The Pilot: Recent Episodes
POST/POP
Join Rob Jelly & Jed Shepherd each week as they each choose the pilot episode of a TV show each week to pit against each other. What makes a good pilot? Which ones do the job and make you want to watch the rest of the series? Most importantly, which ones have the best theme tunes? Find out on... The Pilot!
When you have one TV show full of deplorable people with no redeeming features, you know you’re onto a winner. When you have TWO, then you know you’re going to have a great episode of the Pilot Podcast!
Now, the Pilot podcast have two really really (really really) likeable hosts, so it may be abrasive to watch two pilot episodes that have quite the opposite right? Wrong! These are two of the most entertaining television comedies of the century and you will hear a deep dive of why it works so well.
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This week Jed and Rob takes a deep dive into old skool kids animations with the British classic, BANANAMAN up against the American classic DEFENDERS OF THE EARTH.
There are alot of things to consider when deciding which one is better. For instance, one of them has a guy who can call upon the strength of ten (7 actually) tigers and leap tall buildings. On the other hand, one of them gives you the idea that you can turn into a hench superhero by eating fruit, singlehandedly giving parents the excuse they need to convince their kids that bananas are cool.
Now, as adults, we know bananas suck. It’s like eating a big stick of chalk covered in slime and sugar… but we do still hold a small hope that it will turn us into a superhero, so we eat it anyway.
Find out which pilot episode almost broke our Top 50 in this episode of the pilot podcast!
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Back in the days, it was rare for a movie star to slum it on a TV Show. You were either on your way out or on the way up. These two pilot episodes show big stars (and stars to be) making premium television, way before HBO was doing it.
Up first we have the Cybil Shepherd / Bruce Willis powerbomb in MOONLIGHTING. Wow what a cast. The ultimate “will they / wont they”. This is where we first saw Bruce Willis be that wisecracking, sorta charming, lovable goofball and we’ve never seen him stop yet. Up against that we have THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO, the godfather of gritty cop shows. Michael Douglas before he was the Michael Douglas we know and tolerate. This one was pitched as a film, so its very cinematic BUT which of the two were the best PILOT episode?
find out by listening to THE PILOT podcast right now!
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Welcome to TENNANT week! The most Tennant-y week of the year.
This episode we dive dome first into the post-doctor dramas that has made David Tennant become more than just a saturday afternoon actor for kids. He is legit a national treasure. First up with see him opposite the equally incredible Michael Sheen in Neil Gaiman’s Good Omens. Then we present our views on the idyllic yet ultra emotional show, Broadhcurch. He plays opposite one more national treasure in the totally scene-stealing queen, Olivia Coleman.
Which had the better pilot episode? Find out on this week’s pilot podcast!
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its 2020 and Jed & Rob do the now annual Top 50 countdown of best pilot episodes ever (that we have done so far!). Below is the FULL chart so you can see what we’ve done. Let us know what you think on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman!
The Pilot - League Table
The A-Team (19)
Stephen Spielberg’s Amazing Stories (19)
Cowboy Bebop (19)
Planet Earth (19)
Lost (18.5)
Sopranos (18.5)
Sesame Street (18.5)
The Office (UK) (18.5)
The Haunting of Hill House (18.5)
Breaking Bad (18.5)
ER (18.5)
Treasure Hunt (18.5)
OJ: Made In America (18.5)
The Walking Dead (18)
The Good Place (18)
Westworld (18)
Battlestar Galactica (18)
Robotech (18)
Mr.Bean (18)
Dungeons & Dragons (18)
The Incredible Hulk (18)
Dear John (18)
Cobra Kai (18)
Halt! And Catch Fire (18)
Dawson’s Creek (18)
Downton Abbey (17.5)
X-Files (17.5)
Stranger Things (17.5)
24 (17.5)
Buffy The Vampire Slayer (17.5)
Mike Tyson Mysteries (17.5)
Crystal Maze (17.5)
Reginald Perrin (17.5)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (17.5)
Bodyguard (17.5)
Making A Murderer (17.5)
Daredevil (17)
Sherlock (17)
People Just Do Nothing (17)
The Simpsons (17)
Orange Is The New Black (17)
Luther (17)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (17)
Flash Forward (17)
Royal Family (17)
The Young Ones (17)
Blindspot (17)
Twilight Zone (17)
The Prisoner (17)
Blacklist (17)
Hill Street Blues (17)
Fraggle Rock (17)
Animaniacs (17)
The Maxx (17)
Derek (17)
Jessica Jones (17)
After Life (17)
Taskmaster (17)
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (17)
The Capture (17)
The Outer Limits (1990s) (17)
Black Books (16.5)
Columbo (16.5)
Black Mirror (16.5)
Atlanta (16.5)
American Gods (16.5)
Knight Rider (16.5)
Gotham (16.5)
Billions (16.5)
Fringe (16.5)
American Horror Story (16.5)
Arrested Development (16.5)
Killing Eve (16.5)
Designated Survivor (16.5)
Life On Mars (16.5)
The Flash (16)
Oz (16)
Seinfeld (16)
Homeland (16)
The Crown (16)
Garth Marengie’s Dark Place (16)
Six Feet Under (16)
Grey’s Anatomy (16)
Blackadder (16)
Line Of Duty (16)
The Killing (16)
Misfits (16)
Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee (16)
Roald Dahl’s Tales of the Unexpected (16)
Mad Men (15.5)
Star Trek (15.5)
Porridge (15.5)
GLOW (15.5)
Green Wing (15.5)
South Park (15.5)
The Americans (15.5)
Rainbow (15.5)
Krypton (15.5)
Friday Night Dinner (15.5)
Kidding (15.5)
Once Upon A Time... Life (15.5)
Bad Blood (15.5)
Prison Break (15.5)
You (15.5)
Sons of Anarchy (15.5)
SeaLab 2021 (15.5)
Cheers (15)
Knowing Me, Knowing You (15)
Hard Knocks (15)
The Exorcist (15)
Mork & Mindy (15)
Marvels Agents of Shield (15)
The Flintstones (15)
Beverley Hills 90210 (15)
Modern Family (15)
Allo Allo (15)
Timeless (15)
Disenchantment (15)
End of the F’ing World (15)
London’s Burning (15)
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air (15)
Yes, Minister (15)
The Boys (15)
Euphoria (15)
Elite (15)
Barry (15)
Dickinson (15)
Series of Unfortunate Events (14.5)
Attack On Titan (14.5)
Bottom (14.5)
Family Guy (14.5)
Peaky Blinders (14.5)
Ren & Stimpy (14.5)
Bojack Horseman (14.5)
Scrubs (14.5)
True Detective (14.5)
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire (14.5)
Jonathan Creek (14.5)
Murder In Successville (14.5)
Luke Cage (14.5)
Big Little Lies (14.5)
Tom & Jerry (14.5)
Dr.Who (reboot) (14.5)
Man v Food (14.5)
MAS*H (14.5)
The Outer Limits (1995) (14.5)
Lost In Space (14.5)
Mid-Morning Matters (14.5)
This Time with Alan Partridge (14.5)
The Mighty Boosh (14.5)
W1A (14)
Supergirl (14)
Red Dwarf (14)
Baywatch (14)
Dr.Who (14)
curb your enthusiasm (14)
Deadwood (14)
Chocky (14)
Ozark (14)
Skins (14)
Home & Away (14)
Neighbours (14)
Art Attack (14)
Kenan & Kel (14)
Louis Theroux’s Weird Weekends (14)
Homicide: Life On The Street (14)
Don’t Tell The Bride (14)
Saved By The Bell (13.5)
The Jetsons (13.5)
Murder, She Wrote (13.5)
Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) (13.5)
Scrapheap Challenge (13.5)
Horrible Histories (13.5)
Cracker (13.5)
Titan Games (13.5)
The Gladiators (13.5)
Tales from the Darkside (13.5)
The Office (US) (13)
Twin Peaks (13)
House (13)
Only Fools & Horses (13)
The Wire (13)
Futurama (13)
Smallville (13)
Nightflyers (13)
Raggy Dolls (13)
Whodunnit? (13)
Dexter’s Laboratory (13)
GBBO (12.5)
Pugwall (12.5)
CSI: Las Vegas (12.5)
QI (12.5)
Sharp Objects (12.5)
Round The Twist (12.5)
Scooby Doo! Where Are You? (12.5)
Carnival Row (12.5)
Dark Crystal (12.5)
The IT Crowd (12)
Friends (12)
Everybody Loves Raymond (12)
MacGyver (12)
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (12)
Robot Wars (12)
Betty Boop (12)
ALF (12)
Wonder Woman (12)
Total Wipeout (12)
Transformers (11.5)
Gogglebox (11.5)
The Thick Of It (11.5)
Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job (11.5)
Celebrity Deathmatch (11.5)
See (11.5)
The Avengers (11)
Heat Vision & Jack (11)
Happy Days (11)
Masterchef Australia (11)
That 70s Show (10.5)
Maniac (10.5)
Russian Doll (10.5)
Archer (10)
Little Britain (10)
Jam (10)
Dad’s Army (9.5)
Quantum Leap (9)
Primeval (9)
Peep Show (8)
Snatch (7)
Big Bang Theory (5)
This week we pit BARRY against TOTAL WIPEOUT.
