#family fortunes

[weaversweek]

Which game shows have had the most episodes? Part 7: FAA-GAM

Count all the game shows continues!

This week!

Family Fortunes, the show to say "eep-orp".

Fame Academy, the show to bring us Jake Humphrey and Holly Willoughby.

Fort Boyard, entertaining challenges for all ages.

Face the Music and Flying Start, one of them had a Factory Records catalogue number.

Gamesmaster, for anyone who was (or could imagine being) an 11-year-old boy.

[plungermusic]

“We’re really all just one big happy family, honest …”

Blues folk are always banging on about the warm familial collegiality that has long been a hallmark of the ‘scene’, but then there are families and families. Plunger take a chainsaw to the family tree:

Grandpa Blues - A bit past it now, and prone to long rambling tales about the good old days when everything was black and white, a night out at a gig cost 3/6 and you could understand every word of the songs (mainly because there were so few of them and every one of those was repeated at least three times in a verse). Doesn’t understand his kids or grandkids but, as paterfamilias, he tries his best to keep them all on the straight and narrow path he trod all his life, offering stern, sage, and mostly ignored, advice (from his continental retirement villa).

Grandma Blues - Spry and sprightly, often to be seen down the front in the hamster-dance mosh-pit at any sparsely attended community centre or village hall gig. She doesn’t get involved in the family politics, no matter how acrimonious, as she loves everyone equally without fear or favour. After a few Dubonnets will regale you with how much she fancies “Oooooh, whatsisname, you know, Earl is it, or Errol something or other? Oooooh inn’e loooooooovely…”

Dad Blues - Hair and a discernible waistline may be long gone, but Dad still knows he’s got it, as long as he can still squeeze into that vintage Hoax t-shirt. If he’s not in a band with his old Polytechnic chums, or playing bass for his son’s best friend’s band, he’ll be guiding his son toward the stardom that was always rightfully his own. Having bombarded his children endlessly with his SRV collection he is hugely proud of Nigel but frustrated the others only have ears for Fats Domino, NWA and Metallica (or worse, Joe Bonamassa). Secretly hopes ‘Uncle’ Mike will groom his daughter Susan for bigger things.

Mum Blues - Mum Blues is like mums everywhere, but instead of cake stalls, Tupperware sales or WI jam drives, mum Blues is organising the local blues confederation from her kitchen, working the merch desk at her children’s shows, or trying her hand at promoting jam sessions in the local tea shop. Loves her whole family unconditionally “…if only Dad wouldn’t be so pushy, and Auntie wasn’t quite so loud, and Nigel would find himself a nice girl, and Susan had better dress sense, and Sid wouldn’t spit on the floor and… awwww, Tristram, bless!!!”

Auntie Blues - Dressed much like Dad blues, always head-banging on the rail and flipping ‘the horns’ Auntie Blues is a much-loved source of mild embarrassment to the Blues family. Eagerly following any and all bands that cross her path, her catholic tastes manage to offend all sides, but her sheer teenage enthusiasm largely overcomes any real ill-feeling. 

Nigel Blues - Eldest son Nigel had to bear the brunt of Dad’s eagerness to spawn a new star. Dutiful, neatly besuited, diligently practising, respectful of both Dad’s 90s heroes and the older icons from his Grandpa’s era, Nigel has already toured the halls and pubs with his Dad (and a reliced Strat) notwithstanding his total lack of talent, musicality, verve, flair or charisma. Openly critical (but secretly jealous) of his siblings.

Susan Blues - Susan has unaccountably confused ‘rockabilly’ with ‘blues’ and consequently spends her days dressed in 50s crinolines, bobbysox and braids: no one in the family has the heart to point this out. Looks upon her family with the era appropriate ‘They’re all squares, freaks or longhairs, Daddio!’

Sid Blues - Sid hates his family, and everything they like, do, or represent. His musical interests run no further than a mix of rap and 70s punk rock which he reveres as religiously (and erroneously) as the rest do Charlie Patton. Dad has been close to kicking him out of the house on more than one occasion, only relenting on the assurances of wise old Grandpa that in 25 years time Sid will release one if not two ‘homage to my influences’ blues classics cover albums.

Tristram Blues - The youngest of the blues family, Tristram (who attends a private school unlike his older siblings, thanks to the recent success of his father’s planking company) is an all-round prodigy. Well spoken and brimming with confidence, he has already mastered light-speed tapping, pinch harmonics and quantum music theory. He is submitting designs for his own range of guitars based on the molecular shapes of amino acids to a private luthier. Privately considers the rest of his family as harmless Neanderthals.

