Pilot's Lounge

The show that started it all: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (and the wacky Japanese show it recycled scenes from) has been a kids classic for thirty years. There have been movies, video games, and multiple generations of TV shows, but the original season is its own kind of special. Join us as we relive our childhoods, argue about our favorite rangers, and compare the US show with the original Japanese one. Special thanks to our brothers, Nick Pula and Ben Wilton, for their help with this episode.

Pilot of Futurama Chelsea and Ania discuss another Matt Groening gem, Futurama! Turns out, it’s a dump of site gags and Easter eggs the size of New New York. But don’t worry, we’ve done all the screen-pausing and googling for you, so you just have to lean back, crack a beer, and try not to fall back into a cryogenic freezing chamber for 1,000 years.

Get ready to clutch your pearls and hold on to your layers of unnecessary underwear! This episode is all about Bridgerton! Chelsea and Ania discuss the drama, fashion, and anachronisms that have made this one of the hottest new shows on Netflix.

Discussion of the pilot for this popular Adult Swim show Rick and Morty premiered in 2013. The brainchild of Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland, this weird cartoon has inspired comics, anime films, Dungeons & Dragons adventures, and so much merchandise. Kayla Cobb may have captured the shows essence when she wrote, "It’s a never-ending fart joke wrapped around a studied look into nihilism." Join us this week as we rediscover the shows aired pilot episode, including behind-the-scenes production process and other fun facts. Special thanks to our brothers, Nick Pula and Ben Wilton, for their support with this show.

A spooky Halloween special We're back in the 60s celebrating two competing monster family spooky TV shows: The Addams Family and The Munsters. We discuss the different tones of each show, ponder why the 60s loved sitcom fantasy TV, and which show we think is more successful in the genre. Come with us as we explore the pilot episode of these television shows.

"Avatar: The Last Airbender" is having a moment right now - and we can totally see why. Join our discussion between one huge Avatar nerd (Chelsea) and one relative newcomer (Ania) as we discuss part one of the Avatar pilot and the show's arc. We dig into some really fun facts - like which character was originally a middle aged man, and how ice people became water benders. Special thanks to our brothers, Ben and Nick, for their contributions to sound and editing.

Community debuts more than 10 years ago on NBC and has held a cult following ever since. It's recent release on Netflix has ushered in a new generation of viewers. But behind the scenes, this show has had a checkered past and a lot of drama. Join us this week as we explore this classic sitcom. Special thanks to our brothers, Nick and Ben, for their contributions to this episode.

In part two, we continue the discussion of the first aired Star Trek episode, including the challenges of being in love with an alien that looks like your ex and what it takes to get Spock slap-happy. Join us for the wrap of our discussion about this important SciFi TV show and its place in television history.

Sixties television was dominated by variety shows and western dramas. Then, on September 8, 1966 something totally new premiered on NBC: Star Trek. Known now as "the original series," Star Trek has inspired countless spin offs, cartoons, and even real-world technology. This week, we're revisting this iconic telivion show by watching the aired and studio pilots. We go behind the scenes to talk about the shows creation, set design, and production. We had so much fun talking about Star Trek that we decided to do two episodes. Stay tuned next week for part two. Special thanks to our brothers, Nick Pula and Ben Wilton, for their support with this episode.

Ania and Chelsea dive into the popular historical/fantasy/romance story of Outlander. We drop the pilot into the context of the story as a whole, so this episode does contain some spoilers. Mostly though, it’s just us talking about how much we love Scotland, and how much foreshadowing is too much foreshadowing.

Something wicca this way comes, and Ania and Chelsea are here for it. In this episode, we discuss the pilot of Charmed, delving into some of the backstage drama, relishing in the cheese, and making plans for us to one day live in an old house together pretending to be witches.

In this episode, we discuss the plot, symbolism, and behind-the-scenes tidbits of Episode 1 of "The Witcher". With Chelsea's love of the video games, Ania's immediate obsession with all the fantasy creatures, and a shot of vodka in solidarity with our Polish heritage, theres no stopping us! Buzzwords include "Monster", "Lesser Evil", and "DESTINYYYYY".

