Get Away From My Mom

"Get Away From My Mom"
Home Movies episode
Brendon acts up during soccer practice.
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 1
Directed byLoren Bouchard
Written byBrendon Small
Loren Bouchard
H. Jon Benjamin
Paula Poundstone
Melissa Bardin Galsky
Featured musicBrendon Small
Loren Bouchard
Original air dateApril 26, 1999 (1999-04-26)
Guest appearance
Episode chronology
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"Get Away From My Mom" is the pilot episode of the American animated sitcom Home Movies. It originally aired on the UPN network in the United States on April 26, 1999. In the episode, eight-year-old Brendon Small discovers that his mother, Paula, is set to have a date with Brendon's soccer coach, the lazy, profane alcoholic John McGuirk. Brendon resents McGuirk for this and expresses his outrage throughout the episode. The date goes terribly and McGuirk and Paula decide to not pursue a relationship. Meanwhile, Brendon and his friends Melissa and Jason film a new movie about a rogue police officer.

Production involved retroscripting, a process by which the actors completely improvised all dialogue, as the first time this technique was used for an animated television production. Certain script material was provided by series co-founder and director, Loren Bouchard. The pilot is based on the Squigglevision style of animation which was used for season 1. In its original broadcast, "Get Away From My Mom" received a 1.4/2 Nielsen Rating, the lowest UPN had ever received in that time slot. The episode received mixed reviews from television critics, particularly pertaining to its employment of improvisation.