Tunneltalk/Issue v.1 n.1
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.1
Tunneltalk v.1 n.1 was published in March 1990 and contains 32 pages.
This issue prints The Lifeline Letter, something the editor describes as it as "a statement of both common sense and passion."
This issue also contains a very short story by Sue Glasgow called "Art Appreciation."
From the editor:
Just this once, I'm going to take over the first pages and welcome all of you to the first issue of TUNNELTALK! We would like to thank all those who contributed to this maiden voyage for their support, all those who subscribed sight unseen, and we look for ward to hearing from those of you who are just discovering us. It's difficult to get a letterzine started ("You want me to write a letter? Don't we already write enough letters?"), and a pain in the you-know-what to try and meet a monthly deadline, but we hope that, as the months continue, the letters and opinions expressed herein will entice many of you to join in the discussion and debate. TUNNELTALK is dedicated to one concern — freedom of speech, otherwise known as the First Amendment. We concur with the words of Stephen Hopkins, Rhode Island's representative to the First Continental Congress (as quoted in the excellent film detailing the writing of the Declaration of Independence, 1776): "In all my years, I never seen, heard, nor smelled an issue that was so dangerous it couldn't be talked about! Hell, yes, I'm in favor of debatin' anything!" But there has been in fandom, of late, a wave of negativity, taking the form of intimidation — labels of correct and incorrect, acceptable and unacceptable, applied to honest personal opinion in an attempt to control and manipulate other fans. There has been intolerance, and voices speaking with a self-appointed authority that should be severely questioned. There have been admonitions to refrain from voicing any negative opinions, no matter how calmly or rationally, and people have been told they write "hate mail" and are "ex-fans" simply because they have strongly expressed deep disappointment in the third season.
We would like to state that, to the editors of TUNNELTALK, the idea that B&TB fans must refrain from voicing any particular feeling — about third season or anything else — in a reasonable and rational fashion, or that we should be guided or led in any way by any other fan or group of fans into apolitically correct opinion, is abhorrent, and totally contrary to the true spirit of fandom, which has along history of embracing diversity, not restricting it. We know that many of you feel the same way we do, and that there are those who are either too afraid or too disgusted to speak up. Either position is a sad commentary on the state of our fandom, inspired as we are by such an uplifting television show whose main message was that it's all right to be different — you will still be loved.
Therefore, we wanted to add our voices to the other individual voices and to the other letterzines where freedom of speech is being upheld. There are safe places in this fandom where your opinion — pro or con,hopeful or disappointed will be respected, and we are one of those places. Let's continue to hold fast to the beauty of a certain truth — no one person's thoughts are any less or any more valid than another's. We can discuss all our different thoughts and feelings and allow ourselves to disagree without the fear or threat that such disagreement will destroy the show itself or our community — the community we are all apart of simply because we are B&TB fans. I believe we are stronger than that; we will not be overwhelmed by this negativity, but instead will win it over with a positive force of love and tolerance — a lesson we have learned from the tunnel world that we can practice in our daily lives.
The open letter reprinted in this issue, from the members of the BEAUTY AND THE BEAST LIFELINE (a valuable source of information about B&TB fandom that we recommend and support), addresses this situation in such an eloquent and moving manner that we would like to refer you to it as being a statement of both common sense and passion that this fandom has been sorely in need of. Follow your heart — indeed. I hope that, as people begin to realize that their feelings need not be squelched in order to be loyal fans, we will soon move past this negativity and on to the true business of fandom—supporting B&TB and each other.
The editors explained zines to their readers:
TUNNELTALK aspires to have the most complete fanzine listing available. If you know of a zine that is not list here, or one that is out of print, please drop us a note and let us know about it, so we can keep up to date. Some of the information here is gratefully taken from the Helper's Network Directory. If you would like to do an actual review of a zine you have particularly enjoyed, and we are able to use it, we will extend your subscription by one issue.
