LONG XXXX FOLKIE AS MUCH AS TULL OR SPAN OR INDEED SPAM. AS A XXXXX XXXX XXXX OF FOLK THEY HELD MY INTEREST. I CAN’T REALLY COMMENT BUT XXXX XXXXX XXXX AND [OFFBEAT?] WITH DISTINCTIVE VOCALS IN PART. SOMEONE OUGHT XXXXX XXXXX XXXX FANZINE BECAUSE I HAVEN’T GOT A CLUE.

XXX IT SEEMS THAT EVERYONE’S DOING A HOMEMADE BADGE. A XXXXX XXX TELLS ME THAT THEY GOT FIVE SONGS AND ABOUT TO DO A GIG. XXXXX XXXXXX SAYS THAT THEY’D LIKE TO PUT A BAND ON EVERY NIGHT.

EARTH TALES. AGAIN I CAN’T COMMENT ON THE MUSIC THAT I WOULD APPRECIATE EVEN XXX XXX XXX IN IT’S FIELD (IF YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN). THEY WERE XXXX XXXX AND XXXX XXXX WITH ME THOUGHT THEY WERE RUBBISH, THE OTHER GREAT. WISHY WASHY WRITE UP EH?

BREAKTIME – THE VENUE IS AN OLD LEADMILL WITH ONE [GLASS?] XXXX ALREADY IS XXX THERE ARE CLOAKROOMS, FOOD AND A BAR (ONLY SURE XXX XXXX THE XXXX). GAY PAINTWORK, BUMPY FLOOR, SPACEOUS, XXXXSTY, XXXX OLD FURNACE SITS HAPPILY IN THE CORNER TO GUARD US FROM EVIL.

DE TIAN – IF THERE WAS A “BEST BAND” IT WAS THEM FOR ME, THOUGH NOT TO MANY OTHER PEOPLE. TWO MEMBERS FOR THIS GIG. ONE STARTED PLAYING A GUITAR AND THE OTHER SCRATCHED A WEIRD THING RESEMBLING…. (WELL IT HAD STRINGS ON IT). THE MOST DIRE DIRGE ENSUED. THEY THEN PICKED UP BONGO INSTRUMENTS TO DO A NOISE ON THEM. THEN THEY START SAYING “WHERE’S BOGART” AND “THIS IS TERRIBLE.” MARVO ENTERS TO A SPLENDID MUSICAL BACKDROP. SOMETIMES HE IS MYSTIC, OTHERS FUNNY, THE BEST BIT OF THE EVENING (PS HE’S A MAGICIAN). THE BAND TAKE TO SYMBOLS. THE MUSIC DOESN’T REALLY HAVE A MELODY OR TUNE, BEING NEARER ORIENTAL THAN WESTERN MUSIC. THIS CAUSES DIGESTIVE DIFFICULTIES. UNDANCEABLE. THE EP TRACKS I’VE HEARD ARE STIMULATING. I’D LIKE TO SEE THEM AGAIN.

ONE DISADVANTAGE OF BUYING RECORDS AT GIGS IN SHEFFIELD IS THAT COMPLETE STRANGERS COME AND TAKE THEM OFF YOUR LITTLE SISTER. ONE VISIT TO THE BAR BROUGHT YET ANOTHER CROWD OF STRANGERS ROUND MY SMIRKING SIBLING MINUS ONE BOOKLET. “WHAT ARE THESE NASTY MEN DOING WITH YOUR BOOKLET” I ASKED. IT WAS OBVIOUS THEY WERE LOOKING AT PICTURES OF EACH OTHER AND REMARKING UPON EACH OTHERS UNDOUBTED UGLINESS. TURNS OUT TO BE “DEAF AIDS” WHO WERE THE BETTER BAND WITH WILKO AT BATH.  THEY ARE ASTONISHED WHEN I TELL THEM I SAW THE GIG. IT IS A BIT UNLIKELY, ADMITTEDLY, TO MEET SOMEONE IN SHEFFIELD WHO SAW YOU IN BATH.  TURNS OUT THEY WERE ENTHUSED BY THE BATH RECEPTION AND WANTED TO PLAY THERE AGAIN. PEOPLE SAY THEY ARE R&B WHICH IS OFF THE MARK, THE MEMBERS THEMSELVES DON’T THINK ARE R&B. THE NEAREST COMPARISON WOULD BE THE HEAVY METAL KIDS IF ONLY FOR THE HUMOUR OF THE FRONT MAN. LESS R&B THAN THE CRAMPS FOR WHAT IT MATTERS.

