I forget where, but I read somewhere that before heading off the pilot season, you should go to episodic season which is when they do casting for shows that are already on tv. I believe this season starts in July. Does anyone know for sure when it starts and if you can go without an agent and how would find information on auditions?

Due to the pending strike, casting is happening sooner than usual. Here is a portion of a newsletter on this very subject, taken from www.actorsite.com (an excellent site with free newsletters on the latest industry news in LA)

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More shows are already casting for the FALL season!

Dear Readers,

Episodic season is already beginning. Shows are taking a short hiatus and then starting shooting for the FALL season. Some shows are on episode FOUR already!

For those of you new to Hollywood, most shows don't start shooting until Late JULY or August and some start in September because their season doesn't start airing until October.

THIS YEAR IS DIFFERENT...

Because of the threat of a SAG work stoppage, the shows are "BANKING" episodes prior to the end of the SAG contract on June 30.

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I know you're in NY, but I hope this helps!

There are two different big points to note here.

One is that episodic and pilot seasons are said to be less fixed than they once were. Aside from the complete aberration of strike fears, networks are introducing programs at a less predictable rhythm than in previous years. This may be arguable, but there are those who say the concept of a "pilot season" is losing its meaning.

More to the point for those thinking of making any kind of move based on these distinctions, it's not realistic for most actors to think of coming out to Los Angeles, being here for a few months, maybe auditioning for some episodic, then positioning oneself for pilot season.

For most actors it takes YEARS to build up a career in Hollywood, and even then only a few make a dent. I came out here in 96 with a group of actors who did a week of workshops before settling in. I just saw one of the women from our group playing an under-five on a major TV show. First I've seen of her (on screen) since we got here. Haven't seen most of the others (some of whom were excellent actors) at all. One did a major commercial and some trivial films a year or two later. I don't think anyone got a nibble for the first episodic or pilot season after our arrival.

So worrying about exactly when they are probably is pretty theoretical for most people. By the time you've got a shot at either, you generally have to have been here long enough to know all about when they are or aren't.

Here's a story from NPR on the shrinking pilot season, and if you search there's more on there about upfronts, etc.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18442525

Someone just posted this on the Kids forum, but it's about as clear an overview of the-season-formerly-known-as-Pilot that I've seen, and lots of the warnings to kids' parents apply to older actors as well:

Pilot Season - going once, going twice....