It is with deep sadness that we must unfortunately announce that Sarah Sutton will not be able to be here at Gallifrey One: Blackjack 21. Just this evening, we received word that Sarah has unfortunately had to cancel her trip due to a medical emergency in her immediate family. Sarah was looking forward to the trip immensely, and we are very sad she will have to miss it. All of us at Gallifrey One send Sarah Sutton and her family our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
Although this is a last-minute change, we are working behind the scenes on every available option. We do apologize to everyone for the inconvenience, but we do hope that all our attendees understand. We hope that Sarah will instead be able to join us for a future convention. In the meanwhile, we are going "full speed ahead" on this year's Gallifrey One convention with a still-hefty lineup of guests including Katy Manning, Louise Page, Georgia Moffett, Tommy Knight, Graeme Harper, Anneke Wills, Frazer Hines, Deborah Watling, Andrew Hayden-Smith, Nicholas Briggs, Bob Baker, John Levene, Phil Ford, Colin Teague, Alice Troughton, and so many others! We look forward to seeing you starting this Friday!
``xEkyZpZEylpGlyvwPFv``x1267082480``x(default)``x``x``x Tweeting Gallifrey One``xjslyon``xKeep up with all the fun at Gallifrey One live on Twitter! Just search for the hashtag #Gally... Or, you can click here and enter #Gally on the search line. We have a ton of people who will be bringing lives updates over the #Gally hashtag, and of course our convention's Twitter feed, all weekend!
``xEkyZpkuVAutpqNMqBM``x1267035394``x(default)``x``x``x At-The-Door Registration``xjslyon``xThis is a reminder that Gallifrey One will not be selling out and we have every intention to accommodate everyone arriving for the convention who has not yet registered! We have tons of space and plenty of programming for everyone! If you're planning on showing up Friday for the whole weekend, or simply for a one-day visit any of our three days, please don't be concerned: you will have no issue purchasing a daily or weekend pass and taking part in all the fun! If you have any last minute questions or concerns, feel free to email us.
Incidentally, starting this Saturday afternoon, you'll also be able to pre-register for another event... just so you know we've already started planning for another day... another year... another adventure...
One of the things we've not publicized as much this year but is still very much underway is our Children's Programming track at Gallifrey One, something intended to be an event for the entire family to enjoy. For the second year in a row, we are including a specific tract of programming put together by a credentialed elementary school teacher and designed with children in mind. Potty-trained children ages 3 to 12 can participate throughout the weekend in a wide range of entertainments in our Children's Programming Hall in the hotel tower. In this room there will be activity areas for art, reading, and play. Children are encourage to join in by coming dressed as a favorite, book, film or television character. Parents, if they wish, are encouraged to participate in this Children's Programming along with their kids as a whole family activity. Last year's Children's Programming track featured crafts, games and fun that many of our parents applauded, and we can't wait to bring it to you again! For more details, stop by the Member Services desk right next to Convention Registration.
``xEkyyAZFyEptdugmKjc``x1266984410``x(default)``x``x``x Weather at Gallifrey 2010``xjslyon``xHere's the weather report for the convention week: There's rain in the forecast, which shouldn't surprise anyone who's been to a Gallifrey One event (we usually tease some of our British guests that they bring it with them!) Light showers on Wednesday, rain on Saturday, but sunny or cloudy otherwise with highs in the mid-60s. Less than what we were hoping for (up until this weekend it had been in the 80s for two weeks) but still a glorious escape for those coming in from far colder climates for the weekend, and of course rain during the day we'll be indoors! We'll see you at the convention!
``xEkyylVVkZAMwtkZYFv``x1266866079``x(default)``x``x``x One Week (or so) And Counting...``xjslyon``xIt's now only a week until the vast majority of attendees and guests arrive in the hotel, and a week and a day until the festivities begin for Gallifrey One: Blackjack 21!
Remember, if you don't have a membership yet to the convention, not to worry: you can buy at the door! Full weekend registration is $75 (daily rates are also available). Registration reopens Friday morning February 26 at 10am and runs throughout the weekend (Friday 10am-8pm, Saturday 9am-7pm, Sunday 9am-2pm). Gallifrey One takes VISA, Mastercard, personal check or cash at the door.
Hotel rooms are in fact still available! Our special thanks to the Los Angeles Airport Marriott for nearly doubling our hotel room block this year, so as of this evening you can still get hotel rooms for the low rate of only $114/night. Our program both Friday and Saturday night runs extremely late, and of course Gallifrey One is known for its extremely lively evening fun in the lobby and bar!
Parking rates can be found three entries below. Be sure to follow the instructions to make sure you pay the lower-than-normal rates for parking at the Marriott.
We're looking forward to seeing everyone at this year's convention! If you have any last minute questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to email us. Thanks!
``xEkyyuyZyFVpjayNdSa``x1266478435``x(default)``x``x``x Pre-Registration Closed; Registration To Re-Open On Site``xjslyon``xPre-Registration for Gallifrey One: Blackjack 21 is now CLOSED. On-site registration for this year's convention will open to the public on Friday morning, February 26, 2010 at 10:00am at Convention Registration on the lower floor of Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel. You can purchase full-weekend or daily registrations at the door; we have plenty of space left so don't worry!
We would like to thank everyone who pre-registered for this year's convention... we are delighted to say that we are going into this year's event with nearly 1,100 pre-registered members, far more than ever before. We hope to present a terrific weekend to all.
``xEkyVlAAVFlkFoGvcTl``x1265910338``x(default)``x``x``x Friday Photo Op & Tenth Planet Photo Studio``xjslyon``xIn only a few short weeks, Gallifrey One will start, and this year we're giving fans the best of both worlds when it comes to convention memories: the opportunity for both free photo ops with guests as well as collectors' keepsake photos that can be autographed, courtesy our friends at Tenth Planet Events. Read on for more information...
``xEkyVlEAlpuTohctslp``x1265830604``x(default)``x``x``xWe've been hard at work finalizing our plans for this year's photo opportunities at Gallifrey 2010, with not just one but two photo studio events to select from this year:
The Tenth Planet Photo Studio
A brand new event will make its debut at this year's convention: we are pleased to introduce the new Tenth Planet Events Photo Studio, a professional photo op event that is completely optional to our attendees.
Many conventions have had professional photography done over the years. Our friends at Tenth Planet -- long time supporters of our convention, and sponsors of four guests at this year's event -- have offered us a different route we're trying this year: a memorable keepsake of the convention experience between fans and a single guest at a time. On Saturday and Sunday, fans will be able to have a professional photo taken with our guests (one at a time); currently participating are Sarah Sutton, Katy Manning, Debbie Watling, Frazer Hines, Georgia Moffett, Andrew Hayden-Smith, John Levene, Anneke Wills, Nicholas Briggs, John Pickard and Tommy Knight. The photography studio in attendance is Froggy's Photos, long time souvenir photo producers for a variety of conventions in the US and United Kingdom (including Wizard World, DragonCon, Hurricane Who, MegaCon and others). Froggy's Photos will be setting up in the Meridian Ballroom next to the Autographs Hall.
For a fee of $20 per session, these photographers will take your picture, and turn it into a professional quality 8x10 portrait available a short time later in the day, which can then be taken to guests to have autographed. Please note that the fee is charged by Froggy's Photos and Tenth Planet events to pay for the photograph and the expense of the photographer. (Gallifrey One is not taking any cut of this.) A photograph of yourself with many guests available to have autographed the rest of the weekend can be a great and memorable souvenir from the convention, and we hope you enjoy this new opportunity at this year's convention! Our special thanks to Derek Hambly and Paul Jones for setting all of this up as a bonus event fans can enjoy.
Gallifrey One's Friday Photo Op
Of course, some fans may not wish to take advantage of the Tenth Planet photo sessions, and that's fine. In order to continue the time-honored tradition of free photo opportunities at Gallifrey One, we are happy to announce the Friday Photo Op in the TARDIS Photo Plaza room (aka the Philadelphia room on our map). Select guests will participate early Friday afternoon (at 1pm) in a limited-group photo opportunity in front of the second display TARDIS in this hall (with the kind permission of its owner, Tara Wheeler); fans can line up into that hall and down the hallway toward Registration to participate.
There is one big change from previous years, though: this is a short session and must be done in a timely manner, so in order to keep the lines moving we are only using the Gallifrey One camera and not individual personal cameras from attendees. These photos will then be uploaded immediately to the convention website photo archive (which, due to our new site architecture, allows us to upload on the fly; we're going to try to get them up to the website as early as that Friday night if possible!) We hope you understand that this is merely to keep things going swiftly, as our guests have additional convention responsibilities that day. And just to reiterate: the Friday Photo Op is completely free.
So there you have it... wonderful collectable photos with individual guests for a nominal fee, or free photo opportunities on Friday afternoon -- a great new photograph event and the time-honored Gallifrey One photo tradition, both at this year's convention. We hope you enjoy.
Gallifrey One: Hotel Update and Parking Information``xjslyon``xGallifrey 2010 is only a few short weeks away, and we wanted to share two important details about our facility, the Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel.
The Marriott recently extended our room block for one final time, meaning that there are still a couple of hotel rooms available at the Gallifrey One rate (for the low, low price of only $114 per night!) If you haven't yet decided on whether to stay at the hotel, we encourage you to do so, as our evening events can run well past midnight and the bar/social scene upstairs can go far later! As of today (February 6) you may still be able to grab the $114 rate, but when these last few rooms are gone, they're gone. At that point, don't worry: the Marriott still has rooms, just not at our rate; instead, you'll have to reserve at the higher regular hotel rate. So get them while they're still available; we expect these last few discounted rooms to be gone in the next couple of days!
Meanwhile, Gallifrey One would like to announce the 2010 parking rate information at the Marriott. Parking is only $10 per day for convention guests for self-parking (or $23 per day for valet parking.) In order to get this discounted rate (at the airport, regular daily rates are much higher!), you must tell the parking attendant (or valet attendant) that you are with Gallifrey One UPON ARRIVAL. Daily attendees can then pay this discounted rate when entering the parking lot; make sure you keep your receipt when you leave so you don't have to pay again. Overnight attendees can pay the parking rate on your hotel bill. Again, we emphasize that you should tell the Marriott you are with Gallifrey One when you arrive. If you have any issues with parking, stop by the Member Services desk (right next to Registration) so we can assist you further. As a note, if you don't tell the hotel upon arrival that you're with Gallifrey One, and instead simply pull a parking ticket, bring the ticket to the Registration desk for a parking sticker.
We look forward to seeing you at Gallifrey 2010!
``xEkyVulkpyFVrrQeaZD``x1265492863``x(default)``x``x``x Registration, Schedule Update``xjslyon``xDiscount pre-registration rates for Gallifrey One: Blackjack 21 are now over... however, you can still pre-register for the convention until February 10, 2010, for the at-the-door price of $75 for the weekend. Pre-registration allows you easy check-in (including limited Thursday evening pre-registration badge pickup) as well as your name listed as a pre-registrant in the program book. Advance registration will close after February 10 and will reopen for new registration on Friday morning, February 26 at 10:00am at the convention.
