Passages (Beauty and the Beast letterzine)/Issues 013-015
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Passages |
| Publisher: | |
| Editor(s): | Karen Bates |
| Type: | letterzine |
| Date(s): | March 1988 to at August 1989 |
| Frequency: | monthly |
| Medium: | |
| Fandom: | Beauty and the Beast (TV) |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Passages (March 1988-August 1989) is a letterzine with eighteen issues. It hailed out of Nebraska, US and was the first letterzine devoted to the Beauty and the Beast universe.
The letterzine had the attention and support of TPTB. In issue #16/17 (July 1989), the editor wrote: "I would like to thank Mr. Roy Dotrice and Mr. George R.R. Martin for their gracious support of this publication. A thank you is so little in return for their timely gestures."
From Datazine #54: "A forum for comments, critiques, discussion and exchange of ideas for anyone interested in The Beauty and the Beast universe."
The letterzine ceased just as fans were getting information that the last season was going to have a different direction and tone. These fans did not yet know the extent of these changes, and their optimism that TPTB would "do the right thing" was combined with their wariness. See the progression in the comments in individual issues. Also see Things Began to Heat Up: February 1989.
See List of Letterzines for similar fanworks.
The Issues
See these subpages for details about individual issues, including quoted opinions and summaries of fannish views on topics current then, and now.
| Passages (Beauty and the Beast letterzine) Issues | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issues 001-002 | Issues 003-004 | Issues 005-006 | Issues 007-008 | |
| Issues 009-010 | Issues 011-012 | Issues 013-015 | Issues 016-018 | |
Issue 13/14
Passages 13/14 was published in May 1989 and contains 38 pages.
It contains 13 letters, many article reprints, and the listing of the contents of the music and poetry on the LP record album "Of Love and Hope."
Excerpts from fan letters:
The way they were switching days! Only a fan, who wouldn't let anyone stop them from seeing B&B could have found it! Were were the "promos" for different day and time? Even TV Guide screwed up! Such a wonderful show, too! Needless to say, my letters to CBS were in the next mail!!! Now I can look forward to Fridays again!
How can one show be an obsession, when others couldn't be? It makes me think, it shows emotion and values, it proves love can be beautiful without being sexual. There's enough of that. Lastly, it is wonderfully written, the actors are at their best in this show, and they take chances. I guess that's why I worry about season #3. Any show capable of the aforementioned attributes hasn't survived, I dearly hope this is not the case with B&B.
It is through fan forums such as this that I have found I am not alone in my love for this fantastic series. I am relatively new to fandom, having gotten heavily into B&B well into the summer reruns, and, at first, I thought I was really crazy for falling so much in love with the show - and with Vincent, oh, yes! I felt rather alone, and kept asking myself, "Where are all the other fans of this show?" I was dying to shout out to someone how much I love it! Thank God for these letterzines - I am finally able to communicate to other fans how I feel about the series, and to hear what other fans have to say.
I can expound forever on the subject. I have met some great friends through this series, and, believe me, they can tell you about two-hour phone calls, too. I must say that I think that B&B fans are very special, indeed! Although, when I first started to get involved in B&B fandom, I admitted to some people that I hated to write letters, since then, I have fallen in love with writing, writing letter upon letter to friends and letterzines, having so much to say, and wanting to say it to those people who understand the magic of this wonderful series! I know there are some people who think I'm crazy, including my better half and, probably, some people at work, but I love B&B - and Vincent, and I can't help it!
I can't help but comment on that review (??) printed in Issue #9 by John Lofton in The Washington Times! Who could stoop so low as to print something like this? File under "O" for "Other Opinion" indeed-this should be filed in "File 13", if you know what I mean. I have seen negative reviews on B&B before, but this was not just negative, this was downright vicious! Here's to you, Mr. Lofton, for possessing no compassion or couth whatsoever - it's people like you that we don't need to give publicity to Beauty and the Beast- and to The Washington Times for stooping to such low depths!
