I'm ready for my close-up

So, I'm all set to be a guest on tomorrow night's show for fortheboys.tv. The show starts tomorrow at 8 PM (Pacific time) and you can watch it live from through your computer by clicking the link to the site. They'll be talking with me about a myriad of different things. For those of you who haven't seen the show, it's kinda of a free-form talk show hosted by these two guys: Gary and Steve. I kind of liken it to those morning radio shows like Jamie and Danny, but FUNNIER, more interactive, and you can see the hosts. They were saying that one of their viewers likened it to the "Gay Today Show" which is quite an accurate analogy. There's a chat room that they run during the show and they also have a phone number which you can call in to talk to them live. It is no-holds barred (just in case some of you out there may have delicate ears) but that's why the show is so much fun! So, if you're home on Friday night and would like to see what I look like and hear what I sound like, you should definitely log on to the site. I might even spill a few beans about my personal life moreso than on my blog!

On another note..."Survivor: Marquesas" begins tonight! I've already picked my favorite: Gabriel. I think you can all see why. :-)

Allen Ludden would be uh...

Got together with a bunch of the game show gang tonight for a mini-game night. I kinda liken these to poker nights but with more bells and buzzers. 'Twas fun as always. We tried some of the more obscure home games like "The Joker's Wild" (nothing like trivia questions written in 1972 about the Kennedy Years), "You Don't Say!" (a game which still gives my brain cramps just thinking about playing it), and "Remote Control." The last game I played before I left was "Password '75" in which I made an overzealous "double" play on the word "initials." I thought I could get my partner to say it off of "monogrammed..." Yeah, in hindsight...not a great call on my part. I think I could hear Allen Ludden, Elizabeth Montgomery, AND Lucille Ball rolling in their graves. That and me misinterpreting the clue "overseas" as "oversees" cost my team the game. ACK!

Got an E-mail from Gary today. There's a chance I might be on fortheboys.tv as a guest on Friday night's show. I'll let y'all know as soon as I hear details!

A mini-addendum

What? A second post in one night?!? Well, I had realized I didn't talk about mini-food! I did a little grocery shopping tonight and for some reason, I ended up getting a lot of mini-food. White Castle burgers, mini-tacos, mini-pizzas, and mini-cookies. If there's one type of food I'm a little obsessed with it's finger foods and hors d'ouerves...geez, I probably spelled that wrong. I could have a whole meal with just hors d'ouerves. I remember when I went to Miami for a convention last year and went to a company party, I could not stop eating the hors d'ouerves. Maybe it's because I easily get bored if I have a lot of one particular food. With hors d'ouerves, you get a variety and you have the satisfaction of actually finishing the food instead of having some half-eaten sandwich starting at you and mocking you as a leftover. I tell you, one of these days I'm going to open up a fast-food restaurant which serves nothing but finger foods...mini-burgers, mini-tacos, mini-pizzas, mini-baked potatoes. And the all the people behind the counter will be no taller than four feet. The motto..."Big taste in small packages." Haven't come up with a name for the restaurant yet...So, who's with me on this?!? C'MON!

Cold shower

So, I looked back at the past couple of entries in my weblog...a dangerous thing to do especially since I don't really proofread my entries anymore. (A big apology to Mrs. Winrow, my 10th-grade English teacher whom I believe reads this page every now and then!) Anyhoo, I noticed the profuse use of the words "cute," "hot," and "guy" and the even more common juxtaposition of at least two out of those three words together. Yikes! I'll admit it...It's been a while. I haven't been on a real date in about a month now...even longer than that if you don't count that dinner I had with Chris ("Bank Boy"). I've replied to everybody whom I've wanted to reply to on Planetout (much to no avail) and don't even get me started about my chat experiences on gay.com. To put it simply, I'm in a guy rut! But ya know...I have to admit, the last time I was in a guy rut (which I think was around last summer), I was not only on heavy scope mode but I got in a really, really pissy mood. And I really can't say the same with this current rut. Still, though...it would be nice to go on an actual date again...I know what you're saying, "But what about Bank Boy?" Well, there is the chance we could get next week like he said he wanted to, but I'm not holding my breath and I'm not even sure if he's wanting to get together just as friends or as a date!

