Post by rushy on Oct 31, 2024 21:52:51 GMT
What are your favourite pilot episodes of TV shows?
*Not counting cases where the pilot is just 'the first episode' of a season that's already been greenlit, like with Doctor Who's "An Unearthly Child" or Blake's 7's "The Way Back". I don't think those count. I mean specifically made pilot episodes that are designed to prove to the producers as much as the audience that this show is worth making.
Here's some of mine:
LOST: "Pilot", Parts 1 and 2. I think this is the most cinematic opener I've ever seen. Unless I'm mistaken, it was the biggest budgeted TV episode ever made at the time. It's brilliant in establishing the various mysteries and threats of the Island, all the on-location filming in Hawaii looks incredible, all the cast get moments to shine and you're left on one hell of a cliffhanger. I recommend watching the episode "Tabula Rasa" right after, if you want a proper movie experience. But yeah, nothing I've seen compares to how great the opening of LOST is.
The Walking Dead: "Days Gone Bye". Another high quality production that feels like a movie, although in this case characterisation is minimal and it's more about pure atmosphere and tension as you see Rick Grimes waking up in a world that's ended.
Twin Peaks: "Pilot". The murder of Laura Palmer shakes up an entire town. The first half is dedicated to slowly introducing the characters through their shared grief, and the second half brings in the instantly iconic Agent Cooper to investigate. Bonus: the original pilot ended with a cliffhanger that leads into season 1. But David Lynch also filmed an alternate ending in case the show didn't take off. If you watch this version, the investigation continues into the dead of night, and Cooper comes face to face with the killer in the nightmarish basement of a hospital. This is the version I prefer to watch. Some of it was re-edited into the show as a dream sequence.
Stargate SG-1: "Children of the Gods". Given the comedy action-adventure route that the show eventually took, it's fascinating to go back to this pilot and see how hard they tried to make this seem like a proper sequel to the original 1994 film. I think it works.
Star Trek: "The Cage". Star Trek actually has two pilots, but I prefer this one with Jeffrey Hunter instead of William Shatner. I think the storyline of The Cage is perfectly emblematic of Roddenberry's intentions with the franchise, but it lacks some of his more unsavoury and boring qualities that marred later products like The Motion Picture. Plus, I really like Captain Pike in this, he's more intense and intelligent than any other Captain besides Picard and maybe Sisko (I haven't seen DS9).
The Prisoner: "Arrival". You've got to admire McGoohan's chutzpah. Very beautifully directed for 1960s TV. The on-location filming adds a lot and it perfectly introduces the world of the Village and its 1984-style modus operandi.
Honorable mention: Smallville's "Pilot". I've seen a lot of praise for it and tbf there's nothing wrong with it, per se, I just don't see what the big deal is. It introduces the show effectively, but it's part of that season 1 freak-of-the-week trend that Smallville thankfully moved past. Clark Kent fights a dude who can zap people with electricity like Palpatine. Cool.
*Not counting cases where the pilot is just 'the first episode' of a season that's already been greenlit, like with Doctor Who's "An Unearthly Child" or Blake's 7's "The Way Back". I don't think those count. I mean specifically made pilot episodes that are designed to prove to the producers as much as the audience that this show is worth making.
Here's some of mine:
LOST: "Pilot", Parts 1 and 2. I think this is the most cinematic opener I've ever seen. Unless I'm mistaken, it was the biggest budgeted TV episode ever made at the time. It's brilliant in establishing the various mysteries and threats of the Island, all the on-location filming in Hawaii looks incredible, all the cast get moments to shine and you're left on one hell of a cliffhanger. I recommend watching the episode "Tabula Rasa" right after, if you want a proper movie experience. But yeah, nothing I've seen compares to how great the opening of LOST is.
The Walking Dead: "Days Gone Bye". Another high quality production that feels like a movie, although in this case characterisation is minimal and it's more about pure atmosphere and tension as you see Rick Grimes waking up in a world that's ended.
Twin Peaks: "Pilot". The murder of Laura Palmer shakes up an entire town. The first half is dedicated to slowly introducing the characters through their shared grief, and the second half brings in the instantly iconic Agent Cooper to investigate. Bonus: the original pilot ended with a cliffhanger that leads into season 1. But David Lynch also filmed an alternate ending in case the show didn't take off. If you watch this version, the investigation continues into the dead of night, and Cooper comes face to face with the killer in the nightmarish basement of a hospital. This is the version I prefer to watch. Some of it was re-edited into the show as a dream sequence.
Stargate SG-1: "Children of the Gods". Given the comedy action-adventure route that the show eventually took, it's fascinating to go back to this pilot and see how hard they tried to make this seem like a proper sequel to the original 1994 film. I think it works.
Star Trek: "The Cage". Star Trek actually has two pilots, but I prefer this one with Jeffrey Hunter instead of William Shatner. I think the storyline of The Cage is perfectly emblematic of Roddenberry's intentions with the franchise, but it lacks some of his more unsavoury and boring qualities that marred later products like The Motion Picture. Plus, I really like Captain Pike in this, he's more intense and intelligent than any other Captain besides Picard and maybe Sisko (I haven't seen DS9).
The Prisoner: "Arrival". You've got to admire McGoohan's chutzpah. Very beautifully directed for 1960s TV. The on-location filming adds a lot and it perfectly introduces the world of the Village and its 1984-style modus operandi.
Honorable mention: Smallville's "Pilot". I've seen a lot of praise for it and tbf there's nothing wrong with it, per se, I just don't see what the big deal is. It introduces the show effectively, but it's part of that season 1 freak-of-the-week trend that Smallville thankfully moved past. Clark Kent fights a dude who can zap people with electricity like Palpatine. Cool.
