Who are you, and where are you from?

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Re: Who are you, and where are you from?

by Souterraine » Mon Mar 28, 2016 11:00 am

I am a very old fan from France and my english is not the best. Sorry. When first the show was in TV (80's) i fell in love with it. When internet came in our life (in 1994 for me) the first things i had looked for is informations about BATB and what joy it was to found pictures and print them !!! I found the first americans tunnels and stayed a long time lurking around. I managed to get videos tapes (Lord, there was videos tapes at this time :lol: ) It was so hard at this time to get copies and i didn't have machine to record the tv at this time. And the life was running, running, running... I never forgot the show and somewhere my life took another way because BATB, i saw the things in a different way. And always it is. I have always a taste for cellars (i have it since my childhood, long befor BATB! I had had a big one in Paris during years when i have an art galery with my husband. After we moved in a town in Normandy some years ago we bought a medieval large house with a marvelous old cellar (in all the town they are houses with marvelous cellars and i dream often to link them in a large labyrinth (dream dream dream) :wink: . I have always taste for tunnel decoration, a little baroque , a little gothique, with candles all around, always a lot of candles, fireplaces, cosy armchairs... I am a reader addict since a know how to read. Now we have our own library that is like a private club where peoples can come to discover books and all around the book and art exhibition. Some months ago, i looked for BATB ep on web and had a travel again in the story. Always hooked. I remember anciant long nights watching ep again and again.... I have always watch movies with Perlman when i could. It is marvelous to see that the fan club BATB is always alive. In France i never found other fans. And this night i was lwatching again three first ep on season 1 and think i'll be good to meet old and new fans. So here i come. :D

Re: Who are you, and where are you from?

by Nathy » Wed Jan 13, 2016 1:37 pm

Hello, my name is Nathalie, I live in the south of France.

I loved the show when it was broadcast when I was young.

I rediscovery and I never tire of seeing.

Re: Who are you, and where are you from?

by Shawn » Wed Dec 30, 2015 10:28 am

Im Shawn

Im new this year. I've talked to Pat, Linda, Laura and the others on the sunday chat. I've been a fan since the show started but didn't know the internet fan stuff until this year. Im excited that this is my first Winterfest to see what it all entails. I can't wait I live in La Crosse Wisconsin

Re: Who are you, and where are you from?

by KindraK » Fri Dec 18, 2015 1:38 pm

Hello! My name is Kindra, I'm 37 and I live in San Antonio, Texas. I've been away for quite a while, but I'm getting back into the fandom again.
I am going to try and contribute to Winterfest this year.

Re: Who are you, and where are you from?

by karen » Mon Apr 20, 2015 8:12 am

Thank you Zara, for the hugs...I'm sending some back your way.....you are very talented and insightful.....thank you for some good reading! I look forward to some more...I really enjoy the story challenges....what an amazing exercise in collaboration and understanding! All I can contribute is....Wow! So...until the stories start again...stay shiny! Karen

Re: Who are you, and where are you from?

by Zara » Mon Apr 20, 2015 6:28 am

Hello, Karen! Folk are around, it's just a quiet time in these tunnels. Yes, the world Below is truly a wonderful place to rest and heal.

I recently read Mr. Perlman's memoir and find it both encouraging and inspiring.

Hugs of welcome,

Zara

Re: Who are you, and where are you from?

by karen » Fri Apr 17, 2015 5:41 am

Hello from Brandon Florida! I've been a mesmerized fan since B & B first aired! My husband passed away...now coming up on two years...and I have submerged myself in the Tunnels once again....a place to heal and gain strength.....reading the stories challenges is...has been so moving....where has everyone gone? Has anyone else read Ron Pearlman's book? He talks of the Tunnels and being Vincent....fascinating! So.....my name is the only one on the list of those on line....so......I'm talking to myself...which is ok with me.....while I watch and re-watch the series. Love to all of you out there....where ever you may be!

Re: Who are you, and where are you from?

by Cosi » Sat Aug 02, 2014 12:40 am

O most excellent assembly ;)

I've been lurking here for years!