Production on "Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck" officially started today. I'll say it again...this is going to be a lot of work, but a LOT of fun. Part of that is due to the staff we've got working for the show. I gets a good vibe from this bunch. Speaking of "Whammy!," some of you might be wondering how the new Whammy looks like. Well, here's a link to a site which has scanned an article from "Electronic Media" about "Whammy!" Ain't he adorable? To address a few questions I've read in the newsgroups and message boards, yes, he is computer-animated and that "W" in the shield (as opposed to the old $) allows us a bit more flexibility with the animation. By putting a "W" in the shield, we can easily mirror the image if we wanted the Whammy to move in an opposite direction. The philosophy we've been kind of taking with this is that the new Whammy is really kind of a "son" of Whammy and Tammy Whamette from the 80s show. The animators have been doing quite a fine job with animation so far and they've really done a great job of capturing the essence of the classic Whammy while bringing it more up to date for the 21st century.

Another thing I've noticed in a lot of the posts I've read and E-mails I've gotten is people referencing me as one of the producers of the show or asking me what exactly I do over at Fremantle. While I have done a lot towards the production of the show and while I will continue to work closely with the show during the series' run, I'm not technically a producer on the show. I'm more on the Fremantle side of things as opposed to the production staff side of things...hence the joke I tell people about my job..."I'm not really quite a suit. I'm more of a sweater with khakis." My official title is Manager of Development. What that entails is helping to put together presentations and pilots for new projects. This includes suggesting which formats we should revive, working on those formats, writing material, coordinating host auditions, providing input on show elements like the set and graphics, etc. etc. For the actual series, I'll probably working on several aspects of the show including figuring out what we'll put on the board spaces, choosing what prizes we'll give away, and creating Whammys. I'll be balancing this while also helping out whatever new projects might come down the line at Fremantle.

So, I hope that clears up some of the questions that have arisen since word has broken out about "Whammy!" and my involvement with the show!

Spoke to soon...

Wow...What timing...just before I went to bed and after I posted the blog last night, I found an E-mail in my Inbox from Chris. Turns out he got a promotion and is switching offices which explains why I haven't heard from him at all this week. He wants to get together after he gets all settled with the new job which would in a little over a week. So, I guess this little subplot continues... :-)

"Neverending Story" was GREAT! Noah Hathaway (a.k.a. Atrayu) was there to introduce the movie. And lemme say that he's grown up quite nicely. :-) 'Twas a fun time. Actually, it's been ages since I've seen the whole movie all the way through. The one thing I remember is that the movie used to play constantly on the big-screen TV at Circus Playhouse, this Chuck E. Cheese-like place in Hollywood, Florida near where I grew up. I never realized what a honked-up movie "The Neverending Story" was. And despite much protesting from my friends, I still think Falkor looks like a big flying bunny! So there! Pfffft....

Spent most of today helping our friend Rob move. Yeah, you're reading this right. I was helping somebody move. Oh what? You don't believe me? C'mon...I've got the brawn and gruff exterior that just says "Mighty Moving Mandel!" It didn't help that it's starting to get warm again. It DID help that there was a cutie sitting poolside at Rob's old apartment complex. And for you doubting Thomas and Thomasina's out there, I believe I did manage to break a sweat. And I even used tools as I helped to dismantle Rob's computer desk. So again...So there! Double-pffft!

Doing my usually lurking around the message boards and newsgroups and I'm quite impressed and relieved to see the number of you who are really excited to see this show come back and who are going to give it the chance that it deserves. I think the best analogy of what is happening with the revival was what one message board poster said. The message board poster likened it to what happened with "Star Trek: The Next Generation" when that show came back in the 80s. If I recall, that show became a bigger hit than its predecessor...I hope that that part of the analogy rings true with "Whammy!"

Again, thank you for your support. There are so many people involved with this from Todd to our director to our production staff to myself that are huge fans of the original that you'll see this show come back with done with the love and care that it deserves. I showed the pilot to some more friends this weekend and they just love it. I tell you, I am so excited to see this come back! I can't believe that after 16 years, this show's return is just around the corner!!!

