Talk:Television pilot

This article could use a history section. What was the first pilot episode aired? When did making of pilots become standard? Which company did it? Scott Ritchie 2 July 2005 22:49 (UTC)

This article is very US-centric; it would be useful to provide links to alternative production methods used in other countries. I'm not sure whether a pilot episode-led system is prevalent only in America, or in some other countries too; but the British system is very different, as is, I expect, that of other places. DWaterson 21:03, 26 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The reason for the article being very US-centric is that the word "pilot", or its equivalent, the phrase "pilot episode", are rarely used outside the US. For example, most UK networks such as the BBC refer to the first episode of a series as such, that is, "first episode", even if the word "Pilot" is used as the title of that episode. --Fandelasketchup (talk) 12:50, 10 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I just wanted to add that this concept of "pilot" or "pilot episode" doesn't apply in the world of anime, correct me if I'm wrong. --Fandelasketchup (talk) 12:50, 10 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

This is a good article and told me stuff I didn't know but there do seem to be an awful lot of Star Trek references. Actually the whole thing comes across as a little nerdy. This is not a criticism of the way the article is written, just that some variety in examples would be nice. No offense intended! Peteashton 07:39, 27 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think that its a very good example, considering how Star Trek is one of the most influential and successful TV series of all time. Ararararias 12:00, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I agree that "The Cage" is an excellent example of the "send it back for further development" pilot. However, when the article goes on to claim that merely showing Ro and O'Brian together on TNG was a backdoor pilot, it's reaching. There's a difference between a screen test and a pilot. Overall, the article is lacking examples from the earlier days of television, and it's completely bereft of discussion of how pilots establish ownership in a show. Networks and studios used to manipulate pilots in all sorts of ways that aren't really covered in this article. (See: Girl on the Run and Temple Houston (TV series) for just one way the article could be expanded.) CzechOut ^{talk | work} 02:03, 24 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Would "Assignment Earth" be a good example of a backdoor pilot? I'd be bold and add it... but it's not worth the aggravation if there's a consensus that "there's too much Trek." —MicahBrwn (talk) 06:38, 1 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

There are also a few, admittedly, only a few, radio pilots as well. I would suggest moving the page to accomodate them. Badbilltucker 14:10, 8 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Didn't Married...With Children try this a couple times during it's run. I know one had Matt Leblanc, but I thought there was another one as well. Sabalon 13:41, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There was the radio studio and Bud's college one and I think another.

Duggy 1138 13:54, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There also seemed to be a trend in the 1970s of producing movies that have endured on their own, but were filmed as pilots for a series. "The Stranger" with Glenn Corbett and Cameron Mitchell, for one; "Earth II" (not to be confused with the 1990s series), for another. GBC 23:09, 11 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Backdoor pilots are episodes of of existing series and do not include TV movies and miniseries. The point of the "backdoor" is that it's the back of an existing series and not a new enterprise. This needs to be changed soon. The entire article is original research. --Chris Griswold (☎☓) 23:01, 4 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Backdoor Pilots are when creator makes a pilot without specific funding for one... by making it as an episode of another TV series or by making a MOW or mini-series.

Duggy 1138 01:22, 5 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Surely my Millennium example of an X-Files episode was a good one? leopheard 15:07, 20 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

No. It wasn't. There was no Pilot for Millenium in The X-Files.

Sorry.

Duggy 1138 16:31, 21 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Chris Griswold is correct. Backdoor pilots are clearly episodes of existing series. It's hard to think of an example of a "MOW[s] or miniseries" that was produced as a standalone entity with an expectation of it going to series. There is no evidence that, say, early iterations of "Columbo," with and without Peter Falk, were shopped as series. It was only after the success of the first standalone MOW featuring Falk in the role— "Prescription: Murder" — that a second MOW was commissioned as a pilot. But not a backdoor pilot. That "MOW or miniseries" language should be removed. Jamesmartinthompson (talk) 11:47, 1 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Upon further reflection (which included actually reading source #9, which I might have done before composing the previous comment), the definition of BP that Duggy advocates for is not without merit. But listing that as the first definition of the term when *all* the examples of BPs in the section are episodes of existing series serves to confuse the reader and contributes to the general sloppiness of the section. A good plan, I think, for its revision is to make the episode-of-existing-series BP the primary definition, and say that it's what the general public considers the term to mean — and make the "MOW or miniseries" definition secondary, stating that this definition tends to be used mainly by industry professionals. And to add at least a couple of examples of properties that definition describes.

