I’m ready for my close up, Mr. Demille
The news is out: CBS has commissioned a TV pilot of Wait Wait.
Like all great adventures, it’s a bit scary. But so far, everything’s going disarmingly well. We’re working with a selection of old friends and some seriously competent TV professionals, and best of all, at no point has anyone from “the network” smiled slightly and said to me, “Well, you know, Peter, TV is a very different medium…” which is what I used to hear back in the day when Hollywood expressed interest in my plays. When somebody says to you, “Well, X is a different medium,” it means, “We’re about to take the thing you did so well, and completely screw it up.”
On the contrary: from the very beginning, and from the very top, all we’ve heard is that CBS loves our radio show, and wants us to keep it just the same as it’s been. Which is actually proving a little difficult, as we work through the plans… ya know, because TV, it’s a different medium.
However: if and when it ever airs (and remember, most pilots never air) you will see (and hear, because most TVs have a sound feature now) myself, and Carl Kasell, and members of our panel, and silly games, and bad jokes, and my girlish giggle. Just like the radio show, though as my daughter pointed out, it’ll be harder to enjoy while jogging or gardening. But, since we’ll continue to do the radio show as well, you’ll have plenty of material to distract you from your tedious tasks.
September 9th, 2008 at 7:00 am
Congratulations. I’m glad that the radio show will continue. Listening to the podcast is the highlight of my Monday morning commute. It’s gotten so important to me that I deliberately tune to a different station when WWDTM comes on on the weekend. I don’t want to spoil my Monday morning fun.
September 9th, 2008 at 7:08 am
Excellent. In need of diversifying available distractions from tedium. This would do very nicely.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:19 am
I hadn’t heard about the CBS thing, so congratulations!!! And thanks very much for saying that you will continue doing the radio show. I rarely manage to listen to it live on-air, but I might have to shrivel up into the fetal position and cry if I ever heard WWDTM was going away. Three cheers for podcasts!
September 9th, 2008 at 9:55 am
TV? And all these years you’ve been an honest man! Oh well, good luck Peter.
September 9th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Great, just what I needed– more excuses to stay camped out on the couch!
Looking forward to seeing this on the line-up! (I’m feeling optimistic!)
September 9th, 2008 at 11:37 am
THAT’S GREAT!!!! At least, I hope it turns out to be great for all of you, but it’s already FANTASTIC that they’re recognizing your work in such big, positive ways — MAZEL TOV!!
September 9th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
will you be replacing Face the Nation? bookended with Sunday Morning? go up again SNL?
September 10th, 2008 at 10:33 am
Exciting developments but glad the radio show will continue as well. I’m addicted to my podcast of the show.
September 10th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Many many congratulations! Well deserved. WWDTM really is the entertainment highlight of my week. I can’t wait to hear more about the pilot, or even better I can’t wait to see it!
September 11th, 2008 at 9:09 am
Congratulations to Peter, the REAL King of All Media.
Maaaaake-up!
September 12th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
They said that the Tonight Show would never make it, either. I’d love to see it.
September 15th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
I look forward to it. I hope you can make the transition. Please don’t allow the TV people to screw this up. Better no show than another “As the Wrench Turns.”
September 17th, 2008 at 9:00 am
Congratulations! I hope it does as great as the radio show.
I did not know you had a blog Peter! Found out via Adam’s blog today.
October 7th, 2008 at 10:20 am
Saw the pilot taping last night (7:30 taping) and loved every minute of it!
Thanks for taking the jump to bring Wait Wait to televisionland. I really hope it takes off, in the meantime though, I’ll happily listen every weekend!
October 7th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Dear Peter Sagal:
We had the pleasure of seeing your very first taping last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. Was it the radio program? Well kinda. Yes, but so…Hollywood. Make sure you get feedback about the amusing prompter who labored so hard in the audience, bringing skills perfected, he informed us, from years stoking the audiences for “Friends” and later quiz programs on cruise ships. Yes, they’re shelling out the big bucks there so you know they want the show. A few questions: Where did you get that suit? You mentioned it wasn’t yours. Don’t worry, when the show goes network you can get one of those fancy Beverly Hills men’s shops to outfit you. Please tell Carl to smile more. What month in the calendar is he au natural? And good lord, wasn’t Paula Poundstone available? Tracey Ulman may be a star in some circles but she was just terrible and completely lost. And that make-up girl–she’s got your blend down perfectly. Good luck!
February 20th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
[…] more interestingly, Peter Sagal’s thoughts about the whole ordeal from his blog The news is out: CBS has commissioned a TV pilot of Wait […]