TV Pilots (often movie spin-offs) never to be picked up...

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 8/5/14 at 12:32am

I'm still looking for the pilot of 13 Bourbon Street, a mid 90s late night soap planned by Fox that almost happened--spear-headed by novelist Michael Malone and producer Linda Gottlieb who had brought a novelistic approach to soap operas with their 1992-95 era on One Life to Live which saved it from cancellation.

Adventures in Babysitting 1989

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xsslmr_adventures-in-babysitting-unsold-pilot-1989_shortfilms

Coming To America 1989 Unsold TV Pilot based on the 1988 film
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xsssad_coming-to-america-1989-unsold-pilot_shortfilms

High School USA 1984 Unsold Pilot
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xst70y_high-school-usa-1984-unsold-pilot_shortfilms

Legally Blonde 2003 Unsold TV Pilot
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xstbhj_legally-blonde-2003-unsold-pilot_shortfilms

LA Confidential 2003 Unsold TV Pilot
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xstbdb_la-confidential-2003-unsold-pilot_shortfilms

Revenge Of The Nerds Unsold Pilot from 1991
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xstlx2_revenge-of-the-nerds-unaired-pilot-1991_shortfilms

Driving Miss Daisy in 1992 starring Joan Plowright, Robert Guillaume & Hillary B Smith (OLTL, ATWT)
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xssykc_driving-miss-daisy-1992-unsold-pilot_shortfilms

Steel Magnolia Fans: The unsold pilot from 1990 starring Cindy Williams, Elaine Stitch, Polly Bergin & Sally Kirkland
http://youtu.be/1jo46eG2k-E

Unaired Full House Pilot with John Posey as Danny Tanner 1987

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x17uyeg_full-house-season-1-episode-0-pilot-unaired_fun

[SNAFU]

Posted: 8/5/14 at 12:51am

Here is one I actually worked on! Red Pepper, created by Tom Gammill and Max Prost (of SNL and later Seinfeld fame). Red was the offspring of a 1950's puppet ala Howdy Doody and a 1950's television star (Audrey Meadows). He was a David Letterman style talk show host (David Letterman had a cameo) that was a living marrionette with strings and all. Phil Hartman provided Red's voice. It was a very, very bizarre as Red navigated the buisness of television dealing with his obvious handicap (the strings). I was so honored working with Ms Meadows! IN AWE actually. She smoked like a chimney and there were ashtrays hidden all over the set!
All I could find on-line is the opening. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJwiZjH8a1Y. I have the entire pilot somewhere on 3/4 inch tape.

Updated On: 8/5/14 at 12:51 AM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 8/5/14 at 12:56am

I had read a *tiny* bit about this--but had no idea (if the Youtube claim is right) that it was considered as a 30 Rock replacement--how long back was this? The intro is kinda amazing, and makes me think it would either have been amazing, or awful. But I wish I could see more!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/5/14 at 12:57am

Holy crap, SNAFU. It's Puppet Conan!

[SNAFU]

Posted: 8/5/14 at 1:03am

Ha, Yeah! Looking at it now it was! Well Conan was a contemporary writer with Tom and Max. They were all writers on SNL together. No Eric this was done in the Late 80's. The pilot never aired, no one took it seriously. Peter Baird, son of Bil Baird, puppeteered with me on this. The comment of it replacing 30 Rock was sarcastic.

ETA: That was Little Richard that wrote and sang the opening. It was an incredible cast. Probably would be a hit today!

Updated On: 8/5/14 at 01:03 AM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 8/5/14 at 1:14am

*Pardon my intoxicated state* It's been a long, long weekend. I just assumed maybe it was a high concept show that was meant to look like it was from the 80s. I'll have to try to track down the pilot...

[SNAFU]

Posted: 8/5/14 at 1:24am

Eric, I tried and couldn't find it on-line. Nothing more than the opening. If you do find it, please share it with me. I have the 3/4 inch tape but finding a player is near impossible.
There was an extremely funny bit when RED calls up David Letterman who is too busy to listen to him because he is too busy feeding orphans!
Yes, it was high concept and was pretty much trashed by critics when they just read the treatment and reviewed it while we were still shooting it.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/5/14 at 9:34am

I still don't understand what they thought a Driving Miss Daisy series was going to do. Were they going to drive around Georgia and solve mysteries or something? What do you do on the long term with that premise?

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 8/5/14 at 12:13pm

The Legally Blonde series is a bit bizarre.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 8/5/14 at 1:22pm

I have actually seen the Adventures in Babysitting and Steel Magnolia's pilots. They both aired on television. I remember the younger sister losing her Thor doll.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 8/5/14 at 1:32pm

Black Bart - Unsold Blazing Saddles pilot.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/5/14 at 1:33pm

I saw the Steel Magnolias pilot on tv. I have to go back and watch the movie because I thought there was something that Elaine Stritch did that is not in the YouTube version, but maybe Shirley MacLaine did it and I just thought it was Stritch.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 8/6/14 at 5:27am

I had never seen the Steel Magnolias pilot. The first 30 seconds had me ready close the little window forever. lol Stritch and Bergen were pretty damn great as Ouiser and Clairee. The rest was awful. Poor Sally Kirkland just had to spit out a bunch of recycled lines from the movie.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/6/14 at 9:37am

Here's the intro of one a friend just sent me. "Roxy Page" about a young woman trying to make it on Broadway. Great shots of 1970s New York City.
Link

[SNAFU]

Posted: 8/6/14 at 10:15am

Wow, now THERE is the Broadway I loved!

[Jungle Red]

Posted: 8/6/14 at 12:51pm

What was the point of a Legally Blonde series when the movie(s) wrapped everything up?