Also might want to make clear that MOW is a term describing a sort of production that had its heyday in the mid-to-late 20th century and is no longer being done. A distinction might also be made between "miniseries" and "limited-run series"; although the there are separate Wikipedia articles for both, it's arguably a distinction without a difference, and the latter seems to have become the preferred term for that form. "Miniseries" is a term no longer used in the title of any Primetime Emmy category. Jamesmartinthompson (talk) 07:16, 2 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

While the addition seems to go against the point of this page, I can see how, well done, this section could be an interesting, informative addition. However just restating the section title and adding a dodgy example is none of those things. A brief description of why some shows don't need pilots would be great. For example, if that's So Raven didn't have a pilot, why not? What made the network pick the show up if there was nothing for them to see? Without the extra info the addition is pointless. Duggy 1138 15:46, 27 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

This article claims that Lost's pilot is an example of a bare-bones pilot. However, the Lost article states that "Lost's two-part pilot episode was the most expensive in the network's history, reportedly costing between US $10 and US $14 million, compared to the average cost of an hour-long pilot in 2005 of US $4 million." Have I misunderstood the bare-bones concept? --Spug 09:27, 10 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe there was another unaired pilot. However, the Lost example was added anonymously during this edit, we need a reference for it. -- memset 09:19, 19 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I was thinking of translating this article into Hungarian, but I am not sure, which parts should I avoid, as being original research, unsourced or dubious. --Dami 12:47, 10 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I initially added a refimprovesect template to the "Types of Pilots" section, which seems to be the most blatant example of unsourced or dubious research. Given that this has been tagged now for nearly five months, maybe it's time to start doing a little weeding? --jonny-mt 02:24, 28 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

"Occasionally, more than one pilot is commissioned for a particular proposed television series to evaluate what the show would be like with modifications. Star Trek and Stargate SG-1 are famous examples of this situation." - There were two pilots made for Stargate SG-1? Tried searching for it but got nothing. There's no mention of it in the article about Stargate SG-1 either... Davhorn 12:22, 31 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I think that is a reference to the Stargate movie by someone who didn't understand the relationship between the two productions, and thought that the movie was originally a pilot for the TV series, rather than the movie inspiring the TV series. I will go ahead and remove the reference, since I've never heard of a pilot other than the first episode, Children of the Gods. 72.151.39.230 (talk) 16:23, 6 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Why is that included? It's not a pilot of any sort, it was a practical joke Stone and Parker played on the audience. There never was any intention of a Terrance and Phillip series to launch based on that episode.69.216.115.65 03:48, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Are these examples really "backdoor pilots"? The description of what that is says that such pilots are intentional, designed by the network and producers of a show to "test the waters" and gauge audience reaction to a show idea, without admitting as much. That is, you never know it's a "backdoor pilot" unless the series is picked up, but the "media insiders" do. Many of those examples, on the other hand, look like spin-offs, where a one-time character became so popular that the producers later decided to create a new series. --70.142.49.24 14:52, 9 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

This all goes to intent, and intent is sometime hard to find. It can be guessed. It can be claimed. But what the original intent was isn't always clear. However,

A backdoor pilot is a "pilot episode filmed as a standalone movie, so it can be broadcast if not picked up as a series".[8] It is distinguished from a simple pilot in that it has a dual purpose. It has an inherent commercial value of its own while also being "proof of concept for the show, that's made to see if the series is worth bankrolling

Although the claim is "movie or mini-series" the point is, you are using money for one thing (a movie, a mini-series or an episode of an existing TV show) to be just that, a movie, a mini-series or an episode of a TV show but with the hope that the idea will become a show of its own. So, if an episode is written as a pilot of another show, it's a back door pilot.

Now, back to intent. Yes, there certainly are examples of in the list of "that idea was popular, let's make it a series." But once again, intent is hard to determine.

Duggy 1138 15:56, 9 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I just recently tagged the section as an

This  level-5 vital article is rated Start-class on Wikipedia's content assessment scale. It is of interest to the following WikiProjects:

Television: Episode coverage Low‑importance This article is within the scope of WikiProject Television, a collaborative effort to develop and improve Wikipedia articles about television programs. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page where you can join the discussion. To improve this article, please refer to the style guidelines for the type of work.TelevisionWikipedia:WikiProject TelevisionTemplate:WikiProject Televisiontelevision articles Low This article has been rated as Low-importance on the project's importance scale. This article is supported by the Episode coverage task force.

