[Ads-l] [Non-DoD Source] Re: pilot, situation comedy (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Mullins, Bill CIV (US)]

CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED

The noun usage of the word could no doubt be easily antedated further, possible in the Lantern or Americanradiohistory databases, if "pilot" wasn't such a common word otherwise.

> 
> Thanks, Bill. In the WSJ column (<http://bit.ly/pilotbz>), I cite a June 14, 1952 article in Billboard about "'sad samples' --
> those expensive pilot films produced with hopes for a future series that somehow never seemed to come to life."
> 
> https://books.google.com/books?id=dR0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA35
> 
> The headline for that article uses "pilot" as a standalone noun: "Sterling Series Packages Pilots & Recoups Losses."
> 
> --Ben
> 
> 
> On Tue, Jul 19, 2016 at 12:12 PM, Mullins, Bill CIV (US) < william.d.mullins18.civ at mail.mil> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Ben Zimmer recently wrote in the WSJ about "pilot".  One usage is as a
> > noun, "a test episode of a projected television series used to gauge
> > audience reaction." (perhaps this definition should be extended to
> > include
> > radio?) OED 11.[1f].  The OED has 1955 for this sense.
> >
> > _Sponsor_ 13 July 1953 p 183 col 3
> > "As an indication of new show costs, the pilot for ABC's new Danny
> > Thomas situation-comedy film came to a higher tab than I Love Lucy (it
> > was shot at the Desilu studios)."
> >
> > Note that this cite also antedates "situation comedy," for which the
> > OED has 23 Oct 1953.  The OED definition is limited to serials.
> >
> > [_Motion Picture News, 13 Apr 1918, p 2248 "The Frank Keenan company
> > is now at work on a situation comedy titled "More Trouble," which is
> > also an adaptation by Jack Cunningham from a magazine story."
> >
> > _Photoplay, July 1918, p. 82 col 3
> > "It is a two-reel "situation comedy," "Mr. Briggs Closes the House.""]
> >
> >
> > _Moving Picture World_ 23 Jan 1926 p 340 col 1 "Another series of
> > two-reelers, already in the making for next season's release by the
> > Stern Brothers, is "The Adventures of Jane," a high-class situation
> > comedy series starring Wanda Wiley."
> >
> >
> 
CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED

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