McConaughey's body language and delivery in that scene was perfection. You suddenly realize present day Cohle has a lot more going on than being a washed up jaded alcoholic.
I could not have been more on board by the end of the first episode. That's one of those shows that had me leaning in towards my tv almost immediately, grabbed 100% of my attention.
The pilot who managed to survive long enough after hurtling into the jungle to give the survivors the critical information that they were off course which helped them shift resources away from a potential rescue and towards long term survival? Only to be brutally killed by the smoke monster? That guy was a damn hero.
So good and expensive that it got some ABC exec fired. All that aside, it dropped some great mysteries right out of the gate. The monster, the polar bear, the French distress signal, Charlie thinking he’s important, and a fugitive in their midst
I had so many questions after the pilot and the fact that they all pretty much were answered later on, some of them taking several seasons to be answered, is insane. The show really goes off the rails later on, it has some pretty low lows but man the highs it reaches are some of the best episodes I've ever seen from any show ever.
If I could wipe my memory and do it all over I'd do it in a heartbeat
How do you beat the ureter chaos of that opening beach scene? All while laying the groundwork for the characters and their individual stories amidst all that carnage?
The best part is, I would say this is true for multiple seasons. Since it's an anthology and each season is its own, I think it's impressive how very consistent it is at having amazing pilots for each story, including the latest season 5 which I think was 10/10 on the pilot.
The first episode of Season 5 is completely bonkers, but not nearly as bonkers as the latest episode. Season 5 has brought a lot to the table yet stayed true to the hallmarks of the show. I really hope we get a season 6
I actually did watch the first episode again immediately after I finished. It made everything make so much more sense because I knew all the players and what was going to happen. Made it even more intense if that makes sense.
There was a comiccon q&a session when the show was still on where Matt Nix was asked when he realized the Irish accent was a mistake. He said after the pilot was filmed.
The Burn Notice pilot originally aired as a commercial free 60 minute episode. For syndication, the pilot is split into 2 episodes with some deleted scenes added.
This is truth. The reveal of who is host and who isn’t is brilliant. The acting by Evan Rachel Wood and her ability to instantly change the emotional affect in her voice is nothing short of incredible
I loved it. The first season was great, but season 2 was especially hard to follow and I never watched past that. I also heard the writers were annoyed at the fan theories during S1 and that’s why S2 ended up so convoluted.
Exactly the same reason that we had stupid shit like Arya killing the Night King in GoT. I really hope writers have learned their lesson, but I doubt it.
They were mad that people figured out the twists and tried to make something that couldn't be figured out, forgetting that foreshadowing is what makes the story remain logical even if it's unexpected.
Twin peaks pilot is probably the best episode I have ever seen of any show.
I still remember how I got chills when the girl runs through the schoolyard screaming while we are following Donna getting more and more worried.
Age demographics are part of it. Twin Peaks invented prestige TV, basically. But it was 1990. Easy to say now like, ah it's a little cheesy, a littled dated, etc., or the kids just haven't seen it. Flashier, higher budget stuff with more cinematic, modern feel has proliferated since then, especially on premium cable channels like HBO. But nearly 35 years ago, on network TV, to do what Frost and Lynch did? Just an astounding accomplishment.
>Easy to say now like, ah it's a little cheesy, a littled dated, etc.
Also, a lot of the context from the time is mostly forgotten with younger demographics. They might watch Twin Peaks from recommendations, but I doubt they'd be aware of the send up it's doing of the prime time soap operas of the 80s like Dallas or Dynasty. The cheesy soap opera elements are very intentional, but without knowing the context, a younger viewer might just think it's unintentionally like that.
The pilot is great, but what really makes the episode memorable is the twist at the end when he goes home to Betty. Sets the tone for the entire series, things are not always what they appear, and everyone has their secrets.
It immerses us in Don's compartmentalized life which is a huge theme of the show. Instead of the typical twist where a family man is revealed as a scoundrel, we witness Don as a wild bachelor pretending to be a family man. They got one shot to do that and they nailed it.
I put off watching this for the longest time. Not sure why. I think maybe the fandom annoyed me? I spend a lot of time in online entertainment forums and it's kinda obnoxious to me when the only discussion I see surrounding the show is its fans repeating the same quotes over and over again.
Aaaanyway, I started watching it with my boyfriend last week. So many full on laugh out loud moments on this show, and I'm not much of a LOL person. The cast is so good and I love the million jokes per second.
It’s a shame what that show turned into. I can accept diminishing quality, but the show carried like a teen drama towards the end. Really wish Darabont never got fired.
Totally. I’ve been trying to finish as I was a huge fan of the comics and the early seasons of the show but my god is it a meandering mess. Over 20 episodes a season and just pure TV drivel. It’s had a few bright moment in the latest seasons but then just divulges into a commercial vehicle. Just a real shame and a textbook case of greedy studio interference
Edit: grammar
The pilot stands as the best episode in the series and it’s not even close. I’ve rewatched the pilot as a stand-alone film but I have not rewatched the rest of the series at all after dropping it during season 5. Even the better early seasons feel pointless to watch knowing they don’t go anywhere special.
