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Post by fitzoliverj on Feb 21, 2017 18:57:43 GMT
Surprising and unpleasant news that Jim French Productions/Imagination Theater are closing down next month. No more radio, no more CDs, no more downloads, no more Audible. Big Finish's M J Elliott cut his teeth writing for them, and Ian McLaughlin wrote their 'Kerides the Thinker' series, which included one episode that featured Erimem-from-Big-Finish-Doctor-Who's ghost possessing a not-quite-so-ancient Egyptian. Last chance to buy! jimfrenchproductions.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=0&products_id=1346
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Post by glutamodo on Feb 23, 2017 0:15:17 GMT
They are really closing down? Dang! Yeah, I heard the recent announcements about their final live recordings last month but I had no idea this meant they weren't going to do more studio productions or their monthly episode with the Jerry Robbins stories. That's too bad, these weren't quite up there with Big Finish but with a general radio audience I never expected them to be and I've been a listener since last spring.
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Post by fitzoliverj on Feb 23, 2017 6:54:27 GMT
No, unfortunately it's all going - recordings, broadcastings and - most significantly - downloads and streaming and CDs will no longer be available after next month. It appears that Jim French has had health problems, and someone in his family - possibly his wife, I'm not sure - has died. The company as a whole is shutting down.
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Post by glutamodo on Feb 24, 2017 2:41:22 GMT
I did some more research just now, as to how I might be able to continue to follow those Colonial Radio Theatre series and in doing so, saw a note that Pat French did indeed pass away. Back when they announced their "final live recordings" a few weeks back I figured there Must Be A Reason for this and pulled up their website but didn't find anything at that time.
It's also a bit sad to see a company that's been successful enough to survive this long just go and shut down, and not find new management to keep it rolling.
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Post by iainmclaughlin on Aug 4, 2017 12:35:35 GMT
I did some more research just now, as to how I might be able to continue to follow those Colonial Radio Theatre series and in doing so, saw a note that Pat French did indeed pass away. Back when they announced their "final live recordings" a few weeks back I figured there Must Be A Reason for this and pulled up their website but didn't find anything at that time.
It's also a bit sad to see a company that's been successful enough to survive this long just go and shut down, and not find new management to keep it rolling. Imagination Theatre aren't completely dead yet. Jim has ubderstandably retired. He's over 90 now. However, there are four dates set for new recordings of Harry Nile and Sherlock Holmes. How they'll be made available I don't know, but I'm very glad that Imagination Theatre's ashes are stirring like a Phoenix ready to rise.
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Post by glutamodo on Aug 4, 2017 19:00:22 GMT
I didn't know about this, thanks for the info. Their YouTube channel has continued to re-issue classic episodes, weekly, and I listen to them. And... they issued a NEW (Sherlock Holmes) story on the YT channel a couple weeks ago! I think Larry (Albert... who plays Harry Nile and John Watson) seems to still be interested in continuing, I'm suspect that he is the one that would be driving any further productions along.
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Post by iainmclaughlin on Aug 4, 2017 22:17:31 GMT
I didn't know about this, thanks for the info. Their YouTube channel has continued to re-issue classic episodes, weekly, and I listen to them. And... they issued a NEW (Sherlock Holmes) story on the YT channel a couple weeks ago! I think Larry (Albert... who plays Harry Nile and John Watson) seems to still be interested in continuing, I'm suspect that he is the one that would be driving any further productions along. The Holmes they released a few weeks ago (The Strange Case) was one I wrote before they closed up shop but hadn't got around to recording yet - it was a two hander so it was easier to record. I thought that would be a one-off but Larry has four dates at IT's old stomping ground, the Kirkland Performance Centre in Seattle. Matthew Elliot has just delivered the first of the Harry Nile scripts for the recordings. I've talked to Larry about this a few times but I don't think I should say anything more. It's really for Larry to make any further announcements - I'm just delighted the ashes are stirring.
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Post by glutamodo on Aug 4, 2017 23:11:23 GMT
Well, all I can say is that I'm happy that something continues there. Larry seemed to have become more involved than just a voice actor over the years, and I rather felt bad for him when I.T. closed down. (thinking that he was still up and ready for more even if Jim wasn't)
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Post by iainmclaughlin on Aug 5, 2017 10:30:29 GMT
Larry produced and directed for IT as well as working in the office with Jim and Sable. I wrote 30-odd scripts for them and I'd guess Larry directed all but five of them. He's a good director, always understood the story, cast well and got good performances. I always enjoyed working for IT. They had a lovely warm, family atmosphere about them. I've already declared that Claire and I are ready for duty on any IT revival.
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Post by glutamodo on Aug 5, 2017 22:33:17 GMT
re: Larry's involvement, I noticed his wider credits, but I didn't know he helped out in the office as well. What a trooper.
re: future work.... I say: Bring it on!
I've said before that I didn't consider the I.T. productions in the same class as BF, but qualified it by the simple fact that they were playing to get a wide radio audience to stay tuned, and not the "dedicated, captive, market" that BF has... and that I always thought that IT performed very well in that particular mode of operation.
I only followed IT closely over their last 9 or 10 months of operation, so the current posting of various shows over the history of the show has been nice to hear.
I said they played to the radio listeners, and they really did, and seldom the live audience. There were several times I'd have never guessed it was a live recording until the end announcement, due to not hearing audience reactions picked up by the microphones. (which is certainly different from, say , Prairie Home Companion!)
