In an era dominated by full-season releases, how is anyone expected to judge a new series by just one episode? Gone are the days when a pilot’s charms or lack thereof dictate the series’ future — today, many audiences wait to sample until there are enough episodes available to fill a Saturday afternoon, or they’re alerted by a trusted source (professional or otherwise) that, “Hey, this show got good!”The weekly release model persists — on broadcast, cable, and even streaming (shout-out to Hulu) — but even those network executives are waiting to see who tunes in over the first three days, seven days, weeks, and even months of a season before deciding whether or not to renew or cancel.But with “Bless This Mess,” we’re all in the same boat: Despite the best efforts of everyone at ABC, only the pilot was available for screening prior to the series’ Tuesday night debut.
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