We’re stepping outside the Boy’s “world” for an episode to explore the sitcom Will did AFTER BMW ended - UPN’s “The Random Years.”
While recapping the Pilot, Will takes us behind the scenes of his controversial casting, and into his approach for a more “adult” role.
Hear every detail of how the show was made (and allegedly sabotaged), which cast member Will dated, and why it should have been the heir apparent to “Friends.”
Some shows last a lifetime, while others get 4 episodes. Learn all about the difference on a new, and spin-off, Pod Meets World!
Check out the Pilot episode of The Random Years, and the second episode if you want, here:
https://youtu.be/rTlSSTavvRk?si=sw8cjSLQTK1cdFJ3
So since Danielle is is out this episode, thought you and I should will we should we should talk about trips that we took just the two of us.
Oh, I thought you were gonna say what we really thought about Danielle. Oh no, I will report back. Uh.
Do you remember our first, our only autograph signing trip that we did.
Oh geez.
We went up to like San Francisco. We've stayed in San Francisco, but then it wasn't in It was like somewhere in the East Bay or South Bay and it was a mall and a mall. Why were we doing that? I don't know.
And why did the East Coast swing too? Because it on the East coast as well.
The only time I ever got invited to any and it was actually a Disney thing. They brought us up there. We we got paid some sort of flat rate for you and me to go up north and do a signing at them all and it was a big deal, like there was tons of people. Yeah. And then do you remember what we did?
No? Did we did we go to an amusement park?
Yes, we did. We went to Great America, which is the Six Flags up in northern California. But I just remember we like we had we finished our signing for the day and it was like two in the afternoon and you were like we were I said, oh, you know, we're somewhere near Great America and You're like, why don't we go? And we convinced the handler from Disney to call Great America and see if they could just give us like VIP backstage, and they did. They did, really they did, so we didn't have to wait in any lines. We went and did like a whirlwind like day at Great America, going with all the roller coasters, and I did they have like that extra you know how they have some amusement parks like the bungee jumping like Superman thing where there's.
The Superman you did with the with the handler, did exactly you remember this?
I do?
Oh my god, I can't believe that's.
Did you say how old you were here?
I would have been seventeen. Yeah, it was much been just fifth season, fourth, fifth season something. But isn't it weird? So you did an East Coast swing too?
Then I did an East Coast swing because I remember the funny The funniest thing was so was that a mall in New York and my family came because they were all in New York at the time, Gary and Greg and everybody, and they were all there and jokingly waiting in line. And one of the first people I saw was a girl who was probably twelve thirteen, and she came up and she asked for an autograph, and I said, of course, and I gave her an autograph. She turned around and not even trying to lower her voice, went, he looked so much better on TV.
Oh.
I remember like turning it essentially saying it right to my family, who were the next ones in line, and I was like, oh wow, what a way to spend a day.
You see. I can't remember if I did get off, like if I got asked to do these kinds of things, because I would have said no, especially after the cruise. I would have just said like, no, I'm not, like I was so scared of the idea of meeting fans and like do we need anything? But I must have agreed to this one because you were going. It was like, oh, you and Will get to go and I was like, yes, Will and I get to go off, and we did. We had so much fun. But that's the only time I ever did anything like that until you know you wrote, yeah, you asked me that I do conventions coming in two thousand and you know, eighteen or whatever. It's like, yeah, there's there's something out there. And then I loved it. There's so much fun.
But I was surprised Danielle didn't do a lot of them either. I think she only did that Mall of America one and maybe one other one. But you guys weren't like on the Tiffany Debbie Gibson tourists, right, no malls.
That would be great now. And then Danielle did one for her book signing too, right.
Yeah, like those are but those are like Barnes and Nobles and right, that's funny. Well that's really funny. I mean, do you guys still I mean, I know, Disney every once in a while when you can, but like, does does roller coasters mean anything to you now? Because they make me dizzy at forty five? Oh me too?
They're so fun, No, make that. I definitely get a little like a different feeling than I used to as a kid. I'm like, oh god, I am so old for this by a lot. I love it.
You know why though, It's because of the crystals. In your ears. Yeah, so this crystals in your ear drums that at the older you get, they more they solidify so they're less liquid. So then that kind of movement makes you feel more sick. I remember because Sue and I hadn't been on a roller coaster in forever, and we all went to disney Land and they had the loop coaster there and we hadn't done, ever done a loop coaster at Disneyland was the first one they had there. We're like, okay, great, let's do this. It was the first thing we did. Ruined our whole day. The rest of the day we were like, can't, can't do this anymore? Like, yeah, horrible, okay, best ride you've ever been on?
Good question. I mean it seems like that Star Wars thing might be the best one ever made.
Where you go in the you actually go in and you see the walker, like the Imperial Walker.
It's insane. Yeah, it would be difficult to beat that.
I having been on stuff recently. Ghost Rider, the roller coaster at Knotsberry Farm, is the most perfect roller coaster.
I ever been on it.
No, it's an old school wooden one, but a fast and it is really well made. I I've just I've been on it maybe six times, and I've enjoyed it. Every time you do it at night and they light it up. It is so much fun.
Better than Goofy Sky School.
Oh god, anything called Goofy Sky School, Jesus not very farm is the underrated theme, it is.
It is the part I have to admit though. The first time that I ever went on what is now Guardians of the Galaxy, but was then Tower Terror.
That's a great ride. That was a great Guardian really fun. Yeah, yeah, we're going if we're going on the kid Angle. Also, I think Mister Toad's Wild Ride is hard to beat as well.
That's a great ride the Caribbean.
Pirates of the Caribbean when the sense of atmosphere like though, and I like it when it's physical. That's my problem with the the Star Wars ride. I mean, it's just still a lot of screen stuff, you know, Like anytime I'm looking at screens or actors on screens, I'm like, okay, I'm not in Wait.
Which Star Wars right are you talking about? You're talking about flying the Millennium Falcon.
But have you ever done that one where you see the Stormtroopers where you walk through and you're like, yeah, that's incredible. Where you get to.
I think I told you if I really got to the the girl who obviously had been there all day and was just like, Hi, I'm Kelly, I'm here from the Resistance.
Follow me please. Everyone else is doing an accent. They all were like, you.
Worthless dogs, Let's take down the Empire.
Let's go. Yeah, we did it. It was so funny. Fifty four Megasex doesn't know any of the words, just walking through it. Well, welcome to pop Mey's world.
I'm Jensen Cart, I'm rather strong, and I'm Wilfordell.
Listen. It's the last Monday where you're gonna have to hear me or look at me, So don't worry. It all goes away. Danielle will be back very soon. And normally I come on the show to play you a clip of something that I found in my extensive research for Pod Meets World, and this actually kind of fits in that genre, which is I love looking at things that Will and Ryder have done outside of the show. It's one of my favorite hobbies. I don't do it for Danielle because she will kill me, but in this case, I found a longer piece of media that had to be dug into a little deeper. And this is a show that Will did after Boy Meets World. This was, in my opinion, the next step for Will in a sense that he could run his own sitcom. It seems like that was what was going to happen after Boy Meets World correctly, and this was a show called The Random Years. So before we dive into this, we'll be recapping the pilot of The Random Years. It is currently available to watch on YouTube. All you have to type in is the Random Years. We will put the link to the show that we used for our recapping. It's the best quality online in our description, you could check it out. It actually has the first and second episode on that YouTube video, but we only I mean I watched both because I'm just obsessed with life, but the first one is the one we recap. Will tell us a little bit about your journey to The Random Years, and then I'll talk maybe a little bit more details about the show. Yeah.
What I remember most about my journey to The Random Years was the kind of controversy that surrounded it. Yeah, so I had, you know, I finished Boy Metswirld, and I was on a what's called the Whole Deal with Disney, and the first thing they did was they put me on a show that I did six episodes of called GoFish with Kieran Culkin and Andy Dick.
Oh wow, it.
Was the several of the cast members were very nice. I got along with It is by far the worst experience I've ever had on on a television show.
I like a guess between Curing Cocan or Andy Dick where you had.
The problem, To be honest with you, it wasn't either of them.
Okay, yeah, right, it.
Wasn't either of them were playing the older brother on it, so it's sort of like they just like sampled you from.
Boy me and I went from playing the older brother of a savage to the older brother of a Coulkin.
And was it a single camera a multi camp?
It was single camera, single camera, And so we we did that, we finished that, obviously didn't get picked up. We got we wrapped that up, and then you know, you're back kind of on the audition circuit. But I was still in the place where I didn't have to audition. So UPN called and said, we have a show that we'd like you to read for called or come in and meet on called the Random yres great. I read the script.