{{examplefarm}} Surely not all of these listed examples are necessary to illustrate the term, and I agree that a good number of them are more appropriately considered spinoffs -- RoninBK _{T C} 09:45, 18 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Just wondering if they can be confirmed, as they are denoted as backdoor pilots in their own pages. Return of the Incredible Hulk is listed as such for Thor, while Trial of the Incredible Hulk features Daredevil, and both descriptions indicate that there were possible series planned for these characters. However I haven't been able to find anything concrete that suggests anything other than a tie-in to the Marvel Universe.... Enigmatic2k3 (talk) 20:22, 13 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

A late episode of The Rockford Files depicted other PIs Lance (Tom Selleck of later Magnum P.I. fame) and a young Richie Brockelmann [1]. The latter had a brief spin-off series, which only lasted a few episodes. — Loadmaster (talk) 16:55, 29 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

...which was removed by Duggy 1138 for lack of a "BDP episode" (?). | Loadmaster (talk) 15:34, 1 December 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Quote:*Sabrina, the Teenage Witch: a backdoor pilot featuring a witch and her two daughters (also witches, played by Sabrina actress Melissa Joan Hart's real life sisters) fell in love with a mortal man with two sons. The show was never picked up."

Why is that in "Unused"? Shouldn´t be this under "retooled"? Of course it was picked up! Only with a slightly changed plot! 80.152.220.54 (talk) 08:47, 23 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Fixed the grammar and increased the readability of the segment under Unintentional Pilots that discusses the Larry Shorts. —Preceding unsigned comment added by ArchivariusLindhorst (talk • contribs) 00:30, 17 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Since there are so many mentions of spin-off series, shouldn't there be a separate section devoted to spin-offs? ♦ Loadmaster (talk) 14:47, 2 December 2008 (UTC)[reply]

In the 2nd section it says: " A good example of this is "Love and the Happy Days", an episode of Love, American Style which featured a version of the Cunningham family. It was in fact a failed pilot for the proposed 1972 series, New Family in Town, not a successful pilot for 1974's Happy Days.[6] So firmly embedded is the notion of it as a Happy Days pilot, however, that even series actor Erin Moran views it as such, as well as its creator, Garry Marshall.[7]"

Then, in a later section, it says: "Happy Days (which itself began as a backdoor pilot aired as a segment on Love American Style - Love and the Happy Day) also served as backdoor pilot to three different shows."

It sounds like the 2nd statement is incorrect as the 1st one seems more researched, but I'm not sure. — Preceding unsigned comment added by NorthernLad79 (talk • contribs) 16:28, 22 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I think the first is more, like, original research. Wikipedia is not the place for original research.--Fandelasketchup (talk) 21:59, 19 October 2019 (UTC)[reply]

If someone knows about "testing", can an article be added or something in this entry? There is not section for it in the current testing article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testing

I ask because I was just reading a NYTimes article that mentions the "testing" of a pilot and I don't know what testing is. (the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/arts/television/22cart.html ) (the paragraph: "There are so many versions about what happened at the pilot screening for NBC, but this is what I remember. Warren Littlefield [the president of NBC Entertainment] came out and said, “We’re never going to put it on the air.” Les went crazy and started yelling, saying we were going to test it ourselves. We called NBC after we tested it, and they didn’t believe our results. So we suggested a focus group. That went so well they then tested it. I was shocked at the results. It was the best-testing show they’d ever had." )— Preceding unsigned comment added by NorthernLad79 (talk • contribs) 16:28, 22 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The opening sentence in full is

A "television pilot", also known as a pilot episode and series premiere, is the first episode of a television series.

This is misleading. While all pilots are (or are intended to be) the first episode of a series, not all first episodes are pilots. The article itself says that

"At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an intended television series.")

