Mikey Murphy's Law (pitch)

The intro sequence for Mikey Murphy's Law, as used in the pitch pilot.

Mikey Murphy's Law was the original pitch of Milo Murphy's Law. While the concept is the same as the final version of the show, the original pitch had several differences.

Pitch pilot

Zack used to be Caucasian (with a design that eventually was used for someone else).

Similar to the original pitch of Phineas and Ferb, the pilot of Mikey Murphy's Law (labeled "Mikey's Law") was a storyboard pitch of what would eventually become the first episode of Milo Murphy's Law, "Going the Extra Milo". It was leaked on April 26, 2024, alongside several other pilots from other Disney Television Animated shows.

The plot is relatively the same as that of "Going the Extra Milo" (barring a few lines that went unused, as well as Milo being named Mikey back then), but includes a couple of design changes. Most notably, Zack used to look completely different. Zack was initially of Caucasian ethnicity with a small, round nose, angular cheeks, and two wavy, angular plucks of hair from a widow's peak, as opposed to the spiky, slicked hairstyle he'd have in the actual series. Interestingly, this design appears to be later used for the final design of Kevin Grant-Gomez, one of the main characters for Dan Povenmire's later show, Hamster & Gretel. Bradley's design was also notably different, having a shorter, wider head, curly hair and big, half-round glasses, looking notably similar to Carl of Phineas and Ferb.

Bradley used to look like Carl.

The pitch pilot also contains an old version of the intro theme song, in the same spot as the final version would be in "Going the Extra Milo". This initial theme song was shorter (clocking in at 30 seconds rather than 45 seconds), the instrumentation was a bit subdued compared to the final version, and Mikey was the only character featured, as opposed to the final version containing many character cameos.

Given that this was not supposed to be the final product, most of the voice cast appears to just be from the initial crew (e.g. Bradley is voiced by co-creator Jeff "Swampy" Marsh). Interestingly, though, Mikey was already being voiced by "Weird Al" Yankovic.

Pitch bible

A bible for the pitch had also been leaked on April 26, 2024, alongside several other pitch bibles from other Disney Television Animated shows. The bible is labeled as V2.0, revised on April 22, 2015, and written by Scott Peterson, Joshua Pruett and Dani Vetere. Several initial character designs featured in the bible were also shared on Twitter by Joshua Pruett throughout 2017.

Overview

The synopsis is relatively the same as in the final version of Milo Murphy's Law, being that Mikey has Murphy's Law, but is prepared for any situation with an endless sense of optimism and enthusiasm. The theme is also the same, being to make the most of any situation and to have a positive attitude. The bible also notes that, "When life gives you lemons, Mikey happily makes lemonade, Zack makes fun of it, and Melissa turns it into a money-making venture", showing how the three main characters would react differently in a given situation. It also notes that Murphy's Law ultimately has a positive effect on Milo, opening many opportunities and adventures he would've never experienced if he were a regular kid without Murphy's Law.

The pitch bible also describes details about Murphy's Law; that Mikey suffers from Extreme Hereditary Murphy's Law, and clarifying that Mikey is not a jinx nor has bad luck, but that things simply go wrong around him. It also details that the Murphy's Law around Mikey has a range of 10 feet in any direction, and that the CDC recommends keeping a minimum safe distance of 3 meters.

Mikey Murphy

Milo Murphy was originally called Mikey Murphy, aged 12 and being in the 8th grade. His design in this pitch is relatively the same as in the final show, as are a couple of personal details such as having Murphy's Law, his upbeat attitude, his sense of adventure, and his unique point-of-view.

Regarding Mikey's fears, one detail being described that appears to be absent in the final version of Milo, is that Mikey appears to have stage fright, freezing up melodramatically when having to do an oral report in front of the class. In the final version of the show, Milo does not appear to have such a fear at all, and is seen to perform on stage just fine in episodes such as "Smooth Opera-tor" (Milo has been described as a bad actor in "Missing Milo" and "Fungus Among Us", however). The bible also describes that Mikey fears embarrassing himself over a girl he likes, wanting to make sure everything goes just right when trying to confess his crush on Amanda. While Milo is revealed to have a crush on Amanda, and she eventually reciprocates it as of the second season, the concept of Milo trying to confess his feelings to Amanda have not been properly realized in the same sense as the bible has described.

