# The pilot and then the series **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 1, 2004, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pilot-and-then-the-series/248023 "2004-06-01T05:28:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Saint\_Sparky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Saint\_Sparky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Sparky)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pilot-and-then-the-series/248023/61 "2004-06-03T20:01:02Z")
The Pilot of “The Nanny” had an entirely different floor plan to the Sheffield residences (though Syliva and Mortys house was the same). Also Maggie was a completely dour plain jane, whomed they had totally sexed up by the next episode. I know it wasn’t the true pilot, but the unaired pilot meant to simply sell the series to the network, but the unaired pilot of “Ally McBeal” had a different person playing Georgia (I guessed they replaced her with Courtney Thorne-Smith because she was a name). ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pilot-and-then-the-series/248023/62 "2004-06-03T20:59:35Z")
> [@Saint Sparky](#): > > I know it wasn’t the true pilot, but the unaired pilot meant to simply sell the series to the network, but the unaired pilot of “Ally McBeal” had a different person playing Georgia (I guessed they replaced her with Courtney Thorne-Smith because she was a name). That _IS_ the true pilot. That’s already been cleared up _once_ in this thread. A pilot is a prototype of the show shown to networks before the show is actually purchased. It’s not necessarily the first episode (why would they need jargon for that?). They aired the I Love Lucy pilot on TV Land once. They had a hipper looking apartment with huge bedroom windows; however, the New York cityscape was blocked by some giant office building. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pilot-and-then-the-series/248023/63 "2004-06-04T02:01:46Z")
> [@audit1](#): > > On **Hogans Heroes** pilot episode Larry Hovis played Lt. Carter a shot down pilot who just arrived at the camp. When series time came around Larry Hovis is playing Sgt Carter an explosives expert. I thought he smuggled something into the camp they needed, and was “captured” later to join them as an explosives expert and/or chemist. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pilot-and-then-the-series/248023/64 "2004-06-04T05:03:42Z")
Fun thread! But rats, **amarinth** beat me to the _NewsRadio_ correction about Catherine. 🙂 _All in the Family_ had no less than _three_ pilots; the first two were made with different actors as the daughter and son-in-law characters. First, Kelly Jean Peters and Tim McIntire played Gloria and her husband, who was originally named Richard and lacked Mike’s Polish background. In Pilot #2, Candy Azzara and Chip Oliver were Gloria and Richard. Also, in Pilot #1, the show was called _Those Were the Days_, and instead of Archie Bunker, it was Archie Justice. :rolleyes: (Fortunately Lear thought better of the incredibly unsubtle attempt at irony.) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pilot-and-then-the-series/248023/65 "2004-06-04T20:51:47Z")
Closely related, how about TV shows spun off from movies. _The Third Man_ Harry Lime died, but came back to star in a TV show. _The Blue Lamp_ PC Dixon died, but came back to star in long-running TV series _Dixon of Dock Green_ ---
**Author:** ![Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kel_Varnsen_Latex_Division)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pilot-and-then-the-series/248023/66 "2004-06-04T21:17:37Z")
> [@Murcielago](#): > > Another _X-Files_ bit, IIRC, is that the pilot includes the only mention of Mulder as an “Oxford-educated psychologist.” This line from Scully precedes the only shot of Mulder wearing glasses which I remember. Apparently they thought the “brainy” cliches didn’t fit with the Spooky persona. Mulder’s Oxford education is mentioned later in the series. He talks about how he basically ran off to England to go to school and the Robert Patrick character says something like, “Well, I don’t have an Oxford education but…” Also, in the MIB episode his education is mentioned again. I think it is mentioned more times, too. ---
**Author:** ![jeevwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jeevwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeevwoman)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pilot-and-then-the-series/248023/67 "2004-06-04T21:23:37Z")
I think I remember on the \*E! True Hollywood Story \* about _Eight is Enough_, that Luke Skywalker himself, Mr. Mark Hamill, was cast as either David or Tommy. (Tommy, I guess?). This was just before _SW_ came out and he realized that he might be bigger than _EIE_, so wanted to get out of the contract after he shot the pilot, but couldn’t. However, he was then in a terrible car accident that required a lot of therapy and surgery, etc and the show got rid of him. Does anyone else remember this or am I hallucingating again? ---
**Author:** ![Murcielago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pilot-and-then-the-series/248023/68 "2004-06-04T21:57:50Z")
> [@Kel Varnsen - Latex Division](#): > > Mulder’s Oxford education is mentioned later in the series. He talks about how he basically ran off to England to go to school and the Robert Patrick character says something like, “Well, I don’t have an Oxford education but…” Also, in the MIB episode his education is mentioned again. I think it is mentioned more times, too. I’ll stand corrected, though in my world the last season with Patrick and Annabeth Gish never happened. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pilot-and-then-the-series/248023/69 "2004-06-04T22:57:13Z")
> [@Kel Varnsen - Latex Division](#): > > Mulder’s Oxford education is mentioned later in the series. He talks about how he basically ran off to England to go to school and the Robert Patrick character says something like, “Well, I don’t have an Oxford education but…” Also, in the MIB episode his education is mentioned again. I think it is mentioned more times, too. The early episode “Fire” features an old flame (ha!) of Mulder’s – played by the very hot (ha!) Amanda Pays – from his days at Oxford. Or maybe she was played by Ella Joyce. Damn, that woman in the _NewsRadio_ pilot looked white! ---
**Author:** ![Wasabee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f05b48/32.png) [@Wasabee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wasabee)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pilot-and-then-the-series/248023/70 "2004-06-04T23:17:18Z")
> [@jeevwoman](#): > > I think I remember on the \*E! True Hollywood Story \* about _Eight is Enough_, that Luke Skywalker himself, Mr. Mark Hamill, was cast as either David or Tommy. (Tommy, I guess?). This was just before _SW_ came out and he realized that he might be bigger than _EIE_, so wanted to get out of the contract after he shot the pilot, but couldn’t. However, he was then in a terrible car accident that required a lot of therapy and surgery, etc and the show got rid of him. > > Does anyone else remember this or am I hallucingating again? At the time there was a rumor that the car accident wasn’t an accident at all and Hamill had been suffering from depression. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pilot-and-then-the-series/248023/71 "2004-06-04T23:21:29Z")
more _NewsRadio_… If I’m not mistaken, the actor who played the electrician in the pilot is the same guy who played the photographer in “Just Shoot Me” (but I can’t remember his name…) And the lunch room was a control room or recording studio in the pilot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pilot-and-then-the-series/248023.md?page=3)