To the creators of this delightful show, my only plea is: If this is going to be B&B's last season, give us a happy ending! A very dear "penfriend" of mine has suggested the very last episode be titled: "And They Lived Happily Ever After." Does that trigger any brainstorms by any chance? I hope so!
The last few episodes? I'll leave it to you ladies to dissect them in minute detail. But I'm sure that many of you are just as disappointed as I am that the show has retreated from the apogee of intimacy it reached on two memorable Monday nights back in March! In fact, I suspect the schedule change might have been done purely to air those two particular episodes at 10:00 p.m. on a school night, when there wouldn't be many children watching, rather than as an experiment with a different time slot. Perhaps CBS feared it would incur the wrath of the moral majority if it ran such, shall we say, suggestive episodes at 8:00 on Friday! I suppose there really are people who are uptight enough to freak out over something like Cathy giving Vincent a little kiss on the lips (if it wasn't on the lips, it was sure close!), or otherwise openly displa5ring desire for this most extraordinary leading man
To the Catherine-bashers: Don't even think about it!
PLEASE HELP. Is there anyone who could copy their first season episodes for me (VHS only)? I have the first ("Once Upon a Time... ) and the last ("A Happy Life"), but nothing in between. I desperately want to see the other episodes. Please contact me and well see what we can work out. I didn't realize that Catherine had never said, "I love you" to Vincent. I took it for granted that they both had last season. Has Vincent ever said it to her?
I can't help but wonder if the last scene in "The Watcher" wasn't for us. (No matter what happens, they will endure). I sure hope they are not trying to tell us the show is being cancelled. TV would be bleak without B&B to look forward to.
I was glad to read that all of you have been happy with the last few shows. I think the series has made a definite turn for the better in the past few weeks. Every show, starting with "Outsiders," has been exceptionally wonderful. We are finally seeing some progress in the romance department, lots of action, drama, and award-winning acting. I like seeing more of Joe Maxwell. I wish we could have more of Father, too. I desperately hope the ratings will improve, soon. I would be devastated to see B&B cancelled. Write those letters! We have to keep vigilant so we can keep watching and smiling on Vincent and Catherine...
Re-watching "Orphans" I found myself turning into a different type of fan than I'd been before. I let myself enjoy it in a way I hadn't before. When I watched "Orphans" live, I enjoyed the costumes, the music, some of the ideas presented and I wondered how someone seeing it for the first time might react. (Those Monday viewers who never saw it before.) In playing the tape back, I sat at my desk, paying bills and such. I started out figuring I'd watch it mainly for my favorite scenes...those with Vincent WellsV&C...those with particularly beautiful light or costumes. I'm one of those people who likes to play a favorite piece of music again and again, all afternoon, or all day, and as I sat there, alone with my VCR, I began to notice [much about observations regarding details and close viewing] ... B&B was important to me from the first show, but my involvement is getting more intense as the cumulative pleasure with this show and its fans keeps growing. I used to be very casual about watching live vs. tape delay B&B. Now I must watch it live.
I've been watching the show since it first began and it is a pure joy to finally be able to share and read other peoples view of the show, and to realize I'm not the only "crazy" out there... I agree with all of you, this is one of the best series to come along in quite awhile, and I have my favorite shows as well as ones I wasn't pleased with. The only regret I have is that I never taped any of the first season. If, by chance, someone has these taped, I would be very happy to send blank tapes for recording. I did purchase the B&B tape which I have watched countless times.
