Pilot Season 2022: Presentations & Writers Rooms Gain Ground, Comedy Retreats As Cycle Stretches Past Upfronts
Like every other facet of life, the broadcast pilot season has not been the same it was before the pandemic. Back in January, we did a story about the expected historic low volume of pilots, which has since became a reality with 30-something orders, and how some Covid-imposed changes were here to stay. A more refined picture of pilot season has now emerged, and it shows a shift toward cost-effective pilot alternatives such as presentations and writers rooms/backup script orders, more willingness to do pilots outside of the traditional January-May window, with many of the 2022 pilots out of upfront consideration, and a major pullback in comedy.