More from the Park

More from the Park

As hinted at previously, more material from Paul Chandler's epic camcorder fantasy soap opera has now been recovered, this time from those far-off days of 1994.

Watching this in isolation means that some of the more complex ongoing subplots are rather lost on me, but we get a good showing from a number of the regular characters and even some stuff filmed in the Park itself.

The flexible format of the show meant that Paul could encounter evil forces wherever he went, with even his trips abroad offering no respite from his battles against the plastic and/or rubber powers of darkness.

The first chunk covers Episodes 290-293 (early January 1994) and sees Paul's brother Graham (aided by Ben the Hen) under attack from Claw Monsters and even his own Penguin Slippers. Paul is having fun experimenting with some in-camera special effects, so Graham keeps disappearing and the viewers are treated to some George Lucas-style wipes as a bonus.

Nick turns up and is having a bit of trouble with his ring (as is Paul), so after Gavin the inflatable Santa Claus shows up from the future (this gets rather complicated), the Time Machine in the bathroom is pressed into service. Nick has to wear a helmet for safety reasons, which is a good example to us at home.

All this is partially an excuse to play with the camera again as we get some wobbly images to imply travelling through time, plus a couple of freeze frames for good measure.

The controls of the Time Machine appear to be in the medicine cabinet and some handy diaries and calendars are the best indication of where our heroes end up, there being little in the way of useful instrument read-outs.

Episodes 321-322 (March 1994) boasts the actual Sutton Park OB work, with Paul, the Amphibian Man and Sam the Ghost being hunted by the unseen Azrael, who is so powerful that he can make the very trees shake, accompanied by a terrifying rattling noise of impending doom!

Sam the Ghost is, of course, a real ghost and in no way a hanky with a face drawn on it, so do not be fooled by his makeshift appearance. Mind you, Paul has admitted that he sometimes did wipe his nose on this long-suffering cast member, which at least is something I was never subjected to...

The material from 'Sutton Park' Episodes 290-293 can be seen here.

And the footage from Episodes 321-322 can be seen here.

(Written by Andrew Trowbridge)