They're Only Human

They're Only Human is a television pilot developed by Richard Hunt and Brian Muehl.

Following Jim Henson's unsuccessful attempt to pitch a behind-the-scenes puppet sitcom in 1987 with Puppetman, Richard Hunt (who also starred in Puppetman) wanted to reattempt the idea. With the collaboration of Brian Muehl, he subsequently developed a pilot titled They're Only Human, helming the pitch with Henson's support. The pilot stars Richard Hunt as Kyle, a puppeteer for Mutt, a puppet dog in a TV show produced by Vicki (played by Catherine Cox), and Jerry Nelson as Davis, Vicki's ex-husband and Shakespearean actor, who later becomes the puppeteer for Dutch, another puppet dog. The pilot was pitched to CBS in February 1990, but nothing ever came of it.^[1]

Hunt and Muehl initially developed a similar concept titled Read My Lips, focusing on puppet characters who come to life after their performers leave them for the night.^[2] After a year and a half of periodic revisions, the collaboration ultimately resulted in what became They're Only Human.^[1]

Plot[]

The pilot begins with Mutt coming in to introduce himself and begins to tell a story to the viewer, until he's suddenly interrupted by Dutch, who asks to borrow a ladder. Mutt explains to him that he's telling a story to the human beings (being the viewer), but Dutch tells him that as a puppet he's tired of hearing about human beings and asks him to leave his fascination with humans in the workplace. "Did Mickey Mouse take Walt Disney home with him after a hard day's work? Does Kermit the Frog take Jim Henson home after a long day on the set?" Dutch says. Despite this, Mutt dismisses Dutch and begins his story.

In an office, Mutt and his puppeteer, Kyle, speak to each other as they flip through various actors' pictures looking to hire a puppeteer for Dutch. Vicki, their show's producer, walks in. Vicki asks to speak to Kyle, but from behind a cubicle, only converses with Mutt instead. She presses Kyle about the pressure to find another puppeteer quickly as the show starts filming in two days. Kyle comes out of the cubicle to prove that it isn't as easy as it looks. Nevertheless, Vicki tells Kyle that she'd like to keep her job, to which Mutt quips, "To work or not to work!" After remembering the Shakespeare reference, this gives Vicki an idea of a possible performer to play Dutch, and she dashes out of the room.

Vicki approaches Davis, her ex-husband, in his dressing room after a show as he wipes off his makeup, to Davis's dismay. She starts off complimenting his performance, but before she's able to lead in to ask him anything, he quickly declines, saying the last times she's offered him jobs were to be a pirate in a fish stick commercial and to be a fruit for underwear (referencing Fruit of the Loom). He adamantly tells her he won't stoop to commercials. She explains this opportunity is more like a voice-over (without telling him about the puppets), which strikes his interest, and he agrees to come to an audition.

Once Davis arrives at the office, he's stunned to hear the news that this is a puppetry job and tries to storm out at the sight of Mutt. Vicki talks him into staying and corners Kyle into offering to give him puppetry lessons. Soon Davis and Kyle sit at a table as Kyle helps him through learning puppetry with a mirror. Through this, the two chat and Davis sets the record straight by stating that he's "an actor - not a dolly wiggler" and that this was a one-time gig. After an argument about the dignity of puppetry, Kyle tries to explain that puppetry isn't easy, but Davis rebuts with a perfect performance of Shakespeare's "To Be Or Not To Be" monologue with Dutch, after which he throws the puppet down and leaves. Wowed, Kyle sits alone as Vicki comes in and asks where Davis went. After seeing he's quit, Vicki leaves to desperately call the director in hopes of finding another performer.

Back again at his dressing room, Davis reflects through another Shakespearean monologue and decides to call Kyle back to return to the show. Then, back at the office, Mutt and Kyle read a script when Ernie, Davis and Vicki's son, comes in with a notebook, explaining that he's collecting examples of neurotic behavior for his psychology report. After Vicki and Davis both arrive, the puppeteers are called to the set. Davis tells Ernie he wouldn't want him to see his father making a fool of himself, but Ernie argues that he's already seen that lots of times, and warns him of the psychological damage it continues to do to him. Baffled by Ernie's fixation on psychology, Davis explains that it's just a job. As Ernie leaves for school, he wishes his dad well, using the theatrical cliche "break a leg." Looking at all the wires on the floor next to the puppetry monitor, Davis responds, "I just might."

As Davis and Kyle are puppeteering, the station executive (over a speaker) reminds Davis to keep his head out of frame while Mutt and Dutch joke around. The station executive booms to them that this is their last chance to get their act together or else he'll cancel the show. The director counts down as the two dogs prepare for their lines. Cut to after the show, the station executive orders more episodes and praises the two puppeteers for their performance, and everyone celebrates... And so Mutt ends his story with a happy ending, and Dutch comes in again, still unimpressed.