Take Us to the Pilot

In the premiere of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, creator Amy Sherman-Palladino pushes the title character into the world of stand-up comedy while exploring themes of family, gender, and tradition.

When Broad City transitioned from YouTube to television, the series became an instant hit for Comedy Central and quickly cemented Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer as an iconic comedic duo.

Ellie Kemper's ability to convey innocence and strength inspired Tina Fey when developing Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, a comedy that emphasized how females are strong as hell.

When Ugly Betty premiered in 2006, the series stood out for its comedic take on telenovelas and propelled its star, America Ferrera, into becoming a household name.

The pilot of Gilmore Girls kicked off a long-running series that earned a dedicated fan base for its lovable leads, quirky supporting cast, and compelling family drama.

The animated sitcom Daria may have originated as a spinoff, but its sarcastic lead character stood on her own as a unique comedic voice that resonated with young viewers in the late 90s.

Our next female led sitcom is Murphy Brown! This late 80s pilot stood out for its use of topical humor and comedic depiction of network journalism.

The Golden Girls pilot introduced viewers to an ensemble cast of older women, each with a distinct comedic voice but united in an enduring friendship that won over fans across multiple generations.

We’re discussing the pilot of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which set the tone for sitcoms in the 1970s with its dialogue-driven humor and endearing lead character.

Happy New Year from Take Us to the Pilot! We're kicking off our next series which focuses on female leads in comedy. The first pilot in this rich genre is I Love Lucy which created the TV sitcom format as we know it today and began a legacy that would influence comedic actors for decades to come.

It's time for Take Us to the Pilot's holiday bonus episode! Like last year, we're discussing a one-off pilot that was not picked up for a regular series. This year, we're looking at the sci-fi comedy Heat Vision and Jack, which was written by Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab and directed by Ben Stiller.

Wrapping up our series on unexplained phenomena, we've ended up in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana to discuss Stranger Things. Paying homage to classic horror and science fiction works, the pilot quickly establishes the show's signature 80's setting and blend of supernatural genres.

When it premiered in 2008, the science fiction thriller Fringe established itself as the spiritual successor to the X-Files, adding another feather to the cap of TV creator J.J. Abrams.

FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully first meet in the pilot of The X-Files and begin an iconic partnership balancing belief and skepticism as they investigate paranormal events. 

Continuing our venture into the unknown, we're discussing the premiere of Twin Peaks. Written by David Lynch and Mark Frost, this pilot captivated viewers with its unconventional mix of tones and slew of eccentric characters.

There are fewer things scarier than the unknown, which is why for the month of October we're discussing pilots of series that explore unexplained phenomena. To begin our venture into the strange and unfamiliar, we're entering The Twilight Zone which opened up a new world of storytelling possibilities to the TV landscape when it first premiered and continues to influence the medium today.

We're capping off our summer of animated comedy pilots by horsin' around with BoJack Horseman. As one of Netflix's earlier originals, BoJack evolved to push the animated genre into new directions during the rise of streaming.

Rick and Morty first entered the multiverse in 2013, opening the interdimensional door to Dan Harmon's creative mind.

The Bob's Burgers pilot episode "Human Flesh" introduced the Belcher family to TV viewers and Loren Bouchard's comedy style to the Fox primetime animation lineup.

The spy parody Archer premiered in 2009 as the adult animated comedy genre continued to expand on cable television.

The first episode of The Venture Bros. began a long-running series that reflects the irreverent and inventive content of Adult Swim's early years.

Welcome to the world of tomorrow! We're discussing the first episode of Futurama which presented a distant future with robots, aliens, and flying cars bustling around New New York.

The pilot of Family Guy introduced the animation style of Seth MacFarlane to primetime television, most notably his use of cutaway gags and pop culture references.

A stop motion video that went viral in the 90s led to the making of the South Park pilot, beginning yet another long-running animated TV comedy that continues to resonate through the decades.

We're going down to Texas to discuss the pilot of King of the Hill which cemented the success of Mike Judge as a comedic storyteller, I tell you what.