Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Space Cadets
Channel 4 have kicked off the ultimate in telly pranks this evening: they're running a reality TV show that is going to try and convince a group of extremely suggestible British folks that they're actually up in space.
Obviously this is most everyone's dream, to go into space. I'd love it. When I was a kid I wanted to be an astronaut. And if not, then I wanted to be John Noakes. Both dreams failed and now I work fixing computers. No space. No Shep. No Blue Peter badge.
Of course, this is all a big hoax. It's brilliant. If they can pull it off it'll be a fabulous technical achievement, but also - and here's the cool bit - the set is just up the road from here at the disused Bentwaters airbase ("somewhere near Ipswich").
Hurrah for Ipswich.
No, but seriously.
Of course it could all go wrong - to pull it off they've got to keep up the pretence they're in Russia/space for a total of three weeks or so.
Add to that the irreverant Johnny Vaughan (who, it would appear, is only ever any good on C4), I hope they've got a winner. And having watched the first show, they've managed to get themselves a bucket load of space monkeys, so there's no hope any of them are going to see through the deceit.
Obviously this is most everyone's dream, to go into space. I'd love it. When I was a kid I wanted to be an astronaut. And if not, then I wanted to be John Noakes. Both dreams failed and now I work fixing computers. No space. No Shep. No Blue Peter badge.
Of course, this is all a big hoax. It's brilliant. If they can pull it off it'll be a fabulous technical achievement, but also - and here's the cool bit - the set is just up the road from here at the disused Bentwaters airbase ("somewhere near Ipswich").
Hurrah for Ipswich.
No, but seriously.
Of course it could all go wrong - to pull it off they've got to keep up the pretence they're in Russia/space for a total of three weeks or so.
Add to that the irreverant Johnny Vaughan (who, it would appear, is only ever any good on C4), I hope they've got a winner. And having watched the first show, they've managed to get themselves a bucket load of space monkeys, so there's no hope any of them are going to see through the deceit.
