vivdunstan

Finally starting our annual rewatch. The remastered Bluray arrived this afternoon. We’re going to slowly rewatch the six episodes over the coming weeks (we would normally have started 8 days ago) and save the 100+ minute new documentary for just before Christmas. First impressions from the remaster are good. Much is still relatively soft in appearance, but there’s a limit to what they could do with the original filming stock. But many moments now pop out of the screen. Very happy viewers in this house 🙂

Back to the Urban Crow deck, and as usual my 3-card past/present/future spread.

Play / Anomaly / Anticipation.

There could be lots of interpretations of these cards. But looking at them I'm immediately reminded that I'm in a brief phase of slightly better health at the moment, and about to go very very downhill again in a few weeks time. So I've been having fun, and trying to make the most of it. Albeit hampered by my failed experimental immunosuppression dose change from May. Which still needs a few weeks to resolve itself since the dose went back in September (it takes up to 12 weeks to show the full effects).

Admittedly I've had post Covid vaccine flares so many times (9/9, with my 10th Covid vaccine due in a couple of weeks) that it's hardly an "anomaly" in my life! But it is still phenomenally disrupting each time, very distressing, leaving me extra incapacitated with devastating increased neurological symptoms for 3 long months at a time. It's a never-ending rollercoaster. But not one I'm willing to get off. I want my vaccine protection too much, and severely immunosuppressed me really needs it to get through Covid ok. Which we keep catching.

On plus I've got Christmas looming in the next few months, and that's what the last card today shouts out to me. I am not religious - was brought up vaguely Church of Scotland, but I've been agnostic for many years. I take after my Dad re this. However I love the mid winter festival that is Christmas, and the sense of snuggling down, in the warmth, with good food, and celebrations. So that's something to look forward to. Even if I will still be neurologically flaring very badly then.

This year we can also look forward to our annual pre-Christmas rewatch of 1984's TV Box of Delights being the new next month Blu-ray remastered version. So that will be a treat to carry us through to Christmas too.

Oooooh! Blake’s 7 is coming to Blu-ray, with digitally remastered episodes and new bonus content. In the same style as the Classic Doctor Who series Collection Blu-ray boxes. Series 1 is released in November. I’ve just preordered it.

I thought it might be nice to do a series of blog posts about fandoms I engaged with at a very early stage. I was born in the early 1970s, so as a youngster particularly enjoyed TV from the late 1970s through to the early 1990s.

First up it's Robin of Sherwood, the ITV version of the legend that aired from 1984-1986. I loved this: an intoxicating mix of myth, folklore, magic, action and romance. All in gorgeous countryside too. And made even better with a soundtrack by Irish folk group Clannad. Just fab stuff. Though I'm very much more of a fan of the first Robin incarnation played by Michael Praed. I struggled when Jason Connery took over. It was rather similar to how I felt when Romana regenerated in Doctor Who, even if I did get used to it.

In terms of organised fandom I was a member of Forest, a Robin of Sherwood fan club based in Glasgow, Scotland, that existed from 1986-1988. I never attended any events in person, but got a regular fanzine through the post. I also entered their competitions, and won a script from "The Swords of Wayland", signed by series creator and writer Richard Carpenter. My original prize went missing in the post, but when I queried it later Richard (or "Kip") sent me a replacement himself.

It was many years before I saw Robin of Sherwood again after the series ended. I am part way through a rewatch again now (it's on Britbox, and there is a Blu-ray release). It's still magic. The best TV or film version of the Robin Hood legend for me. And absolutely a product of the 1980s.