We have updated the Membership List with all registrants up to today. We're very excited for a successful year, going in with our largest pre-registration ever... nearly 1,000 paid full weekend pre-registered members!
The Convention Schedule has been updated today. The schedule page now includes a map of the convention space (since we've moved a lot of things around this year), as well as the Fan Video schedule for Saturday, February 27; the Autographs tentative schedule as it currently exists; the updated Kaffeeklatsch schedule for Saturday and Sunday; and additional Cosplay Programming including costuming meet-ups as well as scheduled photo events in the TARDIS Photo Plaza (a continuation of the fun from last year!) This should give our attendees a better view of everything happening during the weekend at Gallifrey 2010.
Three and a half weeks and counting! We look forward to seeing you at Gallifrey One: Blackjack 21 starting February 26!
``xEkyuAAZVppKXIFfbFU``x1265008300``x(default)``x``x``x New at Gallifrey 2010: The Kasterborous Kaffeeklatsches``xjslyon``xGallifrey One will be bringing a new feature to our convention starting with this year's event: the Kasterborous Kaffeeklatsches. These small, informal gatherings are modeled after similar events at other conventions: a chance to have more face time with selected guests in a much more intimate setting, over a cup of coffee or hot tea. Click on the link below for more information…
``xEkyuAZllEFzFyaArYx``x1264989613``x(default)``x``x``xThe Gallifrey One Kasterborous Kaffeeklatsches will involve one or two guests as well as a small group -- approximately 10-12 attendees (exact number determined by the convention) -- in one of our programming rooms; no one else other than those assigned to it will be permitted. It will give fans an opportunity to ask more detailed questions, but away from the spotlight in a more personal environment. There is no additional charge for any of the kaffeeklatsch events.
The Kaffeeklatsches will take place on Saturday and Sunday, and signups will take place at Gallifrey 2010 on Friday, February 26 at a time to be announced. As these are additional events that add value to the convention weekend, we have elected to offer early signup to attendees with full weekend memberships; our guests will still appear on panels and in autograph sessions as scheduled on our program.
In order to allow the maximum amount of attendees to enjoy this part of the weekend, you are welcome to sign up for one kaffeeklatsch only... and, very importantly, you may sign yourself up only. (Sorry, we will not allow people to sign up others; every participant must sign their own name, as it is not fair to those waiting in line to have multiple slots taken by a single person.) We will then post the lists of attendees to each kaffeeklatsch on Saturday morning; if there are additional spots, Saturday (or Sunday) attendees can then sign up to fill as needed. (Priority will be given, however, to people who are not attending other kaffeeklatsch events; again, we want to be fair to everyone.) So we encourage you to select your kaffeeklatsch guest(s) carefully.
At the event itself, fans participating have the opportunity to discuss the work of the guest(s) in a more informal setting. However, we ask that all attendees keep in mind that, while this is a personal audience with the guest, it is not an invitation to ask obtrusive personal questions, demand information the guest is unwilling or unable to give, or otherwise be a nuisance. We will ensure the privacy of our guests at all times.
Please refer to our program schedule to see which guests will be attending the kaffeeklatsches; note that this list (like the rest of the schedule) may change substantially before the convention begins. We hope you'll enjoy this new event at Gallifrey One!
New at Gallifrey 2010: Flyaway Autographs``xjslyon``xGallifrey One is happy to announce a major change to one of the most popular parts of our annual conventions: the autograph queue. We’re calling our new process “Flyaway” Autographs, and we hope will make a huge impact on our attendees in one important way: the end of the long autograph lines! Read on by clicking the link below...
``xEkyuZkEEApVwGULqId``x1264731990``x(default)``x``x``xThe autograph process at Gallifrey One has always been very popular, but also a great source of consternation from our attendees for one important reason: the LINES. Long lines not only prevent some people from getting autographs, but also force many of our attendees to wait for extended periods, missing some of our most popular panels and events. No longer.
We are happy to announce the Gallifrey One Flyaway Autographs system. This new process will allow attendees to get all the autographs they want and have even more fun by skipping the line-up process entirely. It will have absolutely NO impact on the autograph process itself, merely change entirely the lead-up to the autograph session. In essence, you are taking a number to reserve your place in line.
For the best example of the way we are envisioning it to work (not to mention, the reason for the name Flyaway), think of many modern airlines. Most airlines seat by group number, starting with Group 1 at the far back of the plane, then Group 2, Group 3, and so on. If you're there and available when your group is called, you go in. If you miss your group being called, you can still go in with everyone loading provided that your number is lower.
Flyaway Autographs will work exactly the same way. At a time prior to the autograph session (to be announced before the convention, and heavily promoted at-con), you will be able to take a number for that session. This is the number of your group, starting with Group 1, a group that (like every group) will be limited in size. You can then go off and enjoy the rest of the convention, take in panels, eat and drink, visit your hotel room, and so on, and not have to wait in line. Then, you simply show up at the autographs area at the announced time of the session. Groups will be called in numerical order, and those present will enter as their group is called. You have now entered the autograph session in exactly the same way as you always have... we have simply held your place in line for you so you don’t need to waste your day standing in the line.
Say you're in Group 1, but you're running late, so that by the time you arrive, Group 3 has just been called. No matter; like on airplane loading calls, if a group number lower than yours has been called already, you can enter when you arrive. We’ve simply held your place at the front of the line until you’ve arrived; people after you who have already gone in have already had one less person in front of them to wait for. Everybody wins!
So what prevents everyone from waiting until the very end of the session before showing up? There is an important caveat to the whole process, which is that there will be a closing time for the session (everyone inside will get their autographs and nobody else will be allowed in), much like when an airplane stops boarding and closes the doors. We may or may not announce this final closing time for each session... so it’s imperative you show up. Remember: we’ve taken the lines away and given you your time back to enjoy the convention, but you, our attendee, need to be part of the process and show up when the session begins!
On the rare occasion we need to end an autograph session before everyone already admitted to the session has had a chance to go through the queue on Friday or Saturday, these people will receive a "Group 0" ticket for the following day for any autograph session of their choice. Group 0 tickets will (like “first class” and “priority seating” folks on airlines) be called before other groups, allowing people who have missed out to be first the next day.
What if you didn’t show up early in the day to get a group number for the session at all? No problem – at the START of each autograph session you will be able to get the next ticket in sequence (with a group number) available for that session. And you still won’t have to wait in line; grab your ticket, then wait until your group’s been called. Please note, though, that tickets for that session will ONLY be available for a short time at the start of each session.
And what about people who would like to make a second trip through? Finish your autograph session, and get a new group number... provided that tickets are still available. But be warned: you’ll need to be diligent about this; if you’re not one of the lower group ticket holders (i.e. you haven’t pulled a ticket in the morning) it may not be possible for you to go through a second time.
Unlike many other conventions which use numerical queuing and ticketed autograph systems, we will not be restricting our attendees to different times for different people, announcing autograph groups during major panels, and so forth. We have utilized this system with the intention that it will not impact the autograph sessions themselves, ONLY the line-up process. The autograph session will start at the same announced time for everyone, and you'll simply need to wait until your group is called to enter the session.
What we are hoping to achieve with this system is simple: to get rid of pesky long lines and allow our autograph-seekers to see the convention again! And remember: for non-sponsored guests, autographs are free, and are limited to two items signed per trip through the line. (Those who want more can come back at another day's session, or see if there are any additional tickets left.) Many guests will have items for sale, including photos they can personalize, while you are always welcome to have two items of your choice autographed during the session.
We hope that this will make Gallifrey One: Blackjack 21 attendees excited and add even more fun to your convention experience. Should you have any questions, feel free to drop us a line at our convention email box.
And by the way... EVERYONE registering for the convention will receive a short, easy-to-understand guide to the new autograph procedure, including a handy schedule of autograph sessions, when picking up their badge.
Keeping Up with Gallifrey One``xjslyon``xWant to keep in touch even more? While Gallifrey One continues to post updates on our Facebook page, the Gallifrey Base Forum and our own Twitter feed, we'd like to note that cyberspace is full of comments and excitement in anticipation of the forthcoming Gallifrey 2010 convention. Check out the Twitter "hashtag" both attendees and prospective members have been using for a while: #gally (click the link, then enter #gally in the search window!) Also, the folks at the dw_cosplay Livejournal group have been adding to the fun with preparations for all the costuming you'll see at the convention. Know of any others? Let us know!
``xEkyuyEkpZFppySjyxu``x1264622873``x(default)``x``x``x New Developments; $70 Pre-Registration Final Days``xjslyon``xAs a reminder, our $70 pre-registration rate is only good for a few more days... get yours until Sunday night, January 31! After that, full weekend pre-registration will be available for $75 (the at-the-door rate) for a limited time only (closing in early February, reopening Friday morning February 26 at the event). Pre-Register today - remember, every pre-registrant is noted in the convention program book!
Gallifrey One would also like to announce our Daily Rates for our 2010 convention: $35 Friday, $40 Saturday, $35 Sunday. Daily registration is only available at the door (Gallifrey One does not take pre-registration for anything but full weekend) during business hours (10am-7pm Friday, 9am-6pm Saturday, 9am-2pm Sunady). Our daily rates are structured so that two consecutive days cost the same as a full-weekend rate... incentive to get a full weekend badge and enjoy unfettered access to the convention.
A few Programming Updates as well. Some new things you can look forward to: over four hours of never-before-seen episodes of the new K9 TV series screened by its producers, on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. We will also be hosting an exclusive authorized preview screening of "The Seven Year Hitch," a brand-new documentary about the years following the classic series cancellation from 2Entertain that will be on a forthcoming Doctor Who DVD release later this year, in our late-night Friday timeslot (11:30pm) as well as on Sunday morning for early birds. Telos Publishing will host a reading session featuring Frazer Hines reading from his autobiography "Hines Sight" and author Sam Stone reading from her latest novel on Friday night at 9pm. Tony Lee screens his never-before-seen short film "The Shoot" on Saturday at 6pm. Cubicle 7 will be in our dealers room to promote their new Doctor Who: The Role Playing Game, along with a gaming table with demo gaming all weekend. And finally... we'll have some special guests throughout the course of the weekend from the science fiction genre, autographing at a few tables outside our main ballroom.
Stay tuned over the next few weeks for more updates on our 2010 event - including news of our brand new Autograph process and information about our Saturday/Sunday Kaffeeklatsches. This year promises to be the biggest Gallifrey One of all; we hope you'll join us!
``xEkyuVuAZlprQLGOOwk``x1264560580``x(default)``x``x``x Our 2010 Charity: Direct Relief International``xjslyon``xGallifrey One would like to announce that we have selected Direct Relief International as the target charity of the Bob May Memorial Charity Auction at next month's event, Gallifrey One: Blackjack 21.
