But despite efforts on the parts of the networks that pay for the pilots and the studios that make them, pilot season remains an expensive exercise in futility: Lots of time, money and effort is spent creating entertainment that no one will ever see.

FORBES: Pilots That Crash

In some cases, wealthy deadbeats have gotten a reprieve because lenders have taken longer to begin the foreclosure process, reticent to repossess a property that will require more money and time to sell and be more expensive to maintain in the meantime.

FORBES: Foreclosure Woes Of The Rich And Famous