The Wil Wheaton Project (or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Tolerate Syfy)

A Few months ago, Wil Wheaton announced that he was developing a new talk-show, followed closely by the news that David Letterman was leaving CBS's Late Show next year. Naturally, I freaked, thinking that
maybe one of my favorite dudes on the planet was getting his big break. Imagine... Wesley Crusher doing the "Top 10 Reasons Not To Invite Worf to a Bachelor Party." I was understandably (if unfairly) disappointed when it was announced that Stephen Colbert would take the helm of Letterman's show after his departure. Nonetheless, I was hopeful that Wil would soon be part of my nightly talk show heroin fix soon enough. Then, I learned his new show would be on SyFy...

Shortly after the vomiting ceased and the hives faded, I decided that I would eventually get around to seeing his new show, hopefully before it was cancelled in favor of a new weekly sitcom based on Sharknado or something. Perhaps I should explain my attitude...

Back in the day, The SciFi Channel was awesome. They ran reruns of some of the best classic sci fi series ever made, as well as a few less than credible old favorites. It was not unusual to see marathons of classic shows like Star Trek, The Six Million Dollar Man, Knight Rider and Twilight Zone in their regular rotation. They had some cool "new" series, as well... Sliders, SG1, Farscape and Tremors: The Series. All had their strengths and weaknesses, but they were all interesting shows in their own right. Then, the self-mades came... The SciFi original series and movies. Some of the shows were bad enough, but the movies, most of them rip-offs of more well-known movie franchises, were absolutely dreadful. Horrible acting, horrible effects... a literal "what not to do" course in science fiction motion picture arts and sciences. Anonymous Rex, Piranhaconda, Dinocroc vs. Supergator, Ice Spiders, and an ill-conceived remake of Children of the Corn to name but a few. Watching Syfy became, for all intents and purposes, a torturous endurance test, rather than an evening's mindless escape. Therefore, when I learned that Phoenix ComicCon's favorite guest was unable to attend this year because he was working on his new talk show for THAT channel, I was decidedly non-plussed. Screw it, I was fucking pissed!!! How dare the worst channel on my cable lineup snatch up the one Trek celeb I had not only met, but actually had photo-ops with without having to shell out $80 (and he thought my daughter was cute, too)!

Anyway, the other night, on pure whim, I was channel surfing (NCIS was in reruns) and saw that The Wil Wheaton Project was on. I decided to watch. Reluctantly, my thumb permitted me to select SyFy on my cable menu, something it had flat out refused to ever allow to happen again after last year (see next weeks "Film Rants" pilot episode for why), and proceeded to watch...

Immediately, I was struck by the technical similarities to Talk Soup and Tosh.0. Here was Wil, obviously standing in front of a green screen, wearing a tie with a polo shirt, looking somehow simultaneously cool and terrified. This was not the smooth, energetic, on-his-game Wil I had come to know at conventions. He was uneasy, a bit uncomfortable... awkward. It was obvious that he hasn't quite found his voice as a TV personality yet. Then, on another whim, I pulled out my old VHS copy of the first episode of NBC's Late Night with David Letterman. Within moments, I had the inevitable epiphany. I watched young Dave, foundering about the set like a mackerel on a pogo stick. He was uneasy, uncomfortable and even more awkward than Wil had been. It became quickly apparent to me that Wil Wheaton has every bit as much potential and talent as Letterman... as Conan... as Carson...

The show itself was funny enough, if a bit too safe for my tastes. Still, I gotta give them props for having Skeletor drop "S" bombs on the show. With a little better writing, more energy, and a little more risk-taking, Syfy could have a certifiable hit on its hands. They don't deserve it, but Wil does, so wherever he has to hang his hat to get a little seasoning under him is fine by me. Hey, at least it's not the Golf channel. I will continue to keep an eye on The Wil Wheaton Project. Let's see what the erstwhile acting ensign can do with it.

Make it so, Mr. Wheaton!