Pilot Program

By Chase Koeneke & Pierce Courchaine

Hosts Chase Koeneke and Pierce Courchaine watch and discuss the first episode of every television show ever made (eventually...probably).

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· TV & Film

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FAQs about Pilot Program:

How many episodes does Pilot Program have?

The podcast currently has 50 episodes available.

Pilot Program episodes:

January 26, 2025 Episode 30 - Aim for the Top! Gunbuster (1988)
Gunbuster is a classic anime from Gainax, the studio best known for foundational shows like Gurren Lagann and Neon Genesis Evangelion. But before those breakouts, Gainax was in trouble -- their first movie flopped hard at the box office, and their second big project was shelved midway through development. They needed a hit, and Gunbuster really came through. But will it comes through for our two pilots? Tune in and find out.

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1h 36min
December 23, 2024 Episode 29 - A Cook's Tour (2002)
Anthony Bourdain changed the way we watched food television, as well as the way we experienced the world. A Cook's Tour is Bourdain's first TV show, and established many of the hallmarks of his later, more well-known works like No Reservations and Parts Unknown. Chase and Pierce dive into the show's first episode -- a trip to Tokyo -- commenting on Anthony's more raw approach, the mechanics of fitting a show like this into 22 minutes and the absolutely wild music choices of 2002 cable television.
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1h 19min
November 25, 2024 Episode 28 - Monday Night Football (1970)
The 37th longest-running television show on American television, ABC's Monday Night Football is an institution. And while the debut episode in 1970 may not have all your fancy bells and whistles like super slo-mo replays, dedicated sideline reporters or even a graphic showing the score and amount of time on the clock, it did have charm. With the recent merger of the NFL and AFL, the New York Jets (featuring future hall of fame quarterback Joe Namath) and the Cleveland Browns meet for the first time in this historic (if not all that exciting) game.

Show Notes:
If you'd like to watch this terrible VHS rip of the game (with its beautiful 1970-era commercials intact), you can do that here.
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1h 34min
November 11, 2024Episode 27 - You're The Worst (2014)
Chase introduces Pierce to one of his favorite shows of all-time, a mid-2010s FX (then FXX) romantic comedy that attempts to undercut the genre with sharp-tongued characters and an acerbic attitude. How will Pierce react?

Show Notes:
Here's the link to Stephen Faulk's Tumblr post discussed on the episode.
And here's the The Business podcast Faulk was interviewed on about the show
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1h 40min
October 03, 2024 Episode 26 - Fawlty Towers (1975)
We hop back in time (and across the pond) for this episode as we analyze the classic British sitcom, Fawlty Towers. From the eccentric hotel manager who inspired the show to the play-like nature of the production to a potential sequel reboot that's supposedly coming, Chase and Pierce dive into this wonderfully fun John Cleese-led program.
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1h 36min
September 14, 2024Episode 25 - Mad Men (2007)
We made it to 25 episodes! To celebrate, Chase and Pierce are revisiting one of our favorite shows of all time: AMC's Mad Men. While we mostly stay focused on the pilot, this is still a spoiler-heavy episode, so be warned.

Show Notes:
We mention that Ken Cosgrove's wife is from a rich family, but misidentify her as part of the Heinz family. Her father actually works at Corning Inc. Heinz would become a client for the Sterling Cooper agency in a later season, which led to the confusion.
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2h 35min
August 07, 2024 Episode 24 - Lost (2004)
One of the most celebrated TV shows of all time (as well as one of the most divisive), Lost represented a real shift in network television. While there had certainly been serialized shows in the past, none required the careful viewing and encouraged the immense theorycrafting that Lost did during its six-season run. We explore the show's first episode (the most expensive pilot of its day) and remember just how its mysteries came to be.
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2h 5min
July 13, 2024 Episode 23 - The Jeffersons (1975)
We're moving on up for this episode of Pilot Program as we cover the classic 1975 sitcom, The Jeffersons. A spin-off of Norman Lear's seminal work of All In The Family, The Jeffersons sees George and Louise, an upwardly mobile black couple move to "a deluxe apartment in the sky" of Manhattan, and how they they react to their newfound wealth. We have a great discussion about smart casting decisions, the importance of the live studio audience and the lasting legacy of this beloved 11-season show.
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1h 46min
June 17, 2024 Episode 22 - Fallout (2024)
Pierce and Chase explore the world of Fallout on this episode of Pilot Program. And we've tapped two veterans of the wasteland to join us for this one: Bobby Pease of The Casual Hour, and Hard Drive writer Johnny Amizich. From the vaults to the Brotherhood of Steel, we talk about it all. But is this video game adaptation closer to the acclaimed Last of Us show or to the awful Doom movie? Let's find out!
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1h 28min
May 26, 2024 Episode 21 - Freaks And Geeks (1999)
We welcome our first guest to Pilot Program, our friend Steve, as we dive into a classic show from the late '90s -- Paul Feig and Judd Apatow's Freaks And Geeks. With a loaded cast and a unique approach to television production, Freaks And Geeks was ahead of its time (which is why NBC canceled it after only 12 episodes).

From it's hugely influential legacy to the pilot episode's willingness to tackle tough issues head on, we examine this seminal work of the trials and tribulations of finding your place in high school.
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2h 10min

FAQs about Pilot Program:

How many episodes does Pilot Program have?

The podcast currently has 50 episodes available.