Just 20 years ago, Lost ushered in a new era for television series, and for all the fanaticism that surrounds them. So much so that, in 2004, before the dawn of the streaming platforms, when many worldwide viewers downloaded the first episode of the series about the mysterious island, they learned a new term when they saw it’s title: Pilot (Part I) . What did the word refer to? Perhaps the pilot of the crashed plane? Or was it the name of the episode? Viewers in the U.
S. are far more familiar with the term. For decades American television has baptized test episodes as pilots, a calling card for new series with which their producers and backers hope to convince the television channels to commission further episodes.
It was a proven formula for success. The opening episode of Lost was until then the most expensive in history, with a budget of more than $10 million. But since Oceanic Flight 815 went missing, almost everything has changed in a TV industry that today relies on platforms.
Pilots are an endangered species and the networks have taken with them a conglomerate that moved billions of dollars and created hundreds of jobs. According to The Hollywood Reporter ’s estimate, 98 pilot episodes were filmed in 2013. This season, 12 years later, they can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
In the original 30 Rock pilot, Jenna Maloney’s character was not played by the iconic Jane Krakowski, but Rachel Dratch, who would later be used in cameos as various different characte.
