RULES
– Needs to have at least 10 episodes
– Cannot be animated
– Needs to be at least 40 minutes long
– Can’t be longer than 2 hours
#50
“Welcome To The Hellmounth/The Harvest”
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
“To make you a vampire they have to suck your blood. And then you have to suck their blood. It’s like a whole big sucking thing.”
Aired the 10th of March, 1997
Length – 86:30
I debated whether to include it or not, it was a two-part episode of a huge cult classic. A show that i’ve been a fan of for more than 10 years. But was it a great pilot? Not so much, it was cheesy for one. But cheesy in a good way. It introduced the characters well and was full of the dry wit the show is so famous for. So even if they weren’t excellent, it was a decent start to a show i’ll never forget.
#49
“Dark Knight/The Second Chapter”
Forever Knight
“Mortals die. Does it really matter how or when?”
Aired the 5th & 6th of May, 1992
Length – 82:20
Another vampire cult classic, not as popular as Buffy but just as memorable. Like Buffy, the production value was low but it worked due it’s cheesiness. It has a level up on Buffy mainly because it came before it and the acting was much stronger.
#48
“The Target”
The Wire
“That will teach you to give a fuck when it ain’t your turn to give a fuck.”
Aired the 2nd of June, 2002
Length – 62:10
The Wire is one of the greatest shows ever made, and consistently strong. I don’t think it produced a single bad hour. But if I were to rank the episodes, “The Target” would be in it’s bottom 3. It introduced the show perfectly but it fails to really capture my attention and had it’s boring moments. Still, excellent show and worthy enough pilot to make the list.
#47
“Winter is Coming”
Game of Thrones
“I’m trying to get you to run my kingdom while I eat drink and whore my way to an early grave.”
Aired the 4th of April, 2011
Length – 61:35
Pilots these days are much stronger than ever before, as production is willing to spend more money to make their pilot stand out more than others. GOT impressed visually and clearly had a big budget to work it, but personally though I wasn’t able to get into the show as much as other people were. To me, the pilot was one of the best episodes but it didn’t exactly blow me away either.
#46
“The Marooning”
Survivor
“I’m the one who’s gotta fit in. There’s more of them than there is of me.”
Aired the 31th of May, 2000
Length – 44:20
Although production value was not great and it’s not even one of the better episodes of it’s first season. The pilot still made a huge impact on television and was the beginning of a legendary reality show. It was perfect for it’s time and influenced reality tv all over the globe.
#45
“Premiere”
Farscape
“There’s life out here, Dad. Weird, amazing, psychotic life. And death. In Technicolor.”
Aired the 19th of March, 1999
Length – 50:20
Pilot of one of my all time favorite shows. Farscape didn’t have the best production value (it had puppets!) and it didn’t have the best acting, but goddamn it it was fun, it was loveable and it was amazing. The pilot introduced us to the wonderful world of Farscape and all it’s great creatures and characters. Fun stuff!
#44
“Pilot”
The Killing
“That’s where Rosey is now, in heaven.”
Aired the 3rd of April, 2011
Length – 98:40
One of the many great pilots of 2011, perhaps the best pilot year ever. The episode was very somber which made the audience feel for it’s characters. My only problem is that I found some scenes to be too similar to Twin Peaks. Still, very strong if not overly long. The discovery of Rosey’s body was incredible.
#43
“Pilot”
Big Love
“I am trapped. I have two babies and I am such a crummy mother.”
Aired the 12th of March, 2006
Length – 55:30
An unlikely show with an unlikely plot. In the first episode alone we saw the main character, a polygamist man with erection problems have or at least try to have sex with his three wives. We met the entire family basically and it was brilliant. So many characters and each with their own storyline, we saw the darker side of polygamy and how a family most of us will never know go through their daily life.
#42
“Boardwalk Empire”
Boardwalk Empire
“He took the loaves and fishes, looked at his disciples and said, ‘Fuck it. We’re going into the whiskey business’.”
Aired the 19th of September, 2010
Length – 72:20
A pretty excellent pilot, better than several higher ranking ones. It’s just that for a show compared to Deadwood & The Sopranos, I find it lacking in many ways especially in dialog. It was very well done, plenty of character stuff but not terribly enjoyable like pilots should be.
#41
“The Pilot”
Swingtown
“It’s not cheating, it’s the opposite actually.”
