Tunneltalk/Issue v.1 n.11
Tunneltalk is a Beauty and the Beast (TV) letterzine edited by Barbara Storey, Victoria Clark and Sharon Himmanen.
There were 17 issues.
This zine began after the letterzine Passages ended.
From the August 1991 issue: "This publication is intended as an outlet for fans; it will not be sent to either Witt-Thomas or Republic, or anyone else connected with the show, so don't be afraid to say your piece."
v.1 n.11
Tunneltalk v.1 n.11 was published in January 1991 and contains 48 pages.
- this issue contains short fiction by Anita Hooson called "The Creature That Was"
- this issue's Lights of Winterfest is an anonymous letter from a fan who inherited what appears to be millions of dollars (jewels, furs, cruises) and who has decided to renounce all her worldly goods and give it away because the show has inspired her to be a better person
v.1 n.11: Excerpts from the Letters
[Helen Commodore]: TT is becoming with each issue the voice of B&TB fandom. How I do anticipate the variety of strongly opinionated letters and their equally well-designed responses. It seems we all want to have our say, whether or not it provokes a burr under the skin or a balm to the soul.
[Joan R]: [Regarding] examples of conflicting statements sent in letters to Republic Pictures, producers, etc., it's no wonder the powers that be do not pay us any attention and write us all off as fanatics. I will be so relieved when all the anger and grief ends, because the rift will never mend when so many continue to rail about S3. Where is the common sense and rationality to realize that S3 was conceived because an actress wanted out of the show and a network wanted better ratings, not because the writers and cast had some nefarious plot to offend the fans by killing Catherine. An interview in Starlog with George R.R. Martin detailed how the writers were conceiving many other resolutions to the trilogy, but their other ideas were scrapped when Linda would agree to a very limited time on the set. So the final choice, Catherine's death, did not work, and the show is off the air now, so let's go on from there reasonably. A replacement actress was not chosen out of deference to Linda and the fans; there was not a scheme to infuriate anyone.
[Sharon H]:As others have stated before me when there have been differences of opinion, please do not suggest that I am, in any way, deficient, unbalanced, silly, absurd, or whatever, just because I saw something different in B&TB than you. Name-calling like that has no place in this letterzine.
[snipped]
I just can't figure out what was going on in their (the writers') heads sometimes, and I would go so far as to say that they probably didn't know either.
Just one more general comment, then I'll close. Unlike other people, I really don't like the idea of Ron Koslow writing the script of a B&TB movie (if there is going to be one) simply because I personally feel he really lost sight of his own characters. I also can't forgive him for what he did to Catherine/Linda (and Vincent), which, as I mentioned before, will probably always affect the way I feel about and approach B&TB. To me, he deliberately set out to destroy his own creation with the third season, and I would feel more comfortable and happy if the project was placed in the hands of someone else.
Time to close now. I'm looking forward to meeting people at FAN-OUT in Baltimore, and at the NY convention in May. Until then, be well.
[Elizabeth H]:Just as [Kriss F] was hurt by a remark made in a previous issue, so too was I disturbed by the inference made in one LOC that "44 and no more" fans aren't "true" fans exactly should we define a "true" fan, any fan, way? Given the diversity of feelings out there, I kind of think it is impossible. I was a fan of "two soul-mates who shared a unique bond," as [Elaine L] so eloquently stated. Consequently, I can easily say I AM a TRUE fan of what I was a fan of -- no more or less. The third season destroyed what it was that made the show so special to me. To lose Linda, to have Catherine written out in such bad taste was bad enough, but then to face the fact that Vincent was going to love again was just too much. I'm not saying that those of you who feel differently on this issue are wrong. No, I'm just saying that for many of us this is the ultimate violation of what we perceive to be the spirit of B&TB.
[snipped]
I have to disagree with those who feel Diana would have gotten further in a relationship, and faster. CBS was still calling the shots, and with their fears of "bestiality" and "imploded" previous romances, I doubt Vincent and Diana would have gotten too far along.
[snipped]
[Patty M] commented that she thought it was hypocritical to support Ron in his play while condemning his television show. I couldn't disagree more. It would be incredibly childish to blame the actor for something beyond his control. I would never blame Linda for my misery either. I wish Ron and Linda nothing but success in the future and look forward to all their new projects.
However, when it comes to B&TB, just because it's still called B&TB doesn't make it so for me.
