Billion Dollar Freshmen (lost pitch pilot of "Lab Rats" Disney XD live-action comedy series; 2010)
Lab Rats is an American live-action comedy TV series that aired on Disney XD and Disney Channel from February 27th, 2012 to February 3rd, 2016. The show revolved around a team of bionic teens (Chase, Adam, and Bree) going on adventures yet trying to adapt to living with a real family, including their new stepbrother Leo and genius father Davenport, in the fictional town of Mission Creek, California.[1]
Before the show had officially premiered on Disney XD and Disney Channel, an unaired pilot was produced, with the show then being titled Billion Dollar Freshmen. This pilot featured various differences from the final show; however, the unaired pilot has not surfaced since.
History
In the summer of 2010,[2] a pilot was shot for the show that would eventually become Lab Rats, then titled Billion Dollar Freshmen.[3] According to various sources, the plot goes as follows:
"The show centers on two teenage brothers, Adam and Brad, in high school who have a secret – they’re bionic super soldiers implanted with high-tech bionic abilities such as super-strength, night vision, and ability to download information. Now they must blend in with the real world while on the run from the government after they hear they may be demolished and replaced by upgraded versions."[3][4]
The pilot was created by Chris Peterson and Bryan Moore, along with the executive producer Mark Brazil of That ’70s Show fame. The pilot would also be directed by Mark Cendrowski of The Big Bang Theory fame.[4]
The pilot featured various differences from the final show, such as the plot being slightly different, involving more of a "government escape" of the bionics instead of being created at Leo Dooley's house. The plot was also described as a "teenage, inflation-adjusted version of The Six Million Dollar Man set in high school."[4] Bree was also not present in the pilot, and Donald Davenport's character was originally named Gil L. Arroy.
Availability
After the pilot ordered and pitched to Disney, the pilot has never been released to the public and no footage has ever been leaked online. The only remains of the Billion Dollar Freshmen pilot online are two audition tapes for both Zach Ford and Harrison Thacher respectively. These audition tapes were uploaded onto YouTube by users Tracy Ford and Harrison Thacher's own channel, HarrisonThacher. Various behind-the-scenes images and a short recreation of the pilot also exist.
Gallery
Videos
See Also
Disney Channel
- 101 Dalmatians: The Series (partially found pitch pilot of Disney animated TV series based on animated film; 1996)
- The All-New Mickey Mouse Club (partially found revival of Disney variety TV series; 1989-1994)
- Amazing Animals (found Disney Channel educational animated series; 1996-1999)
- Amphibiland (found pitch pilot of "Amphibia" Disney Channel animated series; 2018)
- Arwin! (partially found pitch pilot of cancelled spin-off of "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" Disney Channel sitcom; 2007)
- Bonkers "Fall Apart Bomb Squad" (found episode of Disney Channel animated series; 1993)
- Country Club (partially lost test pilot of "Big City Greens" Disney Channel adventure-comedy animated series; 2015)
- Disney Channel Interactive (lost Dish Network game channel; late 2000s)
- Disney Channel "Disney's One Too" (partially lost "Recess" gags of TV channel block; 1999-2003)
- Disney Channel "Wand Idents" (partially found bumpers from TV channel; 2003-present)
- Disney's Coyote Tales (found Disney Channel extended version of "The Coyote's Lament" animated short; 1991)
- Disney's Doug (found episodes of animated TV series; 1996-1999)
- Dreamfinders (unproduced Disney Channel series based on "Journey Into Imagination" Epcot ride; 1983)
- Dumbo's Circus (partially found Disney Channel live-action puppet series; 1985-1986)
- Fish Hooks (partially found test pilot of Disney Channel animated series; 2009)
- Going Wild with Jeff Corwin (partially found Disney Channel documentary series; 1997-1999)
- Gravity Falls (found Comic Con 2012 promo of Disney Channel animated mystery comedy series; 2012)
- Gravity Falls (found pitch pilot of Disney Channel animated mystery comedy series; 2010)
- Hannah Montana (lost production material of cancelled anime adaptation of Disney Channel teen sitcom; 2009-2010)
- Herbie the Lovebug (lost Disney Channel animated pilot; late 1990s-2000s)
- The Jersey (partially lost Disney Channel sports-themed comedy series; 1999-2004)
- J.O.N.A.S. (partially found original pilot of "Jonas" Disney Channel comedy series; 2007)
- Katbot (partially found unreleased Disney Channel animated series; 2005)
- Lizzie McGuire "Season 3" (lost production material of cancelled season of Disney Channel comedy series; 2020)