Find out which one (if any) makes the Top 50 pilot episodes of all time!
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How many streaming platforms do we need to subscribe to in order to fully justify a proper investigation into the best TV show ever? the answer is ALL OF THEM! 2020 will be spent working 15 jobs each so myself and Rob can afford to subscribe to all 320 of them, including Apple Plus where you will find this week’s selections!
SEE stars Jason Momoa so it automatically gets points from me, but is it any good? Its the most expensive TV show ever apparently. totally wasted on people who are all blind no? Then you have the anachronistic DICKINSON that stars the equally amiable Hailee Steinfeld who I’d watch eat crisps.
Find out which show we loved the best and dont forget to hit us up on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman
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Two marriage themed episodes this week. One about the creation of a new partnership that will hopefully last forever and one thats completely gone to pot.
Sometimes its a real joy (well most of the time!) to revisit older TV shows and Dear John falls into that camp nicely. One of the most underrated sitcoms in British history for my money. It’s also brilliant when a show comes along that surprises you to its entertainment value. Don’t Tell The Bride (especially this episode) is superb car-crash television. It’s gonna be hard to separate these two, but we always do!
let us know how you felt about it on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman.
<3
This week we put two animations against each other (as we tend to do) but thats the only similarity because they are vastly different in tone. Rob takes the corner of DEXTER’S LAB and the fast paced madness that suits him well! Jed holds the towels for SEALAB 2021 with its slow paced surreal comedy that might turn away some.
Will either of these beauties break the TOP 50 pilot episodes though? Here are the standings so far:
The Pilot - League Table
The A-Team (19)
Stephen Spielberg’s Amazing Stories (19)
Cowboy Bebop (19)
Planet Earth (19)
Lost (18.5)
Sopranos (18.5)
Sesame Street (18.5)
The Office (UK) (18.5)
The Haunting of Hill House (18.5)
Breaking Bad (18.5)
ER (18.5)
Treasure Hunt (18.5)
OJ: Made In America (18.5)
The Walking Dead (18)
The Good Place (18)
Westworld (18)
Battlestar Galactica (18)
Robotech (18)
Mr.Bean (18)
Dungeons & Dragons (18)
The Incredible Hulk (18)
Dear John (18)
Cobra Kai (18)
Halt! And Catch Fire (18)
Dawson’s Creek (18)
Downton Abbey (17.5)
X-Files (17.5)
Stranger Things (17.5)
24 (17.5)
Buffy The Vampire Slayer (17.5)
Mike Tyson Mysteries (17.5)
Crystal Maze (17.5)
Reginald Perrin (17.5)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (17.5)
Bodyguard (17.5)
Making A Murderer (17.5)
Daredevil (17)
Sherlock (17)
People Just Do Nothing (17)
The Simpsons (17)
Orange Is The New Black (17)
Luther (17)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (17)
Flash Forward (17)
Royal Family (17)
The Young Ones (17)
Blindspot (17)
Twilight Zone (17)
The Prisoner (17)
Blacklist (17)
Hill Street Blues (17)
Fraggle Rock (17)
Animaniacs (17)
The Maxx (17)
This week we put forward two TV shows from the 1970s, a period we haven’t really explored that much yet. Some of you may have heard of THE RISE AND FALL OF REGINALD PERRIN, but how many of you sleuths out there have heard of WHODUNNIT? A truly bizarre but extremely watchable TV show where the viewer is invited to solve a murder! Why isnt this a thing now? come on BBC Three!
Find out which one we thought was best by listening in and then let us know what you think - and suggest more shows on twitter - @jedshepherd and @theejellyman.
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90s MTV animation was brill wasn’t it? It seems like there were absolutely zero rules. Anything went. It felt dangerous and cool and if you weren’t watching these late night gems, you wouldn’t have anything to talk about at school/work the next day. So, Rob and I decided to pick two of the best of an unbelievably great bunch.
Rob went for the most fun choice, the claymation classic CELEBRITY DEATHMATCH while I went with one of my all time fave animations THE MAXX. See which one we decided was the highest rated pilot and if it reached the Top 50 of the Pilot charts!
let us know what you think on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman.
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HAPPY HALLOWEEN! This year we bring you two pilot episodes of safe-for-work horror that will chill and amaze you in equal measures. First up its TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED with a theme song scarier than its contents, put up against the pilot episode of TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE which is madder than a trick or treat pail of frogs. So which one is better? UNEXPECTED or DARKSIDE?
Theres only one way to find out on this TALES special, listen in! Let us know what you think by hitting us up on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman.
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Murder sucks right? It really ruins your day. There you are, walking down the street minding your own business and then BAM, someone does a murder in front of you. Nightmare scenario right? Well why is it then, that crime shows are the most popular shows in the world? It’s because secretly, everyone is fascinated by the macabre and gruesome! They just don’t want to admit it, but we on the Pilot podcast know!
So this week we have two excellent examples of the genre in HOMICIDE LIFE ON THE STREETS and THE CAPTURE. One of these deals with the Baltimore streets long before The Wire ever did. The other, the similarly grim London streets. Which of these had the best pilot though? I think you’ll be surprised, so tune in while in the safety of your own homes, but lock the door just in case, and enjoy this week’s PILOT!
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Welcome back to The Pilot podcast! This week we bring you what the 70s imagined superhero entertainment to be… and its better than we ever expected! One of these shows gets an incredibly high mark and the other one is GREEN with envy. Okay, enough clues, just go listen to the episode because YOU WOULDN’T LIKE US WHEN WE’RE ANGRY.
Let us know what you think on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman.
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Another episode of the Pilot podcast and this week it’s the battle of the Es! First up we have the much hyped EUPHORIA with its beautiful teenage leads, stumbling through life on a path of self destruction. On the other hand we have Elite which is…. exactly the same really, BUT IN SPANISH. Both shows are better than I’ve described but you can hear the full details on this week’s episode!
tell us what you think on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman.
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This episode is probably the spiciest one yet! We discuss two new fantasy shows, on rival streaming platforms. Up first we have Carnival Row (Amazon Prime) starring Cara Delavigne and Orlando Bloom (don’t laugh) and Rob discusses why he thinks this deserves to be considered to rise up the league table. Thats up against the nostalgic-tastic The Dark Crystal (Netflix) which stars… well literally everybody.
We genuinely nearly come to blows on this one. What is it about fairies and puppets that make two grown men so divided? Find out on this week’s episode of the pilot podcast!
get in touch on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman!