Japanese disco queens and hot tubs

Did a little catching up on errands today. Dropped by the bank and yet again, Chris ("Bank boy") wasn't there. Haven't heard from him in a couple of weeks...haven't spoken to him in almost a month. I dunno, I think any hopes of anything with Chris are dashed. :-/ Oh, well, as I said, I wasn't expecting much...There was the issue of him already being in some sort of relationship. The search continues, I guess...

Returned my cable modem today to Adelphia. Ever since the whole @home fiasco, the cable modem wasn't totally reliable. Hell, it wasn't reliable in the first place. I have since switched over to DSL which runs quite smoothly. And as an extra bonus today, there was no line at the cable office. Quite a big surprise since it's usually crowded over there.

After that, I dropped by Drake's on Melrose to say hello to Gary from fortheboys.tv. If he's reading this (which he does sometimes), I'd like to throw a big shoutout to him! (Geez, I think that's the first shout-out I've done on my webpage or to anybody..PERIOD!) Gary's a very cool guy. And he's also cute in person too. :-) We talked game shows for a bit and he is serious about wanting to have me on the show. So, I'll definitely keep y'all posted as to when that will happen. Before I left the store, he gave me some of the prizes I won on the call-in contests they've had on the show. And they fit in quite nicely in my small, but growing collection of "special" literature. :-)

Closed out my afternoon by starting to spend my gift card at the "beautiful people" Virgin Megastore. That's the one on Sunset near West Hollywood. Why do I call it that? Because, you're ALWAYS guaranteed to find some hot guy (YAY!) or girl walking around the Virgin Megastore. The ol' Mandel-o-scope turns on full throttle there. Picked up the single for Elton John's "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" and the DVD of all SIX episodes of "Pink Lady...and Jeff." What's "Pink Lady...and Jeff" you ask? Well, it's a really, really obscure and a really, really BAD variety show Sid and Marty Krofft produced for NBC in 1980. It features comedian Jeff Altman and Japanese disco duo Pink Lady. It must be seen to be believed. I've managed to get through the first two episodes so far. I don't know what's more surreal...Seeing Sherman Helmsley dance around musical number or seeing Teddy Pendagrass in a cowboy suit as a singing bum singing "On Broadway" with Pink Lady in a sketch about New York. Gawd, they don't make bad television like they used to...

And on a brief little rant...What's up with the increased number of traffic signalling cops in intersections? There's one on weekdays on the corner of Ventura and Sepulveda and there are now about three stationed on Franklin in between La Brea and Highland! I really can't tell whether they've made things worse or better because it still takes a damn long time to get to Highland from La Brea using Franklikn...Traffic around here still perplexes me after almost three years. And it doesn't help that I suck at driving...Grrrrr

In the clear...

Good day today...Had a meeting to discuss focus group notes about the "Whammy!" pilot. All very constructive comments and nothing too major will change ruleswise (thank goodness!) and a lot of the stuff addressed were issues we were going to address anyway. Production officially starts Monday and with the premiere less than two months away AND the first taping just weeks away, there is a quite a bit to do. But it can be done!

Had a double celeb-sighting today all in the matter of a half-hour period. During my lunch break, I went to Best Buy on Pico and Sawtelle and saw Wil Wheaton along with a friend there. I wasn't sure it was quite him until his I heard his friend mutter, "Wheaton, you're falling behind again!" And I must say, Wil is still a cutie. :-) Then, I head back to my work building and in the lobby I see none other than Kato Kaelin. Have no idea why he was there...there are several companies other than Fremantle that occupy the building in which I work. And I'll say that Kato Kaelin is still cute too. :-)

Checked out Gary and Steve on fortheboys.tv tonight. First time I've been able to watch the show in a week or son because of the pilot and whatnot. Another good show. Dropped my former pseudonym of "Gameboy" and called in using my real name tonight. Won myself some...uh...literature for identifying a quote form "Ruthless People." Gary and Steve are very funny guys and they seem very sweet too. The show kinda softens the blow of not having that Friday night date or gathering to go to. It actually made it worth staying in on a Friday night. And they play "Pyramid" on the show, so they get major points for that too. :-) This weekend, I probably will meet Gary in person at the store he works in to pick up my prizes. They even said that they'd like to have me drop by in person to the show one night. Not sure how serious they were, but if so...I might be online on their show some time soon!

