tv "Unaired TV Pilots" Why are they made?

Do executive producers make them to help pitch a TV series to a network?

The version usually shown on TV later have modifications made to them, if the series gets picked up.

I'm curious. Does anyone know?

Thanks.
 
Not in the professional world.

Just to be clear, I am NOT talking about the semi-pro spec world
here - ONLY the professional world.

A producer with some clout and previous experience will pitch
several projects to the networks. The network will then buy
and pay for a pilot to be made. This pilot is then test marketed.
If the tests go well they may order five episodes and then put
it on the air. If the testing goes less well, the network may air
the pilot as a "special" to see how the audience reacts. If the
test goes less well than even that, they will cut their loses and
not air it. Every once in a while the network may air it in a very
slow time - sometime years after it was made. If it does well
they will modify the pilot and perhaps order a few episodes.
 
OK, now you're confusing me.

Unaired TV pilots are those that are made as a spec episode to pitch to a network.

Then Season 1 Episode 1 is quite often similar with modifications (usually modications which the network wanted to make it more marketable.) For eg, take Star Trek. The pilot 'The Cage' had different actors and other different aspects. Network didn't like it. Cast changes were made and the overall theme was kept. It was then approved.

From what i understood, that is what the OP was asking. Why pilots change when they air.

And from what i understand, that is how it works in the professional world.
 
From what i understood, that is what the OP was asking. Why pilots change when they air.

Sorry. My mistake. I got hung up on the "pitch" part and
didn't even notice the “why” question.

Why casting is changed from the pilot to the series has different
reasons. Maybe the cast hired for the pilot is no longer available
by the time a series order is made. Maybe the network doesn't like
one cast member and hires someone else. Maybe a hot new star
appears on the scene and the network reworks an older pilot to fit
that star.
 
The casting is just one aspect of how the series may change from the pilot when it is aired. They often change a lot of other things.

Why pilots change when they air is how I understood the OP. If he meant how unaired pilots finally air later on, then what you said is right.
 
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