pilot

Finale time is rapidly approaching.  I've already had to say goodbye to one of my favorite shows ever, One Tree Hill and in two weeks I will also being saying goodbye to another show as well, Desperate Housewives.  Last night I decided to watch the pilot episode in order to prepare myself to say goodbye to Wisteria Lane and all of my favorite housewives.  While I was watching this pilot, which I haven't watched in years, I starting thinking about all of the pilots of my favorite shows.

The pilot episode of a television show is extremely important.  First off, the creators and producers use to pilot to gain interest in the show from networks as well as audiences.  Once a pilot is picked up it goes through a rigorous process of finding actors/actresses to form the perfect cast and tweaking the script in order to find success in test markets.  There are so many pilots that aren't successful, therefore the pilot and first season of a show can make or break it.

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The goal of a pilot episode is first and foremost to introduce the characters.  Secondary to the characters is their relationships, stories, and plot line.  A show cannot succeed without interesting, compelling, and relatable characters.  The characters of the show are what give audiences something or someone to believe in.  This is why finding the right cast is so essential to the success of a pilot.  I recently read an article about the beginnings of the show FRIENDS and it gave great insight into how the chemistry of the cast can be the foundation of the show.  Once characters and actors are nailed down it is time to develop their stories.  Not only do characters have to be relatable but plots and story lines do as well.  Audiences have to believe in the stories.  You can't start out the pilot with an outrageous plot because that can be overwhelming to audiences.  It needs to be a story that intrigues the audiences and sets something up for future seasons.  For instance, Desperate Housewives opens up with the suicide of fellow housewife, Mary Alice Young.  The episode goes on the introduce each of her four best friends and their lives.  In addition, they also address the relationship that they had with Mary Alice.  This episode sets the tone for the next 9 seasons, which is friendships, family, and life in suburbia.  It is important that the pilot sets a tone so audiences get an overall feel for what the show is all about.

I have discussed many different and ambitious goals that I have for myself post graduation which is about a week away.  If none of my big dreams of moving to NYC or LA and being a part of the entertainment industry work out, I would love to watch TV pilots for a living.  I think I could be an excellent judge of whether the show could be a hit or not.  Or maybe I would just love to watch TV shows for a living.