That B-52 Album

Well, apparently the cat's out of the bag...but I'll get to that part later...

Last night, Ted, Larry, Matt, his roommate, and I went to see "Fools" a Neil Simon play that's running in Hollywood and that's being directed by Henry Polic II! Some of you might remember Henry from "Webster" as Uncle Jerry and the game show fans out there will know Henry from his numerous appearances on "Pyramid." Anyhoo, Matt is one of two connections I have to Henry. Matt was a former student of his and was able to get us seats to a preview performance of the show. Another friend of ours, Tim, also knows him as well. What a small world this is...Anyhoo, Ted, Larry, and I got a chance to meet and talk with Henry before the show. He's a very sweet and funny guy. And apparently Tim had told him about the game show parties we have because after the show, Henry said, "Let me know when the next game show party is." Needless to say, that rocked! On top the that, the tickets were free to the play and the play was pretty good. I'd never heard of it before, but it's a cute show. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the Hollywood area...

Now...to the big news. "Broadcasting and Cable" has broken the news about "Project: Nipple." However, most of the game show newsgroupies who read this page didn't even need that story to figure it out. "Project Nipple" is indeed the "New Press Your Luck." Take those initials "N.P.Y.L." and you've got "nipple." And "nipple" is also derived from the fact that this project has really felt most like my baby. I've been pushing this for over a year now ever since I started my position as a manager of development at Pearson/Fremantle. It's been kicking around in development for a while. Game Show Network called us up around October asking to see a presentation of a new version fo the game. We showed it to them...they liked it and we got the go-ahead for a pilot. The two pilots taped last Wednesday, February 13th. We knew from the beginning of the pilot process that we'd do two pilots each with different hosts. We did one with a "veteran," none other than Peter Tomarken and another with a newbie, Todd Newton.

Both were excellent and they were sent out for testing to get feedback. I gotta say....after watching both edited pilots, it wasn't a matter of who was better at hosting...it was a matter of which personality you liked and whether you were going for nostalgia or new blood. They were that good. On Tuesday, we got word from GSN that they were going to green-light 13 weeks for shows for premiere in April and that they decided upon Todd Newton for the host. I have a feeling this was a tough decision for everybody involved. I'd go as far to say there were Tomarken and Newton supporters in BOTH the Fremantle and GSN ranks. I was personally rooting for Peter, but honestly, it was more due to nostalgia and the "Press Your Luck" fan in me. As I alluded to in the earlier post, based on his pilot performance Todd will do a fantastic job.

And there were so many factors to weigh in. After working with both, I will say I was able to get to know Todd better than Peter. Not that I couldn't talk to Peter or anything like that, but Todd seemed more approachable...I'd even say, Todd's the nicest of the all the hosts I've worked with. There's been a lot of hubbub and grumbling about Todd getting the gig, but please...give the guy a chance. He really has put in a LOT of effort into learning this game (which isn't the easiest game to host). He really wanted this job and it showed in his pilot. The fact that he improved tremendously between his first audition and his pilot taping says a lot and shows the potential he has for the series. I would say his performance on the pilot falls somewhere in between Ray Combs taking over of "Feud" and Tom Bergeron's taking over of "Squares." And I'll say that that ain't a bad place to be starting...Trust me, you will be surprised in a good way...

For those of you wondering about the format...don't worry. I have done everything in my power to make sure the game has remained relatively untouched. The few changes and bonuses we've incorporated are very organic to the game. And if the board values remain untouched between pilot and series, die-hard fans will see a good number of familiar dollar spaces on the board including one signature odd-ball figure.

To those of you who have sent me E-mails and posted about my site through the newsgroup and message boards, thank you for your support. It means a lot to be having a major role in bringing this show back, especially one that is so beloved. To those who have criticized or brought me to task on the newsgroup, I hear what you're saying, but please try to keep some perspective. I am only ONE person amongst many in a production involving two very big companies. You have to understand that there is a delicate balance nowadays in getting game shows on the air. Many stations see game shows as one of the lowest forms of entertainment. The days of getting a game that strong on pure gameplay are pretty much done...You need a gimmick, a celebrity name attached, or a hook...

