It’s time to take a trip down memory lane. We’re going to try to remember all the way back to 2013, when it was announced that Charlie Kaufman would be working with FX on a new series titled “How and Why.” The series seemed to be the same sort of strange mindfuck that you probably expect from the creator. However, a year later, FX passed on the series. Well, more than a half-decade after the show was killed, we now have a behind-the-scenes look at the pilot that was filmed for the series, which sheds some light on just how insane it might have been.
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Thanks to production designer Molly Hughes (via BeingCharlieKaufman), who has worked with Kaufman in the past and was working with him on “How and Why,” we have a bunch of behind-the-scenes images that show the style that Kaufman was going for with his FX series. For those not familiar with the premise, the show would have starred John Hawkes as the host of a popular educational kids show. “How and Why” would have followed the story of the host passing the torch to a younger guy and going off to start his own version of the show in a small town. Add to it a station boss played by a balding Michael Cera and potential supernatural shenanigans and you have a metaseries about making a TV show with all the complexity and dark humor of a Charlie Kaufman production.
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Needless to say, there’s probably good reason why FX passed on the series back in 2014 as just explaining the premise might be enough for people’s eyes to glaze over and maybe lose interest. That said, it’s a Charlie Kaufman series written and directed by the filmmaker, so it’s one of those “What If?” situations that will drive fans of the creator mad with frustration. Would this have been something truly special? Did FX dodge a bullet? We will never know.
However, you can see some pictures from the production below, and if you want even more photos, head over to Molly Hughes’ website and browse the gallery.
