Fall 2012-2013 TV Schedule – Pilot Season and Upfronts
By LanaRus
While most of the shows are airing their season finales, I hope all of you TV addicts are getting excited about the new 2012-2013 Pilot season. Just to make sure we all know what I’m talking about, here’s a brief explanation. Pilot is usually a standalone episode of a proposed TV series that is used to introduce and sell the series to the network. After seeing the pilot, the networks executives determine whether the series could possibly be successful and make a decision to order additional episodes and determine whether to put it on a fall or midseason schedule.
There are also a few pilots that get ordered by a network but its production is halted until it becomes cast-contingent, which usually means that the storyline is not necessarily strong but a big name actor could possibly make it more interesting and potentially sell it.
Right now all TV networks are in the process of picking up or rejecting new series and renewing or cancelling the existing ones. This week happens to be the network upfronts in New York where the networks executives reveal their fall schedules and introduce clips from the new shows during presentations and parties. It’s basically an advertising sales period with press, advertisers, network executives and actors present and the time when the companies are allowed to buy commercial airtime “up front”, based on what shows are being announced.
