DVD Feature on 1980s Booleg DW vids

[Perry Vale]

Ed Stradling of the RT has put a call out over on Roobarbs....

DVD Feature on 1980s bootleg DW vids

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Hi all

I'm considering making a DVD feature which covers the underground DW pirate video movement of the 1980s, a period during which fans across the UK furiously swapped bootleg VHS recordings of episodes in an attempt to complete their collections.

I'd like to hear from fans with entertaining stories relating to their pirate Dr Who collections from this period – be it the struggle to find someone with a copy, the excitement of getting hold of a story you thought you'd never get to see, the disappointment when you realised how bad the picture quality was, or when the story didn't live up to the Target novel (don't tell me – Day of the Daleks!!??!)

I'm also interested to hear fans' stories of when they started recording DW off-air, your memories of the 'Five Faces' and 'Monsters' repeat seasons and the effect these had on your video collection, and likewise the first few BBC VHS releases in the early-mid 1980s.

I would be interested to hear from younger fans who have got into DW since the new series started, who maybe had difficulty getting hold of Dr Who serials if the VHS release has been deleted and it's not yet available on DVD. Sadly, I suspect with even the deleted VHS videos going for peanuts on Ebay, there may not be too many such anecdotes, but we'll see. I'm certainly interested in more recent stories of strife to get hold of DW material, if any such stories exist.

Please email dwpirate@googlemail.com with details of your story.

We'll be looking to interview maybe half a dozen or so fans for the programme.

If you first got into Dr Who in the late 1980s or 1990s, please do not trouble to get in touch, as anecdotes post-dating around 1987 are unlikely to be of much use.

Please also bear in mind that many, many fans aged 30+ have 80s pirate video anecdotes and as I say we will only be able to speak to half a dozen or so in the programme, so don't be too disappointed if you don't get chosen.

Many thanks

Ed

(p.s. would be grateful if mods can lock this message and maybe put a sticky on it for a week or two?)

Anyone fancy it?

[SiHart]

My bootlegging period is far too late- we didn't get started (my best mate at school and myself) until 1988, when we got hold of a copy of The Green Death from Australia. I have fond memories of watching third or fourth generation copies of stories and thinking how lucky I was! It was a more innocent time.

Si xx

[Dirk Gently]

I didn't get in to this either. I just patiently waited for the BBC videos like a good boy.

[Antony Cox]

I had some very ropey copies of various stories (in fact I've still got a few of them of VHS somewhere) but like Si I started collecting them in the late 80's so not of any interest to the RT.

[Ian Lethbridge-Stewart]

I had some very ropey copies of various stories (in fact I've still got a few of them of VHS somewhere) but like Si I started collecting them in the late 80's so not of any interest to the RT.

Don't remind me - I still can't believe we paid good money for some of those copies!!!!

[Antony Cox]

Don't remind me - I still can't believe we paid good money for some of those copies!!!!

Ssh!

[Lord President]

Don't remind me - I still can't believe we paid good money for some of those copies!!!!

I remember knocking out a tenner a piece for stories to complete my collection, and then replacing them with genuine BBC Videos upon release. All that wasted money could have bought me a house in those days!

[Pip Madeley]

I'd volunteer but I really don't want my face on camera.

[Captain Tancredi]

The interesting thing about my 1980s bootleg experiences is that they mainly took place through the DWAS local group I belonged to at the time- somehow I don't think the powers that be will appreciate it being publicised that the officially approved society was in fact a hotbed of video piracy. Having said that, BBC Books have published several works of fiction by another former member...

[SiHart]

One of my contacts, who supplied me with a copy of Shada back in 1990 among others was prosecuted by the Federation Against Copyright Theft for supplying Doctor Who. It was a bit of a blow, as we'd only got a few stories from him! Our second contact in Liverpool was far more steady and we were able to polish off most of the rest of Doctor Who from him.

Fans who have access to all of Doctor Who so easily these days don't know how lucky they are!

Si xx

[Antony Cox]

I'd volunteer but I really don't want my face on camera.

I'd be surprised if you'd started acquiring bootleg copies pre-1987, Pip...

[Ian Lethbridge-Stewart]

Fans who have access to all of Doctor Who so easily these days don't know how lucky they are!

Oh, I don't know.........collecting them all was half the fun!!

[Antony Cox]

I'm still collecting!