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Bad pilot, great show: 8 series that succeeded despite terrible start
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Ubiquitous
Feb 23, 2017, 8:59:08 AM2/23/17
to
You only get one chance to make a first impression — and a
surprising number of TV shows managed to blow that chance with a
pilot episode that just didn’t deliver. Still, while many shows
deliver first episodes that don’t necessarily entice us to keep
watching, there are plenty of great shows that had terrible
beginnings.
Believe it or not, some of your favorite series got off to rough
starts. Whether it’s that they failed to set the tone for what the
series would become, or the quality just wasn’t there, or watered
down, sometimes things simply don’t add up. Luckily, they managed to
make the most of it by correcting course and becoming modern
classics.
Looking back on far too many shows, Screener’s come up with our 10
favorite TV shows that had bad pilots. We truly love each and every
one of these — but it can’t be denied, their introductions to the
world just don’t work.
‘The Office’
The US version of “The Office” went on to become one of TV’s most
beloved comedies and introduced the world to the likes of Michael
Scott (Steve Carell), Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), Pam Beasly
(Jenna Fischer) and Jim Halpert (John Krasinski). But if you revisit
the first episode, it’s tonally a very different show. Its Michael
is actually rather mean, and the charisma of the rest of the cast
just isn’t as good as it would become — without the accents and
trimmings of its UK predecessor, co-created by Ricky Gervais, it all
just feels rather hopeless.
‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is an iconic genre show that launched a
number of careers, but the pilot’s still a little tough to watch.
Creator Joss Whedon clearly hadn’t figured out the Angel (David
Boreanaz) character yet, and everything else — from the stylized
language to the look of the show itself — still come off too over-
the-top. (It’s not the last time things would get weird with Angel,
though.)
’30 Rock’
Before “30 Rock” became the zany comedy juggernaut it was, it had a
very uneven pilot that barely made sense within the confines of the
show. The chemistry between the characters isn’t there, the jokes
bounce from mean to too-random, and overall it’s just not that
funny. Of course, once they figured out the formula, it was game on.
‘Arrow’
The word “schmaltzy” comes to mind when you think of the “Arrow”
pilot. The cast is clearly loaded with good actors, of varying
degrees of experience — but so much of the dialogue hits with the
emotional impact of a soap opera parody. Once Oliver suited up as
the Hood, and began killing no end of people, it brought the stark
realization this wasn’t going to be another “Smallville,” and fans
took a while to catch up. In the end, of course, we’re grateful: The
show “Arrow” would grow to become has launched a whole universe.
‘Parks and Recreation’
The problem with the pilot (and first season) of “Parks and
Recreation” is how hard it’s trying to be “The Office.” You can’t
blame them for waning to copy a wildly successful show — but the
beauty of “Parks” as we remember it now is how different the cast,
and characters, are from anything else on TV. Even Leslie Knope’s
(Amy Poehler) natural, inspiring charm is largely absent — but we
are so happy it was installed for Season 2.
‘Angel’
Another pilot ruined by “Buffy’s” Angel, who as the lead of this
spinoff was essentially rebuilt from the ground up as the lead —
complete with Irish demon buddy Doyle (Glenn Quin) and fellow
“Buffy” transplant Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter). Unfortunately, the
pilot can’t seem to decide if Angel is Batman or just an everyday
guy who happens to kill vampires at night. The problem is, of
course, that he was neither. Luckily, the show eventually found the
right balance for Angel himself, and surrounded him with a stellar
cast of newbies and “Buffy” veterans.
‘The 100’
“The 100” pilot’s only true fault is that it was not very indicative
of where the show was heading. The first episode has a very
“rebellious teens in space” vibe that it pretty swiftly drops in
favor of life-or-death stakes, gruesome acid burns, and mass murder.
Going by the pilot alone, it’s comparable to watching an episode of
“My Little Pony” slowly devolve into “Game of Thrones” — it’s not
that it isn’t awesome, it’s just not exactly what you signed up for,
you know?
‘Seinfeld’
The show about nothing had a pilot that was also about nothing — but
not in a good way. While “Seinfeld” was known for its lightning-
quick humor, the pilot feels like it’s happening in slow motion. And
the characters as we meet them just don’t hold a candle to the icons
they’d become.
--
The liberal media's agenda is to make Trump as hated and distrusted
as they are.
surprising number of TV shows managed to blow that chance with a
pilot episode that just didn’t deliver. Still, while many shows
deliver first episodes that don’t necessarily entice us to keep
watching, there are plenty of great shows that had terrible
beginnings.
