Get in that transfer portal recruits because you’re the new red shirt at blue Mountain State. That’s right this week. We are covering Animal house set at a division one football powerhouse school, from the creative team of Eric falconer and Chris Romano. Blue Mountain State is a spike TV original and even more unique. it is a narrative scripted show. The guys talk college football traditions, fraternity life, the NCAA athlete experience, cookie races, and so much more.We also get some of our first starring roles out of Alan Ritchson, Sam Jones III, Chris Romano himself and Darin Brooks. Give me a hell, give me a yeahHosts Geoff KerbisMax SingerRich Inman
It’s our 150th episode spectacular!We locked Rich in a closet for 3 days until he counted all 150 episodes and we’re so glad we did! It’s a special moment here at TVPL and that requires a special pilot. Some call it the perfect pilot. It’s Cheers! The Boston based barroom sitcom that is one of the most successful and lauded shows in history. We get the lowdown on the Charles Brothers and our old pal Jimmy “I’m Himmy” Burrows and how this show got made, then we join Sam (Ted Danson), Diane (Shelley Long), Carla (Rhea Perlman), Coach (Nicholas Colasanto), Norm (George Wendt), Cliff (John Ratzenberger) and all the regulars in some 80s TV glory. Join us for some 3rd anniversary TVPL trivia at the end.HostsRich InmanGeoff KerbisMax SingerThat’s right it’s alphabetical this time
Everywhere you lookEverywhere you lookThere’s a pod There’s a pod a pilot to break downIt’s Full House week y’all! Let’s head over to San Francisco to meet 1987's goofy new family. We talk parenthood, The Beach Boys, physical comedy, kids on curtains, hosing down babies, bribing children and more!Join us and Bob Saget, John Stamos, Dave Coulier, Jodie Sweetin, Candace Cameron, and of course, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. HostsGeoff KerbisMax SingerRich Inman
Welcome to podcasting’s biggest night. It’s our Emmy’s preview! We’re talking favorites to win, underdogs, dark horses, snubs, and the trends of TV in general! Should we root for particular streaming or TV networks like it’s the Olympics? Probably not! But here we are. We take questions from listeners and guest hosts, talk the last year of TV and make some wild predictions.hostsGeoff KerbisMax SingerRich Inman
Host note: Please Subscribe and rate! We’re growing and we want to hear your voices, and follow us Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube @TVPilotsLicenseYou’ve seen Hospital… You’ve seen BIG Hospital, but have you seen… lil itty bitty Hospital??Here’s a medical procedural for the little guys. It’s Private Practice! The spin off of Grey’s Anatomy starring the departure of surgeon Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) joining a small practice on the shores of Santa Monica California. We bring back and focus on the collective working relationships of Taye Diggs, Paul Adelstein, Amy Brenneman, Tim Daly, Audra McDonald, Chris Lowell, and KaDee Strickland. Did this series do a good job at being unique from Grey’s while still honoring the fandom? Tell us on Instagram Hosts Geoff KerbisMax SingerRich Inman
Happy Labor Day!Sorry for this bleak reminder but, we’re going back to The Office. Turn in your WFH laptops and get a new ID card. This week we’re clocking in at Dunder Mifflin for our shift on the sales desk. From the mind of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant comes an American re-imagining by now comedy power writer Greg Daniels. Admire the documentary film style that has its claws so deep in Hollywood studios you can hardly make a comedy show in a different style. We get a nobody-turned-somebody cast led by Steve Carrell and future stars John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson, BJ Novak, Oscar Nunez, Leslie David Baker, Angela Kinsey, Brian Baumgartner, Phyllis Smith, and Melora Hardin.Could this show be made today? Let’s find out. HostsGeoff KerbisMax SingerRich Inman
