{"id":6072,"date":"2024-07-05T10:26:33","date_gmt":"2024-07-05T10:26:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/?p=6072"},"modified":"2025-06-02T16:26:25","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T16:26:25","slug":"how-pilot-season-has-changed-usa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-industry\/how-pilot-season-has-changed-usa\/","title":{"rendered":"The Evolution of Pilot Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u200b\u200b\u200b<\/span>What is pilot season, how has the process changed with the rise of streaming services and why adapting to these changes is important for actors.<\/span><\/h2>\n

Most actors may have heard the term \u2018pilot season\u2019 at some point during their career. It\u200b was once \u200bknown as the busiest time of \u200bthe \u200byear for auditions\u200b and many actors \u200bflocked to major cities like New York \u200band\u200b\u200b LA in the hopes of being cast in a pilot that could be developed on a major network.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b\u200bIn recent years\u200b\u200b\u200b, however, the process \u200bfor\u200b\u200b pilot season looks vastly different. The landscape of television production has changed so much\u200b <\/span>\u200b<\/span>\u200b\u200b\u200band it\u2019s important to keep on top of how these processes work over time. As an actor\u200b,\u200b you could\u200b\u200b\u200b miss out on opportunities if you don\u2019t understand how production and casting work\u200b.\u200b\u200b\u200b<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b\u200b\u200bHere \u200bis\u200b\u200b how \u200bpilot season has changed and\u200b\u200b<\/span>\u200b<\/span>\u200b what you need to know about this new landscape and how \u200bit has\u200b affected television production.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b\u200bWhat is Pilot Season?<\/h3>\n

Pilot season is the time of year, typically between January and April,\u200b\u200b when production studios \u200bcreate one episode of a new series in development\u200b and use this episode to pitch an entire season to a major network. The \u200bpilot \u200bepisode\u200b act\u200bs\u200b as a\u200b sample and marketing tool for \u200bthe\u200b\u200b\u200b network\u200b<\/span>\u200b<\/span>\u200b\u200b\u200b \u200band helps them to \u200bconsider whether\u200b\u200b\u200b \u200bto \u200bbuy further episodes or full seasons.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b\u200b\u200bThe development process for these pilot episodes takes place months \u200b\u200b\u200b\u200bbefore pilot season begins\u200b\u200b. Writers and producers\u200b\u200b pitch ideas for new television shows \u200band \u200bthe \u200bbest \u200bideas \u200bare \u200bdeveloped into full scripts. The studios then consider the full scripts\u200b\u200b and \u200b\u200border a significant number of scripts to be shot.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b\u200bPilot season starts\u200b when those commissioned scripts are actually being made. This is when the casting process begins\u200b and the actors\u200b join the process. After the pilot is made, it’s used to sell an entire series to the\u200b\u200b major networks\u200b. The actors used in the pilots are then typically offered roles as series regulars. If a pilot is not considered for a full season\u200b,\u200b it’s known as \u200b\u2018\u200bunsold\u200b\u200b\u2019\u200b. However\u200b,\u200b an actor can still be credited for starring in it.<\/span><\/p>\n

How \u200b\u200bH\u200bas \u200bPilot Season\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b C\u200bhanged?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