R.I.P. CLAIM TO BE REVIVALISTS. THE LEAD SINGER LOOKS LIKE A BRICKY AND PROBABLY IS. COMEDY BAND. PEOPLE DANCE, “BACK IN THE USSR” AND THE CATCHY “DEAD MEN’S CLOTHES” ABOUT ALL US OXFAM KIDS.

MARK JACKSON IS A POET WITH A FUZZY GUITAR, LIKE IN THE XXXXXXX JOAN AND XXX. HIS FIRST DITTY IS “16 STONE FANNY.” WHICH XX VERY XXXXXXXX SIDE OF PEOPLE. THE GUITAR BREAKS DOWN BUT HE CARRIES ON “NEVER MASTERBATES EXCEPT WHEN SHE MENSTRUATES” FEMINISTS TAKE OFFENCE AND XXXX XXXXXXXX TO THE FLOOR. “I NEVER THOUGHTT 8 STONES OF M COULD CRUSH XXXXXX XXXXXXXX!” HE THEN FACES A CONSTANT HARANGING FROM A FEW PEOPLE XXXX XXXX XXXX SONG IS ABOUT WORKING MENS CLUBS – FISH AND CHIPS, BEER, GIRLS. THE XXXX XXXXXX SEVERE WITH PEOPLE STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM HURLING ABUSE XXXX HE XXXXX “I THINK I’D BETTER GO” YOU CAN’T HELP BUT FEEL SORRY FOR HIM. HE GOES OFF XXXX BUT EVEN MORE APPLAUSE. BACK HE COMES, “THIS IS FOR THE PEOPLE OUT THERE” (POINTS TO HIS FANS) “AND THIS IS FOR YOU” (TWO FINGERS TO THE HECKLERS). HE DOES A ONE CHORD VERSION OF “SO LONELY” EVEN THAT IS TAKEN AS SEXIST. AS A FEMINIST NON SEXIST MYSELF I DON’T FEEL TOO HAPPY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. SOME PEOPLE WANTED TO SHOW WHERE THEIR LOYALTIES LXXX XX DARK X IS CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE. A MAN WHO TAKES THE PISS OUT OF BOTH SEXES. HE WASN’T TREATING WOMEN AS OBJECTS, MORE TAKING THE PEE OUT OF MEN WHO DO SO.

HEADROOM “THIS ONE’S SO FUNKY YOUR EARS’LL DROP OFF” SAYS THE SINGER. THE OTHER SONG HE REFERS TO PEOPLE AS “SISTERS AND BROTHERS” WHICH IS TAKEN AS A SEXIST ATTACK – CHANTS OF “BORING” FROM THE HECKLERS. UNESSCESSARY UNPLEASANTNESS. AGAIN I AM NOT INTO THIS MUSIC BUT PEOPLE DANCED, ON THE WHOLE THE AUDIENCE WEREN’T IDEAL. SIX BANDS FOR £1.

_________________

…. LATEST … NEW …

FROM … PLANET … X

THE “X HEAVIES CYNICAL” MANY, MANY YEARS AGO WAS RUNNING OUT OF OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS. THE SCOUTS HADN’T HAD A JUMBLE SALE FOR AGES, THEY HAD BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN TRYING TO PRECIPITATE A STRIKE DUE TO THE APATHY OF THE X-PEOPLE. FOR SOME STRANGE REASON NOT EVEN THE NORMAL TIVIAL THINGS SUCH AS TORY MPS SHAKING HANDS WITH LORD THORNEYCROFT WERE HAPPENING VERY OFTEN. SUDDENLY A BRAINWAVE STRIKES THEM! THEY BUY UP THE OLD STATION. SO THEY DID FOR A PEPPERCORN RENT, AND SINCE THEN WHENEVER THEY’VE HAD NOTHING TO WRITE ABOUT THEY’VE JUST MADE UP A PACK OF LIES ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN: A DUMP FOR ATOMIC WASTE, A LAUNCH PAD FOR APOLLO 17, A MASSAGE PARLOUR, AN EROTIC FRUIT SHOP, A CRYOXXX BANK, A SPERM DONING BANK, A BLOOD BANK, A BARCLAYS BANK, A MOSSY BANK. A FILM SET FOR A STORY ABOUT A HOMICIDAL MANIAC – HEY THAT’S AN IDEA. OPEN SHOP AS A SAFARI PARK, WITH LIONS & TIGERS AND KIETH JOSEPH – BUT XXXXXX XXXX EAT THE LIONS AND ESCAPE AND THEN WHAT WOULD WE DO?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Apologies for any mistakes - I did what I could, OK.

[harrison-abbott]

Musings on Succession

Why do we find bad people interesting?

