Today TCMParty turns 15 years old. For those of you who do not know what TCMParty is, it is a collective live posting of movies on Turner Classic Movies using the hashtag #TCMParty. It originated on Twitter and has since largely moved to Bluesky, although the hashtag is used on other social media services as well. Originally, TCMParties were scheduled and had hosts who posted trivia about the specific movie then airing. The hosts essentially curated the live posting. While scheduled TCMParties with a host still take place, TCMParty has evolved to where it takes place 24 hours a day.
Since the first TCMParty took place on September 3, 2011, TCMParty has become an established part of Turner Classic Movies fandom. TCM has announced TCMParties on their official Twitter account and TCM hosts have served as hosts of TCMParties. On the occasion of the 5th anniversary of TCMParty, Turner Classic Movies celebrated along with the rest of us. On the occasion of our 10th anniversary, they released a video in our honour.
I already posted a detailed history of TCMParty on the occasion of its 10th anniversary, so I won't repeat myself here. I will mention that it was not the first collective live tweet by any measure. #TCMBugout and its successor #TCMDriveIn pre-dated it. #TCMDriveIn evolved into #DriveInMob which persists to this day. As to #TCMParty, it originated with Kathleen Crowley, who decided live tweeting to movies on Turner Classic Movies would be easier if there was a hashtag with which fans could keep track of all the tweets. She served as the first TCMParty host, choosing a specific movie from the schedule and then alerting everyone that there would be a TCM Party for that particular film. It was then on September 3, 2011, that the first TCMParty was held with a live tweet to the classic Casablanca (1942). Pault Guthat, the name now most associated with TCMParty, joined as a host in October 2011. Her impact on TCMParty was such that she is often counted as its co-founder. It wasn't long before TCMParty had its own Facebook page and its own Tumblr blog as well.
Kathleen Crowley left as a TCMParty host in March 2012 to concentrate on her handicrafts and animal rescue. Since then TCMParty has had a few permanent hosts, including silent movie expert Trevor Jost for a time and later Joel Williams, who is still a permanent host to this day. TCMParty has had several guest hosts over the years, including Illeana Douglas, various Turner Classic Movies hosts themselves, and various journalists and film historians. I have hosted TCMParty several times myself, particularly when British New Wave films, A Hard Day's Night (1964) or Stand and Deliver (1988) have aired.
A few celebrities have been TCMParty members over the years. Songbird Monica Lewis and actress Vanessa Marquez of Stand and Deliver (1988) and ER fame are counted among the founding members. Illeana Douglas has participated in TCMParty even when she wasn't hosting. TCMParty has even had some connection to the Golden Age of Hollywood beyond being fans of the era. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall's son Stephen Bogart has participated in TCMParties, as did the legendary Mitzi Gaynor.
TCMParty has changed over the years. It can not only be found on Facebook and Tumblr, but also on Instagram and TikTok as well. It was in November 2024 that the official TCMParty moved from Twitter to Bluesky due to changes to Twitter (now called "X") that made the social media service less secure and safe, not to mention several members left the social media service (including myself). Despite this, TCMParties do still take place on Twitter, and on Mastodon as well.
I cannot begin to estimate the impact on TCMParty on my life. I have made many close friends though TCMParty. I count Paula Guthat, co-founder of TCMParty, as one of my closest friends. And, of course, it was through TCMParty and live tweets of Mad Men that I met the dearest friend in my life, Vanessa Marquez. Indeed, following Vanessa's death, I don't think I would have survived without TCMParty. Besides making friends through TCMParty, it has had other impacts on my life. A Shroud of Thoughts had a following before TCMParty, but I think TCMParty made it even more popular. I also believe it is because of TCMParty that was chosen as one of TCM's Fan Favourite co-hosts.
Of course, I am not the only one for whom TCMParty has had an impact. Many people have made friends though TCMParty. Some have even met their spouses. Yet others have credited TCMParty with getting them through difficult times and even saving their lives. TCMParty ceased to be a mere live posting of movies on Turner Classic Movies long ago. It has since become a vibrant, close knit community of TCM fans who support each other through the best of times and the worst of times. Quite simply, I think TCMParty has improved the lives of nearly everyone involved with it.
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