Given that, I will say that working with Game Show Network as the buyers has made getting some of the more traditional elements and keeping the game intact a bit easier. There are several key people at GSN who are game show fans like you and me. I think having game show fans on both the buyers' and producers' sides helped immensely in getting this revival done the way it should be done. That doesn't happen a lot especially in syndication when there are NUMEROUS buyers from different parts of the country with different agendas that you have to appeal to. But that's another lesson in TV production and development that I'll save for another time...

In any case, this ain't the end...Now, we have a show to put together and have ready by April! Again, to those of you who have sent along kind words, I thank you for your support. It is duly noted! To those of you who are poo-poo-ing this without seeing it...just give it a chance. Save judgment for when it hits the air and if you want to berate me again afterwards...fine. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion. Remember though...while you have a true game show fan here, there's a lot more to this than meets the eye than just working with formats and whatnot...

The buzz stops here

Ahh...An unusually relaxed day at work. Still kind of in an afterglow moment regarding "Project: Nipple." The coolest part was when the president of our company "congratulated me on my baby." Quite a good feeling...There seems to be more rumors and reports swirling about these pilots, including one from a particular well-visited game show news site. Just hang tight gang...you'll hear something official and if anything, I'll hope to clear up some of the mysteries (or lack thereof) surrounding this project soon enough. Remember what Yoda said to Luke about patience...Geez, I've reference "Star Wars" and game shows in one blog...I think I get the "Big Dork" award for the week...

And following a relaxed day at work was a relaxed evening at home. Had a nice meatloaf dinner Ted fired up from Costco. Matt, Rob, and Erin dropped by at various points in the evening. Even got a little piano noodling done...

I've upped my post-shower hair products usage to two thanks to that visit to Shorty's. Both are difi products. One's this gel-like pomade and the other is this coconut-smelling cream thing for extra control. The mixture actually works quite well. And I love that smell of coconut. But is it a bad thing that it smells so good, I'm tempted to taste it?!? That's one thing I hate about going to Bath and Body Works and hair products stores, all the stuff smells so damn good that you want to eat it, but can't. And by gawd, this is the weirdest paragraph I've ever typed in my blog to date...

Just a heads up to be on the lookout for some updates to the site. I'll fix some of those "missing" links including the elusive "What a Boy Wants" page and put up some new old photos I finally developed this weekend. The new pages and pics will probably start popping up by the end of the week...

Well, I best be getting ready...Teddy, Larry, and I are going with a bunch of our friends to the Rialto at Pasadena for their midnight showing of "The Neverending Story." Limahl...where have you gone?!?

News flash

We just got official word on "Project: Nipple." I'll let the press release or official announcement from the buyers speak for itself...More details eventually...

Just around the corner...

Ahhh....Three-day weekends. And one that I really needed. Last night, Ted, Larry, and I went to see "Doing Judy," a play on Melrose that was a comedic whodunnit about a serial killer who bumped off Judy Garland impersonators. It was a lot better than I expected. Very funny, without being too over-the-top campy. 'Twas a lot of fun too because the three of us got to go with our friends, Nathan, Jered, Wiley, Adam, and Katie, Adam's friend who just moved to L.A. to room with him. What's that? A girl?!? Indeed! And a fun one too! Before the play, we went to The Abbey to grab a bite to eat. That would make two visits to the Abbey in a two-month period...a record! It also reaffirmed why I sooooo don't fit into the WeHo scene. Nevertheless, there was quite the eye candy to ease the uneasiness... :-)

And after the play, we ended up crashing the cast party for the show. Long story...Bascially we saw L.B., one of the cast members walking alone down the sidewalk. Jered (the sweetheart that he is) runs after him and asks if he needs a ride to whereever he was going. The cast member ended up telling him that he and the rest of us should join him at Frankie's, an Italian restaurant just down the street on Melrose. Well...we end up going there and we see the whole cast there, but not him! We did a little debating of whether to stay or go...but Larry and Ted did know somebody in the cast, so we stayed. The food was quite good. I had myself a White Russian...the first real drink I've had in a while and it hit me quite hard. Nothing of the "getting sick" sort, but I did feel a bit tipsy. But hey, I'm 110 pounds and Asian...I can't help it! Eventually L.B. arrived and seemed surprised when he saw all of us at table there at the restaurant. In any case, it was a LOT of fun. And I highly recommend seeing the show. Not only is it good, but the cast members we met seem like all very nice people.