Zack Jackson

Zack Underwood used to be called Zack Jackson, aged 13 and being in the 8th grade. As in the pilot, Zack used to look Caucasian with plucks of hair from a widow's peak, although a note has been left that he will become African-American later, revealing that this bible had been revised after that decision has been made.

Zack's family had notable differences, aside from being named Jackson instead of Underwood. His dad, Marcus, was described as an industrial designer who creates toys, something that was never revealed in Milo Murphy's Law. His mother, Eileen, was originally to be Chinese-American, instead of African-American like the rest of his family. Zack is described to have a grandfather named Aurelius, stated to be a jack-of-all-trades, but never actually appeared in Milo Murphy's Law either. Zack is also described to have feral, 3-year old twin siblings named Lisa and Lance, two characters created by Ashley Michelle Simpson, but had not appeared in the show proper. In "Fungus Among Us", Zack has told Melissa about his little twin brothers, instead of having a little twin brother and sister (although Lisa had later been decided to be genderfluid).

Zack has also been described that he wants to have a rock band, having had one at his old school and quickly putting a new band in his new home called Bandwagon. In Milo Murphy's Law, he used to be in a boy band called The Lumberzacks, and his new rock band is instead named Just Getting Started. Like Just Getting Started, Bandwagon would've consisted of himself on guitar, Melissa on bass, Mikey on electric accordion, and a kid in a football helmet on drums (this would be Mort in the final version of the show).

Melissa Chase

Melissa Chase, aged 13 and in 8th grade, has had no differences in her name or design in Milo Murphy's Law. She was also described as confident, super smart, and prone to instigate things out of boredom.

Regarding friends, Melissa was described as the first person brave enough to befriend Mikey, and is also noted to be fiercely loyal and completely supportive of him, as well as being his biggest fan and biggest defender. She's also stated to like Zack, but misses having Mikey for herself. She's also described to like Amanda, but rolling her eyes at her OCD-like tendencies.

Melissa's greatest adversary was stated to be Principal Milder, who was quite different in this pitch. A hamster named Ham was also stated to be her second greatest adversary. The bible describes the hamster as the class pet who would constantly escape his cage and end up in Melissa's backpack or desk, much to her chagrin. The hamster ultimately did not make it in Milo Murphy's Law at any point.

Regarding family, Melissa was described as an only child, with fire chief Richard Chase as her single parent, matching with the final product. Due to this situation, Melissa was described to be on her own a lot of the time, as well as spending a lot of time with Mikey and looking up to his sister Sara.

Mikey's family

Martin Murphy

Aged 39, Martin Murphy used to look a bit different, with a round nose and chin, curly hair, and facial hair. This design was later revised without facial hair, before a more final design had been made by Dan Povenmire. Martin was described to be less successful in avoiding the negative consequences of Murphy's Law compared to Mikey, something that wasn't made explicitly apparent in the final version of the show. Like in the final show, Martin was described his own variations of idioms and works as a safety consultant.

Megan Murphy

Brigette Murphy used to be called Megan Murphy at age 40, with quite a different design that featured glasses and a ponytail. This design had a different revision with another hairstyle. Megan was described as a capable, experienced and prepared woman, likened to a grown-up Isabella or Fireside Girl from Phineas and Ferb. She also met Martin on the job as architect, a detail that hadn't been revealed in the show proper. It's also described that she found Martin's Murphy's Law sweet at first, but had grown worn down with Mikey's Murphy's Law added, something never made explicit in Milo Murphy's Law.

Sara Murphy

Aged 17, Sara Murphy used to look quite different, having her hair let down and wearing a jacket. Sara's design had been toyed with multiple times outside of this bible revision, with comparisons to Luna Lovegood of Harry Potter, but in the bible, Sara was described as a hipster and likened to Thora Burch of Ghost World.

Sara was described as cynical that looks at Mikey's condition in a sardonic way that was rarely affected by the chaos and only was closeted optimistic deep down; which is rather different in the final version of the show, where Sara was more outwardly optimistic. It's possible that this old version of Sara may have inspired the creation of Fred Grant from Hamster & Gretel, who is similarly cynical and subdued.

