Gallifrey One?
It sucks being at work. I just want to be at home hovering over Lucifer and watching him like a hawk. Yes, I’m an overprotective cat mommy. (I decided not to bring him here with me because traveling stresses him out and makes him eat less, and it’s important for him to eat.)
His morning shot went fine. He didn’t even react to it, actually, but it definitely went in. He’s such a sweet, gentle little guy. And his behavior has been normal–he’s alert and playful and fine.
I think I’m going to have to install a door in the middle of my apartment (there’s an empty doorway) so that I can separate the cats. I want Lucifer eating a set amount of wet food twice a day, but Angel throws fits if she doesn’t have dry food to graze on all the time.
In other news, I’m thinking about Gallifrey One. I really enjoyed talking to the New Who fans I managed to find at DragonCon. And it’s relatively cheap and easy to get to, and the guest line-up is great. I haven’t found much info on the programming, though, and on how interesting the topics are and how friendly they are to New Who fans. (I’m far more interested in fan-run programming than in celebrity guests, to be honest. I’d rather participate in a discussion than just be spoken down to from on high.)
Anyway. I’m thinking about it. Anyone ever been there?
Current Mood: 
anxious
19 Responses to “Gallifrey One?”
minervamoon on September 3, 2008 7:39 pm | Link
I was also going to make a “Gallifrey One, Anyone?” post on LJ. I would have to work out the flight and scheduling (because it will be while term is still on), but hotel rooms are less expensive when you’re sharing with other people, so I mark this a tentative “HELL YES”.
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rusty-halo on September 4, 2008 5:09 pm | Link
Awesome. :)
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violet_lane on September 3, 2008 8:56 pm | Link
:D I hope you go! I’m planning on attending for the first time this year. I don’t think any of my friends are going to accompany me, so it’d be great to hang out if you decide to go. I hear it’s a lot of fun and a lot of great discussion happens. I sent them an email asking about panels, so hopefully they’ll write me back. :D
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rusty-halo on September 4, 2008 5:10 pm | Link
I’m not sure yet but I’m definitely considering it. It we both go, yes, we’ll totally have to hang out. :)
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nutmeg3 on September 3, 2008 9:09 pm | Link
See? I told you you’d be more traumatized than he would. ::is happy (and hopes you’ll soon stop fretting, too)::
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rusty-halo on September 4, 2008 5:30 pm | Link
Thanks. *hugs*
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queenofattolia on September 3, 2008 9:37 pm | Link
I’ve never been, even though it’s local, but I’m definitely going next year and dragging along my sister, my nephew and possibly one or more of my sister’s work colleagues (who are all massive New Who fans). I fully expect there to be more than a few disgruntled Old Whovians, but I’ll ignore them.
The GO site keeps hinting that Steven Moffat might make an apppearance, which would be cool. Yeah, I definitely want to go, mostly because the only thing I regretted about missing this year’s Comic-Con was the Torchwood panel (one of my friends met Barrowman there, who she said was fun beyond reason).
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rusty-halo on September 4, 2008 5:33 pm | Link
Ooh, if you’re going that definitely makes me more likely to go. It would be great to be able to meet up with friends there. :)
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tardis_stowaway on September 4, 2008 2:53 am | Link
I was just thinking about Gallifrey One since it’s within a few hours’ drive for me. I’ve never been before, but judging by the high proportion of New Who people on the guest list so far I would hope they’d be friendly to New Who fans.
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rusty-halo on September 4, 2008 5:41 pm | Link
It does seem a lot friendlier to new series fans, and those guests would be cool to see.
It would be great to see you at the con!
I think I need to find out more info about the non-celeb panels before I make up my mind for sure, though…
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spikewriter on September 4, 2008 11:44 am | Link
Okay, I’m the first to admit I haven’t been to Gallifrey One in years, but I know most of the people involved with it. (I know the founder and owner longer than I care to admit.)
The committee is going to be absolutely welcoming to New Who fans. For one thing, the influx of fans of both New Who and Torchwood are what helps the con going. I remember the early days when the con was financed literally out of people’s savings and kept going only because people were willing to spend their own money and not only not see a profit, but not necessarily see all of it back. (Yeah, I was there at the very beginning.)
Are there going to be bitter old fanboys? Oh, you better believe it. They are not, however, the predominant audience because for years the con’s been much broader than just Doctor Who. If you go and anyone’s nasty to you, just seen Linda at registration and she will be more than happy to deliver an appropriate smackdown. In fact, she’ll probably know the offender and can deliver a very pointed smackdown.
Maybe I’ll actually go this time. We haven’t gone recently because it’s no longer quite as convenient as when it was at the Airtel, but enough people are talking about it that maybe I should get off my duff and get a membership. (Maybe I should see if Linda needs help at registration.)
