Gallifreyan Embassy

Thanks to the enormous success of our Second Second Life Meet Up in May, we had an overwhelming amount of requests at the event for us to do it on a more regular basis. To that end, we will be holding Doctor Who: Podshock / Gallifreyan Embassy Second Life Meet Ups now regularly. 

Second Life is a virtual 3D environment that enables club members, listeners, website visitors, and all Doctor Who fans to come together to meet up, talk, dance, hang out, party, etc. no matter where you live. All that is needed is broadband internet access and the free Second Life client software (and a computer capable of running it). It breaks down the geographic barriers and make it easy for us to connect. It's the next best thing to being there in person.

With our new website (3.0), comes a new feature of blogs. It basically means in addition to news and other postings featured on our site, we will have regular contributors posting blog entries here as well relating to all things Doctor Who including the spin-offs of it.

Currently, the bloggers will be limited to staff and crew of the website and Doctor Who: Podshock, but will also feature other writers. One of which you will know from our podcast, but perhaps more so from his weekly This Week in Doctor Who (TWIDW) listings on Outpost Gallifrey and the TWIDW Yahoo Group, we welcome Benjamin Elliott who will be posting This Week in Doctor Who here as a regular blog.

Louis Trapani (right) interviews Patrick Troughton (left) in 1986. The interview appears as a cover-story for the Gallifreyan Embassy newsletter, Ambassadors of Life. Image by Louis Trapani

Paul Darrow spends some time with the Gallifreyan Embassy for an interview in 1986. Paul Darrow had played Tekker the year before in the Doctor Who story Timelash, he has since worked once again in Doctor Who in one of the Big Finish audio dramas, but he is best known for his character Kerr Avon in Blake's Seven. Image by Louis Trapani

One of the firsts conventions that the Gallifreyan Embassy had a table. This one was in Manhattan circa early 1986.

PJ made this K9, his first attempt at constructing a life size K9. This one made it's debut at the Gallifreyan Embassy's first anniversary celebration Festival 1986.

The Gallifreyan Embassy would usually take WLIW (the Long Island PBS station that showed Doctor Who at the time) by storm during their pledge drives volunteering during their British science-fiction line up nights. Here is the gang back in the '80s in this classic photo by Keith. From left to right is Louis, Andrea, Amy, Pete "Bug", Denise, Al (sitting in front on phone), Ken, Brian (standing behind Ken), PJ, Rob (all the way in the back), Tim (front standing), and Keith himself (standing). Thank you Keith for allowing us to share this photo.

Back in the day when Ken Deep and K9 were on talking terms, together they staffed the Gallifreyan Embassy table in Brooklyn College in which Tom Baker and Colin Baker were appearing on September 28, 1986. Photo by Louis Trapani

The Gallifreyan Embassy volunteered at the WLIW pledge drives during their Doctor Who and other British sci-fi programming, this is from one the firsts sometime in early 1986. That is Ken Deep in the back (with the microphone of course)... also seen off to the far left is Pete "Bug" and in the foreground, Lady Katie and the "Anti-Doctor" - Photo by Louis Trapani

We had the pleasure of interviewing Colin Baker in March 1987 during I-CON VI in Stony Brook, NY. Photo by Louis Trapani.

Some members of the Gallifreyan Embassy in 1988 (at I-CON) as familiar characters. Standing on the left Keith (as the 4th Doctor) and standing on the right Rosanne (as the 6th Doctor) are still active in the Embassy today.

The Gallifreyan Embassy would usually take WLIW (the Long Island PBS station that showed Doctor Who at the time) by storm during their pledge drives volunteering during their British science-fiction line up nights. Here is the gang back in the '80s in this classic black and white photo by Keith. From left to right is the "Anti-Doctor" (Chase), Louis, Andrea, Denise, Pete "Bug", Ken, Brian (standing behind Ken), PJ, Rob (all the way in the back), Al, Amy (next to PJ), Tim (front seated), and Keith himself (standing). Thank you Keith for allowing us to share this photo.

Close-up of the second Gallifreyan Embassy (of Long Island) banner. Painted by Louis Trapani (acrylic on canvas) in 1986. The banner traveled with the Embassy at all its public appearances in the early years. This slide of the Embassy logo was used on screen at PBS stations such as WLIW during pledge drives when we volunteered. Photo and artwork by Louis Trapani.

The Gallifreyan Embassy logo.

Host, 2005-2011

James Naughton has been a sci-fi fan for as long as he can remember. Growing up in the UK, he spent most of his early years cowering behind the sofa to the Daleks.

Always interested in technology, in early 2005 he started his own podcast, about everything and anything. This lead to involvement in various other shows, such as Rough, Ready and Raw and Doctor Who: Podshock. These days though, he prefers to invest his time podcasting solely about science fiction.

Louis Trapani founded the Gallifreyan Embassy (GE) in June of 1985 to serve the growing fandom centered around Doctor Who and other British science fiction during the mid-80s in the US. Originally a local organization with local meetings, today it is international, serving the global community.

In 1989, Louis graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree from the School of Visual Arts in New York where he majored in the media arts department.

Ken Deep comes to podcasting from the traditional broadcasting medium. Having honed his skills in professional radio and television broadcasting, he applies the same vigor and enthusiasm to our podcasts.

He, along with Louis Trapani were there from the beginning of the Gallifreyan Embassy and helped to bring it to where it is today. His extensive knowledge of science fiction is evident in all our shows.

Ken continues his work in traditional broadcasting whilst also being one of the pioneers in new media. His experience interviewing people from a wide range of backgrounds is vast. From his work hosting a national show on Air America to being a voice-over talent, Ken has mastered it all and brings that experience to our podcasts.

Once again, the Gallifreyan Embassy website has regenerated. This is sort of the Jon Pertwee version of our site (give or take), as it is essentially our third incarnation of the website.

This new site is still being developed while our previous site remains operating and functioning as it had been since the last regeneration (2005). Eventually, we will migrate here as our default site while keeping the previous site as-is for archival purposes.

NOTE: If you have an existing account from our previous site, it will need to be re-created here.

While content is being moved to and being developed here on our website 3.0, please access our previous site for the past four years worth content.