Sara was also described as a diehard fan of an old show named Zone Files, a series that in the final version had turned into the long-running and still ongoing Dr. Zone franchise. Sara was also described as liking kitsch and wearing things ironically, something not made apparent in Milo Murphy's Law.

Diogee

Mikey's dog Diogee has stayed relatively the same in Milo Murphy's Law, remaining helpful, intuitive and loyal. He's stated to be aged 3, however, something that appears to be impossible given his appearance in "First Impressions", as well as being impervious to the effects of Murphy's Law.

Antagonists (sort of)

The bible describes that the following "antagonists" aren't actually enemies nor against Mikey in any way, but that they are rather foils to him with their own agendas that may conflict with that of Mikey. In essence, they are another subset of notable supporting characters.

Amanda Lopez

Aged 13, Amanda Lopez is shown to have a notably different design with wavy, clipped hair, a small round nose and a sweatervest. Amanda was an overachiever described as the center of the universe, and self-proclaimed queen of the school, being president of every available club, the field hockey team's MVP and mascot at the same time, and star of the homecoming game's halftime show, and being successful at bake sales, fundraisers and pep rallies. Amanda was described at being awesome at everything and knowing it, while at the same time being completely transparent and wearing her heart on her sleeve, making her endearing. In the actual show, Amanda is way more subdued in comparison, being mostly limited to her OCD-esque perfectionism, and a few subdued hints of her being a control freak in "Party of Peril" and "Managing Murphy's Law" (although she is also shown to work on the yearbook in "Party of Peril" and "Picture Day", as well as organizing the Niagara Falls Fling by herself in "School Dance").

Like in the early stages of the final show, Amanda was described as liking Mikey, but being unable to handle his go-with-the-flow attitude well, with her success relying on her meticulous planning. The bible also describes Mikey having a huge crush on her, which matches with Milo's feeling for her in Milo Murphy's Law. It had not been described if Amanda would reciprocate Mikey's crush like she would in the second season of Milo Murphy's Law

Bradley

Aged 13, Bradley Nicholson was listed without a surname. The bible acknowledges that he used to look like Carl as in the pitch pilot, but has gained a new design since, one that is also notably different from his final design. This Bradley resembles a cross between Irving Du Bois and Baljeet Tjinder, with a brown skin complexion, a long face, black curly hair and big glasses with a green frame. Bradley was described as "the ultimate pessimist", who would point out the shortcomings of his fellow students, similar to the Bradley of Milo Murphy's Law.

Rim and Alan

The two aliens from "Going the Extra Milo" were described here with actual names, being named Rim and Alan, which seemingly refer to anal probing. They are described as aliens from an adjoining galaxy that periodically return for unusual experiments. In the show proper, this alien duo only rarely appear with sporadic cameos.

Time Travelers (Cavendish and Dakota)

While still being time travelers in 1870s and 1970s clothing, Cavendish and Dakota had vastly different designs and purposes compared to Milo Murphy's Law. Cavendish used to be quite short and without a mustache, while Dakota was tall.

The bible describes that Mikey was destined to fulfill something vital to the future of the planet (a huge plot point that was eventually given to Dr. Doofenhsmirtz from Phineas and Ferb instead), and instead of merely protecting pistachios or being forced to do other inconsequential missions, Cavendish and Dakota returned to Mikey's time to ensure that nothing happens that would take Mikey off that destiny, without making their presence known. This could range from preventing Mikey from making a seemingly inconsequential decision to subtly teaching him a useful skill that would become crucial later.

The bible also describes the reasoning for their clothing and mannerisms being that "the future is very retro", although in the final version of the show, Cavendish and Dakota were chastised by fellow time travelers Brick and Savannah for their clothing of choice in "Time Out" (though, Cavendish's reasoning end up being similar regardless).

The bible describes that Cavendish and Dakota, after researching historical events, return to the future to notice that something involving Mikey has seriously changed, and returned to his time period to correct it, whatever it may be. Like in early Season 1 of the final show, Cavendish and Dakota won't have any stories early on and make cameos in the background while watching Mikey, trying to look inconspicuous, but ultimately become more intertwined in Mikey's stories later on.

Their fully operational time machine was described to have a steampunk-esque exterior, with shag carpeting and fuzzy dice for their interior, completely different from the Time Vehicle they end up using in the show proper. The bible also describes that they rarely use it out of fear for contaminating the space-time continuum even further.

