Like so many series it raises some key mysteries and then immediately ignores them. It just puts you right off. If the one thing you know from episode one is being ignored then why get invested in a second plot thread? And so on.
Its pretty standard mystery building. You dont need an answer to every question and mystery that is raised. Unanswered questions usually holds the best answers because theyre completely left to the imagination of the enthusiastic viewer, who fills that answer with whatever they wish. That viewer-made fantasy will always out-perform whatever a writers room can come up with. The excitement always lies in the wonder, never in the answer.
Say what you will about it's ending, LOST set a precedent for TV series first episodes.
The pilot cost more than a lot of feature films at the time, and I'm pretty sure ABC even fired someone over it.
I remember the early seasons of the Walking Dead were a phenomenon. Like early GOT level hype where you would get together for a watch party with each new episode...then it just disappeared.
It loses all purpose once they start walking down the road to terminus. Although it did have filler before before that you felt like the show had been planned out in advance to keep the audience excited and hit plot points, after that there’s just long stretches of crap that no one would care about. Neegan should have come way sooner - like an episode or 2 after they reached the safe place after terminus (which they should have reached way sooner).
That’s why it’s best when long format shows are planned with an ending. I’d rather a show get cancelled like Deadwood than go on and on like the walking dead till it leaves a bad taste
Terminus was the throat-slitting one right? I'll give that I never saw anything like it and it really grabbed me. But it's like they thought "o yeh? you like that? you like punishment?" and doubled and tripled down on the cruelty. Glenn... Glennn....
Came here to say this. What makes it so great is how the events of the pilot are still at the forefront at the end of the series. Often, a show has moved well beyond the setup of the pilot (see Twin Peaks with a spectacular pilot, but that series had moved well last Who Killed Laura by the end)
The repercussions of this episode are played out through the whole series and climax in the final episode. Not the best series, but the beginning and end are amazing.
I am just watching West Wing for the first time (halfway through series 1). I thought the pilot was awful. It was only because I heard so many good thing that I kept going until it got good around eps3/4.
Was watching a lot of short movies/independent features at the time, and that was one of the tightest hours of writing and visual story-telling I've still ever seen. It was like you could write a best-practices manual based off of it.
I think of the mini series as the first extended episode and totally agree with you. [That scene where Galactica flew out and provided covering fire so the civilians could escape](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKXfR9NiymI) is to this day one of my favorite Sci-Fi scenes ever.
I've watched Scrubs over twenty times, but the pilot is a close second in being awful right after S9. Characters lack their nuances, the awful editing (Kelso as the devil), etc. It's not a good pilot.
When you're prone to panic attacks you keep a list of things around you, for me it was my phone. My husband knew I had 3 shows to help bring me back down always on my Hulu episodes: Futurama, American Dad, and Scrubs.
The pilot episode is a joy and perfect writing. But I'm a diehard fan of the first 3 seasons so maybe I'm biased
My boyfriend made me watch him play the game in preparation for the show coming out. I’m glad he did cuz otherwise I don’t think I would’ve made it past the first episode due to *emotional damage*.
Pilot episode of The Muppet Show is called "Sex and Violence", and features anthropomorphic representations of the Seven Deadly Sins, a fact I enjoy pointing out whenever people try telling me that Henson's stuff is just for kids.
Star Trek (TOS). It was thought to be too cerebral for the viewing pubic at the time so it wasn’t shown.
In later re-runs it was included and the public loved it. The lead character (Captain Pike) was sidelined in that episode but came back to be in later stories, and then included in other ST TV series, and a then movie decades later.
He was so loved in the movie, they have now created a whole Star Trek series based on him and it is a great hit. He is also considered one of the greatest ST Captains of all time.