[Leslie H]: Could someone please show [Sister Dot S] a resolution story? There are hundreds out there, surely she'll find one that she can believe in, one that would spark her imagination, heal the pain, and open a new world of beauty and joy to her creative talents. Her ability to move me with her stories and poetry is downright threatening — she brings back the third season in all its intensity and grim reality. She seems to be yet another example of how suffering and tragedy have the power to draw out of us the hidden voices inside us that we might otherwise never have discovered. I wonder if she has written fiction before, or if she is another one of the hundreds of us who set down our first creative word in response to the overwhelming feelings this show aroused? Actually, I have a better idea -- a challenge: Dot, write your own resolution story and put your talent at finding the truth and meaning to work deciphering the mysteries of the third season in light of a happy ending. Your stories and poems always have Catherine reappearing to Vincent as a spirit or presence, some sense of her that comes to him in special places and times when he is alone, needing her most — but you are extrapolating here. Throughout the whole third season, he had, as I recall, two memories of her voice and one vision of their dance -- all scenes from the earlier shows -- and the poignant glimpse of her face watching over the naming ceremony. Other than that, he was unremittingly, sickeningly alone: she was gone. I think many more of us could have accepted the third season if he could still have felt something of her inside, some essence of that eternal, spiritual connection they shared; but there was nothing, and the writers meant it to be that way. Therefore, Dot, if you can transform the third season to include that major difference, surely you can take another tangent into the realm where she is not just present spiritually, but physically! And then, what would all that pain and grief and suffering have meant, what could its ultimate purpose be? I'd be very interested to see what you could do here.
[Helen C]:I have searched my heart and can find no speck of blame for the show's downfall. Perhaps if CBS had heeded the old saw, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" and had treated the show as the prize jewel it was, we would still be a contented fandom, into our fourth season. Isn't it about time we beat our swords into plowshares and buried these hurtful remarks which serve no purpose? The war is over. Haven't you heard?
We are on opposite sides of the fence — neither one accepted as a "true fan" because you liked (I disliked) third season! So -- who are the true fans? I like [Deb H's] definition best -- "You're a fan as long as you like any part of B&TB."
About the TLBL video: Enjoy it! I sure don't intend to buy it, since it is third season. What I resent is the not-so-subtle pressure to do so with the implied threat that Republic will issue no more B&TB videos otherwise. Nonsense! The sales receipts plus letters from fans requesting their favorite shows will provide the ultimate answer to future releases. Republic is in business to make money, not lose it. One last remark — that tolerance and respect be our guideposts for the New Year. Good health and happiness to all and B&TB movie in the near future.
[John William L]:As for reports that The Family Channel is tampering with episodes of B&TB (I, unfortunately, can't get it in my area), this is deplorable. Yet, it's typical of all fundamentalism -- if it doesn't match a certain belief system (theirs!), it's automatically "wrong" and undeserving of expression, period. Truly "enlightened" thinking, isn't it? I would urge all those of us whom this bothers to write CBN and voice our concern.
Which brings me finally to [Beth B]'s wonderful LOC in Issue 8. The issue of censorship and intolerance in this country could indeed become the "racism" of the 1990s, and may already be such. As a man who happens to be gay, I find it saddening to live in a society that, for the most part, equates "different" with "bad" or "evil." I am outraged when I realize that some people/organizations believe that my very existence is a mistake, "phase," perversion, or "sin." I am more than my sexual orientation (which I had nothing to do with choosing, in case some people still don't understand that -- nobody "made" me this way!), just as Vincent is more, much more than a half-man/half-beast. I'm sure we've dealt with very similar personal "demons!" It might've been interesting to see how the show dealt with that issue! Thank you Beth, and TT, for creating a space open and safe enough in which such issues could be addressed — I had no idea I'd be "coming out" here when I started this letter! (If there are any other "club members" out there reading this who might be interested in corresponding, I'd love to hear from you.)
[John William L]:Dear friends, let's give Ron Koslow a break. He retooled the show at CBS's orders and in an attempt, however disastrous, to boost its sagging ratings. Perhaps a mistake, but that's the sad reality of commercial TV and the profit-mongers who run it.
Ron Koslow is as undeserving of bashing as Linda Hamilton is, and I personally feel his participation in a movie is ESSENTIAL. (Imagine STAR TREK without Gene Roddenberry) (Just a note, John: Star Trek has been accomplished in the past with little more than a rubber stamp "yes" or "no" from Roddenberry. That is literally about the amount of control he's had over the ST movies — officially, at least. When they decided to kill Spock in ST 2, he was dead-set against it, but couldn't do anything about it . . . except leak the news to the fans when the studio wanted to keep it a secret, thereby giving us the power to fight it. Which we did, and we won. I only wish that Koslow was more like Roddenberry, and displayed more concern for the characters he created. I agree that no one deserves bashing — however, I believe Koslow must accept the blame for what was for many of us the perversion and destruction of B&TB, whereas Linda remained true to the spirit of her character and the show. I do not blame her at all — I applaud her. Given that point of view, I hope you can understand why the words "Koslow" and "Beauty and the Beast" together do not inspire confidence in me. — Barbara.)
[Sharon McC]:I'd like to bring up something which I would be interested in seeing discussed. Whenever the producers, or the media, explain the premise of B&TB, Vincent is always referred to as "half-man, half-beast." I cannot begin to tell you how much this upsets me. B&TB fans, most of the ones I've talked to about this seem to understand that, in some unexpected way, Vincent is all human; my concern is how this is perceived by people who have never seen the show. The promo for TLBL (may it sink into the sea) is an example of what I mean. First, the plot synopsis says the usual half-man, half-beast stuff; then further down you read about them realizing their love and having a baby.
