# Outstandingly good pilot episodes

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstandingly-good-pilot-episodes/731943>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [September 20, 2015, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstandingly-good-pilot-episodes/731943 "2015-09-20T13:59:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 6

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**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstandingly-good-pilot-episodes/731943/101 "2015-09-29T23:16:20Z")

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> [@caligulathegod](#):
>
> I don’t think Gilligan’s Island aired the pilot. The Pilot had a different Professor (actually just a High School teacher) and two secretaries, Ginger and Bunny.

…and a Godawful calypso theme song by none other than John Williams. :eek:

> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#):
>
> I just got done watching the blu-ray of the first episode of “Lost in Space”. The two guys on the audio commentary said the pilot cost $700,000 which they claim was the equivalent of $7 million. I doubt if other tv shows ran that much. “Combat” makes a big deal about the two-part episode “Hills are for Heroes” costing $500,000. Of course Allen’s shows after a year approached “Firefly” in suckiness.

\<snip\>

Was this the pilot without Dr. Smith and the Robot? The ship was the Gemini-12? It took them 95 years to reach Alph Centauri? Are you as amazed as I was first time I saw it?

Just so you know, our buddy Irwin recouped the cost of the first pilot by chopping it up and writing episodes to drop the pieces into (excuse the grammar). You gotta love him.

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**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstandingly-good-pilot-episodes/731943/102 "2015-09-30T01:19:08Z")

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> [@Annie-Xmas](#):
>
> Mork & Mindy. Robin Williams nailed it from the start.

You’re aware that _ **Mork and Mindy** _ was the result of a backdoor pilot on _ **Happy Days** _? :dubious:

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**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstandingly-good-pilot-episodes/731943/103 "2015-09-30T01:21:50Z")

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> [@caligulathegod](#):
>
> I don’t think Gilligan’s Island aired the pilot. The Pilot had a different Professor (actually just a High School teacher) and two secretaries, Ginger and Bunny.

Segments of the first pilot were incorporated into some episodes after the series went into production. If members of the original cast were involved, you couldn’t see their faces.

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