I'm another B&B fan who comes to this fandom from Star Trek. For me, Vincent is, in some sense, an analog for Spock. (Doesn't the bond V has with C remind anyone else of the Vulcan marriage bond: "Never and always, touching and touched..."?) Spock was a one-of-a-kind alien who couldn't live on his father's world, or his mother's, but had to carve out a niche for himself between worlds: The Enterprise was his home, its corridors and passageways his world, its crew his family. The tunnel-world is sort of an underground version of that. The parallels are not exact, but then, I think the resemblance is purely coincidental, and not deliberate. We had no problems with Spock's "alienness" because he looked more human than not, and because, since his mother was human, then, obviously, at some basic level, so must he be human, too. Vincent is a big, fat question mark. The scientists in "Nor Iron Bars a Cage" said so. They couldn't tell if he was some weird kind of human mutation, or some weird kind of animal mutation. Until the writers can give some satisfactory explanation that will get by the censors, we are not going to see much development in this romance.
[...]
If anyone ever suggests that a woman has had intimate relations with an animal on B&B, the series will be cancelled, and buried, so fast, no one will know what hit them. So, personally, I think establishing who and what Vincent is, and where he came from, is very important, indeed.
I hope everyone has written to CBS before any other fannish publication. These cancellation murmurings are so depressing. I'm interested to see that sponsor lists are circulating, too. I've made use of them, but does anyone know if our letters have any impact? I'd like to think they do, but I admit I'm skeptical~do these giant corporations care about one network show? There's always another where they can advertise. I need some words of encouragement in this area. If the worst happens, is there any chance at all that we'll get to see a wrap-up final episode a la "M*A*S*H"? There are certainly things Id like to see resolved. How about a Tunnel wedding for C&V - with a threshold scene, then a tantalizing shadow (they love those shadows, don't they?) of a passionate kiss. Then a scene of our lovers entwined in that fabulous bed covers protecting modesty, of course. They can't leave us hanging!
Personally, I almost passed out when Cathy invited Vincent inside for their second anniversary. I know I wasn't alone when I figured she was asking him to come in for more than a "doze" by the fire. The look he gave her carbonated all my hormones!
I came to B&B through Trek, with a major detour through Star Wars and Robin of Sherwood. Fandoms do have a way of overlapping. It's so easy to slide into another area since you get a chance to talk to so many people at conventions. I've never "dropped" a fandom or burned out, just expanded (sometimes alarmingly!)
I still can't get over how fabulous the show has been. It's almost like the writers know exactly what we want and certainly have given it to us. They must read our letters because there has been a definite change in the show.
Issue 15
Passages 15 was published in June 1989 and contains 22 pages.
It contains 15 letters and only three article reprints. One of the letters is a very long, detailed letter of watching an episode filmed, seeing and talking to Ron Perlman, Linda Hamilton, David Schwartz, and seeing some of Perlman's close family members.
Excerpts from fan letters:
Although I watched Star Trek 23 years ago, I only became serious a year ago. My only fan action is reading "Starlog". Of course, almost every issue has a major B&B article so I'd be subscribing for that alone. I am a serious "Starman" fan & finally linked up with their fandom after almost 2 years of searching. There seems to be very little B&B/Starman overlap. There's even some resentment because B&B has things like [professional] calendars and they only have fan-created ones.
Joyce [in a letter in the previous issue] wrote that she doesn't enjoy previews of next week's slows. I love them. I often play them [on my VCR] in slow motion (takes over 6 minutes) to see every little movement and glance in them. I usually watch each about ten times. I try to guess if parts might be dreams and which parts are exactly as they seem. I like seeing them, too, again after I've seen the shows they preview...to see what the story actually was compared to what I'd expected. Of course, I can also understand that Joyce may not want to watch them.
Many people want Vincent to say "I love you" to Catherine. He talks freely about the fact he loves Catherine. He told Catherine in "Fair and Perfect Knight," he told her father in "Orphans" and he told Father in "Hollow Men." It isn't just that he loves Catherine that fans want to hear. What they want is for him to give the statement to Catherine as a love gift...as another form of a romantic kiss. But just as he doesn't feel he should kiss Catherine with passion, I don't think he feels he should make a romantic declaration of his love.
