Bad Pilots

Sandra Lee is perhaps the most overlooked and utterly fascinating celebrity chef to come from the Food Network. Anthony Bourdain once called her cooking "a war crime on TV". You may also recognize her from the now infamous "2 shots of vodka" meme. Off screen, she's equally controversial.  Aunty Sandy dated New York governor Andrew Cuomo for over a decade. Special guest & YouTube baker, Lauren McGowan, joins us as we chart Sandra Lee's unlikely rags to riches story. DISCLAIMER: preparing and eating any of Sandra Lee's recipes WILL result in immediate cardiac arrest—do not attempt.

Eli Stone is truly the cards against humanity of TV shows. It's about a Wall Street bro who gets a brain aneurysm that causes hallucinations of singer/songwriter George Michael, who then convinces Eli to become a religious prophet and take an anti-vaxxer stance against big pharma. We had no idea this show even existed, but our special guest, Tom Schenck, is still traumatized by it. Also included: we completely lose our minds while trying to figure out what color a fart is.

Like [redacted] plunging a dagger through [redacted]'s heart, the Game of Thrones finale felt like the ultimate betrayal to perhaps the most fervent television audience of all time. We are joined by news and culture writer Sharine Taylor, as we roast the GoT finale like Drogon himself. We also discuss the upcoming spinoff and fantasize about what we would do with the franchise (Dan gets ridiculed for wanting a steampunk GoT).

CABS ARE HERE!! It's time to take a trip to Seaside Heights, NJ, to revisit our favorite guidos and guidettes: the cast of Jersey Shore. Professional video editor & proud Italian, Becca LaFortune, joins us as we make sense of why the show became a global phenomenon, despite so many perceiving it as the lowest form of reality filth. We also discuss the tragic circumstances that have befallen the cast in the years since, particularly Mike "The Situation"'s appearance at the roast of Donald Trump.

Long before Bo Burnham grew a quarantine beard, he had a TV show—a little known sitcom on MTV called Zach Stone is Gonna Be Famous. And although it only lasted one season back in 2013, it's pretty dang funny. We're joined by Steve Cooke, writer & host of the podcast Killed to Death, to discuss. Tangents include: the time Aidan smoked weed in his friend's nonna's wine cellar, our favorite vines (RIP), and television's troubled history with YouTubers.

From the dialogue heavy mind of Aaron Sorkin comes a peek behind the curtain of a fictional SNL-esque sketch comedy show. The main issue? It isn't funny at all. Premiering the same year as 30 Rock, Studio 60 was handily beaten by its sitcom competitor. Special guest & fellow TV nerd, Cara Pomanti, joins us to break down Sorkin's influence, showbiz on screen, and her undying love for The Oscars™. 

Keys to the VIP is an infamously offensive Canadian hidden camera show in which cologne-soaked frat bros from the Toronto suburbs compete against each other by relentlessly hitting on unsuspecting women at bars—all while a panel of "experts" (grown-ass men wearing Tapout shirts) watch and critique their technique. We are joined by Sasha Kalra and Zac Adore, who reminisce about their club days, as well as Pat Maloney, who actually worked on the show as PA and has some insane stories to share.

Days after the tragic events of 9/11, America was served a dish of exactly what it needed most: a network sitcom starring celebrity chef and noted spice entrepreneur, Emeril Lagasse. In our season 2 premiere, Mostafa Abd El Meguid turns up the heat and chats with us about the evolution of cooking shows, Popeyes biscuits, and the best food cities in America. 

In a very special season one finale of Bad Pilots, Dan and Aidan each talk about three shows that mean something special to them. As usual, the conversation goes completely off the rails. Tangents include: Aidan's childhood without wifi, how getting rejected from improv troupes can change your life, the greatest TV theme song of all time, and the time Dan and Aidan watched the season two premiere of True Detective while popping champagne and chilling in an infinity pool at a mansion in Yorkville. Lastly, we just want to thank everyone who's been listening these past few months—we love you very much, you make our day.

"Like peeking through another dimension" said Melissa Fumero, aka Brooklyn 99's Amy, of the French language remake. Escouade 99 feels like an eerie echo of the beloved original. Between flagrant whitewashing, poor execution, bizarre casting, and a budget one tenth the size, the Queb imitation just doesn't cut it. Quebecker and Dan's sister, Katie Brioux, joins the show to discuss. We also go waaaay off topic and argue about bagels for longer than necessary.