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Screenwriter Gary Whitta is known for several movie and game credits, including Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Telltale’s The Walking Dead, but these days he’s also known for something he probably never expected: a recorded talk show from Animal Crossing: New horizons.
What started as an effort to build the Animal Crossing basement of your dreams, inspired by your favorite American talk shows, has grown into a full talk show with lights, cameras, and big-name celebrities. The only difference from a TV network talk show is that it airs on Twitch and YouTube and can be done without any actual physical contact.
“We started six days ago as a bit of fun, and now I’m struggling to keep up,” Whitta told me over the phone. “We started by pretending to do a talk show, and now we’re doing a talk show.”
The prolific screenwriter and former gaming journalist (Whitta was editor-in-chief of our sister site PC Gamer) was not born in the USA. But for more than two decades living in the United States, he has developed a palpable love for classic talk shows like The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and The Larry Sanders.
Once he discovered the breadth of items available and customization options in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, he set to work making his basement a talk show with greetings to his favorite hosts. There’s a golf bag on the set that references Johnny Carson’s monologue “golf swing” movement, and potted plants dress the set as a tribute to Artie’s love (played by Rip Torn) for plants and flowers .
Things quickly escalated from there, and soon Whitta invited actress Naomi Kyle to “dress up” and host a talk show. Since that first show less than a week ago, Animal Talking has attracted guests like actress Felicia Day, comedian Mike Drucker, and Whitta’s charming wife Leah. The fourth episode of the show was watched by more than 12,000 viewers and was number 14 on the most viewed Twitch streams that day.
Fan reactions have also been overwhelmingly positive. In fact, Whitta believes the reaction to Animal Talking has been “possibly the best reaction he’s ever had to anything he’s done,” which is a remarkable thing to say for someone who wrote a Star Wars movie.
And despite the runaway success, Whitta’s aspirations for the show are the same as when she started: to cheer people up. “I am incredibly pleased that this thing has been received as it has been. I just wanted to waste time in my basement and have fun, but it seems to have resonated in a way I could not have imagined. It made many people happy, including Me, my wife and the people who work on the program, “says Whitta. “As someone in the creative arts, that’s why I get up in the morning.”
As for what follows, Whitta says it’s hard to tell. “It will last as long as it lasts. This is not a trading company,” he says. When I asked if she had any fantasy guests for the show, Whitta did not hesitate. “Reggie,” he replied, referring to former Nintendo of America boss Reggis Fils-Aime.
And luckily for Whitta (and us viewers), Fils-Aime has already publicly expressed interest in appearing on the show. It seems that the sky filled with New Horizons gift balloons is the limit for Gary Whitta’s Animal Talking.
Until the next show, here is everything we know about Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ May Day event.
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