The writing, production, and direction in this pilot is as good as the subsequent series. But prospective buyers need to know that the series had Mother, Father and Grandfather played by different actors than this pilot.
Nothing can match the supreme poise and radient CALM of the mother played by Michael Learned in the Series. She deserved an Oscar for her consistent performances over many episodes . The father Ralph Waite is her perfect match with his perplexed attempts to understand the writing career aims of their eldest son, played by Richard Thomas.