The Pilot Show
Encyclopedia
The Pilot Show is a British TV comedy show written and created by Paul Garner
. Commissioned by E4 and subsequently airing on Channel 4
in 2004, the show duped celebrities and members of the public into appearing on what they believed were pilots for real TV shows. Over 30,000 British men applied to be on a new reality show called 'Lapdance Island' only to discover that it was in fact a hoax for The Pilot Show.
The show featured Paul Garner, Sharon Horgan
, Marc Wootton
, Robin Ince
, Rob Rouse and Steve Oram. It was produced by Damon Beesley
and made for E4 by Ealing Studios.
The Pilot Show went on to be remade for American television. VH1 in New York commissioned a 16-part series that first aired in May 2005. The show, renamed BSTV, was exec produced by Garner alongside Rob Moore from Ealing Studios and Jim Biederman for VH1. Garner and Marc Wootton
were the only British cast members to feature in the U.S. remake.
Paul Garner (comedian)
Paul Garner is a is an English comedian, writer, producer and director.- Radio :Paul started out in radio working with Jo Bunting and Chris Morris at BBC Radio Cambridgeshire....
. Commissioned by E4 and subsequently airing on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
in 2004, the show duped celebrities and members of the public into appearing on what they believed were pilots for real TV shows. Over 30,000 British men applied to be on a new reality show called 'Lapdance Island' only to discover that it was in fact a hoax for The Pilot Show.
The show featured Paul Garner, Sharon Horgan
Sharon Horgan
Sharon Horgan is an Irish actress, writer and comedienne.Horgan was born in London and moved to Dublin at age seven. She grew up in Bellewstown, Co. Meath, Ireland. She went to school in the Sacred Heart Secondary School in Drogheda. Later she went on to an English degree at Brunel University...
, Marc Wootton
Marc Wootton
Marc Wootton is an English character comedian. He is perhaps best known for his role as the fake medium and psychic, Shirley Ghostman, on the BBC Three series, High Spirits with Shirley Ghostman and he also appeared in Nativity!- Career :...
, Robin Ince
Robin Ince
Robin Ince is an English stand-up comedian, actor and writer. He is best known for presenting the BBC radio show The Infinite Monkey Cage .-Stand-up comedy:...
, Rob Rouse and Steve Oram. It was produced by Damon Beesley
Damon Beesley
Damon Beesley is an English writer and television producer, best known for his work on British comedy The Inbetweeners and New Zealand comedy Flight of the Conchords...
and made for E4 by Ealing Studios.
The Pilot Show went on to be remade for American television. VH1 in New York commissioned a 16-part series that first aired in May 2005. The show, renamed BSTV, was exec produced by Garner alongside Rob Moore from Ealing Studios and Jim Biederman for VH1. Garner and Marc Wootton
Marc Wootton
Marc Wootton is an English character comedian. He is perhaps best known for his role as the fake medium and psychic, Shirley Ghostman, on the BBC Three series, High Spirits with Shirley Ghostman and he also appeared in Nativity!- Career :...
were the only British cast members to feature in the U.S. remake.