John Lavalie (talk | contribs) |
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| date = 1986-08-09 | | date = 1986-08-09 | ||
| author = C 3 | | author = C 3 | ||
| − | | pages = | + | | pages = Charles Thompson |
| language = English | | language = English | ||
| type = | | type = | ||
British television has had an impact on American audiences before. "Monty Python's Flying Circus," "The Benny Hill Show" and "Upstairs, Downstairs" leap to the mind.
Since last fall, however, a new program has been winning over dedicated fans throughout the Channel 33 viewing area "Dr. Who."
This long-running (23 years and counting) science fiction/ fantasy hit has even inspired the formation of a local fan club, Two Hearts Ltd., which meets monthly to celebrate a common, if somewhat exclusive, interest.
The object of the new group's admiration is a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, who spends his time getting into adventures all along the space/time continuum.
The role has been handled by six British actors to date, each of whom brings a distinctively different style to the character. The rationale here is that Dr. Who has 12 lives, so every now and then he's forced to regenerate.
Club members say it's hard to compare with anything offered by American programmers but their level of devotion is similar to that experienced by "Trekkies" (Star Trek fans).
Indeed, there are Dr. Who conventions, books, T-shirts and other vestiges of fandom spanning from coast to coast.
The main objective of Two Hearts Ltd. — the name is derived from another of the hero's interesting biological features — is to make sure the show stays on the air.
Club treasurer and Carlisle resident John Manning calls it a "pressure group," which is always anxious to let WITF's management know it's around.
For example, Two Hearts members are encouraged to support the local public station with membership pledges and a number of Dr. Who fans supplied volunteer help at the station's auction this June.
Manning says the club held its first meeting on Easter weekend and has since grown to include more than 90 members.
With their favorite show scheduled to run on 33 for at least one more year, membership is likely to climb some more.
The fledgling club is making plans to get more socially active in the months to come. Plans are already afoot for a day-long video fest at Harrisburg Area Community College next month and a Dr. Who Halloween party.
In the long run, club president John Bollinger hopes to be able to host a regional convention in the Harrisburg area.
Two Hearts Ltd. meets on the last Saturday of each month at 11 a.m. in Holy Spirit Hospital's community room. Potential Dr. Who fans can find out more by watching weekly broadcasts on WITF each Saturday at 4 p.m.
If you know of a continuing education class, workshop or recreation activity going on in the area, send the information to "Never Stop Growing," The Sentinel, P.O. Box 130, Carlisle, Pa. 17013
Disclaimer: These citations are created on-the-fly using primitive parsing techniques. You should double-check all citations. Send feedback to whovian@cuttingsarchive.org
