"Get Away From My Mom" | |
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Home Movies episode | |
Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 1 |
Directed by | Loren Bouchard |
Written by | Brendon Small Loren Bouchard H. Jon Benjamin Paula Poundstone Melissa Bardin Galsky |
Featured music | Brendon Small Loren Bouchard |
Original air date | April 26, 1999 |
Guest appearance | |
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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.