Since 1948, Direct Relief International has worked to help people who confront enormous hardship to improve the quality of their lives. The tradition of direct and targeted assistance, provided in a manner that respects and involves the people served, has been a hallmark of the organization since its founding. This non-partisan, non-sectarian relief and aid organization works around the world to help those in need the most: from disaster assistance in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, to the provision of medical material aid during times of extreme hardship across the globe, Direct Relief currently works with over 300 partner clinics, hospitals, associations, and organizations in 59 countries (as of 2008), spanning five continents, with an emphasis on people living in developing countries and people victimized by disaster or war. Most recently, Direct Relief has been involved in support efforts to aid the victims of the recent earthquake that decimated Haiti, helping to deliver medical aid to the injured as efficiently as possible, and expects to be part of the Haiti support effort for weeks and months to come. For all of its efforts, Direct Relief has received among the highest ratings of any U.S. nonprofit from many reputable charitable watchdog organizations. In light of the Haiti catastrophe, Gallifrey One's board has chosen to select Direct Relief as our beneficiary in order to help them in their extraordinary efforts, and Direct Relief has graciously accepted our assistance. You can find out more information at directrelief.org.
Gallifrey One's annual charity auction has raised over $65,000 over the years for many charitable organizations, including the American Cancer Society, the Red Cross, the Foundation for the Study of Infant Death, the Hurricane Mitch Disaster Relief Fund, the War Child Charity, the Downs Syndrome Association, the Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Actors and Others For Animals, and the American Heart Association, and we are delighted to add Direct Relief International to this list.
Gallifrey One's annual charity auction has, since last year, been named in perpetuity for Bob May, cast member of the classic science fiction TV series "Lost in Space" and a long-time member of the Gallifrey One family, as a dealer, programming guest and always enthusiastic auctioneer at our annual charity auction. Bob passed away in January 2009, and Bob's family continues to provide their kind support to our charity auction.
The Gallifrey 2010 Bob May Memorial Charity Auction will take place at Gallifrey One: Blackjack 21 on Sunday, February 28 from 11:00am to 5:00pm (end time approximate). Donations are very welcome at our convention to be auctioned during the event; we gladly accept science fiction, fantasy and horror media merchandise, books, artwork, collectibles and much more. All auction items can be donated to the convention by stopping by our "Supply Unit" in the Los Angeles Airport Marriott's Philadelphia Room, right next to convention registration, at any time on Friday or Saturday. We hope you'll join us at the auction to help raise money for this very worthwhile charity.
``xEkyuEEZFZAhJDxKhQr``x1264128179``x(default)``x``x``x More Programming, Guest, Hotel Update``xjslyon``xA few additions to this weekend's major programming update: first, we are thrilled to announce that long-time Gallifrey One guest Paul Cornell has been able to work around his busy schedule and join us after all! Paul will be participating in panels and, of course, we are delighted to welcome back his "Just a Minute event to the judging half-time of this year's Masquerade!
Our Preliminary Schedule has been updated (several times, in fact) since it went live. Many of our additional programs have been added to this (including science programming).
A word about Autographs... we have heard from several people asking us not to change our autograph policy. In fact, we have no intention. We're working on the final details of an exciting change in the way attendees line up for autographs (read: if it works, you won't have to!) More details on this soon.
Finally... we've been reminded by our hotel liaison that hotel reservations are still available for those wishing to stay in the hotel, and that there is a final deadline of January 31 for anyone wishing to make a hotel reservation and be guaranteed the low rate of only $114 per night at the Marriott. Let us be clear: there should always be hotel rooms available at the hotel (they've never sold out in the five years since we moved here), but that is the date we will be able to reserve you rooms at our rate; after that, you'll have to reserve at the Marriott rate. Email us if you have any questions regarding this.
``xEkyFlulyyFzBjKgSSz``x1263859463``x(default)``x``x``x Gallifrey 2010 Major Programming Update``xjslyon``xGallifrey One has some major, exciting programming developments to share about our impending twenty-first convention, Gallifrey One: Blackjack 21, in only seven weeks time... updates on guests, events, exhibitors, programming items and much more.
Preliminary Schedule Now Online: The first draft of our Program Schedule is now online; please note that this is tentative and still subject to a great deal of change between now and the convention.
Guest Update: We are delighted to welcome to Gallifrey One comic artist Matthew Dow Smith, whose work includes "Hellboy," "Supernatural: Origins," "Nightcrawler," "Starman" and, of course, the continuing Doctor Who comic books from IDW Comics, who is making his first Gallifrey One appearance; writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach, most recently the creator of the series "The Middleman" and also a writer for "Medium" and "Lost"; and comics writer Mark Waid who is best known for his eight-year run on "The Flash" and his work on "Captain America". Regrettably, writer Gareth Roberts has had to withdraw from our program due to new work commitments; we hope to see him next year.
New Exhibitors: For their first visits to our dealers room, Gallifrey One is pleased to welcome IDW Comics, publishers of the monthly Doctor Who comic book series, and Cubicle 7, creators of the new Doctor Who Role Playing Game. IDW will have a booth in the dealers room as well as a panel event on Sunday, while Cubicle 7 will have a booth as well as a demo area for live demo gaming of its new RPG game. We also have several new dealers recently confirmed including Willow Jewelry, Mike's Comics-n-Stuff and Emily Danyel.
Mysterious Theatre 337: The folks behind the annual Friday night event have announced that, for the first time ever, they'll be skewering the new series. That's right... Mysterious Theatre 337 proudly presents their take on that 'classic' first series Doctor Who story "Aliens of London" and "World War Three," Friday night at 9:00pm in our main ballroom. This is a scripted presentation (no audience participation!)
Tanuki Suit Riot: Local Los Angeles band Tanuki Suit Riot, which has played various conventions including anime events here in California, will be joining us Friday night at 8:00pm in our main ballroom. Tanuki Suit Riot is well known for their covers of video game themes and television theme songs, and they're die-hard science fiction and Doctor Who fans, too; they'll be bringing their own interpretations of the theme songs of Doctor Who, Red Dwarf and much more to our main stage, for our first-ever live band performance at Gallifrey One.
Live Commentaries: This year, Gallifrey 2010 will feature no less than six live commentaries including the controversial "Torchwood: Children of Earth, Part 4" with writer John Fay; the animated "Dreamland" series with star Georgia Moffett, writer Phil Ford and director Gary Russell; the Sarah Jane Adventures two-parter "Enemy of the Bane" with Tommy Knight, writer Phil Ford, director Graeme Harper and Gary Russell; and Doctor Who stories "The Age of Steel" with Andrew Hayden-Smith and director Graeme Harper, "Midnight" with director Alice Troughton and "Last of the Time Lords" with director Colin Teague.
Interview Blocks: Because we have so many guests that we want to give proper attention to, the main ballroom will open at 12pm on Friday (usually we start main programming at 1pm) and feature six hours of non-stop, back to back interview sessions with our guests (some half hours, some 45 minutes), starting with Nicholas Briggs at noon, Big Finish's John Pickard at 12:30, an hour with Debbie Watling & Frazer Hines together at 1pm, Anneke Wills on her new book at 2pm, classic series writer Bob Baker interviewed at 2:45, a half hour with Torchwood writer John Fay at 3:30, Sarah Sutton at 4pm, Katy Manning at 4:45, and the US convention debut of Tommy Knight at 5:30. Meanwhile, Louise Page will feature in her own hour-long interview focusing on her costuming and Tony Lee & Pia Guerra will share the spotlight in an additional interview that day. On Saturday, Andrew Hayden-Smith and Georgia Moffett will be featured in their own interview chats, as well as our "Director's Roundtable" featuring Graeme Harper, Alice Troughton and Colin Teague, while Sunday features a one-on-one interview with Graeme Harper. This schedule does not include other Q&As our guests are participating in, such as the Big Finish audio roundtable on Saturday featuring several of our guests talking about their audio work, the Barry Letts Tribute, or Sunday afternoon's Companions Roundtable featuring all six of our Doctor Who classic series actors, and of course, many of our guests will be participating in the live Sunday afternoon taping of the "Doctor Who: Podshock" podcast program as well (which will also feature a couple surprise guests!)
Photo Studio and Autographs: Gallifrey One is trying something new this year: our friends at Tenth Planet will be taking over this year's photo studio and doing semi-professional photography for us; photos will be printed and offered for purchase a few hours later for a nominal fee - that way you can grab your 8x10 and have it autographed later in the day. We are doing this instead of the logistical nightmare that our photo studio has been in the past with scheduling. Meanwhile, we do have autograph sessions all three days, and we're introducing a brand new autograph system in the next week or so… be on the lookout!
Panel Programs: Most of the panel discussions we previously announced have made it onto the schedule; a few we're still looking for additional panelists for. We've also added a discussion about the international distribution of Doctor Who and how it works with BBC America; a discussion about Doctor Who fan art including some demo work by two fan artists who also happen to be animators and illustrators; and a "Young Adult Fiction" panel we're currently adding more writers onto hosted by Audry Taylor. We will also feature four science programs, which we'll be announcing the details of within the next week or so, including panel participants; in previous years this has focused on space sciences and we're sure this year will be more of the same. And finally… as we previously announced, we will feature several "adult" oriented panels, mostly discussions of an adult (18+) nature on science fiction media topics, including fiction, television and sexuality; these panels will take place later on Friday evening. We may also have a few Saturday night panels as well, to be announced.
Special Panels and Events: We've added a few special events we think you'll enjoy. Bob Baker and Paul Tams bring us a special sneak peek at the new K-9 television series on Saturday. Louise Page will be joined by Gary Russell as the two take a tour through her many costume designs in a Saturday afternoon slide show that will give you insight into the production of the Doctor Who series and its fabulous apparel. Telos Publishing is celebrating their tenth anniversary, and so we're throwing them a panel celebrating that fact with some of the writers that have participated in their book series over the years. Mad Norwegian Press' new book "Chicks Dig Time Lords" will be celebrated at Gallifrey One this year with a launch panel featuring its editor and as many of the writers in the book that will be at the convention. IDW Comics representatives will preview some of what they have to offer on their Doctor Who line on Sunday. Our friend Scott Armstrong is back this year with a panel focusing on paranormal investigations; Arne Starr is back with his Sunday "Trailer Park" science fiction video clip show; and of course Eric Hoffman will have his usual tribute panels including a video/slide retrospective on Friday featuring some of the classic Doctor Who companions, and his Sunday morning "Dr. Hoffman's House of Trailers" panel. And we are delighted to announce that, following in the footsteps of last year's very special "Gallifreyan Wedding" event, two of our attendees, Ben Adams and Kim Pfeiffer, will be tying the knot at this year's convention on Saturday early evening.