Believe it or not, some of your favorite series got off to rough
starts. Whether it’s that they failed to set the tone for what the
series would become, or the quality just wasn’t there, or watered
down, sometimes things simply don’t add up. Luckily, they managed to
make the most of it by correcting course and becoming modern
classics.
Looking back on far too many shows, Screener’s come up with our 10
favorite TV shows that had bad pilots. We truly love each and every
one of these — but it can’t be denied, their introductions to the
world just don’t work.
‘The Office’
The US version of “The Office” went on to become one of TV’s most
beloved comedies and introduced the world to the likes of Michael
Scott (Steve Carell), Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), Pam Beasly
(Jenna Fischer) and Jim Halpert (John Krasinski). But if you revisit
the first episode, it’s tonally a very different show. Its Michael
is actually rather mean, and the charisma of the rest of the cast
just isn’t as good as it would become — without the accents and
trimmings of its UK predecessor, co-created by Ricky Gervais, it all
just feels rather hopeless.
‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is an iconic genre show that launched a
number of careers, but the pilot’s still a little tough to watch.
Creator Joss Whedon clearly hadn’t figured out the Angel (David
Boreanaz) character yet, and everything else — from the stylized
language to the look of the show itself — still come off too over-
the-top. (It’s not the last time things would get weird with Angel,
though.)
’30 Rock’
Before “30 Rock” became the zany comedy juggernaut it was, it had a
very uneven pilot that barely made sense within the confines of the
show. The chemistry between the characters isn’t there, the jokes
bounce from mean to too-random, and overall it’s just not that
funny. Of course, once they figured out the formula, it was game on.
‘Arrow’
The word “schmaltzy” comes to mind when you think of the “Arrow”
pilot. The cast is clearly loaded with good actors, of varying
degrees of experience — but so much of the dialogue hits with the
emotional impact of a soap opera parody. Once Oliver suited up as
the Hood, and began killing no end of people, it brought the stark
realization this wasn’t going to be another “Smallville,” and fans
took a while to catch up. In the end, of course, we’re grateful: The
show “Arrow” would grow to become has launched a whole universe.
‘Parks and Recreation’
The problem with the pilot (and first season) of “Parks and
Recreation” is how hard it’s trying to be “The Office.” You can’t
blame them for waning to copy a wildly successful show — but the
beauty of “Parks” as we remember it now is how different the cast,
and characters, are from anything else on TV. Even Leslie Knope’s
(Amy Poehler) natural, inspiring charm is largely absent — but we
are so happy it was installed for Season 2.
‘Angel’
Another pilot ruined by “Buffy’s” Angel, who as the lead of this
spinoff was essentially rebuilt from the ground up as the lead —
complete with Irish demon buddy Doyle (Glenn Quin) and fellow
“Buffy” transplant Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter). Unfortunately, the
pilot can’t seem to decide if Angel is Batman or just an everyday
guy who happens to kill vampires at night. The problem is, of
course, that he was neither. Luckily, the show eventually found the
right balance for Angel himself, and surrounded him with a stellar
cast of newbies and “Buffy” veterans.
‘The 100’
“The 100” pilot’s only true fault is that it was not very indicative
of where the show was heading. The first episode has a very
“rebellious teens in space” vibe that it pretty swiftly drops in
favor of life-or-death stakes, gruesome acid burns, and mass murder.
Going by the pilot alone, it’s comparable to watching an episode of
“My Little Pony” slowly devolve into “Game of Thrones” — it’s not
that it isn’t awesome, it’s just not exactly what you signed up for,
you know?
‘Seinfeld’
The show about nothing had a pilot that was also about nothing — but
not in a good way. While “Seinfeld” was known for its lightning-
quick humor, the pilot feels like it’s happening in slow motion. And
the characters as we meet them just don’t hold a candle to the icons
they’d become.
--
The liberal media's agenda is to make Trump as hated and distrusted
as they are.
anim8rfsk
Feb 23, 2017, 1:07:29 PM2/23/17
to
In article <o8mpnp$mkc$1...@dont-email.me>,
Ubiquitous <web...@polaris.net> wrote:
Well, the guy that wrote this is a complete moron.
> You only get one chance to make a first impression — and a
> surprising number of TV shows managed to blow that chance with a
> pilot episode that just didn’t deliver. Still, while many shows
> deliver first episodes that don’t necessarily entice us to keep
> watching, there are plenty of great shows that had terrible
> beginnings.
