XPost: alt.tv.angel, alt.tv.seinfeld, rec.arts.tv   
   XPost: rec.arts.tv.comedy.the-office   
   From: weberm@polaris.net   
      
   You only get one chance to make a first impression — and a   
   surprising number of TV shows managed to blow that chance with a   
   pilot episode that just didn’t deliver. Still, while many shows   
   deliver first episodes that don’t necessarily entice us to keep   
   watching, there are plenty of great shows that had terrible   
   beginnings.   
      
   Believe it or not, some of your favorite series got off to rough   
   starts. Whether it’s that they failed to set the tone for what the   
   series would become, or the quality just wasn’t there, or watered   
   down, sometimes things simply don’t add up. Luckily, they managed to   
   make the most of it by correcting course and becoming modern   
   classics.   
      
   Looking back on far too many shows, Screener’s come up with our 10   
   favorite TV shows that had bad pilots. We truly love each and every   
   one of these — but it can’t be denied, their introductions to the   
   world just don’t work.   
      
   ‘The Office’   
      
   The US version of “The Office” went on to become one of TV’s most   
   beloved comedies and introduced the world to the likes of Michael   
   Scott (Steve Carell), Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), Pam Beasly   
   (Jenna Fischer) and Jim Halpert (John Krasinski). But if you revisit   
   the first episode, it’s tonally a very different show. Its Michael   
   is actually rather mean, and the charisma of the rest of the cast   
   just isn’t as good as it would become — without the accents and   
   trimmings of its UK predecessor, co-created by Ricky Gervais, it all   
   just feels rather hopeless.   
      
   ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’   
      
   “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is an iconic genre show that launched a   
   number of careers, but the pilot’s still a little tough to watch.   
   Creator Joss Whedon clearly hadn’t figured out the Angel (David   
   Boreanaz) character yet, and everything else — from the stylized   
   language to the look of the show itself — still come off too over-   
   the-top. (It’s not the last time things would get weird with Angel,   
   though.)   
      
   ’30 Rock’   
      
   Before “30 Rock” became the zany comedy juggernaut it was, it had a   
   very uneven pilot that barely made sense within the confines of the   
   show. The chemistry between the characters isn’t there, the jokes   
   bounce from mean to too-random, and overall it’s just not that   
   funny. Of course, once they figured out the formula, it was game on.   
      
   ‘Arrow’   
      
   The word “schmaltzy” comes to mind when you think of the “Arrow”   
   pilot. The cast is clearly loaded with good actors, of varying   
   degrees of experience — but so much of the dialogue hits with the   
   emotional impact of a soap opera parody. Once Oliver suited up as   
   the Hood, and began killing no end of people, it brought the stark   
   realization this wasn’t going to be another “Smallville,” and fans   
   took a while to catch up. In the end, of course, we’re grateful: The   
   show “Arrow” would grow to become has launched a whole universe.   
      
   ‘Parks and Recreation’   
      
   The problem with the pilot (and first season) of “Parks and   
   Recreation” is how hard it’s trying to be “The Office.” You can’t   
   blame them for waning to copy a wildly successful show — but the   
   beauty of “Parks” as we remember it now is how different the cast,   
   and characters, are from anything else on TV. Even Leslie Knope’s   
   (Amy Poehler) natural, inspiring charm is largely absent — but we   
   are so happy it was installed for Season 2.   
      
   ‘Angel’   
      
   Another pilot ruined by “Buffy’s” Angel, who as the lead of this   
   spinoff was essentially rebuilt from the ground up as the lead —   
   complete with Irish demon buddy Doyle (Glenn Quin) and fellow   
   “Buffy” transplant Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter). Unfortunately, the   
   pilot can’t seem to decide if Angel is Batman or just an everyday   
   guy who happens to kill vampires at night. The problem is, of   
   course, that he was neither. Luckily, the show eventually found the   
   right balance for Angel himself, and surrounded him with a stellar   
   cast of newbies and “Buffy” veterans.   
      
   ‘The 100’   
      
   “The 100” pilot’s only true fault is that it was not very indicative   
   of where the show was heading. The first episode has a very   
   “rebellious teens in space” vibe that it pretty swiftly drops in   
   favor of life-or-death stakes, gruesome acid burns, and mass murder.   
   Going by the pilot alone, it’s comparable to watching an episode of   
   “My Little Pony” slowly devolve into “Game of Thrones” — it’s not   
   that it isn’t awesome, it’s just not exactly what you signed up for,   
   you know?   
      
   ‘Seinfeld’   
      
   The show about nothing had a pilot that was also about nothing — but   
   not in a good way. While “Seinfeld” was known for its lightning-   
   quick humor, the pilot feels like it’s happening in slow motion. And   
   the characters as we meet them just don’t hold a candle to the icons   
   they’d become.   
      
   --   
   The liberal media's agenda is to make Trump as hated and distrusted   
   as they are.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)