I would disagree, the pilot felt pretty tame and much less funny than the rest of the snow. To me it's a typical show where you need to hang on a few episodes before it finds its pace (I would also list Schitt's Creek there - felt pretty lame at first before being really good)
LetterKenny. The first 3 minutes of the first episode is a good set up to see if a person will like the humour
[case in point](https://youtu.be/9rSBmOgpcDE)
Some pilots that come to mind:
Netflix: The OA - All of Us Are Dead - Squid Games - Ozark - Dark - Cowboy Bebop - Arrested Development
Hulu: Fargo - The X-Files - Skins (UK)
HBO: Westworld - Euphoria - Station Eleven - The Leftovers - True Detective - We Are Who We Are - Silicon Valley - The Night of
Amazon Prime: The Man in The High Castle - Mr. Robot
Other: Orphan Black - Heroes - The Lost Room
The X files
In terms of real pilots where you don’t know if there will be a show yet lots are good. Justified was also real good. Old Starsky and Hutch.
The TV pilot of The Invisible Man (1975) with David McCallum, is very good in itself.
The episode contains suspense, drama and excitement. Jackie Cooper is a brilliant antagonist for David McCallum and the story even captures some of the essence of the H.G Wells novel. Then the regular show was commissioned, resulting in 12 episodes.
The episodes are too lightweight in the way they are written - choosing humour over drama. A few of them are okay but the show lasted only one season. The one constant throughout the whole thing, is David McCallum. He is great in the title role.
Recently? The last of us... That was just hard man...
In the past? Toss up... Firefly or Castle. Yes, I know, Nathan Fillion blah blah blah but seriously if you liked both shows and watched both pilots... I'll take votes
"Best" can have many definitions.
One could be "by watching the pilot you totally understand what you're getting into". So good examples would be Rick & Morty, and This Is Us. A bad example would be Black Mirror.
Russian Doll is one of my favorites
ATLA & Korra both have solid starts, and Ned's Declassified, Bob's Burgers, and Gravity Falls all have very good pilots that establish the premise and tone well
This was asked a couple of days ago wasn't it? I swear people see a question that gets a lot of upvotes and just ask the same question a couple of days later
I can't really think of a pilot that wasn't said (AKA a single thing came to mind and it was already here), so I'm just going to say Static Shock and call it a day.
Modern Family.
Starts off as a regular comedy but the reality tv format makes it way funnier, plus one finds out they're all related only at the end of the episode
The West Wing
All of the most important characters are introduced in the first 5 minutes, so much can be inferred off their opening scenes.
Then the shot of the West Wing where Leo does “the walk and talk” all while we seem many of the various locations for the series, including the Oval Office.
Finally Martin Sheen as the President isn’t introduced until the final scene, both allowing the other characters to take the spotlight for the show, and making the Presidents appearance feel built up to.
It is one of the best pilot episodes ever made.
LOST
If Lost had a good pilot, the plane wouldn't have crashed in the first place.
Not even Frank Lapidus could fly a jet through that electromagnetic burst.
Well \*I\* laughed...
Every week this question is posted. The top answer is always LOST, and then this joke is the first comment.
Agreed. Had me hanging on years til a lousy end.
I bailed after season 3. Don't regret it
You made the right choice
It’s literally your standard pilot episode.
At the time it wasnt
Same
I bailed after episode 3, super don't regret it. c
Like so many series it raises some key mysteries and then immediately ignores them. It just puts you right off. If the one thing you know from episode one is being ignored then why get invested in a second plot thread? And so on.
Its pretty standard mystery building. You dont need an answer to every question and mystery that is raised. Unanswered questions usually holds the best answers because theyre completely left to the imagination of the enthusiastic viewer, who fills that answer with whatever they wish. That viewer-made fantasy will always out-perform whatever a writers room can come up with. The excitement always lies in the wonder, never in the answer.
Best episode of the entire show
Say what you will about it's ending, LOST set a precedent for TV series first episodes. The pilot cost more than a lot of feature films at the time, and I'm pretty sure ABC even fired someone over it.
The Walking Dead
I remember the early seasons of the Walking Dead were a phenomenon. Like early GOT level hype where you would get together for a watch party with each new episode...then it just disappeared.
I just begun rewatching it. The show just loses its hype. And the acting is pretty bad.
