It seems like stranded pilots are a different category from TV Movie or TV Series. They are more like Specials. Perhaps they could be listed as TV Series with an entry at the end of the Genre field saying "Pilot Only"?
This relates to the old (poorly named) thread
http://www.tvmaze.com/threads/628/please-remove-this-was-not-a-series-it-was-a-1-episode-only-made-for-tv-movie
I don't think that thread came to any conclusion. It had a lot of posts that were not helpful.
Well, if the network had intended that this will go to a series and the pilot has aired, then it stays on tvmaze.
If the pilot never aired, never was completed and so on, it needs to be deleted :)
Indeed like Juan stated;
If a pilot aired with the intention to air as a series, we allow it to be added to our database. However if a pilot never aired, nor intention to be a full series or is considered by network as a movie which could be expanded into a series (unless expanded), we will not allow it.
In recent years, there have been almost as many stranded pilots aired (those intended to be series, but not picked up) as pilots that led to series. Part of the problem is online distribution companies (such as Amazon) airing three pilots at a time, getting feedback, and then only greenlighting one as a series.
Cable networks now will often air pilots with the intent to decide whether to greenlight during the next year (they rely on on-demand viewing as much as on-broadcast viewing for feedback). Since their production cycles are more frequent, they can take more time to make decisions.
Amazon's two out of three pilots that are not greenlit are not TV movies or Specials, but they are not series. Do they stay in as series?
Slightly off topic:
On broadcast networks (actual radio waves), pilots are traditionally only used internally (and now often released on disk along with the first season). They also have about a three ratio of internally funded pilots to greenlit series. They also receive pilots the way record companies receive demo disks.
Disney airs pilots as the first episode, even if it is a different length and it is rough. The second episode is sometimes the refined pilot.
HBO has an interesting approach. They "leak" script concepts before deciding whether to make a pilot. If they decide to make a pilot, they "leak" potential actors. Like broadcast networks, they don't broadcast pilots.
drbits wrote:
In recent years, there have been almost as many stranded pilots aired (those intended to be series, but not picked up) as pilots that led to series. Part of the problem is online distribution companies (such as Amazon) airing three pilots at a time, getting feedback, and then only greenlighting one as a series.Cable networks now will often air pilots with the intent to decide whether to greenlight during the next year (they rely on on-demand viewing as much as on-broadcast viewing for feedback). Since their production cycles are more frequent, they can take more time to make decisions.
Amazon's two out of three pilots that are not greenlit are not TV movies or Specials, but they are not series. Do they stay in as series?
They're airing the pilots with the intention of making them a series if they're successful.
As long as the pilot itself did actually air, then it's fine to be added.
