A funny thing happened on the way to the camera

Never say no

They do say never say no, but I don't know who they are. Still there are those who wait to be employed and those for a corner shop to rent and the film and acting game is the same. You can wait for the phone to ring or demand a salary, or make a web series and win awards and get noticed. Ewe are all artists and Picasso did ask for a dollar each time he picked up a paint brush. Enough said, but we have always made and invested in films, and had we not many of the pop videos we made back in the day would never have turned into making The Krays, I would never have been able to give myself such a huge credit at the front of the film as Stunt Coordinator and got an instant career bump, and then been able to afford to make my own films etc...

The road trodden is never straight. So, just as I am at think tank conferences at the British Screen Council and with distributors learning a little about on-line morphication, (there spell checker deal with that one!) My wife asks if she can make something for the web. Coincidence my composers (Mar k Blackledge who is brilliant and has his own studios) said his son wanted to direct, so I threw about 20k at setting up a small camera set up to make web series. There was no way they were shooting that on my 5k Red Epics!

After 61 episodes of Shades Of Bad and winning countless awards, we had shot in Norway and Barcelona as well as the UK, just for a laugh and just because we could, and we ended up with a travel show - DORIS VISITS www.DorisVisits.com

Now some 200 travel films later in less than two years, we have an on line travel shop web base and people are booking hotels and cruises through us. You see when I started as a trainee DJ at radio 1 & 2 back in 1973, then went into commercial radio a few years later I never knew I would be cast as the DJ in a TV soap before the decade was out. I never knew once I got into TV that pop videos would be invented or I would produce and direct via a weaving route in and out of action.

I certainly never thought I would be a travel agent. But that is why you should never say no. Just saying, if you need a hotel use our link through Doris Visits, it is an official Bookings.com affiliate link as is our one to Monarch, P&O and a dozen other cruise lines and Tour Guide functions. That is because of volume of content and traffic, and it all came from no where.

So, the hair pin bend, and there always is one. I am given scripts all the time. Some to direct some under the guys of would I direct when what they would really like is for me to produce so they can direct. They are all normally poor. But, I was brought a series of books. Very raunchy female romance books. Why Me !!! ????  Now my wife Jean, now presenter on Doris Visits has often been heard to say that when I am offered female lead things. She nearly dies when I was asked to direct a film with Claire Danes in the USA by a producer who thought my output was female lead (Devil's Gate with Laura Fraser, The Scarlet Tunic with Emma Fielding etc) .... I stray. These books lacked a direction but had legs. It is that wonderful line I am sure is from a Linda Seger I read years and years ago... so we want to buy your script, it just needs a complete rewrite - here's why.....  Years later when I understood Hollywood a little more I wrote my own take on it, The Script Writing Cheat Guide, which I must update. But these books were / are still I have yet changed them that much, but wait. Are still about an older woman released from you will find out what in good time and when she is ready to tell you and can tell you, at an older age into life. So, to cut top the chase, she realises the clock is ticking and she wants to discover what most do in their teens. As an agoraphobic, by a route to be discover she swaps the house for a steel box otherwise know as a cruise ship. It is a fascinating look at life, and somehow I was the fit... female lead, cruise industry - obvious! (no there is no action.)

So, the SOLO CRUISER book series was in development and the table I set up (writer's table, development table) sat and criticised as they do. But I wanted to see ten episodes. Forget film, film is dead. Forget books I have no skills or interest. I needed to see a structure that worked for TV. I have an older Bridget Jones type, we all love her, where she is going but it is a mess. How would you handle it? So far this is what we have done. I have changed each book to be around a real cruise, the books starts the moment you board, ends when you get off. For arguments sake, Southampton to Southampton, round the Canary Islands. Then we have a time line, we have a looming end, we have a fixture. Book one ended up being placed into a cruise template of the Canaries that was Doris Visits Azura Cruise A628. Book 2 ended up being based on Arcadia Cruise round the Baltics and the third of Violet Becket's story, now more confident in direction uses bits and bobs of cruises in the Caribbean.

Look it is a tough life, but someone has to do it, and remember this is years of work with no fees and me investing, so that would put many off. I happen to thrive on it. My connection was this other little piece in the jigsaw, Amazon Editor Simon Okhill who came to me and got me to put my Brit Flick Freight into book form. He had the cruise project and made the fit.

