You've never seen daleks like these before...

That's right - We're pimping Daleks. Well, not just us; you too.

Think you have what it takes to be creator of the Daleks? We're offering you the chance to make your own Dalek.

Be it a completely black one, a completely red one, or even a multicoloured one. With a scarf. And a sock on its head. It's completely up to you.

Some of the Daleks we in-store have done include a re-imagined 'Davros', a flower-power Dalek with ladybugs for its lights, a two-face Dalek (who fully backs Harvey Dent) and an easter egg Dalek.

The rules are simple -

- Buy a damaged 12" Dalek from us in store,

- Take it home, and do with it what you want. You can just give it a new paint-job, or cut it to shreds and make it look like a Sontaran (no, really, we would LOVE to see that!). Do with it waht ever you want.

- Bring it back to us here, and we'll put it on dispaly for the world to see. When you bring it back in, we'll give you a 10% discount voucher to use in store.

- All the Daleks have to be with us here in store by Friday 29th August, when we will choose an overall winner. That winner will get themselves a Dalek Voice Changer Helmet, AND a Dalek Sec Voice Changer Helmet! Runner ups will recieve Sci-Fi collector Die Casts.

- After the winner has been announced, you will be able to collect your Dalek and take him home.

And it's as simple as that! We can't wait to see some of the designs!

Head over to our facebook page, where you can find the official event page for Pimp My Dalek, we'll be updatijng it with images of all the Daleks as they come in - so you can keep an eye on the competition!

Hope to see you in store soon, and get designing that winning Dalek!

Will

Oh, by the way, I'm not kidding. If someone wants to make a Dalek that looks like a Sontaran, that would be VERY cool...

Latest Signing Update!

Saturday saw the appearance in store of Kai Owen (Torchwood’s Rhys), Hattie Hayridge (Red Dwarf’s Holly) and Ian Fairbairn (Who reads H P Lovecraft CDs). It was great to have the trio in store for the afternoon, and everyone seemed genuinely excited to meet them.



It wasn’t until my other half pointed it out to me that we’d credited Kai wrong on our posters for the event, technically he isn’t ‘Gwen’s boyfriend in Torchwood’ but rather her husband. While every member of staff watches the show, I’m not sure how we over-looked that!

No details yet of our next signing, but sign up to our mailing list over at www.thetelevisionandmoviestore.co.uk or keep checking here on the blog for updates.

Also just to let you know, we now have our own facebook group. You know, because we’re all twenty-first century. Check us out on there and add yourself as a member!

Until next time;

Will

Special Signing and Figures..

Following the success of our previous signings, Tom Baker, Nick Courtney, Sophie Aldred to name just a few, we’re pleased to announce our next event!

Kai Owen better known as Rhys, Gwen’s boyfriend in Torchwood, Hattie Hayridge the second ‘Holly’ from Red Dwarf and Ian Fairbairn who has appeared in a number of Doctor Who episodes, and more recently has read a number of H P Lovecraft novels on CD will all be in-store on the 28th June from 1PM!



As usual, we will be having a £10 minimum spend, and for Ian’s autograph, you will need to purchase his latest CD.

We’re pleased to welcome the three of them to the store, and hope that it’s going to be another great event!

While I have control of the blog and notice that they haven’t been posted yet, I’ll give you pictures of the new torchwood figures – due out in August! We’re probably the only place in the city that will have them, so pop in and pre-order the ones you want now!



The four figures are all in-scale with the Character Options toys, so they can have adventures with the Doctor, Donna, or even a slitheen!

Hope to see you at the signing!

Will

Nicola Bryant Signing

Saturday saw the lovely Nicola Bryant visit the Television and Movie Store in Norwich. Nicola is probably best known for her role as Peri (Perpugilliam) Brown, companion to both the 5th (Davison) and 6th (Baker) Doctors, witnessing his regeneration.

As with all of our guests from Doctor Who, we continue to be surprised at just how nice these people are! Nicola was full of excellent tales of her time in the TARDIS, informing us of the wide and varied things she's doing now, and (of course) took the time to sign merchandise for all of the fans who came down on the day.

