Pilot (Back to You)

Infobox Television episode
Title = Pilot
Series = Back To You


Caption = Chuck and Kelly shoot their first promo since Chuck's return to WURG
Season = 1
Episode = 1
Airdate = September 19, 2007
Production = BTY-101
Writer = Steven Levitan,
Christopher Lloyd
Director = James Burrows
Photographer =
Guests = Spencer Knowles as Mail Boy,
Adam Busch as Production Assistant,
Michael Richard Robinson as Weatherman,
Erin Ross as Darcy Tanner
Episode list = List of Back to You episodes
Prev = N/A
Next = Fish Story

"Pilot" is the first episode of the first season of the situation comedy "Back to You". It aired on September 19, 2007.

Plot

In the 90s, Chuck Darling moves from his anchor post at a small T.V. markets news program in Pittsburgh to a much larger market in Denver.

Ten years later, Chuck is in L.A. and is fired after inadvertently going off on a profanity-filled rant that becomes widespread via online outlets (Kelly states that she saw it on YouTube).

Soon after, Chuck's back in Pittsburgh and reuniting with his former co-anchor, Kelly Carr, much to her protest; however, sports correspondent Marsh McGinley is thrilled.

Later, the reason behind Chuck and Kelly's friction is revealed. They slept together on a drunken New Year's Eve which resulted in Chuck becoming the father of Kelly's 10-year-old daughter. Chuck meets his daughter, Gracie, although he does not tell her that he is her father. At the end of the episode, Chuck calls Kelly, telling her that Gracie is spectacular.

Production Details

Creators Levitan and Lloyd wrote the script for "Pilot", signed Grammer and Heaton, and brought in Burrows before approaching any of the networks.cite web |url=http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_6935010 |title=Can 'Back to You' save the sitcom? |accessdate=2007-09-23 |last=McCollum |first= Charlie |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher=Mercury News]

The scene which features Chuck explaining to Kelly his various promotions was reshot between the filming for the pilot episode and the original broadcast of the episode. FOX featured clips featuring the original scene during promos for the Pilot. [cite video |people=Grammer, Kelsey (Actor), Heaton, Patricia (Actress) |year2=2007 |title=Summer 2007 (Summer Promo Five and Six) |url=http://backtoyouonline.com/promo5and6.asx |format=.ASX |medium=Television Promo |publisher=Fox Broadcasting Company |location=20th Century Studios |accessdate=2007-12-08 |time=00:51 ] [cite episode |title=Pilot |episodelink=Pilot (Back to You) |series=Back to You |serieslink=Back to You |credits=Lloyd, Christopher (writer), Levitan, Steven (writer), Burrows, James (director), Grammer, Kelsey (actor), Heaton, Patricia (actress) |network=Fox Broadcasting Company |airdate=2007-09-19 |season=1 |number=1 |minutes=05:41 (excluding commercials)]

Reception

Tim Goodman of the San Francisco Chronicle described it as a "retro-sitcom" due to its multiple cameras and onscreen audience. [cite web |url=http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/09/19/DDIES8CAF.DTL |title=Review: 'Back to You' treads old sitcom turf |accessdate=2007-09-23 |last=Goodman |first=Tim |date=2007-09-19 |publisher=San Francisco Chronicle] Charlie McCollum of the Mercury News felt that "Back to You" is this "season's highest-profile attempt to revitalize the traditional sitcom."

Mike Duffy of the Detroit Free Press felt that the first two episodes of "Back to You" found a "quality groove" and delivered laughs. He described the shows news studio as a "natural for loopy, literate good fun" and thought that Grammer and Heaton made a good team. [cite web |url=http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070919/ENT03/709190328 |title='Back to You' packs chuckles you can trust |accessdate=2007-09-23 |last=Duffy |first=Mike |date=2007-09-19 |publisher=Detroit Free Press] Vinay Menon of The Toronto Star felt that based on the first two episodes, "Back to You" had elements in common with "NewsRadio", "Just Shoot Me!", "Murphy Brown" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show". [cite web |url=http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/Television/article/258070 |title=Back to You heads in right direction |accessdate=2007-09-23 |last=Menon |first=Vinay |date=2007-09-19|publisher=The Toronto Star]

"Pilot" debuted on a "highly competitive night", in terms of ratings. [cite web |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN1846241220070918 |title=Frasier's Kelsey Grammer returns in "Back to You" |accessdate=2007-09-23 |last=Gorman |first=Steve |coauthors= |date=2007-09-18 |work= |publisher=Reuters] This episode was viewed by 9.44 million viewers upon its original broadcast, finishing first place in its timeslot. It also achieved a 3.1 rating in the key 18-49 demographic. A noticeable year-to-year improvement was shown compared to the previous occupier of the timeslot, Bones. [cite web |url=http://pifeedback.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/63310451/m/36910417 |title=Prime Time Ratings: Wednesday 9/19/07 |accessdate=2007-09-20 |last=Berman |first=Marc |date=2007-09-20]

It ranked an impressive 16th of the week's network programming which was higher than any other FOX series with the exception of "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy". [cite web |url=http://pifeedback.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/34110412/m/75410827 |title=National Ratings in Prime-Time: Week of Sept. 17, 2007 |accessdate=2007-09-27 |first=Marc |last=Berman |date=2007-09-26 |work= |publisher=]

References

External links

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