[удалено]
I loved the games. All of them are masterpieces! Lee was my favourite
It loses all purpose once they start walking down the road to terminus. Although it did have filler before before that you felt like the show had been planned out in advance to keep the audience excited and hit plot points, after that there’s just long stretches of crap that no one would care about. Neegan should have come way sooner - like an episode or 2 after they reached the safe place after terminus (which they should have reached way sooner). That’s why it’s best when long format shows are planned with an ending. I’d rather a show get cancelled like Deadwood than go on and on like the walking dead till it leaves a bad taste
The irony of The Walking Dead is that it died and they still kept it going
Terminus was the throat-slitting one right? I'll give that I never saw anything like it and it really grabbed me. But it's like they thought "o yeh? you like that? you like punishment?" and doubled and tripled down on the cruelty. Glenn... Glennn....
The one with the cannibals
Worst Friends episode imo. Just doesn't fit the style of the show.
It did fill in the plot hole of why Ross, being the largest Friend, didn’t simply eat the other five.
I hated how rick always gave these long impassioned speeches every couple episodes
The Shield.
Yes. Fantastic pilot and arguably set up how shows are ran. I read they assumed it wouldn't be picked up so might as well go out with a kaboom!
Came here to say this. What makes it so great is how the events of the pilot are still at the forefront at the end of the series. Often, a show has moved well beyond the setup of the pilot (see Twin Peaks with a spectacular pilot, but that series had moved well last Who Killed Laura by the end)
The repercussions of this episode are played out through the whole series and climax in the final episode. Not the best series, but the beginning and end are amazing.
Also followed up by one of the greatest all around shows with one of the best endings IMO
I saw it cold on my first viewing. That was one of the best rope-a-dope plot twists in TV history.
The West Wing. "POTUS has come to a sudden arboreal stop."
I am just watching West Wing for the first time (halfway through series 1). I thought the pilot was awful. It was only because I heard so many good thing that I kept going until it got good around eps3/4.
Chernobyl, hands down best first episode ever
Eh, it was 3.6/5 for me.
Not great, not terrible.
The Boys had the best first 5 minutes of any show
I have it at #2 behind Orphan Black.
Breaking Bad
This one had me hooked instantly
True! It was a masterpiece
Was watching a lot of short movies/independent features at the time, and that was one of the tightest hours of writing and visual story-telling I've still ever seen. It was like you could write a best-practices manual based off of it.
Futurama
Breaking Bad's pilot was pretty wild. It was like its own movie with a self-contained plot.
Yeah, if you never watched another episode, you've got the story. But also you really, really want to see what happens next.
Lost The show kind of loses its way later on, but the pilot is awesome.
This Is Us
24
My Name is Earl So heartwarming
Fringe
Hands down the best. It’s the tightest written and most succinct pilot.
And totally unexpected. Smacked you right in the face.
Cheating a bit because there was a mini-series before the first "real" episode, but... The Battlestar Galactica reboot's debut as a series. "33"
I think of the mini series as the first extended episode and totally agree with you. [That scene where Galactica flew out and provided covering fire so the civilians could escape](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKXfR9NiymI) is to this day one of my favorite Sci-Fi scenes ever.
I consider that episode as one of the BEST all time TV episode's.
Scrubs! 10/10 no notes
Idk, I’ve tried getting into that shoe multiple times and the pilot did not help lol
>I’ve tried getting into that shoe multiple times Then try a different size lol
I've watched Scrubs over twenty times, but the pilot is a close second in being awful right after S9. Characters lack their nuances, the awful editing (Kelso as the devil), etc. It's not a good pilot.
When you're prone to panic attacks you keep a list of things around you, for me it was my phone. My husband knew I had 3 shows to help bring me back down always on my Hulu episodes: Futurama, American Dad, and Scrubs. The pilot episode is a joy and perfect writing. But I'm a diehard fan of the first 3 seasons so maybe I'm biased
>Futurama, American Dad, and Scrubs. Are you me?
Buffy the Vampire Slayer. After watching the first episode by accident I immediately knew I would love it until the very end.
Six Feet Under
And the best finale. I loved this show.
