Oh jeez, it's been a long time since I posted last. Where the f*%* did those weeks go? I'll tell ya where...
Well, first of all - in a chain of stranger than the strangest of strange events - something mightily odd happened. I got a phonecall, completely out of the blue, from a friend of a friend who also happens to be an Exec Producer. Small talk aside (I haven't seen him for a year), we then get down to the nitty gritty of his call - would I be interested in meeting up with An Associate Of His to discuss being part of a writing team on a new co-pro ongoing drama destined for ITV? Bemused by everything he's said, I agreed a coffee and a chat would very much be in order, and we arranged a meeting for the very next day.
Next morning, the sun was shining, the barista got my order right, the tubes ran like a dream, and I toddled into Soho with loads of time to chill and check my 'scribefolio', but still a little perplexed by how my name had entered the Execs' radar.
Then they arrived: Blackberrys in one hand, linen jackets in the other; we did the whole Mwah Mwah thing (I really miss that) and got down to business. So, it turns out I gave a really great off the cuff pitch a year or so ago to Exec Producer (I don't really remember it to be honest) and then very heavily voiced my opinion on the lack of US-style writing teams in the UK, and purely based on that plus an early spec script, they wanted my input and attachment to their Project.
We discussed the recent bout of dramas including 'Talk to Me' (which I ended up luuuuving) "True Dare Kiss" , "Cape Wrath" , "Dirt" and "Jekyll" and then they filled me in on all the pros and cons of the Project - which is absolutely brilliant, I tell you. Well, if that wasn't all gobsmackingly fab enough, they were actually looking for a verbal commitment there and then when my mobile rang, but being in a meeting of such excitement I obviously switched the call to voicemail. To cut all the boring contractual bits out, Exec went to the loo and Associate went to get more coffee in - and I checked my voicemail. What I heard was just beyond belief.
An old colleague friend of mine had left a message telling me his kids' TV series - for which I had written a spec script or two - had now been signed and greenlighted (green lit??) and he wanted me to pen 6 Eps. I mean, can you believe it? Was I having a dream day or what? Forty eight hours later I am signing two fantastic contracts and Exec Producer is asking me to pitch "a few more ideas" in a couple of weeks.
Wow.
All that, plus a month old baby who cries for 75% of each day due to the reflux and colic he's had since the day he was born. And if you believe any of the [work stuff] above I'm a better writer than I feel at the moment...
Sorry if you felt a little envious - but there really was no need. I lied. Big fat lies. I mean, come on - when do the tubes all run on time AND a barista gets your order right? I had to have a laugh somehow as the mass sleep deprivation is really getting to me...
Plus, if thetvcontroller can do it...
;)