What is next? Well having spent years advising soaps, and loving Jimmy McGovern's work, I can see the SOLO CRUISER books series as a soap, but each of the characters coming to the front in film fashioned with their story. That was a battle, but I seem to have one that Violet's story, as fascinating as she is, is only three books long.
Her Virgin Voyage
The Perfect Storm
American Portrait
and Panama On Your Six is a rewrite using Tank Commander Kieron Phipps as the new solo cruiser for the next series / three books. Those who know me will see a little of my influence in book 2, The Perfect Storm which is much darker.
All versions of the books are selling and as such will come up easily on Amazon searches, but I have added links. They are free on the Kindle library. What we are doing now is a simple break down into ten episodes and location structures because we obviously can't shoot it all on a cruise ship. But it will look like at as we all know, and quite wonderful. I need series two, which is three more books and I guess it is a five year project.
I also have insisted on Light versions of the books, not just the full fat versions. So there are two Virgin Voyages; Book 1, Virgin Voyage is very raunchy, but Her Virgin Voyage is the lighter version some 2500 words shorter. Book 2 is in two versions which are less than 500 words apart, and book three I think can survive in one version.

Life is strange, but who knows what will come next. The secret is to never say no.

Stuart St Paul

Doris Shades next stop Tenerife, Canary Islands

Doris Visits Tenerife, Canary Islands on the P&O ship Azura A628

Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands and it has an active volcano, Mount Teide, which often rumbles and has a dramatic moonscape landscape now a National Park. Other landscapes here are the verdant valleys and lush plantations and vast pinewoods to the glorious beaches. There is a lot to see, but a great bus service throughout the island which I tested.

Santa Cruz

Tenerife’s cruise port Santa Cruz de Tenerife has grown from a fishing village to the capital city with 300,000 inhabitants. It is a welcoming city with classy bars and restaurants, shops, and interesting museums. It is easy to walk into the city, follow the blue line, cross the road, round the lake and the tourist office is hidden under an eco garden. The city begins right outside the port gates. If you chose to stay in the city you will find a café-lined boulevard leading to the Plaza de Espana, at the heart of the port’s main shopping area. If you prefer museums and galleries, try the Museo de Bellas Artes, which contains works by Bruegel. The Museo de la Naturaleza y El Hombre shows topography, flora and fauna.

However, I fancied an adventure and wanted to test the buses. The first was a simple tram to Trinidad, not the island but the Avenue in the old city of La Laguna.

La Laguna

Is definitely worth a visit and will take a half day to explore the old houses in the main street. Again, it has a tourist office, get off the tram, walk to the top of the road, turn left, walk a block then turn right and it should be on the corner. Ask someone, everyone is helpful. See my film on Laguna and you will be enticed.

PUERTO de la CRUZ

I could have got the bus direct to Puerto de la Cruz and we did get the bus all the way back. But from La Laguna we got the number 30 from the bus garage at the other end of Trinidad.

Here is a tip, get off at the Botanical Gardens then walk down. You will then pass the Orchid Gardens where Agatha Christie and William Wilde, Oscar’s father have stayed, and then can walk down to the sea. If you go all the way in you have to walk UP to the gardens and they close at 6pm.

It is likely your ship sails late from Tenerife so you have time to do the gardens and go down and enjoy Puerto de la Cruz for late afternoon and early evening. The promenade is very attractive and the coastline is dramatic. We treated ourselves to a lovely lunch overlooking the bay.

As always we will eventually cover them the gardens in a separate film .. another time.

We had plenty of time to explore as the ship didn’t sail till 10.30pm but I have to admit we were exhausted at the end of the day.

If you were in Tenerife with us please share your comments and photos with us on www.DorisVisits.com

Tours available from your ship will probably include

Northern Panorama
Loro Parque
Gardens of the Valley
Puerto de La Cruz and Orotava Valley
Mamas and Tapas
Mount Teide National Park
Mount Teide Cable Car
Playa de las Americas on your own
Puerto de la Cruz on your own

Shades Of Bad sends Doris to Madeira

Doris Visits Madeira with an overnight stay.

