Watch this: Larry Charles’ unaired pilot starring Wayne Knight and a host of Seinfeld alumni
Wayne Knight plays it big in this cartoonish sitcom pilot that has Seinfeld in its veins
TV Features Seinfeld
“Who builds a convenience store next to a toxic waste dump?”
There are strange pilots, and there’s Middle Man, Larry Charles’ first post-Seinfeld project starring Wayne Knight.
Charles, the bearded Seinfeld writer known for, among other things, directing the first Borat and numerous Curb Your Enthusiasm episodes, has had a lot of success in showbusiness. But on his YouTube channel, he shared an absolute gem of a failure—his first FAILED pilot, as he describes it.
The story goes like this: After leaving Seinfeld in 1995, NBC wanted another comedy from the man. So the network and Charles landed on a vehicle for Newman himself, Wayne Knight, who was riding high in the mid-90s, with Seinfeld, Jurassic Park, and Basic Instinct.
Somehow, though, they ended up with a mix of two ideas, one about a vegetarian who owns a butcher shop and another about a guy who works in a “biochemical agriculture company, like Monsanto” where “weird shit would go on.” There was also a brother-in-law who runs a convenience store just outside the plant and is “affected” by what goes on there. As showcased in the pilot, the brother-in-law (Peter Crombie, who played Crazy Joe Davola on Seinfeld) runs a store outside a toxic waste dump. He acts like the toxic fumes are altering his brain chemistry.
Meanwhile, Knight plays Roy Mittelman, who, in addition to getting usurped by an underling at the plant, hosts his in-laws (played by the superb Angela Paton and James Greene) and get the animal control guy on the phone to come and get the wild animal living in his walls. As for the rest of the cast, it’s a who’s who of Seinfeld stars, including Patrick Bristow, Pat Kilbane, and Siobhan Fallon.
Middle Man is bizarre, playing like a show they would watch on Seinfeld rather than an actual sitcom. Still, you can see Charles’ flourishes shine through, particularly in his skewed and cartoonish approach to observational humor that made Seinfeld episodes like “The Fire” so memorable.
[via Digg]
58 Comments
Do you honestly think it’s called a “convenient store”?
Yes.
Well in that case I applaud your boldness
Thanks. I was bold enough to use both “convenice store” and “convenient store” in the same article. Thanks the note! I’ve made the correction.
Also it’s Monsanto, not Montasanto.
No, it’s owned by Christopher MontasantoThey’re doing a series on how he came to own the convenient store now
Convenice store?
Before your time, AVClub used to have editors. It was awesome.
“Thanks FOR the note!”
“Must you dump on everything we do?”
maybe ironically.
Everybody knows it’s spelled “convenients store.”
It’s almost like a wackier Drew Carey Show without the family dynamic.
The Drew Carey Show had a family dynamic? I remember Drew’s brother showing up occasionally but I don’t remember any other family…
Yes! Bring me all the failed pilots!
You better be careful; the last guy that said that became the FBI’s #1 Most Wanted and got shot in the face in Pakistan!
I LOVE failed pilots. There should be a youtube channel of just busted pilots.
If you’re down for a podcast instead of Youtube, Dead Pilots Society might scratch that itch.https://maximumfun.org/podcasts/dead-pilots-society/
They used to do that live around LA, but I never got around to going. Good to know there’s a podcast! Thanks!
Sadly, the studios usually don’t release them now. It took almost a decade for the How I Met Your Dad pilot to leak. It seems like the networks make fewer pilots nowadays. I’m really interested to see the failed Powerpuff Girls pilot to watch that train wreck.
I know they don’t release them, but many have slipped out. I want them ALL to slip out! There aren’t as many pilots as before, but there are still a large number every year (to say nothing about several decades worth of pilots sitting in various vaults around Hollywood.)
I’ll get you Harrison Ford.
I assume all of Harrison Ford’s contracts say, “Actor will not pilot any aircraft until after the release of the film – not even a kite.” That last line became necessary after the incident where he flew a box kite on the runway of a private airfield in Utah. The kite became tangled in the engine of a Cessna, and he dangled from the string for several minutes as the plane gained altitude. Finally he swing himself into a nearby river, sustaining minor injuries. When the paramedics arrived on the scene, he grumbled, “I’m Harrison Fucking Ford.”
Spider, that will fly over a lot of heads.
Harrison Ford won’t!
Norman’s Corner. Written by Larry David.
I have to watch this when I get home from work.
Please, please, PLEASE tell me that creator Peter Rosenthal is THE Peter Rosenthal, TheOnion Head Film Critic [I know it isn’t, but it was a fun moment sparking the imagination].
I’ve watched Heat Vision and Jack like ten times
May I present the King (Fuhrer?) of all failed pilots:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heil_Honey_I%27m_Home!I’m not sure if that link will work but I’m sure you’ll get the gist.
Mr. & Mrs. Dracula.
Wow, Dick Shawn is really giving it his all. Also, it’s a three-camera sitcom, but the cuts are like, whole minutes apart. Was that just the style at the time?
I feel like Wayne Knight’s sweet spot is as a scene-stealing supporting player. I love watching him perform, but I think it’s because a little of him goes a long way.
like cilantro
Nobody cares. . . . Nice hat!!
It’s literally the Fresh Prince of Bel Air kitchen. Amazing.
I was thinking the same thing.
ha i just commented the same thing
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I’m not sure whether my first reaction to this article was “Is Montasanto the Italian subsidiary of Monsanto?” or “If you’re going to talk about him ‘riding high’ in the mid-90’s, what’s Third Rock from the Sun? Chopped liver?”
I’m guessing the failure of this pilot freed him up to do Third Rock from the Sun. I’ve never liked that show, but it does seem like a better outcome for him.
What’s more horrifyingly 90’s about that? The phone or the presence of Wayne Knight?
“Who builds a convenience store next to a toxic waste dump?” Kevin Smith, in his newest hilarious comedy?
Angela Paton and I share(d) a birth date. It’s her, Mary J. Blige, Alexander Hamilton and me.
I wonder if there really is a vegetarian owned butcher shop somewhere.
Is that the Fresh Prince’s kitchen?
Who is playing Wayne Knight’s wife?
“it’s a who’s who of Seinfeld stars, including Patrick Bristow, Pat Kilbane, and Siobhan Fallon.”
Yeah, it’s a “who’s who” as in I had to look up each actor, then go “oh yeah, they were on Seinfeld for 12 seconds”.
Was that a Meat Puppets riff for the opening jingle?!
Larry Charles wrote the best episodes of Seinfeld. They were always dark, and on the surreal side.
Oof that’s bad.
Yeah, dear God, way to come out of the gate with a prat-fall, five canned laughs to not-jokes, and hacky in-law gags about eating all the breakfast. Five minutes is all I could handle, and it still might top the list of “worst sitcoms I’ve ever seen.”
Oof this is a rough ride.
Hulu just bought this show and renewed it through season 11.
FELDMAN is in this too! You know, from across the hall?This is bad though. Like George Costanza writing a sitcom bad.
Meat Puppets for the theme song is a nice touch at least.
is that the kitchen from fresh prince?