Masquerade: Gallifrey 2010's Masquerade promises to be our biggest event of all, and the instructions for costumers to participate in the Masquerade are already on our website. Last year we had nearly 50 participants, and this year will be more of the same - especially with our special guest judge being Louise Page, the Doctor Who series costumer for the past four years! We will also be holding both an important "pre-meeting" for Masquerade participants on Saturday morning, as well as a post-mortem event to discuss the night's glories on Sunday morning. Additionally, because Paul Cornell unfortunately cannot make it this year, his usual "Just a Minute" event, which would be serving as our 'half-time' will not be taking place; instead, our costume/masquerade team is putting together a special live skit performance to make the evening extra special!
Friday Night Fun: Besides our live band and Mysterious Theatre 337, we have several other events going on Friday evening. Starting at 7pm in our hospitality suite, it's the return of the Gallifrey One Ice Cream Social. Then later in the evening, we open up our "Gamble With Time" Casino night (no money, of course, just for fun!) and Gallifrey's 2010 Karaoke Kafe for your enjoyment. We have a cash bar outside the rooms hosting these two events for your convenience (with, once again, a special themed cocktail available for purchase).
Fan Videos From noon to 6pm Saturday, our video program will turn over to fan videos entirely. We invite fan video participants who wish to introduce their videos to join us in the room. Meanwhile we're looking for additional fan videos so please contact us immediately if you have a production ready to show (must be Doctor Who themed!)
The Kasterborous Kaffeeklatsches: Not yet on our program schedule, the Kaffeeklatsch is a new event we're trying out this year… instead of a general meet-up, these are scheduled one-hour events with one or more guests and up to 12 participants. Free coffee and tea accent a special hour for individual Q&A, storytelling, and much more. We will be announcing sign-ups for these fairly soon; note that it is very likely signups will take place on Friday, even though the events are only Saturday and Sunday.
Children's Programming: Once again, we'll have an active children's program featuring hands-on activities open for younger children, to give you time to enjoy the convention. More details about this (which was extremely successful last year) very soon!
And more is coming! This gives you a rough idea of all the fun we've got going on this year at Gallifrey One: Blackjack 21, but there's more to come: our full-weekend video program, special daytime events, autograph sessions all weekend, and much more! Of course, if you have any questions, feel free to email us. Enjoy!
``xEkyFyAukVAytGfHBdR``x1263705059``x(default)``x``x``x Gallifrey 2010 Program Sneak Peeks...``xjslyon``xThis week, we are putting the finishing touches on our 2010 program, and it's going to be amazing! Gallifrey One is pleased to announce that we will have four simultaneous program tracks this year (last year we had three), plus our kaffeeklatsches, autographs and much more. Each day this week on our Facebook page and Twitter feed we're featuring special sneak peeks of our major program announcement and tentative schedule, both of which will be posted this Saturday on our website. In reverse order by day this week:
Friday Update: Our charity auction on Sunday; Friday night's Karaoke party and 'Gamble with Time' monte carlo night; full-weekend costumers' cosplay room; video program all three days; "The Year in Review" on Sunday; Podshock taping with special surprise guests; and much more!
Thursday Update: Friday's Mysterious Theatre 337 skewers the new DW series for the first time; Friday 2-5pm is our "interview block" with one-on-one 45-minute interviews with guests, plus three panels Friday night in our adult-themed (18+) panel block; ten kaffeeklatsches (and counting), sign-ups available on site; Sunday mid-day's launch panel for Chicks Dig Time Lords. Still more to come!
Wednesday Update: We welcome TV writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach, comic writer Mark Waid, and others (incl. surprise guests at the Podshock taping on Sunday); more program includes panels on young adult fiction, remaking books & comics into TV/film, international distribution of Dr. Who; our 10th anniversary salute to Telos Publishing; the return of Arne Starr's Trailer Park. Still more to come!
Tuesday Update: Seven different live commentaries (including DW, Torchwood and Sarah Jane); Saturday's costuming slide show with designer Louise Page; previews of K-9: The Series; our Barry Letts tribute panel; demos & discussions on prop making and illustration; four science programs and Paranormal Investgations. Still more to come!
Monday Update: Gallifrey One welcomes IDW Comics, role-playing publishers Cubicle 7, comic artist Matthew Dow Smith, and our first-ever live band, Tanuki Suit Riot (performing on Friday night). And that's just the start!
``xEkyFFupAAkynXZKdgh``x1263531601``x(default)``x``x``x Art Show Information Available``xjslyon``xAttention all persons interested in displaying in the Gallifrey 2010 Art Show: the official rules and information guide and a reservations form for space in our 2010 convention are now available on the Dealers Room and Art Show page. If you would like to display art in the Art Show, see the handy information guide.
``xEkyklkVulymNcgwacN``x1262836286``x(default)``x``x``x Open Call for Panelists, Fan Videos``xjslyon``xIn anticipation of our major programming announcements later this week and next week, Gallifrey One is now putting out our annual call (a bit later than normal) for the following. You can answer the call by emailing us - go to the bottom of the email page and use our email form to contact us.
FAN PANELISTS to participate as moderators and panelists on our discussion panels, both Doctor Who universe and science fiction media in general. For a list of the panel topics being discussed at this year's convention, see the Programming page (under "Programming Tracks and Discussion Panels"). Note: this is for panelists only; all attendees are welcome to attend the panel discussions.
FAN VIDEOS as part of our Saturday afternoon fan video track. We have a number of videos being presented already but we have a limited amount of time left to fill; if you are interested in having your video shown please contact us with information about the video and its running time.
If you have contacted us about either of these in the past, we ask that you submit again just to make certain we got it! Gallifrey One makes no guarantee of this participation but we'll try to accommodate as many requests as possible.
``xEkyklpVkkkHXKvLnbU``x1262816022``x(default)``x``x``x New Guest Announcements``xjslyon``xGallifrey Conventions has confirmed several additional guests for our forthcoming 2010 convention, Gallifrey One: Blackjack 21 coming up in only two short months…
We are delighted to welcome BOB BAKER for his first appearance. Long-time Doctor Who fans will know Bob as one of the most prevalent screenwriters during the classic Doctor Who series; alongside his writing partner Dave Martin, the "Bristol Boys" as they were known penned nine stories including the classic "The Three Doctors," K-9's introductory story "The Invisible Enemy," Sarah Jane Smith's final story "The Hand of Fear," as well as stories including "The Claws of Axos," "The Armageddon Factor" and "The Sontaran Experiment," as well as being the sole writer of "Nightmare of Eden". Baker later achieved fame as the author of the "Wallace and Gromit" films. Baker is also well known as being the creator (with Martin) of the robot K-9, and to this end Baker has most recently been involved as a creator of the brand new live-action K-9 television series airing soon in the UK on Disney XD. Bob Baker will be coming to Gallifrey 2010 and will be joined by new K-9 television series producer/creator PAUL TAMS; the two will be showing special footage of the new series including a sneak-peek into its production and taking part in panel discussions. We are thrilled to welcome Bob Baker and Paul Tams to their first Gallifrey One convention.
We are also happy to welcome some new and returning faces to this year's convention. Famed actress STEPHANIE BEACHAM, known for her many film and television appearances over the years including her roles on "Dynasty," "The Colby's," "UFO," "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and the first season of "SeaQuest DSV," and who has recently returned to television on "Coronation Street" in the UK, will be joining us on Saturday afternoon for an autograph session. Doctor Who novelists and audio writers KATE ORMAN and JONATHAN BLUM will be returning after an absence of many years to take part in discussions. Famed comic book letterer RICHARD STARKINGS will also be joining us; among his repertoire is several years' work on Doctor Who Magazine.
Plus that's not all... we will be announcing several more guests over the next few weeks who will be joining us for panels (including some of our science program track guests), and of course we'll have a few more surprises in store, too! Among them... this year's annual Sunday live taping of the Doctor Who: Podshock podcast (now a Gallifrey One tradition!) will feature a surprise guest or two itself that you won't want to miss (and that we won't be announcing ahead of time!)
Meanwhile - convention plans are now in full speed, and we'll be making some programming and schedule announcements in the next week or so. Registration prices have now gone up to $70 for the entire weekend, but that's only $70 for three days of fun; get your registration now (you save $5, and your name appears on the pre-registration list in the program book!) We're happy to say that Gallifrey One currently has its largest pre-registration list ever this year, so things are shaping up for the best weekend yet. If you have any questions, please feel free to email us.
``xEkykVuVAkZZguVCKpH``x1262556727``x(default)``x``xpaulbobk9.jpg``x Registration now $70``xjslyon``xRegistration for Gallifrey 2010 is now $70 for the entire weekend as of January 1. This price is good throughout January, after which it will go up to $75 for the weekend up to the door, with daily rates to be announced soon. Get your membership today!
``xEkykFyyuyEjqmOKkiZ``x1262377261``x(default)``x``x``x Brief December Update``xjslyon``xHappy holidays! Even with the chill of winter and the busy times of the holiday season, progress on Gallifrey 2010 continues... We'll have our first major tentative schedule for the convention by the end of December, with some announcements at that time concerning some new things happening at next February's event. We will also hopefully have a few new faces joining us for some of our panel and event programming, including our science program track, that we can announce at that time.
Meanwhile, our Member List is fully updated, while full weekend Registration continues throughout the month. Remember: it's only $65 for the entire weekend if you buy your registration for the convention between now and December 31; that includes everything the convention has to offer, including all the panels, events, dealers room, art show, video presentations and the rest! Get your membership now before it goes up to $70 in January, or $75 to the door.
Also, for those making hotel reservations: there are still plenty of rooms available at the Marriott at our convention rate! However, please note that if you try to make a reservation and the Marriott reservation system tells you no more rooms are available, don't fret - see the hotel page for information about how to fix this!
Finally, one sad note: our friend and long-time guest Paul Cornell has let us know that due to his schedule he won't be able to make it this year (his first Gallifrey One missed in ages!) We are sorry for the inconvenience and hope to see Paul and his wife Caroline back in 2011.
If you have any questions about the upcoming Gallifrey One: Blackjack 21 convention, don't hesitate to email us!
``xEkypVykkkZcKVlUQjX``x1260573027``x(default)``x``x``x One more guest...``xjslyon``xGallifrey One is happy to announce one more classic Doctor Who series guest joining us, courtesy Tenth Planet Events... none other than ANNEKE WILLS, aka Polly. Anneke was last with us in 2002 and, as many people discovered both during that weekend and her previous Gallifrey One visit in 1997, she's a delight with convention audiences. Anneke joins our convention guest list which also includes Frazer Hines and Deborah Watling - two fellow co-stars from the Patrick Troughton era - and as well as Sarah Sutton, Katy Manning and John Levene, and a ton of other guests from classic and new Doctor Who that we've previously announced. We would like to thank Tenth Planet Events this year for sponsoring no less than four convention guests for us -- Anneke Wills, Deborah Watling, Katy Manning and Andrew Hayden-Smith.
