PHOTOS22 Amazing Facts You Didn't Know About Your Favorite TV Pilots
Now that you know everything you possibly could about the slew of new fall 2014 shows debuting their pilots over the next few weeks, it’s time to discuss pilots of the past. Do you know which shows recasted major characters after filming their pilots? Or which other shows actually changed their scripts after a few drafts? Click through for all the super interesting facts on 22 of your favorite shows’ first episodes.
In the Boy Meets World pilot, Rider Strong only had two lines. Guess Michael Jacobs didn’t realize at that time what a major part of the show Sean would turn out to be!
The Mad Men pilot was the only episode in the entire series filmed in New York City, where the show is based. All of the other remaining episodes were filmed in Los Angeles.
The character Piz that was introduced in Veronica Mars season 3 is named after the director of the show's pilot episode, Mark Piznarski.
Sophia Bush does not appear in the first episode of One Tree Hill, though she’s still credited for it.
James Gandolfini's voice sounds very different in the pilot as it does in all the other episodes of The Sopranos—he started working with a dialect coach starting with episode 2 to make him sound like he was actually from Newark, New Jersey.
In the original Will & Grace pilot script, Will was given a partner, Higgins, but his scenes were removed from the script.
Blair's mom was recast after they filmed the Gossip Girl pilot. Margaret Colins would take over the role of Eleanor Waldorf moving forward.
When the cast filmed the Modern Family pilot, Julie Bowen was pregnant with twins! That totally explains why Claire spent much of that episode hidden behind laundry baskets and cereal boxes.
Justin Chambers, aka Alex Karev, wasn't written into the original script for Grey's Anatomy's first episode. He filmed his scenes later during reshoots.
The original version of the 30 Rock pilot, which never made it to air, featured Rachel Dratch playing the role of Jenna, which eventually went to Jane Krakowski.
The very first episode of The OC was the only one that was actually shot on location in Orange County. Every other episode was shot on set.
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Luke was only supposed to appear in the pilot episode of Gilmore Girls, but was quickly made into a series regular after the writers and producers realized that actor Scott Patterson had real chemistry with Lauren Graham.
Glee's first episode features the most songs ever with fourteen total. Nine of the songs recorded for the pilot went unreleased.
Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment on Sex and the City was different in the pilot than it was on the rest of the show.
Joey and Phoebe were not given their own storylines in the pilot episode of Friends. Instead, they just support Rachel, who in the first episode left her fiance at the altar, Ross, who finds out his wife is a lesbian, and Monica, who's getting ready for a big date.
In the first episode of Nashville, they actually shot inside the real Bluebird Cafe. After that, the production built their own Bluebird Cafe in a studio because they realized they were going to be shooting there very often.
Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David were originally supposed to write a script for a 90 minute special to air on NBC called The Seinfeld Chronicles. Jerry thought it'd be better suited for a sitcom, so NBC took a chance on the pilot and the rest is history.
Sasha Pieterse was only 13 when she and the other girls shot the pilot for Pretty Little Liars in 2009.
In an early draft of the Supernatural pilot, the brothers' last name was Harrison instead of Winchester.
Eric refers to his father as "pop" in the first episode of That 70's Show, but calls him "dad" in every single other one.
Jack was originally supposed to die in the very first episode of Lost. Remember the injured pilot that he, Kate and Charlie come across after the plane crash? That could've been him!
In the first episode of How I Met Your Mother, Ted’s kids are wearing different outfits and sitting on a different couch than they are in all the other episodes. The story of how he met their mother is allegedly told in just one sitting.
