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Pilot season is the time when studios create sample episodes to be turned into new potential series. A pilot is a "test" episode that will be screened for a major network and sample audience – a sort of marketing piece that's designed to sell them on the show and convince them to pick it up (order an entire season's worth of episodes to be made).
Historically, Pilot Season has taken place between January and April (with the bulk of it in February and March) because they would typically air new shows in the Fall, but nowadays with so many online streaming services, pilots are being cast and shot throughout the year. 
Pilot SeasonTypically, actors can get WAY more auditions during Pilot Season than the rest of the year since so many new productions are being shot. They also have a much higher chance of landing a dream "series regular" role on a major television show. Even if you're cast however, keep in mind that if the show is not picked up (most aren't), that series regular role won't turn into anything. Los Angeles and New York City are the most popular destinations for Pilot Season, followed by Atlanta, Toronto, and Vancouver. Many actors will travel to and stay in these cities for a few months to audition for as many productions as possible in hopes they land one of those coveted roles.
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Martin Bentsen (author of this guide) is an actor marketing coach who uses “outside the industry” thinking to help actors book more work. He’s helped over 6,000 actors with their careers and actor headshots since 2009 and his photography studio City Headshots is ranked #1 on Yelp. He’s spoken at NYU, The New England Theater Conference, The Actor’s Green Room, and other venues. Want to book more acting work by thinking different? Start with his free Actor’s Toolkit to create new opportunities right away, or visit his website at www.martinbentsen.com. |
Some Additional Q&A
Is Pilot Season Still a Thing?
Pilot Season is still a thing, but each year, it gets further diluted as more and more streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime start new series at random times of the year (related: How to Audition for Netflix).
Pilot episodes can be produced more easily than ever these days (because of the lowering of equipment costs and wider access to actors, writers, etc.) and studios are finding it more financially beneficial to begin their new series at random points of the year due to less competition with other networks.
Fox was the first ever major network to publicly declare the official abolishing of its pilot season. As more networks join, fewer opportunities will be available during Pilot Season. Chances are Pilot Season might not even exist by year 2030!
Pilot episodes can be produced more easily than ever these days (because of the lowering of equipment costs and wider access to actors, writers, etc.) and studios are finding it more financially beneficial to begin their new series at random points of the year due to less competition with other networks.
Fox was the first ever major network to publicly declare the official abolishing of its pilot season. As more networks join, fewer opportunities will be available during Pilot Season. Chances are Pilot Season might not even exist by year 2030!
What Does Pilot in a Series Mean?
A pilot is a "test" episode that will be screened for a major network and sample audience – a sort of marketing piece that's designed to sell them on the show and convince them to pick it up (order an entire season's worth of episodes to be made). It doesn't necessarily need to be the "first" episode of a season – it's just a test that can be used in a season later, or discarded completely.
Further Reading:
If you enjoyed this article (Pilot Season: All You Need to Know), you might be interested in some of these:
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