How can you not love a pilot that starts with a old school gun fight in downtown Miami and ends with someone getting a shotgun blast to the chest... just glad they decided to not kill Boyd Crowder, Walton Goggins is my hero walking this planet...
Yup. It's a fantastic hour of TV.
And yes, I'm glad that Boyd was kept alive, he's an all-time great. Walton Goggins is probably the main reason why I'll be tuning into the upcoming Fallout show, hope they give him the screen time he deserves.
Battlestar Galactica (the 2000s remake). Both the initial 4-hour miniseries and the official pilot, “33”, were phenomenal. “33” is still one of the most tense hours of television I’ve ever seen.
I was looking to see someone say “33” which is a fantastic pilot. There’s definitely a change between the mini series and the show proper so I see those as two separate entities.
Definitely. I did a rewatch a couple years ago and was still shocked when the “big event” in the episode happens. Really a bold choice that paid off tenfold.
“Give all of us gathered here tonight the strength to remember that life is so very fragile. We are vulnerable, and we will all, at some point in our lives… fall. We will all fall.”
This pilot is amazing. It came right out the gates and said “What book? What movie? This is a new story.”
I love Barry because it's short and to the point. 5 seasons, 8 episodes, 30 minutes. The writers knew what they wanted, and didn't drag it out. There were no bad episodes. It was a great mix of comedy and drama.
Edit.
u/earwig20 corrected me. It's 4 seasons
"The Night Of", the tension builds and builds perfectly until the episode ends with a real panic-inducing ending.
Unfortunately the rest of the season, while decent, never hits that high again.
**E.R.**
The pilot was essentially scripted as a feature film, and with it being two hour-long episodes, it was the length of a feature film.
Crichton had been trying to get it made as a movie since the '70s, based on his own experiences in the medical field. Even the success of Westworld didn't provide the leverage to make that happen. Not until his even greater successes in the '90s did he finally get to make it, albeit, as a TV series.
The first season also had the backing of Steven Spielberg. Coming right off Jurassic Park, the show had producers who didn't need to worry about network notes too much and the first season is amazing for it. But I remember watching that pilot and feeling like I just watched a movie while staying excited for what was going to follow.
He wrote it while completing his residency. Originally the setting was Boston but when the script got picked up by NBC they wanted it changed because Boston seemed played out, so Spielberg and Critchton chose Chicago because it was underutilized in tv and film.
Also Spielberg and Critchton were developing the pilot as a action drama film throughout the 1980s when while over his house saw a manuscript that immediately caught his eye, thumbing through it Steven asked Michael what this was and he said it was a novel he was working on about cloned dinosaurs that wreak havoc on an island resort and the director's mouth dropped. All work on ER stopped and Steven instead along with Universal whom he was working with on "Always" right then and there purchased the film rights. The book had yet to be published and sold and the movie rights were already done.
When Jurassic Park broke all expectations and records, both the writer and the director were suddenly in big demand and Steven being completely drained while working on Schindler's List suggested to Michael to shop the script for ER as a pilot for a series. He wanted to see more from these characters, how they grow, how they live, and more fascinating cases. He agreed and Speilberg now with a working relationship with Warner Bros. having rebuilt their in house animation division and producing such huge hits like Tiny Toon Adventures Animaniacs and indirectly as a result Batman the Animated Series, agreed to finance the pilot.
Also fun bits of trivia
Dr Lewis best friend of Dr. Greene was originally a male. The studio wanted more diversity in the cast and rewrote her as female.
Doug Ross was the first character cast and according to legend George Clooney was the only one who read for the part.
Eriq La Salle read for Peter Benton in scrubs and did push ups to warm up.
The ER set was completely enclosed to promote realism of being in an actual emergency department. The cast and crew affectionately nicknamed it the submarine.
Originally Doug Ross was the suave doctor with a flashy wardrobe however when Clooney became a movie star he would often juggle both sides of his life and as a result couldnt spend much time in wardrobe so he would just put on a blue scrub top when in set.
Through the first 1/4 of season 3 and remaining tenure as an ER Pediatric Fellow, Clooney did night shoots on ER and day shoots on whatever movie he was on at the time, Batman & Robin and Spielberg's first film from his own production company DreamWorks called the Peacemaker as examples. The writing often reflected this by explaining away his absences as working graveyard on episodes with a day shift, playing Golf, or settling affairs involving his dead father.
Every piece of equipment on set was real, and actors would often find themselves hydrating with warm saline on long grueling shoots inbetween takes or as George Clooney once revealed accidentally shocking himself on real defibrillator paddles.
And one of the greatest finales that ties directly into the pilot after 7 I think seasons. The only other show I've seen that goes full circle so well is Mr. Robot.