I really liked it.
I went in and met with them. They said, look, we'd really love you to do this show. I said, fine, I signed on to do the show. We shot the Memory Serves, we shot the pilot. Had a great time.
The cast is.
Awesome, awesome, Eather there, Sean Murray and I became very very close friends, Natalia, Josh, everybody.
We were We got along right off the bat. Uh.
And then they said we're not we're not picking it up.
We're not.
You did the pilot, thank you very much, We're not. We're not doing it anymore. I said, okay, that's fine. And then I got a call from the w B saying we're doing a show.
Was it the www B?
It was the w W this is w B and they were Sean, oh god, now I'm gonna British actor Sean Connery. Sean, Yes, it was Sean Connery is finally doing a sitcoms w B.
Yeah.
It was called you Bastards and so welcome to you Bastards on the Doctor here w B.
Why is that frog?
No? So I went in and met on that I met with Sean King I think is his name, and uh, they said, yeah, this has already been picked up for twenty six episodes. We'd love for you to do this with us. I said, I'd love to do this show. I then got a letter like two days later from WB, I still have it. Welcome to the cast of Off Center. We're so excited to start blah blah blah. UPN then heard that I had was now going to do a WB show, so they decided to exercise my option and pick us up for the six episodes that were guaranteed to burn us off so that I couldn't go to the WB. And it made the trades. So it was all over the trades that w that. You know, WB was really upset because they were yeah, and.
This was their main competition, right, I mean, that was who they were going up against. Yeah, so they were.
It was at the time they were UPN was going through a changeover, which every network does all the time, and and less Moonvest had come in and picked up four or five shows, random Yres being one of them, and the second then less Moonvest left.
They knew anything he brought to.
The network was what was going to be gone and we were one of those, so they knew they were going to cancel us before they picked us up, just so I couldn't go to the WB Wow after assuring me that that wouldn't happen.
And what happened to the w B show?
Did it go on? It went two seasons, two seasons.
Eddie K Thomas, Yeah, Eddie K took over.
I was supposed to frustrating man.
No, yes, it would be an actor so rough, Yeah, it was. I mean it was would have been two seasons on a sick and who knows, maybe if it was Shahn and I it would have gone longer. You never, you never, well, but he was fun doing well.
It is fun. The Random Years aired on the UPN Network in two thousand and two. Debuted in March. It's created by Michael Lisbie and Nate Regor.
A rider you also met they were. They marched with us randomly. I think it was Nate. It was either Nate or Mike were one of the people that marched with us during the strike on that World Day.
Yeah. Yeah. Their their first big gig, and really almost their first gig, was on Spin City. They pretty much struck gold. They were given their own kind of development deals. This was the result of it.
That's funny because when I was watching this, I was like there. I was like, oh, Will's doing like an Alex speaking Yeah, so that makes sense. The spin City, There's a There's a.
The show is loosely inspired by the Friends Boom of those years. It was based on the writers experience living in New York City after graduating from college and what they call a mid season replacement. So this is a show that doesn't debut at the beginning of the season. It comes in for someone that is ailing. That show that was ailing. Do you know what it was? No, Roswell really.
Five seasons seasons?
Yeah, I know for as bad as your industry story was the Roswell Roswell has a great industry story.
But yes, no, we were. We were very much the sacrificial lamb. As we were shooting, we knew we weren't doing it.
Really, they just did this attack my other deal. Everybody else know that too, the other actors.
I don't know. Well, I mean it was in the trades, it was everywhere, and that it was the and then we actually went to upfronts and you know, because it's u PN there were nine people in the in the audience at upfronts, and every question was what do you think about the WB doing this, what do you think about UPM doing this? Do you really want to be doing the show or did you rather be doing Off Center? And it was like, boy, no, I'm excited to be here kind of thing.
Yeah, yeah, I did read it. I did read a couple of interviews with you from the time, and it is focused on you saying this is the show I want to be on. Just yeah, I know that happened, and this is the show I ended up on the show I really wanted to be on. That's kind of just the talking point you had. I'm so glad I got to meet all those guys, but I would rather have been on the other show because Roswell was an hour, so you went first. And then another show called as If as If. I remember that because I remember meeting the as If. It was a show that was really big in England and they brought over an American version, but they brought over some of the cast as well, and.
I remember them at the UPM party. Were all very very nice. So but that show didn't go either.
Well, you guys, Film seven episodes, only four aired. Fun trivia question. Do you know the name of the final episode that aired?
I think, if memory serves it was called Boy Meets World.
It was called Wow. I was so excited when I found that out.
We did seven. We did seven?
Film seven? You film seven? You aired for? Yeah, you aired for. I'm not doing this for anything other than a fact I'm not kicking you while you're down. You know that the network was pushing to get the show off the air. The Random Years received the lowest ratings of any original programming of that network TV season. Really it did which which shows? They just didn't show any commercials because even just by showing a commercial you get better ratings.
They wanted us. They wanted us to die. That was they were ironically. Critics kind of liked it. Yeah, they kind of liked it. I found a bunch of reviews that liked the cast. A bunch of people liked you, obviously, and the cast is a bunch of I would call them workers, Yeah, a bunch of like hardcore just TV workers, which we'll get into in a minute. Uh.
Lisbie and Regor would go on to have a fruitful career in Hollywood, writing and producing on just shoot me. Cougartown, two broke Girls, the cool kids. They've created shows, They've went on to do a lot of stuff, and they most rely worked on a show called Alca Poco, which people really like on Apple TV.
Okay too, and they're also they were really great to work with, very collaborative, really cool guys.
Yeah, well, we will get into the recap and you can give us some inside stories about things you remember from watching it. Then timeline from Boy Meets World? How long after Boy Meets World raps? Does this start?
Two years? Because we finished in two thousand and I think that, so yeah, end of because we finished Go Fish in two thousand and one, so yeah, this is two thousand and two, two years later.
And were the Fridels were Were they watching it as excitedly as they were Boy Meets World?
Any any time? My mom My mom loves me to death, and of course she's very supportive anything I do. My dad is like, this is the best thing that has ever happened. It is the greatest show on TV. My god, my son is a genius.
That's my thing. Yeah right, I'm not doing this so that I could find it, because I could find it on my own, But I am asking what was your next step? What was the show right after Boy Meets World for me? Yeah?
Uh nothing. I went to college. I went to New York and yeah, there was a I had a whole deal too, And there was a show that Will and I both went to Network for different parts. Do you remember this show? Will?
It was? It was?
It was by the guys who are now huge. They did Deep and oh Wow.
There was a Mandel.
Yeah, yeah, Mandel and then his writing partner God who ran Silicon Valley.
And it wasn't like The Loft or the Apartment.
It was a college show. It was about It was about like guys in college.
I don't know.
Years was that?
What was just called the college?
It was called the College.
Dave Mandel and the other guy they were amazing and they're great writers. They've obviously gone onto huge careers separately, but at the time they were writing partners and they created the show called The College Years, and they brought us both in and I remember being like, they're going to have to pick one of us, and neither of us got it. And then I went off to college and I was like, yeah, I'm not going to keep auditioning for TV shows. Oh no, wait, I did do a show. I did a pilot in two thousand and one. I did a upn show. I don't know what it ended up being called. When I did it, it was called something like uh whatever, or you know, like some generic sort of catchphrase. But yeah, it was just a high school show, like it was a senior in high school and it was a pretty funny single camera pilot, but never got picked up.
Alec Berg you Sefeld too. Yes, he's a great great writer, as Mandel as well, who created their you.
Know, and their stuff is like they brought me in also they they wrote and directed with another guy, They wrote and directed a movie called Fistful of Euros in like two thousand and two, So they brought me in and screen tested me for that. I just I loved the writing and they liked me. We always look out a.
I don't think they liked me, if memory serves, if they're the two guys I think they are. I don't think they were huge.
Fans of really great great writers.
Well. I also I also hope that this gives our listeners a bit of a viewing into a different aspect of acting, which is that we focus the show on the biggest success of your careers. You know, this is a show that went on forever and is being talked about thirty years later, But yet even your most successful actors have these stories, which is, you know, something else that went on that could have went that way but didn't. And maybe there's there's some insight you can give while we go through the recap as to why or what you liked about it or whatever it was. But I actually had a fun time watching it. I guess we usually asked what everyone thought about it. I guess we'll start with Will, what did you think about watching this complete? I'm sure everything was forgotten from your brain watching it. What was you?