Some of you are undoubtedly asking, ""What the heck is a "fanzine"?" A fanzine (or, more commonly, ""zine"") is an amateur publication — produced by a fan as a desktop-publishing project that contains anything from fiction (long or short) to poetry, artwork to songs, analytical articles to letters of comment (LOC's), which make up a letterzine, which is what you're reading!). But a zine is also much more than that. It's our own little corner of the dream; it's away to create (or read) more of Beauty and the Beast than what we saw on the small screen. You can rewrite an episode you didn't like... make a better ending... continue an episode that you didn't want to end at all.
If you haven't tried zines before, why not do it now? You might like them... or you might be inspired to try your own hand at writing or drawing! BUT — always remember to include a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope (SASE) whenever you write to an editor of a zine — whether you're ordering or submitting something. These publications are usually done on a shoestring, and many editors cannot afford to absorb postage costs. It's always a good idea to write first anyway and make sure the zine is still available, and ask for a flier that describes the contents if you'd like more details. Some zines — though not all — contain R-rated material, or scenarios that pair either Catherine or Vincent with another person; if you don't care for these scenarios, you'll want to make sure they aren't in the zine before you order it, not after.
[...]
More Diana? I could take her or leave her — as long as Catherine was back. More Elliot? I know he's alive out there somewhere! Stosh Kazmarek is a fighter! "Beggar's Comet" was one of the best Elliot episodes ever... but then, he's always good. More Father? Maybe — and better written, perhaps, than in the third season. More of the tunnels? If Catherine came back, what would happen between her and Vincent? How has her death/supposed death changed him? I feel he's become much more cynical and world-weary, that he's lost his innocence, his guilelessness, and that it would take Catherine along time to get him to believe in the beauty of her world again. What about Jacob — the baby? Would Catherine move Below now that she and Vincent have a child?
Would Vincent still believe in a "life that can never be," or would he feel that it has been made abundantly clear that life and love cannot be taken for granted or put off until tomorrow — and that he should move past his own fears and into Catherine's arms?
Whether we ever get the answers to these questions — and many others — on the big or little screen, they are questions that I would like to see discussed. Just what 'would we do if we were in charge of B&TB's future? (A heady thought, isn't it?) And we can always answer the questions ourselves, in the pages of zines. We've got material for years to come, and I look forward to reading all of it (and perhaps writing some of it, too).
[...]
Are we, as fans, merely the (somewhat) obsessive followers of one (or another) media event? Do we cringe slightly when non-fannish friends or colleagues remark 'How can you be into a T.V. show?' Why is media (T.V., if you will) unperceivable as an art form — Oh, I know there's plenty of junk on television — but plenty of films are dogs, and schlock novels abound.
Turn to any other creative field of communication and I don't believe you'll find a single one where the producers of the field themselves look down upon the product they produce, and therefore upon us as the enthusiasts who support the product. I, for one, refuse to accept this negative perception of the media phenomenon. I believe we in fandom are the vanguard of a new, yet ancient creative movement. And that film/T.V. is the modern folklore, faithfully reflecting and reinforcing its society. Modern folklore — media—shifts and changes with the decades, just as the folklore of ages past became a record of the mores and propensities of people throughout time. Think (if you can go back for enough) about the television of the 50s and 60s. Think about the television of today. See how it addresses the concerns, the needs, the fluctuations of the times in which it was created? But if media is the folklore of today, we as its adherents (the folklorists, in a sense) have a responsibility to the form. To keep it living and growing. To keep it, through honest, creative criticism, the best it can be. And to stand up without shame and be counted.
v.1 n.1: Excerpts from the Letters
Since the beginning of the New Year many of us have been overwhelmed with a feeling of loss. And rightly so. The news of January Fourth spread like a blazing fire across the country: Beauty and the Beast was cancelled! Within 48 hours, our hopes were lifted with the idea of the Fox network taking over our show. Calls and letters began to pour into Fox. People begged and pleaded, some demanded — everyone wanted the same thing. We all rushed to request Fox to take on the challenge. We all wanted a new home. Sadly, nothing came of all our calls, all our letters.