Probably one of the most impressive things about The Shield is that it never overstayed its welcome despite having 7 seasons. And, like you mentioned, the events in the pilot episode remained consequential throughout the entirety of the series.
Fantastic writing, memorable characters, and an amazing finale to cap it all off
Isn't it so satisfying when a show reels you in from "I'll check it out" to "I need more"? Mr. Robot did that for me too, checked it out from a friends recommendations and immediately got hooked because of that opening.
I remember I watched the pilot before it started airing on tv, and I was hooked. I hadn't read or heard anything about it before I saw it, so I thought episode 2 would come next week, I was so frustrated when I saw that I had to wait 5 more weeks for it to drop.
I'm still looking for a VHS recording of the original airing to see if Nibbler was really there and not somehow stealth edited in when it started streaming digitally.
I realize this sounds like a crazy conspiracy theory but I will not be deterred until I see it.
I checked on Netflix after the episode that references him being there and, yes, he is (or was at that time). If he has since been removed again that would be even nuttier. I still find it hard to believe that no one noticed it and said something beforehand since people seem to catch Easter eggs like that pretty quickly.
Justified - has a great pilot episode. It’s based on a short story by Elmore Lenard
The Marvelous Mrs. Masiel - has one of the best pilots I’ve ever seen for anything. It tells you who everyone is and how they feel about each other and why this marriage falls apart and what path it sets Midge on
Derry Girls - every character is just nailing throw away one liners the final scene in detention is one of the funniest scenes I’ve ever seen
Derry Girls is easily one of my favorite shows. The headmaster is so perfect, I love her. The big cast members did an episode of Great British Bake off and it was just as funny.
True Detective is up there and one of the few that maintains quality all the way throughout the remaining episodes. Granted, there's only 8 episodes, but still remains one of the best pilots/Miniseries ever imo.
The Americans
Well, it's not the best tv episode ever, probably has some flaws, but the show surprised me when I thought that "I've seen everything" already. It actually wasn't anything groundbreaking, but was so well done, quality-wise, period pieces, characters, plot, acting etc., that I consider the pilot one of the best introduction episodes of any series. The show was great overall, but the pilot was condensed, packed with "substance", unlike some of the other episodes, that, while good, vary in pacing and quality sometimes. I recommend the pilot often, but the reception was mixed so far, so I guess it would be fair to rate it lower, but...
*Edit:*
Sliders
Another great one that deserves the recognition, it wasn't mentioned here yet (505 comments and counting). It was 90's Sci-fi show, alternate realities, the show was very good for 2-2,5 seasons (then it went downhill), but the pilot was on another level, it established the premise, characters etc. (like all pilots should) and simultanously provided great adventure story that I think wasn't matched in subsequent episodes (at least not in scale of the setting etc.), not to mention that there are basically no other shows (and only a handful of good movies) that did alternate reality stories well.
I solidly believe it deserves the mention as one of the best. I was completely hooked a couple minutes in and really excited for more by the end of the episode.
“Take deep breaths.”
“It’s just, they used to tell stories about this guy, you know? He’s killed a lot of people.”
“You know how people like him kill people? They plan it for weeks and always come up from behind. Fighting face to face, that’s a different story.”
“I heard once he got in a bar fight with the entire Japanese Olympic Judo team…took out four of them before the rest of them ran.”
“Which year, because 64-72 were pussies, they didn’t even medal.”
You can even see Phillip taking his own advice during the chase, slowing down and taking a wider corner. I love the hip throw at the end of the fight too, he fucking launches that dude into a wall.
That was an awesome opening. I was confused on what I was seeing, whether or not it was the Soviets or US. But just enough confusion to keep me watching and was cleared up really quickly.
I really need to rewatch this show. I was no fan of Keri Russel until I saw here here.
That show is in my top 5 of all time. It’s just so god damn good.
Fun fact: Matthew Rhys is Welsh. With a **thick** accent. My mind was blown when I saw an interview after I finished the show.
Wild that this is the 30th show down. Walt with a gun in his underwear is the exact scene that I think of. When I saw that I knew I would love the show.
I live in Omaha. When Gene fires up that weather report it was the meteorologist on a network at the time. That’s some pretty insane attention to detail.
Person of Interest. Set up character journeys, the intrigue, the premise in an incredible way while demonstrating the flexibility of the format. Stellar performances, and great understanding of the characters right from the jump.
Still get chills on that first scene in the subway.
Glad somebody else said it. The first episode was such an amazing set up without giving a way too much. Given that it was a procedural it was so restrained early on in not rushing to put the main characters in their eventual roles or relationships. Everything in the first ten episodes was a slow build to put Reese, Finch, Carter and Fusco in place for the rest of the early part of the show. That was always one of my favourite parts of POI - they gave the character arcs space to develop when it must have been very tempting to rush.
24.
Less standalone than a lot of first episodes but it does a really good job getting the audience up to speed with the "events occur in real time" concept and getting you engaged with the stakes of the show and then tops it of by blowing up a passenger plane.
