Tinseltown (lost LGBT sitcom pilot; 2007)
Tinseltown was a 15-minute television pilot made by The Jim Henson Company for the Logo Network, under its “Henson Alternative” banner. The pilot aired as part of the "Alien Boot Camp" programming block in 2007, and featured both puppets and live actors as characters. The series was not picked up by the network, and it fell into obscurity.
The pilot starred Bill Barretta and Brian Henson as Bobby and Samson.
Premise
The pilot revolves around a couple named Bobby and Samson, both puppets, balancing their lives in Hollywood, alongside a cast of supporting human characters consisting of Samson’s ex-wife Lena, their foster son Foster, and their manservant Arturo.
If the pilot were made into a series by Logo, it likely would’ve been similar to the lost pilot.
Cast
- Bill Barretta as Bobby Vegan
- Brian Henson as Samson Knight
- Mia Sara as Lena
- Paul Butcher as Foster
- Francesco Quinn as Arturo
- Michelan Sisti as assistant puppeteer for Bobby Vegan
- Drew Massey as assistant puppeteer for Samson Knight
Status
The pilot used to be available on Logo’s website, but it was later removed. Currently, the pilot is not available online, but videos featuring characters Bobby and Samson (unrelated to Tinseltown) can be viewed on YouTube.
Legacy
Bobby and Samson later appeared in the improv stage show Stuffed and Unstrung, as the show’s producers.
External Links
- IMDb page on Tinseltown. Retrieved 20 Apr '20
- A video featuring Bobby and Samson, in celebration of Jim Henson’s 75th birthday. Retrieved 20 Apr '20
References
- A Muppet Central thread about Tinseltown. Retrieved 20 Apr '20
- Another Muppet Central thread on Tinseltown. Retrieved 20 Apr '20
- The link to the pilot, from Logo’s website. Retrieved 20 Apr '20
- An article on Tinseltown. Retrieved 20 Apr '20
- An article from The New York Times. Retrieved 20 Apr '20