Aired the 5th of June, 2008
Length – 43:30
A show that’s been long forgotten and I admit, it did have it’s ups and downs. But it has a special place in my heart, the pilot alone was quite different from others. It was about swinging couples (sex! orgies!) in the 70s. Which automatically meant, sexy outfits and awesome music. The pilot was pretty strong and did a good job at drawing me into the sexy world of swingers.
#40
“Pilot”
The X-Files
“Nobody down here but the FBI’s most unwanted.”
Aired the 10th of September, 1993
Length – 48:15
I feel sorry for those who grew up without the X-Files in their lifes. This marked the beginning of a legend, hardly up to the show’s overall standards but It hooked me right away. It introduced a world of mysteries and our two favorite sci-fi heroes. It was quite creepy and well done for 1993.
#39
“Fire in the Hole”
Justified
“You think you can rack in a load before I put a hole through you?”
Aired the 16th of March, 2010
Length – 51:10
A pretty excellent pilot, seemed like a modern-day Deadwood with nazis. Unfortunately the rest of S1 (haven’t seen S2 yet) didn’t live up to the hype which makes it a little anti-climatic in retrospect.
#38
“Genesis Part 1/Part 2”
Quantum Leap
“You’re part of a time travel experiment that went a little ca-ca.”
Aired the 26th of March, 1989
Length – 92:40
Unique pilot to a very unique show about a guy from the future who wakes up in someone else’s shoes in every episode (literally). Great execution to a good concept.
#37
“24 Hours”
E.R.
“There’s two kinds of doctors. The kind that gets rid of their feelings and the kind that keeps them.”
Aired the 20th of September, 1994
Length – 86:50
Perhaps the most watched Pilot ever? So much happened for a simple hospital drama back in the early 90s. It was pretty ground-breaking at the time.
#36
“Pilot”
Pan Am
“They don’t know that they’re a new breed of woman. They just had a natural impulse.”
Aired the 25th of September, 2011
Length – 43:10
Although I just started watching it, i’m already sort of in love? The cast is gorgeous, love the settings. It’s like Mad Men for women on an airplane. Bit fluffy, but fun and full of eye-candy and great cinematography.
#35
“Wax Lion”
Wonderfalls
“Did you end up over-educated and unemployable like you said in the yearbook?“
Aired the 12th of March, 2004
Length – 44:10
Very unique plot that sadly did not appeal the mass. Great pilot though, very funny and different.
#34
“The Stolen Eagle”
Rome
“I have simpler tastes. I like to kill my enemies, take their gold and enjoy their women. That’s it.”
Aired the 28th of August, 2005
Length – 50:30
The beginning of a true epic, the glory and power of Rome. The pilot was great but merely an appetizer compared to what the series had in store.
#33
“Pilot”
Invasion
“First days are the toughest, but you’re gonna be ok. Baby steps honey.“
Aired the 21th of September, 2005
Length – 43:20
Great pilot, got me hooked right away. Felt like the beginning of a great alien movie. Opened a lot of questions and mysteries.
#32
“Arrival”
The Prisoner
“I am not a number. I am a person.”
Aired the 5th of September, 1967
Length – 51:20
The oldest pilot on the list, very unique and well-done. Tv shows now are made similar to movies but back then they had much lower budgets so it’s impressive how crazy far they went. It had some bad acting but the pilot impressed and influenced stuff like Twin Peaks.
#31
“Guts”
Rescue Me
“I ain’t no hero. I’m a fireman. We’re not in the business of making heroes here. We’re in the business of discovering cowards.”
Aired the 21th of July, 2001
Length – 44:45
Pretty groundbreaking, it’s already coming to pilots that I love. This show was gritty and realistic, the pilot did an incredible job at showing the life of firemen after the 2001 attack. Most of them were actually despicable characters, but realistic nonetheless. Some pretty funny moments too.
#30
“Pilot”
Everwood
“I wish you died instead of her!”
Aired the 16th of September, 2002
Length – 49:50
One of the few pilots that made me cry, and I don’t cry that easily I swear! It was very emotionally draining, very good pilot.
#29
“Pilot”
Caprica
“Sometimes faith can be a victim of chance.”
Aired the 21th of April, 2009
Length – 92:20
I feel like this pilot deserves a much higher placement but I guess i’m not as emotionally attached to it as with some others. I loved BSG so a prequel was a dream come true. I did enjoy Caprica but pilot aside, most of the first half was disappointing. The pilot looked incredible but the following episodes were a step back.
