Nice article but I wish it had included what I think is one of the most significant facts - that Day retains complete creative control. However I did learn a new word "Doorstepped". Is that a Britishism only or have I just missed it?

Lioness | December 22, 14:25 CET

The second season is even better than the first. I think the part of the success is that she really connects with the gaming community as well as creating something that is funny it it's own right. Nice to have a job where you do what you love and have control over the final product too!

Planet715 | December 22, 14:34 CET

Even over here you normally hear 'doorstepped' more in the context of protests or maybe press intrusion so this usage is (in my experience) maybe a bit unusual but I guess it sort of works for Zaboo in that he's most definitely uninvited (and turns up on her doorstep).

And yep, enjoying season 2 and looking forward to the machinima sitcom she's working on. The key to The Guild's success according to Felicia is she wrote something she cared about and knew well and I think that's a fundamental difference between this kind of thing and e.g. broadcast TV in that she deliberately wrote for a niche audience, her "people" if you like, and trusted that if it was good enough then a wider audience would pick up on it too. Compare that to the "sand off the edges", lowest common denominator, try to please too many folk approach that broadcast TV sometimes adopts (out of necessity in fairness, because bigger audiences are required).

Saje | December 22, 15:16 CET

To prove Saje's point about a wider audience picking it up, I'm not a gamer but I'm certainly enjoying the series. It's clever, well written, funny, with interesting characters and good acting. Just like you don't have to be a thief to have enjoyed Thomas Crown Affair (either one) or to have served in the secret service to enjoy a Bond movie, I don't think you have to be a member of the gaming community to enjoy The Guild.

MacGuffin | December 22, 15:30 CET

Felicia Day is on my Top Ten list for 2008. Not sure Top Ten what. But she's on it. She runs her own show (literally), is the change she's seeking, solves her own problems, writes her own rules, writes her own lines, writes her own ticket, and is quite nice about it. I hear Rod Stewart has, in her honor, rewritten "Hot Legs" as "Hot Nerd." In my head.

Pointy | December 22, 16:03 CET

Just read this in the actual paper - good article. The Guardian must be the most linked to newspaper here. It's a great paper anyway (if you have a similar political leaning), but the fact that there's obviously some Buffy fans on the staff is a nice little bonus.

NotaViking | December 22, 16:47 CET

I think that gaming has become popular enough so that even if you don't game you do know someone who does. I found it very easy to understand The Guild, and to get into the characters; I'm glad that Felicia is finding a larger audience and getting more recognition.

embers | December 22, 16:51 CET

Can we get the lyrics to that please, Pointy?

Lioness | December 22, 17:08 CET

I'm a gamer and hadn't checked out this show until MS picked it up and put it on the 360. I downloaded all the episodes and loved them. Seems to be doing very well on Xbox Live and always seems to be listed under the most popular section. I watched all the episodes in one sitting with my daughters.

As I was watching it I was thinking what a great sitcom it would have made and it's a shame it was passed by. But, maybe it's a blessing for Felicia with how quickly some shows are canceled now.

Firefly Flanatic | December 22, 17:59 CET

"Doorstepped" is straight from The Guild, Season 1, Episode 1. Zaboo coins the term to describe how he suddenly shows up at Codex's doorstep. The noun+"ed" construction is a Zaboo affectation, and is a subtle running gag throughout the show.

Pretty good article, though I'm not sure how they managed to spell producer Kim Evey's name wrong when it appears in written form just about everywhere.

AlanD | December 22, 18:28 CET

Zaboo coins the term to describe how he suddenly shows up at Codex's doorstep. The noun+"ed" construction is a Zaboo affectation

Maybe as far as the article's author is concerned (only she knows that) but the term most definitely wasn't coined by Zaboo. Exhibit A (note the date ;).

(and i've heard/read it used way before then)

The noun+ed construction is also very far from original to Zaboo/The Guild (a certain Joe Sweden has been known to verb the odd noun for instance ;).

Saje | December 22, 20:01 CET

Felicia made it clear (again, via Twitter) that it is 'doorstep'd'.

embers | December 22, 20:07 CET

There seem to be a lot of errors in that article. Oh well, good press. Shill for The Guild on somebody else's time...

hacksaway | December 22, 20:56 CET

doorstep'd How about that? Of course it's just an abbreviation for doorstepped so it's really a matter of preference. Curious that Felicia would tweetcorrect doorstepped but not her producer's name.

AlanD | December 22, 22:00 CET

As if an article on The Guild wasn't enough, here's a review of a programme that was on tonight from the Guardian's tv page in G2, where the reviewer, Gareth McLean, seems more interested in talking about a different series.



Have I mentioned how much I love the Guardian? ;) It does have a bit of a reputation for small errors like spelling mistakes, but as far as I'm concerned, it gets the big stuff right (like liking Joss ;).

NotaViking | December 23, 00:41 CET