tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post8600301193506083084..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: What happens to failed pilots? By Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-30211405021919134772015-02-07T15:53:26.259-08:002015-02-07T15:53:26.259-08:00I also remember Soupy Sales as a kiddie show host ...I also remember Soupy Sales as a kiddie show host who meets a talking bear, and a "Topper" revival with Roddy McDowall.antoniodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08484223213688377817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-81738074379128294182015-02-04T15:41:51.366-08:002015-02-04T15:41:51.366-08:00Hmm, let me see if I can remember the pilots I saw...Hmm, let me see if I can remember the pilots I saw as a kid. There was one with Fred Gwynne as a Victorian era department store owner, "Big Daddy", with Rosie Greir as a Football player turned TV chef, a show with Arte Johnson as a goofy private eye, "Wednesday Night Out", which was just going to show a weekly get-together of four families every week, "Heaven Help Us", about a remarried widower haunted by the ghost of his first wife, a show about a widow haunted by the ghost of her Husband-played by Frank Sutton, who really did die after filming the pilot, a show about a ghost named Barnaby(Lots of ghosts), a "New Phil Silvers Show" where Phil played a security guard(I was wishing they'd just repeat Bilko), I must remember some more.......antoniodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08484223213688377817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-47982096015358027522014-08-09T01:18:18.714-07:002014-08-09T01:18:18.714-07:00THE MUNSTERS wasn't in color because CBS wasn&...THE MUNSTERS wasn't in color because CBS wasn't broadcasting in color in 1964.<br /><br />Had the show been picked up for the '66 season (which would have been its third), it would have gone to color, as did the rest of CBS's schedule ( and ABC's as well - meaning THE ADDAMS FAMILY would have also).Mike Dorannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-49450418061265605552014-08-08T20:26:41.626-07:002014-08-08T20:26:41.626-07:00John: I always thought it was strange that The Mus...John: I always thought it was strange that The Musters was in black and white while its theatrical movie Musters Go Home was in color. I had always thought that the producers thought the movie would have a longer shelf life for television so they had to shoot it in color, while no one would bother seeing reruns of the television series. My dad insisted that the series was done in black and white to look more like a Gothic horror movie.<br /><br />And nearsighted Mr. Magoo as the control setting for audience testing? I wonder if the researchers noticed the irony.AAllenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04994241172130699272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-55938606689007349852014-08-08T05:53:27.871-07:002014-08-08T05:53:27.871-07:00I believe both Mulaney and The McCarthys are do-ov...I believe both Mulaney and The McCarthys are do-overs from last season, along with the Jim Gaffigan project.... It'd be interesting to know how much money Fox and CBS have put into re-shooting and re-piloting those projects, versus abandoning it altogether and starting a new project from scratch.Patrickhttp://www.twitter.com/pswayne7noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-28739406579552882832014-08-08T05:33:26.723-07:002014-08-08T05:33:26.723-07:00Oh, and another correction:
"Love, American ...Oh, and another correction:<br /><br />"Love, American Style" was not all pilots, but despite what Gabe claims, it did include a few. In fact, two led to series: the animated "Wait Till Your Father Gets Home" and, of course, "Happy Days."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-53628752241010843722014-08-08T05:31:11.089-07:002014-08-08T05:31:11.089-07:00A couple of corrections:
Gary Busey did not play ...A couple of corrections:<br /><br />Gary Busey did not play Steve McGarrett in the unsuccessful "Hawaii Five-O" pilot. No one did. This version was a continuation of the original series, not a reboot. The original cast (minus Jack Lord) appeared in their old roles (Danno was now the governor of Hawaii), with Russell Wong as the new leader of Five-O, and Busey as his assistant. In other words, Busey was the equivalent of Danno, not McGarrett.<br /><br />There is no such thing as "Suicide Theater." That story with DeForrest Kelly as a man attempting to kill himself was an episode of an obscure anthology series. Some years ago, a video company (Rhino?) included this on a tape of old TV odds and ends, with the credits chopped off and some text identifying it as the pilot for "Suicide Theater," a series in which every week someone would attempt suicide. The video company presumably did this to be funny. Ignorant people on the Internet keep repeating it in order to feel superior.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-71325691146432377992014-08-08T02:13:14.081-07:002014-08-08T02:13:14.081-07:00Andrea Martin can be seen on NBC this summer in a ...Andrea Martin can be seen on NBC this summer in a sitcom called "Working the Engels." I happened to catch it last night. Apparently NBC picked up 12 episodes.Rochelle Rabinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-44789245458670663092014-08-07T18:28:46.054-07:002014-08-07T18:28:46.054-07:00A decade ago, the now-defunct cable channel Trio h...A decade ago, the now-defunct cable channel Trio had a feature called "Brilliant But Cancelled", which showed noteworthy short-lived shows (e.g. Jon Cryer's "The Famous Teddy Z" and Beau Bridges' "United States") and specials on the pilot development process. <br /><br />Once they dedicated a night on a number of rejected pilots. The one that stands out in my mind concerned a young psychiatrist trying to start his own therapy practice. Andrea Martin was his rival, a long-established therapist, and "Kids in the Hall" member Kevin MacDonald was a patient/client (a guest role, likely). Seems like those two have been in their share of failed projects, though Martin's recovered nicely on Broadway.Liggienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-72624591898848519792014-08-07T07:42:33.140-07:002014-08-07T07:42:33.140-07:00Well, Lee Goldberg - I put both your books on my A...Well, Lee Goldberg - I put both your books on my Amazon wish list.Roger Owen Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05298172138307632062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-32414984676523854632014-08-07T07:42:09.196-07:002014-08-07T07:42:09.196-07:00Well, Lee Goldberg - I put both your books on my A...Well, Lee Goldberg - I put both your books on my Amazon wish list. Roger Owen Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05298172138307632062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-37210607111087254102014-08-07T07:20:40.390-07:002014-08-07T07:20:40.390-07:00JAG ran for a half season on NBC before getting ca...JAG ran for a half season on NBC before getting cancelled and later picked up by CBS where it went on for another 8 years, then produced a fake spinoff that ran another ten years and counting, which itself produced its own fake spinoff that has been running the past five years. Big loss for NBC, which still feels like the natural home for NCIS and The Blacklist.MikeNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-82994932551946337142014-08-07T06:59:06.260-07:002014-08-07T06:59:06.260-07:00Living close to New York, you could go down to the...Living close to New York, you could go down to the Rockefeller Center area, and there would be people with CBS buttons on their shirts giving out tickets to a similar experiene, where you would wait in the lobby o the Black Rock, and get taken up to a room with red and green buttons, watching a CURRENT show still being tested. The one time it was the short lived WHIZ KIDS with Matthew Labartoux (whoever he was), and Wojo from BARNEY MILLER as the only continuing adult. <br /><br />Speaking of DeForest Kelley an pilots, here is the pilot he did with Roddenberry in the 50's - 333 Montgomery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWQfJJs_LJo<br /><br />LouOCNYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16151395857835632917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-43545206194165541912014-08-07T06:57:03.755-07:002014-08-07T06:57:03.755-07:00Honestly, Rebecca ...
