Trio airing Unsold Pilots, week of Sept 1, 2003

[Pavan]

Now this is cool! Shows that have never aired! A few shows that never got picked up will air for the first time on Trio, week of Sept 1:

TR!O LAUNCHES 'BRILLIANT, BUT CANCELLED' STRIP WITH WEEK OF NEVER-AIRED PILOTS

New York, July 8, 2003 --TR!O's "Brilliant, But Cancelled" nightly strip, which launches on Labor Day, will feature never-aired pilots in its first week including Fargo starring a "pre-Sopranos'" Edie Falco and Beat Cops, it was announced by Lauren Zalaznick, President, TRIO.

"We've found a treasure trove of great television in the form of pilots that never made it to series, but deserve to be seen. By airing these pilots in the first week of our 'Brilliant, But Cancelled' strip, we're giving them the second chance they deserve," said Ms. Zalaznick.

Kicking off "Brilliant, But Cancelled" week is the 90-minute World of Wonder documentary Brilliant, But Cancelled: Pilot Season (previously announced) which examines the pitch process - from idea to show order - and programs that should have, could have and would have, but never did, make it to air. Comments from producers, writers and stars caught up in the trenches of pilot season, plus clips from many of these pilots will be featured in the documentary.

Fargo, based on the hit 1996 film by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring a pre-Carmela Soprano Edie Falco, is among the pilots airing during the week of September 1. Developed by Bruce Paltrow (The White Shadow) and Robert Palm and directed by actress Kathy Bates, the one-hour program features quirky characters in a small Midwestern town and spotlights the investigative prowess of the very pregnant police chief Marge Gunderson.

Also airing within the "Brilliant, But Cancelled" pilots week is Beat Cops. Filmed in a cinema-verite style and without a laugh-track, this half-hour comedy stars Sam Sedar and Jon Benjamin as two clueless New York City patrolmen who are oblivious to the volatile citizens around them. Sedar co-wrote the pilot with Charles Fisher.

TR!O's pilots week also features Savage, the 1973 Steven Spielberg-directed program starring Martin Landau and Barbara Bain (real-life husband and wife) as an investigative journalist and producer who work for a television news magazine show. The 90-minute pilot guest stars Dabney Coleman and Will Geer.

Additional pilots will be announced shortly.

The new 8:00 p.m., ET/PT "Brilliant, But Cancelled" strip rounds out TR!O's primetime programming block beginning Monday, September 1. (TR!O's Sessions At West 54th series, which is currently in the 8:00 p.m., ET/PT timeslot, will move to 7:00 p.m., ET/PT.) At 9:00 p.m., ET/PT TR!O will continue to air its 9 Sharp documentary block, which presents world and U.S. premiere films (ex. Cinemania; Farang Ba and Secret Rulers of the World) and, the ever popular Late Night with David Letterman episodes will continue at 10:00 p.m., ET/ PT.

TR!Ois an entertainment cable television channel reflecting pop culture TV:film, music, fashion, television and stage in its programming. TR!O is available to over 18 million households via digital cable and satellite services. For more information about TR!O, visit www.triotv.com or call 1-877-GET-TRIO.

[dandelion wine]

Awesome, awesome, awesome. I saw their "Brilliant, But Cancelled" special a few months ago, so I'll be looking forward to this come September.

Thanks for the heads up, pavan!

[TJL]

Cool!

I was wondering if they ever got that "Fargo" series off the ground.

I guess they didn't.

[Pavan]

Full unaired pilots are released:


TR!O’S ‘BRILLIANT, BUT CANCELLED’ STRIP LAUNCHES WITH RARE AND NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN PILOTS:

L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, FARGO, DINER, SAVAGE PILOTS FEATURE
George Clooney, Edie Falco, Kiefer Sutherland, James Spader, And Early Work Of Steven Spielberg

Friends’ Paul Rudd Narrates Original Doc Brilliant, But Cancelled: Pilot Season


New York, July 29, 2003 -- Rare and never-seen-before pilots and the world premiere of Brilliant, But Cancelled: Pilot Season launch TRIO's Brilliant, But Cancelled strip beginning September 8, it was announced by Lauren Zalaznick, President, TR!O.