Cousin Georgie Blues - Without a single musical bone in his body, cousin Georgie splits his time between his hobbies of grammatically poor cliches and awkward, stilted portrait photography. One of the few scions of the Blues family residing north of Watford, Cousin Georgie is as distanced socially as he is geographically. Due to a long-held petty grudge over who should take cousin Belle’s wedding photos back in 2015, refuses contact with any member of the family except through his solicitors (Dunham, Goode & Propper). Recently compelled to hand back his key to the Blues family house.

Cousin Gwladys Blues - Another ‘exile’ from the main family group, but at her own volition, cousin Gladwys (who left school at 14 without any qualifications and what’s more has a faulty keyboard, so there) was picked on by other family members over her terrible spelling, grammar, typing, editing, proof-reading, personal hygiene etc. so badly that she moved to a place where even the place names look misspelled, to breed dogs and review books and poetry.

Cousin Belle Blues - Not actually a cousin: mum and dad blues found her in a basket in the park and she seemed like a very nice girl so they took her in and reared her as their own. now grown up her frequent if fleeting stopovers at the blues household have to fit in with visits to the many other adoptive/foster homes who also took her in and reared her as their own. Loves the Blues family. But she also loves Mr and Mrs A. Mericana and the wealthy Lord and Lady Classic-Rock too.

‘Uncle’ Mike Turquoise - Not actually an uncle but a ‘family friend’, Cool ‘uncle’ Mike is a regular visitor chez Blues. Mum and Dad love him, hang on his every word and are always pleased to give a hearty welcome to whatever latest-probably-slightly-too-young-for-him-ladyfriend he brings along. Grandma and Grandpa are a little suspicious of his louche ways (occasionally muttering darkly ‘spiv’ when he leaves the room) and the youngsters largely regard him with disdain (except when he asks them to walk out with him, obvs).

[hellman55]

Family Fortunes (Wii) Playthrough - NintendoComplete

[montereybayaquarium]

Flowing fluidly from that feeling of foreboding as we freely fling ourselves into Friday, and float on the fun thoughts of frivolity that await us on the week’s finale.

[wiiroms]

(via Family Fortunes)

[bet-on-me-13]

Dr Leslie Thompkins has some interesting references

So! The Batfam in in Dr Thompkins' Clinic for the usual Vigilante Related Injuries, and the Good Dr seems to be distracted.

One of them asks why she is so nervous and she reveals that her old teacher is coming over to visit, and she is worried that the state of her Clinic and the fact that she never managed to find a good job in a Hospital despite his teachings will upset him.

She is worried that she will disappoint him, because he has done so much for her in the past. He is the entire reason she ever managed to become a certified Doctor in the first place.

The others are curious as to what kind of person would illicit this level of concern from the Stric Doctor they knew?

There is a Knock on the Door, and she goes to Answer it.

In steps an 8 Ft Fall Glowing Yeti with an Arm made of Ice.

Frostbite smiles warmly at his former student, "Leslie! It's been too long!"

[nelkcats]

The Medium and his assistant

Amity Park was a roller coaster, but after eliminating the GIW, talking to the Fentons, and getting some sort of alliance with the ghosts, Danny felt like he didn't have much else to do. He took Ellie's advice to travel a bit, but tried to make it a little more exciting.

Although the money he had been given could last forever (and longer with Vlad's card in his pocket), he wanted to earn his own money. So he made his trip a fun job, turning part of his vehicle into a trailer. Thus was born his career as a medium and fortune teller, traveling around the world, listening to the dead, advising people, etc.

Technically, thanks to Clockwork Danny could see the future, but he doesn't need it, or at least not always. And talking to the dead was practically his day-to-day, so he thought he had chosen well.

During one of his trips, when he passed through Gotham he found a zombie (which turned out to be a halfa!), the poor thing was lost, and wandering, so he helped him and did the most sensible thing possible: he offered him a job. Jason, who hadn't been back for a long time and his memories were scrambled, decided that he needed a vacation anyway, for his own sanity (not seeing the Joker's face was a bonus) and accepted the offer. Of course, he covered his face in case someone recognized him as the son of a millionaire, Danny approved.

Both traveled around the world, offering their services and bothering a certain Constantine who complained every time they had the same client (Danny replied that it really wasn't his fault, but the British man was still upset). A year later they returned to Gotham.

The Batfam assumed that Danny's business was a scam. But Bruce was desperate, he wanted to talk with Jason, to hear about him, even if it was a scam, so he visited them. When Danny asked who he wanted to contact, Bruce replied "Jason Todd."

Danny, who knew full well the identity of his employee, raised an eyebrow and glanced surreptitiously at his assistant, who was avoiding his gaze. He sighed before continuing his 'work', glancing at Jay from time to time.

A few days later, Dick Grayson showed up with the same request, and Danny made sure to kick Jason as soon as he left.

[goldenstorm0]

instant first thought by the end of the chapter. What is she doing, why, has she done this before, what

[treasureplcnet]

inverness here they come!!!!

