Blank Check with Griffin & David: Miami Vice - Pilot Episode

Published 2019-08-01; 1:19:16 by the feed.

As extracted (engineer-sonnet-2026-10-13)

The extraction calls the show “Blank Check with Griffin & David” and the episode “Miami Vice - Pilot Episode”.

Hosts: Griffin Newman, David Sims, Ben Hosley (producer, in the room and talking). Guests: none.

Subject films: Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper) (1984).

On the transcript: Unlabeled speakers and Whisper-like errors; first 10 minutes are about the lost previous episode and a Netflix job. The end has a box office game and ratings game. Many attributions are uncertain.

Films that came up

compared (19)

Public Enemies · Hill Street Blues · I Am Love · The Jericho Mile · Thief · Manhunter · The Keep · Lost · Miami Vice (Michael Mann film) · L.A. Takedown · Aliens · Once Upon a Time in Hollywood · The Incredibles · Heat · The Insider · Collateral · Ali · The Last of the Mohicans · Black Hat

anecdote (6)

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice · Seinfeld · King Kong (Broadway musical) · Graceland · Spirited Away · My Big Fat Greek Wedding

subject (2)

Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper) · Miami Vice (TV series)

passing (42)

Coach Carter · Swing Kids · Save the Last Dance · Battlestar Galactica (pilot) · The X-Files (pilot) · Cheers (pilot) · My So-Called Life · Law & Order · The West Wing · NYPD Blue · Community · 30 Rock · Arrested Development · Entourage · I Think You Should Leave · Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip · Nash Bridges · Starsky and Hutch · The Running Man · Kazaam · Django Unchained · Knives Out · The Hot Spot · Dead Bang · Martial Law · Walker, Texas Ranger · ER · Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen · Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs · The Proposal · I Hate Valentine's Day · Connie and Carla · My Life in Ruins · Larry Crown · E/R (1984 sitcom) · Some Kind of Hero · The A-Team · 60 Minutes · Silver Spoons · Punky Brewster · Degrassi: The Next Generation · Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

recommended (3)

Freaks and Geeks · Six Feet Under · The Sopranos

Claims (44)

