Category: Test Pilot
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Test Pilot: File #15, Sports Night
Test Pilot #15: Sports Night Debut date: September 22, 1998 Series legacy: Aaron Sorkin’s first foray into television! After a short hiatus, Test Pilot is back! Time for more historical pilot analysis – I know, contain your excitement. In case you have forgotten or are new to the site, here’s the general primer: In this…
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Test Pilot: File #14, Playmakers
Test Pilot #14: Playmakers Debut date: August 26, 2003 Series legacy: Controversial, “gritty” series that was unceremoniously canceled by ESPN — with help from the NFL After a short hiatus, Test Pilot is back! Time for more historical pilot analysis – I know, contain your excitement. In case you have forgotten or are new to…
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Test Pilot: File #13, The White Shadow
Note: Hope you like our cool new Test Pilot “logo!” Test Pilot #13: The White Shadow Debut date: November 27, 1978 Series legacy: One of the most well-respected television drama series with a sports backdrop, but not necessarily thought of as a “great” series. After a short hiatus, Test Pilot is back! Time for more…
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Test Pilot: File #12, The Marriage Ref
Test Pilot #12: The Marriage Ref Debut date: February 28, 2010 Series legacy: One of the worst television series to hit the airwaves in the last few years, a signal that we should all respect Jerry Seinfeld less. Test Pilot is back! It’s a new year, but the historical pilot analysis continues! In case you…
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Test Pilot: File #11, Knight Rider
Test Pilot #11: Knight Rider Debut date: September 24, 2008 Series legacy: One of the most disastrous remakes in an era full of disastrous remakes. Test Pilot is back! It’s a new year, but the historical pilot analysis continues! In case you have forgotten or are new to the site, here’s the general primer: In this bi-weekly…
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Test Pilot: File #10, Heroes
Test Pilot #10: Heroes Debut date: September 25, 2006 Series legacy: A legitimate cultural phenomenon that flamed out within a year of its debut, now a major touch-point that critics point to when discussing both the failure of serialized television and NBC’s downfall. Test Pilot is back! It’s a new year, but the historical pilot…
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Test Pilot: File #9, Joey
Test Pilot #9: Joey Debut date: September 9, 2004 Series legacy: One of the biggest failures in recent broadcast television memory, a giant signal to the world that spin-offs don’t always work. And Test Pilot is back! It’s a new year, but the historical pilot analysis continues! In case you have forgotten or are new…
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Test Pilot: File #8, Gossip Girl
Test Pilot #8: Gossip Girl Debut date: September 19, 2007 Series legacy: Shinning beacon in today’s slate of teen dramas Welcome to the newest regular feature here at TV Surveillance, the fantastically titled, Test Pilot. In this bi-weekly feature, I will be joined by a rotating batch of guest writers in an analysis of, you…
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Test Pilot: File #7, The OC
Test Pilot #7: The OC Debut date: August 5, 2003 Series legacy: The pivot point for a new generation of teen dramas, a genuine cultural phenomenon that burned out very quickly and perhaps the most well-respect straight-up teen drama of all time. Welcome to the newest regular feature here at TV Surveillance, the fantastically titled, Test Pilot.…
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Test Pilot: File #6, Dawson’s Creek
Test Pilot #6: Dawson’s Creek Debut date: January 20, 1998 on the WB Series legacy: The catalyst for the late ’90s second wave of teen dramas, the beacon of success for the middling WB network and seemingly, one of the most derided series in the teen drama genre. Welcome to the newest regular feature here…
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Test Pilot: File #5, Beverly Hills, 90210
Test Pilot #5: Beverly Hills, 90210 Debut date: October 4, 1990 Series legacy: The first teen drama to really explode on television (and perhaps the remotely successful teen drama, period), the origin for countless series of similar ilk and one of the biggest television-related phenomenons of all-time. Welcome to the newest regular feature here at…
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Test Pilot: File #4, The Simpsons
Test Pilot #4: The Simpsons Debut date: December 17, 1989 Series legacy: Not just the most influential animated comedy or most influential comedy, but the most influential television series of the 20th century, set a brand-new bar for animation, comedy and television as a whole, and continues to be important today, in its 22nd(!) season…
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Test Pilot: File #3, Law & Order
Test Pilot #3: Law & Order Debut date: September 13, 1990 on NBC Series legacy: The prototype procedural for late 20th century and 21st century television, particularly the broadcast networks, a series that was once great for what it was, but something that wore out its welcome due to ubiquity all across cable thanks to…
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Test Pilot: File #2, The X-Files
Test Pilot #2: The X-Files Debut Date: September 10, 1993 on FOX Series legacy: One of the best science fiction television series of all-time, a major catalyst for modern fan cultures and the primary innovator of the use of “mythology” and its balance with standalone, procedural episodes. Welcome to the newest regular feature here at TV Surveillance,…
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Test Pilot: File #1, The Sopranos
Test Pilot #1: The Sopranos Debut date: January 10, 1999 on HBO Series legacy: The dawn of a new era for television, a cultural phenomenon in its early years, one of the 2-3 best drama series in the medium’s history. Welcome to the newest regular feature here at TV Surveillance, the fantastically titled, Test Pilot.…
CB, PhD 