Shame - sounded potentially interesting. But it doesn't sound as though Alexis or James were ever likely to be cast, anyway, from that blog entry.

Fascinating story about the process, too.

Kiddo | January 26, 18:00 CET

It is a real insight. I love this behind the scenes stuff.

Simon | January 26, 18:03 CET

I took a look at his links and just had to check out the blog "I find your lack of faith disturbing". Such a great title.
Back to this one, it would be interesting to know if pilots are generally picked up or not faster than this. John August seemed to feel it took longer than it should have. But I guess that with 3 different versions of a pilot, it took more work than it should have. Fascinating.

Lioness | January 26, 18:31 CET

Here's another screenwriter's blog I enjoy. Also has some behind the scenes stuff but apart from that it's just plain old fashioned funny . That guy at 'lack of faith' can really write as well.

Saje | January 26, 19:05 CET

Tim Minear posted in the comments section of the blog. He wrote "sigh. preach it, brotha". I think that maybe his pilot isn't going so well. Hopefully i'm wrong.

[ edited by derf on 2006-01-26 17:52 ]

Derf | January 26, 19:35 CET

I can't imagine how frustrating that must be. Trying to hone your story to the eyes of judgement only to find yourself facing a new judge. Starting the process all over again only to find that they weren't really interested in the first place. It's a wonder that we don't have Hollywood writers going postal. And, considering how few pilots are picked up from a score of others, this treatment must be commonplace. I don't know how these writers can do this day after day, but I salute them.

Excellent find, killinj, that was a great read.

Madhatter | January 26, 20:11 CET

Wasn't John August a co-writer on Titan A.E. with Joss and Ben Edlund?

k8cre8 | January 26, 23:45 CET

While we were waiting, I had a baby, and Jordan wrote Prince of Persia

Ok, granted this is off topic, but since when have men started giving birth? We had a baby, My wife and I had a baby, or just My wife had a baby are all fine. But I had a baby? Er, alert the press?

yourlibrarian | January 27, 00:52 CET

But I had a baby? Er, alert the press?

John August is gay, so he doesn't have a wife. He does have a partner, though. And apparently they now have a baby.

So, um, I've cancelled the press release :-)

crossoverman | January 27, 01:48 CET

I had the exact same reaction to "I had a baby" as did yourlibrarian, and thanks to Keith G for the explanation. Just shows ya - sometimes we're struggling to keep up with our own language.

SoddingNancyTribe | January 27, 01:56 CET

Somehow "I got a baby" sound a little harsh, so I'll agree his term is more meaningful.

Lioness | January 27, 03:25 CET

Ah, I see, but it's the singular of that that got me as much as the gender -- that's just what made it leap out at me. Still seems like My partner and I had a baby would be, um, more generous.

On a different note, has anyone else had trouble getting his Downloads page to come up? The pilot idea sounded really great (shame about the whole thing) and I was curious to see it.

yourlibrarian | January 27, 05:37 CET

I think that maybe his pilot isn't going so well. Hopefully i'm wrong.

I'm pretty sure Tim was referring to "The Inside." When I first read John's blog entry, yesterday, I had an odd feeling of deja vu all over again. </Yogi Berra>

Kristen R | January 27, 06:32 CET

It reads much like the development process of Firefly only without the pilot being filmed, aired out of order, and kicked to the curb.

eddy | January 27, 06:45 CET

Still seems like My partner and I had a baby would be, um, more generous.

But he was just talking about himself and his writing colleague. And it was the "man having a baby" thing that threw you off, not the fact he was being less-than-generous.

crossoverman | January 27, 07:02 CET

Well, Keith G, let's not rush to make assumptions about what yourlibrarian meant. The examples s/he gave: "We had a baby, My wife and I had a baby, or just My wife had a baby are all fine" all equally support the lack of generosity line, because they give at least partial credit to the person who actually went through the experience of birthing the child. (On the other hand, "My partner and I had a baby" doesn't, because neither one had the baby in this case . . .)

Anyway, I'm perfectly willing to say that it was the "man having a baby" that threw me - basically because men, whether gay or straight, still actually can't as a matter of biology.

That was what I meant by "keeping up with the language" - "having a baby" tends to mean "giving birth." A gay man who says "I had a baby" is, to my mind, using the phrase in a way that is linguistically novel and, to my ears at least, a little strange. And I don't think I'm making a political point in saying that (well, except for giving props to the woman who actually goes through childbirth. Having been as involved as I could at two such events, I remain completely blown away by the whole thing). Indeed, if a straight couple who adopted a baby said "we had a baby," that would sound equally odd to me.

I did enjoy the blog entry. Who'd be a Hollywood writer, really?

SoddingNancyTribe | January 27, 07:23 CET

Whatever the linguistic quagmire, August and his partner (someday, I hope, spouse) have become fathers to a wee baby girl.

Wishing that she's forever content, and that teething is tolerable for all.

Allyson | January 27, 08:35 CET

I'm still gobsmacked over the fact that LL Cool J is "offer only," because they trust that his acting is such high quality (?) that there's no need for him to audition, while James and Alexis have to audition like everyone else to prove that they can actually act. And that Fox loves LL and Luke Mably, but not James or Alexis.

Network executives are morons. It's a miracle that anything decent ever gets filmed.

deanna b | January 27, 10:43 CET

I'm still gobsmacked over the fact that LL Cool J is "offer only,"

Well that sounds more like a deal LL's agents made - if you want him, you have to take him sans audition. LL has a much higher profile than both James and Alexis and has played roles similar to the one in Ops. James and Alexis are basically known for one role each in two series from two networks that don't exist anymore!

However I tend to agree that all network executives are morons - except for the ones that actually greenlighted Buffy and Angel and Firefly in the first place!

crossoverman | January 27, 14:05 CET