Netflix makes history by doing something the TV industry has been doing for decades

Despite desperately trying to paint itself as a trailblazer and game-changer in the streaming industry, Netflix has done the unthinkable by breaking new ground via a method the television industry has been using since its very inception.

For the first time ever, the platform has ordered a pilot. Yep, that’s it, a practice that’s been a key component of the moving image since TV sets first made their way into homes. It’s a small step, but a curious one nonetheless for the market-leading platform, which presumably should save some money in the long run.

After all, we’ve seen Netflix funnel huge amounts of money into original sitcoms that end up being canceled after a single season, so ordering a pilot before opting to take the plunge makes a great deal of sense. In this instance, scream queen Samara Weaving will headline Little Sky, marking the first time the company have never gone straight to series.

The story finds Weaving’s Penelope Paul Porter attain her lifelong goal of becoming a new reporter, before an even bigger opportunity falls into her lap when the mayor of the titular town goes missing. It sounds as though there might be a supernatural element in play, too, given that the locale is referred to as “spooky.”

Of course, there’s every chance that Little Sky simply won’t be ordered for a full run of episodes, but it’s an intriguing development nonetheless, one that could completely alter the means of how Netflix decides which TV pilots to order for a full-blown season.