Anyone remember those summer pilot series?

[installLSC]

As late as the end of the 80s, networks would air their failed pilots together as a summer replacement series. I remember seeing one with Tim Reed where you could vote for your favorite show; don't know if the winner made it on the air. Are there any pilots you wished had become full fleged series? Did any of the failed pilots get picked up for a full series? And why don't you see these series anymore?

[TV_on_the_Porch]

Sometimes there were "comedy theater" type series to burn off a string of pilots, other times they were just stuck individually here and there to plug holes in the schedule.

By the time a pilot made it to air, it was usually just being burned off after already having been rejected as a series. A few pilots were subsequently picked up after such an airing (Baby I'm Back springs to mind) but it was rare.

Don't know why you don't see pilots anymore, but I'd speculate it might be that fully-produced treatments of pilot scripts are less common now than in the past.

[MDCSWildcats86]

GOODBYE, CHARLIE with Suzanne Somers, from 1985.

A rare bust from the WTH stable.

[danfling878]

I have often wondered why the networks stopped showing pilots.

Sometimes, there would be a performer in a pilot which did not get picked up. However, the network may have later cast that performer in an existing show. (I am remembering a pilot with Sandy Duncan in particular. She was later cast in The Hogan Family.)

I used to watch these pilots and would often tape them.

[Mace Dolex]

I might've seen some pilots years back but can hardly remember them now.