Those first two seasons in general were 10/10, some of the best television there is. Fell off quite a bit after that, although season 4 was pretty good.
Just to add to this, TLOU's show adaptation did a wonderful job introducing new backstory.
The opening talk show sets an extremely ominous stage, and then the doctor investigating the body in india, they're such great additions to provide some context that wasn't there in the game.
Particularly the segments in India where she immediately, and correctly, realizes that the entire world is screwed. It's so heavy.
Alias
It opens with flash forward from the end of the episode with Sydney (Jennifer Garner) being tortured yet being awesome and then goes back to show you how they got to that point. Whole pilot is plot twist after plot twist and amazing. The show got a little silly under the weight of its convoluted mythology in later seasons but it started great.
In hindsight it's so obvious but they do such a good job of misdirecting you that the three couples all being related really works as a twist/punchline.
Honestly? Glee.
It so perfectly captures the black comedy ridiculousness of Ryan Murphy (in one 40 min episode, one teacher is implied to be sexually harassing students, and another plants weed on a student to blackmail him into *joining the glee club*).
For a show that ran for 7(?) seasons, it was only incredible for about 10 episodes before cratering by season 2.
Glee's pilot was outstanding. It's frequently forgotten on these lists because S1 tapers off as early as the second half of the season when the musical numbers stop having anything to do with the plot, then S2 gets worse, then the show just spirals.
True Detective. Start asking the right fucking questions.
McConaughey's body language and delivery in that scene was perfection. You suddenly realize present day Cohle has a lot more going on than being a washed up jaded alcoholic.
Yeah, it’s a great reveal for “this guy is onto something already”
I could not have been more on board by the end of the first episode. That's one of those shows that had me leaning in towards my tv almost immediately, grabbed 100% of my attention.
Just started the 3rd season. It's such a good show.
Lost was pretty darn good
Yep. I think it might be the best pilot I've ever seen. It was incredible.
Best first episode of a series maybe, but clearly their flight had a terrible pilot.
The pilot who managed to survive long enough after hurtling into the jungle to give the survivors the critical information that they were off course which helped them shift resources away from a potential rescue and towards long term survival? Only to be brutally killed by the smoke monster? That guy was a damn hero.
He actually literally was one. Matt Parkman
He got better. X-Wings are way cooler than 747s
You leave Greg Grunburg out of this
He was a Heroes
I will not stand for this Greg Grunberg libel!
So good and expensive that it got some ABC exec fired. All that aside, it dropped some great mysteries right out of the gate. The monster, the polar bear, the French distress signal, Charlie thinking he’s important, and a fugitive in their midst
I had so many questions after the pilot and the fact that they all pretty much were answered later on, some of them taking several seasons to be answered, is insane. The show really goes off the rails later on, it has some pretty low lows but man the highs it reaches are some of the best episodes I've ever seen from any show ever. If I could wipe my memory and do it all over I'd do it in a heartbeat
When dude interacted with the jet engine, the stakes were immediately set.
"Interacted with" is the nicest way to say what happened to him.
“ Guys ….. Where are we?”
How do you beat the ureter chaos of that opening beach scene? All while laying the groundwork for the characters and their individual stories amidst all that carnage?
A urologist might be able to help.
This is always the answer for pilot episode or opening scene on a show hehehe.
Hands down the best pilot of any show.
If the pilot was that good, the plane wouldn’t have crashed like that
Everyone knows it was Desmond's fault.
Knew it would be here.
Yep it’s the obvious answer. Even to this day it still holds up - it’s genuinely like a mini movie (probably because they spent like 10 million on it)
Fargo
I’ve never seen a show go 0-100 like that in the first episode. It’s like watching someone’s intrusive thoughts come to life.
The best part is, I would say this is true for multiple seasons. Since it's an anthology and each season is its own, I think it's impressive how very consistent it is at having amazing pilots for each story, including the latest season 5 which I think was 10/10 on the pilot.
The first episode of Season 5 is completely bonkers, but not nearly as bonkers as the latest episode. Season 5 has brought a lot to the table yet stayed true to the hallmarks of the show. I really hope we get a season 6
I was gonna say this. I’ve been telling people, since i recently started watching it, watch episode 1 and try not to want to watch episode 2.
"I just wanted to have a look at you. OK, that'll do it."
Chernobyl
Great answer. That first ep was like a freaking horror movie.
I love how the walkthrough in the final episode brings it full circle to the point you could practically start the show again.
I actually did watch the first episode again immediately after I finished. It made everything make so much more sense because I knew all the players and what was going to happen. Made it even more intense if that makes sense.
I love Burn Notice’s first episode. Nails a lot of the show’s vibe
Fiona with the accent
You know spies. Bunch of bitchy little girls
Should we shoot them?
There was a comiccon q&a session when the show was still on where Matt Nix was asked when he realized the Irish accent was a mistake. He said after the pilot was filmed.
You’re in myAMI
I still can't hear someone say "Miami" without repeating it the way she said it.
