In the world of television, a pilot episode is essentially the series premiere. It not only serves as an introduction to the series, but also as a means of testing the waters, with the showrunners using it to gauge viewers’ interest in the show. Odds are, if your pilot episode sucks, the rest of the series is going to be less than stellar, to put it mildly, so it’s really important to nail the pilot. Sometimes, the pilots end up being the best episodes, especially in the case of sitcoms, which tend to expend all of their best jokes in the first episode in the hopes that they can attract viewers to the rest of the series, which might not be as funny.
In any case, there’s no debating that the pilot episode is absolutely vital to a show’s overall success. It’s not just important that the pilot is good, but it’s important that it sets the stage for all the themes and concepts that will be essential to the narrative, and that it does so in such a way that the rest of the series can easily measure up to the standards it sets. Many shows have done just that, resulting in some pilot episodes that are truly special. These are the best pilot episodes in television history, which are sure to hook viewers right from the get-go.
10
“Premiere”
‘The O.C.’ (2003–2007)
The O.C. is a teen drama about a troubled young man named Ryan (Ben McKenzie), who is kicked out of his house due to his frequent run-ins with the law and various delinquencies. He ends up in the care of a wealthy couple at the other end of the country, and has a hard time assimilating into his new life in the relatively affluent area of Orange County, California. There are some comedic aspects to it, but there are also a lot of relatable moments about adolescence and the desperate struggle to fit in that many teens face.
Before the show became the subject of ridicule due to its ridiculous “Whatcha Say” moment, which became an internet meme, it was a pretty well-respected teen dramedy, with its first episode being a perfect reflection of what made it so endearing. It starts with a cold open in the middle of a high-speed car chase, and later evolves to develop the central themes that made the show memorable, establishing its narrative and letting the viewer know what kinds of concepts they’re in for. Is it the best pilot episode ever conceived? Not by a mile. But it does a generally good job and could be used as a “how-to” manual for any aspiring TV writer.
The O.C.
- Release Date
-
2003 – 2006
- Network
-
FOX
9
“Pilot”
‘This Is Us” (2016–2022)
This Is Us is another dramedy, this time about a couple that gives birth to triplets. Set over multiple decades, the series explores the lives of the two surviving triplets after the third was stillborn, impacting them and their parents’ lives forever, with every member of the family consistently feeling like there’s a missing piece to their lives. The main part of the story takes place in the present day, although this is often interspersed with flashbacks to their lives decades ago.
This Is Us actually opens on a pretty somber note, with the remaining triplets, now adults, drifting apart due to their personal struggles, including mental health and body weight. Though the family was once tight, they are beginning to lean away from each other in a time when they need their family the most, which is a situation that is all too relatable to many. Even though the first episode opens up in a rough spot, this is less of a deterrent than it is a topic of interest, because the family is lovable and the audience genuinely wants to see them resolve their issues.
This Is Us
- Release Date
-
2016 – 2022-00-00
- Network
-
NBC
8
“Pilot”
‘Arrested Development’ (2003–2019)
Arrested Development is a sitcom known for its deadpan humor and biting satire, which serve the series well as it helps set it apart from other sitcoms, many of which are about more relatable scenarios. The series is actually a satire of other sitcoms, while being, in and of itself, a sitcom, so it’s super meta. Story-wise, it’s another sitcom about family life, only this family is the Bluth family, which used to be affluent but is now extremely dysfunctional.
Like any sitcom pilot, it establishes the recurring characters and their individual quirks, but it does this with its unique sense of humour and deadpan delivery. It’s so genuinely funny without it even feeling like it’s trying to be. There’s not a whole lot of real punchlines or anything, just a lot of visual jokes and impeccable comedic timing to make moments that wouldn’t otherwise be funny into something downright hilarious. As a pilot episode, it’s truly stunning, and was able to get a ton of viewers invested, even despite its turbulent history in later years.
7
“The Original”
‘Westworld’ (2016–2022)
Westworld is a dystopian sci-fi thriller set in the 2050s, which became known for its intensity and for how unconventionally disturbing it is. The story is about a huge company that operates several amusement parks, with one being Wild West-themed. This park, known as Westworld, is inhabited by a bunch of robotic employees who are indistinguishable from actual humans. But these bots are programmed not just to run the park, but to fulfill every single desire that anyone might have, including anything sexual or sinister.
This causes the park to become less of an amusement park and more of a monument to sin to rival Las Vegas, rapidly declining into a place that is most certainly not family-friendly. This first episode not only gives viewers a taste of the dark, dark place that Westworld has become, but it also establishes the narrative that will run for the rest of the series in a fitting, satisfying way, immediately delving into all of the negative consequences such a place can have on humanity as a whole. Though it’s disturbing, this doesn’t at all feel like a turn-off, and only serves to draw the audience in even more.
Westworld
- Release Date
-
2016 – 2022-00-00
- Network
-
HBO Max
6
“Pilot”
‘Prison Break’ (2005–2017)
Prison Break kind of jumped the shark towards the end of its run, but when it first came out, it was kind of a big deal. Come on, who doesn’t love a great prison break sequence in action movies? This show elaborated on that concept and made it into a whole series, starring Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller as two brothers with a criminal scheme that is cut short when one of them is arrested and taken to jail, prompting a daring rescue.