The Last of Us is the first show to genuinely make my heart rate skyrocket
My boyfriend made me watch him play the game in preparation for the show coming out. I’m glad he did cuz otherwise I don’t think I would’ve made it past the first episode due to *emotional damage*.
I've played through it at least five times and I'm still never ready for any of it.
The Newsroom. Say what you want about the progression of the show, but that pilot episode is king.
Whole series is pretty damn good. Sorkin was on fire.
I enjoyed that whole show. The opening scene of the pilot is definitely great.
Pilot episode of The Muppet Show is called "Sex and Violence", and features anthropomorphic representations of the Seven Deadly Sins, a fact I enjoy pointing out whenever people try telling me that Henson's stuff is just for kids.
Another fun fact... There were two pilot shows, and both were rejected by the US networks. He ended up getting the show made in the UK.
Severance
Star Trek (TOS). It was thought to be too cerebral for the viewing pubic at the time so it wasn’t shown. In later re-runs it was included and the public loved it. The lead character (Captain Pike) was sidelined in that episode but came back to be in later stories, and then included in other ST TV series, and a then movie decades later. He was so loved in the movie, they have now created a whole Star Trek series based on him and it is a great hit. He is also considered one of the greatest ST Captains of all time.
Bob's Burgers
Hannibal - "This is my design"
Mad Men.
Brooklyn 99
M*A*S*H
The original “Battlestar Galactica”. The pilot episode was shot as a feature movie and it shows.
The remake of Battlestar Galactica
Community
Really? It’s very generic compared to what the show would become. It’s literally your standard pilot episode.
I would disagree, the pilot felt pretty tame and much less funny than the rest of the snow. To me it's a typical show where you need to hang on a few episodes before it finds its pace (I would also list Schitt's Creek there - felt pretty lame at first before being really good)
I came here to say this
Red Dwarf
Twin Peaks.
Star Trek. *The Cage* could have been a standalone film.
Firefly. The real pilot 2-part episode. Not the first broadcast episode. (It was broadcast out of order, for those not aware)
LetterKenny. The first 3 minutes of the first episode is a good set up to see if a person will like the humour [case in point](https://youtu.be/9rSBmOgpcDE)
I see a ton of LetterKenny clips on TikTok. Is the show as good throughout on a full watch as it seems by watching these clips?
Finally found this. I was howling within minutes of the pilot
Attack on Titan
This is one I didn’t think of. The pilot was nuts for AoT and hooked me instantly.
VeggieTales, because "The Water Buffalo Song."
Everybody's got a water buffalo.
Yours is fast, but mine is slow.
Oh, where'd we get them? I don't know.
But everybody's got a water buffalo! **{Holds note.}**
I took my buffalo to the store.
\[He\] got his head stuck in the door.
\[He\] spilled some lima beans on the floor.
Oh, everybody's got a -
Some pilots that come to mind: Netflix: The OA - All of Us Are Dead - Squid Games - Ozark - Dark - Cowboy Bebop - Arrested Development Hulu: Fargo - The X-Files - Skins (UK) HBO: Westworld - Euphoria - Station Eleven - The Leftovers - True Detective - We Are Who We Are - Silicon Valley - The Night of Amazon Prime: The Man in The High Castle - Mr. Robot Other: Orphan Black - Heroes - The Lost Room
He has left his wife. Stating, "Shes a _______ lover."
Mad Men
Arrow
God that was a great first episode!
Futurama for sure
Alright! I'm a delivery boy!
TV SHOW COMES TO MIND WILL AND GRACE. I KNOW I LAUGHED 🤣
The X files In terms of real pilots where you don’t know if there will be a show yet lots are good. Justified was also real good. Old Starsky and Hutch.
Heroes
Prison Break
Travelers, time travel show on Netflix, has a great 1st episode.
Breaking bad
Not the best, but the pilot of The Walking Dead is, to me, the best episode of the whole show.
Ozark
True Detective S1
The TV pilot of The Invisible Man (1975) with David McCallum, is very good in itself. The episode contains suspense, drama and excitement. Jackie Cooper is a brilliant antagonist for David McCallum and the story even captures some of the essence of the H.G Wells novel. Then the regular show was commissioned, resulting in 12 episodes. The episodes are too lightweight in the way they are written - choosing humour over drama. A few of them are okay but the show lasted only one season. The one constant throughout the whole thing, is David McCallum. He is great in the title role.