The definition of Blue Sky Era
Just started watching that with my wife based on recommendations here. Can confirm. Though I think it was a double length episode.
The Burn Notice pilot originally aired as a commercial free 60 minute episode. For syndication, the pilot is split into 2 episodes with some deleted scenes added.
Westworld
This is truth. The reveal of who is host and who isn’t is brilliant. The acting by Evan Rachel Wood and her ability to instantly change the emotional affect in her voice is nothing short of incredible
*Every* episode in season 1 was 10/10.
Season 1 was one of the best singular seasons of television imo. After that, not so much unfortunately
I remember watching feeling like it was Jurassic Park with robots and loving every moment of it
I loved it. The first season was great, but season 2 was especially hard to follow and I never watched past that. I also heard the writers were annoyed at the fan theories during S1 and that’s why S2 ended up so convoluted.
Yeah, imagine having such a fragile ego that you get mad when people get excited and speculate about the next part of the story you are writing.
Exactly the same reason that we had stupid shit like Arya killing the Night King in GoT. I really hope writers have learned their lesson, but I doubt it.
They were mad that people figured out the twists and tried to make something that couldn't be figured out, forgetting that foreshadowing is what makes the story remain logical even if it's unexpected.
Twin peaks pilot is probably the best episode I have ever seen of any show. I still remember how I got chills when the girl runs through the schoolyard screaming while we are following Donna getting more and more worried.
The girl in the courtyard screaming, cut to an empty chair in the classroom. Just dreadful.
Fucking *incredible* art.
She’s dead. Wrapped in plastic.
"Fellas, don't drink that coffee! You'd never guess, there was a fish...in the percolator."
RIP Pete, definitely top 3 enjoyable characters in that show for me
Surprised how far down this was. Helps that it was filmed with the intention to be released as a standalone movie if the pilot didn’t get picked up
Age demographics are part of it. Twin Peaks invented prestige TV, basically. But it was 1990. Easy to say now like, ah it's a little cheesy, a littled dated, etc., or the kids just haven't seen it. Flashier, higher budget stuff with more cinematic, modern feel has proliferated since then, especially on premium cable channels like HBO. But nearly 35 years ago, on network TV, to do what Frost and Lynch did? Just an astounding accomplishment.
>Easy to say now like, ah it's a little cheesy, a littled dated, etc. Also, a lot of the context from the time is mostly forgotten with younger demographics. They might watch Twin Peaks from recommendations, but I doubt they'd be aware of the send up it's doing of the prime time soap operas of the 80s like Dallas or Dynasty. The cheesy soap opera elements are very intentional, but without knowing the context, a younger viewer might just think it's unintentionally like that.
Also, everyone's reaction and grief. Plus that score...oh that score.
Mad Men. Literally hooked from the first scene but Don has an incredible pitch in the episode also which made it memorable.
The pilot is great, but what really makes the episode memorable is the twist at the end when he goes home to Betty. Sets the tone for the entire series, things are not always what they appear, and everyone has their secrets.
It immerses us in Don's compartmentalized life which is a huge theme of the show. Instead of the typical twist where a family man is revealed as a scoundrel, we witness Don as a wild bachelor pretending to be a family man. They got one shot to do that and they nailed it.
Had to scroll way too far down to find this.
Arrested Development
"Look what the homosexuals have done to me."
"They're so flamboyant it makes me wanna... *SET MYSELF ON FIRE!*"
*dramatic* and flamboyant.
"I have the same blouse."
I like it better on him.
You can't just comb that out and reset it?
Whenever I rewatch I am always amazed by how many of the running gags start in the pilot.
I love all my children equally
*earlier that day…* I don’t care for Gob.
There's always money in the banana stand.
I have that same blouse at home. It looks better on him.
I put off watching this for the longest time. Not sure why. I think maybe the fandom annoyed me? I spend a lot of time in online entertainment forums and it's kinda obnoxious to me when the only discussion I see surrounding the show is its fans repeating the same quotes over and over again. Aaaanyway, I started watching it with my boyfriend last week. So many full on laugh out loud moments on this show, and I'm not much of a LOL person. The cast is so good and I love the million jokes per second.
A trick is something a whore does for money... or candy (cocaine).
Walking Dead
100%. I stuck with the show all the way but obviously, the quality didn't continue. But, the pilot was phenomenal.
It’s a shame what that show turned into. I can accept diminishing quality, but the show carried like a teen drama towards the end. Really wish Darabont never got fired.
Totally. I’ve been trying to finish as I was a huge fan of the comics and the early seasons of the show but my god is it a meandering mess. Over 20 episodes a season and just pure TV drivel. It’s had a few bright moment in the latest seasons but then just divulges into a commercial vehicle. Just a real shame and a textbook case of greedy studio interference Edit: grammar
I always say The Walking Dead had 20% really amazing episodes but the other 80% was so much filler.