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Yeah, we can’t believe we haven’t done Sons of Anarchy yet either. Last week’s realisation meant that this week we get to explore the first episode of one of the most loved (and dense) TV shows of recent years. I remember watching this when it first aired and it took me 4 attempts to complete, so has it faired any better in the subsequent years? We pit SOA against a brand new show that appeared under the radar and very quickly filled that very same radar with a million dots. Those dots are people whatsapping me asking if I’ve seen it. Yes. Yes I have. All of it… but that doesn’t mean that the pilot episode is any good does it? We often cite the pilot episode of The Wire as an example of a TV show that is essentially the best show ever made, but starts off with one of the worst pilots.
Get in touch on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman!
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The connective tissue this week is food! Well sort of. If you consider coffee a food. It’s COMEDIANS IN CARS GETTING COFFEE starring Jerry Seinfeld once again playing Jerry Seinfeld, interviewing co-creator of SEINFELD Larry David in a car… while getting coffee. Its an odd one for us to cover on the Pilot podcast because its barely a story; but then Seinfeld is a show about nothing so he has previous. Up against this weird nugget, we have an equally oddball pick. It’s Masterchef Australia! Everyone knows the Australian version of Masterchef is the best one. Prettier people, Prettier weather and of course prettier food. Will this transfer to a pretty damn good pilot episode?
Find out this week on THE PILOT PODCAST!
Let us know what you think on twitter by hitting us up on @jedshepherd and @theejellyman.
<3
Here on the PILOT it doesn’t always have to be intense 6 season long story arcs. It doesn’t need even need have a human as the central protagonist. Sometimes it can be an alien from the planet Melmac, with a penchant for eating pets. Sometimes it can be a pet themselves as the main character… and animated!
This week we see if two TV shows with the aforementioned characters, can reach the top of the charts. First up we have ALF (Jed’s choice of course!) and Scooby Doo Where Are You (Rob’s choice naturally!). Which of these beautiful and bonkers shows has the best pilot though? Find out on this week’s episode of The Pilot Podcast!
Let us know what you think on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman.
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We are not gonna lie. This episode contains copious amounts of murder. It’s depressing. Even the Jellyman wont be his usual jolly self (for about 30 seconds!). This week we delve into the grim underbelly of the American criminal justice system. The goods and bads (mostly bads) and how it can be SO injust!
Not only that, but we have to decide which episode is the better one! Is it the slick storytelling of an American hero gone bad - OJ: MADE IN AMERICA… or is it the verite style rawness of Making a Murderer that gets the thumbs up from our jury of 2?
Find out on this week’s episode of THE PILOT! You can let us know what you think by hitting us up on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman.
<3
Its only a matter of time before Rob Jelly reboots Weird Weekends. The show would consist of Rob Jelly investigating weird communities of people around the world and then SINGING AT THEM. I will of course be there too, sometimes joining in, but mostly just standing off to the side, watching him dance. So watching Louis Theroux’s Weird Weekends is very good practice. I often think “what would the Jellyman do in this situation?” and the answer is always “oh he would do a dance and then sing…”. The other pilot episode we look at this week is Gogglebox. I was very much against this show, until I watched and it and now I can see the appeal. It highlights my fave thing in the world. Sitting down. Any show where its mostly sitting down gets points in my book.
But how do these shows stack up when pitched against each other? Find out this week on THE PILOT!
let us know what you want us to watch on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman
We’re knee deep into our second hundred lot of TV pilots. The first 100 were good, but I reckon this second 00 will be the ones that dominate. What do you think? We have so many big hitters left, its only a matter of time before the top topples! This time around our challengers for the crown come at us from a little left-field. They’re both high-concept sci-fi instant classics and it’s going to be hard to determine which one is better!
It’s MANIAC vs RUSSIAN DOLL and I hope you join us by listening to this episode and letting us know what you think by hitting us up on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman!
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Who loves orange soda? The Pilot podcast loves orange soda! we do we do we doooo ooh!
Another thing we love are the two shows we are holding under a microscope this week. First up we have the TV show that almost defines the 90s in some people’s minds. The acting debut of a global superstar in Will Smith. It’s the ageless Fresh Prince of Bel Air! It has one of the best theme songs we have ever done BUT is the pilot episode any good? You’ll soon find out as we put it up against the first episode of the Nickleodeon classic Kenan & Kel. A show that remains as funny as the day it aired - and quotable - we will determine if the very first episode is as good as we remember!
find us on twitter @jedshepherd & @theejellyman and let us know what shows you want us to do next!
ahhh here it goes!
You can tell from the title of this podcast episode that this week we are taking a look at two shows, whose central premise is that of either killing or being killed. As humans, why does this entertain us so much? Why is the act of bringing death upon someone (or yourself) so entertaining in this format? The answer is ESCAPISM!
The best TV shows let us escape into their realities, LOST lets us escape onto a desert island with beautiful people brought together by fate; Blue Planet shows us what life is like at the bottom of the oceans, somewhere we will never go ourselves… and Killing Eve shows us what its like to dress up as a maid and stab someone repeatedly. Now there are times when Rob and I have dressed up like maids and infiltrated a Russian party but we never ended up killing anyone - Rob stopped me before I took it too far. It’s this kind of escapism that lets us take a holiday in our mind, away from all the trouble and bleakness of reality.
This week we pit Killing Eve against Designated Survivor - both shows achieve the perfect mix of escapism and entertainment… but which has the better pilot episode? Find out this week on THE PILOT!
Hit us up on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman.
<3
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And if you made sense of any of that, youll LOVE this week’s episode! Its mad!
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- [ ] Psychopaths eh? When did they become so… charming? Well by the looks of it, this re-classification of serial killers/terrorists happened in the last couple of years… in pop culture anyway. This week we discuss two shows with right wronuns at its crux. First up we have Blacklist starring the charming by psychotic James Spader, followed by the all-conquering Netflix juggernaut of YOU. Are you psychotic enough to empathise with this protagonists? If so then you definitely aren’t a psychopath as they usually have no empathy. IT WAS A TRICK QUESTION! Anyway, find out which show we thought was best and let us know what you think @jedshepherd and @theejellyman on twitter! <3
This week we dive into a double suggestion from a listener who, quite rightly, wanted us to do something that represented the current highly-charged political environment we find ourselves in. Both of the TV pilots we discuss today, previously exaggerated reality, but now they seem rather tame compared to real world events.
Jed steps forward as leader of the Yes Minister party, while Rob represents The Thick of It party. Who will get the most votes and emerge as surprise leader of in the polls? Give us a listen and if you want to canvas for us, you can find all of our material on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman.
<3
We start our next hundred shows with two absolute biggies. Shows that potentially have the ability to top the charts without even breaking a sweat. Shows that some people believe are the greatest examples of serialised television ever produced. This week we chat about the pilots of PRISON BREAK and LIFE ON MARS.
Both of these shows have incredible endings, but did they start off well too? Lets find out on this week’s episode of The Pilot! Also, I promise we won’t sing this week.
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ONE HUNDRED EPISODES!
Did you think we’d make it this far? 2 whole years of trying to find the best pilot episodes ever and we are closer than ever before. While we discuss why Pugwall isn’t number 1 on our chart, we have to first delve into one of the components that truly make a TV show great. Something that makes it memorable and gives it a longer shelf life than some of them truly deserve. Yes, we are talking THEME TUNES!
This week Rob and Jed bring 5 theme songs to the mic each and battle one by one until there can be only one winner. If WE can sing these theme songs, you know theyll be evergreen! We aren’t facing this challenge alone though, we have musician Kenny Lee on guitar to help us!!
We are back to normal next week, but for now, enjoy us singing earworms for an hour!!
Let us know what you think the best theme songs are on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman.
<3
Take 99 is upon us. Or should I say Take… 999? Yes! Yes I should. This week we have an emergency service theme on the boil, with two very popular shows indeed. We have the glitz and glam of the beautiful people at ER, up against the grimy LONDON’S BURNING. I know which one I’d rather have save me in a sticky situation.
