Paul & David in London

Archivist’s Note: The year 2004 afforded S&H fans some unexpected bonuses with the release of the Starsky & Hutch movie starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. The film caused a resurgence of interest in the TV show itself, and Paul and David were both in sudden demand for TV interviews and other guest appearances. They attended, with a good deal of fanfare, the LA and the London premieres of the film.

In London, two long-time fans and friends to many of us in the SH community, SHaron and Viv, had a special opportunity to interact with Paul and David in London prior to the movie premiere, and also got to be present for the premiere itself. SHaron wrote a wonderful report on her and Viv’s experience. Many thanks to SHaron for her willingness to share the joy.

This story originally appeared in the SHareCon 2004 zine.

Well, Viv and I have had quite an amazing couple of days here in the UK following David and Paul around. This experience has nowhere near the intensity of Carol’s recent meeting and I’m nowhere near as expressive as Carol (Ref: Days of Magic, Still So Close to Me) when it comes to writing things down, but I’m going to do my best.

Please bear in mind that I’m a bit short of sleep tonight and tired from driving all the way back home–as well as now on a bit of a low following the adrenaline high. If this email doesn’t make sense I’ll be happy to try to clarify things tomorrow. LOL

Oh, I’m also sending this to the Pits (an email discussion list), so apologies if you end up getting it twice. I also owe many people personal emails-I’m getting around to them in the next few days, my friends, I’m sorry for the delay. 🙂

Several weeks ago, Viv and I had decided to go up to the film Premiere in London. We’d have loved to go in to see the film Premiere as well as to stand beside the red carpet, but tickets were like gold-dust and there was very little chance of managing that. Still the opportunity to wave and cheer Paul and David as they wandered past on their way into the film was still well worth all the hassle to be there. 🙂

Then Viv had a sleepless night (her husband snored!), which led to her midnight session, writing to a couple of TV programme production companies offering our services as long-time-fancritics and/or suppliers of memorabilia for programme features about the film. This was a great idea, so we set about email-blitzing every production company we could think of who might possibly be interested–both TV and radio. We also submitted numerous entries in all the competitions to win Premiere tickets. But alas, no luck, mostly no responses at all.

Then last week, she had a call from the company that makes the Richard and Judy Show, asking if she could supply some toys for Paul and David to use during their interview. They said we couldn’t attend the show as they had no provision for a studio audience, but they would collect and return the items and promise to be careful with them. (Viv and I did discuss if we should sent some adult toys to see if these would inspire their conversation into unusual directions…but discretion won out in the end so we didn’t. LOL)

Then this Monday they rang again to ask if Viv would attend the recording of the show (it’s screened live!) on Wednesday to model her original Starsky cardigan (okay-sweater knitted by her Mother nearly 30 years ago. They kindly said she could bring a friend (me) so I became her groupie and handbag carrier for the day. LOL

We sorted out a whole load of toys (70’s remote controlled Torino’s, shooting game, dolls, posters, magazines, books, ceramics as well as more recent items) put on our washed and ironed Starsky cardigans and went off to Paddington loaded down with all the stuff, carefully packed into large but heavy holdalls. After a near-disaster where Viv’s shoe almost disappeared under the train we found the studio car and were whisked away for the adventure to begin.

We had daydreamed our way through all sorts of vaguely possible conversations, considering what we might say if we found ourselves stuck (huh-stuck???) in a waiting room with Paul and David and being unable to think of anything to talk about, LOL, but we knew we were going to be pretty damn lucky just to see them at a distance. We really didn’t expect to get the chance to meet them, although we still hoped we might.

Our booty was examined and exclaimed over at the studio, then taken for that day’s director’s approval. Unfortunately, they’d had an unexpected item to add to the show’s features and it was decided that they didn’t need the toys now, nor would Viv be on air. This would give them the maximum remaining air time for talking with Paul and David. As a token apology, they said we could go into the normally closed studio and watch the filming. (Yippee!)