Is that the correct question? Or – would it be better to say: why do we follow villainous characters in fiction?

Because they move the plot along well, perhaps. Or because fiction is based on complication. Without things going wrong in a story, there wouldn’t be anything to move it elsewhere. People like action and violent drama. It’s a sad fact but that’s what folks are like.

Succession, as a TV show, has very few violent moments in it, in terms of physical violence. Almost none. It does not rely on punch-ups or guns or murder in order to give the audience a jolt. Which is, if you think about it, very rare when compared to most television shows. Honestly: just think about the most famous shows on HBO or Netflix; they’re almost all bloody or filled with fights, aren’t they …

So what does Succession do differently in order to make it attractive?

I know nothing about the top 1% of rich people on planet Earth. There are a very elite group of people in the one percent bracket who are the superrich. I’ve never met anybody who is rich; I simply have no context of what it could be like to be very wealthy.

Therefore I do not know whether the Roy family are an accurate representation of ‘that’. Certainly, their surroundings (their apartments, their yachts and private helicopters) all point to plushness and so on … This atmospheric grandeur, therefore, places the viewer in a world of make believe.

Okay, well; Succession has zilch physical stuff and it’s set in an atmosphere which most of us know nothing about. What does it use instead in order to tap in with our own thoughts and feelings. What’s a naturally dramatic thing in each of our lives that often causes us difficulty, brings out the worst and best in us?

Family life. Our families.

I remember one occasion in my university days. I did a module in literature and we were discussing a particular book which was of the family-drama genre; and at one point the tutor said, “We all come from dysfunctional families.” She was probably right.

Parents hurt their children; children can destroy their parents. Siblings jostle for love. They make negative comparisons between themselves. Have different abilities. They have a mix of either parent in them … and none of them are totally alike. Each mode of DNA is as explosive and random as any dose of chaos and structure – any example you could think of.

The Roy siblings bicker with an intense, rollicking skill which seems endlessly magnetic. The whole premise of the show is rather simple. Who will take over from Brian Cox as head of the empire. That’s all it is. And yet this premise is evenly widened out across 39 episodes within 4 seasons. There is no dull episode. It can certainly get a bit manic, and you tend to overload (as a viewer) with the sheer amount of profanity and madness going on. But it never gets boring.

They argue and backstab ceaselessly and all of them are maniacally selfish, and say the most abusive, horrible shit to each other. The dialogue is essentially the ammunition for the series – where the action comes from.

A crazy family drama of mega rich people being cunts to each other. What would give this a bit of depth in order to make it likeable?

Make it a comedy.

Jesse Armstrong is the show’s creator. He’s not American, he’s English. And in the past he co-created the Channel 4 comedy series Peep Show and Fresh Meat.

If you take the character Greg Hirsch, we can perhaps sum up why Succession works as a spectacle. Greg is thrown into this new world of the ultra wealthy, having no prior knowledge of the people in it. He’s very young. And bewildered. And finds it excruciating … and despite all of this, everything he says is just funny.

There isn’t a line from him which didn’t make me laugh. And the actor Nicholas Braun plays it brilliantly. Greg is completely out of place, out of his depth, and doesn’t even know how funny he is. Moreover – none of the other characters ever laugh with him.

He’s treated as a joke and laughed at instead. The whole essence of Greg is that he represents a cynical take of these powerful 1% fatcats. [Apparently, Braun’s co-stars named him as the actor who was most like his character in real life. Cox remarked that “Nick is almost indistinguishable.” Which makes it all even better.]

I’ve rarely encountered a show which can be as equally funny as it is dramatic. Because the drama is undoubtedly strong; the plot lines are terrific, employing a great use of suspense, alongside a knack for the stunning twist. The darkness of the show is levelled out by humour.

Those are my individual views. Succession might not be for everyone. There are many ways to analyse it. Should we take it seriously and think of it as a dark critique of the rich? Or is it a huge joke about a fantasy world – the ultimate misfit family for us to project our own slapstick insecurities onto?

I suppose, if you think about it in another way: I bet the real-life ultra rich aren’t as entertaining as the characters in this show. And it’s not only Greg that brings the laughs. Roman is great well. The actual superrich wouldn’t have banter like he does.

Acht. I’d recommend it to anybody to watch. And would put it in my personal top ten of TV shows I’ve encountered.

[P.S. Logan Roy was originally intended to be Canadian. But Brian Cox suggested it would be better to make him a Scottish immigrant. The producers disagreed with the idea at first, but were eventually brought around.]

