Get out more...........................Show Review.

The Winter Memorabilia Show, NEC

27-11-2006

Kill Bill star David Carradine, former Dr WhoTom Baker, and the voice of robo-pooch K9. Oh yes, it was a weekend for the nerds at the NEC's Winter Memorabilia Show. So of course, Edward Cameron was there.

Three Daleks rolled past me with a couple of terrified kids following at a distance, mesmerised by the sink plunger and egg whisk that appear so deadly on our screens.

I would give anything just to experience that moment of entertained fear through the eyes of a child. And I'll bet the guys inside the costumes felt on top of the world - or Planet Skaro at least.

But more priceless than the wonderment of children was the bewildered disdain of Doctor Who great Tom Baker, signing autographs three feet away.

While the biggest grin in showbiz and the velvet I-can-sell-anything voice was jovial and friendly to the legion of geeks, sorry fans, queuing for him, he appeared unimpressed by the efforts of those who had spent so much time and money building their own bonded polycarbide armour.

The big mad eyes seemed to be saying “Please, get a life”.

“Have you been to see John Leeson, the voice of K9, yet?” he asked as he signed my photo of him and his robotic dog. Of course Leeson wouldn't be there until the next day, but you don't correct the Doctor.

But even more strange was that Camille Coduri, Billie Piper's mum in the new series, had a massive queue of admirers, while Colin Baker, the sixth actor in the title role, had none.

Blamed for falling viewer figures caused by the series' increasingly violent and complicated scripts in the mid 1980s Baker was unceremoniously dumped in favour of children's telly favourite Sylvester McCoy.

He was genuinely pleased that someone wanted to see him “You're waiting for me, how lovely!” he said. I couldn't help it. The fanboy nerd took over my brain like a Cyberman earpod. “I hope you won't mind my saying, but I wish you'd stayed on a bit longer”, I said.

Colin Baker smiled with melancholy: “So do I” he said as he signed my picture. It almost broke my heart to think this guy, one of the few who genuinely loved playing the part, still holds such a grudge over being stripped of the title. Then the saddest moment of all. I paid him personally the fifteen quid each actor was charging. No agent or lacky, the cash went straight into his little box like a market trader.

It was the same with Darth Vader actor David Prowse and Wolf Kahler, alias Colonel Dietrich from Raiders of the Lost Ark.

There was a certain seediness to it. These people, idolised for a time by millions were now whoring themselves out with signatures and photo ops.

Finally it was Kill Bill and Kung Fu star David Carradine who took the shine off my day. His question and answer session soon dwindled as fans gave up asking him anything, discouraged by his bored attitude.

Asked if he had been pleased to get the role in Kung Fu instead of Bruce Lee he simply said: “That role was written for me. I never even heard of Bruce Lee until he was dead.”

Despite all that there's loads of toys and replicas, perfect for any fan of any major show or film. Just remember, never meet your heroes if you want your illusions to stay intact.

For details of the next time the Memorabilia Show visits the NEC visit www.memorabilia.co.uk.

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