why do they call the first episode of a new tv series the "pilot" episode?
2006-09-15 08:09:30 · 8 answers · asked by Amaya 1 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Television
A television pilot is a test episode of an intended television series. Pilot can also be used to describe a similar episode of a radio show. It may be slightly longer than a normal episode (sometimes it may approach twice the length so if sold, it will later be broken down into two episodes) and is intended to get network programming executives, and later the public, interested in the series. However, pilots are rarely fair examples of what a "normal episode" of a series is like, since they usually set the general background and tell the origin story for the series (e.g., if the series is about two angry roommates, the pilot will probably show how they met
2006-09-15 08:14:52 · answer #1 · answered by David P 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
None of these people are correctly answering your question. You didn't ask what a pilot was, you asked why they called it that!
Well i'll give it a shot.
Maybe because a pilot drives a plane, and the pilot is the one who makes the plane sore off! So its kind of like the show getting off the ground into the air idea, like a pilot would do. Well, it makes sense to me.
2006-09-15 08:17:37 · answer #2 · answered by Norah 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is not merely those shows...it rather is all shows (or all fictitious shows a minimum of). The pilot is the episode they action picture to get approval from the community regardless of if or no longer they are going to be signed or regardless of. no longer all pilots even air (on occasion no longer even those of useful shows). on occasion they're going to re-shoot the 1st episode, even possibly re-write it because of the fact the pilot is the "attempt". As to why they call it a pilot, i'm no longer precisely useful...it rather is in all probability a metaphor for a maiden voyage or some thing.
2016-12-12 09:03:12 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The dictionary defines pilot as one who directs or guides others. So I think they call a TV show pilot that because it sort of guides and directs what a show will be. Hope that helps.
2006-09-15 08:21:00 · answer #4 · answered by miss_nikki214 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a trial to see how the show is going to go over with the public. If the pilot doesn't do good the show gets canceled.
2006-09-15 08:14:44 · answer #5 · answered by unicornfarie1 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_pilot
All information ^^^
Also a lil trivia for you... Samuel L Jackson explained what exactly a pilot is in the movie "Pulp Fiction" to John Travolta ;)
-AQA
2006-09-15 08:18:10 · answer #6 · answered by AnonymousQuestionerAnswerer 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because it's just taking off...
Then again, think about it, why is an apple called an apple, a rose a rose, etc. etc.
2006-09-15 09:21:15 · answer #7 · answered by Salsa 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they want to see if the idea will fly.
Peace!
2006-09-15 08:21:36 · answer #8 · answered by carole 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