[doctor-pharma]

📖 

anon or not, send me   ‘ 📖 ‘   and i will explain a situation / setting i’ve wanted to place my muse into, but haven’t had the chance to, yet. 

This idea was more or less born out of me looking at how Pharma was doing everything he could to cover his tracks and keep the blame off himself when Ratchet, Drift & co. showed up at Delphi. I wound up wondering what would have happened if our dear doctor had actually managed to lie successfully? Maybe our LL peeps got there a bit later and Ratchet didn't see through it all that easily?

Essentially the situation would be that Pharma gets away with the whole Red Rust thing, meaning that the LL crew would probably take him on board along with First Aid and Ambulon.

Imagine having done what Pharma did, feeling absolutely horrible about it but at the same time trying hard to convince yourself that you had no choice and meanwhile no one else knows. The people closest to you have no idea it was you who created that tragedy, they keep treating you as they did before... And than there's the factor of being reunited with Ratchet after such a long time and at arguably the worst moment.

[mrultra100]

I know that I haven't talked about this show on here alot, but I feel like the original run/canon of Dr. Crafty, even after being canned, still has its own charm. And while his artistic work has been slower now due to him being a streamer, Crafty is still a pretty good artist and character designer. What I'm going for here is going over the main Dr. Crafty cast, sharing my thoughts about 'em. I have some personal thoughts on especially a few of these peeps, and it'll show as we go on. With that said, let's get Crafty.

(WARNING; Spoilers for Dr. Crafty are gonna be brought up alot. If you haven't seen this show, check it out)

Given how they were the main duo of the series, along with being at the center of its conflicts, I wanna start with Dr. Crafty and Nurse Worse. The chemistry (Pun not intended, I swear) between these two easily makes for some of the best character interactions in the show. Between the light banter they had in Season 1, and the more serious bits of personal trauma and flaws that the show in later seasons (Crafty and his past with Sasha and how it's negatively affected him after she left, and Nurse's trauma from Mindstein), they're some of its more fleshed-out characters. If there's anything that might be considered a flaw, the show ending so soon means that these characters aren't gonna have their arcs completed. As someone who stuck around in the show's early years, that kinda blows. And as much as I understand why the series ended the way that it did (The show being too expensive for more episodes to get made, along with the voice actors moving on to other projects), I feel like something could've been added for these peeps.

As for the main duo themselves, I feel like Crafty is a very good mix of funny and complex, and Nurse serves as a good co-host-type of character. As someone who's a big monster geek, I can really get behind the idea of a mad scientist and a cute Frankenstein girl running a web show together. Overall, Crafty and Nurse are a nice duo of protagonists.

Out of the show's roster of co-hosts, Pepper is the one that I have the most to say about. Between both of her designs (The one that was used for the show, along with the recently revamped one made by Blue-Paint-Sea, Pepper and Pickles' creator), they both do an amazing job showing off this gal's traits. A gentle giant, BBW octopus lady who's also a chef and has an air-breathing sea cucumber as a lil' buddy is a pretty out-of-the-box idea, but it works so well. Pepper is basically the biggest sweetheart of the cast, and her mannerisms, looks, and personality all help with that aspect. And while he's only one part of this duo, Pickles himself makes for a interesting character in his own right, with part of his charm due to how there's no other character in the main cast who's similar to him.

If there's any aspect that these two that I love the most, it's how even after Dr. Crafty as a show has ended, they're still around! Due to how Pepper and Pickles also fit in as characters made by the aforementioned Blue-Paint-Sea, they're still gonna be around as part of their own story. If you haven't seen Blue's work already, I highly recommend it, especially if you're a huge fan of Banjo-Kazooie.

Debuting alongside Pepper and Pickles in the same year, Messibelle was the third co-host to join the cast. While I don't have nearly as much to say about her as I've had for Pepper, Messi herself is still a fun character to talk about. Similar to other characters in this series, Messi's very concept is one that's rather unique. A lesbian slime maid who's thirsty as all hell is a fun character concept that the shows goes all-out on showing off. Her being the youngest out the bunch is another aspect to Messi's character that's shown off pretty well, as well as technically being Crafty's daughter due to how he himself was responsible for creating her after dumping a bunch of cleaning products down the sink.

Aside from how she's changed and matured as a character in the later seasons due to how some people had a problem with how she was written early on, my final note for Messi is how she was voiced by the incredibly talented Toxicsoul77, who appears to be one of my favorite online artists. The woman has plenty of talent when it comes to these sorts of things, and it definitely showed here.

