MovieChat Forums > General Discussion > Are any TV show pilots actually good?

Are any TV show pilots actually good?

posted 25 days ago by fourlemons (1662)
35 replies | jump to latest

For so many TV shows the pilot ends up with a completely different feel than the rest of the series and sometimes isn't very good. It's a time when the writers are testing the waters so it makes sense.

Can you think of a TV show pilot that was actually great?

My answer would be the Arrested Development pilot. I think it's the best pilot episode of any show I've ever watched and one of the best episodes, if not the best episode, of that series.

[–] fourlemons (1662) 24 days ago

It looks like there are quite a few good pilots! Thank you all for sharing! In thinking about it more, I think the shows where the pilots weren't very impressive were mostly network sitcoms and higher quality shows, often from streaming platforms, usually have better pilots that immediately feed into a well-planned story.

[–] db20db (17235) 24 days ago

My mind wants to go here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j_5vReXECs

[–] parkerbot (8993) 24 days ago

The pilot to Fantasy Island was great - had a bit of a darkness that unfortunately never carried over to the rest of the series (at least the original run).

And another great pilot, with an actor from the Fantasy Island pilot, was the one for The Incredible Hulk.

[–] fourlemons (1662) 24 days ago

Two shows from my childhood that I loved, although I don't remember the pilots. Ah the good old days...

[–] mikethemartian (6705) 24 days ago

Miami Vice

[–] nyctc7 (43591) 24 days ago

I don't know whether the first two Columbos were pilots or standalone TV movies that were so successful they decided to turn it into a series. The first, Prescription: Murder, is a must for any Columbo fan. The second, Ransom for a Dead Man, is also good.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061496
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066933

[–] curiousMInd101 (3407) 24 days ago

Breaking Bad has a fantastic pilot episode. It effectively establishes the story and delivers the entire plot within a self-contained narrative. The rest of the series then expands on these events on a much grander scale.

[–] fourlemons (1662) 24 days ago

Agreed. Most newer shows do have good pilots. I love Breaking Bad! It's one of the few series that I can and do watch over and over again every few years.

[–] curiousMInd101 (3407) 24 days ago

Same here. For me, Breaking Bad shares the number one spot alongside The Wire. I can — and do — watch these series over and over. Recently, I've been watching reaction videos to these shows, which is really great because it allows you to experience the show vicariously for the first time through someone else's eyes.

[–] overseas7 (4236) 24 days ago

The X Files
Rome
Stranger things

[–] ColumboKate (5678) 24 days ago

I saw a pilot from the 70s/80s on YouTube. I thought it was a film. Can't remember the title but I enjoyed it. Shame it wasn't picked up as a series. It was about some global disaster that caused the world to heat up, and a family's quest to survive.

Maybe Heatwave?