>
> Believe it or not, some of your favorite series got off to rough
> starts. Whether it’s that they failed to set the tone for what the
> series would become, or the quality just wasn’t there, or watered
> down, sometimes things simply don’t add up. Luckily, they managed to
> make the most of it by correcting course and becoming modern
> classics.
>
> Looking back on far too many shows, Screener’s come up with our 10
> favorite TV shows that had bad pilots. We truly love each and every
> one of these — but it can’t be denied, their introductions to the
> world just don’t work.
>
Buffy pilot (which I at first assumed he was talking about) ain't that
good, and of course the movie is horrible. The aired Buffy pilot was
the first time the concept actually worked.
through.
>
> ‘Angel’
>
> Another pilot ruined by “Buffy’s” Angel, who as the lead of this
> spinoff was essentially rebuilt from the ground up as the lead —
> complete with Irish demon buddy Doyle (Glenn Quin) and fellow
> “Buffy” transplant Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter). Unfortunately, the
> pilot can’t seem to decide if Angel is Batman or just an everyday
> guy who happens to kill vampires at night. The problem is, of
> course, that he was neither. Luckily, the show eventually found the
> right balance for Angel himself, and surrounded him with a stellar
> cast of newbies and “Buffy” veterans.
Completely wrong - the only thing that didn't work were the super hero
gimmicks that they dropped.
> ‘The 100’
>
> “The 100” pilot’s only true fault is that it was not very indicative
> of where the show was heading.
This is the stupidest man alive. The 100 pilot was 100% indicative of
where the show was heading - shit being flushed.
The first episode has a very
> “rebellious teens in space” vibe that it pretty swiftly drops in
> favor of life-or-death stakes, gruesome acid burns, and mass murder.
> Going by the pilot alone, it’s comparable to watching an episode of
> “My Little Pony” slowly devolve into “Game of Thrones” — it’s not
> that it isn’t awesome, it’s just not exactly what you signed up for,
> you know?
--
Join your old RAT friends at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1688985234647266/
Ubiquitous <web...@polaris.net> wrote:
Well, the guy that wrote this is a complete moron.
> You only get one chance to make a first impression — and a
> surprising number of TV shows managed to blow that chance with a
> pilot episode that just didn’t deliver. Still, while many shows
> deliver first episodes that don’t necessarily entice us to keep
> watching, there are plenty of great shows that had terrible
> beginnings.
>
> Believe it or not, some of your favorite series got off to rough
> starts. Whether it’s that they failed to set the tone for what the
> series would become, or the quality just wasn’t there, or watered
> down, sometimes things simply don’t add up. Luckily, they managed to
> make the most of it by correcting course and becoming modern
> classics.
>
> Looking back on far too many shows, Screener’s come up with our 10
> favorite TV shows that had bad pilots. We truly love each and every
> one of these — but it can’t be denied, their introductions to the
> world just don’t work.
>
> ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’
>
> “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is an iconic genre show that launched a
> number of careers, but the pilot’s still a little tough to watch.
> Creator Joss Whedon clearly hadn’t figured out the Angel (David
> Boreanaz) character yet, and everything else — from the stylized
> language to the look of the show itself — still come off too over-
> the-top. (It’s not the last time things would get weird with Angel,
> though.)
There's absolutely nothing wrong with the Buffy pilot. Now, the unaired
>
> “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is an iconic genre show that launched a
> number of careers, but the pilot’s still a little tough to watch.
> Creator Joss Whedon clearly hadn’t figured out the Angel (David
> Boreanaz) character yet, and everything else — from the stylized
> language to the look of the show itself — still come off too over-
> the-top. (It’s not the last time things would get weird with Angel,
> though.)
Buffy pilot (which I at first assumed he was talking about) ain't that
good, and of course the movie is horrible. The aired Buffy pilot was
the first time the concept actually worked.
>
>
> ‘Arrow’
>
> The word “schmaltzy” comes to mind when you think of the “Arrow”
> pilot. The cast is clearly loaded with good actors, of varying
> degrees of experience — but so much of the dialogue hits with the
> emotional impact of a soap opera parody. Once Oliver suited up as
> the Hood, and began killing no end of people, it brought the stark
> realization this wasn’t going to be another “Smallville,” and fans
> took a while to catch up. In the end, of course, we’re grateful: The
> show “Arrow” would grow to become has launched a whole universe.
