In July 1993, "Brisco"s two-hour pilot was screened for television critics in Los Angeles. Initial critical reaction to the pilot was positive and focused on the humor and the science fiction plot points. "USA Today"s Matt Roush enjoyed the campy humor and the cast of the show, saying it worked on many levels and would "please all but the family curmudgeon". Calling "Brisco" "one of the best shows of the fall season", Jennifer Stevenson of the "St. Petersburg Times" praised the show's "intelligent, satirical asides". Kay Gardella wrote in the New York "Daily News" that the pilot set itself "apart from others of genre" with its humorous script and sight gags. The "Los Angeles Times" called "Brisco" "gratifying nonsense", and praised Campbell and the supporting cast for supplying humor without "going over the top". Some critics, such as Walter Goodman of "The New York Times" and David Hiltbrand of "People", found the supporting characters "weakly cast" and not as strong as Campbell in the lead. Other reviewers praised the overall look of the show, such as Todd Everett of "Variety", who approved of the "strong comic-book visual style" and the pilot's high production values. Writing in "The Washington Post", Tom Shales said that the pilot's production was "more movielike than serieslike".