After three days at sea which seemed to fly by, we arrived in Madeira, otherwise known as the Garden Island because of the wonderful display of sub-tropical plants and flowers. A few months before we arrived there was a terrible bush fire that destroyed homes and killed three people. The results were seen from the cable car.

You can walk into town from the ship and it is easy to see the route and how far it is.
It is hardly surprising that large and colourful flower markets are one of the most arresting features of Funchal, Madeira’s capital, though next door is the fish market that reminds you the island has a history of using the sea. Madeira is also known for its aquarium where you can dive with sharks, rays, morays and hundreds of other fish. Whale and dolphin watching are other featured activities for visitors to the island which is about twice the size of the Isle of Wight.

The market town is easily walkable and the further you go the steeper and narrower some of the streets become. On Santa Maria street, where there are many restaurants art work can be found on most of the doors. It features on the main Madeira film. Locally made wicker furniture gives a positive aroma to the clean air. Lacework and tapestries are also local trades as is the ubiquitous Madeira wine.

It will not surprise you that Funchal is also the base for tours to the islands botanical gardens; the fishing village of Camara de Lobos where Churchill went to paint, this also features on our main Madeira film. Camacha, the wicker centre; the Levada walks, part of an ancient irrigation system; and to Reids Hotel for traditional afternoon tea, making cruises to Madeira a must do. Many of these sites and more feature in our madeira film.

The Monte Tropical Gardens

The Monte Tropical Gardens are so extensive that you could spend a day there and walk back to the ship. Inside there is a three storey museum and the gardens and the museum feature in their own film although a short piece is in the main Madeira film. In the museum you will see art and sculptures from Zimbabwe and an exhibition of stunning minerals and stones.

The Toboggan Ride

Lastly the toboggan ride is great fun and one of the things Funchal is famous for. We thought we would show you the run in full although it is shown briefly in the main film. If you want to know what the toboggan run is like the full four minutes is covered.

The cable car, tropical gardens and toboggan ride are enough for one day without all the other things the island has to offer.

If you have been there, or were there with us, please add your comments and pictures to our web site click here

Tours available from your ship will probably include

Tea at Reid’s
Famous Toboggan Ride
Evening with Folklore (if overnight)
Deep Sea Fishing
Cable Car and Toboggan (see film above)
Nevada Walk
Jeep Adventure
Discover Whales and Dolphins by ‘rib’.
The Caves of São Vicente
Eco City Tour, Tuhxi Madeira
Farmers Market and Botanical Gardens
Leisurely Scenes of Madeira

Filming on board ship - even the small Volunteer Holiday ships

Filming on board ship - even the small ones like the Adonia with which Carnival have started a Volunteer Holiday group called Fathom

We were still very much into shooting the web series Shades Of Bad when we went on the Adonia as celebrity guests. Stuart was talking about Emmerdale and Mrs Brown's Boys, two of the shows he has worked on, and we circulated the ship knowing it was to go out of service.
The guests on that ship loved it and as the rumour spread and was confirmed there was a general feeling of loss. This was now the smallest ship in the P&O fleet and it was being moved to a new program.

There is a very interesting program by Carnival Cruise company which owns P&O and has taken the Adonia and some of the other ships from the fleet to form a new cruise company called Fathom.

I wish we had filmed the Adonia the last time we were on it, but we had not really started Doris Visits then, and although it was an idea and we were filming Canaveral, Key West, Bequia and Barbados we never filmed the ship. Part because we knew it would be out of service in a year, part because Doris Visits as a travel channel had not formed. Certainly I now wish we had.

However we had shot around ten episodes of Shades of Bad while on a Norwegian Cruise, and two episodes while on a Mediterranean cruise, so shooting on the move suited the kit we had bought for Shades Of Bad. It just needed refining. The latest addition to the kit is a fisherman's belt that carries everything.

