Pilot, the Pilot

For my pitch, I would like to do a TV show about...pilots.

I had better be clear about this one. I do not mean that I want to do a sequel to 'Wings' (although I was a fan of the show and always wondered where they would head next). I mean a TV show where every episode is a pilot for a new project.

Now, for those of you not familiar with the lingo of television, a pilot is a television program that introduces a new series. Those of you who watched Quentin Tarantino's 'Pulp Fiction' received an explanation from Jules just before he performed his hit job in an apartment complex (and I still think Mia would have done well with the project). And maybe this is where the idea began to develop in my thoughts: why not a program where we follow a group of actors, writers, showrunners and crew as they face the disappointments and joys of being a part of a television program?

This could work! Imagine a television program where you could never guess what the next episode would be about and would have your heart set on edge hoping that this one...or that one...or the next one would get picked up and become something permanent (I know, I know... There are shows that try to surprise us, but they work within one particular frame: you knew that 'Breaking Bad' was never going to do an episode in outer space; 'The Sopranos' never headed back to Ancient Rome or Greece - now that's an idea...)

Along with guessing where the show was going to head to next, you would have a cast that you could follow along and root for or jeer at as they try to make it in the business. It would have to be as diverse as a real casting call, and we could have them go through the whole process of auditioning, getting call backs of acceptance or denial, the opening of the show, and all the general disappointments when their dreams are too big for the screen (did I just say that? Yeech!).

The cast would be very diverse, covering every racial, gendered, spectrum-heavy group imaginable. There are a lot of calls for more representation in the industry and this would guarantee that the powers that be call on those who do not get heard. Just imagine Jordan Peele directing an episode of 'Pilot' - yeah, I am picking some big names out there - creating a drama within a drama about the black pioneers who led the Stonewall uprising (look that up). Or even David Lynch (!) going back in time to a dark comedy within the form covering the life of Edgar Allen Poe (the gears are already turning). And the diversity would not end with the cast trying to get on these shows or attempting to get these shows made. How many executives, producers, directors and so forth come from a background that does not look like a rerun of 'Friends'? Harsh to pick that one out of many that make a major American city look like a plain beige paradise, but I think you understand my meaning (don't you?).

Drawbacks? Well, the budget would have to be quite big since every episode would cover a completely different type of show. The set for a drama in a hospital would create a different feel than one used for a comedy in the same field. And all those historical ideas... Well, as long as there is enough originality and talent out there, these things can get done. And as I said, there would be a huge demand for the next episode...and the next one...and the next one. I could see this running for a few seasons without any real problems developing...if the money is around.

So, that's my plan. Let's have a TV show about pilots...and that 'Wings' reunion should also be considered.

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You can find more poems, stories, and articles by Kendall Defoe on my Vocal profile. I complain, argue, provoke and create...just like everybody else.

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