Found this old (2008) interview with Simon Pegg while tidying up my bookmarks. It’s well worth a re-read and is mostly Spaced related:

“We weren’t being spoken to. As a viewer, I enjoy being spoken to very specifically. It’s amazing when you connect on a personal level. We said: “Let’s write something’s that specific to our own experience.”"

This above all: to thine own self be true. And never hide behind the drapes.

Emphasis on net.

I’m still processing this. It’s a blog post built atop an article based upon pure horror and I keep coming back to it to try and see around the edges of the thing that keeps blowing my mind. Haven’t got there yet.

This abstract “thing that is deep inside the reactor” is thus held outside of human contact, separated from experience by a provisional monument: the sarcophagus shell. Sheltered there, precisely because of its temporal excess, in a state of near-immortality—capable of interacting mutationally with living matter for up to a million years—the “thing” enters into a timeframe more appropriate for mythology.

Fuck.

One of many reasons why I’m happy to see the return of Nurse Jackie:

“Merritt will say every word you’ve written in the script, but then she’ll add something totally unexpected, like she’ll curtsy, or pat Jackie on the back, and everyone will just lose it,” explains Brixius. “Part of what makes comedy work is the element of surprise, and when we’re laughing on set, it’s usually because, oh my God, Merritt, what did you just do?”

But a pretty big reason.

Realised that I have about 556 tabs open on the Air. Fixing that now.

It’s just gone 3pm and I’m starting my working day. It’s a Sunday so that’s not too bad. I’m sat in my office listening to Throwing Muses and working on a list of things I need to get done before Friday. The music is just loud enough to drown out the workmen outside who are still covering the building in scaffolding. On Friday I thought they were done and the increased noise was the stuff coming down, but they were raising it even higher. Today they arrived and began to surround the water tower. Everything it seems is to get a lick of new paint.

I’ve had a lazy morning. My phone and laptops shuffled me quietly from midnight to 2am and then I stayed in bed late so failed to note the move into Daylight Saving Time. I guess I’ll notice when the sun finally begins to go down and in the morning. Monday will be an early start I think. I’m still building up to start writing today aside from a few notes scribbled on the couch while half watching an old episode of Columbo.

There’s something vital about watching Robert Culp drive along a Los Angeles freeway in an opened door ice cream truck after caving Dean Stockwell’s head in with a block of ice. Sets you up for the day.

Best get to it.

I first heard of this ‘radiophonic drama‘ from Warren and filed it away as something to keep an eye (or ear) out for when it launched so it was a pleasant surprise to be sent the first episode a few days ago. I knew a little bit of background – that the Minister was a character from the Doctor Who universe and had previously been voiced by Stephen Fry. I also knew that the new project was frightfully ambitious and that its continued existence would be down to its fanbase.

And that it was kicking things off with an intriguing and very talented cast.

Jenny Agutter, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann and Paul Darrow each tick enough geek boxes alone to make anything they’re involved in worth your time. That The Minister of Chance brought them together and manages to expand the cast with actors that more than hold their own against those four is quite an achievement. The dialogue buzzes along and I imagine everyone involved had a lot of fun here.

It’s a joy to listen to.

I’ve been listening to a lot of radio drama and audio books recently from vintage stuff through to the latest titles optioned by Hollywood and this has slammed home right at the very top.

You can listen to the prologue both here and on iTunes and you’ll be hard pressed to miss the buzz that’s currently growing around the series with anyone who’s anyone praising the thing to high heaven. And quite rightly so.

The story hits the ground running from the beginning and deftly drops you into a world that is explained without thudding exposition. The audio quality is brilliant (good headphones are a must here, people) and the acting is, as you’d expect, first rate. The format also frees it from the confines of radio and while it’s far from gritty there’s something joyous about hearing Darrow tell someone to “fuck off”.

Mostly though this reminds me of the Dark Materials audio release that appeared sometime before the BBC production. The one were Pullman himself was narrating that has become the high water mark that I judge all subsequent audio drama by. This is certainly up there with it.

I was recently asked to write a dark, experimental slice of science fiction for radio that turned out to be too dark and too experimental for radio (ha!) so I have more than a passing interest in seeing how the Minister of Chance fares. Just about everyone I know is flocking to download the first episode so I’m quietly confident it’s going to succeed and I’m already looking forward where the team takes us next.

Highly recommended.