life on mars

The first few minutes of a TV pilot are massively important. A show has to hook viewers in quickly, lest the entire series get written off as dull or lackluster. The writing must be sharp and distinctive, the acting deft and subtle, and the directing offbeat enough to set it apart from everything else on the air. Not unlike a job interview, watching a pilot puts the viewer in the employer’s seat. We want to know in five to fifteen minutes why we should hire this show for the privileged position of “series recording” on our DVRs. A viewer internally asks him or herself during these first crucial minutes, “What can I get from this show that I can’t already find in half a dozen other things on the air?”