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I woke up early and after a few moments of peaceful bliss remembered the election. I had planned not to fall asleep last night, because in 2016 every time I fell asleep I woke up to some new nightmare election result. It was only 5am and I tried my best not to check my phone, because if I checked my phone then I knew I wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. I managed maybe 5 minutes. Then checked my phone.
It wasn’t the total disaster I had expected my sleeping to cause, but neither was it a triumph. It meant a day with a stomach full of dread. And a week more. And then, even if Trump lost, a few months of dread wondering what terrible things he might do to overturn the result or to take revenge on America for voting him out.
Never check your phone. That’s my advice.
Or maybe it’s just me checking my phone that is the issue.
God I wish we’d voted Remain. Luckily I will be the only person who ever says that.
Anyway I am declaring myself the winner of Taskmaster right now and going to court to prevent Channel 4 showing the rest of the episodes. Technically I am behind at this stage, but that’s not the point. With the Taskmaster making such outrageously wrong decisions there has to be an appeals process.
I have felt a little sluggish and uninspired of late and spent a lot of time playing games on my iPhone in the bath, but a wonderful chat with the inspirational Nell Scovell tonight was the tonic I needed. We even riffed a couple of sitcom ideas. The nature of being a writer is that people don’t always know your name, but I can guarantee that Nell has made you laugh at some point in the last 30 years having worked with The Simpsons, Larry David, the Muppets, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and much more.
Her book is a must for any comedy fan or comedy writer wanting to be reassured that it’s not just them who finds the industry tough and cruel.
She helpfully lists every project in her 30 year career at the end of the book and tells you what happened to each one. The number of failed pilots or cancelled shows amongst the many, many hits is somehow reassuring. She co-wrote Lean In which was a huge success and which helped change the political landscape and the next entry is Lean In (film) which was not commissioned. How is that possible? That’s show business.
If you only buy one book this year, then obviously make it
The Problem With Men, but why not put both books in your book basket NOW.
Nell had seemed like she might be nervous about the podcast (and the state of the world) in our email exchanges and told me that she hadn’t slept for two days worrying about the election. So I was nervous that she might be prickly or shy or take against me. But she totally delivered and was everything I hoped and more. And I think she had a good time, even when I ended up telling her about growing a toothbrush moustache in the pre show extra interview. She told me this was one of the favourite chats she’d done. It’s always a relief to find out your heroes are nice people, but also when I don’t fuck things up by being a silly dick. I know you like those ones best, but it only works if I am trying not to fuck things up.
Good to see House of Games put up my Rasputin question in its entirety.
