Kevin Smith, also known as Silent Bob, is trying to raise the dead with the help of Rivit TV, to bring back a show he worked on in 2016 to TV today. Smith has been hard at work directing episodes of “Supergirl” and he always has a movie project or two in his back pocket. Having a heart attack and becoming a Weight Watchers ambassador has not slowed him down, if anything, it has seemingly made him hyper-productive.
“Hollyweed” is a show Smith completed the pilot for two years ago without finding a taker. He tried the traditional route with Networks to no avail. He tried a few non-traditional things too, and still no luck. Smith wrote the project off as one of those things that just doesn’t happen. For Smith, it had been a bit of a theme at that particular time as his hopes to film a sequel to “Mallrats” and “Clerks 3” both fell through after looking like everything was a solid go.
Now, Smith has worked out an arrangement with Rivit TV to see if there is an audience for “Hollyweed.” Rivit is going to allow Smith to air the pilot episode, according to a column on Variety , which will be the first time they have aired a pilot. Smith stars in the show along with “Chappelle’s Show” veteran, Donnell Rawlings, Adam Brody, Ralph Garman, and of course his ever-present sidekick Jason Mewes. The plot is fairly simple, two potheads running a pot shop. They spend their time trying to make money and find the best bud in the world. It has been compared to the Netflix original, “Disjointed,” which starred Kathy Bates and ran for two seasons, except with a different angle for laughs.
When we shot #Hollyweed back in early 2016, we made an @AntMan joke. But thanks to sitting in mothballs since then (and thanks to sequels), the joke plays as timely! Watch the Hollyweed pilot FOR FREE! If you like it pre-buy some eps to help us make more! https://t.co/db14E37XDZ pic.twitter.com/S7RxinXf2F
— KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) July 12, 2018
The other side of this project is that Rivit TV is kind of like a GoFundMe for producers and directors. The way the platform works is that fans can watch a show over a 45-day run, and vote on how much they would be willing to spend per episode, anywhere from $1.99 to $5,99, to get the rest of the shows for a season made. This is along the same lines as the show “Con Man” that Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, and Felicia Day, got made by crowdfunding.
“This platform allows our industry’s top creators like Kevin Smith to focus on passion projects that resonate with their fans without worrying about a committee of executives or advertisers. Our goal is to directly connect creators with their fans, liberate the creative process and invite the audience to greenlight shows from their favorite storytellers.”
