Game shows with multiple pilots (sold or unsold)--

[TwoInchQuad]

I've run into a few cases recently where I've stumbled across shows that have had multiple pilots, a few of which either still didn't sell, or took a long time to get to air.  Certainly, there are cases where a producer took a few years between efforts to modify their project, but...

My question is: from a historical standpoint, if a first pilot is followed up by a second in a reasonably short period of time, does this necessarily indicate that a network (or syndicator) was interested in picking up the program (albeit with a few tweaks or set re-designs), or does it more likely indicate that the creator/producer felt so straongly about the concept that they were willing to go to the trouble to shoot a second pilot?

For that matter, who usually pays for this type of second pilot?

As always, any good real-life examples used to illustrate the point would be welcomed!

-Kevin

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'TwoInchQuad\' date=\'Jan 5 2005, 06:56 PM\']As always, any good real-life examples used to illustrate the point would be welcomed!
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Unfortunetly, Bob Stewart is not a member of this forum.

[SplitSecond]

[quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Jan 5 2005, 05:10 PM\']Unfortunetly, Bob Stewart is not a member of this forum.

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Or how about an informative response, Dsmith? GEEZ!

Multiple pilots occur for a variety of reasons.  The most common one is that a series of pilot shows are shot on the same day.  On some occasions, different variations on gameplay are tried (Catch Phrase), or even different hosts (Whammy!), but they're still taped in the same day.  It also wouldn't be unheard of to shoot up to 4 or 5 pilots in a day for one show and choose the best one to edit and present because, hey, you're paying for the studio space.

In the traditional business model, networks or syndicators are the ones that pay for pilots, either in the form of license fees to the production companies or by running all expenses through one of the network's production corporations.  You almost never see a production company front their own money for a pilot, at least not successfully.

There are, likewise, a variety of circumstances under which a second pilot taping could occur.  A production company may interest a second network or syndicator after the first one passed, and the second distributor may foot the bill for a pilot.  The same distributor may feel that, after some time has passed, an updated pilot might make an easier sale to stations (see: Jeopardy 1983/1984).  And on rare occasion, if the network has the rights to a show's brand or format, they might ditch the production company and replace them (see: Scrabble Challenge).

It's also important to note that not every pilot is commissioned by a network with the intention of getting the show on air.  Networks have development budgets that they must spend each year, or they'll lose their money.  Often, friends of network execs will be given money to produce pilots just simply so the networks will know they'll have that development money in future years.  Many a Bob Stewart pilot has been commissioned for this very reason.

[chris319]

Three Puzzlers pilots were done simply to get different game outcomes.

G-T had two different shows, both with the title "Mindreaders". The first was a pilot for CBS which never made air. The second was "green-lighted" by NBC without a pilot even being produced, as was the case with Password Plus and Blockbusters. A nominal pilot was done of all of these shows, I believe as an accounting formality so the programming department could claim it spent its pilot budget for the quarter in the use-it-or-lose-it scenario SplitSecond described above. Unfortunately the three major networks no longer have the big fat development budgets they used to.

[Terry K]

Different hosts is another reason to have multiple pilots.  Remember, TnPIR '94 had 2 pilots with different hosts (did they use the same contestants and games though?!)

[TwoInchQuad]

Very informative so far, guys... thanks very much.

As an archivist, it's a bit strange looking at some of these efforts years after the fact and try to sort out the motivation behind them.

I was particularly unclear on the financing aspect, though... thanks for clearing that up.  I wondered how everyone could afford to produce these shows "on spec", and I guess the answer is:  they didn't (and I suppose, still don't).  I must admit however, it staggers me a bit to think that the networks had so much money lying around that they'd have departments frantically searching for ways to spend it-- including commissioning shows that they had no intention of airing.

And as I said, the real-life examples are great to read about!

