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09/28/2008: I Met Stephen Colbert


So last week I took a break from my never-ending stay up here in Vancouver with the Battlestar TV movie, to go back home just long enough to attend the Emmy award ceremony. And it was wonderful. Oh, I know the hosting was terrible and the show was long, but there's something so lovely for me about being out in that audience full of all the people who entertained me when I was growing up -- Betty White! Tommy Smothers!

And afterwards, there's the Governor's Ball, in which the star power is even more dense and they give you a map of where everyone is seated, so if you want, you can go watch John Hodgman eating his appetizer or Howie Mandel apologizing to everyone.

I didn't actually see him apologizing. I'm just assuming.

I met Stephen Colbert, who was just as charming as you could ever want. He's a sci-fi fan! I sort of knew that from interviews, but it was darn cool to hear him say it. I also saw Betty White locked in intense conversation with Phylicia Rashad out by the limo pick-up area. What was that about? And I ran into our own Katee Sackhoff and Grace Park in the ladies' room, where they both looked beautiful despite fluorescent lighting. All in all, a wonderful night. Did I tell you met Stephen Colbert? I got to hold one of his writers' Emmys. Hefty little lady. (The Emmy, not the writer.) Plus, I met Stephen Colbert. If my typing fingers could dance...

But the best part of the night was part of the acceptance speech of Jay Roach, who won for directing Recount. I'm paraphrasing, but the good bit went something like:

...and Danny Strong, who wrote a great script that really inspired us all to do this...

That's significant not just because Danny is one of my dearest friends. It also has a lesson for all of us about our own writing. The truth is, I gently counseled Danny against writing the Recount script. There were too many obstacles -- the real life events he wanted to chronicle were so recent. Everyone knows the ending. The tone is tricky. But, primarily, I was concerned because there's really only one place to take such a project: HBO. If they don't want it, there aren't a lot of second options. And I had no sense that there was a lot of enthusiasm gathering out there for a movie about the 2000 Florida recount.

Here's what I didn't take into account. Just as a forest fire makes its own wind, Danny's script made its own enthusiasm. Jay Roach said as much -- the script fueled the project.

Does that mean that you should drop that spec pilot and instead write a movie about the financial bailout plan? Heck no! Do all the practical things first, but when you've got your specs in a line and you're taking aim at your dream project, don't let others' opinions keep you from doing something that you just know you can deliver. Danny ignored me and as a result he wrote the Best Made For Television Film of the year. Go Danny, and congratulations!

Lunch: leftover squash agnolotti with extra parmesian cheese from the Italian restaurant right across the street from my hotel room