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rusty-halo on September 4, 2008 5:52 pm | Link
Wow, thank you for all the info. I hope you go–it would be great to see you there. :)
Do you have any idea what the non-celeb panels are like? Are there different tracks? How do they choose panelists? Anything regarding that…?
I’m definitely thinking about going. I guess it mostly depends on how comfortable I feel about the programming and on whether I’m able to find roommates.
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spikewriter on September 5, 2008 2:15 am | Link
Let me check with my sources and see if I can get a full schedule from last year — and any low-down on what’s being planned for 2009. You can find a good writeup on the con at this blog: http://sftvblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/gallifrey-ones-nineteenth-symphony-opus.html.
The focus really is on current SF Media, not just Who and not just Old School. As for how they choose panelists — the organizers pick people they know, and, yes, there is a regular stable (including one or two bitter old fanboys in need of a bath). This is why when I showed up to support the first con (not really being a Who fan at that point) and asked what I could do to help, I was told I was either going to be in the masquerade or judging it. Later that evening, I found myself in my Renfair costume being escorted out of the TARDIS by Jon Pertwee.
The celebrity aspect, especially those connected with the Old School, is a little different than a lot of cons. Some of these folks have done Gallie multiple times and they’ve been known to pitch in more than one would expect, participating in the Saturday night cabaret. Sophie Aldred and Colin Baker have both won the con’s renditions of the “Just a Minute” game show, going up against convention attendees. John Levene, if he is there, is generally beloved and a great sweetheart who comes just because he has a great time. Yes, there are stupid fangirls/boys and autograph lines, but the con doesn’t do the whole photo package deal.
It’s a lot of fun. The reason I haven’t been going has more to do with distancing myself from getting pulled back into the LA con scene after one of the con organizers told the organizers of a Westercon, “Oh, I know Caro would love to run your masquerade,” and led them to believe they didn’t need to ask anyone else without speaking to me first. (This is isn’t the first time either. there was the unfortunate Regency Dancing incident where the husband and I discovered we were listed in the progress report as running the event at a con without being spoken to. They were surprised when they finally talked to us a week and a half before the event and we said “no.”) It’s been a few years, though, so it’s probably safe to poke my head up again (they have no idea I’m into DW now.)
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spikewriter on September 5, 2008 2:41 pm | Link
I think my reply got eaten or it might be in your spam filter.
There are different tracks — the con is really pan-fandom, with DW dominating. Some of the non-celeb panels are quite interesting, but it’s the usual mix depending on who they get. As to how they get the panelists, it’s really based on who they know. This is why I’ve ended up judging the masquerade a few times when I’ve been there — they know me.
It’s getting to be a fairly sizeable con — over 1,000 people in 2008 — but the emphasis is still on relaxing and having a good time. Some of the subsidiary guests have been coming for years just because they enjoy it so much and the atmosphere. Some of the celebs join in on the silliness, as well; Colin Baker and Sophie Aldred have both participated in and won the con’s version of “What’s My Line?”.
It’s a fun gig; my reasons for not going have been more resisting the pleas to dive back into fandom (the owner of Gallie and the DW Forum and I used to run a ST:TNG club together — we go back that far) than anything else.
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rusty-halo on September 5, 2008 3:15 pm | Link
Damn, I’m sorry. Stupid spam filter. Lately it only seems to be catching legit comments, so I’m turning it off for now.
Thank you so much for all of the info; I didn’t realize that the con was so multi-fandom. The con report you linked to was also really helpful. :)
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spikewriter on September 5, 2008 7:22 pm | Link
The husband is seeing the person who does registration for the con tonight (he games on Friday nights with her husband) and I’ll have him ask her if she has heard anything about what’s up for 2009. I have things I can bribe her with, if necessary. :) She’ll have more of an inside track than what’s being posted on the DWF — there’s always what they want to do and then what they’re actually going to get to do.
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rusty-halo on September 11, 2008 3:39 pm | Link
Thank you again for all the info about the con. :)
jaydk and I are definitely thinking about going. The one thing we haven’t been able to figure out (because we haven’t found any actual schedules) is what day/time we should be aiming to arrive/leave so that we don’t miss any programming. Should we get there Thursday night or Friday morning? Should we leave Sunday night or Monday morning? Do you have any ideas? If not, it’s cool, just wanted to check.
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sfumat0 on September 6, 2008 2:10 am | Link
As another “overprotective cat mommy,” I’m glad Lucifer’s doing well. :)
GO looks like fun. A little too far away for me, though. I was thinking about going to Time Gate in Atlanta next year, but it looks like it’s run by the same people who were on all the Dragoncon panels.
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rusty-halo on September 9, 2008 2:43 pm | Link
Yeah, I wouldn’t want to do have to deal with those particular people anymore. *sigh* Plus Time Gate is part Stargate and… yeah. Stargate. Not my thing.
I think there’s a Doctor Who con in Chicago that’s supposed to be good, if Gallifrey One is too far away.
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