Pilot Showcase has taken over 10Play this week with six new pilots to sink our teeth into, but which ones are worth green lighting?
ABBIE CHATS
Bachelor alumni Abbi Chatfield is on a mission to explore, understand, and reveal worlds not commonly seen or heard from on television. Abbie dives into two opposite ends of a subject, bringing her signature unapologetic brand of curiosity, passion and authenticity along, and asking all the burning questions the audience would never dare to.
Through this 30-minute pilot, Abbie looks at two very different topics to do with sex: asexuality and porn. She chats with asexual Keira, who shares an insight into asexuality, how everyone is different, and what being asexual means to her. We then meet Australian porn star Charlotte, who allows Abbie on set.
The episode flows nicely, and Abbie engages with her subjects, showing that she’s not afraid to ask revealing questions.
3 Stars
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COURTNEY’S CLOSET
Hosted by the indomitable Courtney Act, Courtney’s Closet is a celebrity interview show with a twist. Each episode will see Courtney transform her guest into a drag persona befitting of their personal journey, while teasing out their life story in an intimate interview, culminating in a stunning reveal.
Through this 30-minute pilot, Courtney interviews and transforms Rosehaven’s Luke McGreger, asking him interesting questions which shape his drag costume.
Personally, I found this one to be an easy watch and engaging, and would absolutely watch more.
4 Stars
DINNER GUEST
Join Narelda Jacobs, Melissa Leong, Susasn Carland, and their guests in a no-holds-barred discussion about the biggest topics of today. Presented around a dinner table, this unconventional panel interview show highlights the values of sharing lived experiences and applying compassion in the face of diverse perspectives and voices.
In this 30-minute pilot, the trio are joined by ABC Radio national breakfast host Patricia Karvelas, and over the course of dinner, these four very diverse and different women share personal stories about a range of topics including religion, coming out, and culture, just to name a few topics.
The conversation flows naturally, and all three hosts complement each other nicely. The only downside to the format is the length of the episode, which doesn’t allow for enough insight into each topic of discussion.
3.5 Stars
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THE BUSH BLONDE VS THE WORLD
A sketch comedy show featuring Nikki Osborne is her original viral character ‘Bush Barbie’, there are ludicrous moments of sheer insanity. From the rich comedic traditions of Russell Coight and Borat, this program promises to be a wild, over-the-top send up of Australian culture at its funniest.
In this 20-minut pilot, Bushie enlists the help of some famous faces to make us laugh. The three main skits of the episode sees Bushie run for PM with the very unpolitical slogan ‘Unbugger Up The Koala Habbitat Situation’, which sees her raise funds in a unique way, and make the Olympics more interesting by un-buggering them.
Sketch comedy is a hard market to crack, but I found myself chuckling more than I care to admit…
3 Stars
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THE LOVE EXPERIMENT
Can 36 questions make you fall in love with a total stranger? That is the question that The Love Experiment sets out to prove as it pairs up strangers to share the most intimate conversations of their lives, all hoping that their vulnerable revelations will be able to transform a mere connection into true love.
Through the pilot, we meet Steff and Mariel, and Stu and Eileen who undertake the 36-question quiz, compiled by psychologist Arthur Aron, which touches on memories, what a perfect day is, what you like, and regrets you might have in certain situations. They end each questionnaire with 3-minutes to staring. Not too dissimilar to First Dates, the participants share more of their backstory in pieces to camera.
As a pilot, The Love Experiment is engaging and offered a diverse range of contestants, and could potentially make for a fun series.
3 Stars
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TIME TO DIE
Hosted by comedians Gem Fricker and Ben Russell, Time To Die is a devious and down-right evil challenge that dares two comedians to write the worst possible stand-up set for each other to perform in front of an unwitting live audience – will they really follow through with the dare, just how awful will the jokes be, and how on earth will the audience react?
In this 30-minute pilot, comedians Tom Cashman and Sonia Di Lorio battle it out, with the help from celeb friends to help craft their material. Gem and Ben were great hosts, and their panel segments provided insights into the comedians I didn’t think I needed.
It was an interesting pilot that should keep comedy fans engaged and is one pilot that could proceed to series for a short run following the likes of Have You Been Paying Attention? and The Cheap Seats. It’s definitely one of the shining stars of Pilot Showcase.
4.5 Stars
“Of the six pilots, Time To Die, Courtney’s Closet and Dinner Guest have the most potential to become fully-fledged series for me, but it’ll be interesting to see how 10 moves forward with any of these pilots
Pilot Showcase is now available on 10Play