``xEkVluEEVyACcCwZjUr``x1258422369``x(default)``x``x2010-guest-anneke.png``x More Guest Additions``xjslyon``xGallifrey One is delighted to welcome a few new guests to our lineup for our 2010 event:
We proudly welcome LOUISE PAGE, the costume designer for Doctor Who throughout the David Tennant years, for her first convention appearance in North America. Having joined the series for Tennant's first outing, "The Christmas Invasion," Louise Page has given us some of Doctor Who's most memorable costume creations (including the beautiful period costumes on the androids of revolutionary France in "The Girl in the Fireplace," pictured at right), contributing to the series' iconic look for the past four years. Page will be participating in several events including a slideshow retrospective of her work on the series... and we are delighted to announce that she will be participating as a judge at this year's Gallifrey One Masquerade!
We are also thrilled to welcome ANDREW HAYDEN-SMITH for his first North American event. Andrew, a popular presenter on the BBC's CBBC television programming, went on to star as Jake Simmonds, the revolutionary first introduced in Series Two's "Rise of the Cybermen" two-parter, and returned later (aiding Mickey Smith!) in the final two-parter, "Army of Ghosts" and "Doomsday". Andrew is being brought to Gallifrey One as a sponsored guest of our friends at Tenth Planet Events.
We also welcome two additional Doctor Who related guests to our 2010 lineup: Ed Stradling, who produces many of the features on the 2Entertain Doctor Who DVD releases, and writer Mark Wright, a returning guest, who is now co-producing Big Finish Productions' Iris Wildthyme series with Katy Manning.
We will have a few more guests to announce in the days and weeks to come, so stay tuned!
``xEkVlpuZVuAPqNluLnQ``x1258058349``x(default)``x``x``x October 31 Quick Update``xjslyon``xMembership for Gallifrey One: Blackjack 21 is only $60 for the entire weekend... and goes up to $65 as of the end of day Sunday, November 1. This is the perfect time to grab your membership (what we call admission) for the whole weekend! Join us and visit with our ever-growing lineup of guests, including those we just added a few days ago (see below).
Meanwhile, we have moved to a brand new Facebook page; instead of the old Gallifrey 2010 group (which was unwieldy due to its redesign), we've moved to a general Gallifrey One page at http://facebook.com/gallifreyone; this will allow us to have more interaction with attendees and post constant updates, at-con photos and video, and more!. We hope you'll join us!
Many of the pages on our website have been updated for today; also, our list of current registered members is now online.
``xEkVZpkZulZhiPsupIs``x1257038287``x(default)``x``x``x Major Guest Additions for Gallifrey 2010``xjslyon``xGallifrey One is delighted to announce a cavalcade (or make that a blackjack?) of new guests being added to the lineup for our 2010 event, Gallifrey One: Blackjack 21... a guest lineup that does, in fact, provide our largest number of Doctor Who related guests in our long history. Adding to our already confirmed lineup are no less than 11 new guests, as follows:
KATY MANNING - Best known for portraying UNIT agent Jo Grant during the Jon Pertwee era (1971-73), Katy Manning has also brought to life the character of Iris Wildthyme for Big Finish Productions. Katy is a fan favorite appearing at her second Gallifrey One event, and comes to us as a sponsored guest of the Tenth Planet Events group; she will be participating on panels as well as signing at their dealers tables, and will be joining us for our tribute to the late producer Barry Letts.
DEBORAH WATLING - On her third visit to Gallifrey One, the lovely Debbie Watling (who played Victoria Waterfield opposite Patrick Troughton in the 1960s) returns after an eight year absence in an appearance sponsored by Tenth Planet Events. She also has an autobiography coming out soon and will be promoting that as well as participating in panels and our Barry Letts tribute.
FRAZER HINES - Doctor Who's Jamie McCrimmon (from the Patrick Troughton years), Frazer was with us after an absence of many years at our 2009 event and had such a good time he wanted to come back for more! Frazer will be returning next year to the role of Jamie for a trilogy of Big Finish audio dramas as well as narrations of their Companion Chronicles.
JOHN LEVENE - A long-time friend of Gallifrey One, the man who brought Sergeant John Benton to life in the 1960s and 1970s on Doctor Who will be joining us again alongside former castmate Katy Manning and other guests to pay tribute to Barry Letts and visit with fans.
NICHOLAS BRIGGS - Best known as the voice of the Daleks on the modern-era Doctor Who TV series, and also doing voicework for The Sarah Jane Adventures and featuring in-the-flesh in an episode of the last series of Torchwood, Nick Briggs is also producer of Big Finish's Doctor Who audio adventures, a long-time writer, actor and director, and returns to Gallifrey One after several years.
GARETH ROBERTS - First gaining popularity for his Doctor Who novel work for Virgin Publishing and, later, BBC Books, Gareth also wrote for such television series as "Emmerdale," "Brookside" and "Randall & Hopkirk, Deceased" before penning several stories for today's Doctor Who series, including "The Shakespeare Code," "The Unicorn and the Wasp" and "Planet of the Dead". He's also written many screenplays for The Sarah Jane Adventures (including the series pilot alongside Russell T Davies) and comes to Gallifrey One for his first North American convention appearance.
COLIN TEAGUE - An experienced television director whose work includes "Holby City," "Trinity" and "Being Human," Colin Teague is one of two guests this year (the other being Alice Troughton) who has directed epsiodes of Doctor Who ("The Sound of Drums," "Last of the Time Lords" and "The Fires of Pompeii"), Torchwood ("Ghost Machine," "Greeks Bearing Gifts," "Sleeper" and "Meat") and The Sarah Jane Adventures ("Invasion of the Bane").
JOHN PICKARD - Currently appearing on the British serial "Hollyoaks" as Dominic Reilly, and formerly of the TV series "2point4 Children" and "EastEnders," John Pickard made his entry into the world of Doctor Who as the short-term companion Thomas Brewster, opposite Peter Davison and Sarah Sutton, in the audio dramas "The Haunting of Thomas Brewster," "Time Reef" and "A Perfect World" as well as the 12-part series "The Three Companions". He appears courtesy Big Finish Productions.
SCOTT HANDCOCK - Scott's work includes several Big Finish audio plays in their Doctor Who, Bernice Summerfield, Sarah Jane Smith and Dark Shadows lines, including "The Magician's Oath" and "The Oracle of Delphi"; he's also been a production runner on Doctor Who Confidential and The Sarah Jane Adventures, has written for the Short Trips anthology series, and has appeared in several Big Finish productions as a member of their voice cast.
AMBER BENSON - Star of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (as the fan-beloved Tara), Amber returns to Gallifrey One for an autograph session on Saturday afternoon.
LARRY NEMECEK - Author of the Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion book and an episode of "Star Trek: Voyager," Larry has become a well-known guest at Star Trek conventions and we've invited him to come share some of his insight with us at Gallifrey 2010.
These wonderful guests join already confirmed guests Sarah Sutton, Tommy Knight, Phil Ford, Graeme Harper, John Fay, Alice Troughton, Paul Cornell, Rob Shearman, Gary Russell, Tony Lee, Pia Guerra and Jason Haigh-Ellery, plus many more! And that’s not all… Gallifrey One expects further guest announcements in November thereafter as well, so stay tuned!
``xEkVylVEykVHyeCDFMG``x1256862425``x(default)``x``x2010-guestsimage3.png``x Convention Registration Rate Rising Soon!``xjslyon``xRegistration for Gallifrey One: Blackjack 21 is currently $60.00 for the entire weekend. That price is only good, however, until the end of this coming weekend (the official cutoff date says October 31, but we're extending it until late Sunday night, November 1!) After that, it's $65.00 for the weekend, and higher down the road. This is a perfect time to get your full weekend membership, and help us out in the process (we budget based on pre-registration)... Register for Gallifrey 2010 today!
As an added incentive: our next guest announcement will happen late Thursday or early Friday, so if you're waiting for the big news (with at least 9 new guests, maybe a few more!) you have the weekend to think about it. It's going to be a great time...
``xEkVyZyFklFzUSxaStL``x1256774083``x(default)``x``x``x A Brief Update``xjslyon``xNo news is certainly good news... Gallifrey One is putting the finishing touches on what we expect will be a massive guest update for our 2010 convention this week, which we're waiting for everything to be finalized before we make our next guest announcements. So stay tuned; we will have some big names to announce by the end of the week!
Meanwhile, we invite you to keep up with Gallifrey One in real time by tuning into the following:
Gallifrey One's Facebook Group
Gallifrey One on Twitter
Gallifrey One thread on the Gallifrey Base Forum
All of us at Gallifrey One are terribly sad to have heard the news this morning that Barry Letts, the former producer of Doctor Who during the 1970's, has passed away. Barry Letts was our guest at two Gallifrey One conventions, first in 1994 and again in 2005, both in the company of his friend and writing partner Terrance Dicks. Letts was a wonderful guest, a man of many stories, as well as a true gentleman. The world of Doctor Who fandom is diminished with his passing.
We would therefore like to announce that the forthcoming "Gallifrey One: Blackjack 21" convention in February will be dedicated to the memory of Barry Letts.
``xEkVVEEuppEZFcXILeE``x1255124801``x(default)``x``x``x Guest Change Announcement``xjslyon``xIt is with deep sadness that we must announce that our headline guest, Peter Davison, has had to withdraw from his appearance at next year's Gallifrey One: Blackjack 21 convention. As widely reported in the press, the busy actor recently signed to a long-term starring role in "Legally Blonde: The Musical" at the Savoy Theatre in London, and while Mr. Davison was still hoping to make the event, the demands of his new schedule prevent him from taking off the needed time for our event. We want to emphasize that Mr. Davison was torn by this decision and spent time considering all his options before having to withdraw from our convention, which he told us he had been very much looking forward to. We at Gallifrey One completely understand his decision.
Instead, we would like to announce that Mr. Davison has accepted our invitation to instead be our featured headline guest at the following year's event, the twenty-second Gallifrey One convention in February 2011.
We do apologize for any inconvenience Mr. Davison's withdrawal causes. Seldom do we ever have to announce the withdrawal of our major guests, but with all working actors, their appearances are subject to professional commitments and this year was no exception.
We do want to announce, however, that Gallifrey One is currently working on a variety of additional guests to be joining this year's convention, not only in Mr. Davison's stead but also with the Tenth Planet Events organization who will be sponsoring several guests appearing at our 2010 event. We have some big names coming very soon, from both classic and new Doctor Who, so keep watching our website for more information.
