NBC Revives Pilot Season Tradition

NBC is breathing new life into pilot season, a practice largely abandoned in favor of straight-to-series orders. The network recently ordered four pilots, surpassing its entire previous season's output. These new projects include a reboot of "The Rockford Files," a drama about U.S. marshals, a series inspired by criminal profiler Ann Burgess, and a comedy from "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" creators.

This resurgence in pilot orders is a noteworthy development in an industry that has largely embraced year-round development and direct series commitments. While the old model was inefficient, it fostered a creative environment and provided significant work for industry professionals. NBC's decision, supported by leadership, aims to balance new development with existing schedules.

While this doesn't signify a full return to the highly competitive pilot seasons of the past, it suggests a potential reopening of doors for traditional development cycles. This approach mirrors a growing trend among streamers and premium outlets rediscovering the benefits of a structured, yearly release cadence, hinting at a possible revival of the classic pilot-to-series pipeline.