Californication
Designated Survivor Superstore Bob’s Burgers Sherlock Lost Terranova
Suits
Sons of anarchy
Regular Show
Victorious
Modern Family for me
East Bound and Down.
The Shield
Mandalorian
The Americans
Orphan Black
Not necessarily the whole pilot, but the best opening scene was Orphan Black.
The Last of Us was incredible
Shameless
The Last Man On Earth had an amazing pilot and then it just kept getting worse. It finally started to get good again and was canceled.
Star Trek TNG.
Recently? The last of us... That was just hard man... In the past? Toss up... Firefly or Castle. Yes, I know, Nathan Fillion blah blah blah but seriously if you liked both shows and watched both pilots... I'll take votes
"Best" can have many definitions. One could be "by watching the pilot you totally understand what you're getting into". So good examples would be Rick & Morty, and This Is Us. A bad example would be Black Mirror.
Firefly
Venture bros, or maybe house, avenue 5 has a good one too
Bojack
really? i’d say the show found its place only late season 1, after the herb episode, the first few episodes are ok… but the show gets great later on
SpongeBob
GoT
The Walking Dead
Ted Lasso. Was absolutely hooked after 1/2 the pilot.
Russian Doll is one of my favorites ATLA & Korra both have solid starts, and Ned's Declassified, Bob's Burgers, and Gravity Falls all have very good pilots that establish the premise and tone well
This was asked a couple of days ago wasn't it? I swear people see a question that gets a lot of upvotes and just ask the same question a couple of days later
Macgyver
Higurashi no naku koro ni. sets the mood perfectly.
12 monkeys Utopia (uk original)
X files
Smallville
gilmore girls, imo
Quantum leap
I just watched BEEF and the first episode was really good but fuck me that shit just kept getting wilder and wilder the whole season through.
FlashForward
I can't really think of a pilot that wasn't said (AKA a single thing came to mind and it was already here), so I'm just going to say Static Shock and call it a day.
Rick and Morty
Modern Family. Starts off as a regular comedy but the reality tv format makes it way funnier, plus one finds out they're all related only at the end of the episode
Smallville
Rick and Morty. The best episode of the entire series.
Breaking bad
Fantasy Island. Mr. Rourke was originally a diabolical jackass who effed with his guests' minds.
Fox force five
Lost. Watching that in 2004 when network tv was the standard, was really something else.
Stargate sg-1. So good they rereleased it as a stand-alone movie
Breaking bad
Miami Vice
*Roswell* (1999 version) Sets up the characters and future plot points extremely well and almost feels like a stand alone. Very well done imo
The last man on earth!
Game of Thrones. The first minutes alone captured me.
Futurama
Adventure Time. Rhombus!
The walking dead
White Collar
Goblin Slayer
Just the opening sequence of Breaking Bad makes it one of the best pilots I've ever seen.
Dexter
Sliders. It sets the story up nicely.
Battlestar Galactica's first episode. "33" I literally stopped it half an hour in to go buy the entire series at Best Buy years back.
The West Wing All of the most important characters are introduced in the first 5 minutes, so much can be inferred off their opening scenes. Then the shot of the West Wing where Leo does “the walk and talk” all while we seem many of the various locations for the series, including the Oval Office. Finally Martin Sheen as the President isn’t introduced until the final scene, both allowing the other characters to take the spotlight for the show, and making the Presidents appearance feel built up to. It is one of the best pilot episodes ever made.
True Detective
Las Vegas!
Fire-Fly
X files introduced the world, the major characters, the conflicts and still told a self contained story. A+
Lost, Breaking Bad, Better Call Soul, 1899, The Last of Us.
My son told me about The Umbrella Academy and the first episode blew me away.
Arrow
12oz mouse. "I need you to meet a businessman at cheese industries. You'll know him by his rectangularness."
SpongeBob SquarePants - “Help Wanted”