Lynch conceived South of Nowhere from the idea of a teenager's coming out after hearing that his friend's son had come out to his parents. Lynch pitched the premise to The N and was commissioned to write the pilot. After the casting process was complete, the episode was filmed in October 2004, but when the show was picked up for a full season, Lynch decided to recast many of the characters and the pilot was shot again in July 2005 with the new cast. The premiere of the episode was promoted with branded MetroCards that were handed out to teenagers in Manhattan. Generally, critics reviewed the pilot positively, particularly commending its treatment of current social issues; however, some critics found the show's introduction of these issues to be forced and inauthentic. Read more...