Of course, some of us took the opportunity to pose for a photo - though I tried by best not to look like a scary stalker...

...didn't work, did it?

Our next event sees the busy half-term holiday off in style this Saturday with another of our popular swap-days, where you can come and swap your Battles in Time, MicroUniverse and even Panini Stickers.

Half Term has certainly brought people into the store in the masses, and the most popular items at the moment are the ever popular Ben 10, and the new Indiana Jones figures (we only have a couple left!) Must mean the film is good (I haven't seen it yet, so can't comment!)

Nicola Bryant! (And more...)

Hey all, Will here to update you on the latest goings-on at the Television and Movie Store!


We've had lots of new products arriving over the last few weeks, including the much anticipated Voyage of the Damned set from Character Options. Featuring a 5" Doctor, A mini Astrid Peth (Or just plain Kylie, if you're a fan!) and two Host. The set also inludes two of the Host's halos, a sonic screwdriver for the Doctor to hold and a Titanic lifebelt!

(Image from Doctorwhotoys.net)

We've also just received the latest voice changer mask from Character. A half-Dalek head, three modes give Dalek speech, Dalek gun sound or converts your voice to sound like one of Skaro’s finest!

Another exciting arival is the new ‘Starships and Spacestations’ book from BBC Books. Following in the same vein as the monster guides from the last three years, this book looks in-depth at spaceships from both new and classic Doctor Who. The book crams an awful lot of detail in, and is a must for fans of the show!

On the subject of books, we’ve just received the new Heroes book – Saving Charlie! The book follows the exploits of Hiro, who must use his ability to stop time to save Charlie, the girl he loves, from being brutally murdered. It takes place during the time in Series 1, when Hiro leaps back in time six months to stop Charlie from being killed by Sylar.

We've currently got a wide range of Spongebob Squarepants items in stock. Beanie Babies, Glasses Cases and Mugs! We’ve also got a large range of childrens' activity books in, ranging from Bob the Builder to Lazy Town and Barbie! Also just in time for the release of Marvel’s two summer blockbusters – Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk – we’ve got colouring books in for both films! Don’t forget our selection of BEN 10 products – including action figures, towels and alarm clocks!

NICOLA BRYANT

After the recent signings of Sophie Aldred and Sylvester McCoy, we’re very pleased to welcome Nicola Bryant to our store on May 24th! Nicola played the part of Peri Brown opposite the Fifth and Sixth Doctors in Doctor Who.

Nicola should be with us from about half past 10, and staying until the early afternoon, and will be signing DVDs, prints and books.As usual, there will be a minimum spend of £10 to have something signed.

The following Week, on 31st May, we will be holding our third Trading Day! The last two have been a fantastic success, with people coming from all over to swap Micro Universe and Battles in Time! This time around, maybe people will have the new Torchwood Trading Cards? Or the latest range of Panini Stickers? Come along between 2-4, bring your swaps, and find out!

Sylvester McCoy!

Saturday saw the seventh Doctor, Sylvester McCoy, visit for the day at the store. Facing more eager fans than he's faced Daleks, Sylvester signed for most of the day and entertained the crowds.
Sylvester was joined by not one, but THREE Daleks trundling around outside the store, and a cyberman. Luckily, UNIT was on hand to keep the crowds safe. Sylvester took the opportunity to sign the head of one of his enemies, an Imperial Dalek.

A good time was had by all, and we managed to get home in time for "Fires of Pompeii", the latest episode in Series 4. A darn good story we thought, with Catherine Tate improving dramatically from a rather shouty first half to a particularly moving final few scenes. Can't wait for "Planet of the Ood", but once again it's going to be a rush getting home in time for that ridiculously early start time!

Hopefully, we'll be able to announce another signing soon, but let's just say that the gears are turning to get another great celebrity in for a signing at the store.

Series 4, Sylvester McCoy and More Coolness...