For what I've got to say on Crystelle, I feel like she's a fun character that didn't get enough spotlight due to the show being canned. Don't get me wrong, she's had a good amount of moments ever since she was introduced in Season 3, but part of me feels like if there was a chance to fully flesh her story out alongside everyone else, it should've been taken advantage of. Aside from that, Crystelle's design is one of the best and most creative out of the entire cast. A fortune teller is one thing, but having their own head be a crystal ball is a very neat idea that I don't think I've seen elsewhere. Aside from that, the Questionable Qloest spinoff is my personal favorite of the main show and its various spinoffs. There's just something so chill and calm about it that I very much like, as Crystelle is not only the perfect host for a show like it, it plays a big part of this show by sharing out bits and pieces of lore about the greater Crafty universe as a whole. It's sweet, I like it.

I honestly feel like Stylene was the character that was done the dirtiest by the show's cancelation. I'm not saying that it was the show runners' fault for this, I'm just saying that they were cooking for this witch is gonna be banging. Even with how her story is gonna remain unfinished, Stylene herself was still a pretty dynamic character. And as someone who likes redesigns of characters, she basically speaks to me on a personal level, considering that's basically what her spin-off show was all 'bout.

As for what else I could say about Stylene? Well, it's my personal headcanon that she's definitely gay on some level. Probably bi, if we're honest. This woman is the pure definition of be gay, do crime.

Now that the Crafty Crew's taken care of, we can move on to essentially my favorite character of this entire show. Sasha is absolutely GREAT, y'all, and it kinda feels like she would’ve been the type of character to get popular onto her. Not only is this a very effective design for a cosmic horror, nor how she's adorable in both of her forms, how she's written very well as a character that plays in a huge part in Crafty's past, has gotten plenty of character development, or how she fits well with the other characters she's on screen with personally (Including a certain hunchback old lady(?) that we'll get to shortly)... she's just that versatile as a character in her own right. There's basically two sides of Sasha that perfectly capture what I'm trying to say here...

(Remember, these two designs are from the same exact character. One side is a terrifying eldritch abomination capable of permanently erasing you from existence if she wanted to, and the other is a goofy, lovable nerd)

If I can be real here, I honestly feel like gushing about Sasha on here is something that should happen more. This absolute goof of a lovecraftian horror is one of my personal favorite characters in fiction, and she deserves alot more love these days. The last thing that I wanna say about this woman for now is if there was some sort of way to easily deal with the whole conflict of who Crafty eventually falls in love with... Have him, Nurse, and Sasha be in a polycule together. Nurse has been hinted to be bisexual alot in the show, and she even blushed upon seeing Sasha in her human form for the first time, so it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to be into both Crafty and Sasha. And Sasha would feel like she would be absolutely bi. Again, alongside Messi being a lesbian and Pepper being grey-asexual, the other Dr. Crafty characters would certainly fit with the IGBTQ+ community.

What I'm trying to say here is this: let Sasha be gay, dammit.

Regarding my feelings about Mindstein.... Well, in my very humble opinion, Mindstein is kind of a mixed bag, if I'm really being honest. On one hand, she's got quite a bit going for her; Pretty good design that highlights her personality well, Oliva Steele doing a great job with her voice, as she's a horror buff, and being very horrifying as an irredeemable monster. On the other hand, however, I feel like she could've had more as a character. I'm not saying that she shouldn't be as much of a bloodthirsty, power-hungry psychopath that revels in the chaos and terror that she causes, as she was in the show whenever she showed up. All I'm saying is she should've been a bit more comedic, if that makes sense for this lady.

I get that this lady came about in the first place as a potshot towards White Diamond and how the show that she came from literally had no problem with redeeming a literal dictator, but I feel like Mindstein had a sort of weird silliness that could've been taken advantage of. With a name like DR. MINDSTEIN., that would definitely be the moniker of a villain who's both funny and threatening at the same time (Think something like Jack Horner, but a mad scientist lady). If it was possible, I feel like making this blue-brained bitch a complete nutcase and girlfailure who's absolutely petty as all hell would've been very fun. Have this woman be annoying the ever-living hell out of her victims as torture, getting into the most petty arguments imaginable on purpose, get herself into trouble when her plans blow up right in her face, and having Screw drag her out of it, much to her chagrin, go into mad fits of insane-induced laughter, taking the chance to toy with her victims personally for pranks while not working on her evil plans, and just being an absolute bratty gremlin to deal with, all while keeping her power-hungry motivations and sadistic tendencies. This would also fit in with being a sort of dark foil to Crafty. She's absolutely rotten to the core, she shouldn't be trusted anywhere near divine artifacts, she's in possession of far too many needles, she probably has rabies (and probably more than happy to bite you to get you infested), she knows she's the most insufferable bitch on the place...