Like many great pilot episodes, this show opens up right in the middle of the action, as one of the brothers frantically tries to get rid of a ton of evidence in his efforts to escape the long arm of the law. He then robs a bank, but surrenders a little too easily. Upon arriving in prison, his scheme to rescue his sibling begins to take shape. It not only opens up on action, but allows viewers to witness the inception of this dangerous rescue operation, which works out for the audience because if there’s not much more satisfying in the world than watching a plan come together. This moment of payoff lurks in the distance, and in the first episode, it lets its audience know that it’s going to be a big payoff, keeping them invested and attentive.
5
“Days Gone Bye”
‘The Walking Dead’ (2010–2022)
Imagine coming out of a coma, only to find out that the world you once knew has been completely destroyed, its people replaced by a horde of the undead. That’s basically how The Walking Dead opens up, with Sheriff’s Deputy Rick Grimes (Frank Darabont) waking up in a hospital that has been completely stripped clean of supplies. Blood and bodies are everywhere, along with ominous warning spray-painted on the walls. Not knowing what’s happening or why, he returns home only to find his house mysteriously abandoned, with his family nowhere to be found.
Normally, zombie stories like to explore the origins of the outbreak, allowing viewers to pinpoint the exact moment that it becomes a problem, watching the ensuing chaos as people scramble to flee their homes and reach safety. The Walking Dead takes a different approach, offering none of that. It just picks up and plops the viewer straight into the action. This was a decision that worked, as it allowed the story to hit the ground running without any delays, with viewers having to piece together the events that led up to the outbreak on their own.
4
“Pilot (Part 1)”
‘Lost’ (2004–2010)
Lost is a show that doesn’t waste any time with the boring details, diving straight into things without making them too complicated. The series is largely about a group of people who survive a plane crash and end up on an uncharted island somewhere in the Pacific, only to find out that the island is home to a group of strange supernatural phenomena beyond human understanding. The opening shot isn’t the plane crashing or the passengers boarding the plane. In fact, the opening shot is of a survivor waking up on the beach and noticing the carnage of the nearby wreckage.
This is great because it immediately hooks the audience and doesn’t let go, putting a whole bunch of unanswered questions on the table. But the solutions to those questions, of course, can only be found by watching and waiting. This opening shot proved to be par for the course for the rest of the two-part episode, as it really doesn’t take long to get the plot rolling, forcefully grabbing on and fully immersing the audience. It’s things like this that make it such a fun watch, even for non-sci-fi fans.
Lost
- Release Date
-
2004 – 2010-00-00
- Network
-
ABC
3
“Winter is Coming”
‘Game of Thrones’ (2011–2019)
The first episode of Game of Thrones was actually a second crack at the attempt, following a reportedly disastrous unaired original. The episode that actually got released to the public was much more on par with what the original novel by George R. R. Martin offered, and is arguably one of the most faithful book-to-TV adaptations ever created. But this could only last so long as the show eventually outpaced the books and had nothing to work off of save for Martin’s notes.
Without missing a beat, the episode launches straight into the paranormal, exposing the rising threat of the White Walkers and the army of the undead to the North, in a section ripped straight from the first book’s prologue. It is then followed up by the assassination of the King’s Hand, with the King himself visiting the North in order to select a new Hand, that being Lord Eddard Stark (Sean Bean). The episode ends on a note that lets viewers know exactly what they’re in for, making it look like a child has just died on screen. It’s a nuanced, faithful episode that tackles some pretty heavy content, yet establishes all of the major plotlines that will play out through the rest of the series.
2
“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”
‘Mad Men’ (2007–2015)
Mad Men takes place in 1960s New York, focusing on some of the city’s highest-paid advertising executives, along with the lives that they lead. The way the episode opens sets the overall energy of the decade perfectly, examining how these advertising executives had to find ways to market cigarettes in spite of people becoming increasingly aware of the dangers of smoking, and of the fact that previous ad campaigns in favor of cigarettes were absolutely bogus.
Mad Men didn’t just set the mood, it gave audiences a terrifying, yet captivating glimpse into the world of marketing, providing not just a narrative, but a deep, dark look at the innermost workings of advertising, showing all the dirty, nasty tricks companies use to try and sell their products. Though the show is based in the ’60s, its message is timeless, and it’s made even better by its stellar opening episode.
Mad Men
- Release Date
-
2007 – 2015-00-00
- Network
-
AMC
1
“Northwest Passage”
‘Twin Peaks’ (1990–2017)
Twin Peaks indisputably boasts the single best pilot episode ever conceived. The main reason it’s so good is that it gives the audience just enough to keep them hooked, while providing just enough answers to leave them satisfied. The show starts as a murder mystery, and as with any series in this genre, it’s generally expected that the first episode has to end on a cliffhanger. How else are the showrunners supposed to keep viewers hungry for more?
But the way Twin Peaks does it is just brilliant, and even has the courtesy to be feature-length. The show quickly became renowned for its surrealistic aspects, unraveling into far more than just another murder mystery, keeping the plot interesting and complex, demanding that viewers hang on to every word. The surrealism doesn’t really show up until the very end of the pilot, when a dream sequence plays out, yet it somehow feels like a prophetic vision. The Twin Peaks pilot is a perfect example of how to hook the audience right away, and is easily the single best pilot episode ever made.
Twin Peaks
- Release Date
-
1990 – 1990
- Network
-
Showtime, ABC