What are the best-ever series pilots?
March 20th, 2007 by screenwriterguy
I caught the debut of The Riches last week. If you are a writer, make sure you find a way to see this episode of television. The world and the storytelling tone are incredible. Eddie Izzard proves himself to be an amazing performer, dress or no, and Minnie Driver’s talent and mastery of accents is nothing short of Hugh Laurie-esque.
I don’t know if The Riches will make my watchlist. After seeing last night’s second installment, I worry that the show won’t be able to sustain the tone of the pilot; even in that first episode, their world has changed enough by the end that I can’t see how the creators will be able to deliver on their promises. Still, this is one of the strongest show launches I’ve ever seen.
It got me thinking, what are the best television pilots of all time? Agents (by extension of what showrunners seek) now ask writers to have a pilot episode along with a spec of an existing show, so I’ve tracked down many pilots in the last few years. But I’m sure I’ve missed some greats…
So, what shows do you remember having brilliant first episodes? I’d like to put together a top-ten post, and I’d welcome thoughts on what pilots I should check out. It’s a difficult question. Some of my personal favorite shows–Seinfeld, Buffy, The Office, South Park, etc.–are fantastic over their run, but have lackluster pilot episodes. There have also been pilots I’ve loved–Freaks and Geeks, Firefly, etc.–whose series haven’t lasted, so can we truly say these are great pilots? How do you account for classics that don’t hold up over time? And which ones really hold up? Opinions welcome!
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Posted in Television |
Mar 21st 2007 at 9:23 am
the first ep of lost was pretty sweet, with the giant jet engine sucking people in. and ur gonna laugh @ me, but Veronica Mars.
Mar 21st 2007 at 9:27 am
Those are good ones. I actually recently caught the VM pilot, and it’s definitely a tight script.
Keep ‘em coming!
Mar 21st 2007 at 10:12 am
As one who normally has millions of opinions, presently, I can only think of one pilot that sucked me in.
“Lost”, that plane crash was spectacular!
Mar 21st 2007 at 12:11 pm
I loved LOST as well as it totally sucked me in..
and you people will hate me but we got hooked on “Love mOnkey” from the pilot and they cancelled it soon thereafter..damnit…I just loved the subject matter though.
As far as any other pilot episodes…can’t even recall one to be honest.
You have to be lucky to catch a pilot episode..like an accident..and there has to be NOTHING else on that you want to watch or why would you stay on that channel?
Mar 21st 2007 at 4:59 pm
I remember a lot of hype leading up to the Studio 60 premiere this year. I don’t know if it lived up to all that, but it was pretty good. I also really liked Friday Night Lights. I loved the way they put the coach in such a pressure cooker with all the people expecting wins from him.
Those are both from this season… I’ll have to think about ones from the past.
Mar 21st 2007 at 6:40 pm
I tend to only remember crappy pilots for shows that eventually found their way to greatness. Like 30 Rock. It’s tougher to remember awesome pilots that suck you right in from the start. Lost is really the only one that comes to mind. I guess if you hop over to HBO, you could say Sopranos and Curb.
Going farther back is tough — does anyone remember the pilot of Seinfeld? Cheers? Designing Women? Webster? ALF?
Mar 21st 2007 at 8:44 pm
LOST, of course. Oh, and ALLY McBEAL. I remember it just felt new. And I remember THE COSBY SHOW pilot with Theo and the monopoly money. And STUDIO 60.
It’s hard to evaluate pilots. It’s all revisionist history. At the time, it was just a random TV date. Looking back, through the lens of fandom, it was an awesome first date that led to a five-year commitment. So, the pilot is all sweet and gushy in your memory, but in actuality it’s just a clunky episode with lousy jokes and Rachel showing up in the coffee house in a wedding dress.
But, hey, TV writing has only recently started getting uber-solid. In the old days, a pilot was the first of, say, 13 guaranteed episodes, so you had time. Now, it’s go big or go home in three episodes.
Maybe this means we’re gonna get some kick-ass pilots that possibly don’t make good series? That’s my (totally unfounded) fear about THE RICHES. Stellar pilot. Episode 2 is on the TiVo and I almost don’t want to watch it, ‘cuz I fear it’ll be a let-down.
Mar 21st 2007 at 11:38 pm
Rob–
Yeah, I realize not everyone is a big nerdy dork like myself, tracking down pilot episodes and analyzing them for why they made it to the air. I guess I figured a lot of TV shows are out on DVD now, so people might have more often seen the first episodes. What was Love Monkey? Oh, that was with the dude from Ed, right? I’ll have to try to track down a copy…
FutureMovieMogul–
Yes, Studio 60 is one of the ones I’m considering. I love the tension of the speech telling people to turn off their TVs. I had a chance to read this script before the show hit the air, and it might be the most compelling screenwriting I’ve ever read. I definitely like Friday Night Lights. Was its pilot particularly great?
Mike–
Yeah, HBO definitely counts. If it’s good enough for Emmy award eligibility, I guess it’s good enough for ScreenwriterGuy top ten lists. Meanwhile, clearly that ALF pilot was something special. Ha, Willy!
