Television pilot

A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode) is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its creation, the pilot is meant to be the testing ground to gauge whether a series will be successful, and is therefore a test episode of an intended television series. It is an early step in the development of a television series, much like pilot studies serve as precursors to the start of larger activity.

Television networks use pilots to discover whether an entertaining concept can be successfully realized. After seeing this sample of the proposed product, networks will then determine whether the expense of additional episodes is justified. They are best thought of as prototypes of the show that is to follow, because elements often change from pilot to series. Variety estimates that only a little over a quarter of all pilots made for American television proceed to the series stage, although the figure may be even lower.

Pilot (Millennium)

"Pilot" is the pilot episode of the crime-thriller television series Millennium. It premiered on the Fox network on October 25, 1996. The episode was written by series creator Chris Carter, and directed by David Nutter. "Pilot" featured guest appearances by Paul Dillon, April Telek and Stephen J. Lang.

Offender profiler Frank Black (Lance Henriksen), a member of the private investigative organisation Millennium Group, retires to Seattle with his family after a breakdown caused him to quit working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Using his incredible profiling skills, Black helps in an effort to catch a vicious murderer who believes he is fulfilling apocalyptic prophecies.

"Pilot" was filmed over the course of a month in Vancouver, British Columbia, and was inspired by the writings of Nostradamus and William Butler Yeats. Airing in the timeslot previously occupied by Carter's first series, The X-Files, the episode received a high Nielsen household and syndication rating and was generally positively received by fans and critics alike.

Pilot (Supernatural)

"Pilot" is the first episode of the television series Supernatural. It premiered on The WB on September 13, 2005 and was written by series creator Eric Kripke, and directed by David Nutter. The Supernatural pilot introduces the characters of Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles), brothers who travel throughout the country hunting supernatural creatures, as they battle a ghostly Woman in White (Sarah Shahi) while searching for their missing father (Jeffrey Dean Morgan).

Kripke had been developing the concept for ten years before it was greenlit as a television series. Before it could be filmed, the script underwent numerous revisions. It was produced in Los Angeles, though future episodes were filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, to save money. The episode established the series' tradition of a rock-music soundtrack, and included background music scored by Kripke's friend Christopher Lennertz. The series premiere received mixed reviews, with critics praising the horror elements but having varying opinions of the lead actors' performances.

Podcasts:

developed with YouTube
PLAYLIST TIME:

Latest News for: pilot episode

Series documents vibrant village life

China Daily 18 Jan 2025
On Jan 7, the global broadcast ceremony for the six-episode documentary was held in Beijing ... In anticipation of the upcoming Spring Festival, the documentary's pilot episode will be screened on the Fuxing high-speed trains.

Ahead Of Star Trek: Section 31’s Premiere, The Director Shares How Close Michelle Yeoh’s Spinoff Came To Being A TV Series

Cinema Blend 18 Jan 2025
Had things gone according to the original plan, Osunsanmi was going to direct the Section 31 pilot, having already contributed to the franchise helming various episodes of Star Trek.

Severance’s Original, Unfilmed Pilot Script Would’ve Killed the Apple TV+ Series

The Escapist 17 Jan 2025
But even more mind-melting is just how different series creator/showrunner Dan Erickson’s original Severance pilot script was from the debut episode we ultimately got.

The Owl House creator’s follow-up is a surreal sci-fi thriller

Polygon 17 Jan 2025
After the pilot episodes debuted in 2023, it quickly became the most-viewed animation pilot on YouTube ... page says it’ll come when it’s finished, with the pilot hopefully arriving later this year).

Spokane’s ‘Twin Peaks’ connections are as strong as a cup of Joe from the Double R Diner

The Spokesman-Review 17 Jan 2025
In the pilot episode of the surrealist mystery and pop culture phenomenon “Twin Peaks,” good-natured yet idiosyncratic FBI agent Dale Cooper notes that the town lies about 5 miles south of ...

David Lynch championed weird, celebrated imagination and ran from explanations

Detroit news 17 Jan 2025
What follows is a brutal and difficult-to-watch descent into madness, chronicling the last week in the life of Laura Palmer, the homecoming queen whose dead body washes ashore at the beginning of the pilot episode of "Twin Peaks."

Filmmaker David Lynch remembered: 'Jimmy Stewart from Mars'

RTE 17 Jan 2025
you experience it ... Of which only seven episodes were made ... Watch ... Following the pilot episode's rejection by TV networks, Lynch raised a bit more money, shot more scenes and edited it into a theatrical release ... episode eight of 2017’s Twin Peaks ... .

‘Twin Peaks’ classic ‘Z To A’ box set is being re-released

NME 16 Jan 2025
This new re-release is an updated version of the classic collection, with new packaging, plus all of the episodes in high definition, and 4K transfers of the original series pilot and Part 8 of the limited event series.

How David Lynch's Twin Peaks changed TV

RTE 16 Jan 2025
Nothing would be explained neatly by the time the episode credits rolled ... When the remarkable, feature-length pilot episode of Twin Peaks was first screened in April 1990, those who tuned in weren't exactly sure what they had watched.

A Complete Unknown, Anora, and Challengers earn WGA screenplay nominations

Rotten Tomatoes 16 Jan 2025
FILM ... Adapted Screenplay ... “Bottle Episode” (The Simpsons), Written by Rob LaZebnik & Johnny LaZebnik; Fox ... Episodic Drama ... “Pilot” (Elsbeth), Written by Robert King & Michelle King; CBS. Episodic Comedy ... Children’s Episodic, Long Form and Specials.

The Writers Guild Award nominations have room for Hit Man, Challengers

AV Club 16 Jan 2025
And Mrs. Smith, Fallout, and Shōgun) ... Dune ... “Bottle Episode” (The Simpsons), Written by Rob LaZebnik & Johnny LaZebnik ... EPISODIC DRAMA ... “Pilot” (Elsbeth), Written by Robert King & Michelle King. EPISODIC COMEDY ... CHILDREN’S EPISODIC, LONG FORM AND SPECIALS ... .

Who Is Bam Margera’s Wife? Dannii Marie’s Job & Relationship History

Coming Soon 15 Jan 2025
Bam Margera has been in the headlines as he was recently featured in the pilot episode of The Curious Case Of…, a crime documentary ... Marie appeared in The Curious Case Of… episode with her face blurred to the viewers ... (via InTouch Weekly) ... .

How Everyone on Younger Discovered Liza’s Secret

New York Magazine 15 Jan 2025
In the pilot episode of TV Land’s Younger, 40-year-old, freshly divorced mom Liza Miller (Sutton Foster) is unable to get a job in publishing after taking time off to raise her now college-age ...

Jane Seymour opens her home to ‘Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman’ co-star and ex Joe Lando ...

New York Post 15 Jan 2025
Lando — who briefly dated Seymour, 73, when they shot the pilot episode of the Western series in 1992 — opened up about Seymour’s act of service in an Instagram video on Saturday.

‘Anora,’ ‘A Real Pain,’ ‘A Complete Unknown,’ ‘Wicked’ Receive Writers Guild Award Nominations

The Wrap 15 Jan 2025
& Mrs ... wildfires ... 15 ... Dune ... Mr ... Max ... “Bottle Episode” (The Simpsons), Written by Rob LaZebnik & Johnny LaZebnik; Fox ... EPISODIC DRAMA ... “Pilot” (Elsbeth), Written by Robert King & Michelle King; CBS. EPISODIC COMEDY ... CHILDREN’S EPISODIC, LONG FORM AND SPECIALS ... .

Most Viewed

×