Today, did a little cleaning of the room...with the stress on the word "little." Did a little shopping and making use of the gift cards I got for my birthday. Ted, Kenny, and I went over to the Glendale Galleria. Picked up this cute little navy blue sweater/coat/jacket thing at the Banana Republic that will provide a nice alternate to my overused black leather coat. Kinda disappointed that the FAO Schwarz is closing at the Galleria, BUT I'm not surprised. Everything was overpriced there. Stopped by at some other stores, but ended up just window shopping the rest of the day.

And this evening, a bunch of us gathered over at David Hammett's place to watch the edited "Project: Nipple" pilots. You could say it was a little "focus group" testing of my own. :-) And the consensus seems to be positive for the show! Now, people are just abuzz as to what this is and everybody seems to be convinced of what this show is and who the two hosts we tested are. Believe what you want to believe, but you will hear OFFICIAL word soon enough. And I'll fill in any details and explain all my roundabout talking once that official word comes. Given the reaction I got from people who've seen this, I think we have a revival that was done right. I guess the big questions are...who's going to host this and how much will change between pilot and series IF this goes to series. As great as these pilots are, who knows what might take into affect after the pilots are viewed and tested if this gets green-lit for series. My hunch and hope is that not a lot will change and any change would be for the better. And I suggest that if any of you want to see the veteran host get the gig, channel some positive energy towards the L.A. area! I know, I will...

54

Ahh...The first day of the weekend...a three-day weekend for me. Thank you, Abe and George! And it's a three-day weekend I really need. This has been quite a long week with the taping and all...

Actually, Thursday, I spent my Valentine's Day in the editing suite watching over the editing of "Project: Nipple." Ended up staying in editing until 4 AM. Some of you may be going, "WHAT?!?" Editing is quite a long process, especially when you're doing two full pilots. It gets to the point where you can recite the show in your sleep. Fortunately, there were comfortable couches to sit on, free lunch, free coffee, free dinner, and many stories to swap. The coolest part of the evening came around 1-ish when Michael Malone (one of our producers) start talking about his days at Goodson-Todman and being part of tapings of such classic shows as "Match Game '7X" and "Password." Mike was the music supervisor for "Match Game '7X," "Tattletales," "Now You See It," and was the first music supervisor of the CBS version of "Price is Right." To put it simply, he played a key part in picking the "wanky" think music for "Match Game" and many of the prize cues you hear on "Price" today. Needless to say, I was in awe hearing his stories. It's working with vets and hearing stories about the "glory days" that make me even more appreciative of the the position that I'm in. And it also made hanging around so late at night worth it!

As to the show, it really looks good on camera. Without a doubt, these are two solid pilots. And in looking at the final product for the umpteenth time, it's still a tough call as to whom should host this thing. But we've pretty much done all that can be done with the pilots. It is now in the hands of our buyers as to who hosts and as to whether this thing hits the air.

On a side note, it looks like all this talk about "Project: Nipple" has gotten the alt.tv.game-shows newsgroup abuzz as to what in the hell I'm talking about. All right...I'll spill...We're working on a new version of "The Baby Game" for ABC Family. It's AWESOME. The babies we used on the pilot were the best and this thing is going to test through the roof! Hee-hee.... >:-)

Seriously though...you will probably all find out for sure what this is in the next few weeks. But, there are many clues abound in my entries so that you can figure this out on your own. I've said quite a bit about the show without really saying it...Hell, this double talk in my entries has turned into a game itself!

