Hello.

If you stumble on to this blog today you find a man who has one desire. To hire a hen for a day. No, I haven't taken leave of my senses. Well obviously I have but that is not the reason for my chicken obsession. Yes, you guessed it, we need a little clucker for one of the sketches we are shooting.

The organisation of our production block has been in full swing this week and Lord Dan and myself have been constantly making to do lists, doing what's on the lists and meeting some of the lovely people who are helping us to source props, set dressing and locations. We couldn't do any of this without the sterling work and support of someone I have not mentioned yet in these blog posts so here is a big thank you to the delightful Celina. Your hard work is deeply appreciated. 

Our production designer Jamie has today mailed through his breakdowns on requirements and I shall spend part of the weekend going through it to let him know what we already have organised and what is outstanding. Hopefully, we already have the majority of his needs covered so he can concentrate on the likes of making a fish speak. 

It's a truly wondrous world this Planet 'Splendid' on which a few of us now live.

Also this week a sketch called 'Yoga' from our warm up day has gone up on funny or die. Please go visit if you haven't already. If you like silly, you'll love it. If you love it, remember to vote!!!!!

Have a good Easter folks

Hello all.

A 'Splendid' update for you. Today myself and producer/director Sir Dan Turner visited our final location, a marvellous quarry in Bedfordshire which is wonderfully tropical in feel. The excitement and broad smiles when we saw it would have lit up the night. Good job it was a bright sunny day when we visited or I fear we may have been abducted and subjected to bizarre and rather lewd experiments by the Government under suspicion of being from another world. Which we are, of course, as citizens of the Planet Splendid. 

This visit does mean we now have a shooting schedule and it's now all systems go to make sure that all props and costumes are on set when they need to be so all our creative team have to do is turn up and make the silly vision of the world a glorious reality by liberally sprinkling their talent over our writers lovely surreal words. Truly exciting times.

In amongst all this, myself and a few other hardy and slightly insane souls have undertaken a foolish mission that we think will take around four years. We are watching and then discussing every Doctor Who episode since the first broadcast in 1963. It's great to watch the show in order and then throw a reaction into the circle. We all love the show - I guess you would have to to do this!!! - and have strong opinions on it but it's fascinating to see how we all react and find different things to like or dislike from  story to story. It certainly makes you think again and is far better than just sitting at home watching on your own, caught in your own little Who bubble. 

Well, that's what's going on with me. Hope all is good with everyone out there. And, please, check out the 'Splendid' sketch show page for updates and early views of sketches from our warm-up day last week, which I believe will be up as soon as they are ready. 

Enjoy. 

Hello. Today myself and the superlative fingers of Lord Dan Turner visited a location, as I wrote briefly last night we would. It was a marvellous set at Stansted of what is basically a 737 airplane. The whole thing! Cockpit, fuselage, galley area. And it bought home to me how wonderful most people have been when we have asked for help, cast, locations, crew, props, prosthetics etc on this production. Even people who could not help us directly have offered alternatives and advice. Which brings me to one of the weirdest and delightful experiences of the story so far. I spoke to 70s icon Oliver Tobias on the phone. And he was just wonderfully cool with such a great voice!! It was truly surreal and caused me to call Mr. Turner and his ears immediately to prevent myself from exploding.

There is one more location for 'Splendid' to visit on Monday and then we will have our final schedule for the 8 day production block nailed. We will have gotten the houses, farmland, flocks of sheep, airplane cockpit and tropical jungle (Yes! In England! In April!) that the writers have written about. And we couldn't have done it without advice from many people. It was like dominoes falling at one point. "I can't help you because of such and such but have you tried this person". So, my advice to anyone attempting a similar thing is never lose heart. Everyone has been so willing to suggest alternatives and it makes you realise that on the whole (not in the hole - that's golf) people are pretty cool. But Oliver Tobias is ubercool.

Hope anyone who reads this finds it helpful.

Tata 

Hello. Just a few lines on our first shoot for 'Splendid' on March 31st.

It truly was splendid. The cast were tremendous and it was beautiful to watch them all smashing cakes with such verve. I hope they all enjoyed it as much as we watching did. They really are a marvellous and gifted bunch. The writers have created a wonderful, bizarre and very silly world for us all and it's fun to rise to the challenges they have set. A word too for the crew who are also giving their time and energy for free to the project. To see these people giving their all for a project they believe in is truly wonderful. 

I will write more I'm sure as the main production block gets closer but right now I must get to bed as we are looking at another location tomorrow. 

Tata

Hello, I am the caution formerly known as Champagne.

This is my first blog so I have no idea what I'm doing here. So please show patience if I appear to ramble. Or, indeed, actually ramble. Like I am now.

I thought I would post a few lines about two of the great things I have experienced this month.

First, I got to record a commentary of the feature film 'EXPERIMENT' I co-wrote with the delightful Daniel Turner in 2005. Myself, writer/director Dan and producer Clare Deacon sat watching our film, reminiscing about the good things and recalling some of the incidents, beautiful and bizarre, that occurred from conception to the day we sent it kicking and screaming into the world. I hope that those who hear it enjoy it and find it informative, illuminating and entertaining. It was great for me because I publicly got to thank Clare and Rachel, Dans wife, for their help and support in getting our script onto the screen for the first time. And now I get to do it a second time! A big thank you to everyone who worked on it, in front of and behind the camera. You all went beyond the call of duty for us. 

The second thing is I am currently involved in the production of a sketch show pilot called ' SPLENDID'. This has scripts from six superbly talented yet wildly different writers but all share the same vision of humour. No repeated punchlines, no recurring characters, just pure fun and silliness. And we have put together a great company of talented actors to bring these sketches to glorious life. We are currently in the final weeks of pre-production for the pilot so it's all systems go. If you want to keep up to date visit the splendid production blog at blogspot. 

Well, that's me at the moment. I have no idea if this is what a blog is meant to be but there you go.