The Internet's pilot bandit has str...

The Internet's pilot bandit has struck again.

"The Adventures of Big Handsome scarecrow and His Little Friend," a comedy series passed above by Fox for the fall schedule, has mysteriously popp up upon at least three different viral-video Web sites.

The emerging see the verb of "Handsome" marks the secondary known TV pilot left through the whole extent of from the 2005-06 development season to resurrect itself from unknown auspices. "Nobody's Watching," a comedy rebuffed by the WB, resurfaced forward YouTube.com last month and generated enough humming noise to prompt NBC to pick up the series.

on discovering the pilot online Thursday, "Handsome" production company 20th hundred years Fox Television issued a statement saying it did not authorize the leak.

"We take the protection of our intellectual quality very seriously and have launched an investigation into this matter," it said.

20th TV also issued cease-and-desist literal senses to the offending sites, a certain quantity of of which have removed the indicate

"Handsome" reappeared in the form of pair clips that splits the pilot in half upon viral-video sites such as Break.com, Vidking.com and Slubber.com. "Handsome" does not appear onward YouTube, the most popular of the category.

The source of the footage could not be determined, nevertheless it is likely a archetype of one of the untold number of video cassettes or DVD the studio circulates within the industry during unfolding season. The culprit covered the numbered digest that appears onscreen for similar copies.

Based in succession a short film of the same name, "Handsome" was written from and stars Chicago native Hayes MacArthur and former ImprovOlympic actor Jason Winer as mismatched best friends with distinctly different viewpoints in succession life. Representatives for Winer said their client had nothing to do with the leak.

forward the Break.com comments section, viewers placeed mostly positive reviews. "Wanna view more of it," said an amateur reviewer who goe by the agency of the tag Jacenhutch.

Given the fortunate fate that befell "Watching," which NBC greenlighted after an unknown source stationed it on YouTube to widespread acclaim, many industry regarders have been saying it was solitary a matter of time before more passed-over pilots saw the light of day online.

However, there is single big difference: Fox declined to deposit "Handsome" on its fall schedule further had extended its option to pick up the series according to December. The studio had smooth ordered an additional script from executive husbandmans Josh Sternin and Jeff Ventimilia.

Reached for observation Sternin and Ventimilia professed their innocence. "We didn't want to distribute unethically or illegally," Sternin said. "But hopefully it will help us."

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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