Misfires

"Well, the way they make shows is, they make one show. That show's called a pilot. Then they show that show to the people who make shows, and on the strength of that one show they decide if they're going to make more shows. Some pilots get picked and become television programs. Some don't, become nothing. She starred in one of the ones that became nothing." — Jules, "Pulp Fiction."

It's Pilot Season, a time when networks spend money making the first episode of potential series. Then, next month, the networks will decide whether to keep their old shows, or kill them based on the potential offered by these shiny, new pilots. Some of the pilots make the air and become TV series, others never see the light of day.

Well, almost never.

Back in 1997, "L.A. Confidential" was one of the most buzzed about movies. From a quality standpoint, it was probably the Best Picture that year, however that honor went to a little sea misadventure called "Titanic." Still, with the success of the film, it's not surprising that people sought a way to keep capitalizing on that.

Thus, "L.A. Confidential" the TV series was born... well, almost. You see, it was made into a pilot and then it went no where. For the most part, people would probably not even know about it were it not for the fact that the pilot is included as a special feature on the re-release of the original film, which appeared a few years ago.

The year was 2003, and a pre-"24" Kiefer Sutherland was still channelling his inner Jack Bauer, this time as Det. Jack Vincennes. In fact, all the characters from the film were included — Officer Bud White, Ed Exley, Capt. Dudley Smith, Pierce Patchett, and Lynn Bracken. But the familiar story was altered, chopped up, and spread out for long-term TV consumption.

Watching the defunct pilot, there is something surreal about it. There are familiar elements and characters in the world, but the tone, story, and the way it's all put together don't quite work. Given that, it's no wonder the pilot didn't become a series.

You see, the elements that made "L.A. Confidential" a fantastic film are the elements that work against it as a series. The classic difference between TV and movies is the nature of production. Movies have a finite vision. The have a beginning, middle, and end. They work toward a logical conclusion over two hours and, if it works well, leave you charged up wanting to experience it again.

TV is different. They have to hook you right away then slowly draw the story out, keeping you hooked each week and wanting to come back for more. When you take a familiar, close-ended story, and try to stretch it out, it just doesn't work.

In addition, watering down iconic characters and trying to capture the essence of an era on a shoestring budget don't help. All those elements combine to water down the presentation and make it feel stilted.

What is fun about the pilot, however, is that it gives a window into a world most never see. It's a chance to see how some concepts are developed into stories but don't quite get there. Many more potential shows will suffer the same fate in the next couple of months.