But which one would you choose? Listen to us natter and then decide yourself by letting us know on twitter @jedshepherd and @thejellyman!
<3
A wise man once said, “raggy dolls, raggy dolls, dolls like you and me….”. Lets take that in for a second. These dolls are literally put together wrong (one of them even has his head on backwards), have serious emotional issues and literally live in a bin. Not to mention one of them is french. Besides this assumption, we have on our hands a much loved childrens TV show with real heart. Whats the pilot like though?
I think I have more in common with Neil Buchanan who single-handedly raided 90% of the british public throughout the 80s and 90s. Without him we’d be banging into walls and dribbling into our dinners. The man is a legend but we won’t let this sway us from deciding if Art Attack has a better pilot than Raggy Dolls.
If you want to find out which one won, listen in and give us some feedback @jedshepherd and @theejellyman on twitter!
<3
Int. POST/POP Studio - Day
JED and ROB sit at the podcast table, push closer to the mics and give each other the nod.
TOGETHER:
Do you feel the power of the Gladiators? Can you face the challenge of the champions?Do you have the courage of a hero? Do you have the will and the skill?
Do you have the speed, the strength, the heart to be a winner? It's not for beginners.Deep down in your soul. Are you a Gladiator?
Gotta move like a streetwise fighter. Gotta face the fire of the tiger.Gotta give your all to win. Ready or not, let the challenge begin.
Can you match the strength of the Gladiators? Do you have the fire within you?Do you have the heart of a lion? Do you have the power in your soul?
Now it's time to race, it's face-to-face, get on the track now.There's no turning back now. Your future's on the line. Are you a Gladiator?
Gotta move with lightning speed. Feel the strength for what you need.Gotta take it on the chin. Gotta love it, love to fight and win.
Do you feel the power of the Gladiators? Can you face the challenge of the champions?Show the stuff you're made of. Can you seal the fate of the Gladiators?Can you challenge the Gladiators? Will you take on the Gladiators? Will you be the new champion?
The Gladiators
Jed and Rob collapse with emotion as Rob realises he never pressed record.
THE END.
oh and if you want to find out which pilot episode is better, The Gladiators or Titan Games, listen to this week’s show!
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It takes alot to make a grown man cry. Well Im talking about myself (Jed). On the other hand, there is Mr. Rob Jelly the Third who will blub like someone has trod on his favourite toe, the second you put on one of this week’s shows! Okay well maybe both of us get a little misty eyed, but at least I have the decency to lie about it! Yes, this week we have two shows from the oft-maligned Ricky Gervais that both deal with difficult subjects.
First up is the new Netflix show After Life which seems like it would be incredibly depressing but is in fact quite uplifting! Then we have Derek which most people seem to have missed, but it really is an overlooked gem. The question is, which one has the better Pilot episode? You’ll soon find out if you listen in!
You can contact us on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman if you want to argue/agree with us! See you later alligators!
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To celebrate the new Alan Partridge-based series on BBC1, we have decided to partner it with the last one. It’s MMM vs TTWAP and to be honest, both are so so good. Yes, I’m biased as I produce MONKEY TENNIS (currently the number 1 podcast in the country) and yes this is cross promotion at its most blatant, but these are genuinely some of the best British TV for years.
Deep dive with us and let us know what you think on twitter @jedshepherd & @theejellyman.
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Its the battle of the Australian soaps and there can only be one winner… DAYTIME PROGRAMMING! Does anyone ever remember a time before we had these shows? I assume the world was just hot ash and sulphur because these two slices of the lives of beautiful people feel as in-built to our society as dirty pigeons and racism on trains.
I’ve always been a Neighbours fan myself so was keen to see what madness episode 1 would bring me. I think Mr. Jelly has a penchant for Home & Away but our personal preferences don’t come into this. We have to find the best pilot episode of TV before we die, so we will debate, fight and question life itself until we do so!
If you have any suggestions of a show with a perfect pilot episode, please let us know on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman.
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Being skilled martial artists, myself and Rob Jelly are always keen to see our fellow fighters in action. This episode we picked two action-packed fight shows, that is very apt seeing as Rob and I are duking this out to see which one is the best Pilot! First up we have Cobra Kai which (spoilers) is one of the best TV shows I (Jed) saw last year. We then have the weirdness of Mike Tyson Mysteries which is surprisingly a really entertaining watch in the most bonkers of ways.
BUT WHICH ONE IS BETTER? Find out on this week’s THE PILOT!
If you want us to pick a show that you love, find us on twitter at @jedshepherd and @theejellyman.
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Imagine being in space. Cool right? Now imagine you’re busy going about your space day, doing your zero-g space laundry and eating popping candy, when all of a sudden you get LOST. Not so cool now right? Well throw in a homicidal maniac and youve got yourself one traumatic space trip. IMAGINE NO MORE as that is essentially the premise for both the pilot episodes we have for you today!
First up is the George RRRRRRR Martin penned NIGHTFLYERS (not quite as bad as the film of the same name from the 90s) up against LOST IN SPACE (not quite as bad as the film of the same name from the 90s). Both on Netflix and both designed to make you worried about going back to space. I know I am anyway.
Find out if any of these made our Top 50 pilot episodes ever and let us know what you want us to watch next on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman!
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This week on The Pilot podcast we tackle two of the biggest shows aimed at teens… or are they shows aimed at an older generation whose ideas of teens are solely constructed from television? These are certainly not any experiences most of us will have dealt with, especially with the sci-fi tinged MISFITS, but there may be a few unfortunate among us that have experienced the hyper-reality of Skins.
But which one has the better pilot episode? Have a guess then listen in to see which one reigns supreme this week!
You can catch us on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman. See you later alligator!
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We’ve had some great episodes but this one is… looks around nervously… A CRACKER! Yes that’s right guys, this week I (Jed) foist the 90s crime show Cracker onto my partner in rhyme, Rob Jelly. He parried with a brand new show to Netflix, BAD BLOOD. Did they make a TV show out of that Taylor Swift song? I asked myself. No, no they didnt, Rob replied, somehow hearing my inner thoughts.
But which one is the better pilot episode? Are any of them good enough to break the Top 50 Pilot Shows ever? Find out by listening in this week and let us know what you think by swinging by twitter and finding us @jedshepherd and @theejellyman. If there are any shows you want us to put on the list, we will put it right to the top! (in most cases!)
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We’ve gone immature again and picked shows specifically designed for kids…. or are they? Horrible Histories is a show that could teach many of us a thing or two. Once Upon A Time… Life taught us more in 20 minutes about the human body than in our entire lifetimes. Just because they are educational doesnt mean they are any good though does it?
Find out in this week’s episode of THE PILOT!
If you have an idea for a TV show you want us to watch, please let us know on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman.
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p.s. we are now on SPOTIFY so if you hate Apple (there are quite a few of you out there!) then subscribe via Spotify!
Finally. Finally we get to talk about massive robots. Every week I (Jed) say to Rob off air “Rob, you know what I love most in the world?” Rob answers “Yes, but that’s banned in 14 countries and I can’t get a dwarf this late at night…” “No Rob, Im talking about BIG Robots. Massive ones. Flying ones. Ones that can jump really high, and leap really far…” I respond. “and ones that can change into cassette tapes?” “yeah those ones too Rob, those ones too”.
So this week we have two big robot animations from Japan via America! It’s Robotech vs Transformers and it doesnt get much bigger. This is an episode that will SURPRISE and AMAZE you as one of us gives one of these shows, the highest mark ever given on the podcast!
Find us on twitter @jedshepherd & @theejellyman
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Its the best of British today. No, not the TV pilots we discuss in this week’s show. I’m talking about myself and Rob. We hardy boys are taking on the unenviable task of finding the greatest Pilot episode of all time as we think it is key to working out the best TV show of all time! We have watched over 170 TV shows and STILL haven’t found it! Could it be this week?
