The episode's plot is reminiscent of Little Red Riding Hood. David Greenwalt and Jim Kouf, who had worked together before on projects such as "Angel", conceived the show. Grimm was pitched to NBC as "The Brother’s Grimm in the Modern World." The pilot episode was greenlit by NBC in January 2011, and filming began in Portland, Oregon, in March of the same year. Intending to make the set version of the Portland Police Department look as real as possible, the Grimm crew received permission to utilize actual police uniforms (except for the badges). David Giuntoli and Silas Weir Mitchell were the first to be cast, portraying Nick Burkhardt and Monroe, respectively. Russell Hornsby, who portrays Nick's partner, Hank, and Bitsie Tulloch, portraying Nick's girlfriend on the show, were next to be cast. Sasha Roiz was later cast as Captain Renard. Initial response from the Portland film industry was favorable. Grimm was the third TV series to be produced in Portland, and potential success seemed like a way to bring "bigger things" to the area. Before the episode premiered on television, promotional screenings were held, and the entire episode was released on social media websites. After a screening at Comic-Con, IGN did a preliminary review of the pilot, noting that "the monster effects were much better here than they were in [Angel or Buffy the Vampire Slayer]". The series premiere of Grimm was viewed by 6.56 million people, earning a 2.1/6 18-49 rating on the Nielson ratings scale. This means that 2.1 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode, while 6 percent of all households watching television at that time watched it. Grimm had the highest non-sports rating on a Friday for any network since New Year's Eve of 2010. Reviews of the episode ranged from mixed to positive. IGN gave the episode an 8 out of 10, stating that it "is grounded in reality, and no costumes or settings tiptoe into an unbelievable place." Newsday, stating that the pilot "is a well-made, entertaining TV confection," gave the episode a B rating. The Wall Street Journal said Grimm "may be onto something good. It can be genuinely scary (the pilot has a "Lovely Bones" vibe that's not for children). But it has wit too, and avoids camp." In a comparison with the Once Upon A Time, a show similar in genre to Grimm, The Hollywood Reporter gave Grimm the upper hand based on the pilot episode, calling Grimm "more grown-up in its approach than Once Upon a Time because it's more violent and less hokey."