pilot film
- noun
- /ˈpaɪlət fɪlm/
- The network decided to air the pilot film to see how viewers would react to the new show.
Examples
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The command to "engage" was, of course, one of Picard's signature lines, but it goes back to Captain Pike in the first Star Trek pilot film, made in 1964.
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Remember that TV pilot film Ricky was going to make?
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What were you saying about a TV pilot film?
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You don't have to see any of the movies that I take ever again, including the TV pilot film that I'm just about to audition.
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TV pilot film?
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She landed a role in a pilot film that could lead to a full series if it's successful.
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After reviewing the pilot film, the producers were excited to move forward with the series.
Synonyms
A single episode made to test an idea for a television show
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derived from 'pilot' (the initial test episode) combined with 'film' (a recorded/movie), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it denotes the first filmed episode made to demonstrate a series. This noun+noun composition follows common English compounding patterns and similar constructions exist in other languages, making the sense readily inferable without prior exposure.
Etymology
Pilot film comes from the idea of a pilot as a short test flight and film as a recorded show. It is the show's first episode made as a 'test' to show the idea to a TV company, so the phrase means 'the first episode made to prove or sell a TV series'.