You know what? To be totally honestly, I was pleasantly surprised. I remember my performance being a lot worse than it was. I knew the rest of the cast, including the guest stars, were solid, because I remember how funny they were. I always thought that especially I was pushing a little like in my head, I was pushing too hard to try to be the leading man. I was mugging for the camera more than I needed to. And then when I watched it back, I was like, Okay, it's not bad. I actually watched the second episode as well, and frankly, I thought the second episode was better than.
The first one. Yeah, so pilots are always hard.
Yeah, but overall I was I was actually pleasantly surprised with the chemistry we all had on camera and the writing and the sets and everything. I mean, I was.
I liked it.
I actually I actually enjoyed it.
It's a fun show. Rter, Wait, what did you think?
Yeah, I mean I think that this is an example of just a pretty amazing cast, Like these are all just great sitcom actors. I just didn't feel like this was a pilot. I wanted this to be the second or third episode, and I think I feel like this was there was I like pilots that that initiate the situation or explain the situation, and I was lost.
I was like, wait, you were thrown in.
We were thrown in, and we were just supposed to know these characters, and I want and by the end of the episode, I was like, Okay, now I get where we're going. But I wanted a little bit more telegraphing, to be like, this is this guy whose apartment is here, and he has this kind of job. This is his loser friend who does this, and this is his friend, you know, like just a little bit more like locating of where it felt a little too generic. I feel like they just they they didn't go hard enough. It was like, and it's not the actor's fault. I feel like it was probably and probably not the writer's fault. I feel like it was probably a network note like just make it friends. Just put these guys in funny situations. And it's like, yeah, okay, you can do that. But even Friends starts with like Rachel being introduced to everybody, so she's like a fish out of water being like yes, and this didn't have like a way in. So I just felt a little like I'm throwing the deep end with funny actors, but I don't know why I'm here, and I don't know what I'm looking for.
I know what it is because Danielle and I have sold enough script deals to figure out you know that, you know we don't get it. I've gotten one thing on TV, but but basically everything else gets canned before it gets to even this point. But the idea is is they the note is always let's just get into it exactly right, isn't that the note? The note is like, you only have two minutes to get the viewer to not change a channel. Let's just do it into it. Yeah, And they don't want to do any setup. Instead, it's you walking around with a concern and now we're in the show, right like and.
Yeah, it seems like the conceit of the show, which I did watch the beginning of the second episode, and that was much better at setting up the conceit of the show, which is three guys who all want love, They all want a woman in their life, and they all have different strategies and completely different lifestyles, but they're best friends. And so that's the next episode begins with them all hitting on a waitress with their own style, and I thought that was a better intro because it's like that sets up the thematics of the show right now, you walking in and being like, why are you on my couch again? I was like, oh wait, wait, is who's what?
What you know?
I just wanted a little bit more of like, what is the point of this show? And if the point of the show is three guys are desperate to find love in New York City in the Random Mirrors that would have.
Been just just sit tell me that it is funny to mention the second episodes opening, because I do think it gets across each character better than we do.
Yeh pilot yet disagree.
Just by telling us how they deal with women.
Exactly one short scene. It was like a little well like, here's each guy's take, and you know who's going to be successful and who's now.
The jokes And by the way, the jokes are harder to find in the pilot than they are in the second.
By the way I've said this, I've said this from for for since I saw it. If you want to see pretty close to a perfect sitcompilot, go watch the pilot for news Radio. It is just it gets everybody in from the second year they're on camera, you know what's happening. They give you there's a there's a mission for our lead character. You were he's introduced to everybody else. It is a pretty perfect sitcompilot.
Another thing for listeners who aren't in the business. I actually would argue if networks were able to throw away money, which twenty twenty four that is no longer happening. No, I wouldn't even air pilots. I know that we just keep them because oh they have them in the can and they just put it on. But the truth is shows get better. Yeah, after you get months off basically between the pilot and the pickup, and then you're back and people just you've you've worked on the characters more. The whole thing is just better by that. And honestly, and for podcast too, if you listen to our podcast up top and you learn and you change and all those things happen, it just shows get better.
If you want to see a perfect example of that, I always bring it back to Mash, which I'm going to do. So when they did the pilot of Mash, then they ran the entire first season of Mash. People weren't watching it at all. It was almost canceled several times. So to relaunch it, they essentially did a second pilot to.
Start season two.
So if you watch the very first episode then the very first episode of season two, you're essentially watching two pilots. It's really interesting to see how they change it over the season. But they reintroduce all the characters again, they reshow the camp again. It's like they start all over after an entire season of the show.
It's cool well. Also, for the record, that is why you hear so many people say, oh, it takes a couple to get going, but once you're in episode four, it's it's not. They didn't try to do that. Yeah, no, exactly.
I mean break You know how many people said to me with Breaking bad with like just keep with it, just stick with it.
Ben, you're gonna get hooked, and the Wired people same thing.
Stick with it, stick with it.
It's like, okay, all right, all right, Well, let's get into the recap here. This is season one, episode one of the random years. Pilots are always named basically the random year of course. Yeah, yeah, it's always the name. First air date was March fifth, two thousand and two. Certain time in Everyone's life. There the synopsis four Friends Experience Life, Love and Laughs in New York City. Keep it as generic as humanly possible for your violot exactly, they tell me anything. And it's directed by Lee Shallat Chemmel, a TV legend in the field. She has over one hundred credits for Murphy Brown, to George Lopez, to The Bernie Mac Show to Raising Hope. You name a show she has probably worked on it. Script is obviously always by the creators of the show. They're the showrunners. That's for many reasons. One, if you're not in the business, I could tell you they get paid on every episode something to know. Basically, they created the characters. They get to Also, by the way, Lee also gets paid on every director. Yeah, director, director, pilot. You get money for the rest of that shows, rest of that show. So characters, buy all those things come up through the creators. So they write the first screenplay. It's starring our own wilfredell Is Alex Barnes. All Right, what do you remember about getting this cat? Like, what was the character? What did you know? Nothing?
He's really he's at the beginning, you know, you're just a guy. It's more like how I can insert myself into the character. I knew he was supposed to be a website at the time. He runs a music website site. Yeah, he is obviously trying to find love. He's out of college for a year or two by this point, we're just starting to and like most kids just starting out, he's got a seventeen thousand square foot apartment in New York City, so obvious.
See that's what I was sort of thinking. I was like, oh, well he's the guy like I realized. I was like, Oh, the point or one of the is the differences between the guys. You're the one who did all the right things, you like made money right, right, and then you have your friend who has no ambition and who just sits on the couch but has an easy time with girls, and you're you're struggling. And then you have your weirdo friend who's like maybe a genius, but he's like really awkward with women, right, yeah, and he's a dental assistant. Right, but you like do everything right, but you can't find love. Cor okay, Like, but it took a while to their distinctions. Yeah, but I know you were Alex P. Keaton, you were like the more conservative like you. You know, you dress well, you do your job, everybody likes you, but you're still unhappy because you want love. I don't know that's the vibent.
Yeah, I think that's everybody's that We were all looking for that person.
In our lives.
Right question, are you are you Napster? Are or are you Pitchfork?
Hmmm?
Like you have a website, well, Napster like was a peer to peer in two thousands, like Pitchfork. I think it's like Pitchfork is like a it's like culturally cool, but not like.
Breaking the Internet cool, you know, like Napster was breaking the Internet. I feel like this character is much more like, Oh, I'm just I've see a new business and I'm going into it and like we're making money and we're doing fine.
I think it is the one I've heard of that didn't that guy like steal it or something like that.
Well, I mean, yeah, all these guys in two thousand and two have some story that could be turned into a movie. But but what I'm sort of saying is like, were you illegally putting music online? Or were Oh?
No, I don't think so. I don't think so. Yeah, all right, isn't the guy from Napster? Wasn't he in the Facebook? Yeah?
Yeah? Yeah?
So who who was the female regular?
Okay, I'll get his only Well, let's let's tell you. Yeah, let's get into Josh Suckerman is wise Man or Weissman Wiseman. This was early in his acting career, after small parts in Pearl Harbor and Evolution. Soon after the Random Years, he would retire from acting really yeah, and he would begin producing unscripted television executive producing shows like Hustle and tow Girl Meets Farm in Sidon City Toe. Isn't that like towing show subgenre?
Yeah? I love that.
Okay, okay, I'm super nice guy. I remember he was. You know, they were essentially like without telling him to be Kramer, they were telling him to be Cramer correct direct.
Yeah, yea. Natalia is Casey. That's who you're asking about, will Right Rider.
You have also worked with Natalia?
I have yet.