The aptly named Shakespeare Agility Belt has numerous pockets. The Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera with lens and attached radio mic receiver goes in the main pocket. Twelve spare charged batteries in front left mini pocket and as they are used the dead ones go in the right pocket. Left pocket is ND and other filters, right pocket sound bits and change colour furry wind shields and spare mic batteries. Click here or use this link to get the belt that turns you into a walking film truck. http://amzn.to/2dzFWC2

For the kit that goes into that belt see previous blogs, but I wonder if the news and doc crews will head out with volunteers on these ships and work as light. Or maybe they will just use the camera phone like the news guys. Funny to think that we have now sold both our Epic Dragons and this is the new current kit, in a belt. Click above for the belt, see previous blogs for kit.

The Adonia will visit Puerto Plata for four days/three nights on one-week cruises from Miami, starting in the spring, docking at Carnival Corp.'s soon-to-open, $85 million port, Amber Cove. The cruises will be bi-weekly – alternate weeks the ship will be sailing to Cuba. They will take volunteers to areas that need help, teachers and contractors and workers, who for a few days can go ashore and do good work, then retreat to the ship at night.

These new volunteer holidays may have come just when needed. Despite the storm some areas have people living 40% below the poverty line, which is why such terms as Impact Travel are being used.

Officials of Fathom have interesting backgrounds and have impressive credentials. COO Kurt Kroemer has worked in a lot of areas including fighting genocide and human trafficking and was also an executive with the American Red Cross and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America.

The ships that have been moved to this are the smaller ships. Adonis was the smallest P&O ship in the fleet and some might say the most charming. The piano bar was always great fun, and the more random the pianist, the more random the night. Where else can you have nights like that on land, entertainment like that on land. It does not exist. So, do good by day, and relax by night.

What have you got to offer while you experience a cruise ship holiday with a difference.
Please follow us and like us for more cruise news... and visit our web site for more cruise news www.DorisVisits.com

If you have never cruised you will still be wondering what could be so wonderful. We did as I have said. Had we not been posted on a ship as part of an ITV public relations program we would never have started. However, as converts we have mentioned the offer that SAGA have which is to offer your first cruise with a deal that if you do not like it, they will remind you. See our web site for those details.

So, there are many ways to discover this fast growing floating hotel army.

Does Drama make money, can web series offer deals ... how about 'like your first cruise of money back?'

Product! Content! Money! - and now a cruise deal to offer Doris's followers

I have been to so many panels where so called experts explain much, but it is all quite simple and most artists, me included over the years have ignored the basic facts 

Make what the public want, not what you want to make. 

Sure if you have no interest in selling, having a distributor sell, or making money that can be ignored ... but, if you want your film to play in a cinema someone has to clean and maintain the place and they want to be paid.

Facts are simple, drama is worth around 35 billion, sport 45 billion and Gaming 75 Billion. Films related to Games the studios like.
This is the first year that advertising spend on-line has over taken advertising on the television ... and I saw earlier this year adverts for people to read the Metro rather than just read their phones while travelling. Not only do they have to give the paper away free, but then advertise to get people to read it.

You can lead a horse to water ... BUT 

So we tested the online market with a recurring web series Shades Of Bad, and sure we won awards, were voted no2 show in the Indie Series World Chart, Jean Heard was twice voted Best Actress... but none of that is currency at our local Indian restaurant.

What we did while we were making it was study, watch trends, move the show about and learn. 

It is about what we can do and what the public want and although the drama is taking a sabbatical, DORIS VISITS was born as a test along with others things we discarded, and the travel show has produced 100 films in 8 months. We plan to hit 300 films within another three years and have 6 cruises and two ski trips already booked for next year. That is now a work load and an organisation nightmare for edit and release.
But travel has an audience you can target, like Gamers do which is why it works. Drama does not.

So, as Doris Visits has just started a relationship with SAGA CRUISES, we can offer their first cruise deal. Book through our link and obtain a deal where SAGA state - If you don’t love your first Saga cruise, SAGA will refund your fare! Thanks to SAGA for offering this to all Doris Visits followers. Click here to explore the deal in full. http://bit.ly/2dXDvLE

Click this text to go to the link. please share

Take a look at www.DorisVists.com and see the films. We are now re editing them all slowing and at the same time producing TV slot 30 minute shows.

If you never watched Shades Of Bad, start here and work through all 61...

If you never watched Shades Of Bad, start here and work through all 61...

