A Question for the Class

[kungfuwaynewho]

I'm fixing to start a new writing project - a pilot.  I should write one every year, and I think I'm going to use the idea I came up with for tvrealm's Create a Show challenge for this year.

So here's my question: what do you look for in a pilot?  What are the things that get you to sit down a try out a new show?  What has to go right for you to tune in the next week?  What goes wrong that makes you decide to spend your time on something else?  What are your favorite pilots, and what did you love about them?  Conversely, what are your least favorite pilots, and what turned you off?

Comments

[sonneta.livejournal.com]

What makes me try a new show: Usually the premise. Since I'm a sci-fi/fantasy fan, anything with like... conspiracies, paranormal whatsit, and/or some sort of intriguing mystery. (But it has to be the right kind of paranormal whatsit.)

Sometimes, I will try out a show with an actor I've liked in something else or written by a writer who wrote a show I liked. (Which... probably doesn't help you much, but there you are.)

What has to go right: For me, I really need to feel a connection to one of the characters. Doesn't even have to be a super-strong connection, but some kind of connection. I need to identify with one of them.

Or if there's an interesting mystery (there's that theme again) that I want to see how the writers resolve - for example, in the Ringer pilot, they set up this whole thing about "How is Bridget going to pretend to be Siobhan?" and then "How come Siobhan faked her own death, and did she set up her sister to be killed?"

What goes wrong: Grossout and unfunny humor turns me right off (if we're talking comedy series... usually this isn't a problem in drama). One example would be Mike & Molly - there were so freaking many fat jokes, and not even funny fat jokes, that I couldn't stand to keep watching, despite the seemingly decent premise.

If I can't connect with any of the characters, sometimes that'll make me stop watching. Like with Warehouse 13 - it seemed like a show I'd be interested in, but I just didn't give a flip about whatshisname and whatshername. The show *tried* to connect me with them, but it didn't work.

There's my thoughts on pilots. I'll try to see if I can think of another Pilot I Loved... the trouble is that I often start watching a show a few episodes (or even seasons) in, and then I go back and catch up if I'm interested.