So we waited and waited until Paul and David’s car drew up at the entrance immediately outside the main waiting room where we were seated. They got out, looking wonderful, of course, smiling and greeting the studio staff, and were led away inside out of the cold evening air. A while later the show started and we watched the earlier parts of it on the TVs in the room. Then one of the production assistants came to bring us into the studio and we crept around behind the flats until we stood by a bank of cameras from where we were to watch. Silence and stillness were cautioned.

Paul and David came in to sit on a sofa away from the hosts, Richard and Judy, who were to do a two-minute viewers’ competition before their interview. While waiting, Paul put his feet up on the glass-topped coffee table in front of the sofa and David pushed them off it. They started horsing around, completely silently! Obviously well practised at that, LOL. Paul held his feet up in the air in front of him, ankles crossed, about two inches above the table. He still must have great abs! They leant together whispering and laughing, until David took hold of Paul’s hovering feet and put them in his own lap. Talk about looking like an old married couple! They were so physically close on that little sofa it was delightful.

As soon as the hosts moved over to their end of the studio, they sat up ready to talk, but they didn’t separate at all, they sat thigh pressed against thigh the whole time.

As the programme came to an end, we were ushered back to the waiting room where the postproduction party was to be. Paul and David were not going to attend that, but one of the staff came to get us so that we could meet with them in the lobby. They were on the point of leaving. I understand that Paul had only flown in that lunchtime so he had to be pretty jet-lagged and was probably desperate to get some sleep, poor chap.

Anyway, I went up to them and said, “Welcome back to England, Paul.” He smiled a really sweet little smile and reached out to shake hands. I greeted David with, “And welcome home, David,” which he liked and shook hands too. Then I asked Paul to sign the cover of my DVDs, which he readily agreed to do. Viv also shook their hands then produced her Monthly Magazine no.56, which David, Bernie, and Antonio had already signed so Paul added his scrawl to it as we spoke a little longer.

I told him a bit about SHarecon this October–only the clean stuff! LOL I still needed David to sign the DVD cover, but he had started to go outside so I called after him to make the request, and Paul added his bit saying, “Davey, come do this.” David grinned, said, “Oh, sure,” and returned very comfortably. As David put pen to paper, Paul walked behind him, to mutter over his shoulder, chin almost resting there, “D, A, V, I… ” They both cracked up and we said our goodbyes.

It was great to see them again even so briefly; they really are lovely men.

They might have been tired but they were still gracious and friendly to us.

One of the strongest impressions I have is how big they are–physically. Last time there was a table between them and me, but now, rubbing elbows with Paul as we spoke, he’s a big man! 🙂 His elbow came well above mine and I really had to look up to meet his eyes. Oh those eyes!!! Indescribable. LOL David looked wonderful–he looked happy, he looked 10 years younger than in recent years, the stress lines smoothing out. His hair was almost fluffy, blonder than it often is these days, his mustache and beard trimmed smartly, and he smiled so easily. What a joy to see them both looking so good. 🙂

So, on cloud nine, Viv and I went back to the party. The hosts, Richard and Judy were circulating and came over to us. He wanted to talk about P & D.

He’d been impressed by Paul’s intelligence and the way he controlled the interview. Richard said that when he’d asked a question (presumably the one about homosexual elements in the series) he’d seen a glint in Paul’s eye, and known he must change the direction of the conversation as they were not going to be talking about that topic. 🙂 Judy said she’d had a big hug from them when the filming had finished, and she’d really enjoyed that. What a surprise, lucky woman! LOL

The final treat from this event was being given tickets to actually go to the Premiere the following night. We didn’t quite realise what it was when these small folds of black cardboard were handed to us–until we opened them and discovered a sort of police wallet with the film banner (red with white stripe of course) and Dave Starsky’s details inside (but with Ben Stiller’s picture alas together with a seat number. These are really lovely little souvenirs. 🙂

So we’d made it–we’d met and talked with Paul and David, and tomorrow we were going to the film. Life was good. 🙂

The next day, we got to the Odeon in Leicester Square at about 2 pm. There were only about 20 people already waiting so we took ourselves to the nearest Pizza place for lunch. After a while, we rejoined the gang, more able to keep warm in the cold air. We talked with a few other fans there. I handed out some badges I’d made with Paul and David’s picture in red, surrounded by “Paul and David, original and best” around the edge. I knew there would be loads of coverage for Ben and Owen and I wanted to make sure our guys were represented too. 🙂 As we waited it was interesting to see the barricades going up, the carpet (red with white stripe, of course) being laid, lights sorted out and the crowds gathering behind and around up.