Paul Rudd (Friends) has signed on to narrate TR!O’s original documentary Brilliant, But Cancelled: Pilot Season, which premieres on Monday, September 1. The documentary kicks off a week of rare and never-before-seen pilots including L.A. Confidential, Fargo, Diner and Savage that lead into the channel’s new Brilliant, But Cancelled 8:00 p.m. nightly strip beginning September 8.

TR!O’s original documentary Brilliant, But Cancelled: Pilot Season, co-produced with World of Wonder, examines the pitch process - from idea to show order – and programs that should have, could have and would have, but never did, make it to air. The documentary showcases previously un-aired clips from pilots that have never seen the light of day. The full story behind these landmark pilots comes from producers, writers and stars caught
up in the trenches of pilot season including Adam West (star, Lookwell); Conan O’Brien (creator, Lookwell), Warren Littlefield (former NBC Entertainment President); Darren Star (creator, Sex and the City); Marshall Herskovitz (creator, thirtysomething), Tom Fontana (creator, Oz) and Bernie Brillstein (producer, Just Shoot Me). The original documentary premieres on Monday, September 1 at 9:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m., ET/PT.

In succeeding weeks, TR!O will present premiere acclaimed series including Bakersfield P.D. plus returning favorite Brilliant, But Cancelled series Ernie Kovacs, East Side/West Side, The PJs, God, The Devil and Bob and The Gun.

Following are details on the un-aired pilots and their primetime premiere dates:


BEAT COPS (2002): Filmed in a cinema-vérité style and without a laugh track, this low-budget half-hour comedy stars Sam Seder and Jon Benjamin as two NYPD desk cops sent out on the holiday beat. The two clueless policemen are oblivious to the city and the volatile citizens around them. Seder co-wrote the pilot with Charles Fisher. The pilot’s world premiere is on Monday, September 1 at 8:30 p.m.–9:00 p.m., ET/PT.


L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (2000): Starring Kiefer Sutherland as embattled police detective Jack Vincennes, this dramatic pilot is based on the critically acclaimed film of the same name and follows the glamour and seediness of 1950’s Los Angeles. Eric Roberts is also featured. The pilot’s cable premiere is on Monday, September 1 at 10:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m., ET/PT.


FARGO (1997): Based on the 1996 Academy Award winning film by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring pre-Sopranos Edie Falco, this pilot brings the very pregnant chief of police, Marge Gunderson, to the small screen. Developed by Bruce Paltrow and Robert Palm, and directed by Kathy Bates, the series features the quirky characters of a small Midwestern town and the
investigative prowess of Chief Gunderson. The pilot’s world premiere is on Tuesday, September 2 at 9:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m., ET/PT.


DEAR DIARY (1996): A sort of love letter to New York City, the pilot chronicles a day in the life of a married New Yorker, played by Bebe Neuwirth. A reworked version of the show won the Oscar for best short film. The pilot’s U.S. premiere is on Tuesday, September 2 at 10:00 p.m.–10:30 p.m., ET/PT.


SICK IN THE HEAD (1999): In this screwball comedy, a newbie shrink gets a suicide case as one of his first patients. Starring Kevin Corrigan, Andrea Martin, David Krumholtz as a new psychiatrist and Amy Poehler as his patient. The pilot’s world premiere is on Tuesday, September 2 at 10:30 p.m.–11:00 p.m., ET/PT.


REWRITE FOR MURDER (1991): Pam Dawber stars as a prim female mystery writer who clashes with ex-con George Clooney both on and off screen when they are forced together to help revitalize her television show. The pilot’s world premiere is on Wednesday, September 3 at 10:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m., ET/PT.


