Interdimensional Fryvault Grabbag

  PILOT #3 :  Awesometown (May 2005) Okay, so the biggest issue with the last two pilots were they were coming from a group of guys who had only ever made short videos online before, and in turn weren't ready to stretch their sensibility into a coherent, sitcom-length narrative. So it's actually a pretty natural and logical conclusion that for their next go-around they'd eschew narrative entirely and pivot into sketch, where their history of only making 2-3 minute shorts would be an asset and not a hindrance.  It's worth noting that in between the last pilot and this one the guys started entering their shorts in Dan Harmon's famous Channel 101 festival, which is where they say they really started to hone in on their specific voice and style. If enough people (meaning literally anyone, I'm starving for feedback) like these articles, I'll go ahead and write an addendum piece going through the Channel 101 material. The other big thing they gained from Channel 1...

PILOT #2:  The Lonely Island  ("Pilot" AKA "Regarding Ardy") (Feb. 2003)   The Lonely Island's website (a website whose banner is gonna be prominent in the screencaps for this pilot!) labels this "episode 2" of  The Lonely Island . That's a bit of a mislabel - this is more a second attempt at a similar type of show than a direct follow up - but I see how in many ways it does feel like a continuation of their short from just a year prior. Once again, we're casting the boys in loosely autobiographical roles (with Andy once again being named 'Ardy' for some reason) with a comedic focus on casual absurdity and occasional pauses for obvious music cues (here we get "Dust in the Wind", "Tiny Dancer", The Doors' "The End", and the  Lord of the Rings  theme). The opening scene (well, following a short introduction we'll get to in just a sec) especially is reminiscent of the scene that introduced the guys in ...

  Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda is a series focusing on failed pilots from comedy greats, both before and after their success, and examining whether or not they deserved to be picked up. To kick things off, we'll focus on three early pilots from one of modern SNL's greatest success stories: The Lonely Island. "Keep your looking balls locked on the picture radio and prepare to get your nuts smashed!"  At this point, the story of The Lonely Island on Saturday Night Live is the stuff of legend. The trio, comprised of California natives and high school friends Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer & Jorma Taccone, were hired as writers for the show's 2005-2006 season, with Samberg additionally being cast as a featured player. That was a season that found the show in a state of serious transition: it was head writer Tina Fey's final season - along with future head writer Colin Jost's first season - and the show was bringing on one of its most ultimately celebrated crop of...