So, where does that leave us now? For now our best bet is to write to Republic Pictures... Attn: Russell Goldsmith. Let them know you'd like to see all the episodes of B&TB released on video tape, including the missing three from this season. Then, before putting down your pen, write to Witt-Thomas Productions... Inform them of your strong desire to see feature movies. (It is rumored that, for a feature film, Linda Hamilton might consider replaying her role of Catherine.)
From what I can see from where I stand, this is our best shot at the moment. Perhaps the future will bring B&TB back to us in syndication; this would be wonderful. Yet, in the meantime, we must not sit back and remain silent. We must join our voices together, make them one, and let them be heard. In the meantime, we must continue to support fandom. In doing so, we alone can keep B&TB alive.
Sister Dorothy Sconzo and I shall persist in our work on the Lights of Winterfest project that we began in October. Believing in the good we're doing, taking the spirit of BATB out of its fantasy world and bringing it into the real world. Constantly reaching out to the press, we are ever hopeful for some positive coverage, for both Lights of Winterfest, and B&TB.
For now I will close my letter and begin one to Republic, then one to Witt-Thomas. Why don't you join me? As you put this down, lift up your pen and remember the power of the written word.
An end-of-the-year reflection on the third season of Beauty and the Beast so far.
My friend came up with a new title for the show last night. Buddies and the Beast. Yep, I like it. Three men seek revenge on a plastic baddie. As you can tell, I am watching the show. I can still even admire the craftsmanship, the symbolism, and the analogy. But, in my opinion, they ruined one of the unique concepts on modem television. I tried to think of any other show on the four networks that addresses the issues of our times, especially women's issues, this well, this meaningfully. I did think of one; Designing Women. They too explore, in their medium (comedy) AIDS, the homeless, education, career vs. family, the difficulty in forming and maintaining a relationship with one of the opposite (or same!) sex. So imagine, if you will, if Designing Women suddenly had an episode where one of the main characters dies, and the rest of the group suddenly become compelled to take on one issue. Revenge. Or justice. Still, I can't envision it. Yet that is what the folks at Beauty and the Beast did. They changed their direction completely, from one which was different and refreshing, to one which was old and tired. Basically, we have the essence of every cop show ever done here. Get the baby back. Let our side win. Like a football game, with the baby the ball. Yes, I can see the show as changing from one with a feminine orientation to one with a masculine one. It didn't improve it at all. Do they have any idea what they did? A major philosophical change in a show, in a concept, doesn't happen very often on TV. It's stated pretty well in the opening credits. We are no longer dealing with love. We're dealing with destiny. Whoops. Sorry. That should be capitalized. Destiny.
We're bigger than one person now. "Though lovers be lost, love shall not"? Love, right. But women are interchangeable? Little people don't count? What's the message, guys? I'm not entirely sure what it is, but I'm beginning to suspect I won't like it when I do get it figured out.
[...]
I keep coming back to the concept of Destiny. Is it a male concept? Through the ages, society, male-oriented, has kept women from the heroic type of destiny men had. Women's destiny seemed to be to keep the home fires burning, to be wives and baby-makers. Women were assumed to have less intelligence than men.
Is it a woman's destiny to be stupid? I was beginning to wonder during the two hour opener. Catherine made so many bad decisions (and Vincent, to be fair, made a few, too!) — decisions it had been shown in previous episodes that she knew, or ought to know, better than to make (didn't she listen to Isaac?) that it qualifies as an "idiot plot." It only works if the writers force the character to act like an idiot.
So was it Catherine's destiny to be idealistic, stupid and dead? To get pregnant after having sex with someone so out of it he didn't even remember, and die? Women's destiny to produce the next generation of "real" people, males? The baby had to be a male, you see. So he could have that destiny that's spelled with the big letter. She gets to be a cause. Of course so does the baby.