Pay the $2.99, post your add...Honestly, Rebecca ...<br />Pay the $2.99, post your address and I'll mail you a toonie.BobZirunkelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-27270626658682562092014-08-07T06:40:52.711-07:002014-08-07T06:40:52.711-07:00Hi Ken,
I'm in Canada but even trying a VPN th...Hi Ken,<br />I'm in Canada but even trying a VPN through a US connection onto Amazon.com still shows it at the higher price. Shrug. Silly Amazon!Rebeccanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-43034489192523145922014-08-07T05:24:15.101-07:002014-08-07T05:24:15.101-07:00No, LOVE, AMERICAN STYLE was not made up of failed...No, LOVE, AMERICAN STYLE was not made up of failed pilots. The show's scripts were written specifically for the series.Gabenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-79346475889697609322014-08-07T04:49:36.785-07:002014-08-07T04:49:36.785-07:00Regarding the MUNSTERS pilot, they shot the entire...Regarding the MUNSTERS pilot, they shot the entire half-hour script. The film did not survive intact, though. Frankly, I thought black and white worked better for this series. The makeups weren't really designed for color film.Mitchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-862725413228260822014-08-06T18:40:09.411-07:002014-08-06T18:40:09.411-07:00A few years ago, I attended a test screening of a ...A few years ago, I attended a test screening of a TV Pilot called Blind Men, about blind salesmen, that is, men who sell blinds, not visually impaired salesmen. Albert Giesbrechthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17742338183833125104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-76667219197278389882014-08-06T18:26:59.183-07:002014-08-06T18:26:59.183-07:00I REALLY want to see the failed HAWAII FIVE-0 pilo...I REALLY want to see the failed HAWAII FIVE-0 pilot that starred Gary Busey as Steve McGarrett. Who wouldn't?!?!?!?!"Find Gary Busey."noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-29633678312959147342014-08-06T17:55:44.022-07:002014-08-06T17:55:44.022-07:00Wasn't the show "Love American Style"...Wasn't the show "Love American Style" made up (at least largely) of chopped-up failed pilots?Lairbohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12023261658374519848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-50654787728788920002014-08-06T17:34:32.177-07:002014-08-06T17:34:32.177-07:00someone gave me a taped copy of a vote for this pi...someone gave me a taped copy of a vote for this pilot show circa 1987 hosted by Tim and Daphne Maxwell Reid, starring Scott Bakula, titled Infiltrator. Scientist invents teleportation and teleports himself into an alien space probe in a lab nearby. Now they are merged. When he gets upset he turns into a robot with missiles. Or something. Been a while since I watched it.Pamela Jayehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06135379188588301400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-85045390867203796872014-08-06T17:29:49.530-07:002014-08-06T17:29:49.530-07:00We went to one of those "screenings" whe...We went to one of those "screenings" where they tell you it's a new show but they're sing old shows to test commercials. My friend had gone years before and described the sitcom she watched so completely that I was able to peg it as (a late 80s?) drama called Blue Skies. (Season Hubley, Tom Wopat - used to watch it).<br /><br />This time, most of the room knew better, and spent half the time trying to figure the time period of said "new pilot." The tech made it easier. The most remembered piece, a cordless home phone way past its prime (in 2008 at least). Some even recognized what show it was. (Not me.)<br /><br />I'll never forget the ad for Charmin about other brands that leave pieces on your butt. I was stunned to see it on actual TV - possibly recorded before the "test."Pamela Jayehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06135379188588301400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-37706939369598895582014-08-06T16:53:06.675-07:002014-08-06T16:53:06.675-07:00Must Kill TV is showing for $3.21 [I'm from th...Must Kill TV is showing for $3.21 [I'm from the UK]media_lushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02910717455951557487noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-34797002378324465472014-08-06T16:50:25.286-07:002014-08-06T16:50:25.286-07:00The land where failed pilots went used to be calle...The land where failed pilots went used to be called <b>Love, American Style</b>.Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02753360146107174303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-86102073020397619722014-08-06T15:40:32.512-07:002014-08-06T15:40:32.512-07:00Lee Goldberg:
I also love your book. I'd pay...Lee Goldberg:<br /><br />I also love your book. I'd pay a whole lot for a Kindle version of it.Mike Schryverhttp://otrcomedy.comnoreply@blogger.com