  1. people (people): Anthony Yerkovich → Hill Street Blues. The pilot's writer came from Hill Street Blues.
    “worked on Hill Street Blues, which was this.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:13:24 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  2. industry (industry): Miami Vice → MTV. The show began as the legendary 'MTV cops' pitch from an NBC executive.
    “he wrote a brainstorming memo that read MTV cops.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:13:46 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  3. career (career): Michael Mann → Miami Vice. Mann was the de facto showrunner for roughly the first two seasons though credited only as executive producer.
    “He's kind of the showrunner, I think, for the 1st 2 seasons.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:14:34 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  4. theme (theme): Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper) → I Am Love. Defending visual beauty against the 'style over substance' charge, using I Am Love's perfume-commercial dismissal.
    “I remember when that came out, people were like, it's just like a two-hour perfume commercial.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:15:37 · David Sims (0.50 sure it was them)
  5. lineage (lineage): Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper) → Hill Street Blues. Hill Street Blues raised TV through writing and performance; Miami Vice added the cinematic look on top of that standard.
    “try to write, like, Hill Street blues level scripts and have real grounded performances and make it all look fucking awesome.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:16:28 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  6. career (career): Michael Mann → Thief. Mann's path: The Jericho Mile, then Thief, then The Keep, then back to TV with Miami Vice.
    “He makes the Jericho Mile and he goes off, he makes thief.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:18:42 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  7. craft (craft): Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper) → Michael Mann. Mann brought his neon sensibility to TV; the no-earth-tones rule.
    “And he's bringing those kind of neon sensibilities.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:18:56 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  8. career (career): Michael Mann → The Keep. Before Miami Vice he had a well-regarded debut and a disastrous horror film taken away from him.
    “he's made a disastrous horror film that was taken away from him.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:19:19 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  9. industry (industry): Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper) → The Jericho Mile. Pilots were often shot as potential TV movies, as with The Jericho Mile and Battlestar Galactica.
    “Some TV movies as well, like Jericho Mile, but like, you know, Balestar Galactica was released as a film.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:21:13 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  10. craft (craft): Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper) → The X-Files (pilot). Classic pilots feel like a little complete movie, as with the X-Files pilot.
    “it's gonna feel like a little movie about these 2 people meeting and having an adventure”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:21:32 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  11. verdict (verdict): Freaks and Geeks → Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper). Offered as the standard of a great pilot that works alone and sets up a series.
    “Freaks and geeks is usually my answer.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:22:43 · David Sims (0.50 sure it was them)
  12. verdict (verdict): Six Feet Under → Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper). The Six Feet Under pilot is a self-contained movie whose ending needs no more series.
    “I think that pilot is basically a fantastic movie, like the ending is like pretty phenomenal.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:22:49 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  13. verdict (verdict): The Sopranos → Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper). The Sopranos pilot, with its ducks arc, is emotionally complete while setting up the show.
    “The Sopranos pilot is bulletproof.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:24:00 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  14. craft (craft): Lost → Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper). Lost's pilot is great, the second episode flatter, and the real direction arrives with Walkabout.
    “Like, the Lost Pilot is a great pilot.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:25:21 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  15. craft (craft): Seinfeld → Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper). Watching a show figure itself out: the Seinfeld pilot lacks Elaine and calls Kramer Kessler.
    “Elaine's not in it.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:28:50 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  16. contrast (contrast): Arrested Development → Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper). Some pilots only introduce a format and the show is not good until episode three.
    “Good pilot, good pilot, and then it's introducing you to the format of that show.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:30:08 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  17. contrast (contrast): Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip → Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper). A pilot can be so hot the show cannot sustain it.
    “There are also things, like, Studio 60 on the Sun says trip.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:39:49 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  18. lineage (lineage): Miami Vice → L.A. Takedown. Occam's Razor says the Miami Vice movie would remake the pilot the way Heat remade L.A. Takedown, but Mann refused.
    “Occam's Razor, you would go, well, Miami Vice movie, do for Miami Vice Pilot, what you did for LA Takedown.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:41:04 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  19. contrast (contrast): Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper) → Miami Vice. The pilot did what Mann's film could have done for it, but the film drops viewers into the middle of the partnership instead of an origin story.
    “Instead of doing an origin story kind of like, here's how these 2 cops get together.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:41:18 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  20. career (career): Philip Michael Thomas → David Caruso. Offered as a legacy comparison: a TV star whose ego allegedly got too big (speaker later retracts the Don Johnson variant).
    “I feel like his legacy is now one of those examples of like, oh, he was like a David Caruso where his, like, ego got too big because of the show.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:42:03 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  21. what-if (what-if): Don Johnson → Mark Harmon. The network allegedly considered replacing Johnson with Mark Harmon, but Harmon is too cute for the part.
    “Mark Harmon's a little too cute, right?”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:42:58 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  22. craft (craft): Jan Hammer → Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper). A speaker singles out Jan Hammer's famous opening theme and the show's music in general as what they want to rewatch the pilot for.