- Minnie Takes Care of Pluto (found Mickey Mouse Works animated short; 2000)
- Mousercise (partially found Disney Channel exercise series; 1983-1996)
- Mouseterpiece Theater (partially found Disney Channel cartoon compilation series; 1983-1990)
- The Owl House (found test animation of Disney Channel animated series; 2017)
- Pepper Ann (found Disney animated TV series; 1997-2000)
- Pepper Ann (partially found Nickelodeon pitch pilot of Disney animated series; 1996)
- Phineas and Ferb "Delivery of Destiny" (partially found Simon Pegg version of Disney Channel animated series episode; 2013)
- Phineas and Ferb: Spot the Diff (found Disney Channel animated special; 2008)
- The Proud Family (partially found Nickelodeon pitch pilot of Disney Channel animated sitcom; 1999)
- Recess "The Break In" (partially found pitch pilot of Disney animated TV series; 1996)
- Shooting Star Milkshake Bar (found full version of "Phineas and Ferb" song; 2008)
- Star and the Forces of Evil (found pitch pilot of Disney Channel animated series; 2011)
- Talespin (lost Phil Harris audio recordings from Disney Channel animated series; 1990)
- Teen Angel (partially found Disney Channel serial drama; 1989)
- Welcome to Pooh Corner (partially found Disney Channel live-action puppet series; 1983-1986)
- What's Stevie Thinking? (lost pitch pilot of cancelled spin-off of "Lizzie McGuire" Disney Channel comedy series; 2005)
Playhouse Disney
- Adventures in Nutrition with Captain Carlos (found Playhouse Disney animated short series; 2004-2007)
- Bear in the Big Blue House (found unaired pilot of Disney Channel puppet series; 1997)
- Bear in the Big Blue House (found Playhouse Disney puppet series; 1997-2006)
- The Book of Pooh (found Playhouse Disney puppet series; 2001-2004)
- Breakfast with Bear (partially found spin-off of "Bear in the Big Blue House" Playhouse Disney puppet series; 2005-2006)
- Handy Manny (partially found DKP Studios pilot of Playhouse Disney CGI animated series; 2005)
- Imagination Movers (found pitch pilot of Playhouse Disney series based on children's music group; 2006)
- Little Einsteins (partially found British dub of Playhouse Disney animated series; 2005-2010)
- Little Einstein (partially found pitch pilots of Playhouse Disney animated series; 2003-2004)
- JoJo's Circus (partially lost Playhouse Disney stop-motion animated series; 2003-2007)
- My Friends Tigger & Pooh (partially found test pilots of Playhouse Disney CGI animated series; 2005/2006)
- Out of the Box (partially lost Playhouse Disney children's series; 1998-2004)
- PB&J Otter (found original credits sequences of Playhouse Disney animated series; 1998-2000)
- Playhouse Disney UK (partially found interstitial material of TV channel block; 1999-2006)
- Stanley (found pitch pilot of Playhouse Disney animated series; 1999)
Disney Junior
- Beverly Hills Chihuahuas (found pitch pilot of cancelled Disney Junior animated adaptation of film series; 2012)
- Jake's Team Pirate (found pitch pilot of "Jake and the Never Land Pirates" Disney Junior animated series; 2009)
- Jungle Junction (lost pitch pilots of Disney Junior CGI animated series; 2003-2008)
Toon Disney
- Teamo Supremo (partially lost Toon Disney animated series; 2002-2004)
- Toon News (partially found Toon Disney CGI animated interstitial series; 2004/2005)
Disney XD
- The 7D (found pitch pilot of Disney XD animated series; 2012)
- Commando Crash (lost pitch pilot of cancelled spin-off of "Crash & Bernstein" Disney XD sitcom; 2014)
- DXP (partially lost Disney XD video game block; 2017)
- Power Rangers Animated Series (lost Disney XD pilot of animated adaptation of live-action superhero series; existence unconfirmed; 2007-2009)
- Very Important House (found Disney XD animated pitch pilot; 2016)
Other
- Green Monkeys (lost Disney animated pitch pilot; 1999)
- Kingdom Hearts (found animatic of cancelled Disney animated TV adaptation of game series; 2003)
- La Chambre Folle (lost French Disney children's TV block; 1998)
- Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers (found English dub of anime series; 2015)
- Robodz (partially found Disney Toei animated TV series; 2008)
- The Mouse Factory (found Disney live-action/animated TV series; 1972-1973)
- The Shnookums and Meat Funny Cartoon Show (found episodes of Disney animated TV series; 1995)
- X-Heart (partially found unreleased English dub of "X-Coração" Brazilian animated TV series; 2014)
External Links
References
- ↑ A press release mentioning the plot of Lab Rats. Retrieved 12 Aug '21
- ↑ Billy Unger's page on the Billion Dollar Freshmen pilot. Retrieved 13 Aug '21
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cybermage article on the Billion Dollar Freshmen pilot (archived on July 2nd, 2010). Retrieved 13 Aug '21
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Deadline article on the Billion Dollar Freshmen pilot. Retrieved 13 Aug '21