Pistol Pete

John Swartzwelder, a The Simpsons writer also known for his hilarious book, The Time Machine Did It, fell way short of the mark with this western parody.

The premise is serviceable. A town overrun by bandits decides to hire a sharpshooter made famous through novels describing his adventures. Receiving the call for action while performing in a New York show, he promptly heads west.

Turns out that Pete isn't the sharpest crayon in the box. He believes he did everything in those novels, because books never lie, but he doesn't actually recall doing any of them. Also, he has no idea how to ride a horse.

It looks like the series was planned to be Pete being an idiot and his deputy saving the day behind the scenes. Which would have been fine if any of this was especially funny. But it's just not.

I have recently been watching a lot of pilots for actual TV series as well as ones that the networks rejected....and they are available on YouTube. One of the better ones I've seen is "Pistol Pete"...a show that came out more than two decades ago but which network execs nixed.

The show is set in the old west in the town of Abilene. Sheriff after sheriff are being killed and the Mayor (Brian Doyle Murray) has decided to contact Pistol Pete to ask him to be their new lawman. Pete is a famous trick shooter--much like Annie Oakley and he agrees to travel west to help the town. But there's a problem...he's no cowboy and cannot even ride a horse. So how's he going to adjust to this new calling??

The setup for this show is quite good...with interesting characters and story. Why it wasn't approved, I have no idea...but I enjoyed it.

An excellent pilot which the network, in error, decided not to take up. It's an error they'll rue. The pilot works on many levels, but it's the hint of abstract realism that claims top billing. What a shame the average viewer will miss the chance to watch Stephen Kearney run though his gamut of comedy-based theatrical skills.