    “famous opening theme by Jan Hammer. great music in general.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:49:39 · Griffin Newman or David Sims (unclear) (0.40 sure it was them)
  23. craft (craft): Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper) → Aliens. The pilot's extended opening titles build slowly like Aliens' opening.
    “It feels like the opening to aliens where it like takes a long time to come together.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:50:44 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  24. craft (craft): Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper) → Michael Mann. The script lacks Mann's polished dialogue but carries his pet themes.
    “It doesn't have the same sort of like diamond cut dialogue of man's best work.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:51:14 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  25. what-if (what-if): Nick Nolte → Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper). Nolte and Jeff Bridges were first choices, but movie stars would not go to TV.
    “Nick Nolty, Jeff Bridges were their 1st choices.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:51:52 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  26. career (career): Don Johnson → Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Johnson's leading-man movie hopes after the show fits the Rick Dalton type.
    “He was a little bit of a Rick Dalton-esque figure.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:54:59 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  27. career (career): Don Johnson → Nash Bridges. His durable follow-up was the cop series Nash Bridges, as the old cop who isn't cool.
    “Now I'm like the cop who isn't cool.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:55:40 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  28. programming (programming): Nash Bridges → Walker, Texas Ranger. Nash Bridges, Walker, and Martial Law are the same CBS cop-show pocket.
    “Right, but those CBS cop shows.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:56:35 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  29. career (career): Don Johnson → Quentin Tarantino. Directors who grew up on him now cast him: Rian Johnson, Tarantino, McBride, Hill.
    “all these guys, like Ryan Johnson and Tarantino and McBride and Hill, are all in the age range too, have been like, Don Johnson, that's the coolest guy.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:56:55 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  30. people (people): Jimmy Smith → L.A. Law. Smith is a recognizable face who will soon be on LA Law.
    “Also, it has the advantage that it uses Jimmy Smith, who's going to be on LA law in a couple years”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:58:18 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  31. craft (craft): Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper) → Michael Mann. The Phil Collins drive is the most remembered Miami Vice scene and shows Mann's magic.
    “And that is, that does feel like the Michael Mann magic where he's like, you're allowed to do this.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 1:03:50 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  32. theme (theme): Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper) → The Incredibles. The cynical ending, where the big guy gets away, echoes The Incredibles on systemic issues.
    “Right, it's like the Incredibles too.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 1:06:37 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  33. lineage (lineage): Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper) → L.A. Takedown. Watching the pilot feels like a Mann bonus, like The Jericho Mile or L.A. Takedown.
    “It feels like watching Jericho Mile or watching LA Town.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 1:06:48 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  34. lineage (lineage): Miami Vice → ER. Miami Vice's influence made TV look like Mann movies; ER's steadicam is where that finishes.
    “An ER, you've got steady cam shots and that's when it's really done and dusted.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 1:07:11 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  35. verdict (verdict): Thief → Michael Mann. Thief is the speaker's top Mann film, a perfect distillation of what he does well.
    “it is also such a perfect distillation of everything he does well.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 1:09:13 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  36. verdict (verdict): The Insider → Michael Mann. The Insider might be a speaker's number one if not for a bad wife character.
    “If not for how bad the wife character is.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 1:09:33 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  37. verdict (verdict): Ali → Michael Mann. Ali ranks high for a personal reason, playing the Ali game as a kid.
    “Uh, Ali, I feel like I like more than most.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 1:09:55 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  38. verdict (verdict): Public Enemies → Black Hat. Split by a hair: Public Enemies has higher highs, Black Hat is more consistent.
    “I think public enemies has higher highs.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 1:10:33 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  39. verdict (verdict): The Last of the Mohicans → Miami Vice. Ranked below Miami Vice; defended against listeners who blamed guest Dana Stevens for a flat episode.
    “Not my kind of movie.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 1:10:51 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  40. verdict (verdict): The Jericho Mile → The Keep. Jericho Mile ranked last because it's not as much of a movie, but The Keep has something about it.
    “Feels like you got to put Jericho Mile last just because it's like not as much of a movie.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 1:11:45 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  41. programming (programming): E/R → Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper). The E/R sitcom pilot aired the same night as Miami Vice with a rating of 23 versus 22.8.
    “Airing the same night as Miami Vice, which is number two, with 22.8 million.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 1:16:10 · Ben Hosley (0.30 sure it was them)
  42. programming (programming): Some Kind of Hero → Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper). Some Kind of Hero was a movie on a rival network in Miami Vice's slot.
    “The movie Some Kind of Hero.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 1:16:48 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  43. career (career): 60 Minutes → Michael Mann. 60 Minutes, third highest that night, later became a crucial part of Mann's filmography.
    “But it would later become a very crucial part of his homography.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 1:18:14 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  44. programming (programming): Silver Spoons → Punky Brewster. Punky Brewster followed Silver Spoons as a lead-in block on NBC Sunday night.
    “It's lead in with silver spoons, and I'll say pretty good pairing these 2 shows together.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 1:19:10 · Ben Hosley (0.30 sure it was them)