Well, Series 4 of Doctor Who is nearly upon us, just a couple of days to wait now. Of course, we'll be manning the store until the last minute so we'll have to watch it later on Saturday night on our videos, relaxing with a nice cup of tea. Just watch the trailer and tell us you're not excited!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pkgVNbg4Zo

While we're waiting, Saturday will also host another of our Trading Days, when you can come along and swap your Battles in Time cards or Micro Universe figures. It'll be running between 2-4pm this Saturday the 5th April.

The following Saturday, as if all this excitement isn't enough, we've managed to rebook Sylvester McCoy (the 7th Doctor) for a signing. He'll be here from 10.30am, signing merchandise from the store.

Besides that, we've just had the three new Doctor Who novels arrive:

Martha in the Mirror
by Justin Richards

Castle Extremis – whoever holds it can control the provinces either side that have been at war for centuries. Now the castle is about to play host to the signing of a peace treaty. But as the Doctor and Martha find out, not everyone wants the war to end.

Who is the strange little girl who haunts the castle? What is the secret of the book the Doctor finds, its pages made from thin, brittle glass? Who is the hooded figure that watches from the shadows? And what is the secret of the legendary Mortal Mirror?

The Doctor and Martha don’t have long to find the answers – an army is on the march, and the castle will soon be under siege once more...

Snowglobe 7
by Mike Tucker

Earth, 2099. Global warming is devastating the climate. The polar ice caps are melting.

In a desperate attempt at preservation the Governments of the world have removed vast sections of the Arctic and Antarctic and set them inside huge domes across the world. The Doctor and Martha arrive in Snowglobe 7 in the Middle East, hoping for peace and relaxation. But they soon discover that it’s not only ice and snow that has been preserved beneath the Dome.

While Martha struggles to help with an infection sweeping through the holidaymakers the Doctor discovers an alien threat that has lain hidden since the last ice age. A threat that is starting to thaw.

The Many Hands
by Dale Smith

Edinburgh, 1759.

The Nor' Loch is being filled in. If you ask the soldiers there, they'll tell you it's a stinking cesspool that the city can do without. But that doesn't explain why the workers won't go near the place without an armed guard.

That doesn't explain why they whisper stories about the loch giving up its dead, about the minister who walked into his church twelve years after he died…

It doesn’t explain why, as they work, they whisper about a man called the Doctor. And about the many hands of Alexander Monro.

---

Sound great, don't they?

More news as it happens about new stock, the Torchwood license, and other cool events at the store. Enjoy "Partners in Crime!"

Toby Hadoke

Toby Hadoke will be signing at our store - Thursday 28th Feb 2008 from 4pm. Toby is performing his hit one man show "Moths Ate my Doctor Who Scarf" at the Norwich Arts Centre on Thursday night, and we've managed to persuade him to come into our store beforehand to sign copies of his CD - the BBC7 adaptation of the show. Feel free to pop in and chat to him about all things Doctor Who and stand up comedy.

"Moths" is an award winning show, a comedy autobiography, charting his childhood geekdom and affection for Doctor Who, through to introducing his kids to the phenomena with the 2005 relaunch. It's great stuff (I especially liked the "BBC Announcer" doing his "This week, the Deadly Assassin... I mean, is there any other kind of assassin?" bit. I'm paraphrasing, but you get the idea), and will ring true to many a sad geek like me. Heck, I grew up when Star Wars had just come out (yes, I saw it when it was first released, I'm that old), and started playing D&D when that was first released too.

Maybe I should write a Geek-Autobiography myself? There don't seem to be many around. There are a few good ones... "Dalek I loved you" by Nick Griffiths is cool too (out in paperback in April), "The Elfish Gene" by Mark Barrowcliffe is another classic, but probably only cool to the D&Ders out there. And, of course, "Just a Geek" by Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher from Star Trek TNG).

All good reading!

Pop into the shop and chat to Toby Hadoke on Thursday and feel free to talk to us about all things cool and slightly geeky!