I watched part of the show (about 15 episodes between Terrible Savior and Remember Love) when it first aired here in France (dubbed, of course) a year after the US. I was 21, a student, and had just started having access to a small B&W TV set on weekends after our landlady sold a small apartment of hers at the seaside. Roommates/Floormates hoarded it on weekdays. I was already into French, English and German poetry at the time, as well as classical music which I'd been raised on (I kept raiding my parents' LP collection until I left home at 17 to study near Paris), so that aspect of the show was no surprise, simply a perfect match. I'd also mostly grown up without TV except for the almost-weekly afternoon at my neighbor's and playmate's. I had also been familiar with Ron Perlman since Quest for Fire and the Name of the Rose, but I can honestly say his name was the only thing I recognized. The Tunnels appealed to me, I didn't relate to Catherine all that much at the time (or so I thought! part of me always wanted to stand in her shoes, even though another part related to Vincent more...); but *Vincent*! He was stunning -- a shock and a revelation. I'd always been attracted to the B&B myth, probably since I read Ourson (Bear Cub) by Comtesse de Ségur around age 8 or 9, but this Vincent was something more. He wasn't someone cursed who needed healing and transforming back, he was someone strong, sensitive and rich inside, who struggled with duality as we all do but who still shone bright -- and who wore his nature on his face in an unsettling way -- I remember preferring to watch the show alone lest MY emotions showed on my face. Maybe I couldn't have said it in so many words at the time, but I remember enough of my feelings and impressions, I think.
I found the OLAH CD and a pair of articles during the time between my graduation and the end of the show here, when I had no more access to TV for a year or three). And that was it. Roughly 14 years passed.
One evening in early 2004 when I was working rather far away from home, I decided to check out the TV programme online before driving back home. I found the "unfortunate half-season" on cable! I didn't try and watch it then (hadn't seen 2nd season, knew from articles what the rest was about, didn't think it was worth trying to win the boyfriend over to such a lost cause...) but the same evening or the next day I started looking it up. It happened to be the beginning of the week that followed the very first Winterfest Online, and the results for "our show" were "way up there", easy to find among the Disney ones. The "tunnel ring" of websites was in working order back then, i.e. most active websites were in it (from what I would be able to tell in the following months). I found the BBRC first... oh my!! I'd never read any fan fiction in my life, didn't even know it existed. Of course I'd had daydreams of V&C after my TV journey ended, and I'd tried to scribble a few short, pitiful scenes in tiny notebooks, but that hardly counted, right? Mere "mind dumps" that amounted to the mountain begetting a mouse. I'd always been a reader, though, since age 4 1/2, and a dreamer... Oh, the wonderful fan fiction! Love stories were not my usual choice of books (which was mostly sci-fi, in my thirties) but they were exactly what I wanted for V&C. What mattered even more to me was how plenty of those authors tried to set things right, each in their own way, by "fixing", optimizing, and offering alternate paths. I was and remain fascinated with the art of keeping characters "in character" while exploring diversely satisfying options. And the art! A bit NSFW, even NSFBF unless I could stand being teased... but what an amount of talent!
During those first weeks, of course, I also learned much about the episodes I *had never seen*. I was promptly lent some video CDs -- I should tell you more about my quartet of fairy godmothers!
My stunned and giddy self stumbled into the TunnelDreams yahoo group a few days after the BBRC; the subject line of my introduction post was "frenzied newcomer"! I assure you I was! From there, Annik showed me the way to the small French or French-speaking group, others must have shown me the way to bbtv, I found and joined every other BatB group I could find whether active or moribund... I was so excited! And remained so for a long, long time.
Life was looking up at the time -- and two things are inextricably linked for me: a happy pregnancy, and happy Tunnel exploration.
Later, shadows would gather on Real Life, culminating in the "Big Freeze" several years later, but I was loathe to share any of it with "the groups" -- I wanted my Tunnels uncontaminated. However, I have begun to think differently (within the limits of privacy concerns which differ from one fan to another): these people who have become friends and "family" (a handful much closer than most), they do support more than almost-faceless charities (which would be remarkable in itself) -- we truly support each other. Despite knowing better, I have repeatedly withdrawn and stayed silent during hard times (of mourning or other deep grief or disappointment), and I have regretted it each time. "You guys" as a whole have the power to bring me back among the living -- "been there, done that"!
These Tunnels truly are a safe place, and it's all right and necessary for them to have different chambers -- some to think, some to chat and "feed the famished affections", some to get to practical work...

