Episode 32. Pilot's Club honors the 20th anniversary of Lost with a look at its two-part pilot! We discuss the expensive and hasty gamble that ABC took on this pilot, how this compares with the pilots of other shows with huge casts like Game of Thrones or Shogun, our top hunks, and we wonder why nobody ever called Boone "the pen guy."

Click here to watch a video of this episode.

• (00:00) - - Intro
• (00:03) - Welcome
• (00:51) - Happy 20th anniversary to Lost
• (08:00) - An incredible opening few scenes
• (13:02) - John Locke, the jester
• (15:03) - Effeciancy in a show with 14+ main characters
• (22:41) - Lost was the first shows we were addicted to
• (26:56) - Did Lost have a plan, or no?
• (30:09) - Both episodes in the pilot have great hooks
• (38:28) - Top 3 Lost hunks??
• (40:23) - What we are covering next episode
• (42:13) - Outro

Episode 31. This month's pilot is Homecoming, the Prime show directed by Sam Esmail from Mr. Robot, based on the audio fiction podcast of the same name. We discussed the changes in aspect ratios, feeling the Florida humidity, and the era when every audio drama had to include a character turning on a recorder so you knew why the podcast was a podcast and not another medium.

• (00:00) - Intro
• (00:03) - Welcome
• (01:37) - So many reasons for us specifically to love this show
• (09:15) - Stylistic choices help this show stand out
• (16:41) - A little nod to audio fiction podcasts
• (17:46) - A surprisingly star-studded cast
• (21:47) - The hook is a great mystery
• (24:37) - Season 2 lacks that X factor
• (26:14) - What are we discussing next episode?
• (30:33) - Outro

Episode 30. We watched the pilot episode of the 2007 Disney Channel cartoon Phineas & Ferb, "Rollercoaster," and the season two episode "Rollercoaster: The Musical" where they just did the pilot again but with more jokes and songs this time. We discuss the show's deliberate repetition and the creativity that comes from that limitation, how it combines stories that other cartoons would keep as separate segments, and Humongous Entertainment PC games.

• (00:00) - Intro
• (00:03) - Welcome
• (00:50) - Cartoon comfort food
• (06:25) - Creativity with boundaries and deadlines
• (10:02) - Did you catch the time travel easter egg?
• (10:51) - The musical version never messed with the flow
• (13:17) - The absent parent trope
• (16:24) - Positivity in cartoons
• (17:20) - Candice's need to prove herself
• (19:07) - Hey have you seen Perry?
• (23:11) - Oh hey! There's Perry
• (25:55) - What are we discussing next episode?
• (30:14) - Outro

Episode 29. This month we investigate the pilot of the long-running Amazon Prime detective series, Bosch. We discuss the kaleidoscopic opening credits, using courtroom interrogation to deliver exposition, the requisite quirky forensics guy in a tropical shirt, and how "Harry Bosch" isn't as cool of a name as "Titus Welliver."

Click here to watch a video of this episode.

• (00:00) - Intro
• (00:03) - Welcome
• (00:49) - What does Bosch mean to you?
• (04:16) - Bosch's opening credits
• (06:55) - Did they make Bosch too unlikable?
• (17:41) - Anyone else get Fletch vibes?
• (21:16) - Delivering exposition is difficult
• (24:31) - Adapting books for TV
• (26:06) - Who had the better name?
• (28:29) - What pilot are we covering next episode?
• (31:08) - Outro

Episode 28. This month the Pilot's Club features an actual pilot in the 2011 show Pan Am, about a group of young flight attendants navigating the 1960s air travel boom. We discuss Margot Robbie already in Barbie mode playing an iconic beauty, David Harbour the international spy, and Lost-style flashbacks.

Click here to watch a video of this episode.

• (00:00) - Intro
• (00:03) - Welcome
• (01:35) - What is Pan Am?
• (08:01) - General thoughts on the Pilot of Pan Am
• (13:40) - The nuances of the characters
• (18:09) - A young David Harbour? Yes, please!
• (20:41) - When is a proof of concept too much?
• (23:57) - AMC+ is not a great experience
• (25:43) - Final thoughts on Pan Am
• (27:59) - What pilot are we covering next episode?
• (31:34) - Outro

Episode 27. This month, we watched the first episode of the current hit TV miniseries Shogun. We ask if the show gives you too many plotlines too early, and discuss the multiple faiths and factions at play, pirate voice, and location-based cinematography.

Click here to watch a video of this episode.

• (00:00) - Intro
• (00:03) - Welcome
• (01:45) - What is Shogun?
• (06:59) - General thoughts on Shogun's pilot
• (09:22) - Does a pilot episode need to be a proof of concept?
• (16:56) - Culture shock and learning to respect others
• (22:45) - What role will religion play in Shogun?
• (28:04) - What pilot are we covering next episode?
• (32:53) - Outro

Episode 26. We watched the pilot of Welcome to Eltingville, based on the comics of Evan Dorkin. It didn't go to series, but aired on Adult Swim on March 3, 2022 --- exactly 22 years ago to this day! [spooky thunderstorm clap] We discuss the evolution of nerd archetypes, good and bad comic book store experiences, trivia battles, and what we can learn from Star Trek.

Click here to watch a video of this episode.

• (00:00) - Intro
• (00:03) - Welcome
• (00:55) - What is Welcome to Eltingville?
• (03:34) - Would this show work in a modern context?
• (07:33) - Balancing nostalgia and criticism
• (11:01) - Nerdy about more than just comics
• (15:32) - Our comic shop experiences and how the setting could progress
• (21:54) - The careless violence of nerd culture
• (24:39) - A lack of B-plot
• (27:03) - What pilot are we covering next episode?
• (29:41) - Outro

Episode 25. We watched the 1999 pilot for Heat Vision & Jack, starring Jack Black as an experimental astronaut on the run, and the voice of Owen Wilson as his talking motorcycle. We discuss the introduction from director Ben Stiller, the purposefully low-budget effects, one very talented exotic dancer, and the 25th anniversary of Family Guy.

Click here to watch a video of this episode.

• (00:00) - Intro
• (00:03) - What is your favorite Jack Black movie?
• (02:03) - What is Heat Vision and Jack?
• (05:38) - Does the Ben Stiller intro help or hurt the pilot?
• (08:28) - The basic plot of Heat Vision and Jack
• (12:40) - The comedy in Heat Vision and Jack works well
• (15:18) - Should Heat Vision and Jack have been picked up for a full season?
• (18:46) - Did the low budget help or hurt Heat Vision and Jack?
• (20:46) - Final thoughts on Heat Vision and Jack
• (23:59) - What pilot are we covering next episode?
• (25:53) - Outro