And she's very proud of it.

Getting a legacy is only second to her biggest drive in life; Being an absolute troll.

To be honest, I don't have alot to say about either Screw or Metal Crafty. I like how Screw had a redemption arc planned for her after Season 4 (Sadly, due to how the show's canceled, we'll never see it happen), and it's been revealed she herself secretly planned the coordinates for UA High when punching Crafty off into the distance, ensuring that he'll find help in wherever she sent him to. Again, going back to the dark foil thing a bit, Screw would absolutely be tired of her master/mother's bullshit.

As for Metal? I'm really gonna be honest, outside of him being introduced in a few Sonic-based episode to highlight Mindstein fucking with the Crafty Crew, he really doesn't have alot going for him. Again, maybe that could've turned out differently for him had the show continued, but that's just how the ol' ball bounces. Also, the guy who voiced him was uncredited due to how he was caught being a transphobe, getting fired in the process. Thought that would be something to point out.

What was originally a running gag character, Disgustilda has gone to be hinted to be alot more important to the show's plot than she was letting on. Yeah, she's definitely a buffoon, but given what was planned for her later on if the show didn't end, you'd be very surprised.

See this? The suspiciously-looking Infinia-like abomination that briefly appeared at the end of Season 4's Sonic Month? The original plan, according to the show's What Could Have Been page on TV Tropes, was to not only reveal that Disgustilda was an Infinia. Get this.

DISGUSTILDA IS SASHA'S MOM

I have no idea what would've happened if the show fully revealed this twist, but whatever it could've been, it could've been a McFuckin' spectacle. Given how the castle that the Crafty Crew lived in was revealed to be hers, Disgustilda already had alot layer of plot brilliance to her. I can see her both helping Sasha with expressing her feelings and wanting to make up to Crafty for leaving him behind in the past (along with having her ask Nurse out), but also smacking the ever-living hell out of Mindstein when her full form was revealed.

All and all, Dr. Crafty was a crazy experience to someone like me, and I feel like it certainly fits the confines of this blog well. While Crafty himself has moved on to his V-tuber career (hope that goes very well for him), I wanted do justice to the original show's canon and characters by talking about them. If you haven't seen this show on Youtube, give it a watch.

Still tho, Crafty, Nurse, and Sasha should've been in a polycule. They deserve each other, dammit.

[papermoonloveslucy]

THE FACE IS FAMILIAR… BUT I CAN’T PLACE THE NAME!

Same Actor / Different Character ~ Part 3: “Here's Lucy"

It used to be quite common for actors to be cast in multiple roles on the same series. Not in principal parts, certainly, but in supporting and minor characters. Lucycoms were no exception. Although the world created by these shows was representative of reality, the characters who populated them often gave viewers Deja vu. By the time "Here's Lucy" premiered in 1968, Lucille Ball had developed a repertory company of actors that she used time and time again.

For the purposes of this discussion, we won't include background performers (aka extras) as they were nearly always drawn from the same pool of actors. Also, those who played multiple characters need to have at least one of them identified by name.

MARY WICKES

Lucille Ball's good friend tops the list of actors who played multiple roles, with seven characters in nine appearances. When the series premiered, she played a secretary friend of Lucy Carter's named Isabel in two episodes. Perhaps there was no room for Isabel, so she disappeared, but Wickes did not! Due to the fact that she played a nurse in her breakout role in The Man Who Came to Dinner (both stage and screen), she also played several nurses. She even showed up as Lucy's sister-in-law, a nun, another type that she was often cast as in films. In addition, she was a maid to an eccentric dowager, a Montana matriarch, and a nosy neighbor.

JACK COLLINS

Collins' six appearances span from season one in 1968 to the series finale in 1974. He played secret agent Johnson, expectant father Mr. Phillips, Vincent Price's producer Curt, Harry's eye optometrist Dr. Proctor, Harry's accountant Arthur Collins, and Harvey Stevens, proprietor of Harvey's Welcome Inn. Perhaps Collins is best compared to versatile actor Charles Lane on "I Love Lucy"?

CAROLE COOK

Lucy's protege is back with more interesting characters - five of them, to be exact. She started the series as a wacky woman in Carol Burnett's audience, played crusading neighbor Sheila Casten, bridge club member Lillian Rylander, gangster Ma Parker, and Cynthia Duncan, a Lucille Ball look-alike. Ma Parker was by far Cook's largest and most adventurous role on the series.

IRWIN CHARONE

Charone made five appearances on “The Lucy Show” and an equal number of “Here’s Lucy” episodes. Mr. Garfield of the Nippy Whippy Whipped Cream Company , dog owner Mr. Farnsworth, neighbor Chester P. Franklin, a permit office clerk, and college dean Phillips.

