Pilot

Pilot
Details
Episode	1
Year	One
Released	June 15, 2012
Written by	Joseph Fink Jeffrey Cranor
Narrated by	Cecil Baldwin
Produced by	Commonplace Books
Content Warnings	Year One Content Warnings
Listen
Soundtrack	Disparition
The Weather	"These and More Than These" by Joseph Fink
Episode	Spotify YouTube
Transcript
External	Cecilspeaks Night Vale Presents Pickmansprogress
Local	Transcript: Pilot
Episode Guide
Next	"Glow Cloud"

“	A friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep. Welcome to Night Vale.	”
	— Cecil

"Pilot" is the 1^st episode of Welcome to Night Vale. It was released on June 15, 2012.

Synopsis

A new dog park opens in Night Vale. Carlos, a scientist, visits and discovers some interesting things. Seismic things. Plus, a helpful guide to surveillance helicopter-spotting.

Summary

Cecil announces the opening of a new dog park at the corner of Earl and Summerset that the public are not allowed to enter. He then tells of the beings calling themselves Angels who helped Old Woman Josie with changing a lightbulb and is planning to sell the old lightbulb. He then talks about the stranger who came into town, Carlos, and is suspicious of him. Cecil then details what the different types of helicopters are. Black is World Government, blue is the Sheriff's Secret Police, and those with complex murals depicting birds of prey are unknown but dangerous. The next item of the news is that a commercial airliner appeared and disappeared in the Night Vale Elementary School gym, disrupting practice. It was believed, by Cecil, to be the work of town rivals Desert Bluffs.

Plot Developments

• Do Not Approach the Dog Park: The dog park officially opens at the corner of Earl and Summerset.
• Angels: The angels reveal themselves to Old Woman Josie.
• Cecil and Carlos' Relationship: A perfect and beautiful scientist arrives to study Night Vale, "the most scientifically interesting community in the U.S.". Cecil "[falls] in love instantly."
• Weird Science: Carlos and his team discover a house in Desert Creek that does not, technically, exist; constant, catastrophic earthquakes that nobody can feel; and that the sun set ten minutes later than it should have.
• Water, Water Nowhere: The Night Vale Harbor and Waterfront Recreation Area opens, despite a complete lack of water.
• The Post Office: The Apache Tracker swears to investigate the "great howling" heard from the Night Vale Post Office.
• The Underground City: Teddy Williams discovers the entrance to a vast, underground city underneath the Desert Flower Bowling Alley and Arcade Fun Complex.

Recurring segments

Traffic

Traffic time, listeners. Now, Police are issuing warnings about ghost cars out on the highways, those cars only visible in the distance, reaching unimaginable speeds, leaving destinations unknown for destinations more unknown. They would like to remind you that you should not set your speed by these apparitions, and doing so will not be considered following the flow of traffic. However, they do say that it’s probably safe to match speed with the mysterious lights in the sky, as whatever entities or organizations responsible appear to be cautious and reasonable drivers.

Trivia

• According to Meg Bashwiner, Joseph Fink used his own song as the Weather for this episode because it was the one piece of music he had rights to.
• This episode was created by Joseph Fink alone, with no contribution from Jeffrey Cranor.

Notes

• The credits for this episode were read by Joseph Fink.

Proverb

“	Look to the north. Keep looking. There’s nothing coming from the south.	”
	— Proverb