I know some fans feel a bit odd at times because they enjoy B&B so much. I'd like to pass along something that may be useful. Years ago, my mother felt odd because of something that she felt passionately about...I don't even remember what it was. My father told her: "Never feel ashamed for having strong feelings about a thing that's important to you. Some people go a whole lifetime without finding anything they care about as much." They are to be pitied since they are missing a chance to enjoy all life has to offer.
I read an article in the newspaper this week that quoted Mr. Koslow as saying that the show would surely end if the writers allowed Vincent and Catherine to consummate their love. I, personally disagree. I can see thousands of story lines evolving from Vincent and Catherine's marriage, their life in the tunnels, and their undying love for each other. I can visualize Catherine never having any regrets of her decision to leave Above. I can also see them getting involved in different happenings of Above and from time to time, I'm sure her legal expertise would come into view on occasions when the tunnel people are affected by various situations of this nature when coming into contact with the people from Above. So, you see, I think others like me would continue to give B&B their loyalty, with pleasure! The magic most certainly would still be present for me.
If the show is cancelled, I really feel that I will never let myself get this involved again with a show. I finally found one I love, and they're threatening to take it off the air. If the unthinkable happens, at least we will have experienced great pleasure and enjoyed two years of a precious, heart-touching, and truly refined masterpiece. The show has touched a hopeful vein in us all and really gave television some real class. Thank you, CBS, for that much.
I've gotten the impression that there's a lot of people out there who hold bitterness against Catherine, because of things she's said to Vincent, because of what they think is her lack of a will to commit to Vincent. Ooooooh, this makes me furious!!! I LOVE Catherine!!! I think she is wonderful! She is perfect for Vincent. If anyone's ever been teed off at her for something she's said to him (myself included once or twice) remember this: she has always been TOTALLY honest with him! Whatever she is thinking comes out.
[many examples snipped]
Also, I feel that people are NOT giving Linda Hamilton the credit and honor due her, in being Catherine. She is an incredibly talented actress. She makes me laugh, she makes me cry, I feel what Catherine is feeling through her. I forget that this person is acting!! She conveys so many emotions in a single expression, in her voice. She makes the words ring SO true!
[...]
Ron IS incredible, but Linda is being so overlooked, and it drives me nuts! NO ONE could portray Catherine the way Linda does. She's breathed life into her, and she is so pretty, just naturally.
[...]
Despite the [possible future] pain in store for them, I think the joy, peace and happiness in store more than makes it worth it! By the way, yes, Bruce Sawyer, there is a female Linda Hamilton fan! Do you believe it? Sometimes I feel like the only one! Catherine-bashers beware! Vincent would slash you if he knew what you said about his girl!
I wasn't aware that some of the fans had taken up "Cathy-bashing." I am as glad as he that "Passages" subscribers have not indulged in that sport! On the other hand, I have noticed a tendency among commentators to be overly critical, even, perhaps, hostile, toward Father. Why must fans feel it necessary to prove their love and loyalty in one direction, by venting anger, and even hatred, in another?
I have to love whoever Vincent loves. Nothing else seems reasonable.
I want to hijack a satellite and get everyone in the world to write CBS, WRITE CBS, its affiliates, its sponsors, etc. I wrote myself, something I've never done. Oh, please, God, don't let them cancel this show!
So, how many of us are gray from worrying each week if B&B will be back for a third season?
...Thought so! The majority wins! Personally, if CBS is cruel enough (and brave enough???) to take this magical, unique, one-of-a-kind program from our grasp and sights, I will be more than honored to lead the brigade that will storm the doors of Kim LeMasters' office. Do I have any other willing volunteers? They just can’t stoop low enough to do that to us! Can they? Will they? Be warned, CBS! We're out here!!! The CBS fall schedule is due out approximately May 22. Can we all hold our breaths that long? ... Ready?
As dashed as my hopes for B&B's prime-time continuity are, the tetralogy insures its "resurrection." Culled down to a movie, TV or theatrical, it must quickly provide a phoenix...should May sweeps fail to sweep B&B into higher gyres as far as ratings go. If the second season is the end of this stage, they are going out in a blaze of glory providing a deep nest of ash for that certain phoenix.