Opposite was the gathering place for the press, but it looked like a convention of Mr. Marlene’s as almost every cameraman carried a little three-step ladder! Later we watched them arrange themselves around the Torino, front rank kneeling, next standing, next on their first steps, etc. to the ones at the back teetering on the tops of their ladders. LOL

Dusk came in, the temperature fell lower, the TV and radio reporters came around–Viv and I did a good interview, which was shown on the BBC news this morning!–music came from the loudspeakers above the entrance and we sang along. In a way, it was good to be squished together with all the other people waiting to see their celebrities go by; it would have been a lot colder without them to keep the wind deflected a little. 🙂

Our Premiere tickets insisted we were seated by 6:45, the film being due to start (they told us at the box office) by 7:30. Torn with indecision, we eventually decided to leave our prime position on the rails at 6:30, without having seen our guys arrive. And just as we squeezed our way out of the crowd, Paul and David walked quickly up the white stripe in the centre of the carpet, without stopping or even really looking at the fans. Maybe they were cold, or simply following the organisers’ request. We did see them over the heads of the crowd, but not as close as if we’d stayed put.

Ah well, we’ll know better for next time. LOL

We took off our warm coats to reveal our Starsky cardigans, flashed our Bay City Police passes at the security guards, and strolled arm in arm down the red carpet after our heroes. 🙂 Our friends in the crowds cheered and took photos–it felt wonderful. LOL Inside we found red boxes with white stripes on every seat–containing complementary popcorn! Only about half the cinema was seated and as time progressed, we were disappointed to discover that we could easily have stayed outside for another 20 minutes–others were coming in well after the written deadline. Rats!

But to entertain the folks who’d obeyed orders, there were live interviews shown on the big screen, including one with David and Paul. They obviously didn’t like the interviewer, who asked the usual inane conversations about cars and cardigans, and wasn’t very coherent as he babbled with excitement.

After a very short while, Paul asked, “Are we done?” and did something I’ve never seen him do before–he took off his microphone. He wasn’t rude, just insistent. David seemed a bit nonplussed, but followed his lead.

Shortly afterwards we saw them outside again, this time talking with fans, signing autographs etc, and apparently back to their normal charming selves. Ben and Owen arrived later and spent a long time making nice with the crowds. They’re both noticeably smaller than our guys in real life. LOL

Eventually most people were seated. We saw Paul and David come in to the Royal Circle and wave to us plebes before taking seats at the front. Onto the stage came Todd Phillips, Ben, and Owen who spoke briefly, hoping we’d enjoy the film. They said it was all due to the two men in the circle; we all applauded and P&D took another bow. Then they ran the film, but I shan’t comment on that here. Apparently, the three left the stage and then left the cinema immediately, but D&P stayed through the film. We kept glancing up to where they were sitting, but we didn’t see them there again.

At the end, we saw them coming down the stairs, but the large group of fans waiting outside didn’t get a glimpse as they left the premises by another route. So a small group of us went for a late coffee to catch up on news, and spend a little downtime together before going our separate ways.

It was lots of fun. I was a bit disappointed that we’d not waited longer beside the red carpet, especially after all that time waiting in the cold. But if we’d missed the chance to be inside seeing the film with P&D, as well as the extra interview, that would really have been a shame. We were so lucky to have had the meeting at the studio the previous day; perhaps we were meant to stand back this night so that other fans could have their own special time with D&P too. 🙂

I’m sure there’s loads of details I’ve forgotten to include tonight, but I really need to get some sleep now. And maybe Viv will fill in some gaps herself in the next day or two. 🙂

With love, SHaron.