Pilot Program

2006's Friday Night Lights was a massive critical (yet not always commercial) success. Inspire by a book written by his cousin, director Peter Berg adapted the work into a 2004 film. Feeling there was more to dig into though, Berg would rework the concept into a TV show, with a (mostly) all-new cast and story. Does NBC's cult classic still have what it takes to make the varsity squad in 2025? And why does everyone in this town want to sleep with these football players? Chase and Pierce clear their eyes, fill their hearts and attempt to not lose the plot.

As is tradition on Pilot Program, we cover an anime every tenth episode, and for our 40th show, we're talking about one of Chase's favorites: 2014's Ping Pong The Animation. Based on the manga from Taiyō Matsumoto and directed by Masaaki Yuasa, Ping Pong centers around two high school table tennis players -- one brash and filled with natural talent, and the other who doesn't even seem to really want to be there. With a unique and entracing presentation, Ping Pong pushes past the traditional sports anime to become something more.Show Notes:Chase claims mysterious games' reviewer Sushi X wrote for GamePro, but Pierce was correct that it was EGM instead. We deeply regret the error. Chase also theorizes that Ventus from Kingdom Hearts is another variant/clone of Sora, like Roxas. Ventus is actually a previous Keyblade wielder and the protagonist of Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep. We do not regret this error as Kingdom Hearts' story is ridiculous.And finally, Chase mentions seeing a behind-the-scenes clip of Ping Pong that shows off the use of Flash animation. Here's the link to that video.

As its twin hits of Mad Men and Breaking Bad were coming to a close, AMC was looking for another premier drama to add to its catalog. While it would never achieve the same commercial success of those earlier titans, 2014's Halt & Catch Fire would find a small, but passionate fanbase that has achieved cult classic status in the 10+years after its debut. Chase and Pierce analyze the characters, story beats and world of the place dubbed "Silicon Prairie" as we explore this world of early computing.

In 2007, after a failed attempt to create their own original programming, ESPN tried again, adapting Jonathan Mahler book, The Bronx is Burning, into an 8-episode miniseries. Following the 1977 New York Yankees run to the World Series and the wider cultural turmoil of New York City at the time, The Bronx is Burning features big name talent and innovative production solutions to make for a unique show that's been all but forgotten (especially by ESPN and parent company Disney). We take a swing at the show's debut on this episode of Pilot Program.

Let's get fancy and travel back to the late 1800s for HBO's The Gilded Age, the new show from Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes. It's old money vs. the nouveau riche in a battle of New York City's socialite supremacy. We talk about how reality TV has shaped premium dramas (or maybe the other way around?), how to get from Pennsylvania to NYC and why all the outdoor scenes in this show...look like that...

Hey, welcome to our podcast. Come on in. No, there's nothing in our fridge, but we do have a cornerstone of 2000s-era MTV programming: MTV Cribs. The debut of Cribs is basically lost media at this point, and the copy Chase has is a severely degraded chopped up version someone threw on archive.org a long time ago (and even that upload is gone now). But it's enough that we're able to reminisce about the celebrity home tour show, the changing nature of access to famous people and how Moby kinda sucks.

We go back to the 1993 well for a Nickelodeon cartoon from both Chase and Pierce's childhood. It's Rocko's Modern Life, the subversive, transgressive and sometimes even gross early Nicktoon. We talk about the actual pilot, the first episode that aired on Nickelodeon and the remade version of the pilot that was placed later in the first season. It's like three shows in one! Lucky you.

Chase and Pierce go back to the '90s to talk about the mechanics of the late night talk show, specifically 1993's Late Night with Conan O'Brien. After a departing David Letterman left NBC down a host, the network made the unconventional decision to go with a young and untested comedy writer with some funky hair that would end up becoming one of the most interesting comedians of his time. We talk about Conan's rise, fall and resurgence, as well as what value these seemingly disposable shows have on a rewatch. Show Notes:Here's the link to the first episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien if you'd like to watch it for yourself.At one point, Chase gets all confused about second generation actors. He says Drew Barrymore isn't (despite being the daughter of actor John Drew Barrymore), and was thinking about Kate Hudson (daughter of Goldie Hawn) when he said Kathryn Hahn. Podcasting is hard sometimes!Here's the link to Bruce Springsteen's live version of Promised Land Pierce referenced.

For our first Showtime program for the podcast, Pierce and Chase dive into the world of 2004's The L Word, a groundbreaking show focused on the lives and relationships of a group of lesbians living in Los Angeles (and one straight woman who may just want to join the team). We watched the first part of a two-episode pilot because honestly, we had plenty to talk about from just that.Show NotesChase discusses this unhinged directorial decision in the second episode of Columbo. Here's an image. Now imagine the scene playing in his glasses for over a minute. Wild stuff.Chase also talked more about watching Nadia The Secret of Blue Water. He mentions the show gets bad after episode 25. It actually happens after episode 22. Somehow that awful desert island arc goes on for EVEN LONGER.