Cross the pond with us as we revisit the beloved television classic, Father Ted. We love this show for its balanced cast of characters: the over-zealous Mrs. Doyle, the crotchety old pervert Father Jack, the simple non-believing Father Dougal, and of course, Father Ted. This week, we discuss how what began as a standup routine by Arthur Matthews became one of the most popular Irish and British television shows. We also discuss Graham Linehan's controversial comments about the transgender community. Linehan's comments are disgusting and bigoted. Despite this, we agreed to discuss this show on the grounds that the bulk of the cast and crew do not agree with Linehan (at least, as far as we're aware at this time), and so we wanted to pay tribute to their incredible work. Give us your feedback on this or any other podcast by reaching out by email at pilotsloungepod@gmail.com Special thanks to our brothers, Nick Pula and Ben Wilton, for making this episode possible.

Of course we have to talk about the latest Star Wars craze, baby Yoda! I mean, The Mandalorian! While we enjoy being back in the SW universe, we delve into greater Manda-Lore, speculate on the details of "gray holds", and revel in the greatest "hookability" moment to date.

This week, we're talking about Chelsea's all time favorite trilogy: His Dark Materials. We discuss the original controvery, initial impressions of the new series, and tolerate a bit of nerdiness from Chelsea. This is our first episode that we discussed without watching the rest of the series. His Dark Materials is thick with references to classic literature, art, and philosophy. After the episode, we learned that Lyra and her daemon were partially inspired by "The Lady with an Ermine" painting, which is currently in an art museum in Krakow. View it here. The trilogy has also been compared to Paradise Lost and shares many of its core themes. But the most obscure inspiration for this story is The Blazing World, in which a young woman is able to travel to another world through the North Pole and finds a planet with talking animals (including bears). Special thanks to our brothers, Nick Pula and Ben Wilton, for making this episode possible.

Chelsea and Ania record together in one room for the first time ever, and things only get a little giddy. We share lots of fun facts about the show, discuss the pre-pilot tv movie, and basically just revel in the brilliance that is Salem Saberhagen.

In this special bonus episode, Ania talks to her etymologist uncle David Wilton about slayer slang... or slayer speak... or joss speak... or whatever you want to call the specific way in which Scoobies and Sunnydale civilians converse with each other. For more etymological entertainment, check out Dave's website Wordorigins.org, or his book Word Myths: Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends

Just in time for spooky season, we present Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Join us as we discuss the original Willow, the cheesy movie, and our mixed feelings toward Xander. Joss Whedon's popular TV drama first aired in 1997 and has since developed something of a cult following. We can't get enough Buffy, so don't worry - we'll be back for part two of this pilot. Joining us this week is special guest and lifelong Buffy fan, Elena Badami.

In preparation for the upcoming movie, we're talking about Downton Abbey in this week's Pilot's Lounge. Special guest Claire Pula joined us to talk about Dollar Princesses, the inspiration for Cora, and more! Besides being our beloved mom (Ania) / aunt (Chelsea), Claire is a history buff and loves Downton Abbey. We also talk about whether Mary is likable as a lead character, how much we hate O'Brien, and whether Mr. Crawley is too progressive.

In a parallel universe, Jon Hamm plays Jack Donaghy, Rachel Dratch stars as Jenna, and Chelsea has 2 greyhounds named Bogey and Lucy. Join us this week as we take off with 30 Rock. We explore the "what if?" and talk about what makes this show so damn funny.

Bob's Burgers is as wholesome as apple pie... or is it? Join us as we uncover the original concept for the show, review the original pilot, and talk about how much we miss seasons 1-10 of the Simpsons.

Chelsea and Ania dive into the tech world with the British cult hit, The IT Crowd, discussing the brilliance of British humor, our favorite gags of the series, and how to actually pronounce the name of the show.

We're discussing Chelsea's latest obsession: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend! This musical show follows the story of Rebecca Bunch's journey to mental well-being. Chelsea loved the show from the moment she watched this pilot... but will Ania? Listen in to find out!