So we have a cause. Get Catherine's killer. Get the baby back. All three men — Vincent, Elliot, and Joe — who loved Catherine, are now fighting the Big Fight. Up against the worst character the writers could produce. Male. An evil man. Not the ills of society such as homelessness and prostitution and child abuse, featured in last season. Issues which I see as women's issues more than men's. No, we're going against a baddie who does men's evil. He interferes with business (what he is doing to Elliot), law (subverting Moreno and manipulating Joe), and everything good (that's Vincent). Gabriel kills people. He is a direct evil. When they defeat him, and if Vincent gets his son back, Vincent will be dealing with women's issues again — single parenthood, education, raising a child in the 1990s. Great. Next season we can do Three Men and a Baby. And, take comfort, gals. Though lovers be lost, love shall not. Vincent will find a new love. Yes, Elliot is business, Joe is law, and Vincent is or has Destiny. All of that is power. And Catherine? She's dead. The most powerless of all are the dead.
Ah, but you say, there's hope. There's Diana. So far, I see her as a token. Where will they take this new woman in the plot? What will be her destiny? Right now, she is an extension of the law. She is the search for truth. You see, our men of destiny need truth. They need women. They need a cause. There is no wrong without right, no up without down. Only, no one asked Catherine if she wanted to be a cause, did they? What role would Catherine have really played if they hadn't assigned to her stupidity and death? What they had on this show was a woman discovering herself, and her future, her destiny. The slow, hard way — day by day. Helped (but not led or guided) by the man who loved her, the man she loved. She overcame her background, prejudice and changed her character for the better. She learned to integrate herself with her career, her beliefs, her love. She was a reflection of the status and evolution of women in our society. The show, through her, and Vincent, addressed the big problems of our times. Handicaps. Poverty. Drugs. Greed. Honesty. Relationships, family, lovers and how they relate, and interact. The show touched on life and death, literature and love. Now we have Destiny.
I do watch with hope. It is quite possible that they could integrate all this destiny with their former philosophy, make it all right again. But I rather suspect they will not. What will they do? Go for a soap opera ending? Give Vincent a new love? Who will they kill off next? Or?.. .Will they have the guts to go for something really cool? Such as, in the last episode of the season, having Vincent walking down the city streets in broad daylight. Coming out, as it were, facing society and having them accept him as well as all the things we keep suppressed and hidden? Or...? Will they break their own rules again?
With the aftermath of the third season and its cancellation, we have now been given the time to sort out our recollections and begin to muse over what has been. In the beginning, B&TB began as did any other program. To succeed on television, the show presented must first deliver entertainment to its audience. B&TB did entertain, but it was completely different from past and current programming. It was enchanting, with a strong sense of purpose, and bound together with an exquisite yet powerful romance. Compelling enticements, but in addition to this bounty, B&TB was unique as no other show had been. It gave us inspiration and a sense of motivation. We are all familiar with the works of the various fan clubs in assisting and initiating charitable endeavors — collecting money, food, books for worthwhile purposes. These efforts are publicized and inevitably must attract some attention from an unaware public.
But what about our own lives? How many of us were inspired singly to pick up the pieces, to bring awareness and compassion into our lives, to strive for small personal improvements and the changes that truly transform us into better human beings? How many? All of us whether or not we realize came under the spell of the Tunnel World. As an audience we were literate, mostly uncommitted, but receptive to this unusual presentation. A good part of us were not avid TV watchers and were sort of astonished that our attraction to B&TB was rapidly becoming an addiction — more and more pleasant as it was urgent. My captivation was complete on that Friday night with the sudden awareness of what had been so disarmingly granted each week. Here was the loveliest romance Ihad ever seen served with an abundance of food for thought to carry me through the week while I awaited more. I understood at that moment how my life had been changed subtly and where there was once nothing but emptiness, its place had now been filled with hope and challenge.