#28
“Pilot”
MillenniuM
“A reason? Men don’t need reason. All they need is an excuse.”
Aired the 25th of October, 1996
Length – 44:05
Perhaps the darkest pilot i’ve ever watched, it was so dark and unpleasant despite the cute family moments in it. It set up the pace for the incredibly dark and unpleasant show that was Millennium. Really good stuff.
#27
“City of…”
Angel
“Los Angeles, you see it at night and it shines. A beacon. People are drawn to it, people and other things.”
Aired the 5th of October, 1999
Length – 44:30
I feel a little biased towards this one, it definitely has a special place in my heart. It’s the pilot i’ve watched the most (over 10 times, no joke) and it has gotten better with age (i.e. the older I get). Got me hooked right away with the vampire detective stuff, fun dialog and loveable characters.
#26
“Deadwood”
Deadwood
“I don’t drink where I’m the only fuckin’ one with balls!”
Aired the 21th of March, 2004
Length – 60:20
One of the best shows ever made, ever ever. I was hooked right from the start, the cast, incredible set of characters, sets and costumes etc it all just *clicked* and on top of that was the oh-so clever and non-pc dialog that I adore. Not as strong as the following episodes, but still top notch.
#25
“Pilot”
Veronica Mars
“You know what they say about Veronica Mars, she’s a marshmallow.”
Aired the 22th of September, 2004
Length – 41:35
A show that I didn’t initially like during it’s original airing but have now become a fan of (bought the entire series a few weeks ago). The Pilot was excellent, introduced the witty characters and interesting Lily murder case.
#24
“No More Good Days”
Flash Forward
“I had a bad dream. I dreamt that there are no more good days.”
Aired the 24th of September, 2009
Length – 42:15
Although the show was wasted potential more than anything, I did quite like it. It had a very intriguing plot that could have gone places. The pilot was pretty epic and did a realistic portrayal on such a phenomenon. Got me hooked.
#23
“Genesis”
Heroes
“This quest. This need to solve life’s mysteries. In the end, what does it matter when the human heart can only find meaning in the smallest of moments?”
Aired the 25th of September, 2006
Length – 52:60
I loved the pilot. I loved it so much that I watched it about five times before the second episode came out. (it was leaked back in 2006. Exciting times!) I remember praising it like crazy on a tv blog. It’s not as good in retrospect because of the failure Heroes ended up being.
#22
“Goliath”
Kings
“You want blood? Come here and take it. It’s fresh, still warm from the life that just left it. The blood of my brother.”
Aired the 15th of March, 2009
Length – 82:20
I was very disappointed because the show just never clicked for me after the pilot, but I LOVED the pilot. I cried real tears and the story had so much potential. The biblical references were very well entwined with modern day power struggles and it had some really powerful scenes.
#21
“Get Me a Lawyer”
Damages
“I don’t believe in the law anymore but I do believe in justice.”
Aired the 24th of July, 2007
Length – 53:25
Intense series full of mysteries, suspense and glorious power struggles. The pacing of the pilot was unique in itself, the entire season was in both present and future time and the timelines all came together in the end. The pilot was a great beginning of the mysteries.
#20
“Episode 1”
Life on Mars
“We all feel like jumping sometimes, Sam. But we don’t, you and me. Because we’re not cowards.”
Aired the 9th of January, 2006
Length – 42:11
I’m not a big fan of British shows, but this was brilliant. Witty cop drama with scifi elements, unlike anything else. Best part though is probably the 70s soundtrack.
#19
“The Poisoned Chalice”
The Borgias
“You would surprise yourself if such destiny ever brushed against you.”
Aired the 3rd of April, 2011
Length – 97:15
Gorgeous looking pilot, the costumes and settings were pretty incredible. I love this show, shows a different side of the corruption within church.
#18
“Pilot”
Twin Peaks
“They found my friend Laura… lying facedown on a rocky beach… completely naked. She’d been murdered.“
Aired the 8th of April, 1990
Length – 90:06
From the mind and legend of David Lynch. Unlike any pilot up to that point, dreamy, creepy and colorful.
