The Couch Potato

From Fanlore
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Zine
Title: The Couch Potato
Publisher: The T.V. Enthusiast Club
Editor(s): Sue Trent
Type: letterzine
Date(s): unknown – at least the 1980s, active in 1990
Frequency: unknown
Medium: print fanzine
Size: digest
Fandom: Multimedia
Language: English
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

The Couch Potato is a British gen multimedia letterzine focusing mainly on action-adventure and science fiction/fantasy television series airing on British television – often American imports.

The Couch Potato had several regular features, and numerous regular contributors, including Sue Trent, Penny Hill, Robin Hill (cartoons as well as text), Judy Mortimore, Jackie Eason and Ian Trott.

Issues regularly featured cartoons by staff member Penny Hill, which involved the zine's mascot (an anthropomorphic potato) interacting with characters/icons from various television series.

The club's newsletter sister zine was Channel which, as of August 1989, had two issues.

Issue 1

cover of Special Stephen J. Cannell issue

The Stephen J. Cannell Issue was published in May 1987 and contains 36 pages.

  • Stephen J. Cannell – a career profile by Judy Mortimore, with technical advice from Jackie Eason
  • On the Box – round up of what was airing on the BBC at the time
  • The Casting Couch – a profile of a subscriber/contributor to The Couch Potato – in this issue that was Dave Whiley
  • Letters of Comment from: Graham Wade, Judy Mortimore, Ian Trott and Janet Ellicott
  • Lines We Liked – recent tv quotes
  • The Fun Page – general silliness, in this issue an A-Team Top Ten list
  • Member's Reviews – (this issue on Stephen J. Cannell series) featuring reviews from Ian Trott, Sue Trent, Jackie Eason
  • Advertising section, featuring general ads (seeking episodes of shows, etc.), ads for clubs/letterzines, and ads for general fanzines
  • Editorials by Sue Trent and Penny Hill