In light of the about concerning where old commercials go, I wonder the same about unused TV pilots. I know there are (or were) hundreds and hundreds made that never got on the air. The ones that make have usually been altered in some way in order for them to make it on the air. For example, I recently got a copy of The Patty Duke Show’s original pilot. In it, the father and brother are portrayed by different actors and the show is set in San Francisco and not New York. TBS once showed the original pilot of Gilligan’s Island which featured a different theme song, Professor, and the two girls. I think a good idea for TVLand or Nick at Nite or even Comedy Central would be to have a showcase of failed pilots. Considering how bad a lot of new shows are, they could be made to look better if we could see what was rejected.
Generally, TV networks never throw anything away. If a pilot was shot, even if it aired only once, it most likely exists somewhere deep in the bowels of some network tape room.
<<<<I think a good idea for TVLand or Nick at Nite or even Comedy Central would be to have a showcase of failed pilots.>>>>
It’s a great idea; it’s also terribly labor-intensive. First of all they’d have to identify the program (“Anyone remember that lame pilot from 1983…it was on NBC I think…”), then find it in the previously mentioned tape room (or warehouse more likely), secure the rights from the original network and production company (which might not even exist anymore) and about a dozen other legal maneuvers before the damn thing ever saw air. In the end, it probably isn’t worth the trouble…but it would be a nice idea for a show.