Fall TV Shows/Wil Wheaton
New trends in Fall TV shows, and an interview with TV star and blogger Wil Wheaton about his (excellent) new book, "The Happiest Days of Our Lives." And for a Unicorn Chaser, video of a new aircraft now in use in Iraq. It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a THUNDER CHICKEN! (from an amazing repository of flying stuff flightlevel350.com)
the latest
the latest
Can't wait for the Monday show! "She's so dreamy"!
She is... and from frame one I thought that was quite the fetching ensemble.
Wil, on the other hand, shows up rocking a Nightwing t-shirt, and that's damn cool, too. His address at PAX, which is d/lable off the PA site, was a great manifesto, too. "I'm Wil Wheaton, and Jack Thompson can suck my balls."
So anyone else think "Moonlight" sounds like a retread of "Forever Knight," among all its other clones?
Just a bit of constructive criticism here: you guys need to fine tune your green screening on the video. You were starting to lose the end of Wil's nose when he would turn sideways during the interview. Great job with the show otherwise. Xeni is a fox too.
Hey, Xeni, Cory, Mark, David, John, Joel...
I don't know where to post this exactly, but especially to Xeni (as in your past posts of iPhonity), a small request. when you post the direct link to the boing boing tv episode, can you encode it in a iPhone/iPod touch friendly format.
I'm usually on the go and like to catch up with all the FACE news.
Thanks for your time and keep on keepin' on!
-Peetr
Pushing Daisies: It's like David Lynch directing Dr. Seuss. Genius.
Moonlight: Dear God, it's the worst thing I've seen since... well, ever. It's like watching a "Vampire: The Masquerade" LARP session.
@Peetr, thanks we're working on that! Meantime, the iTunes subscription link will serve that up for you, btw: http://snurl.com/1s0aj
Why did Wil need to be followed by a Unicorn Chaser? Did he do something really gross and I missed it?
Yeah, we cut the extended Goatse section of the interview and replaced it with the far more offensive Osprey.
No, Wil Wheaton is his own unicorn chaser, he is excellent and awe-inspiring. BBtv's editor cut the episode this way because the only thing that could possibly compete with Wil Wheaton's unstoppable WINfulness is a THUNDER CHICKEN, flying high and proud.
Hi all,
This was a much better episode than the others -- nothing rehashed from the BB pages. I like the three-camera setup for the interview, but I think it might look better to have over-the-shoulder shots instead of just closeups from the side. Although I'm guessing that you don't have a wrap-around greenscreen, so that won't be possible.
Also, Xeni -- do you have to dress up like you're going to the opera for BBTV? You're a geek. Dress like one! Please! My eyes hurt from the shiny!
--Rob
@Wil -- that would mean it was a unicorn PREchaser, no? :)
Wil, when are you coming to Portland, OR, for a book signing?
Y'know, I'm as dazzled as the next guy by advances in aircraft and war machinery, but I gotta say -- the Thunder Chicken falls well shy of the lofty warmth and fuzziness marks Unicorn Chasers past have established. WINful, yes, I guess. Unicorn Chaser? I think the BBtv editor is expanding the definition.
Roger that. Will wear crocs, pocket protector, and I CAN READ YOUR EMAIL t-shirt in next ep.
Oh, no, wait -- I get it. 'Cuz it flies! Like a unicorn... with wings!
Very interesting episode, and I'm always please to see Wil-bot up and running! I think you need to adjust the camera angles though - these hard 90 degree profiles are distracting - can you try for a more 30 to 45 degree angle instead, so we can see both eyes of the person speaking? The viewer gets a better connection with the speaker that way.
Brian
@daemonsquire - DINGDINGDINGDINGDING!
We're trying to just do interesting, escapist, non-narrative video that is pleasing to the eyes and brain in U.C., but maybe military death tech is stretching that a bit. We will go back to kittens next time maybe. Kittens with guns and supercharged turbo engines tho.
@License Farm
"So anyone else think 'Moonlight' sounds like a retread of 'Forever Knight,' among all its other clones?"
My thoughts exactly. If we could only bring back that slice of Canadian goodness instead of rehashing it in terrible Hollywood style. At least Nick Knight wasn't searching for his true love.
@Xeni: You should totally get Mark to MAKE a hybrid Unicorn and Kitten Death Robot!!