ROY ROBERTS

Roberts made an impact as Mr. Cheever on "The Lucy Show." His first appearance on "Here's Lucy" was as the Superintendent of the Air Force Academy in a two-part season opener filmed on location. He returned as a NASA's Dr. Jensen in "Lucy and the Astronauts" (1971), Warden Maginetti when "Lucy Goes To Prison" (1973), and Dr. Honeycutt when "Lucy is N.G. as an R.N." (1974).

RHODES REASON

Reason was a handsome leading man type who easily played a variety of roles from 1968 to 1973: Bradley Henshaw, Jim Simpson, Sam Toliver, Lieutenant Egan, and Keith Davidson.

ROBERT CARSON

Carson was a busy Canadian-born actor. While he never played supporting roles, he wasn't just an extra either. On "Here's Lucy" he played Martin Philips, Buzzy Brock, Sergeant Lou Holmes, and Officer Hurlow.

ROBERT ALDA

Alda (father of Alan) was best known for originating the role of Sky Masterson on Broadway in Guys and Dolls (1950). He did four episodes of "Here's Lucy," the first as himself, hosting the Secretary Beautiful Contest. The role was originally written for Don Ameche, then re-cast with Ross Martin, before Alda was finally given the part.  He got to use his musical theatre skills singing the pageant’s theme.  He put his musical skills to use again as Dean Butler in "Lucy, the Co-Ed" (1970). He also sang as Captain MacClay in a two-parter set on a cruise ship to Hawaii.

WALLY COX

Cox had come to the nation's attention as Mr. Peepers. On "Here's Lucy" he played ex-con safecracker Rock Barnett, wimpy Wally Manley, diamond cutter Gustav Vandermeer, and toy tycoon Tommy Tucker.

DORIS SINGLETON

Singleton created the role of Caroline Appleby on “I Love Lucy.” She was slated to appear as Doris, a secretary colleague of Lucy's, on "Here's Lucy," but the role was eliminated after the first episode. She returned, however, for three more appearances, all as secretaries to the stars: Petula Clark's secretary Miss Perkins, Eddie Albert's secretary Patty, and Lucille Ball's secretary Doris, a role modeled after Ball's own secretary Wanda.

WILLIAM LANTEAU

William Lanteau was a theatre actor who was most famous for playing Charlie the Mailman in On Golden Pond. His theatrical background surely helped him disguise himself in his four roles on "Here's Lucy". Unlike past guest actors, he looks significantly different in each one: Mr. Sherwood, a supermarket manager; Mr. Minkle, building superintendent; Spike, Ginger Rogers' secretary; and Edgar St. Vincent Kinkaid, antiques store manager.

DICK PATTERSON

Patterson was seen by Lucille Ball performing on stage and cast on "The Lucy Show." He continued his relationship with the redhead on "Here's Lucy" where he played computer matchmaker Mr. Morton (Ball's real surname), TV host Dick Dunkirk, Joe Namath's football coach Hennessy, and director of Lucy's pickle commercial Steve Thompson.

RETA SHAW

Shaw was a star of stage and screen (big and small) and Lucille Ball enjoyed working with her. This time, in the series' third episode, she played Mabel Ryker, using the same first name she had in The Pajama Game on stage and screen. She played Rita Forrester in "Lucy and The Group Encounter" (1972), and Mrs. Witherspoon, Lucy's prospective new boarder in "Lucy's Tenant" (1973).

LOLA FISHER

Fisher understudied and replaced Julie Andrews on Broadway in the musical My Fair Lady.  She was seen as in "Lucy's Working Daughter" (1968), as Mrs. Pomeroy in "Lucy in the Jungle" (1971), and Bunny in "Lucy and the Franchise Fiasco" (1973).

CLIFF NORTON

Norton played Sam the Plumber who's overalls turn up on Richard Burton. He was an undercover detective looking for scalpers in an episode starring O.J. Simpson. Lastly, he got title billing in "Mary Jane's Boyfriend", playing accident prone Walter Butley.

BEN WRIGLEY

Wrigley was a British actor who appeared in My Fair Lady (1964) and Bednobs and Broomsticks (1971). so he was a natural to play butlers to Liberace and Jack Benny. He also played Homer Pomeroy in "Lucy in the Jungle" (1971).

BRUCE GORDON

Gordon was best known for playing gangster Frank Nitti in the Desilu television series "The Untouchables" (1959-63), a role he satirized on "The Lucy Show". He trades on that reputation again as Doc Porter in "Lucy and the Ex-Con" and Rocky in "Dirty Gertie", another organized crime scenario. For a change of pace, he played Grandfather Konstantine Kasos in "Lucy's Wedding Party."