[epiphainie]

this is one of those fic ideas i wanted to write for every ship i've ever been into so it will probably never happen but i'd like to have a silly story with 40 yo, single, lonely tommy kinard who's been down on his luck all his life - like i'm talking ridiculous levels of mom dying at childbirth, dad being terrible, horrifically unfortunate experience of the military, a series of failed jobs, a series of failed relationships, friendships never sticking for long, risks he takes always going south, somehow getting paper cuts through chainmail gloves, missing the bus while trying to avoid his daily encounter with the neighbor's dog etc. - one day opening the door of his downtrodden studio apartment to this beautiful man who stands there like a fucking angel. who looks at tommy with big apologetic eyes, red cheeks of shame, and twiddling thumbs of guilt and stutters, "so, uhm, i wish you didn't have to learn it this way but hi, i'm the guardian angel who, as it turns out, misplaced your files about four decades ago, and so uhm it just resurfaced, haha, and like yeah, i've been banished here for penance. i'll take the couch, it's fine."

[vardasvapors]

every time i go into the nearby barnes & noble i get macroaggressed by this display going ‘these aren’t your grandma’s romance novels! 🥵’ full of identical pastel covers with colorblocked half-silhouette drawings of well clothed people hugging in front of a bougie cafe. yeah whatever i know, your grandma’s romance novels were gremliny little pulp paperbacks full of hilarious evil bisexuals ruining their lives and the lives of everyone around them with bullshit too hot for any b&n to stock. whatever. i wish there were more weird tiny indie bookstores around.

[ssalballoon]

"God, his knees are starting to hurt."

based on @troutsoup's writing! love the exploration of gale's childhood... an extra level of horror that mystra visited him in the form of a child

[theodysseyofhomer]

the odyssey obviously raises a lot of questions and anxieties about the relationship between a parent and a child, but surely one of them must be: what are the responsibilities of parents, and how do they pass on power and legacy to their children, in a society where enslaved labor essentially raises upper-class children?

telemachus being emotionally closer to eumaeus than he is to odysseus and penelope is one example of this tension; even eumaeus' dogs know telemachus, but almost tear odysseus apart. there's also eurycleia being the first to recognize odysseus without any reveal from man or goddess, and the fact that eurycleia's name signifies the opposite of his mother's (eurycleia = wide-fame, widely known; anticleia = anti-fame, unknown). eurycleia and eumaeus are both described as being close to odysseus' family, raised with them and having a hand in raising them. eurycleia nursed odysseus, not anticleia. there's even special note made of eurycleia being protected from laertes; and yet any relative safety they have is maintained by selling out other, "disloyal" slaves (not that the text indicates that their own loyalty isn't sincere, but think about what that proximity does to a person trying to rationalize how and why they survive).

i've kind of lost the thread of what i was saying about parental responsibility and anxiety specifically, but i do think melanthius and melantho and the other hanged women are caught up in it too, somehow. the implicit threat of eumaeus and eurycleia's existence is ultimately realized, not by them, but through the slaves who align with the suitors actively seeking to supplant odysseus and telemachus, which is why their punishment is so cruel. no hierarchy built on enslaved people ever rests easily, and there's a lot of fear about it expressed through the odyssey.

[marypsue]

I just finished watching the 1966 Hammer flick Plague of the Zombies, and I'm fascinated by it. The premise is that the squire of a small Cornish village, who was raised in the Caribbean before being called home to take over after his father's death, has turned to voodoo to try to get workers to reopen the tin mines that made the village's fortune.

The movie sits neatly in an uneasy horror space between the original horror of the zombie - of your will being overridden by another's, of continuing to be enslaved even after death should have released you from all earthly woes - and Romero's ghouls and everything that they spawned. A nightmare sequence features hands pushing up out of fresh-dug graves, dead faces closing in all around one of our protagonists - but in the end, the only person the zombies are truly dangerous to is the man who created them. The true horror of the story is the absolute power that the squire holds over the people of the village, made metaphorical as voodoo.

The tin mines were closed after multiple fatal accidents caused the men of the village to refuse to work there anymore, so the squire removed their ability to refuse by killing and raising them as zombies. At the end of the day, he owns these people, body and soul, and there's nothing that the police or the vicar or anyone else who is supposed to be responsible for the villagers' wellbeing can do, so long as the squire holds this position of absolute power.

If you feel you simply must transplant zombie horror based in voodoo into a white European context, I feel like using it to highlight the injustices of a system of government directly descended from feudalism is not the worst choice you could make.

[xinyuehui]

⸺ Don't be afraid. If you became a demon again, jiejie would become a demon with you.

大梦归离 · Fangs of Fortune · 2024

[highlynerdy]

"Bingyi once said the two most beautiful things in the world are a false alarm and a reunion after a long separation. I've been looking forward to the return of my old friend. Unfortunately......"

Fangs of Fortune / 大梦归离