Bartholomew Cavendish III

Balthazar Cavendish used to be named Bartholomew Cavendish III, and was described in the bible that he wants to ensure nothing happens to Mikey and to save the future. While his zealous wishes to be a hero remains in Milo Murphy's Law, he and Dakota are initially unaware of Milo's presence until "Time Out", when Cavendish becomes suspicious of Milo until "Missing Milo".

Vinnie Dakota

Unlike in Milo Murphy's Law, Vinnie Dakota was initially sent 10 seconds after Cavendish to monitor him, with Dakota believing that they don't need to mess with the space-time continuum even further. Like in the final show, Dakota is more laid-back and enjoys the pleasures of life rather than focusing on the mission.

Folks at school

Annette Milder

Aged 36, while Elizabeth Milder was still a school principal, she used to be named Annette Milder, had a more jock-ish appearance, and a different attitude, being described as someone who talks sweetly but condescendingly to her students as if they're preschoolers, and following the rigid interpretations of the rules to a T. She would also step in as the English teacher and P.E. teacher, being everywhere and driving Melissa insane.

Mr. Drako

Like in the show proper, Kyle Drako (only referred to as Mr. Drako) is being thought of as a vampire by the students, but he looks noticeably different, being a lot younger at age 28, resembling Mark Harmon, and trying to be hip and cool. Mr. Drako would say he tries to dress up like Elvis, but this comparison has never been made in the final version of the show. The bible describes Mikey and friends having all sorts of crazy theories, and Zack being tasked to ask the leading questions to Drako. In Milo Murphy's Law, this interest has been mostly limited to Chad Van Coff.

Mort

Like Bradley, Mort Schaeffer, age 14, has not been given a surname in the bible, but his full first name was stated to be Mortimer. His appearance from the pilot is similar to his final design. Mort is described as a football player with heart and a little spacey, much like in the show proper.

Story ideas

The bible describes a couple of stories that the writers came up with. Certain ideas wound up being repurposed for actual Milo Murphy's Law episodes.

Concept art for "Fragile" (later "Sunny Side Up")

Concept art for "Operation Opera" (later presumably "Smooth Opera-tor")

• School Spirit - Mikey is allowed to watch the school football game since it's destined that the team will fail regardless of Murphy's Law. At the game, Mikey discover that rooting for the other team causes thing to wrong to that team instead. Appears to be mostly the same as "Rooting for the Enemy".
• Fragile - Mikey, Melissa and Zack have to drop an egg without breaking it for a school assignment. Has similarly turned into "Sunny Side Up".
• Climb Every Mountain - A plot that wound up unused, with the school going on a camping trip while Mikey and Zack get separated, as they try to find their way back.
• Band Aid - Zack wants to mark his band's big debut in a school talent contest to which Mikey's mom volunteers, but when Amanda has her own ideas for the band conflicts between the band members start to arise. This plot appears to have been split into "Battle of the Bands" and "Managing Murphy's Law", both of which featuring elements of this idea.
• Go Fish - Mikey and Zack go on a fishing trip with Martin, with everything going wrong (Alternatively, they try to catch the biggest catfish in the lake). This has presumably being repurposed for the B-plot of "Time Out".
• Best Friends - A flashback story, showing Mikey and Melissa meeting for the first time. Appears to be repurposed for "First Impressions".
• The Waiting Game - Mikey, Melissa, Zack and Sara wait in line all day to buy concert tickets. Elements for this idea were repurposed for "The Doctor Zone Files".
• Subway Surfers - The school ride the subway on a field trip to the museum, as the car Mikey, Melissa and Zack ride in gets separated and end up captured by a secret society of mole men with dinosaur pets. "The Undergrounders" appears to be a revised version of this idea with subdued elements.
• Operation Opera - Melissa is asked by her parents to attend the opera, which she finds boring, but is allowed to bring a friend, so she takes Mikey with her. Chaos ensues, and Mikey and Melissa eventually end up center stage, when it's discovered Mikey has stage fright. "Smooth Opera-tor" uses elements from this idea.
• Friday the 13th - Another plot that went unused. Zack and the others realize it's Friday the 13th. They fear that Murphy's Law will be amplified geometrically, but it turns out it's the only day that nothing happens to Mikey.
• Murphy's Law - An unused episode in which viewers get to see different time periods, from the Irish of the 20th century to the prehistoric, and discover the origins of Murphy's Law. Many ancestors, portrayed by Mikey, Melissa, and Zack, would appear here, including a carnival showman titled "The Great Jinx", and appear to be inadvertently linked to many history achievements and discoveries. Viewers would learn at the end that Mikey would be the first to embrace Murphy's Law for what it was.
• The Cliffhanger - When Mikey disappears, Zack and Melissa try to figure out what happened to him, determining that Mikey must've accidentally fallen into a crate mailed to Taipei that's supposed to contain Ling Ling the Panda. They cross the seas to rescue Mikey, unaware that Cavendish and Dakota are already on the case. While this exact plot wound up unused, the concept of Melissa and Zack trying to find a disappeared Milo is used for "Missing Milo".
• Zoo Trip Up - During a field trip at the zoo, a chimpanzee is accidentally set free when Mikey gets too close to its cage, as he and Zack try to get it back in its cage before the zookeepers find out. Milo chasing chimps at the zoo wound up being repurposed for "We're Going to the Zoo".
• Safety in the Workplace - Martin takes Mikey along on bring-your-child-to-work day. It gets Mikey to wonder what he'll do when he grows up, as Cavendish and Dakota must make sure he doesn't veer too far away from his destiny. Elements from this idea were reused for "Worked Day".
• Vacation - As Mikey and his family go on vacation - which is a big deal for them - Zack and Melissa prepare for a relaxing day, only to find themselves bored. This may have been turned into "Family Vacation".