Most people would be horrified at the thought of lovemaking between a human and a being who is half-animal. So they put the video back, and that's a potential fan lost. (I don't know if the other two commercial videos call V. half-beast, but I hope not.) Or people who might read a media article on the show can't get past it, either. I've had people say this to me, flat out.
I decided right away that Vincent is all human , maybe the last of a prehistoric group who kept the physical appearance of those times, but with superior intelligence, and nobility of character. As Vincent's nobility is emphasized by this, so too is his dark side. I could never accept lovemaking between V. and C. unless V. is human. I think it was a serious mistake on the part of the show's creators to ever imply that Vincent is not all human. Bestiality is perversion; it's easy to say "I don't care what Vincent is," but I think the half-beast idea had as much to do with losing the show as the ratings, or anything else. If Vincent was an "alien humanoid," or whatever, I'd accept that, but half-lion — no way. As George Martin said in Starlog, "Vincent is not a dog." Catherine says he's human; I'm with her.
Re: the movie: I want V. & C. to have their happy life, third season resolution, and some real love scenes, romantic ones. A lovely wedding, adventure, romance. No land-of-the-dead stuff; I'd like the witness protection program. I'd also like to see Jo Anderson included in new productions. She's very special as Diana. Father, Joe, Pascal, William, Mary, I want them all in it. After that, cable TV movies. I'd like the movie to be three hours long.
[Inez P]:This is one of those letters that has begged to be written for a long time. It has screamed at me inside of my head every time I hear about "bestiality" or "consummation without marriage." . . . We could delve into Thomas Aquinas and the theories of God's law, Nature's law and Man's law, but the important point is that all three exist. There is perfection when all three agree and coincide and there is the danger of human "deistizing" when Man's law is put above God's Law. This is self-serving, starting and ending with what is best for man and his needs and pleasure. In a way, Nature's law more truly reflects God's law, as all of Nature follows its destiny as created.
But we live according to Man's law, and so abortion is legalized, and fair trade laws close factories, and oil wells create pockets of poverty, and countries go to war over their legal boundaries, and religions are intolerant in the name of God, and Christians can be the most judgmental of one another. I have a great deal of difficulty with human interference into God's beautiful balance. Unfortunately, our laws sometimes do this . . . God does not see or judge as man sees or judges.
Now, placing these views into B&TB. One of the most impelling facets of this show is the relationship of Vincent and Catherine. We have said that we feel a divine involvement in the production. Well, I feel that one of the lessons which we desperately need to be taught in our time is the relearning of God's intention for man and woman. Surely B&TB portrayed the love, respect and trust as a sacred commitment. It showed the step-by-step flowering of a love relation ship—they became one in mind and spirit first; they became one in commitment to each other next. It was impossible to think of one without the other. And finally, the verbal vows in "The Rest is Silence." As they stood looking out over the city, Catherine asks to be let into Vincent's life fully -- no matter what, good or bad -- to be part of everything. "You must promise me that you will share it with me, whatever happens, whatever comes." And Vincent agrees to let her be part of him, as he is a part of her. Their total concern for each other is awesome and inspiring. It was perhaps the most beautiful exchange of vows I had ever witnessed.
Now, isn't this exactly what is required by God's law for man to cleave to woman? What priest, judge, minister, or rabbi could they have vowed before that would have given their intent or commitment any more importance? Before the "consummation," Catherine even proves this by laying down her life — putting herself in danger to save Vincent. There is no life without him — they are already one, already joined, and their desire for physical unity at this point only reflects man's desire to join with God after knowing and loving Him.
So maybe that is the true message of B&TB. The world Above, according to Man's law, struggles for peace and justice. Its portrayal is hard-hitting and jarring. The world Below lives more according to God's law and there is serenity and compassion.
Which laws are Catherine and Vincent bound by?
[Rosemarie S]: [Leslie H] brought up about how some people (mostly men, I find) consider Vincent "a beast with qualities of a human." I hate it too when Ron Perlman makes comments like that. I don't consider that to be true, and I don't think Catherine does either.
[Kathryn C]:There was also a cartoon like atmosphere throughout Season #3. For all its advertising, "It's not a fairy tale anymore," third season felt much less real to me than the first two seasons did—no wonder I can write Season #3 off as a nightmare!
I find that I don't blame the actors for anything in the third season, either. (I'm thinking of [Guinn B's] letters in #7 and #8.) I don't think Jo Anderson (Diana) or Stephen McHattie (Gabriel) made what could be considered wise career moves in choosing to play those characters, but they had to make a living, too. I have never felt that the actors had much say in what happened to their characters, EVER.
The people I am still upset with are the producers and writers. Their lack of faith in their own creation caused them to rewrite the show. They were the ones who set up the scenario that destroyed the work of the previous two seasons. That scenario --Catherine's long imprisonment, her almost-rescue and off hand death — was particularly nasty because (this is my opinion) Linda Hamilton stood up for herself and Catherine Chandler. Actors are expected to be like good soldiers -- they don't ask questions and they follow orders. Linda Hamilton broke that unwritten rule.