``xEkVuAFuFlAHZnwbUrV``x1254945189``x(default)``x``x``x Gallifrey 2010 Discussion Panel List``xjslyon``xGallifrey One is pleased to present our discussion panel list for our forthcoming 2010 convention, Gallifrey One: Blackjack 21. Gallifrey One's panel program is one of the most popular facets of our annual event, focusing primarily on Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures as well as the world of science fiction and fantasy television and media, and incorporating fan topics such as costuming, gaming and conventioning. Panel discussions are led in our two panel rooms by both attending professionals as well as selected fans, with rousing dialogue that always makes for a memorable event. We have some great stuff on this year's panel track, including such notable program items as Dear Mr. Moffat; The Revolution Will Be Tweeted; The Crossplay Equation; Television in the Age of Hulu and Your Greatest Moments in Doctor Who History, plus many more.
Click on the following link to explore our current list of panels; please note that we may add some closer to the event (and we don't guarantee every panel will definitely happen).
``xEkVFVZkVVlDvWXtHfC``x1253583358``x(default)``x``x``xThe following list is our planned panel discussion program list for Gallifrey 2010 as of September 2009.
Coming Attractions: What To Expect from Series Five -- Spoiler-phobes, this isn't for you... we go in-depth into what's known (and rumored) about the forthcoming fifth series of Doctor Who with Matt Smith and Karen Gillan. Our panel will attempt to sift through the rumors and find out some cool things about the next season!
Dear Mr. Moffat… -- It's a new age, with a new showrunner and a new cast. We have a lot of faith in the future, obviously, but what are some of the things we really hope new executive producer Steven Moffat pulls off in his tenure over the series?
Life On Earth Can Be an Adventure, Too -- What is the appeal of "The Sarah Jane Adventures," beyond the simple fact that it's a spinoff of Doctor Who? How successful is it in both telling stories as well as connecting with its target audience of young fans? And how has it done disconnecting itself from the Doctor Who mythology?
Where in the Hell Can Torchwood Go From Here? -- That season finale at the end of "Children of Earth" left things in a bit of a state, didn't it? With only two major players left from the original gang, and a handful of recurring/supporting characters to potentially choose from, where can Torchwood go from here?
Your Greatest Moments in Doctor Who History -- The regenerations? Great triumphs of good over evil? Or maybe just that scene where he pulled a jelly baby out of the pack... Everyone has their favorite moments in Doctor Who, classic or new series, and our panel will come up with some of the best ones.
The Revolution Will Be Tweeted -- Social networking is making a huge impact on the way fans react to our television series, especially the instant gratification reactions we see every day on Twitter, Facebook, Livejournal and the rest of the blogosphere. Our panel will discuss how this impacts the way we enjoy our TV shows.
It's The End, But The Moment Has Been Prepared For: Fan Reactions to Character Deaths -- Want to make a bold statement on your television series? Kill a major character. It happened this summer on Torchwood, and it might as well have happened at the end of the last season of Doctor Who. And it's not just UK TV either; it seems to be a staple on US television. Why do fans react so strongly?
Reanimating Doctor Who -- With so much of Doctor Who's past still lost to us, but with audio clips of everything still available, it seems a logical next step would be to animate the missing episodes. Is this feasible? Or necessary? What would be the benefit of reanimating all the lost Doctor Who episodes, how successful could it be, and what steps have been taken to test the waters?
Chicks Dig Time Lords -- It seems the ladies have this thing for the Doctor... not to mention, Captain Jack, the Master, and the like. But what's the reason for their appeal? The subject has made for a brand-new book, and some of the people involved will join us to talk about why chicks really dig Time Lords.
Doctor Who Filmmaking on a Budget -- You don't need thousands of dollars and expensive studio equipment to make great Doctor Who fan videos... after all, it's Doctor Who, the most versatile storytelling medium ever undertaken on television. Some of our fan video experts will tell you how you, too, can make a great Doctor Who story in your own backyard.
What Makes a Successful Podcast -- Anyone can record their voice into a sound file and think that what they have to say sounds interesting. It's a far more difficult thing to actually be interesting and worthwhile, market your podcast, and create a worldwide audience of fans. What are the steps, and the necessities, involved in creating a reputable Doctor Who podcast?
So You Want to Run a Doctor Who Convention... -- It's not about numbers, it's not about connections, it's not about the cult of personality, and it's not about glory, believe us. It's about creating a Doctor Who convention that people love. Some people involved in creating Doctor Who conventions talk about the trials and tribulations involved.
Gallifrey 101 -- Is this your first time at the Gallifrey One conventions? In our introductory panel of the weekend (noon Friday), some of our 'old pros' will be on hand to give you pointers about how to maximize your enjoyment of the convention, what to see, where to go, and even how to get yourself more involved!
Big Finish: The Year in Review -- Our annual round-up of the best (and worst) offerings from Big Finish Productions over the past twelve months, including their regular Doctor Who lines, the new Lost Stories series, the Eighth Doctor & Lucie Miller adventures, the monthly Companion Chronicles, and other stories.
The Crossplay Equation -- Lots of female fans love dressing up as Captain Jack Harkness. Torchwood has bridged the gender gap, in a fandom that is already quite heavily mixed in the gender pool. We look at some of the more interesting issues of gender, sexuality, costuming and role play, in one of our 2010 late-night (adult) panel events.
Destiny of the Dollhouse -- Has Joss Whedon created another television series with staying power? After the years of Buffy and Angel, and the underground successes of Firefly, Whedon's back with a surprising second season renewal. How does the show stand up to his other productions? What is the appeal of Dollhouse to fans?
Star Trek in the Post-Abrams World -- Star Trek is now officially back to being "cool" again, with a movie that broke previous Trek box-office records to nearly universal acclaim. What does this mean for the longtime franchise? Will there be more television series? And does William Shatner really need to appear in the second film?
Vampires and Werewolves and Ghouls... Oh My! -- It's not just about vampires anymore... if "Twilight" is to be believed, it's also about werewolves. And then there's "Ghost Hunters" chasing ghouls through strange houses. And so much more... the horror/suspense genre is not only just cool today, it's hotter than ever. Our panel will chat about what's hot and what's upcoming.
Where Galactica Went, Right or Wrong -- It's over except for Caprica; Battlestar Galactica (the new) has come and gone, telling its complete story all wrapped up in a neat package. Or was it? What were the high points of the finale? Where did the series overstep? And was there anything left unwritten when everything was said and done?
Seventy Years of Marvel Comics -- Hard to believe, but the Marvel Comics genre has been around since 1939. Our panel will look at the world of comics through the Marvel ages, looking at the best and worst the publisher has featured.
Television in the Age of Hulu -- Did you forget to watch that episode of your favorite TV show last night? Don't want to take a chance on torrenting it from the Internet? Now you can watch it anyway... Hulu's taken off like a rocket, Netflix offers entire seasons on demand, ABC and NBC offer their own repeat broadcasts, and of course there's always YouTube. How is the instantaneous availability of television changing the way we view it?
Expanding Your Horizons: SF Literature from the Pros -- We hope you're not just reading Doctor Who novels... there's a wealth of great science fiction out there. Some of our attending writers will join us to discuss their favorite science fiction and fantasy books (and maybe some titles beyond the genre), perhaps introducing you to some great writers you aren't familiar with.
We Can Rebuild It, We Have the Technology: Remaking Books and Comics Into Films (and TV) -- They've made great, and not-so-great, films and TV series from books and comics over the past many decades, and there are a wealth of new ones on the horizon. What are the pitfalls in turning literature into TV shows or movies? What are some great books and/or comics that should be given the treatment?
The SF TV & Film Year In Review -- A look at the best (and worst) television and film in the SF & fantasy genre from the past year.
That Iconic Look -- Costume design for lead characters in Television/Film including Dr. Who has been changing over the years to reflect more casual wear look. How has this affected perceptions of these characters? Does this shift make the character look any less iconic? Is cosplay any more effective/noneffective if someone wears a jumper and leather jacket versus a hat and scarf?
Costuming 101 and Costuming 210 -- A two-part costuming workshop event: one for beginners, to learn the tricks of the trade in getting your Doctor Who, Torchwood and Sarah Jane Adventures costumes started; and one for more seasoned costumers, to share stories and swap secrets about how to perfect that costume for the Masquerade.
Cosplay Focus: How To Costume as The Doctor -- Eleven Doctors, not counting any of the ancillary ones... which one do you choose, and why? What are the necessary steps for creating such classic attire? What makes a successful Doctor Who costume? Our cosplayers will discuss the steps to take to recreate the iconic role in costume form.
Cosplay Focus: Cast and Companion Cosplay -- It's not easy to recreate the Doctor Who companions or Torchwood cast... not only are there some with very specific costume apparel requirements, but even when some of them dress in normal street clothes, it's all about going that extra step and making the character instantly identifiable. What are some of the traits and specifics needed in recreating your favorite cast members and companions from these shows?
Doctor Who Prop Making 101 -- What to do if you need a trusty Sonic Screwdriver, Cyber Gun, Question Mark Umbrella or Nitro-9 to go with your costume. Approching the world of Dr. Who prop replicas from the found item to custom items.
So You Want to Be A Doctor Who Monster? -- It takes a lot of effort to come up with a successful Doctor Who monster in costume form... and we're not just talking a mask and a modified voice synthesizer, either. It's part costuming, part prop-making, and part dedication to making something truly unique, from Daleks and Cybermen to sinister green bug-eyed monsters and those creepy spacesuit guys from "Silence of the Library". We'll share some secrets.
September 1 Update``xjslyon``xGuest Update: Gallifrey Conventions is pleased to welcome esteemed director Graeme Harper to our 2010 lineup. Mr. Harper has been involved with both the classic as well as new Doctor Who series, including directing such serials as "The Caves of Androzani" and "Revelation of the Daleks" during the classic series run as well as many episodes from the past four years including "Rise of the Cybermen," "Army of Ghosts," "Utopia," "Last of the Time Lords," "Journey's End" and the forthcoming "The Waters of Mars". He's also directed for The Sarah Jane Adventures as well as Robin Hood, EastEnders and Coronation Street. Mr. Harper was a confirmed guest at last February's convention but unfortunately had to pull out due to directing duties, and we are delighted that he will be able to join us this year instead.
Meanwhile, we are pleased to announce a huge batch of supporting guests, many of whom are returning from visits in past years, including: Steve Roberts of the Doctor Who Restoration Team; Hugo- and Nebula-Award winning science fiction writer David Gerrold; legendary comics writer Marv Wolfman; voiceover actor and visual effects artist C. Andrew Nelson; author/editor David J. Howe of Telos Publishing; author of The Vampire Gene trilogy Sam Stone; science fiction/fantasy writer and illustrator Arne Starr; "Zombiemania" and "Howe's Transcendental Toybox" author Dr. Arnold T Blumberg; comic writer ("Logan's Run: Last Day") Paul J. Salamoff; television writer/story editor and Big Finish author Darin Henry; television director and anime writer/artist Aimee Major Steinberger; Go! Comi's David Wise & Audry Taylor; comics/horror writer Joshua Fialkov; and film & TV historian Eric Hoffman.
