One of the best pilots that never got picked up. Cartoon Network in the 2000s was one of the best in the animation industry. Even the projects that were canceled were incredibly good.
I've watched this pilot five or six times, and it still entertains me and makes me have a great time every single watch. The pilot has excellent pacing and a solid plot (thanks in large part to Dorkin's great comic book story).
In this version, unlike the comic, Pete and Jerry are more laid-back and seem calmer than their comic counterparts. Bill and Josh are still despicable, horrible human beings, but their behavior is toned down compared to the source material.
I can see why CN decided to shelve the project. Even though Dorkin's comic book was amazing, it was hard to adapt into a PG-13 TV show. If Adult Swim had been as big back then as it is now, this show might have actually been greenlit. It's also a challenging concept to adapt because there's only so much you can do with a group of nerds to keep an audience entertained. Some jokes and tropes can get old quickly, much like what happened with The Big Bang Theory.
P.s.: shoutout to Evan Dorkin, one of the greatest of independent comic books. I got a tattoo a few years ago of the Eltingville Club and showed it to him and he said I made his day. Great guy.
Director: Chuck Sheetz
Written by: Evan Dorkin (written by, comic book, created by)
Music by: Denis M. Hannigan
Editing: Rob Desales
Art Direction: Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dyer
Storyboard: Stephen DeStefano.
