In 1996, Swartzwelder created and produced his own pilot presentation for Fox, "Pistol Pete", a spoof of western films. Starring Stephen Kearney, Mark Derwin, Lisa Robin Kelly, and Brian Doyle Murray, the pilot was shot using crew from the television series "Gunsmoke" at Swartzwelder's insistence. John Rich, veteran television director known for "The Dick Van Dyke Show", "All in the Family", and "Gunsmoke", directed the pilot, which was shot at Veluzat Motion Picture Ranch. Fox passed on the pilot. It eventually surfaced online in 2014.