"Pilot" | |
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Veronica Mars episode | |
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Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 1 |
Directed by | Mark Piznarski |
Written by | Rob Thomas |
Production code | 475258 |
Original air date | September 22, 2004 |
Guest appearances | |
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The pilot episode of the television series Veronica Mars premiered on UPN on September 22, 2004. It was written by series creator Rob Thomas, and directed by Mark Piznarski.[1] Set in the fictional town of Neptune, the pilot introduces Kristen Bell as the title character, a high-school student moonlighting as a private investigator under the wing of her detective father. Two separate mysteries are presented in the episode, which are explored throughout the season and resolved in the final and penultimate episodes.[2]
Thomas originally wrote Veronica Mars as a young adult novel, featuring a male as the protagonist. He changed the gender of the protagonist because he thought a noir piece told from a female point of view would be more interesting and unique. The original pilot script was darker in tone than the one filmed, and several details were changed. Although it ranked low in the ratings, the pilot was critically acclaimed and Bell's performance as the protagonist was praised.[3]
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