| "Pilot" | |
|---|---|
| The Flash episode | |
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:The_Flash_(Season_1)_-_Pilot.jpg) Promotional poster for "Pilot" | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | David Nutter |
| Story by | |
| Teleplay by |
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| Featured music | Blake Neely |
| Cinematography by | Glen Winter |
| Editing by | Paul Karasick |
| Production code | 296648 |
| Original air date | October 7, 2014 |
| Running time | 44 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
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"Pilot" is the pilot and first episode of the first season of the American television series The Flash. The episode was written by Andrew Kreisberg and Geoff Johns, based on a story by Greg Berlanti, Kreisberg, and Johns, and directed by David Nutter. The series is a spin-off of Arrow; many of the characters in The Flash were introduced during its second season. Based on the DC Comics character Barry Allen / Flash, the episode revolves around Barry Allen, a forensic scientist working for the Central City Police Department. On the night that a particle accelerator launches, a malfunction causes it to explode during a storm. At the same time, Barry is struck by lightning. He wakes from a coma after nine months, and discovers that he has developed a new power: super speed.
Grant Gustin portrays Barry, and is joined by series regulars Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, Rick Cosnett, Carlos Valdes, Tom Cavanagh, and Jesse L. Martin. A backdoor pilot was ordered in July 2013, but The CW executives, impressed by early cuts of Gustin's appearances in the first two episodes of Arrow, ordered a stand-alone pilot instead to make use of a larger budget and help flesh out Barry's world in more detail. It was filmed in March 2014 in Vancouver, British Columbia, with additional filming in Portland, Oregon. Colleen Atwood, Arrow's costume designer, created the Flash's suit. The creative team wanted to make sure that the Flash resembled his comic book counterpart, and was not a poor imitation. In May 2014, The Flash was picked up as a series, with an initial order from The CW for 13 episodes.
The pilot was first screened at the Warner Bros. Television and DC Entertainment panel at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2014. It was first broadcast on The CW on October 7, 2014, and had a strong debut attracting 4.83 million viewers. It was the second most-watched premiere on The CW, behind the pilot episode of The Vampire Diaries broadcast in 2009, and became The CW's most-watched telecast a week after its release with a total of 6.8 million viewers. The episode received critical acclaim with praise for the tone (considered better than Arrow's), Gustin's performance as Barry, the action scenes, costume design, and the supporting cast.