Celebrity Big Brother star James Whale is in web series SHADES OF BAD ... web series do make waves

Celebrity Big Brother kicks off, and Doris Shades Of Bad guest star James Whale is in there.

The new big brother house revealed it's initial celebrity guests, and it has the usual mix of controversial guests. The spoon to stir them all up could be chat show host and broadcaster James Whale, especially if the new guests to arrive are politicians as rumours have it.

James Whale, actor, broadcaster....

James, apart from being a guest star as Detective Inspector James Whale in episode 32 of Doris Shades Of Bad (original coffee break versions), is known for the Sunday paper reviews on Sunday Morning Television and his breakfast show on BBC Radio Essex. For many years he had his own late night TV show in the UK with had millions of viewers, figures shows just cannot get nowadays. James has had long stints on LBC, Talk Radio and Talk Sport. Click here to go to the site which will have the interview between James and Stuart.

The Connection ....

James Whale used to be the Late Night presenter on Metro Radio in Newcastle back in the 1970's, and it was there he became friends with Stuart St Paul who was then the breakfast show DJ on Metro. Stuart is now the executive producer on Shades Of Bad who has dragged in some interesting guests. Here in this interview, James and Stuart chat, head to head in the garden of Doris Shades, which is his house.  Click here to go to the site which will have the interview between James and Stuart.

The Episode

Episode 32, a lofty number very few web series achieve, is the one that James Whale appears in. The role made for him is Detective Inspector James Whale, who comes into the made house to arrest someone for murder. The series is not to be taken too seriously, it is a very light hearted humorous but very dark show about Doris Shades Of Bad, a woman who has needs, and revenge is amongst them.

Click this text for the episode which is on daily Motion so Blogspot does not support it as a film box.

Watch Shades Of Bad from the start

Click here for the very first episode of the coffee bite series on our new Daily Motion Channel.

Other Guest Stars ....

Almost all the web series shows nominated for awards in the USA were American, but guest star Richard Beaumont was nominated for his guest appearance. Ricky was a child star in many films like Digby the Dog. Now, as we head into the Rio Olympics period World Champion and Olympian Derek Redmond becomes a huge presence in ten episodes ... episodes 43 to 53. Derek was hugely nervous in his first acting role and due to his packed diary he often had to change days, arrive late and on one day had a Sky Sports camera team arrive at the house to take over and interview him during a lunch break. Take a look at his entrance and maybe lay bets on him being in the house next year.

Where is Shades Of Bad now?

Good question. There is no doubt that the tail is now wagging the dog.  The spin off travel show Doris Visits has become an instant huge web success and has been selected and put onto the Opera TV channel already. The web site went up a few days ago www.dorisvisits.com (click this text) and already has over 60 pages loaded and schedule to release at two each day, then one a day. 

Take a look at just one show, Doris is very different in the travel show and it makes for a very friendly and engaging presentation.

This weeks episode is number 55

Fifty five episodes of a web series and still going is quite a fete. The girls, Jean and Lynn who play Doris and Wilma just wrote and directed their own episode which Buster came back and patiently did camera from. That will slot in between episode 56 and 57 and delay the next guest star from arriving by another week. This week, episode 55 is called the garage where the three girls load a dead body into the car to go and dump it in the woods (next weeks). Three leave, only two come back is all the hint we will give you. Next week in the woods was the first UK exterior location, and a night shoot. Did they have a crew and lights.... did they heck. Total crew was doubled from one to two ! And a hand generator was borrowed to work their 3 x LED light panels. 

Manuel Martinez

Is a name you might not know unless you are involved with the live cabaret circuit. He is a comedian / magician who just played at Stephen Hawkins even in the Canaries, and is well known on the cruise ship circuit. He comes in and goes and comes back and.... well, that is the future. A glimpse of him is in the behind the scenes video explaining how Doris Shades Of Bad shot in Norway and Barcelona.

The future of Doris Shades Of Bad

Ex INDYUK Films producer and then assistant to Duncan Heath at ICM, Philip Kennan has been brought back with the remit of turning the series on its head. The series will start and timeline Doris Shades post arrest and in treatment, and all that has been shot will be used as flash backs. He has free reign to explore all possibilities. There is no time line on this as there are no less that 6 cruises booked and a number of other trips for Doris Shades to take as Doris Visits.

