I spent most of yesterday with my writers and producers, working on a script for The Wil Wheaton Project. We watched a ton of clips, and then worked out jokes that went with them. At one point, we were trying to make a funny joke even funnier than it was, and realized that we’d gotten “room drunk,” which is what happens when you’re having so much fun in the writer’s room, you just get completely goofy and too silly for the task at hand.
There’s a strange thing that happens in a writer’s room (at least a comedy writers’ room, based on my limited experience doing this show and several years of sketch comedy) where we’ll come up with something really hilarious, but nobody will laugh. Someone will just say, very calmly, “oh man, that’s really funny,” and we know that we have a winning joke or premise. Other times, we’re just riffing about bullshit, completely cracking each other up, and though we don’t get anything out of it that we can use directly, it’s an important part of the process that gets us to “oh man, that’s really funny.”
A lot of that happened yesterday, and though I was creatively, physically, and emotionally exhausted by the time I got home, it was a very good day.
Anne and I had dinner, shared a Ruination IPA, and watched The Americans (one of our very favourite shows on television) before we went to sleep early, because we were going to be picked up at 6:15 to go to the airport. Because our brains hate us, we couldn’t fall asleep until around 11, and we both woke up at 4:15am. Because that wasn’t enough, our brains wouldn’t let us sleep on the plane, and now it’s just about 9:30 here in our Undisclosed East Coast Location, where we will remain until Saturday.
Now to the important part of this post: Sunday, I am going to do a live show at the IO West in Hollywood, and I’d really love it if any of you reading this in Los Angeles would come to the show.
MY DETAILS LET ME SHOW YOU THEM:
Whether you’re a hardcore nerd or just dig Sci-fi, join us this May Fourth (Star Wars Day) for a special event at the iO West!
The Wil Wheaton Project premieres on the SYFY Channel May 27th, but you can catch a sneak peak with a special live performance with host Wil Wheaton May 4th 7pm at the iO West!
The Wil Wheaton Project covers the entire Sci-Fi umbrella with the latest news, as well as the best clips from TV, film, gaming and the web.
With special guest Jonah Ray (The Meltdown on Comedy Central)
http://www.syfy.com/wilwheaton
A lot of the stuff we’ve been working on for the last several weeks will be in this show, which is designed for us to try some things out in front of an audience, and get a sense of what does and doesn’t work. My instinct is that most of it will be really funny and entertaining, and even if some of it doesn’t work, the audience has my permission to give me a rousing BOOOOOO-URNS.
Now, listen, Internet, I know how this usually goes down: I say, “Hey, I’m doing a show in Los Angeles, and I hope you’ll come see it!” And instead of something like, “YES! WE WILL BE THERE AND BRING THREE FRIENDS AND ALSO BEER YOU LIKE” what usually happens is the Internet says, “Oh. Well. That’s great. Why aren’t you doing a show in $name.of.my-city.h?”
So I get it, that most of you aren’t in LA, and even if you are it’s a hassle to leave the house on a Sunday for a show that your favourite Internet scamp Wil Wheaton is performing, that won’t even take an hour, at a comedy club in Hollywood that has a great bar and even survived a car crashing right into it one time. I get that, and I want you to know that you get a free pass to miss this one, because of reasons.
But, seriously, if you’re in Los Angeles (or nearby) and you’d like to 1) get a sneak peek of what The Wil Wheaton Project is going to be like and B) help me, simply by being in the theater, to know how I’m doing, I would be ever so grateful. The show starts at 7pm, and you’ll be on your way home by 8pm (unless you want to stay for the next show, which I hear is pretty great).
That said, this theater isn’t huge, and there’s a non-zero chance it’ll sell out, so if you want to go, I’d recommend getting your tickets now.
I so wish I was going to be anywhere within a four-hour drive of LA, and I would be there. So BOOO URNS ON ME. 🙂
I SO wish I could be there!!
Can I say that tired old thing if I come up with a neat way to say it? Like, “I wasn’t able to get hyperloop tickets to get to the show, but break a leg!”
Wil, I am so excited about your new program! This is the best news I’ve heard in a while. I am just so happy for you, and I wish you all the fun and happiness with the new project. I have been reading your blog since 2005, and I am a forever fan. 🙂 Safe travels to you.
Aww shucks…..21 and over 🙁 Would have been there otherwise! Good luck!
I can’t swing the tickets ’til the day before (yes, my finances are that weird, right now; I don’t have my own show, yet am expected to pay property taxes), but you have my word that I will try to be there, maybe even with a friend, and I’d be happy to buy you a beer, even though we’ve met before and you don’t remember it.
Sounds like a load of fun! Wish I were there, but I’m on the east coast and heading to NYC this weekend to see Chris’s show.
Is the Wil Wheaton project going to have a live studio audience?
hum, hum, hum… six hour drive each way… I wonder if I can convince the wife…
She is talking about seeing whales four hours north right now.
I wish I didn’t live in a whole other country and could be there. Well, actually, I’m pretty happy with the country I live in (usually), but I wish still wish I could be there. I’m sure it will be great and all will have a wonderful time.
Count me in for the wish-I-could-be-there crowd. And you’d love me because I have an amazing laugh. Many have referred to it as an actual cackle. But I will be laughing on the inside all the way over here in IL. Break a leg!
Well, you know, usual stuff, living in France, plane tickets cost, time, etc. But hey, I’m more than sure that the theatre will be so full that it will explode! And my thoughts will be there. Have fun, share fun and do what you’re the best at: put smile on faces. Cheers.
You’ll have to settle for TWWP being penciled in on my calendar since it’s announcement. Yes using an actual pencil on an actual wall calendar that I look at every day M-F and hangs right to the right of my computer. Pretty neat huh!?
Wil, I’ll be there in spirit. No, really, astral projection.
I will, in fact, be there, live and in the flesh. Ordered two tickets last night. I wouldn’t want to miss this and I’m glad that it looks like I won’t have to. See you then!
When Johnny Carson hosted The Tonight Show I watched him every night, rain or shine. When Jay Leno took over I quit watching, even though he was funny. You have to be mentally prepared that some people may not think you are funny. Just like some people thought Wesley was a nerd. Just be prepared. I wish you all the luck in the world.
YES! WE WILL BE THERE AND BRING THREE FRIENDS AND ALSO SOMETHING YOU SHOULD LIKE (although, it is not beer). See? It can happen! See you on Sunday!
Please please please please, for the love of BUGBEARS, tell me this is gonna be nothing like “Top 20 Funniest” or “America’s Funniest Home Videos” because I already feel like I’m in Idiocracy. Also, it would ruin my mental image of you as an (at least somewhat) intelligent gentleman.
Wish I could be there and hope it is amazing! (I have no doubts about that.) I saw your show with Paul & Storm in Portland last year and haven’t laughed so hysterically since. 🙂
I saw the show tonight. I thought it was pretty darn funny. I see what you’re doing there and I will check out the show when it airs. The history channel/naked Vikings was probably my biggest laugh, but there were a few other really funny bits. I’m pretty sure you looked at me at least once. And that means I’m special. Just like my mom always told me.
Thank you for coming to the show! I’m so happy that you had a good time.
We really enjoyed it and are looking forward to seeing on that channel that used to be spelled correctly. It looks great. My husband liked it because it was like The Soup, but with shows he has actually seen. Congratulations on a job well done. It was an extra cool bonus to meet you and Anne. We hope you enjoyed your little gift.
Do you know if your show will be available in Canada?