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Post by iainmclaughlin on Aug 6, 2017 17:07:17 GMT
Most of the stuff we wrote for them was recorded in studio rather than in fgront of an audience. With Kerides it became a necessity because our lead actress was on tour with a play and Larry could only get her in studio when she was home on vacation, so she'd record her scenes for several stories in isolation or with her mother, who happened to also play her mother in the series. The one that caught me out was the Frankenstein we did for them - I'd never have guessed that was recorded in front of a theatre audience. Oddly, before word came of Jim's retirement and IT's probablt closure, I'd been working on a new series which would have involved the audience in telling the story by being about an OTR series. I may return to that idea fior someone else.
I always liked that IT knew their core audience and aimed at them, and built up a good relationship with their regulars. I hope you enjoy the stories they're posting on their channel. They did over a thousand shows with Jim in charge so there's plenty for you to still hear.
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Post by glutamodo on Aug 8, 2017 2:44:08 GMT
I just want to say, thanks for your individual input here. I like hearing from various sides of the production process - I'm kind of a sound designer (openly admitted in my signature line) but that goes along with myself being a big fan of various forms of audio drama. Who knows what outlets the upcoming productions you mention will take, but I'm sure I'll be there as a consumer.
And while I mentioned Jerry Robbins above (Colonial Radio Theatre On The Air) I never did say much as to how I liked his productions compared to I.T.'s - while I've listened to many various podcasts and interviews, I never heard one that talked about how they hooked up with IT. But I'll say it now, I always thought Jerry's titles were on par with the ones that Jim (and Larry!) produced... and I'm glad that Jerry is still going strong. (but kind of sad that with the end of IT, he's lost a network audience, after losing his slot on satellite radio some time back now)
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Post by iainmclaughlin on Aug 9, 2017 16:58:10 GMT
Cheers. I'm completely intrigued by audio and radio. I prefer radio to TV. I got rid of a load of channels a couple of years ago because I was wasting hundreds every year on channels I wasn't watching - I was listening to the radio or audios or podcasts. I haven't missed the TV channels at all. My sporting passion is cricket and I'd rather listen to Test Match Special than watch a test on Murdich's money machine.
I like Jerry and Colonial Radio. We've swapped some emails over the past few months and... yeah, let's see what happens there. I like their shows. On top of what we've been discussing I have a western I'd love to take to Colonial. I like what they do and I am fairly passionate about keeping radio/audio drama alive. One of the best things the internet has done is make it possible for people to get into making these dramas. I founf Starship Excelsior a few months ago and I'm working my way through when I have some time. Really enjoyable stuff. I didsome basic sound design for online commercials and website animations. I think 45 seconds was the longest I did - kudos to anyone who can do a full episode. It's tough work and I'm staying behind my keyboard tapping out words instead of doing the hard work.
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Post by glutamodo on Aug 20, 2017 3:05:01 GMT
Again, thanks for taking the time to register and post comments here.
Currently, after spending a couple of months buying and listening to the entire series (including the installments I heard on-air) of Powder River, I'm certainly waiting to get the final series. A recent FB update indicated "Late 2017"... and after one old podcast comment of "early summer" 2017, it's nice to know that, if nothing else, the final release is still on track, just put off a few months.
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Post by iainmclaughlin on Aug 29, 2017 17:15:55 GMT
This week's repeat offering on Imagination Theatre's Youtube channel is Curse of the Mummy, a Hammer-flavoured horror written by Claire Bartlett and me. www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRqo7oO5wko
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Post by glutamodo on Aug 30, 2017 9:30:45 GMT
sweet! I usually check on Tuesday or Wednesday regardless, but thanks for the heads up.
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Post by iainmclaughlin on Aug 30, 2017 20:04:00 GMT
Total self publicity, I promise you. There are a couple of little games to be played with Curse of the Mummy - spot the Doctor Who in-joke, and work out which Hammer stalwart we had as a pen picture for each of the characters. This and The Heart of Frankenstein were our take on what Hammer *could* have done next in their film series... maybe...
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Post by glutamodo on Sept 1, 2017 10:08:44 GMT
I did easily catch the DW in-joke. As for the Hammer tie-ins, those I have not seen so I wasn't able to catch any of those.
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Post by iainmclaughlin on Oct 16, 2017 21:27:41 GMT
As an FYI, the Kerides script Erimem was in, Return of the Queen, forms the basis of the first of the next run of Erimem novellas (it's expanded with another couple of plot strands so it's more than just a direct novelisation). I put a cameo of Kerides and Adrea into one of the other books in the series but I'm really keen to see how they work in a longer piece. Claire and I have been talking about doing a Kerides novel or anthology for a while so this is a sort of sneaky test run for that as well as being an Erimem adventure. Got to admit, though, I'd love somebody to do some Harry Nile novels.
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Post by iainmclaughlin on Dec 26, 2017 18:33:35 GMT
I'm sorry to report that Jim French passed away at the end of last week. He was 89 and his health had been shaky for some time. His work in radio stretches back 70 years, and I don't know if anybody did more to keep radio drama alive and kicking in America than Jim did. His legacy is huge, his reputation well-earned. He was also just a kind, generous and thoroughly decent human being. I was lucky to work with him on around 30 plays over the space of ten or twelve years. I'm saddened by Jim's passing but grateful for him having been here and for the legacy he leaves behind. Jim will be missed terribly.
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