Fun items (21)

  1. fun, about Thomas Carter: The pilot as a calling card: the TV actor-turned-director later directed Coach Carter, Swing Kids, and Save the Last Dance.
    “You did the Miami Vice pilot, that's a calling card.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:10:59 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. fun, about Podcast: The previous episode lost its last 30 minutes to audio corruption; hosts blame 'pod fade' and give this bonus as a mea culpa.
    “Pod fade strikes again.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:11:18 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  3. fun, about Miami Vice: The legend: an NBC executive's brainstorming memo read 'MTV cops' and Yerkovich said set it in Miami.
    “Yeah, he wrote a brainstorming memo that read MTV cops.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:13:46 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  4. fun, about Michael Mann: His color rule: no earth tones, no red, no brown, just neon blue, pink, purple.
    “No earth tones.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:16:42 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  5. fun, about Miami Vice: Credited with bringing Italian men's fashion mainstream to the US.
    “This show kind of single-handedly elevates men's fashion in the United States.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:16:52 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  6. fun, about Don Johnson: The look: white blazer, pastel shirt, no socks, short sleeves, skinny tie.
    “White blazer, maybe like a pastel, like light blue or pink shirt.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:17:33 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  7. fun, about Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper): Surprisingly self-contained: an emotional two-parter with an arc, not a stylish procedural.
    “It is a classic pilot, you know, like they kind of don't make them anymore.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:20:25 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  8. fun, about Pilot suit: A speaker's TV pilot suit was partly confiscated by the TSA flying LA to New York and had to be rebuilt in 48 hours.
    “The suit they built got partially confiscated by the TSA when they were flying it from LA to New York.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:27:32 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  9. fun, about Seinfeld: The Seinfeld Chronicles pilot has no Elaine; the only woman was a waitress and Kramer was named Kessler.
    “Kramer is called Kessler.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:28:54 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  10. fun, about King Kong (Broadway musical): The hosts go see the closing, struggling Broadway King Kong with its giant puppet; the producers paid them $50 to come back.
    “They literally just gave us $50 to say, please come back here at 7 tonight.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:31:57 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  11. fun, about Graceland: A speaker's first paid acting job was a southern redneck threatening a woman with a shotgun and zapping bugs with chopsticks.
    “I throw flies into a bug zapper with chopsticks.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:32:26 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  12. fun, about Philip Michael Thomas: He coined EGOT, later was a psychic hotline spokesman replaced by Miss Cleo, and sued over it.
    “He was the spokesman for the psychic readers network and was only replaced by Miss Cleo.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:45:01 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  13. fun, about Jan Hammer: Ben says he went on a few dates with Jan Hammer's daughter, and the hosts propose a segment of David pumping arms to the theme.
    “You know, I went on a few dates with Jan Hammer's daughter.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:49:44 · Ben Hosley (0.50 sure it was them)
  14. fun, about Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper): Best when nobody's talking: music and driving, which TV was not doing then.
    “It's good when people are talking.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:50:58 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  15. fun, about Don Johnson: His Wikipedia page lists two quick annulled marriages and two marriages to Melanie Griffith, the first when she was a teenager.
    “He was married to Melanie Griffith twice and the 1st time was when she was a teenager.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:52:26 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  16. fun, about Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper): The diner scene: when Crockett tells his partner's wife, the camera holds a wide shot with no cutaway.
    “you just stay in this wide shot of the guy standing by the door.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 0:59:38 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  17. fun, about Don Johnson: At his son's birthday he lets his ex-wife call him a piece of shit rather than lead with the excuse that his partner just died.
    “I love that Don Johnson doesn't defend himself at all.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 1:02:34 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  18. fun, about Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper): The Phil Collins In the Air Tonight silent drive is the scene people remember most.
    “I feel like that's what people still remember about Miami Vice more than anything.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 1:03:44 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  19. fun, about Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper): Third-act twist: Tubbs took his dead brother's name to avenge him.
    “I like the revealed that that Tubbs is has taken his brother's name to sort of avenge his brother's death.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 1:05:45 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  20. fun, about Miami Vice: The ending is cynical: they catch the guy and he gets bailed out immediately.
    “The guy immediately gets bailed out.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 1:06:15 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  21. fun, about E/R: The ratings game: the top show of Sept 16, 1984 was a sitcom E/R starring Elliott Gould, airing against Miami Vice.
    “It's a different show called ER starring Elliot Cool?”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Miami Vice - Pilot Episode · 1:15:37 · Ben Hosley (0.30 sure it was them)

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