Natalia was on what was the show that Chila was on that we would then went over and did an episode of. I did an episode of and you were in the Party?
Odd Man Out?
Yes, thank you. Natalia was on odd Man Out?
Gotcha?
She was one of the regulars on odd Man Out.
Oh there she's yeah, I have that. I have that. She played Lindsay Wagner on Saved by the Bell The New Class. That was her biggest role. She would appear on Beverly Hills nine O two one, Oh was Chloe, and shows like odd Man Out, as you said, Pacific Palisades and Unhappily. Ever After, she would go on to be in stuff like Joe Dirt and Joe Dirt sequel, All My Children, Raising the Bar and something called Deputy, which is pretty new.
Okay, so she's she becomes a regular. There's only only four. There's four man, Okay, yeah, gotcha.
In the second episode, she ends up moving in with or moving into the apartment.
Across the way from us.
Great, Okay, I wish that was the pilot then, yeah, those who would have been the perfect audience surrogate, like coming into this situation with these three.
Yes, she's the paid star. Those are the paid stars, by the way, So now we're into guest stars. David Gary as Waiter, another Joe Dirt guy who also appeared on Just Shoot Me, so I assume that's how he got that job. Valerie Geffner as Joe Lene, Jennifer Morrison as Megan. Megan would go on to star on the TV show House, which which is very cool as doctor Allison Cameron, and she would appear on How I Met Your Mother and This is.
Us and she and my girlfriend really she was. We met on this set and then we dated after this. Yeah. Very sweet girl, very sweet girl a couple of months.
She's very pretty, very pretty.
She is also on the cover of our Approboard pants catalog.
Oh, it's gonna sell us some pants. Yes, she's very cool. And Sean Murray is Todd Mitchell. You'll most likely recognize him from hocus Pocus, where he played Fatackery, and then he'd go on to play Timothy McGee on almost five hundred episodes of ncis yet still on it. He's never run into these people ever.
I do well.
Sewn and I became good friends. I was at Sewan's wedding, so yeah, no, we became very friendly and we were friends for years and then we've kind of lost touch, but we'll always kind of come back into each other's lives. So at one point he was a very good friend of mine. I still consider him a friend of mine. He's a great guy all the way.
Before we get into the recap and get into the nitty gritty, people know all about successes. Like I said, what does it feel like to be on a show at this point? You kind of know the network is dooming it and then you get the call that there's you know, we're done after four I mean, what is that feeling for people who don't act?
It's tough.
I mean, well, I mean it's tough mostly because let's put it this way. Sometimes it's tough, sometimes it's not. When I found out go Fish wasn't getting picked up, I was very happy. When I found out random here is what they were doing with it, I was upset because I really liked everybody. We got along super well. The set was a fun place to be. We just enjoyed being with each other. We enjoyed the scripts. It was also coming off A Boy Meets World and going to a show where we were talking about sex, where we were drinking, where we were doing all stuff. It was such a step up as an actor, and that's that's wrong. That's step up is wrong. It's just a different chapter in my life as an actor. We're now playing an adult and I'm aging up. So that was That was a lot of fun. I remember the first time, you know, as we're on the set and Lee's like, all right, wanted you to go up to the to the fridge and grab a beer and come back. I'm like, I grab a beer. She's like, yeah, you're up a beer?
Is there a photo of a beef scrambled egg?
You sure? We don't want red drink like that?
You know?
So it was, Yeah, it was strange, like go grab a beer, come back down, all right, We'll get four more. And it was just like, oh man, this is this is great.
So fun.
The one thing I do remember that was bad about well, first of all, this was the show to where we shot on the same set that they did Family Ties. Oh so being again, well that's what I said. So they brought me into I had Michael J. Fox's dressinger come and the first night I was there, I cried because I was like all I had ever wanted to be was Michael Fox and I'm sitting on the set of Family Ties. I'm I'm like, I'm on the stage, I'm the star of the show, I'm in his thing, and I like, I was like, I never cried, what the hell's appening?
So it was.
It was one that was one of those moments in my career where I was like, oh my god, I'm actually here. I just come off seven.
Years of a show.
But here it was like, I'm here, this is I had.
I had the exact same experience of being on a show that you knew was doomed. When we did Pepper Dennis, which is where I met my wife. We were that was it was a very hot pilot. The pilot script was amazing, and networks were in. Rebecca Remain was the star and she was huge at the time. It was her big step into acting. She was coming off the x Men films and it was like, Oh, we're gonna do it. And what happened is she had to go do x Men two. So they held us for six months and we just had to wait. No one could do take other jobs. And when we came back, we were shooting our second or third episode and they announced the merger between WB and UPN, and we knew we were screwed because the president of UPN was taking over the new network, and so we were a WB show. We're like, oh, well, then that's it, We're done, and yet we still had to shoot thirteen episodes, and so was this weird thing of like we loved each other, we all got along, we all had it, and we were like, maybe if we're good enough, it'll still matter. So you still kind of give it your all, but it's depressing and it's just hard to commit. All of our scripts had already been written because of the strike too, and then they had to let go of all of the writing staff, so we only had our showrunners, and I don't even think they could rewrite the scripts, so we would just have table reads for no reason because it couldn't rewri It was it was. It was so depressing, but you know, I got to work with great people, like the one writer I became friends with, Jason Catom's was on our show, and he was like, he was like, I'm bailing to go do this Friday Night Lights series and I was like, Oh, that movie's good, I bet the series is gonna suck. Yeah, went on to you know, create Parenthood and he's a legend. But you know, there was like great people involved, but we were all just sort of like sad, and so it's just this bizarre.
Like from a job, this is eerily similar. Yeah, right, yeah it is.
But it's also it's weird. It's it's getting on a boat with your friends knowing four days into the cruise it's going to sink exactly. So it's like, well, I guess we can party for the four There's a great buffet until we actually hit the icebergs, so let's do that. Yeah, it's it's very very it's a strange sensation. Yeah, it's a strange feeling.
Yeah, well, let's get into the recap. Will or writer feel free to jump in at any point, let me know if you want to talk about something. But we start in the apartment, which obviously is the center stage for this entire show. Alex Barnes, played by our Palhill Wilferdell, walks in and greets his roommate Todd, who was supposed to be doing temp work today. Todd says the gig didn't feel quite right because it was in an office. Alex tells him it's a concession. A concession will eventually have to make. Todd shakes his head. I live in New York. If I sit here, it will come. Alex hands him a beer and Todd grins, see see game. Alex looks at their answering machine, reminding us exactly what year this takes place in, and he says, why don't you ever play the messages? Todd shrugs, it's always like Hi Todd, how are you?
Hi?
Todd, let's get together. I don't want to be a part of that. So he is the Costanza, or he is the Kramer, He's the Coristanza.
He's the Costanza. Yeah, yeah, yes, you're the Jerry, I'm the Jerry, He's this Yeah, and then Wiseman's the the uh Kramer, and then Natalia's is Elaine.
Yeah essentially yeah. Alex presses play anyway. The first is from Todd's grandpa, who wants his copy of Lonesome Dove back. Todd yells at the phone, I gave it back at Thanksgiving. Next, a message from Megan Murphy. Alex is thrilled. This is a girl who's in New York and would like to see him. Alex lets out a scream. Yes. Todd warns him, don't be too eager, but Eric says, it's fate. It's like the sun has broken through the clouds and made everything beautiful.
Did you call me Eric?
You did? Ax?
No, by the way, it actually says Alex, you still said Eric. Oh my god. This shows how good Danielle is at the job.
This is this is where you know. By this point, I'm like, I'm just enjoying Will being a leading man, Like it's so you just you needed your own sitcom, like and you know, I'm so used to you being Eric, which is way more of a character, you know, especially by the end of Win's World, It's like you do not have a normal bone in your part. You walk into a scene and you're a cartoon character, and so it was so cool to see you as just this like more like just straightforward, kind of a straight man, but you're still very funny. But it was like, yes, this guy should have his own show. It makes so many running the ship, setting the tone. Oh, it just fits you so well.
Thank you.
A major set piece is their industrial sliding door that they have that seems like a big thing. It opens up and it's their friend and their other roomy Weissman. He says, please tell me that's vegetable soup on the stairs, referencing I'm assuming puke.
Vomit, good vomit joke. Get the show started.
Alex is still giddy. You're never gonna guess who called Wiseman, guesses mister Miller, our middle school gym teacher. Alex is concerned. No, but why would he call great gloried? Wiseman admits, I don't know. I've just been thinking about him lately. Alex is unfazed. Megan Murphy called, she wants to see me tonight. Wiseman not as stoked. She thinks she can just waltz back into your life after five years. Forget it, Alex, We've moved on. Alex fights back. It's the best relationship he's ever had. Now.