This is still just the beginning. Several organizations will be sponsoring major guests and we also have several other major invitations out to cover the entire spectrum of the Doctor Who universe. Though further guest announcements will be more sporadic over the next several months, we should have many big names to add to our already attending collection of guests and we'll let you know as soon as we confirm them!
Registration Update: Our membership rate has just gone up... from September 1 to October 31, a full weekend members to Gallifrey One: Blackjack 21 is only $60 for the entire weekend. The membership covers admission and attendance to everything at the convention (except the guest banquet), all inclusive! Register today... you can do so here on the website via PayPal as well as by check or money order.
``xEkVEZZlFVVnhvAjBut``x1251789155``x(default)``x``x``x Gallifrey 2010's Masquerade``xjslyon``xNow online... complete details and rules for our 2010 convention's showpiece event, Saturday evening's Masquerade of Mandragora costume presentation! This year's Masquerade will be better than ever, and we've got our rules & guidelines up earlier than ever before so you know what to expect.
Check out the Masquerade section for further details about this year's costuming event...
``xEkVEEZElklpcRprTiG``x1251182628``x(default)``x``xmasquerade.png``x August Guest Update``xjslyon``xGallifrey Conventions is delighted to announce our second batch of confirmed guests for the forthcoming Gallifrey 2010 convention, including Tommy Knight from The Sarah Jane Adventures, writer John Fay (Torchwood: Children of Earth), director Alice Troughton, writer Rob Shearman ("Dalek"), and wrier Tony Lee and illustrator Pia Guerra ("Doctor Who: The Forgotten").
``xEkVpkEAykZJTISaJLH``x1250230427``x(default)``x``x2010-guestsimage2.png``xTo lead off, we are delighted to welcome Tommy Knight for his first-ever North American convention appearance. Knight has been playing Luke Smith, the adoptive son of the title character on the Doctor Who spinoff series The Sarah Jane Adventures since its pilot episode; he reprised the role for the 2008 Doctor Who episodes "The Stolen Earth" and "Journey's End" and will return for the third series of Sarah Jane.
Next, we are happy to welcome two brand new behind-the-scenes guests: John Fay and Alice Troughton. Writer John Fay penned two episodes of the recent landmark five-episode miniseries Torchwood: Children of Earth; his other work includes a 2005 BAFTA for his work on Coronation Street. Alice Troughton is one of only two directors to have worked on all three of the modern-day TV series: Doctor Who ("The Doctor's Daughter" and "Midnight"), Torchwood ("Out of Time" and "Small Worlds") and The Sarah Jane Adventures ("Revenge of the Slitheen" and "Eye of the Gorgon"). Both are making their first appearances in North America.
We're also glad to have back with us Rob Shearman, the writer of the Doctor Who series one episode "Dalek" and one of the most acclaimed writers of Doctor Who audio dramas for Big Finish Productions, and Tony Lee, writer of the comic book series Doctor Who: The Forgotten and, since he was last with us, has become the writer of IDW Publishing's ongoing Doctor Who comic series. And finally... we are delighted to welcome Eisner Award-winning comics illustrator Pia Guerra, Tony Lee's partner as the acclaimed artist on Doctor Who: The Forgotten as well as co-creator of the popular comic Y: The Last Man; Pia was scheduled to be with us this past February but was unable to make it, and now joins us for our 2010 event.
These guests join our previously announced lineup including Peter Davison, the fifth Doctor Who, as well as his co-star (from 1981 to 1983) Sarah Sutton; actress Georgia Moffett, the title character in the series three Doctor Who story "The Doctor's Daughter"; Phil Ford, co-writer of the next Doctor Who episode to air, this autumn's BBC1 special "The Waters of Mars"; acclaimed comics writer, novelist and longtime Doctor Who book and television writer Paul Cornell; novelist, script editor, producer and historian Gary Russell; and Big Finish Productions' executive producer Jason Haigh-Ellery. And there are many other guests to be announced soon, so stay tuned!
Doctor Who Wants to Be a Millionaire!``xjslyon``xMany years ago, one of our Gallifrey One Cabarets featured an opening sketch entitled Doctor Who Wants to Be a Millionaire... and now we've turned it into a game show event coming to the Gallifrey 2010 convention! Attendees will be selected from the audience to battle for fun and prizes, with the ability to use lifelines and everything!
But we need help putting together some difficult questions for the higher brackets... and that's where you come in. Have a couple of fairly hard (to extremely hard) questions related to Doctor Who, K9 and Company, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures - including the shows, the novels, the audio adventures and so forth? Email us with your question(s) and your real name, and we'll credit you for it in our Gallifrey 2010 program book. Please remember: we need hard questions - we have the "easy" ones covered. (We should also warn you that anyone who submits questions will not get to be a contestant in the game, for obvious reasons.)
``xEkuApyyyFEgnaVQkKG``x1249077431``x(default)``x``x``x Call for Postcard Art``xjslyon``xThe call has gone out for postcard art for our 2010 postcard series! These postcards, sent to both members and non-members alike publicizing the convention, need artwork and here's where you can make your mark...
``xEkullFVZkArUWVsAhH``x1248846529``x(default)``x``x``xWho wants to design a postcard for Gallifrey One: Blackjack 21? The prize is a pound of See's Chocolates, or half a kilo of Cadbury Roses (or other Cadbury).
You can also get on our mailing list, if you just want to get the postcards in the mail.
We're going to cram an entire progress report onto one side of a little postcard. What should we put on the other side? We've got full color printing capability. Bleed, even -- you can have color and stuff going right up to the edge.
Deadline for Fall postcard:
(Pacific time) 3:59 pm, 20 August 2009.
(British time) 11:59 pm, 20 August 2009.
Dimensions at 300 dpi: 1350x1875 or 1875x1350 pixels. Display thumbnail size, if you post your designs, should be 270x375 or 375x270 pixels (i.e., 60 dpi).
Design your art to be 4.5"x6.25" at 300 dpi, and allow for at least 1/8" along the edges where you won't have any text or anything vital to the design. It'll be 4.25"x6" once it's trimmed. So, don't have any text or logos within 40 pixels of the edge (1/8") and we should have no trouble trimming it.
You can e-mail the high-resolution version to gallifrey@postcardart.info, or just publish a link to it on your server (you can post the link in the Gallifrey 2010 thread on the Gallifrey Base forum, too!)
You could have a photo of Canary Wharf in flames and a big banner that says "Greetings from Torchwood!" like a standard tourist photo postcard. You could pretend you're designing a color cover for the convention program book and make a photo montage with lots of dark blue swirls in it. Make it look like a still from the opening credits sequence with the Tardis flying through hyperspace... Whatever. It should probably have the official full name of the convention on it somewhere, although that's not actually required.
Each Gallifrey has a different full name. You can use that theme as inspiration for your postcard design. If you want, we can use Peter Davison, Georgia Moffett and Sarah Sutton on our postcards. You can do a collage of photos, or you can draw any of them.
Prize for the one we use will be a 1-lb. box of See's chocolates, or 500g of Cadbury Roses (or other Cadbury chocolate), or something else if you're allergic or dieting. If you've used someone else's art in your composition, get their permission -- you'll be splitting the prize with them.
You can also get on our mailing list, if you just want to get the postcards in the mail.
Your info will be kept on a computer in California, and will only be used to send you convention postcards.
Image above: postcard art for "Gallifrey One: 20 to Life" convention, by Steven W. Hill.
New Guests Confirmed``xjslyon``xGallifrey Conventions is delighted to announce our first batch of confirmed guests, joining Peter Davison, the Fifth Doctor of Doctor Who, who was announced at our last event... including Georgia Moffett from "The Doctor's Daughter," Sarah Sutton who played Nyssa opposite Davison during the classic series, "Sarah Jane Adventures" head writer Phil Ford, and others...
``xEkulpFyZZZXWzCrtPi``x1248047577``x(default)``x``x2010-guestsimage1.png``xWe are pleased to welcome Georgia Moffett to her first North American convention. Best known as Jenny, the "Doctor's Daughter" from the fourth season Doctor Who episode of the same name in 2008, and who is starring as Cassie Rice in the 2009 Doctor Who animated serial "Dreamland" to be aired later this year, Moffett is also guest of honor Peter Davison's real-life daughter, and will be joining Peter together throughout the weekend!
We are also happy to welcome back Sarah Sutton for her first Gallifrey One convention in nine years! Sarah played the role of companion Nyssa of Traken opposite two years of Peter Davison's run as the Doctor, as well as the final two stories of the Tom Baker era, and reprised the role for Big Finish's Doctor Who audio adventures alongside Davison.
Additionally, we are pleased to welcome back Phil Ford from this past February's event, whose credits at the time included the second series of The Sarah Jane Adventures and who has now completed work as the writer of the forthcoming animated serial "Dreamland" as well as being co-writer (with Russell T Davies) of the next Doctor Who special to air, this autumn's "The Waters of Mars".
Finally, we are pleased to have back with us three long-time patrons of our convention: Paul Cornell, author of several Doctor Who episodes ("Father's Day," "Human Nature," "The Family of Blood") as well as a celebrated novelist and comics writer; Gary Russell, the long-time Doctor Who novelist, producer, script editor, and director of the upcoming "Dreamland" animated serial; and Jason Haigh-Ellery, executive producer at Big Finish Productions, the creators of the Doctor Who and Bernice Summerfield audio series.
This is just a start... we have invitations out to many other guests including actors, writers and others from Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures and will have many other updates for you throughout the year!
URGENT: Gallifrey 2010 Changes Dates, One Week Later``xjslyon``xGallifrey Conventions has announced today that we have made an important change to our convention schedule: our forthcoming 2010 event, Gallifrey One: Blackjack 21, has been moved to the weekend of February 26-28, 2010, one week later than previously announced...
``xEkuZllkAuVinVWlWEZ``x1247893745``x(default)``x``x``xAbout a week ago, Gallifrey One was informed that an error had been made by our hotel, the Los Angeles Airport Marriott, which in essence had accidentally double-booked another event into space that had already been guaranteed to our convention. The Marriott's sales office immediately contacted us upon learning of the error, asking Gallifrey One if we would be amenable to pushing our event back one week in return for incentives that we could pass along to our attendees. After checking with our confirmed guests (including Peter Davison as well as some that will be announced within the next week), we agreed to assist the Marriott by making the change.
Because of our agreement to move to the following weekend, the Los Angeles Airport Marriott has agreed to reduce both this year's cost of hotel rooms to $114.00 per night, as well as offer us a brand new contract that reduces hotel room costs to $100.00 per night for our 2011 to 2013 conventions, which will save our attendees a lot of money over the next few years! Additionally, the Marriott has given us more space in the convention center of the hotel, allowing us to add more programming space.
