Pilot (Supernatural)

"Pilot"
Supernatural episode
Mary Winchester was killed in the episode's teaser. A papier-mâché replica of the actress was ignited on a fake ceiling to accomplish the effect.
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 1
Directed by	David Nutter
Written by	Eric Kripke
Cinematography by	Aaron Schneider
Editing by	Paul Karasick
Production code	475285
Original air date	September 13, 2005 (2005-09-13)
Running time	46 minutes
Guest appearances
Sarah Shahi as Constance Welch Jeffrey Dean Morgan as John Winchester Adrianne Palicki as Jessica Moore Samantha Smith as Mary Winchester Steve Railsback as Joseph Welch Ross Kohn as Troy Squire R. D. Call as Sheriff Pierce
Episode chronology
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Supernatural season 1
List of episodes

"Pilot" is the first episode of the television series Supernatural. It premiered on The WB on September 13, 2005, and was written by series creator Eric Kripke and directed by David Nutter. The Supernatural pilot introduced the characters of Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles), brothers who travel throughout the country hunting supernatural creatures, as they battled a ghostly Woman in White (Sarah Shahi) while searching for their missing father (Jeffrey Dean Morgan).

Kripke was developing the concept for ten years before it was greenlit as a television series. Before it could be filmed, the script underwent numerous revisions. The episode was produced in Los Angeles, though future episodes were filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, to save money. The episode established the series' tradition of a rock-music soundtrack, and included background music scored by Kripke's friend Christopher Lennertz. It received mixed reviews, with critics praising the horror elements but having varying opinions of the lead actors' performances.