You know him from The Hunger Games and Five Nights at Freddy's, but where did actor Josh Hutcherson get his start?
You'll find the answer on the small screen. In 2002, Josh was part of two unaired pilots - House Blend and Becoming Glen. Unfortunately, since the shows were not picked up, you may not have gotten to witness Josh's first TV moments. However, I'm so glad to say that I have!
After just a bit of investigating, I was able to enter the "Josh Hutcherson vault" and take a trip back to 2002. First, I watched the House Blend pilot and got an inside look at the CBS show that never was...and I have to say, I'm bummed about that. This show's premise felt unique and provided a new twist on a blended family. We meet two single parents who are not romantically involved, but rather decide to merge their households and help each other with the kids. Can you guess who played one of the kids?
If you guessed Liam Hemsworth, what are you even doing on this blog? Obviously, the right answer is Josh Hutcherson, but he was known as Nicky Harper on this "long lost" pilot. Now, I definitely expected some baby Josh cuteness here, but I was not prepared for just how much I'd get - or the sass!
Josh was really expressive as Nicky, and his ability charm us with those sassy, dramatic facial reactions felt perfect for a family comedy show. My favorite line can be heard within the start of the pilot, where he says, "Give her a prozac!" to poke fun at his teenage sister. If you're curious about Josh's start, have 22 minutes to spare, and do okay without closure (since we don't know how this TV plotline ends) I'd give it a watch. The show had me laughing, and you can't go wrong with some baby Josh sass.
Next, I watched the Becoming Glen pilot, which was originally developed for FOX. While I really enjoyed this pilot, something felt missing. Can you guess who?
Did you guess Liam Hemsworth AGAIN? If so, it's REALLY time to get off the blog now. Although, it is a true statement that there weren't any Hemsworth bros in this pilot, but I didn't see Josh either. I'm wondering if his scenes were cut from this unaired release. If I ever get to ask him about it, I'll report back!
As for the pilot itself, I was locked in the second I realized it stars Big Bang Theory's Johnny Galecki. Love that man. (Not as much as Josh, but I gotta give credit where credit is due.) He was his usual quirky self in this and I was THERE FOR IT. The humor is a little dated given how we've grown as a society, but we can cut them slack since this pilot dates back to '02. The show felt a little more 'adult' than the House Blend pilot, and it was fun to see the contrast between Josh's first TV opportunities. Hopefully, we can solve the mystery of his participation in Becoming Glen - stay tuned!
Peace and Joshperity,
G
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