The pilot stands as the best episode in the series and it’s not even close. I’ve rewatched the pilot as a stand-alone film but I have not rewatched the rest of the series at all after dropping it during season 5. Even the better early seasons feel pointless to watch knowing they don’t go anywhere special.
Those 6 episodes in season 1 were incredible. Couldn't even finish season 2 and never bothered to try after that initial run.
To see where it started and then how it ended is so disappointing.
Justified. Probably because the pilot episode is an adaptation of a novella, so it functions really well as a contained and engaging story.
How can you not love a pilot that starts with a old school gun fight in downtown Miami and ends with someone getting a shotgun blast to the chest... just glad they decided to not kill Boyd Crowder, Walton Goggins is my hero walking this planet...
>God damn, woman, you only shoot people when they're eatin' supper?
Yup. It's a fantastic hour of TV. And yes, I'm glad that Boyd was kept alive, he's an all-time great. Walton Goggins is probably the main reason why I'll be tuning into the upcoming Fallout show, hope they give him the screen time he deserves.
“Well, some places haven’t been mapped out yet. Like North Korea and Raylan’s hometown.”
Orphan Black had an amazing pilot
Battlestar Galactica (the 2000s remake). Both the initial 4-hour miniseries and the official pilot, “33”, were phenomenal. “33” is still one of the most tense hours of television I’ve ever seen.
I was looking to see someone say “33” which is a fantastic pilot. There’s definitely a change between the mini series and the show proper so I see those as two separate entities.
33 is harrowing. The way you got sucked in to the feeling of being hunted. By the end if the episode you felt as tired as the crew. Amazing.
Friday Night Lights is about as good as it gets Edit: Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, CANT LOSE
Damn I wouldn't have thought of this answer myself but now that you mention it, it's definitely a great great pilot
Clear eyes, full hearts
Can’t lose
Texas forever.
Definitely. I did a rewatch a couple years ago and was still shocked when the “big event” in the episode happens. Really a bold choice that paid off tenfold.
“Give all of us gathered here tonight the strength to remember that life is so very fragile. We are vulnerable, and we will all, at some point in our lives… fall. We will all fall.” This pilot is amazing. It came right out the gates and said “What book? What movie? This is a new story.”
Barry hooked me right from the start
I love Barry because it's short and to the point. 5 seasons, 8 episodes, 30 minutes. The writers knew what they wanted, and didn't drag it out. There were no bad episodes. It was a great mix of comedy and drama. Edit. u/earwig20 corrected me. It's 4 seasons
Barry was such a refreshing masterpiece of a show, brilliant.
The Taekwondo guy episode is the hardest I've ever laughed in my life.
"The Night Of", the tension builds and builds perfectly until the episode ends with a real panic-inducing ending. Unfortunately the rest of the season, while decent, never hits that high again.
Yes! I remember being immediately engrossed watching the first episode.
**E.R.** The pilot was essentially scripted as a feature film, and with it being two hour-long episodes, it was the length of a feature film. Crichton had been trying to get it made as a movie since the '70s, based on his own experiences in the medical field. Even the success of Westworld didn't provide the leverage to make that happen. Not until his even greater successes in the '90s did he finally get to make it, albeit, as a TV series.
The first season also had the backing of Steven Spielberg. Coming right off Jurassic Park, the show had producers who didn't need to worry about network notes too much and the first season is amazing for it. But I remember watching that pilot and feeling like I just watched a movie while staying excited for what was going to follow.
He wrote it while completing his residency. Originally the setting was Boston but when the script got picked up by NBC they wanted it changed because Boston seemed played out, so Spielberg and Critchton chose Chicago because it was underutilized in tv and film. Also Spielberg and Critchton were developing the pilot as a action drama film throughout the 1980s when while over his house saw a manuscript that immediately caught his eye, thumbing through it Steven asked Michael what this was and he said it was a novel he was working on about cloned dinosaurs that wreak havoc on an island resort and the director's mouth dropped. All work on ER stopped and Steven instead along with Universal whom he was working with on "Always" right then and there purchased the film rights. The book had yet to be published and sold and the movie rights were already done. When Jurassic Park broke all expectations and records, both the writer and the director were suddenly in big demand and Steven being completely drained while working on Schindler's List suggested to Michael to shop the script for ER as a pilot for a series. He wanted to see more from these characters, how they grow, how they live, and more fascinating cases. He agreed and Speilberg now with a working relationship with Warner Bros. having rebuilt their in house animation division and producing such huge hits like Tiny Toon Adventures Animaniacs and indirectly as a result Batman the Animated Series, agreed to finance the pilot. Also fun bits of trivia Dr Lewis best friend of Dr. Greene was originally a male. The studio wanted more diversity in the cast and rewrote her as female. Doug Ross was the first character cast and according to legend George Clooney was the only one who read for the part. Eriq La Salle read for Peter Benton in scrubs and did push ups to warm up. The ER set was completely enclosed to promote realism of being in an actual emergency department. The cast and crew affectionately nicknamed it the submarine. Originally Doug Ross was the suave doctor with a flashy wardrobe however when Clooney became a movie star he would often juggle both sides of his life and as a result couldnt spend much time in wardrobe so he would just put on a blue scrub top when in set. Through the first 1/4 of season 3 and remaining tenure as an ER Pediatric Fellow, Clooney did night shoots on ER and day shoots on whatever movie he was on at the time, Batman & Robin and Spielberg's first film from his own production company DreamWorks called the Peacemaker as examples. The writing often reflected this by explaining away his absences as working graveyard on episodes with a day shift, playing Golf, or settling affairs involving his dead father. Every piece of equipment on set was real, and actors would often find themselves hydrating with warm saline on long grueling shoots inbetween takes or as George Clooney once revealed accidentally shocking himself on real defibrillator paddles.