Doris in Russia - the filming was easy ....

Click the text to see the films - not the pictures.....

The first thing that hits you about Russia is that it is just the same as everywhere else, people and places and the Roman old religions form part of their history. We had considered shooting an episode there but then we would not have been able to shoot the travel films, so travel won and the story of Doris taking over the world goes from Barcelona (due out in August) back to her kitchen...

Filming in Russia - Sure there is passport control, but of all the Baltic stops we were also told to carry passports in Belgium and Germany, which are / were supposed to be one with the UK. Those of us that cruise regularly will know that in most countries around the world, some in extreme corners, only require the cruise card.

Whilst Russia needs a visa to visit, if on a cruise ship  you take an excursion from the ship into St Petersburg, at this moment that allows you a visa waiver. Then once the coach drops you off you are remarkably free to explore.

The tour company gives you a very simple card whether guided or on your own, which says in Russian the equivalent of I am lost, please ring this number. That goes to the tour operator's office and they will get someone to you. Given the huge number of tours all over the city, like Uber taxi's, there will be someone near you.

Passport control in and out is a little longer than landing at say an airport in Portugal, but not much, and far less intrusive than arriving in India. So, it is not much of an inconvenience.

There is a lot to see in St Petersburg and the Emperors and Assassinations tour is an old favourite because it rounds a part of the city and gets to the Church of Our Saviour on Spilled Blood. Walking you down through the Fields of Mars to the Canal in the lands which Peter The Great took from Sweden, you come up through the fountains and statues and arrive at the Mikhailovsky Palace before going into the church on a group ticket. The coach is collected in Art Square by the tourist office which has a lap dancing club below it and is surrounded by theatres offering tourist shows, concerts and Ballet Evenings. Click anywhere in this paragraph for an overview of a very comprehensive walking tour.

The Ballet Evening is one of many available excursions for an overnight stay, there will be a concert and a traditional evening. 
We were hoping to have gone to the Mikhailovsky Theatre but our show was changed to a smaller theatre seen on the video, a hall which looked like an old concert hall but had space for a 40+ orchestra and  well equipped surround sound system. We obviously can't show the whole Ballet so there is just a clip. The lead Ballerina stood out. Click here to see the evening.

The St Petersburg Explorer is a new excursion, and one which if it were politically allowed might be called St Petersburg on your own. The coach loops you round the city and has three stops or centres. The first is by St Issac's Theatre which is sadly well before it opens at 10.30 so if you want to see inside you need to loop back later, but that is easy. 

Back with our coach trip we headed for stop three which was the Nevsky Prospect. Here we had three hours on our own, and the provided map showed a suggested route up and down the 4.6km main road. You will see we went to a few places, left some of their suggestions out, and added a few others. They also suggest a canal boat trip with times, which would have been an additional cost but the currency is time as well as roubles and we were taking in an overview of the city. We went down into Palace Square as you will see, but the buildings themselves are closed on Mondays. With these two tours we now feel we have a handle on St Petersburg, so when we go back we will try to get into some of the places and museums and share what you can expect. It is all covered in this film. Click here for the film.

We have omitted the second stop of the Explorer as it is by the Field Of Mars to the Church (entrance not included in this tour). We had done this yesterday with the above tour Emperors and Assassinations, so, we left the group and went rogue. Only to find we were not the only ones who crossed the bridge to the Peter & Paul Fortress. We had just enough time for an overview and to know that we will go back there on our next trip to see the Fortress in more detail.

Although we didn't do the Church of Our Saviour on  the Spilled Blood as the tour suggested on this day, which was a Monday, (and although it said the church was closed on a Monday it was open), we covered the church the day before quite extensively as you will see from this film (click anywhere on this paragraph). 
Please beware of pickpockets in this church.



Tips...
1. The Audio Pen is a spoken commentary hearing aid, and it is highly recommended.
2. Take something to eat and drink or schedule a stop, the day is long and can be tiring.
3. Do not carry a wallet or bag you do not need, do not talk to hawkers or people handing out leaflets unless you are aware of the situation and someone is watching your back. Pickpockets work with leaflet givers and book sellers.
4. Walking Shoes.
5. Share your pictures with us and share these films with other cruisers.