Geez, I'm in such a loopy, giddy mood despite my lack of sleep. What else, what else...my first day of relaxation was today. Got my hair cut at Shorty's. Not only do they give good haircuts there, but it's a lot of fun. This one hair stylist at the station behind mine kept coming over and teasing me. Even called me "cutie" as I left...Not bad for a $16 haircut! Ted and I went over to Caleb's downtown loft where he treated us to a great dinner consisting of chicken fajitas and fried ice cream. The guy never ceases to amaze me. I needs to start learning how to cook. Kinda feel bad in that I'm the only person in the house who hasn't cooked up a meal for anybody else yet. I mean...pizza rolls and Toll house cookies don't necessarily consitute a meal. I guess I have a little something to ask mumsy when I call her tomorrow.

And it looks like the saga with Chris ("Bank Boy") has not ended. I finally got an E-mail from him. He apologized for not keeping in touch with me and said that we'd talk when he gets back into town next week. I'm not holding my breath, but at least he finally got back to me...

Giddy

I am one lucky sonofagun...I cannot express how happy I am right now. We taped two pilots for "Project: Nipple," and both turned out fantastic. This is by far the BEST pilot I've worked on and I will go as far to say that this is the best revival of a game show I have seen since "Hollywood Squares." Some of the game show bretheren were in the audience and by the smiles on their faces after the taping, I can see that this is something that even the die-hards will enjoy.

The general consensus is that the show is distinct from the original, BUT there are a lot of nods both in the set design and the game itself to give it a real connection with original. The game is essentially the same. There weresome additional little bonuses here and there which we've thrown in, but they all fit organically into the game without disrupting the feel of the original show. The only real outstanding "issue" (if you can even call it that) is whom to go with for the host. One pilot was done with a "veteran" host while the other was done with a younger guy who is familiar to TV viewers. Both did a great job hosting the show and both would be capable of hosting it in series, but personally, if I had a choice, I'd go with the veteran host. And I think that's what it's going to boil down to...whose personality do you like better? Alas, the final decision is not with me, but with the buyers of the show. And that decision in addition to whether this show goes to series should come next week...

All in all, this has been a hell of an experience and is by far, one of the biggest highlights of my brief career in the game show biz so far. I don't ever remember feeling this good after any other pilot or presentation I've done. So keep your fingers crossed and send that positive energy flowing towards L.A. to get this back on the air because if it does, you'll probably be seeing it hit the air sooner than you think!

Working for the Weekend...

Gosh...it's been a while since I've posted something. It's been hell-a busy with "Project: Nipple." Some bumps here and there that should be resolved in time but all in all, I think this pilot is going turn out well. Played a little bit of the game on the set and I have to say that it was QUITE awesome. The main part of the set is modern looking while still staying true to the original version. If you all could only see the grin on my face when I saw them turn it on full-tilt.

This whole experience with "Project: Nipple" has been sooooo cool and surreal. I wish I could tell all of you more, but it's so weird how if this goes, I will have achieved one of my goals upon moving out here which is bringing this show back to the air. Not only that, but one of the hosts we've been working with is a veteran and is still as sharp as ever. Being there watching him rehearse this show is just one of many "pinch myself" moments I've had working on this project.

I don't really think I've been involved in something which has felt like SUCH a labor of love. From coming up with the game elements to sitting in on important meetings, I've made a big effort to be part of the making of this show and to make sure that it's done RIGHT. And by all things I've seen, this could be the best revival our company has done...PERIOD. Now, I just hope things go as smooth as possible on Wednesday so we can get this bad-boy on the air because the return of this show is something that's been LONG overdue.

And really nothing much else to say beyond work...That's what's consumed my days recently. Aside from that, Thursday night, a bunch of us watched my roommate Ted's episode on Weakest Link. He won $9,000! Gooooooo Ted! Now we gots to get my other roommate Larry on a game show...

What else, what else...Tonight, I went to RJ's birthday bash at Dimples. Dimples is a local karaoke bar in Burbank. Ted did Rhinestone Cowboy, Larry did "I Think We're Alone Now," Kenny did "The Asshole Song," and I did "The Bitch is Back." 'Twas a lot of fun and a nice little island of relaxation away from work.

And last but not least...I'm hooked on fortheboys.tv. Called in on Wednesday AND Friday. Even got another one of my friends to call in. A very fun show...Kinda softened the blow of just sitting at home on a Friday night. The hosts, Gary and Steve, are really cool...not to mention, very cute too. :-) Gary's even sent a couple of nice E-mails back my ways. You should all check it out. There are shows on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday night.

