Add the Barenaked Ladies’ untitled show to the pile of programs that Fox could not make work.

Although it never went to air, the Barenaked Ladies shot a pilot for Fox. It was along the lines of a variety show, with the band members involved in skits and songs.

But Fox did not agree to shoot any more shows after the pilot.

“I’d like to say it’s because it’s above them, it’s too smart for them. But I’d be wrong,” admits BNL frontman Steven Page, speaking to andPOP recently. “They said, ‘no thank you’.”

Keyboardist Kevin Hearn says shooting the pilot was a fun experience.

“It wasn’t crap but it wasn’t brilliant and it got lost in the shuffle,” says Hearn.

They joined Paris Hilton on the unemployment line, as she also had her show (The Simple Life) canned. “Our show was better than that,” says Page.

But just as Hilton wasn’t unemployed for long (her show was picked up by another station, and yeah, she’s rich), BNL weren’t there long either.

“We’re recording right now,” says Page.

The band has been recording a new album for a few months and plans to record about 35 songs.

They have departed from Warner Music, and are not looking for a record deal, content with being independent for the first time since they formed in the late 1980s. In fact, their 1991 album, “Yellow Tape,” was the first independent release in Canada to earn platinum status.

“We’re an independent band now so we’re just going to record them all and get them out to the world,” says Jim Creeggan.






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