Pilot (White Collar)

Jeff Eastin stated that he originally had the idea for White Collar while sitting in a hot tub before the WGA strike in 2008.[1][2] He said that the idea was influenced by The Shield and a friend, Travis Romero (who worked on the pilot with him and would later cowrite episodes of White Collar). The idea evolved into a story focusing on a man in prison who is let out to solve crimes. However, after being told that the show sounded similar to the NBC series Life, the idea was shelved. Just before the strike, Eastin and Travis Romero decided to turn the idea into a comedy, and the idea was pitched to USA Network.[1] While pitching the idea, Eastin described Neal Caffrey as "an evil Donald Trump."[2]

On March 26, 2008, Jeff Wachtel, executive vice president of original programming for USA Network, ordered a pilot script for White Collar, which was then only a working title. The show was to be written and executive produced by Jeff Eastin.[3] Eastin, who had never been to New York, wrote the 90-minute pilot script using Google Street View.[2] A cast-contingent pilot order was announced on May 21, 2008, alongside an order for Royal Pains.[4]

Matt Bomer was the first actor to join White Collar as Neal Caffrey on August 11, 2008.

Casting was a long process, notably with the characters of Neal Caffrey and Peter Burke. Jeff Artel had stated that what the producers wanted was a "young Warren Beatty."[1] After seeing over 300 potential actors, and at the recommendation of casting director Gayle Pillsbury, the casting of Matt Bomer as Neal Caffrey was announced on August 11, 2008, which lifted the contingency off the pilot order.[1][5] Eastin had previously seen Bomer as Bryce Larkin on NBC's Chuck, which contributed to his casting. On August 21, 2008, after a long process that included a reading with Matt Bomer, USA Network announced the casting of Tim DeKay as Peter Burke and the official greenlighting of the pilot.[1] They also announced that the project would be directed by Bronwen Hughes.[6] By October 31, 2008, Willie Garson had joined the cast as Mozzie.[7] The fourth addition to the cast was Tiffani Thiessen as Elizabeth Burke (who at the time was intended to be an accountant), on November 11, 2008. Jackie de Crinis, an executive at USA Network, stated, "She brings a beauty and warmth to this role that really makes the character come alive."[8] White Collar's final star was announced on December 8, 2008 to be Marsha Thomason. Thomason would play a junior agent named Diana Lancing; this name was later changed to Diana Berrigan.[9]

The pilot was directed by Bronwen Hughes from a script by Jeff Eastin. Hughes had previously directed an episode of Burn Notice, and would later go on to direct the pilot of Fairly Legal, another USA Network original series. For the pilot, the cast was joined by special guest star Diahann Carroll, who portrayed June, an elderly woman who allows Neal to stay in her home. Additional guest stars included Sharif Atkins as Clinton Jones, an agent working under Peter Burke. Denise Vasi guest starred as June's granddaughter Cindy, while Alexandra Daddario made a small appearance as Neal's disappearing girlfriend, Kate Moreau. Carroll, Atkins, Vasi, and Daddario would all become recurring guests. The final additions to the cast were Mark Sheppard as Curtis Hagen, Michael Gaston as Thompson, and Stephen Singer as Vincent. The episode was filmed on location in New York City.[10] "One of the best things about New York is [...] all we have to do is open a door or point a camera at a window, and we've got absolutely brilliant production value," Eastin stated.[2]

The pilot episode that aired on USA Network following Monk had a runtime (excluding commercial advertisements) of 60 minutes. A longer version of the pilot episode has been produced that has aired in regions outside the United States, including Canada, the Czech Republic, and Poland. The extended version of the pilot is split into two 42 minute long episodes and contains additional as well as extended scenes.

Nielsen ratings were expected to be high due to the return of Bitty Schram to Monk, which premiered immediately before the pilot of White Collar. This proved to be true, and it was estimated that the premiere was seen by 5.400 million household viewers, which was the sixth-most watched program on cable television for the week; the only scripted program to surpass it was its lead-in, Monk. For its 10 PM EST time slot, White Collar was the top-rated program on cable.[11]

"Pilot" received mostly positive reviews, with many writers praising the performances of Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay. Jonah Krakow of IGN rated the episode an 8.5 out of 10, saying that though "there's a certain amount of suspension of disbelief required to enjoy White Collar," the "cast is pretty strong, with Bomer and DeKay doing most of the heavy lifting." He also praised the performance of Tiffani Thiessen and the premise of the show.[12] Bob Sassone of AOL TV commended the characters and the lead actors, including Bomer, DeKay, Garson, and guest star Diahann Carroll. His only complaint was the casting of Tiffani Thiessen, claiming that Elizabeth appeared too young to be married to Tim DeKay's character.[10] Bryan Jones heavily praised the premiere, notably the "stellar acting and strong characters." However, he felt that Elizabeth (Tiffani Thiessen) had better chemistry with Neal than with her husband. Overall, he said, "[White Collar gives] us something we can watch and enjoy week after week."[13] One of the few moderate reviews came from Alan Sepinwall, who stated that "it's a fun show," but "it's not perfect." He went on to say that "DeKay and Bomer play well off each other," but did not appreciate the use of Tiffani Thiessen as Elizabeth or the replacement of Marsha Thomason with Natalie Morales.[14]