Broken Pilot Saturday: The 1989 NBC Pilot 'The Nerd'

In early 1989, NBC was doing very well in primetime. But things were about to get much better. The network already dominated Thursday nights with its lineup of THE COSBY SHOW/A DIFFERENT WORLD/CHEERS/DEAR JOHN/L.A. LAW. THE GOLDEN GIRLS & EMPTY NEST dominated Saturdays (GG finished #6 in the ratings for the season). BAYWATCH and QUANTUM LEAP premiered in the spring of the year and the early incarnation of SEINFELD debuted in the summer. And we haven't even talked about the success of IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, MATLOCK and others. 

Looking back, it's an impressive run for any network. This was a period when the network could afford to be picky, especially when it came to comedies. 1989 was a year when "Must See TV" was really that, aside from the occasional misstep like GRAND. So you wanted NBC to pick up your comedy, it had better be pretty damn good.

The pilot for THE NERD certainly isn't that, although in retrospect I can see why the studio might have thought they had a winner. The show was based on the successful Larry Shue play of the same name that debuted in 1981. It had a long run in London's West End, where it starred Rowan Atkinson. It debuted on Broadway in 1987 and had a successful run starring Mark Hamill. It was a comedy with a documented history of success and its small set made it a perfect choice for a television comedy.

But THE NERD is a failure on a lot of levels. Part of it was casting. The leads are all good actors, but they were miscast in a show that demanded a lighter tough than they could pull off. 

John Dye and Harley Jane Kozak played Willem and Tanzie Boyd, who are throwing an intimate dinner get-together for a potential client of Willem's. Mr. and Mrs. Walgrave are played by M. Emmet Walsh and Joy Sawyer. The evening is interrupted by the arrival of Rick Steadman (played by Robert Joy), who proceeds to spiral the evening into an ever-growing disaster. It's the kind of slapstick comedy that plays well in a theater, but it takes a light touch to make it work in front of the cameras. And even through veteran director James Burrows does his best, much of the pilot is more awkward than laugh-enducing.

John Dye never finds the rhythm of his character and it makes sense given that aside from a role on the short-lived comedy JACK's PLACE, Dye is best known for his dramatic role as "Andrew" on PROMISED LAND and TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL as well as a stint on the military drama TOUR OF DUTY. This just wasn't the role for him and it shows on the screen. Robert Joy finds a manic energy in his role as the man who years ago had saved the life of Willem Boyd. But his timing isn't quite there and as a result his character comes across as more insane than well-meaning. Which is really strange, since Joy had successfully played the role on Broadway. But for whatever reason, it just doesn't work in this context.

On other hand, while Harley Jane Kozak was also best known as a dramatic actress who has appeared on GUIDING LIGHT, KNIGHTWATCH and SANTA BARBARA, she is the one lead who manages to find the right tone and timing for her character. I can see why she was cast in several other comedies in the years following this pilot. Although she never quite found the right role for her comedic talent.

Here is the pilot for THE NERD and it's one of those pilots in which you realize pretty quickly that this is not going to be a successful half hour of television.