The pilot season process has changed exponentially because the way we watch television has changed. The majority of television shows are now streamed online\u200b\u200b and all episodes are \u200busually\u200b\u200b released \u200bat the same time. There\u200b\u2019\u200b\u200b\u200bs now a huge catalogue of shows to watch because there\u200b\u2019\u200b\u200bs so many productions being developed and released all year round.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200bMajor studios and networks don\u2019t necessarily follow the pilot season process anymore because they already have fully developed scripts\u200b\u200b \u2013 and they\u2019re free to produce \u200bthem \u200bas and when they choose. Streaming networks can also produce and distribute projects in\u200b-\u200bhouse, which means their development process can take place anytime \u200b\u200bof\u200b the year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Major networks and streamers alike have opted out of producing pilots and instead order straight to series. This is down to a number of factors\u200b,\u200b but primarily,\u200b\u200b\u200b the cost of producing a pilot can be just as much \u200b\u2013 \u200bif not more \u2013\u200b than producing a full or limited series.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b\u200bThese changes in production mean casting for newly developed shows has also changed. Actors don\u2019t necessarily have to participate in pilot season as a process, as shows are now produced and cast all year round. All an actor has to do is find out what\u200b\u2019\u200b\u200bs being produced and who\u200b\u2019s casting it.<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s also more security around this change for an actor who\u200b\u2019\u200b\u200bs cast in a new show. If a show is commissioned straight to series\u200b,\u200b this guarantees an actor\u200b\u2019\u200bs role for the whole\u200b\u200b\u200b season\u200b. Whereas, \u200b\u200bprevious\u200bly in\u200b pilot season\u200b,\u200b\u200b\u200b actors would have to wait for a pilot to be picked up before they were offered a role for the rest of the series.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b\u200bThe Impact of Pilot Season\u2019s Changes\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Moving away from the traditional process of pilot season \u200bcould mean many changes for the industry, \u200bparticularly for actors. The downside has meant that actors can no longer rely on the months of pilot season to be as busy for auditions as it used to be. Although pilot season still technically happens and there are auditions taking place, the sheer number of auditions is lower because there are fewer pilots being made and bought.<\/span><\/p>\n

For actors, not having a guaranteed \u2018busy period\u2019 for auditions can be seen as a negative and some shows being developed already have big names attached before they go into production, which can mean that there are less opportunities for new names to break out.<\/span><\/p>\n

The surplus of shows may also have a negative impact. While viewership ratings are higher for shows already in their third or fourth seasons, production might focus on developing further seasons or spin offs instead of risking time and money on developing new concepts for shows.<\/span><\/p>\n

Actors have to understand that the industry is ultimately a business, and changing the structure in favour of efficiency and cost cutting is, overall beneficial. While there might be some downsides to a developing structure, there are many more upsides.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Actors used to \u200bhave to \u200btravel to the major cities where pilots were being cast during specific months of the year\u200b\u200b.\u200b Now, however, thanks to industry changes like the rise of auditions via self-tape, actors from all over the world can be considered for roles in newly developed shows.\u200b\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b\u200bThis \u200bhas meant that the casting process \u200bfor \u200b\u200bpilot season is no longer limited to specific times or places. It\u2019s opened up opportunities to a diverse range of actors who otherwise wouldn\u2019t have been considered simply because they weren\u2019t within the vicinity.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b\u200bBreaking away from the restraints of the pilot season process has also meant that the writers and creators of shows can work throughout the year by pitching directly to networks and streamers. \u200b\u200b\u200bNetflix, \u200b\u200b\u200b\u200bf\u200bor \u200bexample\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b,\u200b \u200bworks with in-house creatives to develop ideas\u200b and they \u200bhave \u200b\u200b\u200bcreative \u200b\u200b\u200b\u200bexecutives who receive pitches for projects\u200b.\u200b \u200bThey can \u200balso \u200bpurchase finished works and develop ideas internally.<\/span><\/p>\n

This process cuts out the need to sell shows to other networks\u200b and \u200b\u200bsaves \u200btime and money from being put into\u200b\u200b pilots for shows that may never get bought\u200b\u200b. Producing in-house to develop and commission ideas means the creative control stays with showrunners, producers and writers without the limitations of belonging to a major television network. The production no longer takes place on a timeline\u200b,\u200b and pilots no longer have to wait to be picked.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adapting to the New Pilot Season<\/h3>\n

