Web Series Wednesday – Pilot Season

By: Spring Marie Cullen

WHAT? Pilot Season

BY: Victoria Gordon

WHY SHOULD I WATCH?

Pilot Season is a brand new five-part comedy series shot entirely over zoom. It’s an anthology series of sorts, with each show largely featuring the same cast and a similar underlying tone, but vastly different stories. Five episodes showcase five unique pilots ranging from broad multi camera comedy to more intimate dramedy, so there’s something to appeal to every viewer.

The idea alone was enough to pique my interest. While anthologies are gaining more traction lately, making each episode its own world was a fresh take I couldn’t wait to check out. Each episode pilot even has their own series title. “Behind the Times’ is a throwback to the family sitcoms of yesteryear, sweet silly problems that bring them all closer together in the end. The comparisons to “The Brady Bunch” and “Growing Pains” were immediate for me with the goof off older brother Brian (Zach Cantrell), the type-A overachieving sister Melissa (Tabitha Brownstone) and the precocious youngest (Gracie McDonnell) who can do no wrong falling into their tropes with ease. “Underachievers” follows two best friends Ava (Jessie Epstein) and Maddie (Natalie Miller) who’s massive mistake brings the former perfectionists back down to reality. “Sunny,” starring Carly Post in the titular role, takes viewers on an experience in Antarctica. “The Nuclear Option” focuses on a family as rich as they are dysfunctional, with characters you love to hate and hate to love. The final series, “Fame Adjacent,” a dramedy about a mother-daughter relationship rounds out the miniseries anthology.

Despite only being read throughs via Zoom, the performers pull off awesome work and make each episode enjoyable. They’re fully committed to their performances and make picturing the actual scenes a breeze.

You also have the opportunity to go behind the scenes of each episode by requesting a copy of the script and exploring each pilot’s pitch deck. I’m always a sucker for bonus features and something like this offers amazing insight into the series. Gordon’s giving potential access to a side of the entertainment production world you don’t always get to see. I definitely recommend checking these out along with the series.

If you’re a fan of comedy, I’m positive there’s at least one pilot in this series that will appeal to you. Whether you’re looking for a silly laugh from a satire or something a little more serious, Pilot Season will hit the mark. Gordon has hopes of expanding these pilots into fully produced series one day and I’d love to see some of them.

WHERE CAN I WATCH? Episodes are available here.

Follow on Social Media:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/tvpilotseason

Victoria’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/thevictoriagordon

Victoria’s Website: https://www.thevictoriagordon.com