Splendid: Pilot. The full story.

Hello.
Here I am in the photo to the left, on a mission, with actors Stephen Evans and Richard David Glover.

When you've done a load of shoots over the years, you get used to the highs and lows and general craziness.
One thing you don't normally get, is the feeling that you've you've got exactly what you've set out to achieve. Until now.
Eight days of filming, and sixteen sketches later, and I can honestly say we have got something pretty damn special in the bag.
The entire cast and crew worked incredibly hard to pull off some of the craziest and most difficult stuff that the ambitious scripts called for.
From rainforests to airline cockpits. Chickens, wizards, badgers, police riots and dogs wearing wigs. Just a sample of the silliness we brought to life.

I'm not the sort to crow about things, it's not my bag really, I prefer the work to speak for itself. But it would be utterly remiss of me to not report on the incredible work that my team did over the filming period, and beyond.

I'm going to write up a production diary with lots of behind-the-scenes snaps over the coming weeks, but for now, here are a few to start us off (courtesy of lovely runner Philip Higgs).


Here is Jamie Bishop. Our absolute hero of an art director.
His work creating sets and props was simply amazing. The man never slept!
Here he is painting a badger.






Here I am with Johnny "Caution" Harrison.
This man is a legend. He worked tirelessly to keep the shoot going, and held onto the purse-strings like a bulldog.
Behind him is the reason he looks so nervous. A large pane of glass...




Here I am giving people the idea I can actually read.
Sitting beside me is a true artist. Richard Swingle, DOP.
Rich works quietly and brilliantly. Switching between garish children's TV set to medieval cave to suburban nightmare, without breaking a sweat.







Here's Jamie again, to the right, with Dill, a man who holds everything together. An absolute star.
On the end is Siobhan our wonderful make-up artist, who is very possibly the most lovely and talented make-up artist I have ever worked with. And that little face in the middle is the extraordinary Suzie Irlam. Often on a shoot you can point your finger at people and say that none of it would be possible without them. She is one of those people. Suzie never stops making things happen. She is an incredible person and nearly half my age, so i hate her. But If she doesn't become a major producer one day, I'll be very surprised indeed.