Still here!

Sorry about the infrequency of posts...It's just been hell-a busy with "Project: Nipple" lately. Lost of meetings, lots of things to do, etc. etc. etc. Today, we had our first rehearsal with one of the hosts. (We're doing two pilots each with a different host.) The host that rehearsed today is really doing a good job. He's starting to get a familiar with the mechanics of the game and I'm confident that he'll end up doing a good job with the pilot. He's also a VERY nice guy which doesn't hurt either...

Not much to report on the homefront...just a lot of rolling in to home, eating, and sleeping whilst chit-chatting with various people on the 'net...

Oh be sure to catch my roommate Ted on the daytime version of "Weakest Link" tomorrow. I believe his will only be seen in areas that air two episodes. It will be the second episode of the day. Sounds like what happened to me with my "Match Game" episode...Gotta love syndication...Ted hasn't told me a damn thing about what happened except that there were some funny moments on the show.

What else...what else...no word from Chris (Bank Boy) since last week...However, I don't expect him to get back in touch with me for a while. He said that he was going to be busy with work this week. And sure enough, next week, I'll be even busier as we head into the studio to tape these pilots.

Speaking of which...my guess is that my little weblog updates will be few and far between until the end of next week, when we'll be finally done with this pilot. As busy as it gets though, I must say that it's a lot of fun and if there's one project that I would put in extra hours for, it's certainly this one we're working on now! You'll understand why when I eventually reveal what this be project is...

25

What a birthday weekend...Friday was pretty much work, work, work. "Project: Nipple" soldiers on with soooo much to do. Fiddled around with the new editing system we ordered. It's been set up in my office. Made a reel for our run-throughs and burnt it onto a DVD. Didn't come out perfectly, but for a first shot, it didn't turn out too badly...Got home around 8 PM from work. Fiddled around with the piano. Ahhh....it's so nice to have a real piano to play on again!

Saturday was quite a day. Spent most of the day getting stuff for the party. Went to Costco to get a deli platter and veggie platter and got some drinks at Ralph's. People started milling in around 6-ish. We had a LOT of fun. The theme for the birthday party this year..."Press Your Pot-Luck." It was a pot-luck party with a "Press Your Luck" theme. We watched a couple of "Press Your Luck" episodes and slipped a viewing of half a "Greed" episode in there as well. :-)

In addition to the bevy of free food and game show watching, we had a marathon of playing "Press Your Luck" using Curt King's excellent PYL program whilst I did my best Peter Tomarken impersonation. At the end of the night, we had the "top three" winners play a final game for a big prize. The top three were Tony H., Caleb, and Sara. With only two Whammys hit in the game, we had about $50K between the three players. Tony emerged victorious with a score of over $26,000. To use a Tomarken-ism, "What a game!"

But the wasn't the end of it...as the crowd dissipated. As midnight rolled around, we whipped out the Pyramid home game and played a few rounds of that. The party went on until about 2-ish...

This probably was one of the best birthday parties I've ever had. A nice mix of probably from different parts of my life...Think a real-life version of Hanna-Barbera's "Laffalympics." There was the game show bunch, the PNO/Gay.com bunch, the work bunch, and the Harvard bunch. And there were some Venn diagram-like intersections there somewhere...Yet another instance of reassurance and comfort in knowing that I've met so many good, nice people since moving out here 2 1/2 years ago. And the bevy of gifts didn't hurt either...

Brad E-mailed me some pics of the party. I'll have them up online some time this week. Sunday was pretty much my rest and recover day. Did a little window shopping at Toys R Us and Best Buy. That night, I discovered this cool new online gay talk show on fortheboys.tv. I dared my friend Mike to call in since the show is local. And by golly he did. He told the hosts Gary and Steve about how his friend (me) dared him to call in. So I'm watching and Gary and Steve start coaxing me to call in. After a bit of hemming and hawing, I did. And ya know what? It was a lot of fun. Mike and I stayed "on the air" for about an hour. We also ended up E-mailing Gary and Steve afterwards. They really seem like fun guys. I think the next show will be Wednesday night. Definitely worth checking out at least once...