Back to the Pilot

Starting college can be a stressful time for anyone, but in some situations, things end up being a little more than what you’d expect. Take these two shows for example - Blue Mountain State and Fresh Meat - the characters in these shows are thrown into scenarios where they are forced or agree to do some….difficult things. Blue Mountain State (1:41) - Being a star athlete on a powerhouse college fo...

In the world of family sitcoms, the early years were insistent on showing what life was like in the perfect household. A lovingly married couple, two happy children, everyone getting along, and almost no concerns with everyday struggles. But in the late 80s and into the 90s shows began to change the way we see families. And two of the shows with the biggest impacts were Married…With Children and 3...

The law is an interesting thing. For those who follow it, they rarely think about anything more than the surface level legality of their everyday lives. But for those who don’t - or walk the thin line separating the two - it’s almost as if they have to be experts in the matter just to know how far they can go and exactly how to get away scot-free. So what better way to entertain than to combine th...

Alright, you got us! We’re doing another episode about two adult animations. But can you blame us? These shows are exactly the type of humor that we love with just the right amount of laughs. And when it comes to this type of comedy, not a lot have done it better than South Park & Rick and Morty. South Park (3:04) - In a rural town in Colorado, we meet a group of 4 friends in the 4th grade. Bu...

It’s never easy to break into the entertainment industry. We’ve learned all about just how much work goes into it while researching for this podcast. But one thing has been fairly consistent throughout - with passion, dedication, and a little bit of luck, it can be done. And to exemplify those qualities in this episode, we discuss The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Glow. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (03:2...

Throwback to the 80s where family life was certainly different from how we experience it now. But even back then, there were a lot of similarities. Some people dealt with overbearing parents, some dealt with annoying siblings, some dealt with school bullies, and some dealt with it all. But what better way to walk us through what life was like than a comedic narrator explaining it all. And that’s w...

Businesses are often represented by a small number of people, whether it’s a suite of executives or a board of members, but the reality is that no business will run smoothly unless it has everyone working together towards the same goal. But corruption is a tricky thing. It bleeds into all parts of the business, especially when it starts at the top. And soon enough, no one cares how it happens, as...

Telenovelas tend to be sappy, soapy, dramatic shows that typically cater to a very specific audience. But every once in awhile, one comes along that captures the eyes and attention of a much larger demographic. Today we discuss two shows adapted from telenovelas for American audiences - Jane The Virgen and Ugly Betty. Jane The Virgen (01:42) - After spending her whole life as a devout Catholic, Ja...

Anthologies are interesting - some contain multiple stories per episode, while some go full seasons along the same plot before switching it up. In either case, the format has always been a great way to adapt short stories to television. That happens to be the case for our two shows in this episode, Miracle Workers and American Horror Story. Each of which pulling ideas from different types of short...

Every generation has iconic cartoons that set themselves apart from the other children’s shows of their time. We can’t say for sure why some cartoons become far more successful than others. But if based on our thoughts, the thing that really makes them stand out is their ability to make family-friendly comedy that provides just as much enjoyment to the adults as it does to the kids. And that is tr...

We’re excited to kick off (pun intended) our season with this football-inspired episode! Despite relating to different sports in different parts of the world, football is often an extremely important part of small communities. That love for the sport can run deep in those communities typically bringing them together. Friday Night Lights (02:12) - When a man takes over as head coach for the local h...

When it comes to TV shows, many of them are no longer even on TV. Shows are now often released through some kind of streaming platform. So to finish off our Season 3 Finale, Chloe talks about where streaming got its start and how it continues to increase its stake in the entertainment industry. Instagram: @BackToThePilot E-Mail: ⁠⁠BackToThePilot@gmail.com⁠⁠ Music: ⁠⁠https://www.epidemicsound.com⁠

On this podcast, we talk so much about television and the shows which continue to make the medium so popular, but how exactly did it get so popular in the first place? That’s one of the big questions we’re here to answer in our Season 3 Finale. In this episode, Chase discusses the history of television and how entertainment transitioned over from radio. Instagram: @BackToThePilot E-Mail: ⁠⁠BackToT...