About this forum, and the EpisodeDiscussion group, and on-topic BatB threads in other groups:
to this day I still find these discussions just as fascinating, thought-provoking, often enlightening. I don't know my episodes by heart, and honestly, I don't mind this state of affairs. I do want to keep "getting" the characters better... as I live and listen, as I grow and expand my understanding of life, human being, and myself. I am only detail-oriented as far as *details that stand out* go. I've known this for a long time but only now am I beginning to see how it might help me add my two cents of fuel to discussions, even if they are "only" questions that bother me ("help me see how this line or scene fits into the rest"...). Wish me -- us together! -- good luck, and don't let me shrivel back into my old shell!
Hugs.

Re: Who are you, and where are you from?

by cindyrae77 » Thu Jul 17, 2014 3:24 am

Hello!
I am Cindy, currently living in Tampa. Both my Dad and husband were military (US Air Force) so I have travelled and lived in some other places, but the Southern US is home, for me.

I watched the show when it originally aired, and completely loved it. I am a huge fan of the classics, (art, literature, music, architecture, some) and one of my favorite 'games' to play with the show was to say what piece of music was being played or try to remember what poem was being quoted/written by whom before the show told you or the credits rolled. (I love Shakespeare. I was blessed with a a good teacher. Coincidentally, her name was Catherine.) It was in the 'pre-internet' days when my classic poetry and Shakespeare were all in books, and my music collection was on LP's! I adored how richly and deeply the show was drawn, and it quickly became 'must see' tv for me, back in the day. I also like to write, but it is a thing I do for pleasure.

After the show was cancelled, a long time passes, life happens, and I settle down to marry and have kids, not thinking very much about the show again, other than to know I loved it dearly and had several episodes stored on VHS tapes. Jobs come and go, and life does the same, and I am a dinosaur in the computer age, and my husband slowly introduces me to the age of technology and the internet. I hate my cell phone. I don't own an e book, though my teenagers each own a Kindle. I like the tactile feel of a hard bound book. I just do. My family teases me about my digital incompetence. That's okay. They're heathens. (smile)

On a lark and a whim, as much as anything else, one day I type "Beauty and the Beast" into the search bar, end up needing to moderate the search, because I'm getting hits for the Disney movie and the CW series mixed in with what I'm trying to find, and then, there it all is. Places like CABB and Tunnel Tales, and the Steam Tunnels, and "An Ever Fixed Mark" and I'm leap frogging my way, and following links from place to place, as I try to 'explore' this odd little world, this fandom world, where the Bluebird still sings, and every dream is still possible.

I all but tumble and stumble into the beautiful reams of fan fiction people have been writing for years and putting up there to share out of the goodness of their hearts. I got lost for weeks and weeks, reading, realizing, searching for more... It was like finding the home you didn't realize you'd lost, in a way. Like finding the show you knew you did lose. And there it was again, and it wasn't 'cancelled.' It not only still lived, it lived in every single incarnation and direction imaginable. Catherine didn't die. They got married and had kids. No, Catherine did die. It's Diana he loves, now. He's the son of an alien. He's the son of a prince. There are others like him. No, there aren't. Winslow is still alive. Maybe Ellie, too. Margaret still has something to teach me. Even if the only thing she teaches me is that Jacob should have married Mary. Well, then.

It's all possible. it's all good, if it's written well, and sometimes even if it isn't. It's there. It's there. It just wasn't, before. It was like they started airing the episodes again, and each new bit of fiction and art was a new week. Don't worry. The show didn't get cancelled. It went on for years. It's going on, still. It was a marvelous feeling.

I'd never belonged to a fandom. I'm not sure that I 'belong' to this one, since I haven't really contributed to it enough, yet, and am still learning my way as I go, to a large degree. But I am certain that the show was a good thing, and it has surely drawn many very interesting, kind and intelligent people into its fold.

As an unabashed romantic, the show resonated deeply, with me. I have watched all seasons but write mostly for what I now understand is the "Classic" or "She Never Died" model. (See, I did not even know there were such 'divisions' of things until I started reading, or that they could be a point of contention, for some folks.) To me, it's all good, and the more there is, the better it is. I don't dislike Diana as a character. She's well drawn and fascinating, in her way. So was Elliot, Paracelsus, Laura, Devin, and Gabriel, all in their different ways. To me, that was the point. But the romantic in me tends to play in the universe we were offered more of. There's just more stable ground beneath your feet, to walk around and explore in S1 and S2. So I play there, mostly.