#17
“Pilot”
American Horror Story
“You’re gonna die in there.“
Aired the 5th of October, 2011
Length – 51:36
Ryan Murphy created this show which means = epic at first but downhill from there on. Sadly this sort of happened before S1 ended, but goddamn it I LOVED it’s first couple episodes. The Pilot got me hooked immediately, it was creepy and full of great little plot twists.
#16
“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”
Mad Men
“You are born alone and you die alone and this world just drops a bunch of rules on top of you to make you forget those facts but I never forget. I am living like there’s no tomorrow because there isn’t one.”
Aired the 19th of July, 2007
Length – 48:23
The perfect tv show for me. Fascinating characters with full-on depth, incredible dialog, soundtrack, slick, sexy, great sets and costumes. Very stylish and it’s in the 60s <3 Could not get much better than that. I’ve seen the pilot over 5 times and it’s better every time.
#15
“Pilot”
The Sopranos
“What happened to Gary Cooper? The strong, silent type. That was an American. He wasn’t in touch with his feelings.”
Aired the 27th of January, 1999
Length – 60:00
Beginning of perhaps the most acclaimed tv show of all time. I dislike most of it’s characters which is my main/only problem with it but I recognize quality when it’s there. Great pilot.
#14
“Pilot”
Northern Exposure
“When I heard we had a crack at a Jew doctor from New York City.. well, I don’t have to tell you I jumped.”
Aired the 12th of July, 1990
Length – 46:00
Both the pilot and show are forgotten gems. No big action, but the characters, dialog and music… it just *clicked*. Feels like a great movie about people and a simple life. It’s hard to describe but it was just so pleasant.
#13
“Pilot Part 1/Part 2”
Lost
“Two players, two sides. One is light, one is dark.”
Aired the 22th/29th of September, 2004
Length – 82:40
Back when it was mysterious and exciting instead of overdone and annoying. I love Lost in it’s prime and even though it fell from grace it’ll always have a spot in my heart ^_^ The Pilot was like nothing else. Like normal Lost, it only asked questions but was full of mystery and intrigue.
#12
“Pilot”
Nip/Tuck
“When you stop striving for perfection you might as well be dead.”
Aired the 22th of July, 2003
Length – 66:50
Another show that fell from grace big time, but it was once riveting tv making. Very dark, sexy and with some very complex/fascinating characters. The Pilot was incredible and raised the bar high.
#11
“Days Gone Bye”
The Walking Dead
“It’s not a toy. You pull the trigger, you have to mean it. Always remember that.”
Aired the 21th of October, 2010
Length – 66:30
So far the series has failed to even come CLOSE to the incredible material of the comic books. But the pilot was very close, it had the apocalyptic/epicness of the comic book. Very 28 Days Later (<3) like and with mad impressive zombie make up.
#10
“Episode 1”
Misfits
“You lot, superheroes? No offence, but in what kind of fucked-up world would that be allowed to happen?”
Aired the 12th of November, 2009
Length – 45:30
Pretty epic pilot, had me hooked right away. It’s about a group of misfit scum suddenly becoming super heroes and dealing with super powers. It was a blend of action, humor and drama.
#09
“Pilot”
Dead Like Me
“I’d say I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not. I excel at not giving a shit.”
Aired the 27th of June, 2003
Length – 73:28
Incredible unique and ~life changing~ tv series *lesigh*. About a young angry teen who dies but is forced to become a reaper (one who reaps souls of the living). The show was hilarious at times but it also made you reflect upon your own life.
#08
“Dexter”
Dexter
“Harry and Dorris Morgan did a wonderful job raising me. But they’re both dead now. I didn’t kill them. Honest.”
Aired the 1st of October, 2006
Length – 51:22
The first season of Dexter was the best by far. It was intriguing television making at it’s very best, we got to spent time inside the head of a serial killer. But not only was he likeable and heroic, he was oddly relatable as well.
#07
“The Routine”
Oz
“They call this the penal system, but it’s really the penis system, it’s about how big, how long and about how hard. Life in Oz is about the size of your dick, and anybody who tells you different, ain’t got one.”
Aired the 12th of July, 1997
Length – 55:55
Oz’ first season was also sadly the best BY FAR. 8 brilliant episodes inside one of the darkest prisons in america. The first episode was unique in the sense that it introduced the characters but mainly focused on one that was dead by the end of the episode. In only one episode we got to understand and care for a criminal and saw him ~develop~ over the course of one episode. Brilliant.