\u200b\u200bWithout \u200bthe old \u200bpilot season\u200b,\u200b we wouldn\u2019t have major critically\u200b-acclaimed television shows like <\/span>Friends<\/span><\/i>\u200b\u200b\u200b. <\/span>Friends<\/span><\/i>\u200b\u200b was produced in 1994 and had a lengthy casting process \u2013 which went on to launch the careers of Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Cheers<\/span><\/i> was also developed during pilot season. \u200b\u200b\u200bI\u200bt aired for 11 seasons and received 27 Emmy Awards from over 117 nominations. In the early 2000\u2019s\u200b,\u200b shows like <\/span>Lost<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>The Big Bang Theory<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>The Office<\/span><\/i> were initially pitched through pilot episodes\u200b and after having major commercial success on major networks\u200b,\u200b many of these shows have found new audiences on streaming platforms.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adapting to the changes means acknowledging that a number of different industry developments have occurred. Television shows are now being adapted from video games and books, which bring in a wider variety of audiences \u200bthat\u200b\u200b\u200b can guarantee viewership figures. Audiences also have more of a voice now\u200b \u2013 especially with social media. They can review and give feedback through their own platforms and this can have an impact on the future seasons of a show. Streamers are also producing shows in higher numbers because they have the money to risk developing a great idea into a hit television series.<\/span><\/p>\n

The success of the \u200bold \u200bpilot season process is evident\u200b,\u200b and remnants of the process are still in practice today. However\u200b,\u200b the change that\u200b\u2019\u200b\u200b\u200bs rapidly happening in the industry is because of a need to keep up with an adapting audience. As \u200bwhat was once \u2018\u200bpilot season\u200b\u2019\u200b changes into a more lucrative and well-<\/span>r<\/span>ounded process, it’s in an actor’s best interest to adapt to these changes and look for ways to step into a new era of television production.<\/span><\/p>\n

Take a look at our website for more<\/span><\/i> industry news<\/span><\/i><\/a> and<\/span><\/i> acting advice for the US<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span>Karen Johal<\/a> <\/em> is most notably known for playing Nicole Shelley in the award-winning Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso, starring opposite Jason Sudeikis, Brett Goldstein and Nick Mohammed. She currently stars in the BBC television series Phoenix Rise as Noreen Khan, starring opposite Paul Nicholls, Zita Sattar and Tyler Fayose. Karen\u2019s film credits include: The Waves for MTV Entertainment directed by BAFTA award winner Sindha Agha; Frank\u2019s Plan for Amazon Prime; and The High Performer for the award-winning digital creative We Are Tilt. She also starred in a global campaign for instant messaging platform WhatsApp with Broadcaster Alex Scott MBE and in a national Christmas commercial for retailer TK Maxx.\u200b\u200b\u200b\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u200b\u200b\u200bIn Theatre, Karen recently played the lead role in Ayad Akhtar\u2019s The Who and the What at The English Theatre of Hamburg in Germany and has starred opposite Scottish actor Alan Cumming in the original musical Me and the Girls. She played the lead role in the regional premieres of David Harrower\u2019s Blackbird and Duncan Macmillan\u2019s People, Places and Things. Karen was also directed by Iqbal Khan in Mismatch, performing as part of the Sky Comedy Rep Festival at The Birmingham Rep Theatre in 2022.\u200b\u200b\u200b\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200bKaren is a graduate of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Manhattan, New York where she performed on stage for The Public Theater at Shakespeare in the Park and at the world famous Carnegie Hall.\u200b\u200b She is currently working at the Birmingham Hippodrome on Research and Development for the play \u201cI am the ghost of Quandeel Baloch” by Guleranna Mir.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Headshot credit: Andy Brown<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u200b\u200b\u200bWhat is pilot season, how has the process changed with the rise of streaming services and why adapting to these changes is important for actors. Most actors may have heard the term \u2018pilot season\u2019 at some point during their career. It\u200b was once \u200bknown as the busiest time of \u200bthe \u200byear for auditions\u200b and many […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":6082,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[209,44,50,117],"class_list":["post-6072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-industry","tag-karen-johal","tag-starting-out","tag-television","tag-usa"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow Pilot Season Has Changed in the USA | Spotlight<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Is pilot season still a thing? 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