Reading what other people wrote, and watching how they explored everything got me writing for pleasure again, a thing I had not done in a long time. It was just to answer the question "Can I do this?" for myself.

I think some of the talent level out there is jaw droppingly good. And even when it is maybe average, in some way, there is heart in it. You can see the place the authors and artists out there are trying to reach. You can tell there was something inside them, (be it as small as a blindingly fast vignette or a long, muli-chapter story arc) that was just dying to get out, to be born. I applaud every one of them for that. It takes courage to be brave enough to put yourself out there, and 'show yourself.' Much easier to stay a bit hidden, yes? But we go with Courage, and we go with Care, when we can. Vincent would have told us to do that. Bless the people who can, and do. They have created/ are creating something amazing, and many are doing it without a guidepost or a clear road to travel on. The show has been gone, for decades. We "build" on each other, then, when we build.

After understanding such a thing existed, I could not wait for WFOL to come. 2014 was my first year. I hope to enjoy many more, with all of you.

I like all the fan fiction, and will read from every season. From the standard and classic to the 'what happens if...' from the Alternate Universe stuff to the episode expansions. From the soft and G rated to the X to the 'let's push the envelope and see what happens if we do this.' It's all a big experiment, to me. One that has kept the dream alive, as the saying seems to go.

The welcoming kindness of many has kept me coming back. I am glad I am here. I am glad you are, too. :D

Very big hugs,

Cindy

Re: Who are you, and where are you from?

by Zara » Thu Jan 23, 2014 11:25 am

I'm a bit late coming to this Introductions thread, but I trust no one will hold it against me. ;)

Call me Zara. I'm a thirty-something creature of the Pacific Northwestern US with ports of call in four states. I currently live with my husband in the mythical State of Jefferson. I came to Beauty and the Beast in spring of 2011 almost by accident, perusing my Netflix queue in search of an episodic television series I had never seen before that I could analyze for a writing exercise. I was studying scene construction at the time. I am, understand, trying to teach myself how to write good, solid fiction. B&B was in my list of "shows to watch someday" because I admire the work of Ron Perlman in other movies. The day I went browsing online was the day I noticed Netflix had started streaming this short-lived TV show from the '80s. How convenient.

I worked my way through the initial episodes, deeply and increasingly impressed. Then "No Way Down" played, and I set my analysis notebook aside to really just watch the stories unfold. Amazing, beautiful stories. Nowadays, my favorite season is Season Three. My favorite episode in the entire series is "Brothers" from Season Two. And I spend a lot of time in Season One because the most powerful themes from the original fairy tale are most strongly present in the first twenty-two episodes. I also especially enjoy Vincent's Letters to Catherine, the Of Love and Hope audio album, the novelizations by Barbara Hambly and Ru Emerson, and Wendy Pini's gorgeous graphic novels. Every story associated with the series canon has something vital to say about love and human nature.

I wandered into the online fandom in September of 2012. I have continued to go to B&B for ongoing inspiration, for instruction and practice in storytelling, and for the contemplation of numerous important truths about life, the universe, and everything. It's wonderful to "meet" people here and elsewhere who venture into online conversation about this unique story-universe.

Best wishes to all,

Zara

Re: Who are you, and where are you from?

by KiaOraTunnels » Thu Dec 12, 2013 7:26 am

:lol: Hi from the New Zealand Tunnels. I was cruising around the web and the tunnels the other day and I found the ad for the batbland Vincent 87 Writing Challenge. Since Christmas is nearly upon us, cleaning, housework, family's impending visit will soon be with us again, my ability to sit here and think and create B&B stories got pushed to the back burner. Then I found Vincent 87 and my mind took off! So I entered the comp and then decided to dig further into this realm. It's fascinating to see who is in here, hugs for all!

For those of us Down Under, B&B first aired here in NZ in 1988. I was going out that night and my hubby said there is something on TV that would be right up my alley, me being a confirmed and unashamed romantic! I was dubious, because he loves to watch anything and everything, without really editing what it was like until later. But the title, Beauty and the Beast, was enough to hold my attention.

