A
television pilot (also known as a
pilot or a
pilot episode) is a standalone
episode of a
television series that is used to sell the show to a
television network. At the time of its creation, the pilot is meant to be the testing ground to gauge whether a series will be successful, and is therefore a test episode of an intended television series. It is an early step in the development of a television series, much like
pilot studies serve as precursors to the start of larger activity.