One-liners and areas to explore

These appear to be ideas that haven't been fully detailed into story ideas.

Concept art, presumably for "Making the Best"

• Making the Best - When Murphy's Law destroys the gymnasium right before the big dance, Mikey convinces everyone to make the best of what they have, as they manage to pull together the best dance ever. This may have evolved into "School Dance".
• Dog Day Afternoon - Mikey enters Diogee into a dog show.
• World's Worst Haunt - Mikey and the gang are tasked to turn the gymnasium into a haunted house for Halloween. This may have been repurposed for "Milo Murphy's Halloween Scream-A-Torium!"
• Beach Day - Mr. Drako takes the class to the beach, as Mikey and his friends struggle with getting into the water and how to keep their swimming suits on once there.
• Pod People - Zack starts a podcast to promote his band, which takes a life of its own once Mikey is involved. The bible describes that in reality, it's the actors that do a podcast for the viewers.
• Movie Day - The gang is on their way to watch the next installment of the Mega Robot Monster Choi movie franchise, but just getting to the theater turns out to be an adventure of its own. This may have been repurposed for the B-plot of "The Island of Lost Dakotas".
• Mikey Likey - When Mikey gets a crush on Amanda, he fears embarrassing himself in front of her and wants to make sure everything goes right. Unfortunately, Amanda doesn't get to realize he's into her, despite his efforts. While this wound up unused, several episodes delve into Milo's crush on Amanda and focus on their relationship, eventually resulting in Amanda reciprocating Milo's feelings as shown in episodes such as "Cake 'Splosion!" and "Managing Murphy's Law".
• Time for a Change - Cavendish and Dakota try to push Mikey into taking self-defense classes, but inadvertently cause a kung-fu showdown against the previously hidden ninja gang instead.
• Field Day - Amanda has planned a field day with activities and reluctantly allows Mikey on the planning committee. She tries to keep her cool as things go wrong, and eventually adjusts to go with the flow. Meanwhile, Melissa tries to hide her report card, as Zack thinks Melissa is embarrassed about her smarts, but as everyone gets to see it thanks to Murphy's Law, it turns out she doesn't want the others to feel bad about their report cards instead.
• Give It Back Pack - Mikey loses his backpack. He tries to retrace his steps, but with Murphy's Law and without his usual preparedness, that proves to be difficult. Amanda arranges a task force to relocate it and Melissa goes along the ride. As it turns out, Dakota finds the backpack on a double decker he's been riding all day and has to return it to Mikey before Cavendish gets it first.

Gallery

The image gallery for Mikey Murphy's Law (pitch) may be viewed here.