Every comedy show tries to take its own direction when it comes to humor. But often times we see that humor play out in similar ways. Of course, that’s no fault on the creators, but some would say it’s “easy” to fall into comfort zones in comedy. However, in these two shows - It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia & Curb Your Enthusiasm - the comedy comes out when they’re at their least comfortable...

The pursuit of relaxation has taken people to many different places in life. And inspired them to do many different things. But one in particular always comes to mind - cruises. On cruises, you can literally disconnect from the rest of society. Drifting off to places far from anyone else in the world. So it’s only natural that we’d see TV introduce a show or two about what life is like aboard a cr...

Throughout the world, everyone is really after the same thing - answers. But just because we want answers, doesn’t mean we want to take the time to learn them. That’s why we enjoy it when other people do it for us, then explain things to us in fun and exciting ways such as videos, podcasts, or even television. The search for answers is what inspired us to research these two shows, In Search Of… an...

Crime shows are often about catching the criminals. And that makes sense - audiences want to tune in to watch the good guys take down the bad guys. But what if it was flipped? Now you’re rooting for the criminals to get away with it, and go on with their lives, committing whatever crime they please next. In this episode, we learn the backstories of a couple of these shows, Spotless and Sneaky Pete...

Recently, there seems to have been a lot of conversation around “The Apocalypse.” But not everyone expects the same apocalypse. Sometimes it’s a giant meteor, other times it’s an uncountable number of natural disasters. But one that seems to garner the most intrigue is zombies. And whether they’re undead, fungal, brain-hungry, bloodthirsty, fast, or slow - zombies are often a result, or reason, be...

Most of us are probably not into anime, but anime has and always will be an important Japanese export. Although, for many people, some of their favorite cartoons were originally Japanese anime which were dubbed in English. That’s why we’re here to talk about two of the most popular English-dubbed animes of all time - Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! Pokémon (1:53) - In a world where people live alongside won...

This podcast is really anything but regular. So it’s a wonder it took us so long to do an episode about two shows that as far from regular as possible - Regular Show & Courage the Cowardly Dog. Granted, our podcast is much less horrific. Regular Show (1:57) - Two young guys who just got a job with no work experience sounds like it might be the basis of a really boring show. And you’d be right…...

Nothing like a couple classic sitcoms to really make you appreciate the origins of the genre. With two shows that really set a precedent, we were impressed and amazed to discover how much they actually set the tone for future shows of a similar style. The Brady Bunch (1:56) - When a single mother with three daughters meets a single father with three sons, the resulting life is certainly a chaotic...

Science Fiction often stretches itself to capture a wide range of possibility. Truly a genre that can mold itself to please any number of fans. So why would some sci-fi titles perform well while others fail? That’s a question we’re hoping to answer looking at Doctor Who and Firefly. Doctor Who (02:15) - This show really puts the fiction in science fiction. A Time Machine shaped like a phone booth;...

Family time is important. It connects us with the people who know us the best in this world. And when life seems to change all around you, sometimes family is the only thing to really count on. Of course, with the families in Schitt’s Creek and Santa Clarita Diet, there weren’t many other options. Santa Clarita Diet (5:38) - The last thing to expect in the beautiful suburban town of Santa Clarita...

The early 2000s were the golden ages of Saturday morning cartoons for some of us. And when we think of early 2000s cartoons, there are certainly a lot of memorable ones. But on this episode, we focused on two that really caught our attention with their “Power Hour” crossovers - The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius & The Fairly Odd Parents. The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius (2:...

We’ve all watched TV before - it’s become one of life’s simple pleasures and laziest pastimes. And whether you’re sitting down to watch the newest episode of your favorite show, or tuning into the most recent breaking news, you’ve probably wondered what it’s like behind the scenes. Well they may not be 100% accurate, but 30 Rock and Great News are both here to give you a little comedic glimpse int...