I just got back from LA a few hours ago, and even with a nap I’m still pretty tired. Way way too much happened to blog about easily. But here’s a quick rundown:
We wrapped principle shooting on Skeptologists yesterday (Saturday). It was a whirlwind five days, and it was fantastic. It was amazing how rapidly and easily the six of us on the cast got along and became a team. Of course, through various means we mostly knew each other from previous ventures, and that helped. We went from not really being sure how this was all going to work (typical for a pilot!) to having a living, breathing show in just a few days. I can’t speak for the others, but it really looks like we all had fun and could easily make this a viable program.
I have tons of pictures and such — wait until you see the places we went to shoot! — but until I can find my camera battery recharger you’ll have to wait (I know it’s around here somewhere). It’s also not completely clear how much we can say about the show and what we did, but I can tell you that in my opinion, we have a really good show on our hands. Now we just need to convince a network of that…
While I was there I hardly had any down time at all, but I managed to spend an evening with Wil. That’s a whole story in and of itself, and while I’m not the type to eat cottage pie and tell, I will say that we had a great time, and he is every bit as cool and personable as he seems. Sometimes folks you really respect online can be still manage to be very cool IRL. And he can manage to sign two books quicker than I can sign one. I have resolved not to be in any sort of contest with him ever again. Losing twice is all I can bear.
I had other friends in LA I wish I could have seen, but we were exhausted nearly every night and had to be ready for the next day bright and early. It’ll be a while before I think I can catch up on my sleep…
… and I certainly won’t get my chance tonight. Tomorrow is the start of the Conference On World Affairs, and that will be the second straight week of awesomeness in a row for me. While I was at Denver airport today coming home from LA, I coincidentally met up with Randi who is attending CWA, as well as my buddy Andy Ihnatko. Hal Bidlack and Denver Skeptic organizer Elaine Gilman are dropping by in a few minutes as I write this too, on their way to see Randi tonight, so I need to wrap this up and get my life in order.
Now that I’m back home, I’m hoping to get the blogging back on track as well. There’s a lot of stuff going on, and this blog’s not gonna write itself.
April 6th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
Welcome back.
April 6th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
I can’t wait to hear more! A way cool show *and* an evening with Wil Wheaton?!? So very cool!
April 6th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Welcome back!
I think The Skeptologists will be teh hawt in no time!
Thanks for keeping us posted!
April 6th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Phil:
Welcome back! Now you know just how frakkin’ hard TV is! And what you’ve experienced is just the “Production” phase. The “Post-production” phase is much longer! I’ll bet it’ll take a month for the show to get edited!
Even if it doesn’t get picked up, be sure to offer DVDs for sale here, or perhaps YouTube it so we can enjoy the show!
I wonder which advertisers they’ll seek out… Hmmmm…
Rich
April 6th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Oh boy! News and pictures upcoming. Welcome back.
April 6th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Name dropper.
April 6th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Who is this Wil guy you keep talking about.
April 6th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Nice to see that you enjoyed the shooting.
On something completely unrelated, I don’t have a lot of information just yet, but a meteorite fell on Argentina a few hours ago, killing one person. It has been seen by half of the country (North-west, center, and east) before finally impacting on a soy plantation in Zarate. I’ll try to update with this later.
April 7th, 2008 at 3:22 am
I happened to read CNN just after I read this post, and saw this article:
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/BUSINESS/04/07/ba.pilots/index.html
On a less off-topic note, the TV show sounds really interesting. It is something that really needs to be done, especially in the U.S.A. (but not only there). I hope a brave network picks it up. Probably not FOX, though
April 7th, 2008 at 3:33 am
We missed you. I’m sure a network will pick it up but, just to be on the safe side, should we march into the network offices and not leave until they pick up the pilot?
April 7th, 2008 at 5:53 am
I love Wil Wheaton, and have been reading his blog for years (and a fan of ST before that). The fact that two of my fave bloggers know each other is too cool!
Looking forward to seeing the pics, and hopes that the pilot gets picked up so that we can see it in its entirety.
April 7th, 2008 at 7:42 am
Wil’s keynote for PAX… um… 2006(?) was pure win and well worth tracking down. It may well be the best keynote I’ve ever heard. Not even a little sleep-inducing.
April 7th, 2008 at 8:54 am
Welcome back ! From what you tell and from what you’re going to tell I’m pretty sure The Skeptologists will be a success .
April 7th, 2008 at 10:01 am
Heya Phil,
What a whirlwind life!
Yep, Wil is a cool guy. He was here in Boston a couple of years ago and I decided to go meet him. When I introduced myself, his eyes got all big and said, “That’s YOU?” I guess he’d read my blog… and I’d been posting in his comments for a few years by then.
We spent some time talking and I told him to be sure and visit Griffith Observatory (where I was doing some work at the time). Very cool guy… and I have his books (signed, of course).
Have fun at CAW… I miss spring in Boulder, it always meant CAW…
ccp
April 7th, 2008 at 10:09 am
I have to bare my soul for I can’t bare to let the big bear have its’ say,,,
,,English is so funny, it’s barely tolerable,,,
Skeptologists: Those who study skepticism,,,
But does it really need study? I thought we gnu all about it,,,
Looking forward to the show.
GAry 7
April 7th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
I would just like to assure everyone that Phil was as awesome on the show as you would expect him to be.
The report on rooming with him, and his bodily functions, is available separately for an additional charge.
April 7th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Phil – did you convince Wil to come to TAM??
I’m so jealous and I can’t wait to see the show! 
April 7th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Ahem! It’s “principal”! Hey, I know I’ll never know the math in which you conduct ordinary conversations, but c’mon…