This was my B&TB legacy and it will remain so in spite of third Seasonitis. Many harsh and strong words have been written about the last season. I am saying that whether or not we approved, we need to put those violent feelings behind us and count our blessings. We should not lose sight of the examples set by this wondrous tale so easily. We all loved the ideals of Beauty and the Beast and if we all regroup together and work together, we can keep the dream alive and perhaps even bring it back to television.
In the meantime, let the beauty of B&TB continue to fill our hearts and it will live forever.
I am very glad to have the opportunity to get some things off my chest about Beauty and the Beast, especially this last season, which was, as far as I was concerned, a major disappointment. When I first heard the rumors about the possible death of Catherine Chandler, I couldn't believe it. I wrote to Ron Koslow, creator of the show. I hoped with all my might that the rumors were wrong. Anyway, when I finally saw the third season premiere, I was disgusted. The cliffhanger ending for the second season was totally unnecessary; Vincent's rescue from the cave took only about five minutes. The consummation of Vincent and Catherine's relationship was a real cop-out, because both characters were totally unaware of what was going on. Then to find that the writers were playing games with Vincent's and Catherine's bond, making it impossible for her to be found in time, and for her to suffer such a contrived and pointless death, it felt betrayed. Everything changed so much, and not for the better, with Catherine's death. The atmosphere of hope and possibility (one of the big reasons I watched the show) changed to a sense of pervasive evil and suspicion. Probably the body count was similar for the first and third seasons, but the atmosphere was what made the difference; at least for me. I seriously considered giving up watching the show, but continued with it because I wanted to know what happened to Catherine's child and because I hoped the show would somehow get better. It didn't.
Unlike the first two seasons, the third season emphasized plot over characters and relationships. What new characters there were (Gabriel, Diana) were there to serve the needs of the plot rather than to be forces within it. No backgrounds were detailed for either of these characters, and the actors playing them were only competent — unable to define their characters or enlarge on them. All of this made me regard the third season shows as invalid somehow, unreal.
[...]
As I look on things now, the third season was an interesting experiment, but also, for me at least, a failure. Tm not sure that another actress playing Catherine would have helped, but I feel that it would have been a more positive action than killing the character off. If the show ever does return, in whatever form, I hope the writers will start over and reinstate Catherine. After all, without her they'll have to change the title.
I saw the first four hours of the "new and improved" B&TB, and I realized that for me not only was Catherine gone, and with her the dream, but also the special magic of the tunnels was being degraded. The wonderful concept of a secret place where the soul could go for healing was being destroyed; in the "new" show, there was nothing to choose between Above and Below, and I realized I didn't want to visit either of them any more.
I saw parts of the other episodes, enough to convince me that the process of destruction was escalating rather than diminishing. The whole thing looked like it had been put together by a committee that wasn't in agreement as to what it wanted to do.
When the show was canceled, all I could feel was a rather numb sense of relief; it hurt, because so many people had worked so hard to revive a dream. And yet, for me at least, the dream had been slaughtered on December 12.
From my first exposure to the "new format," I wrote to everyone I thought might listen, saying, "Hey, I think you guys made a mistake, but it's not too late to get back on track." Obviously they didn't agree, or had no way of changing horses (yet again) in mid-season. Nonetheless, I felt they deserved to receive as many different points of view as possible, in case they got yet another chance to continue the story, so I continued to write, not only to the production staff but to fandom's so-called "national" publications.
Silly me, I thought this was a free country where I had aright to express an opinion without being labeled an "ex-fan, lunatic fringe, hate-mail writer, bad odor," etc, by those same self-styled "national spokespersons." Obviously they feel it is their exclusive right to inform the writers, producers, networks and studio what the millions of fans really and truly want!
Despite all accusations to the contrary, I still consider myself a loyal fan of B&TB; and as such I will continue to point out that you cannot have a successful show of that title unless you have both characters in evidence. Macmillan & Wife didn't last long when they got rid of Wife; Scarecrow would be ludicrous without Mrs. King, as would Starsky without Hutch.