That’s CHARLES to you buddy. And this Charles? Well… let’s just say he’s in charge!It’s Chuck week babyyy everyone’s favorite cut of meat and probably some people’s favorite tv show. Chuck is the brainchild of Josh Schwartz (the OC, Gossip Girl) and stars Zachary Levi as a computer repair man who is brainwashed with government secrets. His world is flipped upside down when his ex roommate Matt Bomer is revealed to be a recently murdered spy. The series stars Yvonne Strahovski, Adam Baldwin, Joshua Gomez, Sarah Lancaster and so many more. So if you don’t like this episode, have you tried turning it off and turning it back on again?HostsGeoff KerbisMax SingerRich Inman
Cougar Town looks so beautiful, if only it were real… Get in, loser! We’re catching the next golf cart to a mythical town full of single older women! From the big bad comedy brain of Bill Lawrence (Scrubs, Shrinking, Ted Lasso) and dynamite performances by Courteney Cox, Busy Phillips, Christa Miller, Dan Byrd, Brian Van Holt, Ian Gomez, and Josh Hopkins. HostsGeoff KerbisMax SingerRich Inman
It’s August 7th so you know what that means! It’s Mother’s Day on TVPL!We bring you the Chuck Lorre Big Bang follow up Moms! Starring Anna Farris, French Stewart, Allison Janney, Sadie Calvino, Matt Jones and more. Chucks next CBS multicam venture kept its network comedy dominance going for 10 years. We show you how it came to be, how many people watched, and how the script did at setting the scene, and establishing that all important sitcom patter. HostsGeoff KerbisMax SingerRich Inman
Pod save the Queen! Has that been done that one before? Join us as we dust off an E! Original Drama. Did you know those existed? Rich certainly didn’t. This week it’s The Royals, imagine Riverdale but with the British Royal Family and get this! They’re HOT and DO DRUGS?? From the mind of Mark Schwahn (One Tree Hill), it’s a political drama framed around Hamlet.So put down your Big Ben and pick up your Big Bong to watch Elizabeth Hurley, Williams Moseley, Alexandra Park, Tom Austen, Merritt Patterson, and Jake Maskall.HostsGeoff KerbisMax SingerRich Inman
Today’s burger of the day: The Waleed Mammoth?It’s Bob’s Burgers week here at TV Pilots License, and we’ve got another friend manning the grill! Welcome to your ears Waleed Mansour, you know him from Dropout, you know him from Awesomely Awful, you’re about to know him from the We’re Dead podcast from him and Rekha Shankar (first episode available now!)Bob’s Burgers of course is the FOX hit animated series now on its 15th season starring H. Jon Benjamin (see our Archer Episode for more), Kristen Schaal (see our What We Do in the Shadows episode) Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman and John Roberts. Join us as we talk pilot structure, early character development, the history of the show, and of course, what Waleed loves most about the show!Hosts:Waleed MansourGeoff KerbisMax SingerRich Inman
What do a first generation American kid, starting high school, developing your first crush, losing a parent, and an 80s tennis legend all have in common? Well, nothing unless you’re Mindy Kaling!Welcome to beautiful Sherman Oaks California! Go Fighting Gallerias! It’s Never Have I Ever. The coming of age Netflix teen comedy.Enjoy this Mindy’s Project with us as we talk high school awkwardness, comedy writing forms, the search to find Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and the 1981 Wimbledon Men’s Finals!Strap on your backpack, prepare your bully insults in the mirror, and get ready for your journey to popularity. HostsGeoff KerbisMax SingerRich Inman
Unlock TV's secrets with the TV Pilot's License Podcast! Geoff, Max, and Rich dissect pilots from classics to cult favorites. Expect deep TV reviews, first episode breakdowns, and pilot analysis. We cover must-watch TV, one-season wonders, and cancelled series. Get honest show reviews, funny recaps, and sharp commentary. Need show recommendations? We've got you! Dive into TV history and decide which pilots earn their "license." Comedy, analysis, and passion await. Subscribe for your weekly TV podcast fix!