One thing I seriously noticed. And if you go back and you watch so we had. This is the first scene. We're in front of the audience and you can see how nervous Josh is and when he puts up his hands, his hands are shake and shaking like this, like no, Alex, we've moved on.
And I was like, oh, that's right, I can remember. Should do a pilot or redo a pilot. Every show should write the first six episodes and shoot like two through six and.
Go back and do the pie. I know that's such a good idea, and rewrite that first after two through six. You really help. Yeah, you can tell he's nervous.
Yeah.
Todd reminds him that they dated for seven days, but Alex calls them the best seven days of his life. It was like a movie montage, except they didn't make love in the sand. Here comes a real Wilfredell moment. By the way, Todd grimaces make love. What are you one hundred years old? Alex wants to be romantic, not make it all about sex, but Wiseman says it was hot though, right, and then Will perfectly turns them, Oh dude, you should have been there. Well, you know what I mean, you shouldn't have been there, great timing. Wiseman was there for the tragic ending though, and Todd reminist says, ah, yes. Day eight, Alex tells them it wasn't Megan's fault. Her dad got transfer to Kenya. Todd wonders why she waited five years to call. Then it's a good question, Alex reiterates, she was in Kenya. They have a fledgling telecommunications network. Plus, all that matters is that he gets a second chance with her. That's the fledgling telecommunications is a big piece of the commercial for this show. It did right, Yeah, it aired a couple of times and I was like, that's a weird pick, is it really?
Oh that's what they picked? Is that line? For some time I thought you meant that that was an on running gag in the episode.
No, it's the commercial for the show for people to tune in. That's like the big joke piece.
That's what they were Hey, they're trying to viewers.
Is a mistake. I think this whole first scene should have just been should have just been the scene from the first episode, the next episode, Yeah, because this just has a I'm just I'm lost. I'm like, what is the you mean? And also like, you know an age of television where you just have three white guys, like as the start, it was like, now, distinguishing you guys is is hard.
I was like, Who's who? How do I know which? Yeah?
What's their gimmicks? What's the end? You guys all kind of are?
They eventually bring in a white lady though.
But you got the other one kind of of the same age, You're the same type in a lot of ways. I was just like, I'm I'm not sure what the inn is here, Like, what's the conflict? What's the difference? Is everybody's just too generic.
You know?
And I'm sure they got sharper as it went along.
They do they do. Yeah, I did think to myself, like what is the difference between the three? But you do get that leader, yeah.
Which is great.
You're right if you see if you open in that restaurant scene from the second one and you just delineate who we all are, it does you all.
Want the same thing? Different angles? And different results.
Perfect. Alex is proud he's no longer a dumb college kid. You ate Captain Crunch for dinner. He stuffs a full pizza slice in his mouth, then continues with his mouth class. I'm a moderately successful guy who happens to run his own music. Webon business with the food.
Gotta do it.
Wiseman reminds him their young guys with no attachments, they can get any girl they want. Todd gives them a knowing look and Wiseman size Theoretically. Alex says, Megan wasn't just any girl. All she had to do was put her hand on his arm. Todd rolls his eyes. Oh, here we go, the old double squeeze. Alex is adam, and it was amazing. She'd stare in your eyes, the corners of her mouth would curl ever so slightly, and when you think it couldn't get any better, she'd give you the squeeze. He mimics the action on Wiseman's arm, forcing him to blurt out, I could be ready by seven. We see a sped up exterior and we all know that means day is turning tonight. Oh yeah, we're back in the apartment. Probably an argument I could make two for your pilot to not have the first two scenes in the same space. Ye whatever. Alex is putting the finishing touches on his date night fit. He tries ironing his shirt while still wearing it, and he screams in pain. Funny scene. Wiseman walks by with a basket of laundry. Alex asks what are those? He responds, sexy sheets. This is his Kramer by the way. At this point, yeah, Alex mocks him. Are those to go along with your sexy Batman comforter? Were you Batman?
Oh yeah, I'd already done. We were already done by this point.
Yeah.
Yeah, small means nobody knew I was Batman because it's.
Still I thought you were gonna maybe say to go along with your Batman underwear, and then it would be a very will for Delman.
I know, will fredil moment. Yes, No, I was, yeah, it's right as I heard it last night too. I was like, I don't like making fun of Batman, right, not.
Right, not right, right, not right, but they definitely reference it because of you, they do.
Wiseman is going, this is even this is a sort of a better intro to your characters, because this says, these guys don't know how to be adults yet. They're living this adult life, but they don't know how to iron. They have batman, you know, blankets like that says the story. I'm like, oh, now I know who these people are. They're like trying to be grown ups, but they're still not grown up yet. They don't know how to do certain things. That's like describes way better than the first scene. I agree.
Wiseman is going to the laundry mat and there are women at the laundry mat. These sexy sheets are bait. We hear a buzz and Wiseman opens the door to see a cute girl, Kasey Parker. Wiseman asker, what do you think of these sexy sheets? She bluntly responds, could you not stand so close to me? Did somebody here to call for a temp?
Great entrance?
Me not stand so close to me? And Wiseman nervously shuffles backwards. Alex said it was him and wishes Wiseman good night, making it obvious he needs to leave. As Wiseman awkwardly leaves, Alex tells her there are some new ads that need to go up on his website tonight he do it himself, but he has a date and starts to get into the complicated Megan situation before realizing she doesn't need to know this at all. He goes to grab her some water in case. He takes a seat on the couch, but she immediately springs up. We hear a groan come from underneath some pillows. It's taught. He thanks her for cracking his bag. You're so sweaty. Also a commercial moment again, Oh was it? Okay? I'm just because I want to know why did people not tune in? Why was it the least watch network show? So I watched some commercials and I was like, yeah, you don't sell it, that's why. Yeah. Alex returns with the water and she asks, there isn't a toothless kid with a banjo in the other room, is there? He assures her Todd is harmless deliverance reference.
Ye, yeah, gotta be. I just saw how sweaty he was. He's obviously under that blanket for like fifteen minutes.
I'm sure. He says, It's all basic stuff and gives her a quick rundown of the task. He gives her his cell phone number in case she needs it as he's leaving. Uh, he tells Casey, if Todd gets cranky, just put on dark side of the moon, give him a beer, and he'll go right to sleep. And then she sort of pets his head. Yeah.
So this scene describes all these characters way better. And it should have been her starting the show now because she's coming into this world and has to meet these three guys and figure out who they are. And I would have been it. So it should have started with her like getting ready for her intempt job and then letting her be the audience surget into this world.
Yeah, that's right. We go to the We go to the laundry mat, which would have been good too because it was a second scene outside of the set. Wiseman is stuffing the sexy sheets into a washing machine and we hear a seductive voice say, hey, sexy sheets. He stares at the off camera woman with a huge grin on his face. Very gramer again. We go to we go to break break, We go we go to a commercial break on YouTube. Very cool part. We could see all.
And that's when I wrote down the real death knell for this show was that there was an Osbourne's and I was like, right, this is when reality was taking over. So shows like this, like just good old fashioned sitcoms were not doing well. Everybody was tuning in to watch Ozzy Osbourne and his family cutting up this stuff in their kitchen.
Sweet Life, Simple Life. That was so that's what.
So when I saw the promo for that, I was like, oh God, it's like that's what was happening, and it's like nobody was watching these shows.
Yeah. Well, on the more positive side, we do get a pretty great carat top one Hunter collect commercial, which I was excited to see. We are now in the restaurant. Alex is nervously pacing waiting for Megan to arrive. She eventually walks through the door. They look at each other and on say hello. Alex makes his way over to her, but abruptly trips on a stair. He eventually gets to turn and passionately they kiss. She sort of kisses him.
Yeah, she grabs me.
Yeah. Alex is shocked. Wow, it's like riding a bike. She nervously giggles. She wasn't planning on doing that, but just seeing him made her. He agrees and says she looks amazing. He suggests they grab a table, but Megan stops him. She's a little heirist. There's something she needs to give him. She hands Alex something and he excitedly responds to my seventh grade swim medal. I've been looking for this forever. She's sorry she took it, but she knew it was his good luck charm and she wanted something to remember him by. He looks it over and then gives it back. He insists she keep it. You can always get another one. Seventh readers are really slowe This.
Is also you know, one of the problems I have when I watched the show is this is pretty close to peak anxiety years for me. Really, So this whole thing was, This.
Entire run of these shows was really tough.