Time to discuss an oldie but a goodie, Bewitched! We talk about witch power, aka girl power, practical effects, and try to figure out why Sam even put up with Derwood in first place.

This week is all about It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, also known as "Seinfeld on crack." Join us in the wayback machine as we discuss the show before Frank Reynolds (Danny Devito). We talk about weird Russisan spin-offs, why Dee Reynolds is so fantastic, and the offscreen relationships between cast members.

Meet our family's favorite TV family: the Simpsons! Like Seinfeld, the Simpsons premiered in 1989. Unlike Seinfeld, it's still on 30 seasons later. We talk about our favorite episodes of this lengthy series, our personal experiences with Greyhound racing, and the influence of this iconic TV show over the decades.

Exploring another 90s classic, Chelsea and Ania welcome guest Ryan Cutchen to discuss his favorite tv show, Seinfeld! Listen in to hear the three of us compare the Elaine-lacking pilot to the rest of the series, talk about the REAL Kramer, and ponder the significance of a shirt's controversial "second button". We will discuss series spoilers, but c'mon guys, this show is 30 years old. Special thanks to our brothers! Ben Wilton provided music and can be found on Soundcloud here:https://soundcloud.com/ben-wiltons-music Nick Pula did the editing and has a youtube channel with his music here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7O5PwxljHpGDZE7zQKnQBw

We're dissecting the first episode of X-Files this week. Find out the original plan for Scully, who still has the hots for Mulder and so much more. Special thanks to our brothers! Ben Wilton provided music and can be found on Soundcloud here: https://soundcloud.com/ben-wiltons-music Nick Pula did the editing and has a youtube channel with his music here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7O5PwxljHpGDZE7zQKnQBw

Join us for part two of our Game of Thrones re-watch. In this one, Chelsea airs her grievances about changes from book to show, and Ania explains why it took her so long to finally watch Game of Thrones. Special thanks to our brothers! Ben Wilton provided music and can be found on Soundcloud here: https://soundcloud.com/ben-wiltons-music Nick Pula did the editing and has a youtube channel with his music here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7O5PwxljHpGDZE7zQKnQBw

Join us as we revisit the Game of Thrones pilot to celebrate the final season. We're chatting about the unaired pilot, coincidences with Pride and Prejudice, and find out which cast member has a song about being a stoner. This week's episode was edited by Nick Pula. Music was provided by Ben Wilton. Thanks, brothers!

This week, we're talking about Chelsea's favorite show and least favorite pilot: Parks and Rec! Join us as we recall the awkwardness of episode one, from Leslie's weird romance with Mark to Ron in a suit. While we are focused on the pilot episode, there are spoilers in this episode. Special thanks to our brothers! Ben Wilton provided music and can be found on Soundcloud here: https://soundcloud.com/ben-wiltons-music Nick Pula did the editing and has a youtube channel with his music here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7O5PwxljHpGDZE7zQKnQBw

In this episode, we venture into the ancient world of Xena, Warrior Princess. We marvel at the stunning New Zealand scenery and costume design (minus the plastic mohawks) and the not-so-amazing 90s computer generated imagery. We'll also go behind the scenes to discuss Lucy Lawless's unlikely origin story (spoiler: she was not their original choice!) and ponder why this show did so much better than it's predecessor, Hercules. While we are focused on the pilot episode, there are spoilers in this episode. Special thanks to our brothers! Ben Wilton provided music and can be found on Soundcloud here: https://soundcloud.com/ben-wiltons-music Nick Pula did the editing and has a youtube channel with his music here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7O5PwxljHpGDZE7zQKnQBw

We're launching with Ania's all time favorite TV show: FRIENDS! We find out that Ania's favorite Phoebe quote is in this episode, discuss Monica's choice of date shoes, and Ross's "umbrella-boner." While we focus on the pilot episode, this episode does contain spoilers. If you're still not caught up on Friends in 2019... we're sorry? Love the cousins Special thanks to our brothers! Ben Wilton provided music and can be found on Soundcloud here: https://soundcloud.com/ben-wiltons-music Nick Pula did the editing and has a youtube channel with his music here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7O5PwxljHpGDZE7zQKnQBw