#06
“Serenity Part 1/Part 2”
Firefly
“We’re not gonna die. We can’t die, Bendis. You know why? Because we are so very pretty. We are just too pretty for God to let us die.”
Aired the 20th of December, 2002
Length – 86:42
Aired the 20th of December, 2002
Length – 86:42
Joss’ third show had more potential than Angel/Buffy ever had and it’s so sad it never got to become what it was meant to. But it was great all the way through, the pilot was witty, the characters were extremely well written and all fascinating in their own ways. Two episodes of space drama and comedy. Fuck Fox so much.
#5
“Pilot”
Breaking Bad
“Some straight like you giant stick up his ass all of a sudden at age, what, 60 he’s just going to break bad?”
Aired the 10th of January, 2008
Length – 58:06
It’s pilot was like nothing ever before. The way it’s narrated and edited was like a movie, the beginning is the end of the pilot. We get to know the main character and learn what drove him over the edge and why. It’s an interesting character study of being on the edge of death. The pilot is rich of drama but there is also dark comedy and action. Top notch pilot making.
#4
“Pie-Lette”
Pushing Daisies
“I know deep down in my primal sweet spot I was being unselfish for selfish reasons. I just thought my world would be a better place if you were in it.”
Aired the 3rd of October, 2007
Length – 42:02
My favorite of the Bryan Fuller shows and pilots. Colorful, witty, fun. The set designs and actors all helped to create the most ~warm~ tv series i’ve seen if that makes sense. It’s so sweet and adorable but the dialog has plenty of sexual subtext and lacks innocence. A truly fantastic show and the pilot did a great job building up to the world of the pie hole.
#3
“Milfay”
Carnivale
“Before the beginning, after the great war between heaven and hell, God created the Earth and gave dominion over it to the crafty ape he called Man. And to each generation was born a creature of light and a creature of darkness, and great armies would clash by night in the ancient war between good and evil. There was magic then. Nobility. And unimaginable cruelty. And so it was, until the day that a false sun exploded over Trinity, and man forever traded away wonder for reason.”
Aired the 14th of October, 2003
Length – 57:38
This is my favorite pilot on a personal level, but I feel like the top 2 were more groundbreaking.
Carnivale is another show with a main character with the power of healing, but the complete opposite of Pushing Daisies. There was nothing happy or sweet about it, it was brutal and sadistic. The characters were dark and fascinating and it gave us my favorite villain of all time (Justin Crow) the evil priest. Carnivale is perhaps the most unfairly canceled show ever forever and as gratifying as the two seasons were, it had the potential to be twice as mind blowing. Very unique storyline and awesome backstory/mythology. I hope and pray for comics or something to follow up the story one day, who knows S3 was supposed to happen years after S2.
#2
“Pilot”
Six Feet Under
“There’s been an accident. The new hearse is totaled. Your father is dead. Your father is dead and my pot roast is ruined.”
Aired the 3rd of June, 2001
Length – 62:49
A pretty ground breaking tv show with a near-perfect pilot.
Six Feet Under is a show about a family that owned a morgue, a person dies at the beginning of every episode and in the pilot no one other than Papa Fisher dies in a car accident. This pretty much sets up the story and pace, and from the very beginning it showed true human emotion, meltdowns and funeral humor. It’s a show that explores the best and worst in people and this grim profession. The main reason why the show worked so well was due it’s dark comedy and gutsy dialogue.
#1
“Pilot”
Freaks & Geeks
“You know, there was a girl in our school… and she had premarital sex. Know what she did on her graduation day? Died! Of a heroin overdose!“
Aired the 25th of September, 1999
Length – 47:09
One of my all time favorite shows despite lasting only one season.
Worked on by legends such as Judd Apatow and Paul Feig, but none of their theatricals work had as much heart as Freaks & Geeks. It’s about a group of young kinds growing up in the 80s, it has incredible character development but most of all it’s HILARIOUS. Not over the top humor, but witty and subtle but very funny. The cast is fantastic and most of them have grown up to be very successful actros (Linda Cardellini, James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Martin Starr, Busy Phillips, John Francis Daley, Lizzy Caplan, Ben Foster etc). It was a wonderful comedy/drama that never failed to deliver and I remember watching the pilot for the first time as if it were today~ pure glory.
next page for honorable mentions