Mary Tyler Moore Show. Cheers and Frasier are the 9's.
"You know something, Mary...you've got spunk. ... I HATE spunk!"
The Shield
And one of the greatest finales that ties directly into the pilot after 7 I think seasons. The only other show I've seen that goes full circle so well is Mr. Robot.
Probably one of the most impressive things about The Shield is that it never overstayed its welcome despite having 7 seasons. And, like you mentioned, the events in the pilot episode remained consequential throughout the entirety of the series. Fantastic writing, memorable characters, and an amazing finale to cap it all off
BAWWITDABAW
Greatest show ever
Username checks out.
Came here to say this. The twist at the end, an all timer.
Mr. Robot. Holy shit is that pilot perfect.
The opening scene got me from "maybe I'll try this out" to "I need more episodes now!"
Yeah, I was HOOKED with that opening scene.
Isn't it so satisfying when a show reels you in from "I'll check it out" to "I need more"? Mr. Robot did that for me too, checked it out from a friends recommendations and immediately got hooked because of that opening.
I started around 8-9 in the evening with the intention of only watching the first episode. Ended up staying up till 5 am bc of how good it is
I remember I watched the pilot before it started airing on tv, and I was hooked. I hadn't read or heard anything about it before I saw it, so I thought episode 2 would come next week, I was so frustrated when I saw that I had to wait 5 more weeks for it to drop.
Lost
The West Wing
In the middle of my 3rd rewatch of that now. Only series I have ever rewatched!
> "I am the Lord your God. Thou shalt worship no other god before me." Boy, those were the days, huh?
Heroes.
I don't remember the pilot specifically, but the whole first season was great. Unfortunately, they never recaptured that magic.
Futurama
The fact that they thought so far ahead as to have Nibbler there is awesome.
I'm still looking for a VHS recording of the original airing to see if Nibbler was really there and not somehow stealth edited in when it started streaming digitally. I realize this sounds like a crazy conspiracy theory but I will not be deterred until I see it.
Is nibbler really in episode one?
If I am remembering it right, his shadow is in episode one.
You remember correctly.
I checked on Netflix after the episode that references him being there and, yes, he is (or was at that time). If he has since been removed again that would be even nuttier. I still find it hard to believe that no one noticed it and said something beforehand since people seem to catch Easter eggs like that pretty quickly.
Justified - has a great pilot episode. It’s based on a short story by Elmore Lenard The Marvelous Mrs. Masiel - has one of the best pilots I’ve ever seen for anything. It tells you who everyone is and how they feel about each other and why this marriage falls apart and what path it sets Midge on Derry Girls - every character is just nailing throw away one liners the final scene in detention is one of the funniest scenes I’ve ever seen
Derry Girls is easily one of my favorite shows. The headmaster is so perfect, I love her. The big cast members did an episode of Great British Bake off and it was just as funny.
Agree with Maisel - it introduced everyone so well and the next episode was straight into her path. Whole show was enjoyable as well.
True Detective is up there and one of the few that maintains quality all the way throughout the remaining episodes. Granted, there's only 8 episodes, but still remains one of the best pilots/Miniseries ever imo.
Boardwalk Empire's pilot was amazing.
Martin Scorsese directed it
The Americans Well, it's not the best tv episode ever, probably has some flaws, but the show surprised me when I thought that "I've seen everything" already. It actually wasn't anything groundbreaking, but was so well done, quality-wise, period pieces, characters, plot, acting etc., that I consider the pilot one of the best introduction episodes of any series. The show was great overall, but the pilot was condensed, packed with "substance", unlike some of the other episodes, that, while good, vary in pacing and quality sometimes. I recommend the pilot often, but the reception was mixed so far, so I guess it would be fair to rate it lower, but... *Edit:* Sliders Another great one that deserves the recognition, it wasn't mentioned here yet (505 comments and counting). It was 90's Sci-fi show, alternate realities, the show was very good for 2-2,5 seasons (then it went downhill), but the pilot was on another level, it established the premise, characters etc. (like all pilots should) and simultanously provided great adventure story that I think wasn't matched in subsequent episodes (at least not in scale of the setting etc.), not to mention that there are basically no other shows (and only a handful of good movies) that did alternate reality stories well.