What’s that up in your ears? It’s a song! It’s video! No! It’s kinda somewhere in between but also neither! Welcome to Smallville! (Go crows) home of the great meteor shower that brought us such infamous anomalies as Lex Luthor, Clark Kent, and Lana Langs absolutely obliterated parents. We touch down at the turning point in the ages old Superman story that brings him to Earth but through the lens of a teen drama. One might say it paved the way for the explosion of superhero teen dramas that came after. In any case join us to explore small town Kansas with a DC twist, starring Tom Welling, Michael Rosenbaum, Kristin Kreuk, Allison Mack, Sam Jones III, John Schneider, Annette O’Toole and more. HostsGeoff KerbisMax SingerRich Inman
The TV Pilot's are taking a holiday! But not without reviewing the new Dan Fogelman (This is Us, Crazy Stupid Love) non-linear drama on Hulu that everyone’s talking about. Sterling K Brown is the Secret Service head to James Marsden’s outgoing president. After Marsden is discovered dead, Brown has to find out who did it… with a massive twist. Grab your snacks and call in sick to work, you’re going to want to solve this mystery. HostsGeoff KerbisMax SingerRich Inman
There’s dirty, and then there’s dirt, and these maids know the dirt. Welcome to Beverly Hills where the scandals are hot and the maids know it all. In his follow up to the smash hit Desperate Housewives, Marc Cherry and now exec producer Eva Longoria are bringing you along for a SOAPY ride.Starring Ana Ortiz, Judy Reyes, Roselyn Sanches, Dania Ramirez, Edy Ganem, Rebecca Wisocky, Susan Lucci, Grant Show, and my god so many more characters my hands are getting tired typing this. Make sure to hang a right on Wilshire, friends, we’ll see you in Beverly Hills.Hosts:Geoff KerbisMax SingerRich Inman
This week will answer the age old question Does Cleveland Rock? The answers will SHOCK you.Welcome to a wet and wild trip down the mighty Cuyahoga folks! It’s the Drew Carey show! A gem of the 90s standup sitcom boom starring Drew Carey (duh), Diedrich Bader, Ryan Stiles, Christa Miller and Kathy Kinney. All the little chicks with the crimson lips say: subscribe and rate us on Spotify!HostsGeoff Kerbis Max Singer Rich Inman
Let’s take a trip to San Francisco circa 2014 and the pilot episode of HBO’s “Looking!” We look back on the history of this acclaimed series, from its roots as a short film to a primetime cable series. While its initial broadcast run was cut short, this show has found a loyal fandom and critical praise in the years since. If Tony winner Jonathan Groff, Emmy winner Murray Bartlett and direction from Andrew Haigh (All of Us Strangers) aren’t enough to get you on board yet, I don’t know what to tell ya! Wishing you a Happy Pride Month from all of us at TVPL!Hosted By:Geoff KerbisRich InmanMax Singer
Guys, my dad just gave me the Vista Cruiser and some podcast mics. You know what that means…. A NEW TVPL! Put down your cheese curds and put on your headphones, we’re on our way to Point Place Wisconsin. Where the kids are stoned, the parents are strict, and there’s always a table at the snack stand. We talk creators, Bonnie and Terry Turner (Wayne’s World, 3rd Rock) and this group of teens that would come to really make their mark on Hollywood for better or worse, Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson and Wilmer Valderrama. HostsGeoff Kerbis (on assignment)Max SingerRich Inman
It’s Going To Be June! So you know what that means, ITS APRIL IN THE D! Turn on your Kid Rock CD and park your garbage truck over at Cramblin-Duvet advertising and let’s take in all the Motor City has to offer. That’s right folks, it’s DETROITERS. The second city cum SNL cum Comedy Central cum Netflix cum HBO superstars Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson and Jason Sudeikis!We’ve got laughs, locals, and insane behavior galore. So heat up some hot dogs and pop those AirPods in, we’re going to Detroit!HostsGeoff KerbisMax SingerRich Inman