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The Pilot's Club

The Pilot's Club

Written by: The Whatnauts
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The Whatnauts present The Pilot's Club, a Patreon exclusive podcast all about the first episodes of television shows. Join Melissa and Kyle as they watch and discuss a variety of TV pilots that catch their interest for a number of reasons. Some of the pilots may not have made it to air, others may have been particularly expensive to make, maybe the series was changed drastically after filming, or even something else just as interesting.© 2022-present The Whatnauts Art
Episodes
  • Pan Am

    Pan Am
    May 5 2026

    Episode 28. This month the Pilot's Club features an actual pilot in the 2011 show Pan Am, about a group of young flight attendants navigating the 1960s air travel boom. We discuss Margot Robbie already in Barbie mode playing an iconic beauty, David Harbour the international spy, and Lost-style flashbacks.

    Click here to watch a video of this episode.

    • (00:00) - Intro
    • (00:03) - Welcome
    • (01:35) - What is Pan Am?
    • (08:01) - General thoughts on the Pilot of Pan Am
    • (13:40) - The nuances of the characters
    • (18:09) - A young David Harbour? Yes, please!
    • (20:41) - When is a proof of concept too much?
    • (23:57) - AMC+ is not a great experience
    • (25:43) - Final thoughts on Pan Am
    • (27:59) - What pilot are we covering next episode?
    • (31:34) - Outro

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    33 mins
  • Shogun

    Shogun
    Apr 8 2026

    Episode 27. This month, we watched the first episode of the current hit TV miniseries Shogun. We ask if the show gives you too many plotlines too early, and discuss the multiple faiths and factions at play, pirate voice, and location-based cinematography.

    Click here to watch a video of this episode.

    • (00:00) - Intro
    • (00:03) - Welcome
    • (01:45) - What is Shogun?
    • (06:59) - General thoughts on Shogun's pilot
    • (09:22) - Does a pilot episode need to be a proof of concept?
    • (16:56) - Culture shock and learning to respect others
    • (22:45) - What role will religion play in Shogun?
    • (28:04) - What pilot are we covering next episode?
    • (32:53) - Outro

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    34 mins
  • Welcome to Eltingville

    Welcome to Eltingville
    Mar 20 2026

    Episode 26. We watched the pilot of Welcome to Eltingville, based on the comics of Evan Dorkin. It didn't go to series, but aired on Adult Swim on March 3, 2022 --- exactly 22 years ago to this day! [spooky thunderstorm clap] We discuss the evolution of nerd archetypes, good and bad comic book store experiences, trivia battles, and what we can learn from Star Trek.

    Click here to watch a video of this episode.

    • (00:00) - Intro
    • (00:03) - Welcome
    • (00:55) - What is Welcome to Eltingville?
    • (03:34) - Would this show work in a modern context?
    • (07:33) - Balancing nostalgia and criticism
    • (11:01) - Nerdy about more than just comics
    • (15:32) - Our comic shop experiences and how the setting could progress
    • (21:54) - The careless violence of nerd culture
    • (24:39) - A lack of B-plot
    • (27:03) - What pilot are we covering next episode?
    • (29:41) - Outro

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    31 mins
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