That's one of the reasons why Jen and I like that, you know, because I liked her so much. But I was just such in a dark place at the time that it just was never gonna work. When you're when you're dealing with that kind of mental illness, you're never gonna hey, let's jump into a relationship.
It just wasn't. In the car, can't tell, will you look good?
And thank you?
Yeah? But it's Yeah, the.
Guest cast is so good. I mean, she's amazing and the other woman is amazing, to the degree that if they weren't playing crazy characters, they might be becoming regulars. At this point the.
Wheel back, I think they can reel them back a little.
But at this moment when they you guys just kissed, I was like, is she going to become a regular? Is that? You know? Is this going to be like friends where there's three girls and three guys but ends up being No. The point of this episode is, you know, the crazy girl trope, like the crazy dates that go so wrong, but actually like it could have gone a different way, Like it could have you know, because they're so good, they're the acting is amazing.
A little later in the restaurant, Alex and Megan are now at a table and he's telling her about the time he was stuck on a ski lift in Vermont for four hours. She says she's never gonna get on a ski lift. She's terrified of heights. Alex is confused she took him rock climbing once she explains that was before the plane crash. She was in a twelve person plane headed in Na Robi and they got struck by lightning. I love his response.
It's just like, oh my god.
But that's what you're You're acting is perfect because you're like, this sounds crazy. You're you're saying all the right things, but your tone is like, I think, are you joking? Are you?
I love it you're listening in horror. She continues. The worst part is it dislotted a piece of the windshield, which not the pilot out. I was closest. I was the closest person to the cockpit, so I grabbed the controls, and the guys in the tower talked me down. Alex is dumbfounded. You landed a plane. Also good if I'm the network and I'm arguing, get to a quicker. This is what you get too quickly.
I felt the same thing. I felt it picked up especially here.
Yeah, yeah, at first I was terrified, But to tell you the truth, it's all all like driving a car. Just then, Wiseman and his new laundry Matt Lover, who actually kind of looks like him, right yeah, walks into the restaurant, arm in arm. She looks around and pressed, this place is fancy, Weisman adds, and reasonable and unreasonable didn't necessarily know what the joke was other than the fact that you read it like craver. But yeah, reasonable, All right. We're back in the apartment. Casey's hard at work on the computer when Todd, who was holding a huge sandwich, points out, you've been working for forty five minutes straight. You are way overdue for a break. She sighs. She's expected to be further along, but someone spilled chocolate milk on her to do list. Todd explains he was startled by the modem, another timely reference for people who don't know. Modems used to be very loud when you logged into the.
Internet, things like huge screams that sandwich looks so good, Oh my god, so good, and the sandwich looks so good.
Great food on TV. Yes, just look great. Yeah, he explains, I'm attempt too. Frankly, this whole period in work ethic thing, it's kind of run counter It kind of runs counter to the whole temp philosophy. Casey asked why Alex didn't just use Todd as attempt, and Todd explains he had other important matters to attend to, and he takes a ridiculous bite of that giant sandwich. Yeah, Casey stares at the sandwich. Is there a waffle in there? With a mouthful? He asked, what do you want one?
I love though his reading of that too, yeah you want it is like a smile on his face. It's so great.
Yeah, you were starting. We're starting to pick up how these three guys could be together, right, Like we're starting to feel it and starting to understand their characters. Casey's had enough. She doesn't want a sandwich or chocolate milk. She doesn't want to play risk or compare how tall they are, and she really doesn't want to talk to his grandfather on the phone again. Maybe a rewrite for the button.
I would I thought this said the better button than that better button. Maybe thought the same thing.
We're back at the restaurant, cheap pilot. As far as sets, right.
Yeah, yeah, I also remember just how deep all the sets were so hard Deep Boy meets World had really shallow sets. We were just used to, like the classroom and even the hallway. We were kind of not upstage a whole lot. Just so yeah, coming into kind of shows where it's like, all right, now we're gonna wheel the cameras back to the back part of it's like, oh god, okay, that's totally different.
So yeah, it was strange. Back at the restaurant, Wiseman's telling his date that being a dental assistant is a lot cooler than people think. If you wanted, I could wipen your teeth to night. She wonders if he has any plans to become a dentist. He says, now, he has other aspirations, but probably will stay in teeth in some capacity, possibly a consultant, a consultant teeth, consultant teeth. Because she says, this is fun. She thought she was going to spend the night doing laundry, but here she is with him. Then the waiter arrives and hands them two wineglasses, and she turns and shouts time. It was just incredible. Read yeah, so good, startling the audience too. It's so good. Wiseman is shocked. It's so funny. I mean that that might be my biggest laugh for the episode. It was great. It was great, good. Yeah. The waiter apologize in it and assures her the appetizers will be right out. She scoffs they better be. She turns to Wiseman as if nothing happens, So that's what I do. He responds another great read prison Guard, prison card. So good. Then over at Alex and Meghan's table, he seems annoyed. So you invented Pokemon? She nods, Yeah, remember how I used a doodle? Alex Blutley states, not really. She continues, I had this Japanese penpal, and every time i'd write her, I'd draw these little cartoons in the margin. Next thing I know, they're on TV and she never calls me again. Alex face out, Wow.
I remember distinctly remember her because if memory serves, she's from Chicago and she'd hated how she could she say pan, pale and sad. If you listen to it again, she's like, I have this pan pal. I can't get the Chicago out of them. It's like, it's fine.
Have you guys had this conversation with people before where they're like, oh, you know I wrote that I invented Harry Potter. It's like the biggest red flag for me when somebody's like, well, I would have been a great filmmaker except somebody stole my idea. And you're always like, you mean the boy Wizard or it's always just I'm like, but maybe it was actually just well written. Maybe it's really good and your version sucked. Yeah, it's like.
Yeah generic, they get too where it's like I really came up with an idea for a submarine movie. It's like, what, that's it. There's a lot of them, that's what you got, because there's plenty of those.
It's the Christen Wig character that like I created. It was always up upping someone on sl Well, I actually I built the Titanic. Yes, Megan is beaming. Old feelings are resurfacing. She asked, what about you? He just stares back with a fake grin. It's hard to describe what I'm feeling right now. We go to another commercial break. This time we get a Jack and dexter ad and one of those MasterCard ads where something ends up priceless.
Yeah, well they are all And we also get a promo for as If yep that says it's not a reality showy, it feels like one or whatever. It has like a line where I was like, again, realities take it over, yeep, Hey, especially for smaller networks.
Cheaper cheap, yes, up there. Yeah, put a bunch of people in the house and film them.
Does not sell me on as if either. Back in the apartment, Casey stands up from the desk and stretches before making her way to the living room. Todd, who's on the couch, asked what she's doing. She says she's taking a five minute break, and Todd is pleased you're coming to the dark side. She's actually just downloading some logos, but if it makes him feel any better, she's ready to have that conversation about how much Foghorn Leghorn weighs in real life. Todd notes, well, he's actually times bigger than any other chickens. Casey corrects him, Actually, I'm not ready for this conversation. Todd tells her it's okay, his favorite show's coming on. Yes, really, who's in the center square? He reveals it's actually Antiques Roadshow. Nice little storyline here, I thought anti.
Does anybody remember what other famous sitcom characters really connect over Antiques Roadshow?
Mm hmm.
So one of the best episodes of Fraser is Fraser his dad and Niles turn it into a drinking game, which is kind of what this is. Yeah, so they're like all right, all right, Sherry, and they're like all right, which way anytime somebody says it was like linoleum, you've got well, this isn't real, this is actually ananoleum.
Oh drink drink joke here man, the same show. They take that from Fraser then directly, I'm pretty sure.
Fraser was before this had Yeah, weird Casey Surprise. Seriously, that's weird. I kind of like that show. He wonders why it's so weird? Do they like the same show? And Casey, without missing a beat, just says, because you use books as plates.
Which is a great line character Yea, yeah, totally really good.
Yep. Yeah, you're learning so much about the characters here again, could have went faster. Back at the restaurant, Wiseman tells his date that he was on the high school football team. She's interested, and that's what position he played, He grins, owl. I was the mascot. She loves football. She went to the super Bowl in Tampa, great town. Just don't ever punch a cop. They sit in silence. They sit in silence as she stares him down.
Had this happen? Why had this happened? I was dating a girl back in the day and getting along great out for a while, and she told me. She's like, oh, yeah, except when I got arrested for beating up that cop and I went what And she's like, yeah, I was walking out of a bar and somebody grabbed me and spun me around and I turned around swinging, and I punched twice and I looked up and it was a CoP's like and I was in jail, and I was like, okay, well it was nice beating you.