First up is Little Britain, which is incredibly popular yes…. but is it any good? One of us seems to think so! Then we have Jam and as you may know, its a little surreal. Will this be up either of our streets or did it duck down an alley never to return? Find out on the latest episode of the Pilot!
@jedshepherd & @theerobjelly
we get cracking on another fight to the death between two streaming giants. First up is the multi-award winning The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel which is pitched against the underdog Kidding (starring Jim Carrey!).
Knowing what you know about us, have a guess now which one you think will get the highest score. Go on. Got it? WRONG.
Let us know what you thought if the episode and if you have any suggestions, please get in touch on twitter @jedshepherd and @thejellyman.
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HELLO 2019!
We start the year by giving you a full rundown of the best Pilot episodes we have covered since episode 1 with an epic 50 tv show pilot rundown! This is the perfect place to catch up with what we have been doing (the Lord’s work) and a great place for newcomers to jump in.
We plan to have another 52 episodes of The Pilot this year, so join us on this adventure beyond compare. Hope you have a great 2019 from Jed (me!) and Rob (not me!).
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MERRY XMAS YOU KNOCK-OFF FILTHY ANIMALS! Its Xmas Day so I wont spend ages writing an epsiode description, I’ve got leftovers to eat! So let me just take this opportunity to wish you a very Merry Xmas from myself (Jed) and him (Rob) and hope you enjoy this Xmas special!
It’s Home Alone 4 vs The Snowman. TV Movie-Tastic!
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Its the first of our XMAS specials. TWO brilliant Xmas themed episodes, pitched against each other to see which one is the best Xmas special! Up first we have the crude, rude but entertaining dude, South Park’s 1st Xmas special, ‘Mr Hankey the Xmas Poo’. Up against the poo-smeared festive frivolity comes a rather more down to earth, kitchen sink comedy Gavin & Stacey. The Xmas special to be exact and it’s Jed’s first time watching anything remotely G&S so its interesting to dive straight in on a special.
See which one wins and then come back next week for another XMAS episode! Catch us @jedshepherd and @theejellyman on twitter and let us know which shows you want us to cover!
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This week Jed & Rob take from the inner mind to… The Outer Limits! Not just once, but twice! Yes thats right, this week we take a look at the 60s version of the popular anthology show, against the fancy-pants 90s version. Will the original bear the greatest pilot episode, or will 30 more years of knowledge make the more recent version come out top?
Find out this week on The Pilot!
let us know what you think and any ideas of pilot episodes to watch @jedshepherd and @theejellyman
We’ve discussed this phenomena before. The phenomena of being forced to watch a TV show against your will for the sole purpose of entertaining others. The swedish would probably have a very specific word for it. The germans would probably use that word in every day conversation. In english we don’t have that word, but what we do have is a podcast that embodies the very soul of that word. The Pilot!
This week we watch one of the most watched TV shows of all time, MASH, which is a 70s show set in the 50s. And after that we watch That 70s Show which is a 90s show set in the 70s. Got that? Good! Both extremely popular, but which one has the better pilot episode? Stay tuned to find out!
let us know what you think and to suggest new shows @jedshepherd and @theejellyman on twitter.
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This week Jed and Rob dive into the murky world of murder and intrigue, but enough about their personal lives, they also have two pilot episodes to chat about! Ozark is that Netflix TV show that they REALLY want you to watch so it must be good right? You might be browsing Japanese animations and all of a sudden you’ll hear a trailer for Ozark starting. Thanks Netflix genie! (I assume a genie runs everything). Up against Ozark we have the equally as popular The Killing (US) with its cosy-winter style tv-noir that set the world on fire back in 2011.
But which one is good enough to reach the top of the Pilot charts? Find out in this week’s episode! You can let us know what you think and what shows you want us to do in the future by hitting us up on twitter @jedshepherd & @theejellyman.
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Every week we try our darn best to come up with a theme, no matter how loose. We have had weeks where both TV pilots are spooky, or where both shows are set in a police station, and I suspect there will come a time where we both suggest TV shows that have magic dogs. While I’m googling “TV Shows With Magic Dogs”, let me tell you about this week’s theme! It’s DINNER! One show has a classic sit down meal at a table - and comedy ensues, while the other eat their dinner around the TV!
but which method of ingesting food with your family = the best ever pilot? Tune in and find out!
@jedshepherd @theejellyman
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We all love a challenge. Opening coffee jars when a loved one can’t quite do it. Answering that one crossword conundrum that’s been perplexing a friend all day. Creating a hovercraft out of rubbish and then racing it around a track for TV. Well that last one isn’t so common, but does appear on one of this week’s TV pilots!
This week we have Man V Food vs Scrapheap Challenge and theyre just two of the most surprisingly enjoyable shows out there… but are they good enough to reach the dizzy heights of our chart and prove itself to be the best ever pilot?
Find out on this week’s episode of THE PILOT!
@jedshepherd @theejellyman
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Sometimes watching these pilot episodes can be a chore. We had to watch the pilot episode of Snatch. SNATCH! Im surprised we didn’t stop the podcast there. Im glad we didn’t though as we would never gave revisited the pilot episode of Round The Twist! Will an Aussie kids show stand up after all these years? More importantly how will it fare against a brand new show in The End of The F****ing World? Well, you don’t need to worry you weirdo, you can find out right now by clicking play!
Get in touch and let us know what you want us to pitch against each other by going to twitter and clicking on @jedshepherd and @theejellyman.
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Happy Halloween!
This episode we look to our darkest sides. In Rob’s case he looks over the picnic table in POST/POP HQ at Jed who is always lurking in the shadows. Its ying and yang but at this time of year, The Pilot Podcast is all about the sweet sweet yang! Two of Netflix’s most popular shows right now happen to be of the horror kind.
The Haunting of Hill House against The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina… which one of these very popular new shows will rise to the top of the Pilot league table and which one will live in that weirdo zone around the 14 mark? Tune in and find out!
Let us know what you think on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman!
Is there anything as eerie as a child talking to himself and then suddenly stopping when their mother walks into the room? GET OUT OF THE HOUSE MOTHER, YOUR CHILD IS POSSESSED. What if that said child, wasnt a child at all but a detective whose partner had just died? What if you walked in on him talking to himself and he told you it was alright, it was just his dead partner telling him what to do. GET OUT OF THE POLICE STATION MOTHER, YOUR DETECTIVE IS POSSESSED.
If you hadn’t quite twigged, these are the almost exact storylines of each of our pilots. Listen to the episode to find out more!
@jedshepherd & @theejellyman
The Crown’s Emma Webb is back on the podcast because if you cast your mind back to that episode, she told us that she wanted back in if we ever did the reboot of Doctor Who. We are mean of our words and we say alot of them in this week’s podcast! Christopher Ecclestone’s Doctor is not without his flaws but his first appearance is as good as any across myriad seasons. On the other hand we have Primeval which tries its best to evoke that same time-travel sense of wonder, but you will have to listen to the ep to find out if we think it pulled it off.
Its always great to have Emma back, so enjoy the episode and remember, DON’T POO IN THE PORTAL.
@jedshepherd @theejellyman @emmalouisewebb3
Talking about TV shows that have runtime of an hour is too easy. 30 mins? Simple. Coming up with an hour podcast when you are talking about shows approx 5 mins each? A challenge! Jed brings Betty Boop to the table and that table may get eaten, inspired by the crazy shenanigans in the episode. Rob brings Tom & Jerry into the mix and you can’t get any more classic than that. Will it be enough to challenge though? Is this whole podcast just one bug cat and mouse game? Find out in this week’s instalment of THE PILOT!
@theejellyman @jedshepherd
This week we discuss two shows written by someone called Jed. No, not your friendly neighbourhood co-host Jed Shepherd, but Jed Mercurio! Both shows have been critically (and publicly) acclaimed with awards aplenty, but will either of them win the most important award of all…. the award of BEST PILOT EPISODE EVER?