While we do believe this may come as a surprise to our attendees, our hotel liaison has been working tirelessly for the past two weeks to make certain this was settled as quickly as possible, in order to avoid the complication of our attendees making air travel arrangements to Los Angeles for the wrong weekend. We would like to reiterate that Gallifrey One made this change in good faith due to the error made by the hotel, and were happy to support our hotel facility with which we continue to enjoy a very good relationship.
If you have already made hotel reservations at the Marriott, please email us and we will be in touch to discuss the change to your hotel reservations. Of course, if you have any other concerns about the move to the following weekend, we invite you to email us as well. We hope that our attendees understand that we made the best possible decision for our event, and it's now "full speed ahead" to Gallifrey One: Blackjack 21... we have our first batch of newly confirmed guests to announce next week and will certainly be bringing you no less than the best experience we can!
To read the official letter from the Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel confirming the change (PDF format), click here.
New Site; Photo Galleries Online``xjslyon``xAt long last... the Gallifrey One Photo Gallery is back online and has pictures from 20 years of Gallifrey One conventions!
``xEkuZFZlAFunEbDuJCk``x1247389734``x(default)``x``x``x Our convention photo gallery fell by the wayside after our 2005 event, so in addition to bringing back the photos from our first 16 years of conventions, this marks the long-awaited debut of the photo galleries from our seventeenth through twentieth conventions (2006-2009). The photo gallery is in a very easy-to-use new format, divided into convention years, and comes complete with both individual as well as slideshow viewing. You can visit the photo archive by clicking here.Additionally, the photographs from several years of our Photo Studios are now online as well, from conventions 14-16 as well as the past two years, #19 and 20 (we are currently working on getting 17 and 18 online as well). Some of the quality on the earlier years is not the best (we were new at this) but should fill some gaps in our attendees' personal collections.
Now then, if you have photos and would like to contribute to the archives, please email us and let us know so we can get in touch with you about getting them. We are specifically looking for con photos of guests and attendees, especially from this past February's Gallifrey One: 20 To Life and our first ten years of conventions; we especially want to emphasize guests who are underrepresented in this collection.
Finally, you may have noticed that the URL for our convention website has brought you to a strange one; this is a temporary redirect by our hosts, Nexcess, until August 1 when the archived gallifreyone.com site goes away and the site becomes exclusively the home of Gallifrey Conventions. You do not need to remember ANY web address except for gallifreyone.com and all this will be unnecessary in a couple of weeks anyway. Thanks for bearing with us!
Gallifrey One's 20 Year Retrospective``xjslyon``xBy popular demand... now available is the Gallifrey One 20 Year Retrospective video as shown during the Gallifrey 2009 masquerade halftime. It features photos from our conventions from 1990 to 2008, set to the music of Sarah MacLachlan's "I Will Remember You". Enjoy...``xEkuZFFykElyzOjCpEW``x1247198401``x(default)``x``x``x The State of Affairs: Gallifrey 2010``xjslyon``xBy now, visitors will have noted that the Outpost Gallifrey website (including its discussion forum) is closing down. However, Gallifrey 2010 is fully on track for our February 2010 convention, and it'll be another weekend to remember! Come August 1, 2009, you'll only need to remember the website gallifreyone.com which will take you right here to the Gallifrey 2010 website.
As of July 2009, membership rates have gone up to $55 for the entire weekend... get yours now by registering via PayPal!
We expect to be announcing our first batch of guests (to join confirmed guest Peter Davison) by the end of July. We're looking at guests from both classic and new Doctor Who as well as Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures and should have some wonderful names to start the ball rolling very soon.
Finally... many of you have wondered about photographs, from our events or even the most recent convention (including photo studio pics). All of this will be available on the website as soon as the revision launches here at gallifreyone.com on August 1.
Have any questions? Feel free to email us! We look forward to seeing you in February.
``xEkuZFFykpELjaYHgTG``x1246852801``x(default)``x``x``x Things To Look Forward To...``xjslyon``xIt's eleven months until Gallifrey One: Blackjack 21, but in case you're wondering what's going on with next year's convention, here's a quick preview of some of the things we are working on for next year:
``xEkuZFFyEFFUkRgWhRY``x1236916801``x(default)``x``x``xNew Larger Ballroom: We're expanding our main ballroom to include more seats, increasing the size of the stage for events like our masquerade, and utilizing our projection screen to make it easier to see the guests "up close" from far away. Gallifrey One never charges for reserved seating (and we never will), but we are doing everything possible to ensure more front-row access to those willing to get their spots in the main hall first -- and at the same time provide late-comers with a great vantage point to see everything going on.
A Fabulous Guest Lineup: Well, we're certainly hoping! We're already talking to a number of Doctor Who, Torchwood and Sarah Jane Adventures cast and production members and hoping to bring you some wonderful names in the near future. Many of your favorites will be back too.
Masquerade & Cosplay Hall: We're putting more focus onto this year's masquerade, including a special 'junior masquerade' section at the onset for younger fans. The Masquerade will take place in the main hall on Saturday night and will continue the expansion we featured this year; we'll also be encouraging pre-recorded material, putting more microphones on stage to capture sound, and providing a much larger stage to allow costume presentations to do much more. Also, Paul Cornell's "Just a Minute" game show with several guests will return to be this year's masquerade half-time presentation on Saturday night, while the judges debate their choices for the night's awards. Meanwhile, by popular demand we're bringing back the popular cosplay room this year as a central meet point for costumers as well as use as a masquerade 'green room'; this year the cosplay room will feature costume-related programming and meetups as well as function as a photography studio for cosplayers as before, and will be open throughout the entire convention.
Evening Events: Gallifrey One's nightlife is our pride and joy, and 2010 will be no exception. In addition to Saturday night's Masuqerade, we have a bunch of plans for evening fun. Friday night's annual gala will be a great one -- in tune with our theme, we're putting together A Gamble With Time Casino, a full casino gaming night starting shortly after opening ceremonies and lasting as long as it'll run. (Of course, there is no money involved whatsoever!!) Come play games of chance and skill with the same wonderful team that brought you our 2009 toga party. Then, later in the evening, right next door, our annual Karaoke Kafe opens and that'll run into the wee hours of the morning... and it'll all be centrally located with a full cash bar for your enjoyment! Saturday night's Masquerade, meanwhile, will be followed by our Saturday dance, once again with our exceptional DJ from 2009, Vasilios Alagiannis, who rocked the house until far into the early morning hours this past February. We also plan on bringing back our Sing-A-Long (which, sadly, got waylaid this year by a lost DVD disc!), our evening panel sessions... and maybe a surprise or two!
Changes to Autographing: The autographs hall & photo studio is moving to the Meridian room (the room we've used for "The Long Game" next to the Champions sports bar & restaurants on the main hotel lobby floor). It has a larger area for lineup outside the room as well. We are also discussing some changes to the autographs process to make it quicker and more user-friendly for everyone... but without taking away anyone's ability to get multiple autographs from each guest. Finally... we recognize that some of our attendees got a bit confused with the idea that 'sponsored guests' (such as Colin Baker and Kai Owen in February 2009) are brought to our event by individual vendors, and that they therefore charge for autographs; we'll be doing a much better job this year (we hope) of explaining to you who will sign for free and who will charge. Please note that any Doctor Who related non-sponsored, non-local guest will always sign personal items for free.
Dealers Room & Fan Tables: In order to accommodate our main ballroom increasing, we're moving our dealers room to the western hallway, and moving fan tables and actor signing tables out into the main hallway and a fan table area. We are not reducing the number of dealers, in fact most of our dealers will be returning next year; we're just swapping out the location. We hope you understand that this is a necessary change in order to accommodate the convention growing exponentially over the past two years.
Guest Banquet Changes: As long-time attendees of our convention will know, our Sunday morning guest brunch banquet is the only thing at our convention that we charge a separate fee for (and that's just to cover food). Normally we put tickets for the banquet (which has a very limited attendance) on sale at the convention, but in an effort to open things up to everyone including people who didn't have the opportunity to pre-register for 2010 at our 2009 event, we're going to conduct a lottery-style selection at some point during 2009. Interested parties can enter with their attendance name and will receive admission priority to the banquet for themselves and a guest. We'll keep you posted so you don't miss out; more details coming later in the year! And meanwhile, if you don't make that...
The Kasterborous Kaffeeklatsches: A new program item for 2010! Gallifrey One will be hosting a brand new "kaffeeklatsch" style event with some of our guests... an opportunity for you to spend an hour with a particular guest in a small, intimate setting of 8 to 10 people, complete with coffee & tea. It's very much an alternative to our Sunday banquet, but will feature only one guest (usually one of our writer guests) discussing their work and answering questions in a small, intimate format. More information and sign-ups will be available later this year.
Gallifrey 2010's Bob May Memorial Charity Auction: Our annual Charity Auction (as before, in honor of our dearly departed friend Bob May) will take place on Saturday instead of Sunday in the room next to the new autograph hall area. We will be soliciting donations at a much earlier time, and all members are welcome to drop their donations by the convention supply unit room. We will be announcing our target charity for our 2010 auction later in the year.
Video Room and Expanded Fan Video Program: We will be expanding our presentation of fan videos in 2010, showing collections over both Saturday and Sunday afternoons. In addition, because we had some problems this year with our fan video program (due to some technical difficulties on site which caused some delays, and probably emptied the room a bit), we will be screening all of 2009's fan videos again at our 2010 event.
Registration: Pre-Registration for Gallifrey 2010 is now open at the rate of $45, which is good until April 15 (until which it's the same rate that was available at our 2009 event a couple weeks ago). After that, prices will increase throughout the year to the final rate of $75 at the door. Make sure you pre-register early and take advantage of the early rate... you can register via mail or by PayPal right now by clicking on the Registration tab of the website.
And much, much more! We'll keep you up to date throughout the year on how things progress... of course, all the panels, Q&A sessions, autographs, demonstrations, discussions and everything you've come to love from Gallifrey One will continue. The road to 2010 begins...
The Countdown Begins!``xjslyon``xThe countdown to Gallifrey One: Blackjack 21, also known as Gallifrey 2010, has begun! The twenty-first annual North American Doctor Who Celebration will take place February 19-21, 2010 at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel. Peter Davison, the fifth Doctor Who, is our first announced guest... and there will be dozens more coming soon!
Pre-Registration has opened for the 2010 convention... we are continuing the $45 full weekend rate that was offered to attendees of the 2009 event until the end of March 2009. After that, the prices will move up as time goes on, with the final at-door rate of $75 for those who do not register before January 31, 2010. Click on the Registration page to register for Gallifrey 2010.
Please note that many of the pages of this website are not yet fully operational. Only this and the Registration page are fully active (as well as the links to the previous convention archives, which are being updated soon, and the main site). Everything should be up and running soon!
Keep watching this web space over the coming months as we announce new guests, full plans for programming, and all the events, activities and functions that make Gallifrey One one of the world's most beloved events celebrating Doctor Who and its spinoffs, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.
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