That's pretty cool. Yeah, she'd be fun. Oh my god.
Uh.
Back over at Alex and Meghan's table, she's talking about Sasquatch. I didn't believe in him either until this one night on my uncle's boat. Alex cuts her off. Okay, Meghan, before you get into that, there's something I really need to know. She smiles. What is it. I'll tell you anything. He gives a fake laugh. I know you will. He takes a deep breath. When we said goodbye, you told me it was because your family was moving to Kenya. Was that the truth? She stutters, Well, not entirely. We didn't move until later that summer. Alex is confused. Then why did you stop seeing me? She nervously says. It's hard to talk about. He says it was really a significant point in my life. Whatever it is, I can handle it. She blurts out. I was sleeping with Professor Markowitz. I had to do it. He threatened to fail me. Alex is shocked. But he was gay in ninety. She strokes his arm. For what it's worth, whenever I was with him, I was thinking of you. He gives it a nervous grin and in response, is that a good thing?
I just want to I wanted to hear Rusties, but he was gay and ninety I wanted to do Rusty's Russy's saying.
The silence is broken by a familiar voice, Hey, you did these chicken fingers come off a chicken's ass? It's Wiseman's date yelling again at the waiter. Alex makes eye contact with Wiseman and angrily motions towards the bathroom with his eyes. Uh not one of my favorite overall scenes.
Now, I mean, I think your character needs a little bit of specificity, Like I think for me, like just listening to this recap, like, oh, it would have been great if you were like a workaholic, like you were the kid who were like came out of college. I just want to focus on my career and it worked, but you missed out on dating. You know that those years where you would have and so you're pining after your old girlfriend because you haven't done anything else.
So that would have like given me a way in to you.
Right. Oh, he's the guy who spent way too much time on computers and working to make money and now least having success. He's realizing he's missing this other part of his life, so he's diving in. And I would have been like, Okay, I'm with this guy as it is. I was like, you're kind of just a generic dude, Like there's nothing like that. Yeah, exactly. It would have been nice to have an angle.
Yeah. The two of them burst into the bathroom in Wiseman and let's out of sigh relief. Thank god you're here, Alex reminds him. Of course I'm here. I told you I was coming here. What are you doing? Wiseman explains, I needed a cool restaurant. I met this girl at the Laundry Mountain. We just kind of clicked. Alex sarcastically responds, she seems wonderful, great, grateful, great read. Wiseman admits, I'm scared. I'm in way over my head. Alex groans, I know me too. Meghan's crazy. Everything that comes out of her mouth is a lie. Wiseman asks, beautiful, wonderful Meghan from college. Alex isn't even sure she went to college. Did you ever see her go to class? Because I never saw her go to class. Wiseman jumps on the sink counter and reaches for a window. Alex says, what's what are you doing? Wiseman says they got to get out of here. Alex says he can't leave. Megan's got that good luck medal. Wiseman doesn't hesitate, Well, good luck see you on the other side. Alex pulls him down, and Wiseman's confused. Why do you want to go back in there for your stupid seventh grade swimming medal. Alex insists it's not stupid. It means something to him. Plus he doesn't want Meghan. There's a dinosaur skeleton under my house Murphy to have it.
But you get I mean, I get that now she's lying to him, so he sees another side of her. But he hasn't had the medal for years, and then he gave it back to her.
That's but it needs to be connected to his character in some way, like, you know, this is the one thing that I did that I don't know somehow if it was it was something that because I love the Hyjenks of like we got to get this away from her, but like if it was connected to your character in a way, like oh, if I could just get this back, this was the last time I, you know, won something that my mom was proud of, you know, or like, I don't know, just give me.
One time in my life I was athletic something like that.
I don't know.
Yeah, like I thought the same thing. I was, like, but you handed it back to her. I mean, I know she hasn't lied to you yet, but you still couldn't.
I didn't even know. You didn't even really you know, right, Oh yeah, this, yeah exactly. Wiseman asked how he's going to get it back. Alex doesn't know. That's where you come in. Wiseman growns, I'm sitting in water again. Maybe maybe would have pitched a better out there.
I also it was I distinctly remember something about his line read because it was like that to me, that couldn't have been the best read. It was almost like it was so thrown away that it was a very strange read.
For that line. It was a whisper for an out. Yeah in the apartment, Casey's all finished. Todd congrad her, and she proudly states I even did some extra stuff he didn't ask for. Can you sign my time card? Todd nod. Sure, I'll put down you for forty hours. Casey laughs and sits out next to him to watch Antique's Roadshow. Todd explains that a woman thinks her toaster was built by the Shakers in the mid nineteenth century, and Casey points out that the microwave he's referring to is actually a Victorian pie chest. Todd rolls his eyes. Now, you're just making stuff up. She assures him she's not, and Todd wants to make a bet. She says she doesn't have any extra money to throw away, and Todd lee slightly remarksable, then let's bet something else. She instantly asked, like what, and they smile at each other. I did not think Strip Antiques Roadshow first thing. The first starts myself. I was like, I wonder what this game is going to be funny. At the restaurant, Alex makes his way back to Megan, with Wiseman following close behind, then ducking under the table. Meghan suggests they just skipped asert and heads straight back to the hotel. She is d two earl two ear. Alex immediately shouts no, he just really loves dessert. She brushes it off. She's thinking of extending her state. What do you think about that? Meanwhile, Wise picking up strange objects off the floor, examining them. Alex answers her, I think that sounds like I might get expensive, She smirks, not if I stay with you. She kicks her leg out underneath the table and it almost hits Wiseman in the face. He watches her foot bounce back and forth in amusement, which was an extra shock.
The whole thing underneath the table is really weird to like he didn't need any of this.
Yeah, Alex says he lives in a loft apartment in Chinatown with these two other guys, and they actually can't have any people stay over. It's in their lease. Wiseman's now reaching for Megan's handbag so he can grab the medal. Then we hear a woman's voice ask what are you doing down there? It's his date standing well above him with her arms crossed. He gets up in waves good evening. Alex thinks, fast, you remember Wiseman, right, We're always playing that game to see you can sneak up on each other. He turns to Wiseman, you almost got me their pal, and they playfully fight each other, sort of throwing their arms the restaurant again. Some time has passed. The two couples have now moved in down bigs.
A double day, moved into a wacky double.
Date bitcom one O one. They all sit together. Wiseman's date is telling Meghan, you can't do New York in a weekend. You have to stay. Megan agrees, I wanted to stay, but Alex's least doesn't allow guest. Wiseman's blurts out, I didn't know that. That sucks. That sucks. Alex gives him a look and begins to push Meghan's purse over to him under the table to get that medal. Instead, the purse hits Wiseman's date and they start to play foot seat with Alex, which is like, she's down to party this mone she is this one. Yeah, she seems excited. She tells Megan, Oh, I'm gonna ski this weekend. You could stay at my place. Megan's excited you ski the date response, Yeah, I almost made the Olympic ski team, Megan guess, so did I, but right before the trials I got stuck on a ski lift in Vermont. By the time they got me down, my fingers were actually turning blue. So she's a psychopathy. Yeah, yeah, this is Alex's story.
Very smart because you're gonna steal somebody's story, don't take it from them. Twenty minutes, your audience, your audience.
True psychopath. He has to get out of his date, so he pretends to choke. The girls try to help him, and Wiseman is trying to figure this out. Are you choking? Alex gives him a look, and Wiseman loudly exclaims, oh, I get it. It's an allergic action, sort of figuring out that this is not real. Just then, Wiseman reaches into Megan's bag gets the metal. While all the girls are frantically trying to help Alex, Wiseman's date shouts out, I know CPR, and Alex looks horrified. This is going too far. Wiseman says he's gonna take him to the emergency room, and Meghan insists that she goes with him. Alex pauses his allergic reaction. Had to replay this forty two times to figure out the line. The line is no, the cab won't stop for four two. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, even the subtitles got it wrong. Oh really yeah. Wiseman tells the women to stay at the restaurant and settle the bill, and the guy's bolt out the door. In the taxi, Alex is still in eye. I can't believe she told you that ski lift story, Wiseman wonders. Didn't something like that happen to you? He responds, something exactly like that happened to me. Wiseman is shocked. Wow, what are the chances? Alex explained, she stole my story. She's insane. Wiseman tries to make him feel better. At least Meghan didn't hold the waiter's hand over a candle to get more breadsticks. Alex. Alex is depressed. He had this vision of how everything was going to be, and now it's just gone. Wiseman admits, I'm with you, pal, and I hopes for Joe Lean. Alex gets his metal from Wiseman and excitedly puts it around his neck. Yeah. Then he realizes maybe I'll just wear it on the inside and tucks in his shirt. Again. Don't really know the joke there.