Ooh its a close one in this episode… could one of these shows reach number one in our pilot chart? Find out if you listen to another lovely episode of The Pilot!
@thejellyman @jedshepherd
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A slightly longer episode than usual as Jed & Rob catch up after a couple of weeks away… not that you noticed as the episodes still dropped on time! After using his first 10 score last episode, this week has big shoes to fill. Will Sharp Objects or Big Little Lies, with their superstar-filled casts even come close? Find out on this new episode of THE PILOT!
@theejellyman and @jedshepherd on twitter.
No spoilers, but this turned out to be a pretty historic episode in all the right ways. Up first we have the new animation from Simpsons creator Matt Groening. Should be decent right? Well that is what Rob is counting on! Jed bring Stephen Spielberg’s Amazing Stories to the table and the table has never been the same since. You know when you get wobbly legs when you get excited? Well imagine a table doing that and jelly going everywhere. Rob AND the foodstuff.
Hope you enjoy this week’s episode and you can always tell us if you did or not on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman!
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Its take 70! Thats 140 TV shows we have dissected in order to determine which one is the best. Is it Blackadder? Is it Mr Bean? Find out yourself by pressing play!
find us on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman
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Welcome to another episode of The Pilot and this week we go all SUPER with a double bill of all things Superman. First up we have the new series Krypton which, like Gotham is Batman without Batman, this is Superman without Superman. Its about everything that leads up to the existence of Superman. Does that make for a good pilot though?
That is pitched against the E4 (UK Channel!) stalwart, the ever-present Smallville! Now I don't know if you guys remember the pilot of Smallville but its more brutal than any of us remember it. You literally see a bunch of people exploding! But is that enough to warrant a top place on our Pilot Episode leaderboard? Listen to this week's episode to find out!
You can find Jed @jedshepherd on twitter and Rob @theehellyman. Say nice things!
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ROB plays with fire this week, literally and figuratively! Not only does he discuss two shows made by the company he works for, but he also discusses robots that shoot FIRE. First up is the relatively standard quiz show QI which we pit against the absolute batsmeg crazy ROBOT WARS.
Also can we take some time to dwell on the fact that we have done 68 episodes? We have never missed a week! Let that sink in while you hear us as hyper as ever discuss robots fighting each other to the death.
let us know what you think @theejellyman and @jedshepherd.
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Before we started episode 1 of this podcast, Rob told me "Jed.." cos thats what he calls me.. he said "Jed, whats the point of this podcast? We already know the greatest pilot episode of all time is FLASH FORWARD..". I looked at him incredulously and said "how much have you had to drink today?" but he was stone cold sober and I was drunk with surprise. Yes, it took us this long to get to Rob's pick for greatest Pilot of all time BUT a year can do alot to a man. A year can either change your mind or firmly cement an idea in your head that threatens to destroy a podcast partnership that was going so swimmingly. We also look at Timeless.
This could be the episode that changes everything. Let us know what you think @jedshepherd and @theejellyman.
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You're gonna wanna hear this episode. No spoilers but.... but.... you're just gonna wanna hear this episode. Is it because Jed & Rob give one of these animations the highest score ever, or is it a score lower than Snatch? Is that even possible?
Find out on this week's very surprising episode of THE PILOT!
catch them on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman
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It's only this podcast that can get me up at 6am in Los Angeles to scramble around in the LA morning heat to watch Allo Allo. Yes that's right, I (Jed) couldn't bear to think of you guys being without The Pilot for a week so Rob called me transatlantically to record this episode. The theme is war based sitcoms and we travel to no man's land with Dad's Army which is a downright classic, then go over the top to pitch Allo Allo which nobody considers a classic.... or do they?
This is quite a surprising episode as one of these shows gets a massive score and stakes its claim very high up the Pilot chart. Let us know what you think on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman.
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Will THIS be the episode where we finally find out what the greatest show of all time is? I can't promise, but maybe... just maybe... we have a new all-time highest ever The Pilot score! This week we have the Dave staple TASKMASTER vs the highly ambitious 80s ratings-hit TREASURE HUNT.
WILL JED AND ROB MASTER THE TASKS AT HAND OR WILL THIS BE AN ENDLESS TREASURE HUNT? FIND OUT IN THIS WEEK'S EPISODE OF .....
THE PILOT!
@jedshepherd @theejellyman
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So you've seen our hastily themed shows for the last 2 weeks and you thought to yourself "Well... I can see how they did Creek Week.... then they did Murder week... makes sense..... but how can they jam a theme into these next two shows?" Well Joanne (It's always Joanne), let me welcome you to the inaugural PEEP WEEK! Yes it's Peep Show vs PEEPle Just Do Nothing! (Let us have this one yeah?)
Two shows that give us slices of lives we'd rather not experience first hand, but happy to look on as the rotten voyeurs we are. But which show had the better pilot? Find out on the latest episode of THE PILOT!
You can reach Jed on twitter @jedshepherd and Rob @theejellyman.
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Its another superhero episode but this time we record from the safety of POST/POP HQ and not at Comic Con surrounded by kids screaming at Rob for dancing too much! Two brilliant Netlfix shows tackling the same universe. There is alot to like about both, but enough about us, the Pilots were great too! Which one did we prefer? The answer will always be "the one without Iron Fist anywhere near it" but luckily for us, he stays away for now so we can enjoy!
contact us on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman for your suggestions on what TV Pilots to discuss next!
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These two have theme songs for Miiiillllleeessssss but we won't let that sway us too much as we are too busy concentrating on the olympian task of deciding which one gets higher on the Pilot chart. Which Pilot deserves to be remembered as the best of all time? Its likely not here, I'm not gonna lie, but we do have two cult classics in MMPR and Dungeons and Dragons!
tell us what shows you want us to discuss @jedshepherd and @theejellyman on twitter!
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Whisper it amongst yourselves, but its MURDER WEEK. Yes this week we tackle two pilots that revel in the most vicious of all sins. It's the tea time evergreen fave Murder She Wrote vs new kid on the block Murder in Successville!
We also get a visit from SMEGHEADS co-host Daniela as she reminds us how much of a Murder She Wrote geek she is.
Let us know what shows you want us to check out @jedshepherd and @theejellyman
CURRENT PILOT LEAGUE TABLE:
Planet Earth (19) The A-Team (19) Sesame Street (18.5) Lost (18.5) The Office (UK) (18.5) Breaking Bad (18.5) Sopranos (18.5) The Walking Dead (18) The Good Place (18) Westworld (18) Battlestar Galactica (18) Halt! And Catch Fire (18) Dawson’s Creek (18) Stranger Things (17.5) X-Files (17.5) Downton Abbey (17.5) Buffy The Vampire Slayer (17.5) 24 (17.5) Crystal Maze (17.5) RuPaul’s Drag Race (17.5) Daredevil (17) Sherlock (17) Orange Is The New Black (17) The Young Ones (17) The Simpsons (17) Blindspot (17) Luther (17) Twilight Zone (17) The Prisoner (17) Hill Street Blues (17) Fraggle Rock (17) Animaniacs (17) American Gods (16.5) Knight Rider (16.5) Black Books (16.5) Gotham (16.5) Billions (16.5) Fringe (16.5) Columbo (16.5) American Horror Story (16.5) Black Mirror (16.5) Arrested Development (16.5) Atlanta (16.5) The Flash (16) Oz (16) Seinfeld (16) Homeland (16) The Crown (16) Garth Marengie’s Dark Place (16) Six Feet Under (16) Grey’s Anatomy (16) Mad Men (15.5) Star Trek (15.5) Porridge (15.5) GLOW (15.5) Green Wing (15.5) South Park (15.5) The Americans (15.5) Rainbow (15.5) Cheers (15) Knowing Me, Knowing You (15) Hard Knocks (15) The Exorcist (15) Mork & Mindy (15) Marvels Agents of Shield (15) The Flintstones (15) Beverley Hills 90210 (15) Modern Family (15) Series of Unfortunate Events (14.5) Attack On Titan (14.5) Bottom (14.5) Family Guy (14.5) Peaky Blinders (14.5) Ren & Stimpy (14.5) Bojack Horseman (14.5) Scrubs (14.5) True Detective (14.5) Who Wants To Be A Millionaire (14.5) Jonathan Creek (14.5) Murder In Successville (14.5) W1A (14) Supergirl (14) Red Dwarf (14) Baywatch (14) Dr.Who (14) curb your enthusiasm (14) Deadwood (14) Saved By The Bell (13.5) The Jetsons (13.5) Murder, She Wrote (13.5) The Office (US) (13) Twin Peaks (13) House (13) Only Fools & Horses (13) The Wire (13) GBBO (12.5) Pugwall (12.5) CSI: Las Vegas (12.5) The IT Crowd (12) Friends (12) Everybody Loves Raymond (12) MacGyver (12) The Avengers (11) Heat Vision & Jack (11) Happy Days (11) Archer (10) Quantum Leap (9) Snatch (7) Big Bang Theory (5)
IT'S CREEK WEEK! Yes that's right, this week Jed and Rob hold the first (and only) Battle of the Creeks. It's Dawson's Creek vs Jonathan Creek! Both 90s mega hits that captured the public's imagination in an unexpected way, but which one still holds up to this day? Which show has the better pilot episode, therefore - in our estimation - will get a high score on the leaderboard?