Micro Universe Trading Day

First of all, many thanks to all who attended our first go at a "Trading Day" for Micro Universe Doctor Who figures. After a quiet start, the game playing soon kicked into gear with much pondering over whether a "Spacesuit Doctor" (only found in the Santuary Rocket) is worth swapping for the "Master". Personally, I don't think so...

I brought in my custom "Rose" Micro Universe figure, but I don't think I'd be willing to swap that for anything. Basically, I carved a Martha figure up a bit, rebuilt her hair, made her jacket into a hoodie and repainted her. It's a good job the Micro Universe figures don't have faces, cause I'd have probably ruined it by trying. I'm in the midsts of customising another of my many spare Martha's into a Donna in wedding dress, which has involved a lot of Milliput sculpting. Not sure how well it's turning out yet, but I'll keep at it.

Other than that, nothing too huge to report. We've had some amazing Thunderbird replica models come in...

They come in cool display cabinets and everything. We have TB1 and TB3 (£395.00 each or £750.00 for the two), they're pricey and for the serious collector, but when you see them you'll instantly see why they're so expensive - they're very, VERY nice, and come with a certificate signed by Gerry Anderson himself.

At the other end of the spectrum, we've just had the Doctor Who busts come in.

The box packaging doesn't really do them justice, and when you see them "in the flesh" so to speak you'll be impressed. Not only that, but we're selling them for £14.99, rather than the £39.99 they originally were. Would look nice on the top of my TV, if it wasn't being hogged by my Master Chief Halo 3 helmet...

DFC

Sylvester McCoy and Micro Universe

Well, yesterday was one of disappointment as Sylvester McCoy had to pull out of our signing event at the last minute. One thing that surprised us pleasantly was the reaction of most of the people who turned up - sure, all were disappointed, but in the true spirit of the dedicated Who fan, the first question wasn't "Why didn't you tell us earlier?" or anything like that (we didn't find out until the morning of the signing). No, the first question we got back from almost everyone when we announced he wouldn't be coming was "Is he alright?"

It was just nice that despite travelling to come and see him, their first concern is not for themselves or for their journeys, but for the wellbeing of their Doctor.

In answer to the question, as far as we know he's okay. Sophie Aldred, who played his companion Ace, signed for us the week before and mentioned an injury and recovering from his critically acclaimed run on King Lear with Sir Ian McKellen.

Next Saturday, we'll be hosting our first "Swap Meet" for Micro Universe figures. Before you ask, we know that all of the figures are not yet available (so if anyone turns up with an elusive Sycorax, Ood, Pig Slave or Empty Child, they're likely to be besieged with swap offers), but this is a good opportunity to swap the spares you have for any duplicates you may have.

I don't know if I have any spares anyone would want (though I have more Clockwork Men than I know what to do with), as I've started customising them. If they're successful, I'll post pictures here and on Outpost Gallifrey (that was), but I've already started repainting and resculpting Martha to make a Rose figure, and repainting a couple of spare Mickey's to make Pete Tyler and Jake - I may make some more generic Preachers to have a little army of them to fight the Cybermen!

So, if anyone wants to come along to our swap meet, it's Saturday 16th, between 2-4pm. We're hoping to have some cool displays, and we've recently discovered that the mini Die Cast TARDIS produced by SciFiCollector is just about the right size for the figures... Me thinks a purchase is coming on!

Welcome

Welcome to the Blog of the Television and Movie Store here in Norwich. We're based where the old BBC shop used to be opposite the Forum, and have become the place to be for all things related to Doctor Who and cool cult TV and movies. The pic above is from just one of our many signings with the incredibly nice people from Doctor Who. (In this case, this is a couple of our staff with Nicholas Courtney, who played Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, at a signing in our store in January.)

What's the purpose of the blog? Well, we just thought it'd be a cool way to display photos from the signings, rave about the cool stuff we have in the shop, and gossip about all things TV and movie... like who's back in Series 4, or whether Farscape was better than Babylon 5... stuff like that.

We'll post again soon, as we have the 7th Doctor, Sylvester McCoy signing at our store tomorrow (9th Feb 2008), so we'll take loads of photos and let you know how it all goes.