Don't forget we have films from all over the world......  DORIS VISITS, please
follow us on Daily Motion, our main channel. Click here and click follow

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Thank you and please share and enjoy



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Thank you and please share and enjoy

Mamma Mia! Doris is still away from the drama Shades Of Bad, at now the ABBA Museum in Stockholm.

Doris is still celebrating, well, she never stops! Her husband left her and things have gone on just dandy in the last year as the drama series Shades Of Bad has unfolded and she has accidentally become a serial killer. Well, as she says, "she is a woman and a woman has needs - revenge is amongst them." But that is another story.

Now, celebrating a year of the drama series and numerous awards, she has taken the crew away with her on a cruise of the Baltic Sea, and the second stop is Stockholm; famous for Abba, Ikea and Noble.

You may have seen her films of the Denmark stop looking out to the night sky with a G&T.
Doris is watched and followed more than by just the crooks and villains in her series, Doris Visits film of the Great Belt Bridge is trending!
Click here if you missed it.

Doris has landed in Sweden, which is another collection of islands in the Baltic Sea. The medieval town of Stockholm is a collection of 14 islands. Stockholm Old Town which she walks round, offers many photographic opportunities, but her film will quickly orientate you, take you round the best of the Old Town then over to another island and Tivoli and ... yes, Abba.
Click here for the Stockholm film.


Doris also visits the Abba Museum which is a must. The top place in chic nostalgia that will just whoosh you back in time.
The Abba Museum is living history retold in an interactive magazine where all is possible including cutting a record and appearing on stage as one of them. Seriously take the tour!

Watch the Doris Visits Abba Museum film - click here.

The changing of the guards at the Royal Palace, which is on most tourist rosters to visit, takes place at mid day. 

It is a far more somber affair than the Abba museum but is a big plus to many, so we cut that into a separate film. which can be enjoyed here. Click here for the Changing Of The Guards.

If you like Royal matters Doris Visits has a Buckingham Palace film in the London section and a Royal Yacht Britannia in the Edinburgh section.

Finally, we have to include a stop on the way at the Tall Ships festival in Kiel. There, Doris lost it.... take 2! Click here for the Kiel Tall Ships Festival film.

More to come, the Baltic is a huge place that deserves time. Doris is off to Tallinn in Estonia.... follow the Daily Motion Doris Visits channel... next week we are back to filming the drama ... another killing!

Happy Birthday, SHADES OF BAD UK web series one year old and now shooting abroad with new stars.

Shades Of Bad, the UK web series is one year old!
In the year it reached number two in the ISA chart and stayed in the top 10 until the chart stopped.

Jean Heard was voted Best Actress twice.
Richard Beaumont was nominated for an award as Guest Male actor.
Richard and Jean and then Jean and Lynn were voted into the Best Duo section on many occasions.

The birthdate is not exactly known because we were to go live in July 2015 and jumped the gun, but as a channel, Shades of Bad has 49 episodes and some specials live. Has got another 10 plus episodes loaded for auto schedule (see below film) ... and travel films lined up.

We have around 150 films uploaded in a year with Doris Visits and the other strands
Happy Birthday !!!   Doris TV .......

Shades Of Bad
Doris Visits
How To Film
Ask Doris
Bula Quo (soon a web series)
Freight
and soon to come, Devil's Gate .....

Take a look at our channel now on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/c/Shadesofbad_webseries

The playlists are the body of work we are very proud to have created.

Now we are experimenting with OS TV, Strimm and Opera .... all experiments that will move us closer to being a TV Channel.

Thanks for your support, we are still learning and still growing.

Take a look at this weeks film releases.

Loading and Scheduling

A scheduled film on Daily Motion that is not released but loaded this week.

Doris interviews the composer Mark Blackledge.

And episode 49.

https://youtu.be/w471BzLMaVk

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The Great Belt Bridge in Denmark, the Cruise ship Arcadia sails under i

Doris is away from the series though it is still going out weekly. The travel show spin off is in the Baltic Sea this week.

Five big big stars for Jarrad and the Copenhagen Free City Walks ... more about that later ... but...

