Ocean Beach sitcom "End of the 8" nears pilot finish
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The pilot for "End of the 8" will soon be screening in locations around OB. Photo: Courtesy Daniel M. Dyer
Ocean Beach is about to have its own sitcom.
The big picture: Daniel M. Dyer, a writer and videographer, has nearly wrapped the pilot episode of "End of the 8," a show about a group of bandmembers and their social circle in OB.
- The fictional band includes members of real-life OB bands Half Hour Late and Band of Gringos, and the show stars local musicians Kat Hall and Crispy J.
Between the lines: The genesis of the show was a three-minute skit created after Dyer and his friends noticed they kept saying "that would be a funny skit idea" about life in OB.
- They decided to build the premise into a full pilot, with a dry tone that Dyer compared to "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," turned toward targets like OB's weekly post-farmers market drum circle.
- Teasers for the show that hit social media this month give a taste of the vibe.
What they're saying: "The cool thing about a sitcom is the plot can be loose as long as the vibe and characters are funny and endearing," he told Axios.
- The first episode includes scenes at neighborhood favorites like OB Beans, Raglan Public House, Humble Heart and Hodads, and Dyer said the concept came together the more they focused on making OB its own character in the show.
State of play: All the pilot needs is a few shots of an audience at a show yelling, with as many recognizable locals in the crowd as possible.
- Dyer and the cast are holding a free show at Winstons on Sept. 11 to get that scene, with the band in the show playing a full gig once the shot is in the can.
The intrigue: The first episode is mostly focused on dudes in the band, with girls they're friends with in supporting parts.
- Dyer said he's planning to flip that in the second episode, shifting focus on the group of girls as the main characters and pushing the guys to the background.
Flashback: This isn't OB's first show.
- "Terriers" was a critical hit on FX before it was canceled too soon, and while "Veronica Mars" was set in fictional Neptune, California, its local shooting locations included Dog Beach in OB.
What's next: Once the episode is wrapped, Dyer plans to schedule screenings at locations around the neighborhood.
- Then he's looking to shop the pilot, along with his ideas for an eight-episode season, to production studios in LA.