Arrow is one of the worst shows on television; stupid all the way
>
> ‘Arrow’
>
> The word “schmaltzy” comes to mind when you think of the “Arrow”
> pilot. The cast is clearly loaded with good actors, of varying
> degrees of experience — but so much of the dialogue hits with the
> emotional impact of a soap opera parody. Once Oliver suited up as
> the Hood, and began killing no end of people, it brought the stark
> realization this wasn’t going to be another “Smallville,” and fans
> took a while to catch up. In the end, of course, we’re grateful: The
> show “Arrow” would grow to become has launched a whole universe.
through.
>
> ‘Angel’
>
> Another pilot ruined by “Buffy’s” Angel, who as the lead of this
> spinoff was essentially rebuilt from the ground up as the lead —
> complete with Irish demon buddy Doyle (Glenn Quin) and fellow
> “Buffy” transplant Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter). Unfortunately, the
> pilot can’t seem to decide if Angel is Batman or just an everyday
> guy who happens to kill vampires at night. The problem is, of
> course, that he was neither. Luckily, the show eventually found the
> right balance for Angel himself, and surrounded him with a stellar
> cast of newbies and “Buffy” veterans.
gimmicks that they dropped.
> ‘The 100’
>
> “The 100” pilot’s only true fault is that it was not very indicative
> of where the show was heading.
where the show was heading - shit being flushed.
The first episode has a very
> “rebellious teens in space” vibe that it pretty swiftly drops in
> favor of life-or-death stakes, gruesome acid burns, and mass murder.
> Going by the pilot alone, it’s comparable to watching an episode of
> “My Little Pony” slowly devolve into “Game of Thrones” — it’s not
> that it isn’t awesome, it’s just not exactly what you signed up for,
> you know?
Join your old RAT friends at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1688985234647266/
Ubiquitous
Feb 23, 2017, 8:53:02 PM2/23/17
to
In article <anim8rfsk-09BA9...@news.easynews.com>,
It's been awhile since I saw the pilot but I don't recall it being that
bad. The existance of an unaired pilot makes sense.
>> ‘Arrow’
>>
>> The word “schmaltzy” comes to mind when you think of the “Arrow”
>> pilot. The cast is clearly loaded with good actors, of varying
>> degrees of experience — but so much of the dialogue hits with the
>> emotional impact of a soap opera parody. Once Oliver suited up as
>> the Hood, and began killing no end of people, it brought the stark
>> realization this wasn’t going to be another “Smallville,” and fans
>> took a while to catch up. In the end, of course, we’re grateful: The
>> show “Arrow” would grow to become has launched a whole universe.
>
>Arrow is one of the worst shows on television; stupid all the way
>through.
Heh. How true!
anim...@cox.net wrote:
> Ubiquitous <web...@polaris.net> wrote:
>Well, the guy that wrote this is a complete moron.
Well, not a complete moron...
> Ubiquitous <web...@polaris.net> wrote:
>Well, the guy that wrote this is a complete moron.
bad. The existance of an unaired pilot makes sense.
>> ‘Arrow’
>>
>> The word “schmaltzy” comes to mind when you think of the “Arrow”
>> pilot. The cast is clearly loaded with good actors, of varying
>> degrees of experience — but so much of the dialogue hits with the
>> emotional impact of a soap opera parody. Once Oliver suited up as
>> the Hood, and began killing no end of people, it brought the stark
>> realization this wasn’t going to be another “Smallville,” and fans
>> took a while to catch up. In the end, of course, we’re grateful: The
>> show “Arrow” would grow to become has launched a whole universe.
>
>Arrow is one of the worst shows on television; stupid all the way
>through.
Robin Miller
Feb 23, 2017, 9:27:53 PM2/23/17
to
Ubiquitous wrote:
> You only get one chance to make a first impression — and a
> surprising number of TV shows managed to blow that chance with a
> pilot episode that just didn’t deliver. Still, while many shows
> deliver first episodes that don’t necessarily entice us to keep
> watching, there are plenty of great shows that had terrible
> beginnings.
Link to original:
> You only get one chance to make a first impression — and a
> surprising number of TV shows managed to blow that chance with a
> pilot episode that just didn’t deliver. Still, while many shows
> deliver first episodes that don’t necessarily entice us to keep
> watching, there are plenty of great shows that had terrible
> beginnings.
http://screenertv.com/television/the-100-arrow-30-rock-shows-with-bad-pilots/
>
>
> ‘Angel’
>
> Another pilot ruined by “Buffy’s” Angel, who as the lead of this
> spinoff was essentially rebuilt from the ground up as the lead —
> complete with Irish demon buddy Doyle (Glenn Quin) and fellow
> “Buffy” transplant Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter).
the wonderful green Andy Hallett...
Lots of double letters here.
--Robin
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