To say I was immediately hooked was an understatement. I think, in his own way, hubby regrets it sometimes now, when I get on my soapbox and talk B&B. But over the years he has come to accept my "obsession". I have friends who had attended cons in the US, Tunnelcon 1 and 2 and brought back loot and such lovely stuff. I treasure my signed Elliot picture. Everything was snail mailed in those days, so you waited impatiently, eyes trained for the postman. How things have changed, instant access, instant connections, instant fun! So thanks again for creating wonderful spaces for us once Beasties, now Tunnel Sisters, to have such fun! {{{{{HUGS}}}}} compliments of the Season to one and all. :D

Re: Who are you, and where are you from?

by Odile S. » Wed Nov 13, 2013 10:42 am

Hello tunnels friends, from the French tunnels!

I'm a fan of the series BATB since about a year. I love this series because it is different from all those that I saw so far. I wonder from time to time a few questions and I will be very happy to discuss with friends who know the series long been. I am French and my English is not perfect. I apologize in advance for the mistakes that I do when I write in English.
I already know a few people who write in this forum and who are my friends on Facebook.

Hugs, Odile.

The tunnel friends call me Sobi

by 222333 » Fri Nov 08, 2013 2:49 am

*
I am an Italian fan who fell in an unexpected, obsessive and even alarming love with the show, all alone and absolutely unfamiliar with the concept of fandom, when it was first aired here. Then, one blessed day, I wrote “Beauty and the Beast” in a search engine and the rest is history. I have tried ever since to provide something to find for those who do the same, especially those who are scattered around the world, all alone with their love for the show, like me. This forum is part of that effort, as well as the website BatBland it’s part of. In the many virtual tunnels that compose our fandom there are many branches, each with its special flavor: yes, in this forum there are parts where the special flavor of the indepth reflection is explored, as a contribution to the nuanced mosaic of our love for the show.

And Emily, I’m so glad that the essay by the newbie (*) helped you to take the leap. In fact, it was written by Pat, the fan from Chicago of the message above (or below, depending on how you set your screen preferences) – who’s a recent and blessed addition to the online fandom and who enjoys both the academic discussion about the innumerable facets of the show and the bubbling pleasure of discovering a magic place like the virtual tunnels. Please feel free to dive in, you and anyone else who read these threads, with as much or as little you feel comfortable to write. B&B is about acceptance in its many forms, we want this forum to mirror it.

And hello, sister! I do like too a lot to get theoretical and into the behind the scenes stuff, sets, costumes, scripts, cinematography etc.! After a dozen years of online fandom, I think I can point you in the right directions for you to explore, just ask away.

Ciao,
S

(*) {http://www.batbland.com/fallingIntoFandom.htm}

-

Re: Who are you, and where are you from?

by sonnetcxxiii » Thu Nov 07, 2013 2:20 pm

Hi!

Oh boy, yes I am new.

I've looked at these forums from time to time, and thought the conversation was awesome and so thoughtful, and at times academic, philosophical! But I guess I had a weird hang up about diving in. I think the essay I read by a newbie helped me take the leap. Like they said, I was never into some of the big fandoms, like with D&D, Star Trek, or even super hero type stuff. I guess I like getting theoretical, and even into the behind the scenes stuff, sets, costumes, scripts, cinematography, ect. Well, after starting to re-watch the series (in production order this time, who knew!?, really gives it a different tone), it just got me thinking about all of these layers of meaning with the show. Well, why not see what I can contribute? If I get a little overwhelmed I can step back, or if I want to go crazy, I can do that too. Maybe I help get an episode transcript up, maybe a few discussions. Any little bit helps. So, there it is. 8)

As far as B&B, there are a lot of TV shows I love, but for some reason, this one just really strikes a chord. Maybe it's the timeless themes of love and perseverance, the interconnecting lives and stories Above and Below, or just that fantastic 1980s fashion, it just makes me feel good. (Seriously, I know a lot of people giggle at the fashion, but oh my! I love it!)

I remember watching as a little kid with my mom. It's some of my earliest TV memories besides cartoons. (The balcony shot with Catherine in that pink dress in particular.)

Hmm, that's all I can think of for now. It will be a pleasure to chat and see what happens. Thank you in advance!

Re: Who are you, and where are you from?

by Maclurv » Thu Nov 07, 2013 2:02 pm

Hello from the Chicago area tunnels! I'm fairly recent to fandom, but a long-time viewer of BATB. I love discussing all manner of facets and topics about the show. Learning comes in all forms and nothing like learning about life from your favorite TV show!

Pat

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