Denmark was the first of our cruise stops when off to the Baltic, and going under a bridge when you are in a ship that is the size of a small town is impressive. 

Here is The Great Belt Bridge, it is worth a watch even if you are not a fan of bridges. 

Click here.


The Baltic Sea was like a mirror, calm and the ship never rocked. With many stops along the way we have films in the edit to last weeks, but our first stop was Copenhagen. Here are the films.

The Little Mermaid is a well known Disney film, but how many people have read the dark disturbing book which is nothing like the film. Not many we guess. 

The statue of the Little Mermaid is a huge tourist attraction in Copenhagen, but as the tourists flock to have their picture taken by the statue they are often looking at themselves and not noticing that the Little Mermaid is not smiling, no, far from it.

We walked to the statue, then to the Royal Palace then found 'probably' the best cheesecake in the world... here is where ....        Click here.


One of the great thing about Copenhagen is the free city walks. They are fantastic. It is a collective of guides and the walks are all clearly listed on there web site. Click here for their web site.

The rain shower passed and the walk was mainly in the sunshine, I try and repeat just a portion of what is on offer, but Jarrad was fast and funny and informative and had time for everyone.

So, Denmark is famous for beer .... and we never had time to stop and have one. But, the guys also have a free evening pub crawl which I can imagine is a scream.

Click here for a glimpse of the tour.

Keep an eye out for the other DORIS VISITS films on the Baltic cruise ... there will be many.

30. Doris Visits the Royal Yacht Britannia on the Queens 90th birthday.

Doris Vists the Royal Yacht Britannia on the Queens 90th birthday.

The Shades Of Bad team planned a well tweeted visit to Edinburgh on the 21^st April 2016. It was to shoot a film for the spin off show Doris Visits. Here at the production company we had been contacted by two local lads, Sam and Findlay, who wanted Doris to Visit Edinburgh. They produced a list of top visitor attractions and we noted that cruise ships stopped there so it fitted our remit. We decided to drive given the kit.

What we did not put together until we were in the car travelling and listening to the radio, was the ‘two plus two equals huge prize’ scenario. It was the the 21^st April and it was Queen Elizabeth II’s 90^th birthday and her decommissioned yacht The Royal Yacht Britannia is Edinburgh’s number one attraction. We went straight there before meeting our local team and found bands playing and the whole place felt heavy in music copyright issues. Doris would not be able to commentate in her normal way. However, after the band left we found a wonderful sign that encouraged us to make a complete film on Britannia not just add it as part of a general Edinburgh film.

 

One of the reasons it is the number one attraction in Edinburgh might just be because it totally allows you to support it in social media. Maybe they know that only positive will come of it as they have such a great product. Whether you are a royalist or not, this is history at its best. It is fantastic. The Royal Yachtis detailed right down to the bone china, attaché case and the personalpictures. You see everything from the Queen’s bedroom to the state room, fromthe officer quarters to the medical surgery and laundry. It is an incrediblevisit which was an effort to edit down to under ten minutes. It will take you acouple of hours as there is more to see and much to study. We learnt a lot andwere grateful of this unplanned birthday treat.

I would suggest you get there early, as it opens and before it is busy, or late as we did. Then attempt the rest of Edinburgh as per our other films. Another tip is to take ear phones or head phones and ask for an audio guide with a neck strap.

You might just want to use your camera a few times.

Our secondprize was finding that Edinburgh was the origin of Harry Potter. None of uswere fans of the books or films, so the Potter era had escaped us all, otherthan my visit to have lunch with a colleague at Levesden when he was on themovie. And it was just another film set and I have grown up on film sets.

But then,when you think and remember, yes, Edinburgh was where it started. Then, walkingthe streets it all makes sense. Every building inspires such wizardry. We hadeven seen close friend’s production of Potted Potter at the festival more thanonce and never focussed on it coming from there. We have a separate ‘HarryPotter’s origins film’, which you can get to by clicking here.

The main Edinburgh film covers a good few of the other attractions, Arthurs Seat to the Castle, the Royal Mile to Restaurants and buildings. You need more than a day and good walking shoes.

The £4 all day bus pass is worth considering too if you wish to get to places in and out of town.

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