Pilot (Prison Break) - Broadcast and Reception

Broadcast and Reception

The Pilot, along with the following episode was released on Fox with an estimated audience of 10.5 million viewers, placing the series as the seventh most watched show in America that week, ranking first in both the 18–49 and 18–34 demographics. The critical and ratings success was also evident in various other areas around the world. In the UK, the Pilot episode aired 24 January 2006, and received viewing figures of 0.91 million, which was the 28th most viewed programme in the week on Five. Though not at first successful, the ratings will increase as the season progresses.

In France, the episode aired on August 31, 2006 with around 5.5 million viewers (25.8% share). It was not as publicised in Germany since the airing on 21 June 2007, as it received an audience share of only 13.5%. In Poland, the episode aired on January 28, 2007 with an estimated 7 million viewers, the highest rated episode of any foreign series in Poland. The Pilot aired in Greece on 2 January, with a rating of 769,000 viewers, an unusually high figure for an American series to air on Greek television.

For the episode, Mark Helfrich was nominated for an Eddie Award in the category "Best Edited One-Hour Series for Commercial Television". However, his competitor, Stephen Semel, won the award for the American television series Lost. The pilot episode did, however win an Artios Casting Society of America award for "Best Dramatic Pilot Casting" in 2006. The award was handed to John Papsidera, Wendy O'Brien and Claire Simon.