Well, now it’s official. According to my 0-1 visa I’m an Alien of Extraordinary Talent and Ability. Yeah, I know, I know. Even my bank manager thought it was hilarious.

Apparently there’s also a category of Alien Crew Member in Transit. Sometimes they go on the run and we aliens of extraordinary ability have to be sent to hunt them down.

I’ve got my office in the Warner Village section of the Burbank lot and a parking space with my name stencilled on the asphalt, like something permanent. I mean, nothing is, especially in this business, but wow. As a kid in the ‘sixties I used to watch the Batmobile draw up outside the Gotham City Police HQ steps, week after week. Adam West and Burt Ward would leap out and run inside. Usually it was the same recycled clip.

The frontage is still here on the lot, still in use. I can go and stand on the steps of Gotham City Police HQ for inspiration. Yonks ago, after a Chimera meeting with the Image Animation people, I took my dog for a walk around the Pinewood backlot and stepped through a doorway to find myself on Anton Furst’s Gotham main street for the Tim Burton Batman. Yesterday I took a walk around the standing sets here and, apart from the occasional tour trolley, I had the streets entirely to myself. I’m the oldest member of our writing team and easily the most starstruck.

Here’s a weird thing. On the plane coming over, I checked out the in-flight entertainment. When I called up the TV Drama menu I found that it consisted of the first five episodes of Eleventh Hour.

I finally worked it out. I’m living The Truman Show.