HBO / HBO
In this favorable Age of Television , hearing have been address to some genuinely unbelievable show . From earnest dramas to thought - provoking sci - fi to hilarious situation comedy , TV has fascinate countless viewers and touch movie theatre in terms of artistry and acclaim .
Such great shows had to win over hearing on Clarence Shepard Day Jr. one to get where they are now , and these 10 series cop it with their pilot episodes .
HBO / HBO
10. Space Pilot 3000 – Futurama (1999-present)
carbon monoxide gas - create byThe Simpsonsmastermind Matt Groening , the renovate seriesFuturamabegins with Fry getting frozen on a pizza run , then waking up 1,000 geezerhood by and by in the year 3000 . As Fry chance the one - eyed Leela and the golem Bender , audiences are introduced to a screaming III who , despite their differences , learn to get away the fate impute to them .
It may not boast Amy , Hermes , or Zoidberg , nor does it convey the high comedic free energy display in later installment , but the cowcatcher introduce a unearthly and wonderful world just waiting to be explored by fans . And the plot line secretly set up by this pilot only make it more rewatchable .
9. The Heirs of the Dragon – House of the Dragon (2022-present)
After feel let down by thefinal season ofGame of Thrones , many fans questioned if the franchise could return to its former aureole . Thankfully , House of the Dragonwas the revamp it sorely needed . The pilot follows King Viserys who , after fail to have a son who can inherit the crown , names his girl Rhaenyra as his new heir , go down the stage for another epic warfare for the Iron Throne and the future of Westeros .
This episode surpasses the original show ’s pilot not only in production value , but also in narrative , as it focalise on the Targaryens as their world variety in King ’s Landing . It may be needless at time , but the instalment efficaciously jell up the show ’s themes of sexism , toxic maleness , and the division of social classes . It also presents a howling new dynasty to espouse , with its main members — Rhaenyra , Daemon , Viserys , and Alicent — go on to be some of the dealership ’s best characters .
8. Pilot – Arrested Development (2003-2019)
This religious cult classical series begin with George Sr . getting arrest for embezzlement and his son , Michael , reluctantly staying in California to keep their nonadaptive fellowship together .
In a master class of ensemble clowning , Arrested Developmentintroduces the Bluth family line and each phallus ’s quirks , which the story utilizes to make some surprising and hilarious twists . Also , every actor corrode up every scene they ’re in to create an atrociously awful family that audiences ca n’t help oneself but observe .
7. The Sopranos – The Sopranos (1999-2007)
It ’s no surprise that one of the most acclaimed television set show of all clock time , HBO ’s seminalThe Sopranos , started out so well . This pilot shows Tony wait on his first therapy session with Dr. Melfi , and introduces hearing to his feverish aliveness as a sire , married man , and ruthless gangster .
As Tony fight to open up , viewers gaze into Tony ’s troubled psyche as he juggles dealing with his terror attacks and taking care of his menage , specifically his scurrilous female parent . But despite his coldhearted actions , the show deliver the goods in depicting the complex humanity in Tony , with much of the credit go to the late , great James Gandolfini .
6. Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers – Stranger Things (2016-present)
This sci - fi Jagannatha wastes no time in sinking it pilfer into its now - enormous interview bybeginning with hapless adolescent Will getting snatched by the Demogorgon after the monster escapes from a mysterious testing ground .
take elements from plastic film likeJaws , E.T.,Close Encounters of the Third Kind , andPoltergeist , Stranger Thingseffectively forges a unique , nostalgic narrative in its first instalment , which come after in balancing different floor about the minor , teen , and adults in Hawkins as they look for Will .
5. When You’re Lost in the Darkness – The Last of Us (2023-present)
Though this telecasting plot version begin with a regular 1960s talk show , the scene in question terrifies audiences to their essence by explaining how the Cordyceps plague could lead from global heating and clear it sound like it could happen in real life . Fast - forward to outbreak day , when the show exhibit a collapse of society in a horrifying sequence taken directly from the game .
The Last of Usdoes a wild caper building up its characters and the revelatory world they inhabit . The episode stays true to the reservoir material , but it also make upon Joel and Sarah ’s lives before the latter ’s death , make the disaster all the more heartbreaking . All in all , the show paints an enthralling painting of its world before and after its destruction , thanks in particular to the visuals and the performance of its dramatis personae .
4. Pilot (Part 1 & 2) – Lost (2004-2010)
J.J. Abrams , Jeffrey Lieber , and Damon Lindelof changed television forever with this pop civilization phenomenon . In its two - part buffer , Jack and the rest of the Oceanic Flight 815 -passengers smash on an island where everything and everyone , including them , is n’t what they seem . This episode locks down the audience with its exciting first aspect .
But when a savage monster and a polar bear show up in the jungle , watcher cognize they are in for one of the wildest mysteries ever and that they have to know the accuracy . And thanks to the show ’s compelling ensemble hurl , interview were also entrust wanting to see who they were and who would make it off the island alive .
3. Pilot – Breaking Bad (2008-2013)
Beginning with Bryan Cranston drive through the desert in his undies , this episode is a electrifying and irresistible introduction to the chaotic life history of Walter White and the greaterBreaking Badworld .
Depicting Cranston ’s character in the midst of his fiscal battle , Crab diagnosis , and an overall midlife crisis , this episode in effect set up Walter ’s downward spiral from an ordinary chemistry instructor to a unpitying glass kingpin , showing how a ostensibly good man can break bad .
2. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes – Mad Men (2007-2015)
sick Men‘s cowcatcher successfully introduces audiences to the glamorous , fast - pace creation of 1960s advertising . As Don Draper tries to sell cigarette to those more cognizant of the wellness risks , viewers get a compelling first glimpse into the magnetic advert wizard ’s judgment as he glaze reality and profits off people ’s ego - destructive tendencies .
At the same metre , this episode captures the many cultural vice of its time , including racial discrimination , antisemitism , and sexism , prove the show is not just some calendered nostalgia spell . And with many enthralling performances from its cast , Mad Menestablished itself as one of television ’s most resistless products upon its debut .
1. It’s Summer and We’re Running Out of Ice – Watchmen (2019)
Many hoi polloi did n’t retrieve Damon Lindelof ’s “ continuation ” to Alan Moore ’s groundbreaking comicWatchmencould do the source stuff justness . Fortunately , those doubtfulness were shattered almost straightaway , as the pilot crochet the audience with its lurid depiction of the Tulsa Race Massacre ( a literal - world event that had n’t been well - known before its premiere ) .
flash forward to the warfare between the mask Tulsa police force and the Seventh Kavalry , this episode successfully place itself in the world ofWatchmenwhile presenting something unfermented and exciting for interview . As this miniseries touches upon relevant effect affect subspecies , such as bloodless mastery , police force ferociousness , and mend , it pulls viewers in with a thrilling and layered story that sets a raw standard for the superhero musical style and television as a whole .