ELLIOTT REID

Reid's work with Lucy goes back to "I Love Lucy". Here he plays three roles: Detective Harvey Gaines, Sammy Davis Jr.'s Director, and the host of Milton Berle's telethon.

PHIL VANDERVOORT

Vandervoort was (briefly) Lucille Ball's son-in-law and Lucy believed in keeping it in the family, casting her children, her husband, and her cousin-in-laws on the series. Vandervoort, a handsome young man, makes only three appearances but each one is made to look dramatically different, perhaps to obscure his leading man good looks. He plays Kim and Craig's musician friend Steve (the most 'normal' of his appearances), computer geek Joe Hackley, and beaded handman Tommy.

BARBARA MORRISON

Morrison returns to play two more imposing and imperious women: Harry's date Lady Agatha Warren, and finicky shopper Mrs. Murdock. With many other members of Lucy's acting company, she turns up as a diner in the series' penultimate episode.

HARRY HICKOX

Hickox was best known for playing anvil salesman Charlie Cowell in the 1962 film The Music Man. He played a drill sergeant on "The Lucy Show". He played three different policemen on “Here’s Lucy.”

BILLY SANDS

Sands played Mr. Larson, Lucy's milkman, in two episodes, but he also played Billy the bookie in a third appearance.

DON CRICHTON

Crichton was a dancer on "The Carol Burnett Show" and also did small roles, just as he did on "Here's Lucy". He danced in the series premiere, and then acted, playing Don in "Lucy, The Conclusion Jumper" (1968), and Steve in "Lucy, The American Mother" (1970).

LEW PARKER

Parker, best known as Marlo Thomas' father on "That Girl", was seen on the very first episode of "Here's Lucy" in 1968 as Mr. Caldwell. He returned in 1971 as Mr. Adams, the manager of an All-Nun Band.

LYLE TALBOT

Talbot, a veteran film actor, played Harry's Lawyer and his best pal from Bullwinkle U, Freddy Fox.

JACK MANNING

Manning played Mr. Walters, the manager of the showroom presenting teen idol Donny Osmond as well as Mr. Hubbell, a ceramics store owner who runs art classes, both during season 5.

RICHARD DEACON

Deacon was one of Desilu's favorites, appearing on "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour," "The Mothers-In-Law" and "The Dick Van Dyke Show." For "Here's Lucy" he played unemployment office worker (with show biz aspirations) Harvey Hoople, and Loan Officer Elmer Zellerbach.

ALAN OPPENHEIMER

Oppenheimer played the part of the previously unknown Uncle Herb Hinkley, Lucy's brother. He then turned up as Lucy's doctor, Dr. Matt Parker.

OTHERS WHO 'HIT A DOUBLE'

Robert L. Stevens (River Guide / Alan Stevens)

James Brodhead (Tilford / Mr. Miller)

Mike Howden (Ski Instructor / Flight Attendant)

Ivor Barry (Producer / French Chef)

Hal Dunlop (Major Dunlop / Mr. Greenway)

R.G. Brown (Office Manager / Walter, Eva Gabor's Assistant)

Ernest Sarracino (Mr. Nicoletti / Tony)

Cecil Gold (Fred / Cecil)

Jimmy Bates (Clarence / Billy Joe Jackson)

Robert Hogan (Captain Perry / Jack Lucas)

Johnny Silver (Mountie / Benny)

Jody Gilbert (King Kong Woman / Prison Matron)

Ed Hall (Officer Egan / Numbers Smith)

Marc Lawrence (Joe Grapefruit / Ruby)

Florence Lake (Little Old Lady / Trixie)

Eddie Quillan (Cabbie / Mr. Jackson)

Al Checco (Detective Bobby / Dr. Crawford)

Dick Winslow (Harvey / Nightclub Emcee)

Susan Tolsky (Sue Ann Ditbenner / Miss Quigley)

CELEBRITIES WHO DID 'DOUBLE DUTY'

CAROL BURNETT (Carol Krausmeyer / Herself)

MILTON BERLE (Cheerful Charlie / Himself)

ROBERT CUMMINGS (Bob Collins / Bob Henning)

EVA GABOR (Eva Von Graunitz / Herself)

PAUL WINCHELL (Carlo the Tailer / Little Old Jeweler & The Great Pierre Barmarche)

ED MCMAHON (Ed McAllister / Himself)

LUCILLE BALL (Lucy Carter / Herself)