I think Tim’s spot-on here; TV pilots are usually quite bad, at least in comparison to much later episodes of the series.
So let’s see if we can think of any good counterexamples to this general rule. What are some TV pilots which were exceptionally good in comparison to the rest of the series? Any pilots for long-running series which viewers would put in their top 10 favourite episodes?
I’ll nominate a couple to get the discussion started:
[ul]
[li]Lost had a terrific first episode which instantly gripped the viewer’s attention. Like other pilots, it involved a lot of character introductions and plot-line set-ups, but they were all so interesting, unusual, and mysterious that we couldn’t wait to learn more. Great special effects, too.[/li][li]It’s been a while since I’ve seen it, but Nowhere Man was another great mystery/conspiracy show which made good use of the pilot to foster interest in the plot.[/li][/ul]
I’ll second a vote for Lost and add the pilot for Breaking Bad that really grabbed you and made you want to tune in and see where this series would go.
I’d also add a shout out for the pilot of Hogan’s Heroes. Since the series itself is loosely based on the Billy Wilder film Stalag 17 the pilot acts as a mini version of that film, what with the hidden Nazi spy among the prisoners. That and with the pilot filmed in B&W made it look and feel like the film. (It’s also interesting to see the original lineup of prisoners that had a Russian POW among their group, who was dropped when the show was picked up and replaced by another American)
Despite the far-fetched premises of both, I think both Leverage and Suits had excellent pilots. They were also both longer than a normal episode, so maybe the extra time allows for a better story?
Digging deep, I think *The Six Million Dollar Man *pilot was the best of the series as it was less gimmicky, had a darker tone and actually made an attempt to consider the psychological effects of such a dramatic change.
Veronica: I hate it when you say that.
Battlestar Galactica’s mini-series was not great, but its first episode as a regular show was amazing. It’s called **33 **and is incredible. I recommend watching it before anything else.
Don’t forget, the original The Six Million Dollar Man was a movie, part of the ABC Movie of the Week series. I’m not sure if they’d planned on making it a weekly hour series all along or decided to make it a series after the ratings came in for the film.
I don’t even know which episode of COLUMBO was the pilot, but Peter Falk already had his Will-Get-7-Straight-Emmy-Noms-And-Win-A-Bunch-Of-'Em schtick down cold in it.
I think the pilot for Breaking Bad was the best I’ve ever seen. It basically laid out the pattern for the whole series. The opening sequence kept you guessing about how the characters had got there, until it was revealed in the final sequence that ended in a cliffhanger.
The other way around, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER kicked off with quality supporting stuff from Alyson Hannigan and Jason Segel and Neil Patrick Harris while Josh Radnor hits it off with Cobie Smulders and after some awkwardly playful banter cheerfully wraps up the episode with a wistful “And that’s how I met – your Aunt Robin.”