If the touchstone of a romance is its unfailing ability to invoke tears, 'What Rough Beast" was the test. The "No Poetry" scene, the parting, and Vincent lost in the shadows of his chamber were heart wrenching. They are statements of the characters' understanding of themselves and the actors' appreciation of how their art struggles for survival in a realm most reporters and many viewers fear to achieve.
From what I understand, the season finale (and I pray it will indeed be just the season finale) is going to be a real cliffhanger. The second half of this season has just been absolutely superb, and from what I have read, the ratings are getting better again. Have you guys heard that Linda H. is expecting a baby in October? Wonder how they'll handle that? Probably just shoot her from behind tables and ignore it. I still think Vincent would make the most wonderful father. Yeah, if I were in her shoes...
Zine publishers, I don't read fiction and poetry on B&B. Just everything else. Save your postage. The time I once spent on Star Trek zines is going to cited works from B&B. I'd appreciate a classical music maven recommending the preferred performances of the works played in the series. All of them.
I may have bought my last TV Guide after...20 years? Oh, I will check it out at the checkout stand and Xerox what I need at the library. I resented their never having a B&B cover. Now their psycho rip-off. I have this thing about reputations "built" on the destruction of other's self-esteem.
I don't own a VCR, but I rent one on occasions, vacations, for sure. I'd appreciate cable copies since my "under the umbrella" reception is no great shakes had I an antenna. I have the Perlman con talk in St. Louis, no way to copy it. Want everything Hamilton, Koslow, Perlman, Dotrice. Swaps or cost only...until the B&B video club is available.
If "Jake and the Fatman" can reappear and..."High Mountain Rangers" reappear as Jesse's whatever, the "third season" may well be a mid- season replacement...after Linda has the...babies, Perlman and Dotrice guest of TV movie elsewhere.
Nimoy may have at one time resented Spock, but Vincent is a far, far better soul as Perlman plays him. If Vincent and Catherine became the remainder of these actors' careers and lives, I doubt they would be less than grateful. They've always grown. That's a demand that formulas, and other actors fail. Vincent and Catherine are classics which have and will mark lives and arts...forever.
Saw Ron Perlman on "Pat Sajak" last night, and he seemed like happy, well-satisfied man. He mentioned that they had shot the season finale the day before and were now, officially, on hiatus. There wasn't the slightest hint that he expected to be cancelled. In fact, he was there plugging the show, and the album, and it didn't sound like a swan-song to me.
I've written to CBS, to my local CBS affiliate, to 18 of the sponsors, to the B&B production office, and to L.H. and R.P. My nerves are worn to a frazzle, and I'm nearly out of stamps! It's now in the hands of God, I'm praying for renewal. I feel like I've done all I can do, to help out. I hope everyone else has, too.
I was outraged when I heard that article read by Roy Dotrice himself, at a convention earlier this year! I couldn't believe my ears! The actual nerve of John Lofton!! According to Mr. Webster, the word "Critic" is defined as follows: (A) "One who expresses a reasoned opinion on any matter especially involving a judgement of its value, truth, righteousness, beauty, or technique; (B) one who engages often professionally in the analysis, evaluation, or appreciation of works of art or artistic performances." If you ask me, the man best define his OWN meaning of critic because it is for sure that he does NOT fit in to this category! And, obviously, the man doesn't know the real meaning of love, beauty, honor, trust, and romance! I suggest you look for another job, Mr. Lofton, because anyone to judge anything simply because they "don't understand it," needs to take a good look at themselves FIRST! Thumbs DOWN to you, Mr. Lofton!
Does anyone like the zines? I'll read anything. And they come in sets, too. (1,2; 1,2,3,4) That's about the only good thing about finding out about B&B fandom this late in the game (thank you, USA Today). Back issues are the only things that are hard to get/wait for.
A million words I could write about Vincent...