Well, climb through our podcast window and share a musical bed with us as we find out!
get in touch on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman.
On today's show, Jed & Rob try to not only find pilot episodes that can suitably be considered for the title of 'Greatest TV Show of All Time' but also shows that are considerably as zany as they are. Is being called "Zany" a compliment?
Find out which show we liked best!
Let us know if you have any ideas for shows for the boys to discuss by letting them know on twitter. Just visit them @jedshepherd and @theejellyman.
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I still haven't seen the photo of Rob Jelly dressed as a lady for an apparent murder mystery night, but until that day comes we can satiate our curiosity with the knowledge that RuPaul's Drag Race is in it's 10th season. On this episode we obviously look at the pilot, with it's very raw version of the show its now become. We also look at the more recent pilot episode of the Donald Glover vehicle 'Atlanta' which ended up surprising us both and that's without any of the guy's wearing 10 inch heels. Both really really great shows, but which one did we consider the best? Find out on this week's The Pilot!
@jedshepherd @theehellyman
As I'm typing this, Rob Jelly is singing showtunes at me in a bid to convince me its his destiny to be onstage on Broadway in one or two or a dozen different show, dazzling audiences every night with his subtle Robservations between heart-wrenching solo numbers. That might happen, but he has a harder task in convincing me, Jed Shepherd, that his choice of Modern Family is better than my choice of Arrested Development.
Find out if he does manage to do the unthinkable and let us know your suggestions of what shows we should cover on The Pilot @jedshepherd and @theejellyman on Twitter!
I was once on the Crystal Maze. I went first and proudly told my team that I'm really clever so I should do a Mystery challenge. The Richard O Brien stand in told me that I had 3 minutes and locked me in a room. My team pocked their heads in a small window and shouted commands as if I were a disobedient dog about to foul the new rug. I blame this distraction on the fact I left the room empty-handed, having patted down a "dead" body, raided a bookshelf and tried to pick the safe. This is disappointment and embarrassment can only be replicated by losing to Rob Jelly on any episode of The Pilot. Will this week be one of those times?
get in touch to reccommend the pilot episodes of your favourite shows, on twitter, @jedshepherd and @theejellyman
Sometimes this podcast covers shows we've never heard of and often its surprisingly good and changes the way we think about TV forever. Could SECRET BODYGUARD be a show like that? You'll have to listen to find out if we think if it's a gamechanger. On the other hand this week brings BEVERLY HILLS 90210 which anyone who lived through the 90s can attest to being sticker on pencilcase worthy. But which show did it better?
let us know your thoughts on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman.
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Jed and Rob have been battling each other every week for a whole year now and they are no closer to finding out which is the best pilot episode. There's just too many TV shows! This daunting task will not stop them though, as they present two more debut episodes from the past. This time it's the much loved The A-Team against the fondly remembered Macgyver.
Will they finally find the best pilot episode of all time?
Will Jed get Rob on that damn plane, fool?
Will Rob be able to escape POST/POP HQ using only a paperclip and a pack of chewing gum?
Find out this week on the PILOT!
If you want the boys to fight it out using a TV show of your choice, please let them know on twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman.
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Once again, Jed & Rob bring two pilot episodes to the table and battle it out to discover which one is the best, not only in the circle of this episode, but against all TV pilot shows ever! It’s the morbid-but-comedic SIX FEET UNDER vs the guilty pleasure of GREY’S ANATOMY. Who will win? Stay tuned for the answer!
If you want to recommend a TV show to the boys, let them know on Twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman and use the hashtag #putitonthelist
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This week, Jed and Rob tackle two critically acclaimed HBO TV shows. We have TRUE DETECTIVE featuring ritualistic murders and naked girls VS fully clothed girls fighting terrorism in HOMELAND.
Both incredible pilot episodes, but which one is better? I don’t know why I’m asking you guys, because it’s up to Jed & Rob!
Let us know what you think of this week’s show and please let us know which shows you want us to do on Twitter @jedshepherd and @theejellyman.
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For our 50th episode (100 pilot episodes reviewed!) we have an actress from one of the shows we are discussing. Yes Emma Webb from Season 2 of The Crown is on, stuffing her face with Haribo, getting called "An Eddie Stobart Lorry" and letting us know what its like to act in a prestige Netflix Series!
We also discuss one of my (Jed) favourite shows of all time, Garth Marenghi's Darkplace and I try to explain its concept to Rob and Emma. It's difficult to say the least!
You can find us on twitter @jedshepherd, @theejellyman and @emmalouisewebb5!
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PRIGGISH
baa baa baaaaaaa baaa baaa baaaaaa baaa ba baaa ba ba ba baaa ba baaaaaa. No, we haven’t let a herd of sheep into the studio (though one of the hosts IS called Shepherd), those baaas above belong to the Mike Post penned theme song to Hill Street Blues, the grandaddy of gritty cop shows. We pit this old timer against the flashy nuances of CSI Vegas with its fast cuts, zooms into wounds and pretty faces. The BIG question is though… which is the better pilot episode? Has HSB aged like a fine wine, or is it simply blown out of the water by the superior effects of CSI that can take the audience to places Hill Street Station can only dream of?
Tune into this week The Pilot and find out! You can contact both hosts on twitter to let them know what you think of the episode and recommend future shows @jedshepherd and @theejellyman. <3
Don’t ever say that Jed & Rob are childish… they are more accurately children! This is two weeks in a row where they’ve pitched “kids” shows against each other and quite frankly it makes for a brilliant episode.
Yes, Rainbow is basically the British version of Sesame Street but did it take a stellar formula and make it better? Does the pilot for Sesame Street hold up? It’s been decades! Find out in this all new episode of THE PILOT!
Let the guys know what you think and suggest some new shows to discuss @jedshepherd and @theejellyman.
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Jed & Rob have been a little cartoon heavy recently and that's simply because animations are historically some of the most popular shows on television. Two of the biggest animations of the last 50 years are represented here and its a Hanna Barbera special. Which one will win? The strangely prescient Jetsons? Or will it be the classic in all sense of the word The Flinstones?
Nevermind all that, on this episode we hear if Rob really did give Jed a very strange shoutout on his BBC show. The proof is in here!
@theejellyman & @jedshepherd on twitter for all of your requests of TV shows. Don't forget to use the hashtag #putitonthelist
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Uh oh. We have got to a pilot episode that directly concerns one of our two hosts. Yes, W1A is a TV show about an institution that employs our very own Rob Jelly. Will he go easy on it and give it a higher mark than necessary, or will he fight against "the man" and proclaim that Scrubs is the better show?
