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Talk show caller : 1.7 billion were there for his birth. 220 countries tuned
in for his first
step. The world stood still for that stolen kiss. And as he grew, so did the
technology. An entire human life recorded on an infrequent network of hidden
cameras and broadcast live and unedited, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to
an audience around the globe. Coming to you now from Seahaven, enclosed in the
largest studio ever constructed, and along with the Great Wall of China, one of
only two man-made structures visible from space, now in its 30th great year,
it's The Truman Show!
Mike Michaelson : What a week it’s been! I don’t know about you. I was
on
pins and needles the
entire time. Hello and good evening, I’m your host, Mike Michaelson and Welcome
to TruTalk, our forum for issues growing out of the show. For tonight, something
very special: a rare exclusive
interview with the
show's conceiver and creator. So come with us now as we go live to the lunar
room on the 221st floor of the Omni-Cam Ecosphere. That’s where we'll find the
world's greatest televisionary. The designer and architect of the world within a
world that is Seahaven Island: Christof. Before we begin, I’d like to thank you
on behalf of our audience for granting this exclusive interview. We know how
demanding your schedule is and we all know how jealously you guard your privacy.
This, sir, is indeed an honor.
Christof : Don't
mention it.
Mike Michaelson : Well, the catalyst for
the recent dramatic events on the show has been, of course, Truman's father,
Kirk, and his attempts to infiltrate the show. But before we get into that, I
think it’s worth noting this is not the first time that someone from the outside
has attempted to reach Truman, is it?
Christof : We have had our close
calls in the past.
Man : Truman, it’s television! Yes! I
did it! I’m on The Truman Show!
Mike Michaelson : But there’s never been
anything to compare with this most recent security. The first intruder to be a
former cast member.
Christof : A dead one at that.
Mike Michaelson : Got to say, writing
Kirk back in, masterstroke.
Christof : Since Kirk started this whole
crisis in Truman’s life, I came to the conclusion that he was the only one who
could end it.
Kirk : Truman! Truman, no! That's off
limits!
Truman : Why? What's over there?
Kirk : Nothing. It’s dangerous, that's
all. You’ve got to know your limitations. Truman.
Mike Michaelson : But
let's remind viewers of exactly why Dad was written out in the first place.
Christof : As Truman grew up, we were
forced to manufacture ways to keep him on the island.
Truman : I’d like to be an explorer like
the great Magalia.
Teacher : Oh, you’re too late, there’s
really nothing left to explore.
Christof : Finally I came up with the
concept of Kirk's drowning.
Mike Michaelson : Most effective,
Truman’s been terrified of the water ever since.
Christof : When Kirk read the synopsis
for the Death At Sea episode, he was disappointed, to
say the least. And I’m sure that's what caused him to break back
onto the set.
Mike Michaelson : But how do you intend
to explain his 22-year absence?
Christof : Amnesia.
Mike Michaelson : Brilliant. Let's take
some those viewer
phone calls. Charlotte, North Carolina, you're on with Christof.
Charlotte : Yeah. Hi, Christof. I was
just wondering how many cameras you got there in that town?
Christof : Somewhere in
the vicinity of 5,000.
Charlotte : Vow! That’s a lot of
cameras.
Christof : Remember, we started with
just one. He was curious from birth. Premature by two weeks, it was almost as if
he couldn't wait to get started.
Mike Michaelson : And of course his
eagerness to leave the mother’s womb was the very reason he was, the one was
selected.
Christof : In competition with five
other unwanted pregnancies --the casting of a show determined by an air
date, Truman was the one who arrived on
cue.
Mike Michaelson : Incidentally I believe
Truman is the first child who has been legally adopted by a corporation.
Christof : That's correct.
Mike Michaelson : The show has generated
enormous revenues now, equivalent to the GNP of a small country.
Christof : People forget it takes the
population of an entire country to keep the show running.
Mike Michaelson : Since the show is on
24 hours a day without commercial
interruption, all those staggering revenues are generated by
product placement.
Christof : That’s true. Everything on
the show is for sale, from the actors’ wardrobe, food products, to the very
homes they live in.
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