On November 27, 1937, NBC presented TV's first pilot film, Sherlock Holmes (then called an "experiment"). Thousands of pilot films (both unaired and televised) have been produced since. This updated and restyled book contains 2,470 alphabetically arranged pilot films broadcast from 1937 to 2019. Entries contain the concept, cast and character information, credits (producer, writer, director), dates, genre and network or cable affiliation. In addition to a complete performer's index, two appendices have been included: one detailing the pilot films that led to a series and a second that lists the programs that were spun off from one series into another. Never telecast pilot films can be found in the companion volume, The Encyclopedia of Unaired Television Pilots, 1945-2018. Both volumes are the most complete and detailed sources for such information, a great deal of which is based on viewing the actual programs.

This reference work, the most complete guide to aired and unaired television pilot films ever published (or made available in any way), contains 5,190 alphabetically arranged programs, each with storyline information, performer and character cast listings, producers, air dates (where applicable), genre, and network or cable association. Also included are the unaired versions of pilots that became a series (like 90 Bristol Court, Hazel, The Middle and Perfect Strangers) and the updates of aired series that were never telecast (e.g., The Robinsons: Lost in Space, the 1997 version of Hawaii Five-0, the 2011 Wonder Woman and the 2001 Electra Woman and Dyna Girl).

Covering the years 1945-2018, this alphabetical listing provides details about 2,923 unaired television series pilots, including those that never went into production, and those that became series but with a different cast, such as The Green Hornet, The Middle and Superman. Rarities include proposed shows starring Bela Lugosi, Doris Day, Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Stanwyck, Orson Welles, Claudette Colbert and Mae West, along with such casting curiosities as Mona Freeman, not Gale Storm, as Margie in My Little Margie, and John Larkin as Perry Mason long before Raymond Burr played the role.

"This reference work, the most complete guide to aired and unaired television pilot films ever published (or made available in any way), contains 5,190 alphabetically arranged programs, each with storyline information, performer and character cast listings, producers, air dates (where applicable), genre, and network or cable association."--

"This work represents decades of research and television's entire history. While documentation regarding cast and personnel is now often found online, descriptions of the shows from authoritative sources are still not widely available. Terrace fills that gap with this work, which covers more than 9,350 shows and constitutes the most comprehensive documentation of TV series ever published"--Provided by publisher.

“A remarkable encyclopedia.” —TV Guide “A must-browse for media freaks.” —USA Today “Irresistible and enthralling.” —Hartford Courant “Full of fool’s gold and genuine TV treasures.” —The New York Post The three hundred best and worst TV series ideas— known in the industry as “pilots”— that never made it to primetime. From the adventures of a Samurai D.A. to the antics of an invisible alien baby, Lee Goldberg details the greatest shows you never saw.

Since the beginning of network television, many shows have been preceded by an announcement or theme song that served various purposes. In the 1950s and ’60s, it was common for announcers to declare that a program had been “brought to you by” a sponsor who paid for the privilege of introducing a show. Other programs, such as The Twilight Zone, Star Trek, and The Odd Couple,provided a brief encapsulation of the show’s subject matter, a practice that has continued for recent shows like Alias, Battlestar Galactica, Person of Interest, and the various editions of Law & Order. In Television Introductions: Narrated TV Program Openings since 1949, Vincent Terrace has assembled openings for more than nine hundred television shows from the past seven decades. The only documented history of narrated television program introductions, this volume is arranged by type of programming, such as comedy, drama, Western, game show, soap opera, and children’s show. In addition to quoting the opening material, entries provide information about each show’s network history and years of broadcast. Many entries include descriptions of the show, the names of announcers, and a list of main cast members, as well as a sponsor pitch exactly as spoken. Openings for programs with multiple introductions like The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and Charlie’s Angels are also included. For programs that featured new guest stars every episode—such as game shows and variety programs—Terrace has selected a representative introduction. In addition to the theme song credits found in the main text, there are also appendixes of theme songs and their composers and/or singers, as well as a listing of commercial releases (on DVD, VHS, CD, and LP) of shows and their soundtracks. A comprehensive resource for researchers and pop culture aficionados alike, Television Introductions provides a fascinating look at this neglected part of TV history.