Filming a TV pilot. Really. I'd like to say more about it, but I need to get permission from the producer first - not sure what the confidentiality rules were, but I'll find out.
UPDATE: .. okay, John and company said it was okay to spill, so I will. The TV show is a really interesting experiment, sort of "deliberative democracy meets reality TV." Group of ordinary citizens brought together to a house where they learn about a contentious political issue (in this case, American policy towards Iraq), talk about it, listen to experts, deliberate, try to come to some agreement, and eat bugs. At any rate, I can't even play an ordinary citizen on TV, alas, so I had to be an "expert." My contribution was to visit the house for an hour and a half, and answer questions from the assembled citizens about Iraq, along with Mary Habeck from SAIS (who participated via a conference call). Then I left, so I have no idea what the assembled citizens decided. I'm a big fan of deliberative democracy experiments, so I was very intrigued by the whole concept - I really hope the pilot gets picked up, and not just for selfish reasons! Sorry, no Aardvark high-concept action scenes, guest shots by David Duchovny or Kristen Bell, or vampires to slay... though who knows what the future might bring?
Coming fall 2007: The Aardvark. University professor gets caught up in web of intrigue and disappears to take up shadowy secret identity known only as 'Abu Aardvark', has wild adventures throughout the Arabic-speaking world. Brings peace to the Middle East at end of season.
Posted by: John Steven | December 03, 2006 at 02:48 PM
The Nancy-Haifa Culture Wars Ramadan Serial?
Posted by: Yohan | December 03, 2006 at 03:05 PM
arabic adaptation of buffy?
Posted by: upyernoz | December 03, 2006 at 04:48 PM
Aardvarks Gone Wild?
Posted by: hannah | December 03, 2006 at 05:55 PM
Check out how the UAE is being sold to aliens
http://www.mathaba.net/related.shtml?x=546555
http://www.mathaba.net/0mem.shtml?x=546783
Posted by: Anonymous | December 04, 2006 at 12:35 PM
I would only like to say two things on this discussion. I can factually verify that Mr. Lynch was involved in the shooting of a television pilot this weekend, and that the producers are extremely grateful for his time and expertise.
Posted by: JPKennedy | December 04, 2006 at 09:31 PM
Cool.
Question: can people really deliberate with each other as if equals in a public sphere when they also share closed living space?
Or maybe the people aren't together for too long?
Posted by: Rodger | December 05, 2006 at 03:11 PM
We saw some really interesting dynamics - with the group domintaed early on by the most knowledgeable member, and then the other members slowly finding their voices.
Posted by: JPKennedy | December 05, 2006 at 04:26 PM
Fascinating. Any chance for more info on the results?
Posted by: saddamov | December 06, 2006 at 09:51 AM
I was heartened and a little shocked by the results of our poll after three days of discussion and information. We are keeping the results under wraps as it will give away the conclusion of the show. In terms of experts (in addition to the kind and wise M. Lynch), we invited a retired major from the first Iraq War who is a military analyst for CBS and a peace activist who spent the first three years of this war living in Baghdad outside the greenzone. They both agreed that our current policy in Iraq was failing, but we couldn't withdraw immediately. They ended up becoming friends, and asked to stay for the rest of the day so they could see how these regular people grapple with the issue.
Posted by: JPKennedy | December 06, 2006 at 10:28 AM