History Series / MisterEd

A pilot for a {{revival}} series was filmed in 2004, with Creator/DavidAlanBasche as [[AdaptationalNameChange Wilbur Pope]] and Creator/ShermanHemsley as the voice of Ed, but never aired.

The series centered around architect Wilbur Post (Creator/AlanYoung), his wife Carol (Connie Hines), and Wilbur's horse Mister Ed (voiced by Allan Lane). Ed was a normal Palomino in most respects, other than the fact that he could speak and read, and was fairly intelligent. [[NotSoImaginaryFriend He only ever spoke to Wilbur, however]], which naturally led to many [[HilarityEnsues hilariously awkward situations]] when the mischievous Ed would get Wilbur caught up in a ZanyScheme or two. Actor Allan Lane provided Ed's ({{uncredited|role}}) voice for the show's entire run.

* ColorBlindConfusion: The title character is inconsistent as to whether he is color-blind or not. Two episodes touch on it: The first, in which Ed wants a color TV, but Wilbur refuses to get him once since horses are color-blind, but Ed proves him wrong by pointing out the color of the clothes he's wearing. In a later episode, Ed wins a color TV in a trivia contest, and a fight among Ed and Wilbur ensues about whether it will go in the house or the barn. In the end, Ed steals the TV and watches it in the barn, and decides to let Wilbur have it, since he discovered he was actually color-blind.

* FirstEpisodeTwist: Ed doesn't talk until halfway through the first episode, at which the talking comes off as a surprise. And he didn't give his "Hello, I'm Mister Ed" greeting until after the first few episodes.

* NotSoImaginaryFriend: Ed is shown to be able and willing to talk to other people, but will only do so in situations where the other party doesn't know they're talking to a horse (behind their backs, over a phone, etc). There were at least two occasions where Ed talked openly to children. In the first instance, Ed brushed off Wilbur's concern because "who listens to kids?"

* SapientPet: Ed pretends to be a normal horse, and only talks to directly Wilbur. He sometimes talks to other people but only when they can't see that he's a horse, such as when he makes operator assisted telephone calls, or sings when Wilbur is lip syncing, or insults a police officer when his back is turned.

* ColorBlindConfusion: The title character had whether he was color-blind or not flip-flopped with two episodes touching on it, the first where Ed wants a color TV, but Wilbur refuses to get him once since horses are color-blind, but Ed proves him wrong by pointing out the color of the clothes he's wearing. In a later episode, Ed wins a color TV in a trivia contest, and a fight among Ed and Wilbur ensues about whether it will go in the house or the barn. In the end, Ed steals the TV and watches it in the barn, and decides to let Wilbur have it, since he discovered he was actually color-blind.

* OnSecondThought: In an early episode, Mr. Addison walks in and accidentally overhears Wilbur and Ed talking. Ed covers by claiming (from behind his back) that Wilbur is a ventriloquist:

* ObfuscatingInsanity: Ed really can talk, but Wilbur can't prove it, and the entire neighbourhood thinks he's nuts, including Carol. It's Ed's idea to pretend Wilbur was [[InvokedTrope invoking]] this trope in order to get a better deal on the house.

* FantasticComedy: The "fantastic" element is, of course, Mr. Ed the talking horse himself.