FOX comedy Enlisted got cancelled, but it might get a new lease on life elsewhere. Getting a show on the air is hard. Getting it brought back is harder. Enlisted did the first and might do the second.
In this first of a two-part ATX TV Festival Special, we look at the short life of a brilliant-but-cancelled show, and the inner workings of bringing it back from the brink.
Left-to-right: TV critic Ryan McGee, writer Sanjay Shah, actor Mort Burke, actress Angelique Cabral, actress Michelle Buteau, writer Kate Purdy, executive producer/co-showrunner Mike Royce, creator/co-showrunner Kevin Biegel
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GUESTS
Kevin Biegel created Enlisted, co-created Cougar Town, and is one of the nice guys in Hollywood. If you meet him, ask him about the time someone gave his half-eaten BBQ to Ron Howard.
Angelique Cabral plays Sgt. Jill Perez on Enlisted. She could probably play Annie Oakley at the drop of a hat. Eva Peron too.
Michelle Buteau plays Private Robinson, and is one of the best contestants in the history of @midnight. #PantiesOff f'real.
Mort Burke plays Private Gumble and is a master of his craft with a range that finds him on everything from Bunheads to Drunk History.
Mike Royce started as a stand-up comic, was one of the main voices writing Everybody Loves Raymond throughout its reign over primetime, and co-created Men of a Certain Age. If you see the SNL credit on his IMDb and wonder when he worked there...he didn't. He wrote some sketches for some guy named Ray Romano when said guy hosted the show.
Sanjay Shah has worked on South Park, King of the Hill, and a pile of other shows over the last 10 years. He had so much Austin BBQ that he's still recovering.
SHOW NOTES
The ATX TV Festival is a lot of fun for TV fans. Badges for "Season 4" are now on sale, and only $125 for a limited time.
A great piece by TV critic Ryan McGee on Enlisted, especially for those who haven't watched the show.
Alan Sepinwall has also been on the bandwagon for some time, wondering why it got buried on Friday nights, and recently proclaiming that he isn't ready for it to be over yet.
Hulu Plus (US-only) has Enlisted and a ton of other TV shows. Give it a watch.
Moisés just realized he's somehow earned 10+ years of free Hulu, so if you want to sign up and use his referral link, you can help get him free Hulu Plus for the rest of his life.
Remember: #Enlisted and #HandsOnHeads. Follow all the creatives on Twitter to know the latest you can do to help save the show.