-Kevin

[bricon]

[quote name=\'Split Second\']Multiple pilots occur for a variety of reasons. The most common one is that a series of pilot shows are shot on the same day. On some occasions, different variations on gameplay are tried (Catch Phrase), or even different hosts (Whammy!), but they're still taped in the same day.

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With multiple pilots, you can also, in addition to getting the one usable pilot,  have the ability to cut together a shorter, montage-like sales tape with more contestants, and in some cases, more celebrities, for network executives with short attention spans

Back in 1990, I worked on an ABC pilot called "Suit Yourself", which produced a total of five pilots, one the first day and four the second day.  The first was used as a "dress rehearsal", and let us see what kinks we could work out in less than 24 hours.   Like replacing an overeager card-flip mechanism that instead of revealing the next card in play, frequently sent cards flying all over the set.  The model on the show did that job for the remaining four shows.

Apparently not enough kinks were worked out, as ABC passed and put on "Match Game" instead


[quote name=\'Terry K\' date=\'Jan 5 2005, 11:01 PM\']Different hosts is another reason to have multiple pilots.  Remember, TnPIR '94 had 2 pilots with different hosts (did they use the same contestants and games though?!)

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These two pilots (Doug Davidson first, then Mark Kriski) were taped a couple of weeks apart.

[Ian Wallis]

One unusual pilot that comes to mind is one made for the 1976 "Break the Bank" - several weeks *after* the show was already on the air.  This pilot was made to test the new rules where a box would automatically go to the opponent if you got it wrong, rather than returning to it's neutral position.  It was probably meant to speed up the game, as several games during the first few weeks of the show took more than one episode to complete.  This pilot is easily available on the trade curcuit.

I had always thought if a show wanted to make some rule changes they wouldn't have to shoot an additional pilot part way through the run - unless Barry-Enright really wanted to do a show to see how it would work.  

Do any rule changes like that have to get network approval, or is it up to the producers?

Kind of unusual anyway.

[tvrandywest]

Great answers from SplitSecond and Bricon. One has seen and the other has done more pilots than a TWA stewardess!

Just this season we had one of the strangest re-piloting situations ever. "On The Cover" taped a second pilot after just a few weeks of shows were in the can, and only TWO had aired. The set was changed and other tweaks were made. The second pilot was shot with Bud Paxson in the studio. Paxson gave it a "thumbs up". The rest of the season was shot and the alterted version of the show was put back on the air.

For several reasons, host Mark L. Walberg says it was not one of his favorite gigs, to say the least.


Randy
tvrandywest.com

[dzinkin]

[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' date=\'Jan 6 2005, 10:10 AM\']Great answers from SplitSecond and Bricon. One has seen and the other has done more pilots than a TWA stewardess!

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That image gives an entirely new meaning to "Coffee, tea or me?" :-P

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' date=\'Jan 6 2005, 08:10 AM\']For several reasons, host Mark L. Walberg says it was not one of his favorite gigs, to say the least.
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Does he harbor any fondness for "Free-4-All"?

[SplitSecond]

[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' date=\'Jan 6 2005, 08:10 AM\']Great answers from SplitSecond and Bricon. One has seen and the other has done more pilots than a TWA stewardess!
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Lest ye forget, Bricon and I did a pilot together once.  It took us at least four hours before we were ready to shoot.

[tyshaun1]

[quote name=\'SplitSecond\' date=\'Jan 6 2005, 12:00 PM\']Lest ye forget, Bricon and I did a pilot together once.  It took us at least four hours before we were ready to shoot.

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Wow, that must've been one heck of a flight.

(ducking from turbulence on the plane)

Tyshaun

[tvrandywest]

Lest ye forget, Bricon and I did a pilot together once.  It took us at least four hours before we were ready to shoot.

One word: Viagra    ;-p
That would be about 10 or 12 points in Scrabble, I think.

Randy
tvrandywest.com

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'bricon\' date=\'Jan 6 2005, 01:47 AM\']Back in 1990, I worked on an ABC pilot called "Suit Yourself"

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Do you remember who the host and the announcer were for this?