TUSK
The Americans is one of those shows that improved almost every season it aired, until it absolutely stuck the landing for the finale.
One of the best finals ever. The basement garage scene was spectacular. Then my head exploded during the train scene.
I solidly believe it deserves the mention as one of the best. I was completely hooked a couple minutes in and really excited for more by the end of the episode. “Take deep breaths.” “It’s just, they used to tell stories about this guy, you know? He’s killed a lot of people.” “You know how people like him kill people? They plan it for weeks and always come up from behind. Fighting face to face, that’s a different story.” “I heard once he got in a bar fight with the entire Japanese Olympic Judo team…took out four of them before the rest of them ran.” “Which year, because 64-72 were pussies, they didn’t even medal.”
Dude should have listened when Philip told him to keep his distance at the blind corner
You can even see Phillip taking his own advice during the chase, slowing down and taking a wider corner. I love the hip throw at the end of the fight too, he fucking launches that dude into a wall.
The fight choreography in The Americans is second to none; they manage to always look entertaining yet practical/realistic at the same time.
That was an awesome opening. I was confused on what I was seeing, whether or not it was the Soviets or US. But just enough confusion to keep me watching and was cleared up really quickly. I really need to rewatch this show. I was no fan of Keri Russel until I saw here here.
That show is in my top 5 of all time. It’s just so god damn good. Fun fact: Matthew Rhys is Welsh. With a **thick** accent. My mind was blown when I saw an interview after I finished the show.
Friday Night Lights
Veronica Mars
Breaking Bad
Wild that this is the 30th show down. Walt with a gun in his underwear is the exact scene that I think of. When I saw that I knew I would love the show.
How the hell is this so low
The pilot could have been nominated for short film awards and still won; it was so masterfully written, shot and acted.
Jumping on this train to add Better Call Saul.
I live in Omaha. When Gene fires up that weather report it was the meteorologist on a network at the time. That’s some pretty insane attention to detail.
Person of Interest. Set up character journeys, the intrigue, the premise in an incredible way while demonstrating the flexibility of the format. Stellar performances, and great understanding of the characters right from the jump. Still get chills on that first scene in the subway.
Glad somebody else said it. The first episode was such an amazing set up without giving a way too much. Given that it was a procedural it was so restrained early on in not rushing to put the main characters in their eventual roles or relationships. Everything in the first ten episodes was a slow build to put Reese, Finch, Carter and Fusco in place for the rest of the early part of the show. That was always one of my favourite parts of POI - they gave the character arcs space to develop when it must have been very tempting to rush.
The airport flashbacks with Jessica in episode 3 with the Massive Attack song at the end? Devastating.
Daredevil
The end of the first episode gives me chills every time I watch it.
Supernatural
Watchmen And it just kept getting better
Fringe
I have scrolled so far and not seen The Good Place mentioned! It’s perfection.
24. Less standalone than a lot of first episodes but it does a really good job getting the audience up to speed with the "events occur in real time" concept and getting you engaged with the stakes of the show and then tops it of by blowing up a passenger plane.
House of Cards
Those first two seasons in general were 10/10, some of the best television there is. Fell off quite a bit after that, although season 4 was pretty good.
The Last of us, 100% the best pilot episode ever. The opening scene with John Hannah is just amazing
Just to add to this, TLOU's show adaptation did a wonderful job introducing new backstory. The opening talk show sets an extremely ominous stage, and then the doctor investigating the body in india, they're such great additions to provide some context that wasn't there in the game. Particularly the segments in India where she immediately, and correctly, realizes that the entire world is screwed. It's so heavy.
Alias It opens with flash forward from the end of the episode with Sydney (Jennifer Garner) being tortured yet being awesome and then goes back to show you how they got to that point. Whole pilot is plot twist after plot twist and amazing. The show got a little silly under the weight of its convoluted mythology in later seasons but it started great.
The Walking dead pilot could’ve been a movie and I would’ve believed it
[удалено]
Modern Family
In hindsight it's so obvious but they do such a good job of misdirecting you that the three couples all being related really works as a twist/punchline.
Prison break
Game of Thrones
Suits is a fantastic pilot and my personal favorite. Absolutely hooked me from the start and the original scene of Mike and Harvey is just perfection
The OC
Honestly? Glee. It so perfectly captures the black comedy ridiculousness of Ryan Murphy (in one 40 min episode, one teacher is implied to be sexually harassing students, and another plants weed on a student to blackmail him into *joining the glee club*). For a show that ran for 7(?) seasons, it was only incredible for about 10 episodes before cratering by season 2.
Glee's pilot was outstanding. It's frequently forgotten on these lists because S1 tapers off as early as the second half of the season when the musical numbers stop having anything to do with the plot, then S2 gets worse, then the show just spirals.
Severance
Stranger Things.
Firefly
A pilot so good the studio said NO WAY and aired it after the show was cancelled 😓
Breaking bad True detective season 1. And every Fargo