Nightcap: a Hollywood pilot taping

Yesterday one of my favorite dames Monica & I headed to Hollywood for a pilot taping for one of our most favorite comedians Paul F Tompkins.  The pilot is called Nightcap, a weekly evening half-hour program with a panel of guests comically discussing current matters of the day. 

We've got our fingers crossed that the pilot gets picked up, we could all use more PFT in our lives. To see more about Paul and his amazing comedy go here: PaulFTompkins.com

The taping was at Hollywood Center Studios, where I had actually never been before so it was a fun new adventure for me to experience. Hollywood Center Studios was built in 1919, and at it's inception silent films were made there including films starring Mae West and Harold Llyod. I was surprised to find out Jean Harlow's first starring film, "Hell's Angels" was filmed there in the twenties. "Pennies from Heaven"with Bing Crosby, and "The Howards of Virginia"(with one of the most dashing men of all time, Cary Grant), and The television show "Ozzie & Harriet" (Ricky Nelson <3) are also on the lot's list of credits along with Shirley Temple's film debut. There are even stories of the Studios being haunted by a studio electrician who fell from the rafters at a wrap party in the forties!

Most personally meaningful to me, the first two seasons of "I Love Lucy" were taped at Hollywood Center Studios on Stage 2. Sometimes it's hard for me to comprehend walking in the same spaces that some of my most admired stars once did, especially when it comes to Lucille.


Incase that does not impress you, some more recent films that were filmed at the lot include: Inventing the Abbots, The X-Men, Zoolander, I Love You Man, High Fidelity, Dumb and Dumber, A Walk in the Clouds, When Harry Met Sally, Con-Air and Shampoo! (Oh my, Warren Beatty!) True Blood even shot their first season there.

So although the taping was so very fun, I even more thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the studio itself and some of the history behind it.