ZOMG!
The thunderchicken happens to be the V-22 Osprey and though it may be a new vehicle to the Middle East Theater it is a rather old concept. The Osprey has been plagued with technical failures that have taken quite a few souls down with it during tests, but today they have totally redesigned it with the latest tech and computer controls and so far testing seems to prove that it is working as planned. This one aircraft could see deployment in every branch of the military in different configurations.
I was unaware of it's use in combat already, as I thought the first units were slated to be operational two to three years from now. It is undoubtedly the best aircraft to chase unicorns in and probably the best to hunt them in too if they weren't such danged invisible cowards.
Wasn't the Unicorn Chaser supposed to go after something, you know... horrifying? Maybe Will was a lot more offensive in person.
The trouble is, I can't watch an Osprey flying without thinking of this Lego plane I rigged up with a pair of strings to a pulley on the ceiling when I was a kid. So, you know, you could swing it back and forth and kind of do little control moves -- take off, land, what have you. But if you tried any kind of extreme control move... KA-POOSH!
This is the best one yet! I love that Wil has fond memories of shopping at K-Mart for Star Wars action figures. I remember sitting on the floor in front of the huge wall of Star Wars action figures looking in vain for the Tonka Twins from the Cantina. I could have stared at it for hours. I'm glad Wil and I had the same lack of control for impulse shopping. Instead of buying quality Star Wars toys, I always ended up buying some cheap E.T. or My Little Pony knockoff.
@ Xeni #14 - So Unicorn Chasers have now become the "Moment Of Zen"?
the borg queen before assimilation --I'd take it as a compliment!
A comment on the interview's post at WWdN is comparing Xeni with the borg queen before assimilation --I'd take it as a compliment!
not sure i'm getting the unicorn chaser after wil, but hey, it was cool. (and no "kthxbai, ttyl wil"??
ps -- thanks for the ipod/iphone support link!
Suggestions:
Since you're playing around, please mark how long each episode. I like the 10minute format (though I suspect 7 is better) but want to know how much time is going to be needed to enjoy it.
Please use the unicorn chasers after bad things, like the burma episode. I don't want a bad thing to be the last bit. It leaves a bad taste in my brain.
I agree with the extremely formal outfits. It should be something more casual. Unless of course that's what they really wear. I dunno, it contrasts with the logo of a character with a jackhammer in overalls.
Ciao!
Unicorn chaser? You mean a POS aircraft with a horrendous safety record that's been a pet project for the president and many others because it comes from his state. The huge rotors act like giant sandblasters, so I guess they'll do just fine on iraqi airfields, so long as everyone on the ground is about a mile away.
Cheney wanted to scrap it. Congress had election plans.
Hmmm....plane with huge rotors, hellacious downwash, cost something like $15 beelyon dollars, contains less cabin space than existing troop transports, and has been declared unsafe by the FAA (which might have less stringent safety and wear & tear standards than military aircraft) and the radar signature of a 707.
Great asset for the USMC. The boys will love it when they see this slow, unpressurized hunkajunk landing in a combat zone under fire.
Here's a video of the Osprey crashing.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=M3a8--A1vsg
I'm cool with the rest of the show though. Just wanted to stick my opinion where it wasn't needed and bum everyone out.
"Kittens with guns and supercharged turbo engines tho." - Xeni
Time for...
HALO Kitty!
(featuring Master Chief Mittens)
So, the thunder chicken lives! Downwash comment, how's it compare to 100 ft. towering clouds of dust from an Erickson Aircrane? Loved the chaser Xeni, thanks.
Sorry guys, too lazy to sub, anyway, any chance either Xeni, Wil or both are likely coming to New Zealand. It's alright for you guys who live in the real world, but us in the Pacific Nuclear Test Site strangly don't many geek heros here unless we grow them ourselves, LOL.
I've respectfully held my verdict on bb.tv until you got going a bit, but I can say with this episode I'm now a huge fan. Awesome work!
Everybody has production notes which is so helpful! Mine ---> The Star Wars action figure story with Wil was vague and less than entertaining. I know he wants to sell books but if he can't tell the story should we be bringing it up? The way it came off was like, uh, oooooookay. Xeni, maybe listen to Fresh Air on NPR for better lines/angles of questioning. Good start though and a great idea! We'll keep watching.