No, just just that it's I think it's supposed to be like two mouths, not cool to wear your seventh grade metal. But but this is the scene where buttons buttons.
But this is also the scene where you can thematically say what the show is about. Like, yes, you know, we were trying to be grown ups tonight were I thought we were ready to date and be you know, but I still feel like a little kid. Then you have the little kid joke about I got my seventh grade metal back. It's like something about the fact that you're stuck between childhood and college in the random say it. Have the character say some version of that, you know, in a real personal, non thematic way, But that says what the name of the show is, Like, I guess we're not ready yet. We thought we could do it, but we'll try again next week. You know.
Is in this part of my life, I feel like I'm forty, and in this part of my life, I feel like I'm fortunate.
I'm so ready to I'm running a business. Why can't I date a woman? And I can't even date a woman from my childhood?
And it's on yours back. Now that I have time, I'm just picking the wrong people or something like that, you know, like nowaday exactly all right. Back at the apartment, Todd and Casey are still on the couch, but now Todd is just in his underwear. They're shouting at the TV. Very invested in an antique Troe show. Casey guesses six thousand dollars minimum. Todd scoffs, are you blind? That's not even mahogany, that's not even wood. That's some kind of naga crap that my spidy sense is telling me could only have come from one decade. The man on the TV cuts him off production made in the seventies. Todd stands up victory. He turns to Casey, Now get that shirt off. She takes off her sweater to reveal a tank top underneath. Todd complains, that's not fair. She laughs, it's was cold this morning. Did you expect to see me in my lacy, skimpy sea through bra. Todd sits back down. He's only one item away. Casey laughs, Yeah, from being naked. I am so much better at this than you Todd's size. Oh no, it's over, Casey jumps up and exclaims, I won real jump there in the script, they didn't couldn't fit one more of those like television backs.
No.
Uh.
They have good chemistry, by the way, very good. Them together are really really good. I wanted to see, like moving forward as an audience member. I was excited to see where that relationship was.
This is that what happened over the course.
I believe so, But yeah, I think so. And it's there's just something about that that's really fun. Like I remember certain little things that popped up in other episodes were laugh out loud funny. I remember, you know, you remember the Sopranos, the the woman who goes undercover to be aids. Oh, yeah, she's a friend.
She's great.
So she came on as a guest star. She was actually shooting Sopranos at the time. She couldn't tell us what she was doing, but she came on as a guest star, and she shows up as one of his He's like, I have this kind of stalker client who keeps getting her teeth cleaned, and so she just keeps showing up to get her teeth clean, and the last time he walks in, she's butt naked in the chair, and they actually shot it where she's naked in the chair, so she's covered by like the dental slates, but she's looks like she's just and he just walks back in and she's just like naked in the chair. So, I mean, we did things that were adult and very funny, but I don't remember how cookey if they were to the actual stories the problem I love if they only aired four, I wonder if we could even get the other seven.
I got to get in touch with lesbian rigor, because I bet you they have them. It's fun to Todd stands to meet her at eye level. You just got lucky. They both stare at each other for a moment. They kisses looming. A voiceover from the TV announces up next Rutherford B. Hayes a biography. Todd breaks the ice. Well now it's just awkward.
Now it's just awkward.
Could have maybe come up with a better thing that made it awkward? Also?
I know?
Then behave yeah, yeah. Then we hear the lock begin to juggle, and Casey scrambles to grab her sweater and runs into a different room. The guys walk in to see Todd justin is underwear. Alex and Wiseman just stare at him. Todd waves as though nothing's out of the ordinary. Wiseman turns Alex. At least he's not wearing a helmet this time. Todd asked the guys what went wrong? They're back at nine thirty. Alex Bluntley states, yeah, Meghan was psycho. Wiseman wonders how he didn't know that in college. Sarcastically wonders, g I was eighteen and she was the first girl willing to sleep with me. How did I overlook that? Todd says, there's no need to sweat it. This is just a reminder to never pin your hopes on a fantasy girl. Fantasies, by definition, are perfect. Alex declares that one good thing did come out of this though. Up until now, every girl he's dated he's compared to Megan, and none of them have ever come close. Now, any girl with a valid driver's license is looking real good. Great will read. Wiseman nods, welcome to my world. Casey then returns clothed. Alex and Wiseman immediately stand at attention when they see her. She asks how the dates went, and the guys immediately lie, really good, great. Alex clears his throat, a little suspicious. I was just wondering how did work go? She tells him it went great. She accomplished everything he asked, and she defragged his heart drive. Wiseman creepily asks her, can you defrag my hard drive? All right? She sarcastically responds, Wow, that's hot. She does not think it's hot. She gets ready to leave, but Alex stops her. Actually, I was thinking about hiring somebody to help me run the website. Any interest, she smiles, maybe call me. As she walks away, Todd shouts, hey, don't forget your shirt and throws her the sweater. She nervously laughs and stutters. While walking towards the door, She lets herself out.
Audience loves that too, with the shirt thing. That gotta beat this whole dynamic of like her entry, this trio friends. Yeah, I want a little more specificity on like how you feel about her, Like obviously you're impressed with her work, Yeah, but like I want I don't know, and like Wiseman is into her, but yeah, I like that.
You didn't objectify her too. Yeah right, yeah, yeah. We go to our final commercial break, which hasn't add for a Sprint flip phone. Yeah as well as Yes, I miss my flip phone too. They're coming back, I hear, are they?
Well?
I mean, Sabrina Carpenter has had one for a long time with her deal with some phone company, so I've seen that, but it seems like people like the retro of it.
I'm not familiar with her.
Okay, hot pockets and then also a podmet World sponsor Huggies. Yes, all right, so we're in the tag. Every sitcom has one of those. We're back in the apartment, big shock. Alex tells Todd, Hey, how'd you get her shirt? Todd nonchalantly reveals we were playing Strip Antiques road Show. Wiseman is impressed, just out of curiosity. How do you get that kind of thing off the ground? Alex is also interested. Wiseman and I put in all our effort to get real dates. We get dressed up, we spend money, you stay here, and you still do better than we did. Todd shrugs, I didn't even take a shower today. Alex shakes his head in disappointment as the three roommates drink beer in each Chinese takeout again better button.
Yeah, but as a scene, that's a great describes all three characters where they're always going to go, We're back to normal next week, try and get dates again, I.
Might argue again, too close to each other.
Yeah, there is.
I think they started to get different, starting to.
Go and got them all back together. A'se. Guys who just want love? Yeah, yeah, well that's random, you will writer.
Should have been a show, should have been a show, I think so. It should have been rewritten. This pilot could have been punched up really quickly, kept all the same scenes, uh, same actors, because this cast is phenomenal. You guys are so good and like this should have been you know, this should have been the Air to Friends. I mean, and I know every network at this time was trying to find that right they were trying to find and none of them lasted, None of them worked. Big Bang Theory is the only show that you know, and then How I Met Your Mother? But those were they had different angles, they had different things going for just the like group of friends in New York or in a city hanging out together is a great format and this was this could have been great. Yeah.
I think it had a lot of potential and I loved the cast. We got it so well right off the bat, and I think we could have done something pretty special.
Well, the first two episodes are on YouTube. We will put the link in our description. We ask you guys go watch it. It's really fun. This is the last episode Danielle will be back luckily, so I beenough. Well, not familiar with her either.
Okay, you've been great, Jensen, thank you, you've been great sitting in for Danielle. It's not not the same visual, I'll.
Be honest, No, I'm not the same. She's so talented at this, she's so difficult. She poses so much show that both you guys were like, don't make us do it both, Yah, don't do it.
Because we're lazy, not because she's better than us, right, I mean, let's be honest, what do we really think of Danielle?
Okay, well, this is where I'll say. You could follow us on Instagram at podmeets Worldshow dot com or send us an email Podmeets World Show at gmail dot com. And we have Merch.
We miss you, Danielle.
Merch it's at Podmetsworldshow dot com.
Writer send us home, We love you all, pod dismissed. Podmeets World is an iHeart podcast producer hosted by Danielle Fischel, Wilfredell and Ryder Strong executive producers Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman. Executive in charge of production, Danielle Romo, producer and editor, Tarasubasch producer, Maddie Moore, engineer and boy Meets World Superman Easton Allen. Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon. Follow us on Instagram at Podmets World Show or email us at Podmeats World Show at gmail dot com