Most times when we get to peek at pilot scripts for new shows, we have no idea how closely they match to what will actually appear on screen, once the episode airs. In the case of the newly picked up NBC show The Event, I think I can safely say that, based on the trailer video for the show (see the bottom of this post), what I read is what’s been shot.
I’ll give you a little bit of background into what The Event is about, or at least what of it we’re supposed to know going into the first episode. As the title suggests, there’s some sort of big, world-changing “event” that’s about to unfold during the course of the series (season?), and through following along with several key individuals, that big, mysterious event will be revealed to us.
As far as the embedded video below goes, it appears to all come from the pilot episode, with the exception of one scene that’s likely minor and added after the fact (the scene with Jason Ritter‘s character — Sean Walker — doing some cliff diving). Even the dialogue matches exactly. The casting is a little different than intended from the script (such as the ethnicity of President Martinez), but I don’t see that it had much of an effect.
Now, onto the semi-spoilery stuff.
The episode does a lot of flashing back and forth from the point of view of several key characters, including Sean Walker and President Eli Martinez (Blair Underwood). Throughout the episode we’re teased with how things got to where they are “today.” As suggested in the video, the president is just made aware of something big — something kept secret from him and the past president for many years — and he demands to find out more about it. He apparently gets his way, though it’s never revealed to us exactly what this “event” is or who the people are behind it. The president is dead set on revealing these secrets to the American people, and that’s where things get ugly.
For those watching the pilot, hoping this “event” will be revealed right away: don’t hold your breath. However, the pilot ends off with something definitely supernatural or otherworldly … but we’re left not knowing what it is exactly, why it happened (well, we sorta know why) or who/what did it. Suffice to say, it should get people very interested in watching the second episode to find out more.
I will say that I believe I’ve got a good guess for who the people are behind the event, or at least where they came from, and I’m pretty sure a lot of people will have the same theory. I don’t want to get into that here, though, or else I may as well spoil the entire thing.
So far The Event feels like a mix of FlashForward and V all mashed up together, and we’ve seen how well those two have done: one’s canceled, the other just barely made it. These shows that have a drawn-out mystery are ones that appear cool in concept and all, but they lose people very quickly if things get slow. For this reason, I don’t have very high hopes that The Event is going to have a whole lot of success. Oh, there will be huge fans I’m sure, but Lost-like fans? Probably not.
The Event will air on Mondays this Fall on NBC. Here’s the video trailer to analyze until then:
Clacked by Keith McDuffee 
on May 18, 2010 @ 16:00 EST5EDT
Based on that trailer …
I will definitely give that show a chance.
Seems like a better version of “V” to me.
See, I think this is one of the better offerings in Upfront season so far. I’m way looking forward to it.
*Blech* I couldn’t even make it through the entire trailer. Hits every conspiracy story cliché in the book, with dialogue you can hear in your head before they say it.
Not saying that The Cape didn’t look awful as well, but that at least seemed to have a sense of humor about its own ridiculousness.
Ah just teasing you..then they will make it like Lost and then the show will die down.These shows fail because they want it to go forwards with drama and sentiments..mushy stuff when they have sci fi on it.If i want soap i watch a soap. Lost managed to entice because people thought it was going somewhere big but again you’ve seen where it has led to but the people did not disconnect because they were stuck already and they said the show would end this year so carry on. Unless you center something really mind gripping that will occur constantly and not like Fast Forward, this series will be cancelled.I think it smells something in the likes of 4400. This is tV after all..don’t got the money to keep good things coming.
I am still miffed at the axing of Flashforward but this show hopefully fills the void left over from it. I just hope that it lives up to the hype of the trailer.
Looks like the only new show worth watching this fall. With Lost and 24 gone, we’re left with The Event, Fringe, House and V as the only decent things left to watch. These shows lose audience because the average moronic TV viewer would rather watch “So You Think Your Monkey Can Dance” than watch any show that might require them to think a bit. This will probably be added to the long list of good shows cancelled too early..Jericho, Sarah Connor Chronicles, Invasion, Threshold etc.
I’ll pass on “The Event” which come this November/December will be added to a long, long, long list of genre shows that got cut down.
Wesker, those “moronic tv viewers” who would rather watch reality tv are not the reason these type of shows get cancelled. These type of shows get cancelled because fans of genre shows don’t watch their shows LIVE. That’s why scripted procedurals and reality shows succeed; their fans tune-in every week without fail and watch LIVE. So their shows get the ratings and our shows constantly fail.
This is just another way for the government to cover up their on-going conspiracies. By making a “show” about what they do, people will assume it’s sci-fi and they can continue to their shinanigans while we stand idle with our blinders.
I know! Stargate is actually a record of real life events but they had the names changed!
I am hoping it will be some 4400 action mixed with a bit of lost, but not too much lost. They should make a three- four season show and wide the story line up. That could make everyone happy and entertain me for a good three years or so.
Maybe this is a continuation of Persons Unknown?
I’m picking up an alternate universe or time travel vibe. These people “are not Americans” perhaps because they are not from our reality. Maybe they know something is about to happen because it already has happened where/whenever they came from. Anyway, I’m jazzed about it. As far as Persons Unknown…there should be a price on the heads of all those involved in that hack production. The last three hours were insulting and thrown together and had one ridiculous logic problem after another. Mrs. Bigshot…I’ve deleted her name from memory, runs the program but turns to her subordinate…eye patch guy and asks if anyone that escaped had ever gotten this far? It seems like that would be a question her subordinate might inquire of her since she runs the joint…the great Robert Piccardo with the ridiculous hair and a dozen lines! What a waste of a great actor. How did the rag mag team get around the country with no money or cellphones? Didn’t keep them off planes or rental cars. Suspension of disbelief done intelligently. That is what makes a show a pleasure to kill time with. I loved the 93 North sign…in the middle of some imaginary desert. As an East Coaster Some idiot writer couldn’t even take a second to look at a map. And of course the old go to mustang, the one that Europeans think every American has in the garage. Never let the facts get in the way of a good story? What happens when you don’t have a good story to begin with? I miss the likes of Rod Serling. I’m sorry, just had to get that hairball up.
*POST AUTHOR*
That’s actually the guess I mentioned above: time travel. These people are from the future, and if you think about the premise of the show for a moment, it’s rather obvious.
There is an “event” that people are preparing for … it’s *going* to happen, right? So it’s in the future. How else do you know something is coming unless you’ve got someone predicting it or you’re getting word from the future?