This one is very very very interesting!
@jedshepherd and @theejellyman on twitter for any pilot episode recommendations!
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We are witnessing the longest pilot episode ever. BSG comes with a 3 hour life investment and you will find out if it was worth it! We pitch the greatest sci-fi TV show ever against Marvel's Agents of Shield and maybe it's a Thor point, but only one will come out the Incredible (Hulk) winner!
let us know what you think @jedshepherd and @theejellyman!
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Isn't TV magic? We weren't born in the 60s yet we can see things that happened in the 60s through a magic box we call a television. We take it for granted, but it really is a time machine. It transports us to places and times we have no right being in and that's why it feels like Rob Jelly and Jed Shepherd have gone on a real adventure over the past year. Join them as they discuss two shows from the swinging sixties that feel like your really have become unstuck in time. Both bloody weird and one of them oh so good!
let them know what you think and recommend more pilot episodes @jedshepherd & @theejellyman
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Disclaimer: For those with a nervous disposition, this episode contains alot of singing.
Tune in this week for Jed & Rob talking the hottest food they've ever eaten, Toblerones, number 2s and also they find time to talk pilot episodes! It's the classic sitcoms Mork & Mindy and Happy Days that are the catalyst for an argument on which is better and we can certainly say that we decided!
Hope you enjoy this episode and if you don't then you're a complete Shazbat!
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Jed & The Jellyman are back again with another virtual fight to the death. This time they have presented two critically acclaimed political/spy thrillers, one set in real time and the other set in past time! The 1980s to be exact. Which one of these vaguely titled TV pilots will win? Tune in and find out!
let us know what you think @jedshepherd and @theejellyman on twitter cos we want to know!
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What’s a horse’s favourite TV show? Neighbours. OR potentially Bojack Horseman, we have never really got to the bottom of that question due to horses not being able to speak in a language we can understand + grants for the TV-watching habits of horses are very hard to come by. Still, Jed & Rob attempt to discover if Bojack Horseman has a better pilot episode than Archer, but we must stress that this is ONLY from a human perspective and not a single horse was asked for their opinion.
rate, review and subscribe on itunes and Happy V-Day!
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Jed & Rob gather round the table at POST/POP HQ to get to the bottom of these two shows that represent the lifestyle choice some may call "Geekdom". Its a thorny subject but they also have to work out if these two possibly possess all of the necessary ingredients to be rightly called the best pilot episode of all time. Have we found it? Is this the work? Listen and find out!
@jedshepherd // @theejellyman
Two pilot episodes, both vehicles for a stand-up comedy star to shine... which is apt really as we also discuss Rob Jelly's burgeoning stand-up career! We know that these shows are much beloved to many people, but do they stand-up? (see what I did there?). Find out on this week's THE PILOT!
if you're reading this, go and give us a 5 star review on itunes!
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This week, Rob and Jed enter the strange worlds of two of the best ever anthology TV shows ever made. Current champion, BLACK MIRROR with its sideways glance at how society has become barbaric faces off against the one that started it all, THE TWILIGHT ZONE.
Both classics in their own right, but can Twilight Zone stay relevant and feel fresh when its up against a show that has become the byword for when something strange happens in real life? Its a very interesting show this week and if you enjoyed it, hit them up @jedshepherd and @theejellyman on twitter!
See you later alligators!
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Jed & Rob are back again to punch it out in the proverbial back alley to see which Pilot episode is better and decide once and for all which TV show is the greatest. This week its Fawlty Towers vs Monty Python and as you can imagine, these two choices are some of the cream of British television. Could these possibly topple our current leader Planet Earth?
If you agree let us know @jedshepherd and @theejellyman on Twitter, if you disagree then shout into the void!
Recording this in the very real London, England it makes perfect sense for Jed & Rob to discuss shows based on fictional 19th century goings on in the wild west of America. This week the hosts tackle the HBO super-hit Westworld and the much celebrated Deadwood. One of them has Anthony Hopkins and the other one has Lovejoy but both are equally as loved by the telly watching public... but which one has a better pilot? Found out on this week's show!
You can contact Rob @theejellyman and Jed @jedshepherd
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Its a new year and The Pilot podcast waits for no man as we continue to try to find the greatest Pilot episode of all time. Will 0218 find us something to beat Blue Planet or Lost? could it be an animated show? this is what Jed & Rob are delving into today and these aren't just any animated shows, these are some of the most influential animated shows ever made.
Have a listen and see if you agree on how we have rated these shows and let us know on twitter @jedshepherd & @theejellyman.
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Its XMAS day and its The Pilot with the second part of our XMAS special! Today, while you recover from eating food you'd never eat any other time of the year, listen to us pitch How The Grinch Stole Christmas vs A Charlie Brown Christmas when you should be speaking to your family!
MERRY XMAS FROM EVERYONE AT THE PILOT (JED & ROB).
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Its the first of The Pilot XMAS SPECIALS! Yes there is more than just one episode over the festive period and thats the real magic of xmas isnt it?
While you are busy doing last minute shopping, why not listen to Rob & Jed as they pitch The Office Xmas specials against the tenuously pitched LOST Xmas special (yes Jed says there really is one!) and enjoy the bickering thats not coming from your own family for once!
@jedshepherd @theejellyman on twitter
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If Rob and Jed time-travelled back to the last Ice Age, looked up and saw two large mammals coming toward them they may say something like "We've got two mammoths to discuss tonight!" and thats exactly what we have. Two massive TV crime dramas, both starring the incredible Idris Elba.
Warning: This episode does not go down like you think it might.
catch Rob @theejellyman and Jed @jedshepherd on Twitter and give them some love!
Jed & Rob do crime shows this week and it would be criminal not to listen in! Jed introduces a show that if it were in prison, it would be that big silent guy that nobody messes with and everyone has mad respect for - OZ... while Rob buddies up with that guy in prison who is always asking for a pull on your cigarette in the yard or if you've finished your potatoes and if not, can he have some - SNATCH.
One show kicked off the era of 'The Golden Age of Television' and the other... is SNATCH.
Enjoy this episode - well at least half of it!!
follow the boys on twitter @jedshepherd & @theejellyman
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The Pilot League Table
Planet Earth (19)
Lost (18.5)
The Office (UK) (18.5)
Breaking Bad (18.5)
Sopranos (18.5)
The Walking Dead (18)
The Good Place (18)
Stranger Things (17.5)
X-Files (17.5)
Downton Abbey (17.5)
Buffy The Vampire Slayer (17.5)
Daredevil (17)
Sherlock (17)
Orange Is The New Black (17)
The Young Ones (17)
The Simpsons (17)
Blindspot (17)
American Gods (16.5)
Knight Rider (16.5)
Black Books (16.5)
Gotham (16.5)
Billions (16.5)
Fringe (16.5)
Columbo (16.5)
American Horror Story (16.5)
The Flash (16)
Oz (16)
Mad Men (15.5)
Star Trek (15.5)
Porridge (15.5)
GLOW (15.5)
Green Wing (15.5)
Cheers (15)
Knowing Me, Knowing You (15)
Hard Knocks (15)
The Exorcist (15)
Series of Unfortunate Events (14.5)
Attack On Titan (14.5)
Bottom (14.5)
Family Guy (14.5)
Peaky Blinders (14.5)
Supergirl (14)
Red Dwarf (14)
Baywatch (14)
Dr.Who (14)
curb your enthusiasm (14)
Saved By The Bell (13.5)
The Office (US) (13)
Twin Peaks (13)
House (13)
Only Fools & Horses (13)
GBBO (12.5)
Pugwall (12.5)
The IT Crowd (12)
Friends (12)
Heat Vision & Jack (11)
Quantum Leap (9)
Snatch (7)