Magically overnight a whole script for the final show arrived in my inbox. It was claimed it was from Smally and Titsy the AIOTM
elves and although I didn't have the time or inclination to read it (for fear that it might be better than what I was about to come up with) someone elfin or otherwise has worked pretty hard at it, So I have stuck it up in the downloads section and am hoping it doesn't contain anything too graphic. Don't take this as a signal to send me scripts - I really get sent too much stuff to read and I have my own work to do and can't help you with yours, so have to have a policy of reading nothing that is sent to me on spec - but I thought some of the die hard fans might like it. While they're waiting for another Die Hard film to be made.
And it was a funny joke - I hope they didn't really think there was any hope that I would use their script- but the mystery remains who was the person or people who perpetrated this huge effort. My money is on Andrew Collings who seems desperate to be allowed to write for the show.
I managed to plough on without help from supernatural beings and though there was quite a lot of stuff that I didn't manage to get to in time (a bit of which made it into my warm up) it was a long script which hopefully had something old, something new, something borrowed (for Bill and Ted fans) and quite a lot that was blue). There was quite a lot of stuff to prepare to take with me, props, change of clothes and Christian had suggested I bring in my trumpet too.
It didn't really feel like we were doing this for the last time - we all just got on with it as usual, though there was a slight tinge of emotion in the air. I thought I might feel more relieved that at least the writing was over (and later when we went for a drink I did feel that one large weight had been removed from my shoulders- even if there are a few more weights still on there), but in some sense it was a bit anti-climactic. We just got on with the job of working out what stupid voice would make the hastily written material amusing. It felt like we would be back next week to be honest. Emma, Dan and Christian have been amazing on this project, as has producer Ben and it does feel like a tight and loyal team, prepared to give almost anything a go. I think the 28 episodes are testament to the fact that it is possible to just go out there and do stuff yourself (on whatever scale you can manage) and I proud of my team and of the show we have created, even if much of what it contains is shameful.
And the audience clearly had a sense of occasion. We sold around about 200 seats for the other five gigs in this series, but tonight we had sold every seat as well as a couple of dozen standing tickets and the place was rammed. The audience were boisterous in the stand up section, trying to join in with varying degrees of success, but when the podcast itself started they began with a cheer that felt like it would never die, though eventually I was allowed to speak.
I don't want to give too much away - you'll be able to download it from the British Comedy Guide or iTunes and I suspect a video or two might pop up as well. Let's just say that my trumpet playing was a triumph (Grade V - 125/150) and the real Andrew Collings managed to stick his oar in (from now on I am only doing podcasts with him in which he sits some distance away and I have to relay what he says into the one microphone) and amazingly superfan Alan Greening had traveled from Abu Dhabi, seemingly without his wife's knowledge, just to attend this recording (and he seemed to think it was worth it).
But much as I appreciate and am moved by the response to the show (where the fuck were you the other weeks you wankers!) I was glad we were going out on a high, before we had run everything into the ground and whilst the show is still a secret shared by maybe 50,000 people. I am sure I will work with the cast again and I doubt very much that it will be the last live podcast I do. But maybe, with the next one, it would be good to bump it up from being quarter-arsed to three-quarter arsed. Weirdly I think preparing a script in advance and making it sound as professional as possible might be less stressful and damaging to my health that they way we've done this. Doing something fast does not make it easy and I am amazed that the haters don't realise quite what an achievement this has been. Yes, it's not as good as a TV show with a budget of hundreds of thousands of pounds, written by a team of writers and edited down to its best bits. But it's more honest and purer and still in some places funnier (depending on which TV show you're comparing it to). People seem to expect a lot from these free podcasts, but I think ironically they might complain less if they had to pay - it might at least mean people didn't force themselves to listen to things they didn't like. I don't think it is an insane idea that consumers of a product should contribute something. In fact if that convention could be established, then it might be possible to start making TV quality internet stuff in which the consumers replace the money men. I certainly want to keep exploring this rich and exciting new medium. But for now I think it's a good idea if I concentrate on my paid TV and radio work and my new stand up show.
I have loved and hated AIOTM but I think it was a project that was more than worth doing. And I think more than anything I have ever done it is something that belongs to you, the people who enjoy it, who will spend hours trying to write a script or travel thousands of miles to witness it live or just give up a part of your day to download and listen to it.
Who knows what we can achieve together in the future.
But for the sake of my sanity, thank fuck it is over.
Dan Tetsell documented the day with some behind the scenes audio and photographer Mat Ricardo came down to do some shots for us. He wrote a nice blog about it which includes some of the photos, but there are some spoilers in there so maybe wait til you've listened to the show before reading it here.