StudioPicturesSuck–
You make a good point about revisionist history. What I’m trying to get at is what gave a particular script the CHANCE to launch years of entertainment for us. I actually already have The Cosby Show in contention (not to give anything away, but I think it’s in the top 3.) I actually started writing a draft of the eventual post, and I mentioned the monopoly money exchange between Cliff and Theo. You and I have similar taste, StudioPicturesSuck. We should write something together.
Mar 22nd 2007 at 12:49 am
I also have a few that I know I’m SUPPOSED to like, and yet they just don’t excite me. I remember going out of my way to watch 24, but I lost interest in the first episode and haven’t watched it since. I’ve tried a couple times to start watching Sex and the City and Curb Your Enthusiasm on DVD. Even though I’ve seen later episodes that I really liked, I just haven’t been able to get into them from the beginning. I’m sure there are other great shows I haven’t given a chance yet.
Mar 22nd 2007 at 8:52 am
Though ScreenwriterGuy is clearly not you’re *real* name, we can glean from your ambivalence to Sex and The City and Curb Your Enthusiasm that you are not a New Yorker, and I would venture not a big-city-ite. Perhaps this list should be re-titled “The Best Pilots of All Time That Don’t Glorify New Yorkers.”
(And I know that Curb is *set* in LA, but the humor is very NYC.)
Mar 22nd 2007 at 8:54 am
Ooh, what about The Gilmore Girls! Excellent pilot. Set up the tone, style and central conflict extremely well.
Plus, that was back when the younger girl was so young and cute, she was in her it-didn’t-matter-how-she-acted phase.
Mar 22nd 2007 at 10:16 am
StudioPicturesSuck
I like to get the DVDs of entire series I’ve missed and watched them all the way through. Currently it’s The West Wing. I’ll definitely do Curb and Sex and the City at some point. (Especially since SatC has that one distractingly gorgeous brunette. Plus, she marries a bald guy, which is awesome.) As for glorifying New Yorkers, my take is New Yorkers have it covered. Most won’t die of low self-esteem if they don’t get a little extra glorification from their TVs. Although they may have to double their therapy sessions.
TheLorelais–
Gilmore Girls is a good one to consider. Sharp premise. I just wish the actors didn’t all have a words-to-breath ratio so much higher than other shows.
Mar 22nd 2007 at 3:27 pm
Hmmm. Excellent topic. I have to say, I resisted the urge to watch “Scrubs” for a long time, but once I finally did catch the pilot on DVD, I thought it was a damn fine set-up.
On the other hand… my love for “The Wonder Years” knows no bounds, from the pilot to the finish, so I’d be hard-pressed to pick something besides that.
The weakest pilots? “Seinfeld,” certainly. I also found the “Heroes” pilot to be lacking, and that show makes me so happy it’s silly.
Mar 23rd 2007 at 4:17 pm
great topic!
OK - recent for me — ‘Deadwood’ was freakin’ awesome first episode. and Lost, as everyone else already mentioned.
I totally understand how you felt about the first few eps of ‘Curb’ and ‘Sex in the City’ — both shows I adore — but the first few eps (especially Curb) were really not so good. and some of the techniques they use in the first few eps of SITC are just cliche as all hell. Love that show though.
I have lived in both NYC and LA — grew up in LA — and I personally don’t see Curb as a NY show in any way — it is LA all the way — and very different from SITC. One of the things I love about Curb is just how it nails a very unique group of folks in LA - the slightly elite — Larry nails it!
Crappy first ep — how about ‘fantasy island’ — loved that show — tried to watch the two hour premiere — had to do it in three sittings — it was that boring!
does anyone remember a little show in the 80’s called ‘Tales of the Gold Monkey’? That had a cool first ep.
Also - ‘little house on the prairie’ had a great first ep (2 hour special).
oh - and ’six feet under’ had a great first episode!
‘The Office’ UK version had an awesome first ep — and the US version had a crappy first ep — that’s actually a good one to compare from a writing point of view. Luckily the US version found itself after a few episodes — and now it rocks!
the first episode of ‘all in the family’ was pretty great!
the first episode of ‘fawlty towers’ is classic!
i really liked the first ep (and season) of ‘west wing’
and the first episode of the new ‘battlestar gallactica’ was pretty cool too.
Mar 28th 2007 at 12:06 am
Don’t know if we’re considering cartoons, but both Family Guy and Futurama started off quite strong. Family Guy seemed to lose steam after a few episodes, though.
Boston Legal started week but was pretty good after a few episodes.
Mar 29th 2007 at 1:28 pm
Aaron-
Good ones. I not only did a spec of Scrubs, but modeled my own spec pilot after it. So it’s near and dear. Wonder Years definitely is one of my favorite shows, though I always forget that it was. What happens in the pilot? Winnie’s brother dies, right? Will have to check it out.
ZOZ-
You have delivered the goods! I do have both Six Feet Under and All in the Family on my list of contenders. Meanwhile, Little House on the Prairie? Really? I’ve got more watching to do.
Tim-
Yes, cartoons count. During its peak, The Simpsons was one of my highest priority appointment shows. Don’t love Family Guy. I think South Park was right on the money with their parody of the FG writers. But I will check out the pilot on your say-so.
This is turning into a much bigger project than I anticipated!
May 14th 2007 at 4:19 pm
I agree with Gilmore Girls. And that Heroes had a weak pilot. I just stuck with it because the premise seemed great. And this is a weird one, but Clarissa Explains It All had a good pilot. Man, I loved that show.