The S1E1 Podcast
Join us every week where we’ll be picking a different sitcom and judging it solely on its very first televised episode. In doing so we’ll be challenging ourselves to erase any knowledge of future episodes so we can deliver an unbiased opinion. At the end of each show we’ll tell you if this is a show we would green light or cancel. Tune in to find out which mega shows wouldn’t make the cut, what forgettable mistakes we give a pass, and who started exactly where they should be.
Episodes
Thursday Mar 10, 2022
S1E1: Intelligence
Thursday Mar 10, 2022
Thursday Mar 10, 2022
Intelligence is a British workplace comedy set in the UK's Government Communications Headquarters. Created by one of the show's stars Nick Mohammed, Intelligence is centered around this cyber security agency bringing in an American NSA agent (David Schwimmer) to join the team. Intelligence originally aired on Sky One in England and is a Peacock original in the US. Listen in as the S1E1 guys review its pilot episode, "Episode 1.1".
Thursday Mar 03, 2022
S1E1: Letterkenny
Thursday Mar 03, 2022
Thursday Mar 03, 2022
Letterkenny is the first sitcom we've reviewed that originally got its start on YouTube. The web series, "Letterkenny Problems" was commissioned by Canada's Crave network to become a full blown television series. In 2016 the show that stars Jared Keeso (who also created, writes, and directs the show) debuted on the network. Will the guys give this show a green-light or will they feel it was better left on YouTube. Listen and find out.
Wednesday Feb 23, 2022
S1E1: Unhappily Ever After
Wednesday Feb 23, 2022
Wednesday Feb 23, 2022
In 1994, executives at the WB network approached "Married... with Children" co-creator Ron Leavitt and asked him to create a knockoff of his prior hit. The result was "Unhappily Ever After", which premiered in early 1995. There were some key differences with this show. To start, Jennie (Stephanie Hodge) & Jack (Geoff Pierson) Malloy were freshly divorced. Jack moves out of the house he shared with his wife and 3 kids (played by Kevin Connolly, Nikki Cox, & Justin Berfield). Another key difference, and one that made this show stand out was Jack often talked to his youngest son's stuffed rabbit "Mr. Floppy" (voiced by Bobcat Goldthwait), who would seemingly come alive whenever the two were alone due to Jack's schizophrenia. Is this a recipe for disaster or will the S1E1 guys enjoy this bizarre premise. Listen in as they review the pilot episode.
Thursday Feb 17, 2022
S1E1: Superstore
Thursday Feb 17, 2022
Thursday Feb 17, 2022
In 2015 former writer for "The Office" Justin Spitzer created a workplace comedy called "Superstore", featuring the employees of a fictional big-box store in St. Louis called "Cloud 9". In it we meet Jonah (Ben Feldman), a newly hired Cloud 9 employee who instantly gets on the bad side of his floor manager Amy (America Ferrera). Can this pilot win over the S1E1 guys or does this show's box set belong in the discount bin? Listen in to find out.
Thursday Feb 10, 2022
S1E1: Rutherford Falls
Thursday Feb 10, 2022
Thursday Feb 10, 2022
Rutherford Falls is a Peacock original show that was co created by Michael Schur (Executive Producer on "The Office" and Creator of "Parks and Recreation", "Brooklyn Nine-Nine", & "The Good Place") and Ed Helms (Actor in "The Office", "The Hangover", & Cedar Rapids). The show centers around Nathan Rutherford (Helms) doing his best to stop the Mayor from moving a statue of his ancestor and founder of the town, Lawrence Rutherford. Were Schur and Helms able to recreate the magic they once shared working together on "The Office"? Find out when we review Rutherford Falls' pilot episode.
Thursday Feb 03, 2022
S1E1: Arrested Development
Thursday Feb 03, 2022
Thursday Feb 03, 2022
Arrested Development first aired on FOX in 2003. There we meet the Bluths, a family that's just as much dysfunctional as it is spoiled and eccentric. This show did a phenomenal job finding talent, casting the likes of Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Portia De Rossi, & Will Arnett just to name a few. And for for a good chunk of the cast, this was their breakout roll. The show was also stylized differently than most, utilizing handheld cameras, narration and attempting to have reality television like feel. Despite critical acclaim, the show did no perform strongly in the ratings and was canceled after just 3 seasons. Nearly 6 years later Arrested Development found a new home on Netflix where they were able to get the cast back together and release 2 new seasons. Will the S1E1 guys agree with the show's initial poor ratings or do they fall in line with its cult following? Listen as they review the first episode, "Pilot".
Thursday Jan 27, 2022
S1E1: Norsemen
Thursday Jan 27, 2022
Thursday Jan 27, 2022
Norsemen is a show that takes a comedic approach when showing us the happenings of an 8th-century Viking village. Originally airing in Norway under the name "Vikingane" it didn't take long before being picked up by Netflix for a US audience. But there's no need to read subtitles for this one because Norsemen was simultaneously recorded in both languages by first shooting each scene in Norwegian and then in English immediately after. This show which has been described as Monty Python meets Game of Thrones won plenty of awards in it's first year but somehow ended up being canceled just a couple years later after only 3 seasons. Was it given a long enough run or should it not have even made it that far? Listen in as the guys review their pilot episode, "The Homecoming".
Thursday Jan 20, 2022
S1E1: The Tick (2001)
Thursday Jan 20, 2022
Thursday Jan 20, 2022
The Tick originally started out as a newsletter mascot for a chain of comic book stores in the Boston area named, New England Comics. The mascot then became the subject of his own comic book. The comics popularity got The Tick his own animated series. After 3 successful seasons on FOX the main writers of the animated show developed a live action adaptation of The Tick casting Patrick Warburton in the lead role. Despite all the momentum leading to the creation of the show, the 2001 series only had 8 of its 9 episodes make it to air before being canceled. There has been a lot of speculation as to why this show failed, whether it be the time slot, or support from the network. Now the S1E1 crew deep dive the Pilot episode and decide for ourselves if this show deserved a longer run.
Thursday Jan 13, 2022
S1E1: Superior Donuts
Thursday Jan 13, 2022
Thursday Jan 13, 2022
In 2017 Superior Donuts premiered on CBS. The show was an adaptation of a play by the same name that first hit stages in Chicago (and eventually Broadway) 9 years prior. The show focuses around the relationship of an old Donut shop owner and his new young employee. Judd Hirsch and Jermaine Fowler were selected to play the lead roles and with ringers like David Koechner and Katey Sagal joining in supporting roles this show seemingly had a the tools it needed to succeed. But Superior Donuts was cancelled by it's network after only two seasons. Did CBS not do enough to promote the show or did the all-star cast fail to deliver? Listen as the guys review their pilot episode.
Thursday Jan 06, 2022
S1E1: The Muppets
Thursday Jan 06, 2022
Thursday Jan 06, 2022
Ever since they were first created by Jim Henson in 1955, The Muppets have been mainstays on both the large and small screens. In 2015, they returned to television to star in a mockumentary style sitcom that followed them behind the scenes as the produced the late night talk show, Up Late with Miss Piggy. After only 1 season ABC decided to cancel the show leaving Kermit, Fozzy, and the rest of the gang with no active projects. Did time pass The Muppets by? Was this not the right show for them? Or did the network just not realize what they had? Find out what the S1E1 crew thinks when they review its pilot episode, "Pig Girls Don't Cry".