But of course, there are many series that have gone ahead without a pilot of this nature, where the first transmitted episode is merely the first in the series. It's therefore misleading to present the term "pilot" as synonymous with "series premiere" or "the first episode of a television series". Ubcule (talk) 21:40, 2 December 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Not only that, but section 1, titled "Pilot season", is also misleading when it says, in its opening paragraph:"Each summer, the major American broadcast television networks – including ABC, CBS, The CW, Fox and NBC – receive about 500 brief elevator pitches each for new shows from writers and producers. That fall, each network requests scripts for about 70 pitches and, the following January, orders about 20 pilot episodes.[3] Actors come to Los Angeles from within the area or elsewhere in the United States and around the world to audition for them. By spring, actors are cast and production crews assembled to produce the pilots." Why do I say the aforementioned text is misleading? Because it doesn't make clear if "summer", "spring" and "fall" refer to the Northern or Southern hemisphere. I have edited the article to make that clear. --Fandelasketchup (talk) 14:52, 17 February 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Of the 429 Scripts Sold

• 59 are about law enforcement and/or private eyes
• 24 are medical dramas
• 3 are musicals — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.26.21.217 (talk) 01:45, 29 May 2011 (UTC)[reply]

One problem editing as an IP (I'm an admin with Wikipedia who has chosen not to edit while signed in as a protest on an issue unrelated to this article) is that often IP edits are deleted without consideration. For that reason I'm recording that I deleted "Doctor Who" from the list of series sold using "demos" as a factual error. No such thing occurred with Doctor Who. The series was commissioned without a formal pilot. The first episode was recorded and then rejected by the BBC due to various issues, but the producers were allowed to remount it. The recording survives and is dubbed "The Pilot" by the BBC in order to differentiate it from the broadcast version. But there was no advance demo of Doctor Who produced. If a bot or someone else has reinstated the title to the list, it needs to be removed, unless someone can provide a source to prove I'm wrong (despite basing my facts on the official BBC history of the series) 70.72.223.215 (talk) 16:29, 27 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Would the recurring appearances of The Simpsons as sketches on the Tracey Ullman Show count as an unintentional pilot? 69.7.41.230 (talk) 13:47, 4 July 2012 (UTC)[reply]

If I remember correctly, the first aired episode of Firefly is actually the second episode of the series. IIRC it was aired in this order because it was believed that the second episode would get more viewers, as it had much more action in it. Or something. 85.221.157.238 (talk) 22:23, 12 July 2012 (UTC)[reply]

According to "Serenity (Firefly episode)": Fox executives were not satisfied with this as a pilot, and so instead, "The Train Job" was created as a second pilot and was the first episode of the series aired. Doesn't say why. Whedon notes in DVD commentary (if I remember correctly) that Mal, the lead character, is considerably 'darker' (more amoral) in "Serenity" than elsewhere. —Tamfang (talk) 23:31, 12 July 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Many people forget that the character of Sheriff Andy Taylor was actually introduced on Danny Thomas' popular sitcom "Make Room for Daddy". On this episode, Danny is pulled over in a small town for running a stop sign. Andy Griffith played the sheriff who was also justice of the peace and editor of the local newspaper. Danny is jailed for sassing the sheriff, but during his stay in the jail, he gets to see the sheriff's more compassionate side. Even though there were some marked differences between this episode and what later became "The Andy Griffith Show", there were also many similarities. The sheriff's name was Andy Taylor, he was a widower with a son named Opie (played by Ron Howard in this episode), and the name of the town was Mayberry.97.73.64.152 (talk) 13:21, 22 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, its omission is notable and the "backdoor pilot" section ought to be revised. My only quibble is that "Make Room for Daddy" was retitled "The Danny Thomas Show" beginning with Season 4, and the episode "Danny Meets Andy Griffith" was an early Season 7 episode. It seems clear that it is the first successful example of a backdoor pilot. The first attempt at one was the "Chuck at College" episode of "The Bob Cummings Show"'s third season in 1957. I'll plan to work on that. Jamesmartinthompson (talk) 11:16, 1 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

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This article only focuses on TV but before TV there were, and still are, radio shows that are also made as pliots first.

This should be reflected in the article.81.132.173.247 (talk) 11:34, 30 August 2016 (UTC)[reply]

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"Sometimes, too, viewers will assign the word "pilot" to a work that represented the first appearances of characters and situations later employed by a series – even if the work was not initially intended as a pilot for the series. A good example of this is "Love and the Television Set" (later retitled "Love and the Happy Days" for syndication), an episode of Love, American Style that featured a version of the Cunningham family. It was in fact a failed pilot for the proposed 1972 series New Family in Town, not a successful pilot for 1974's Happy Days.[27] So firmly embedded is the notion of it as a Happy Days pilot, however, that even series actress Erin Moran viewed it as such, as well as its creator, Garry Marshall.[28]""

How is this any different from the major retooling after each of Star Trek's two pilots? --Khajidha (talk) 17:49, 24 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]