Why are First Episodes of Television Shows Called Pilots?

Hello, you have A Way with Words.

Hi, this is Mary from San Diego. I’m here with my student, Charlie.

Oh, hi, Mary and Charlie. Welcome to the show.

So, what your student, Charlie, does this mean that you’re a teacher?

I am Charlie’s third grade teacher at Albert Einstein Academies in South Park.

Well, what can we do for you and Charlie today?

Well, how about I put Charlie on the line? She has a question for you that I did not know the answer to.

Here she is.

Okay, great.

I had a question in class, which was, like, why is the first episode of a season called Pilot?

Why is the first episode of a television season called a Pilot?

Yes.

What a great question.

Charlie, were you watching a TV show, and they said it was a Pilot episode?

Yeah, I’ve watched many children’s shows and many times have had a pilot on them.

Right. And that’s the first episode of the whole season, correct?

Yes.

What do you think of when you think of the word pilot, Charlie?

An airplane.

Yeah, somebody who steers or guides an airplane.

Well, we can give you an answer for that.

The word pilot has been around for centuries.

It’s been around for a really, really long time.

In fact, back in the 15th century, pilot was first used for somebody who guides a ship.

Somebody would pilot a ship through the ocean.

And it was only later in the 20th century, once we had airplanes, that we started using the word pilot for somebody who guides an airplane.

And Charlie, this idea of guiding or steering is really important because somebody who pilots something guides or steers it. And in the late 1800s, you could talk about drilling a pilot hole.

And that was like, like if you’re hanging a picture or something on the wall, you might drill a little hole to make it easier to make a hole with a larger drill. That was called a pilot hole. And again, that was guiding where that screw was going to go.

And then later, when radio and television came along, they applied the word pilot to the first episode.

So it’s the episode that kind of guides or leads the way for the rest of the season.

And it also guides the companies that are producing the show or the sponsors to decide if that show is going in the right direction or if they should just quit it.

I thought that pilot means like it tells you what the show is about.

Well, it kind of does, doesn’t it?

It introduces the show to you.

It kind of guides you.

Yeah, it guides you as the viewer.

It steers you, doesn’t it?

Yeah.

Yeah.

So the pilot is kind of the describing word here.

It’s describing the episode as being something that steers or guides.

That was my question about, like, why does it have that and why is it titled that?

Right.

Right.

Because usually when you think of the word pilot, you’re absolutely right, Charlie.

You think of that person flying the airplane, right?

Yeah.

So, Charlie, thank you so much for asking that question.

You know, it’s a question that a lot of adults have, and you asked it on their behalf.

So thank you for doing that.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you. Take care now. Be well.

Will you call us again sometime?

Probably. This is really fun.

And let us say goodbye to the whole class. Can you put us on speaker?

Bye-bye.

Bye-bye.

They’ve been quietly listening. Thank you.

Bye. Take care now.

Bye.

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