SAVAGE (1973): Steven Spielberg directs this pilot about a television news magazine show. Starring Martin Landau and Barbara Bain (real-life husband and wife) as an investigative journalist and a television producer for the politically charged television show. The pilot also guest stars Dabney Coleman and Will Geer. The pilot’s cable premiere is on Thursday, September 4 at 9:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m., ET/PT.


DINER (1983): Based on Barry Levinson’s 1982 hit movie set in 1960 Baltimore, the pilot focuses on 5 men who are making an awkward transition into adulthood and who gather nightly at the local diner to hash out problems and grapple with responsibilities. Starring James Spader, Michael Madsen, Paul Reiser, and Michael Binder. The pilot’s world premiere is on Friday, September 5 at 9:00 p.m.–9:30 p.m., ET/PT.


BLACK BART (1975): Based on Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles, Louis Gossett, Jr. and Steve Landesberg star in this pilot that chronicles the adventures of a black sheriff and his quick-draw deputy working in a small, bigoted Arizona town in the Old West. The pilot’s world premiere is on Friday, September 5 at 9:30 p.m.–10:00 p.m., ET/PT.



New “Brilliant, But Cancelled” series on TR!O:


BAKERSFIELD P.D. (1993) When successful D.C. detective Paul Gigante moves to the small town of Bakersfield, he joins the madcap adventures of the quirky police squad. From a Captain that can’t make any decisions to a partner that is a little too obsessed with TV cop shows, this squad of misfits and imbeciles provides plenty of sitcom fodder. Ron Eldard, Giancarlo Esposito, Chris Mulkey and Brian Doyle Murray star. The series makes its cable premiere on Monday, September 8, with a new episode airing each night during the week at 8:00 p.m., ET/PT.


TR!O’s regularly scheduled Brilliant, But Cancelled strip begins Monday, September 8 at 8:00 p.m., ET/PT leading the channel’s primetime programming block. (TR!O’s Sessions At West 54th series, which is currently in the 8:00 p.m., ET/PT timeslot, will move to 7:00 p.m., ET/PT.) At 9:00 p.m., ET/PT TR!O will continue to air its 9 Sharp documentary block, which presents world and U.S. film premieres (e.g. Cinemania; Farang Ba and Secret Rulers of the World) and, the ever popular Late Night with David Letterman episodes will continue at 10:00 p.m., ET/ PT.

[Michb]

Hi,
I'm writing from Italy and I have a unusual request for you.
I'm an Italian fan of Steven Spielberg and I see on the TR!O TV web site (www.triotv.com) that they will air the pilot TV movie "SAVAGE", directed by Steven Spielberg in 1973. I have not the possibility to tape it, so I ask: can someone of you tape this TV movie for me? I repeat: I'm an Italian fan of Steven Spielberg and I'm looking for this movie for a long time! It has never been broadcast here in Italy, so this is a rare opportunity to obtain it! Can you help me? Naturally, I'm disposed to refund any cost!
This is the schedule for "SAVAGE" (all times eastern):
September, 4th: 09:00 PM;
September, 4th: 12:00 AM;
September, 6th: 01:00 PM;
September, 6th: 07:00 PM;
September, 7th: 08:00 AM;
Please, contact me if you can: michbasso@libero.it .
Thank you in advance.
Michele

[TJL]

Today's NY Daily News did a feature about some of the other programs "Brilliant But Cancelled" will feature. Aside from the ones already mentioned another of note is:

"Lookwell" Written by a then unknown comedy writer named Conan O'Brien, it feautres Adam West as a TV cop who tries to become a real detective. I've heard about this one. It's supposed to be really funny, and has gained a cult following among TV comedy writers as one of the funniest pilots never to be picked up.

I'm really looking forward to this series.

[Sitcomwriter]

Trio keeps getting better and better and of course....I don't have it and when I DO have it it'll be nothing but shows I hate .

Hopefully my cousin has it.