This is showbiz, so things can still fall through, but the Sci-Fi Channel and I have agreed to do a television show called "Penn Jillette's Fi-Sci." We're going to start with 4 one-hour specials that will start showing the beginning of 2001. Everyone (except me) hopes it'll go to a series of half hours after that. Doctor Stockdale and I have already written the theme song and that is, of course, the most important part. Michael Goudeau will be putting the show together with me, and I think we're bringing Provenz in as some sort of producer.

Here's the idea: Every show will cover 4 movies. I do a little monologue and then I'll talk about some movie, just kind of sum it up. Then we'll go to tape and I'll have done an interview with a real scientist about the subjects brought up in the movie. So, we show "Them" and I talk to an entomologist about if there could be giant ants and why not. We end up doing an interview about ants. I'll make jokes, he or she will make jokes and we'll talk a lot of science. It's like any other interview show except my guests will be smart and they'll know something. So, there are two of me, one at home base and one in the field doing the interviews (I'll wear a lab coat for the interviews).

I might do a science demo on most shows explaining something we've talked about. So, it's a funny show about science that uses Sci-Fi movies as an excuse to be on TV. That's the show. I'm hoping to get Richard Dawkins to do "Planet of the Apes" ("Could monkeys really evolve mouths that don't move right when they talk?"), get some NASA boys to do all the travel to Mars movies, you get the idea.

It's such a nightmare; it's a great idea for a show. I did a great pitch. Now, they're supposed to say no and all my friends say, "They're such fools, how could they not buy this idea" and I feel like a genius. Now, they've said yes, and now I can prove myself to be an idiot. I'm telling you, I like pitching and failing better. Now, I have to do the stupid show.

Penn

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