Top 25 Television Pilots
by scarecrow_n_tinman | created - 15 Sep 2013 | updated - 03 Sep 2019 | PublicPilots are an interesting breed of television episode. Not only does it have to tell a story, but it also has to setup the series; the character dynamics, the tone of the show, the themes, etc. And while a strong pilot will set a show off in the right direction, it doesn’t always guarantee a long and successful series. The selected pilots reflect this dichotomy, yet each showed extraordinary potential for their series.
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1.
Lost (2004–2010)
Episode:
Pilot: Part 1
(2004)
TV-14 | 42 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Forty-eight survivors of an airline flight originating from Australia, bound for the U.S., which crash-lands onto an unknown island 1000 miles off course, struggle to figure out a way to survive while trying to find a way to be rescued.
Director: J.J. Abrams | Stars: Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Terry O'Quinn, Naveen Andrews
Votes: 12,758
2.
Justified (2010–2015)
Episode:
Fire in the Hole
(2010)
TV-MA | 50 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Marshal Givens returns home and is assigned a case involving an old friend from his coal mining days who has become a white supremacist and blew up an African American church.
Director: Michael Dinner | Stars: Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy, Jacob Pitts, Erica Tazel
Votes: 3,290
3.
Once Upon a Time (2011–2018)
Episode:
Pilot
(2011)
TV-PG | 42 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Romance
Emma Swan is taken to a strange town by her son Henry, who she gave up for adoption years ago, and tells her of a curse cast by the Evil Queen.
Director: Mark Mylod | Stars: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parrilla, Josh Dallas
Votes: 4,038
4.
Battlestar Galactica (2004–2009)
Episode:
33
(2004)
TV-14 | 43 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The Galactica and the other remaining ships - with about 50,000 people aboard them all - are being pursued by the Cylons. They are forced to jump into hyper space every 33 minutes. Somehow,... See full summary »
Director: Michael Rymer | Stars: Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber
Votes: 3,286
5.
Arrested Development (2003–2019)
Episode:
Pilot
(2003)
TV-14 | 21 min | Comedy
After his father fails to promote him within the family business, Michael accepts a job in Arizona -- until his dad is arrested for shady bookkeeping.
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo | Stars: Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Michael Cera
Votes: 4,215
6.
Damages (2007–2012)
Episode:
Pilot
(2007)
TV-MA | 54 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Hot-shot, high-stakes, New York City attorney Patty Hewes hires a new associate, the bright, ambitious, but somewhat naive Ellen Parsons, to help her as she tries to ruin billionaire Arthur... See full summary »
Director: Allen Coulter | Stars: Glenn Close, Rose Byrne, Zeljko Ivanek, Noah Bean
Votes: 846
7.
Life (2007–2009)
Episode:
Pilot: Merit Badge
(2007)
TV-14 | 43 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Exonerated after serving 12 years in prison for murders he didn't commit, policeman Charlie Crews is restored to duty as a detective. As an imprisoned policeman, Crews had a very difficult ... See full summary »
Director: David Semel | Stars: Damian Lewis, Sarah Shahi, Brooke Langton, Robin Weigert
Votes: 613
8.
Dexter (2006–2013)
Episode:
Dexter
(2006)
TV-MA | 53 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Dexter's world is rocked when a rival serial murderer, dubbed the Ice Truck Killer by the media, privately contacts him and reveals that he knows Dexter's grisly secret. Meanwhile, Dexter's sister Debra is transferred to Homicide.
Director: Michael Cuesta | Stars: Michael C. Hall, Julie Benz, Jennifer Carpenter, Erik King
Votes: 10,944
9.
Felicity (1998–2002)
Episode:
Pilot
(1998)
TV-14 | 44 min | Drama, Romance
A high-school graduate makes a momentous decision that puts her life on a much different track than either she or her parents envisioned.
Director: Matt Reeves | Stars: Keri Russell, Scott Speedman, Amy Jo Johnson, Scott Foley
Votes: 238
10.
Homeland (2011–2020)
Episode:
Pilot
(2011)
TV-MA | 55 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A CIA case officer becomes suspicious that a Marine Sergeant war hero rescued after eight years of captivity in Afghanistan, has been turned into a sleeper agent by Al Qaeda.
Director: Michael Cuesta | Stars: Claire Danes, Damian Lewis, Morena Baccarin, David Harewood
Votes: 4,928
11.
Futurama (1999– )
Episode:
Space Pilot 3000
(1999)
TV-PG | 23 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A down-on-his-luck pizza delivery guy is accidentally frozen on New Year's Eve 1999 and wakes up in the year 3000.
Directors: Rich Moore, Gregg Vanzo | Stars: Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio, Dick Clark
Votes: 4,989
12.
Leverage (2008–2012)
Episode:
The Nigerian Job
(2008)
TV-PG | 42 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
When Nathan Ford, a former insurance company investigator, is approached by a man asking him to help retrieve some stolen property, he is dubious. When he finds out that the job requires ... See full summary »
Director: Dean Devlin | Stars: Timothy Hutton, Gina Bellman, Christian Kane, Beth Riesgraf
Votes: 1,326
13.
Alias (2001–2006)
Episode:
Truth Be Told
(2001)
TV-14 | 66 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
Sydney Bristow discovers that her job as an agent for SD-6, a top-secret division of the CIA, is not what she thought it was. Sydney's father, Jack, also tells her the truth about his work ... See full summary »
Director: J.J. Abrams | Stars: Jennifer Garner, Ron Rifkin, Michael Vartan, Bradley Cooper
Votes: 1,317
14.
Veronica Mars (2004–2019)
Episode:
Pilot
(2004)
TV-14 | 42 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
During the day, Veronica negotiates high school like any average teenage girl. At night, she helps her father's struggling, new private investigator business.
Director: Mark Piznarski | Stars: Kristen Bell, Percy Daggs III, Teddy Dunn, Jason Dohring
Votes: 1,727
15.
Dark Angel (2000–2002)
Episode:
Pilot
(2000)
Unrated | 87 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
12 genetically enhanced childern escape from a military base that created them. 10 years later, after The Pulse, a magnetic bomb that destroyed every computer in USA, has struck, Max ... See full summary »
Director: David Nutter | Stars: Jessica Alba, Michael Weatherly, Alimi Ballard, Jennifer Blanc-Biehn
Votes: 2,476
16.
Family Guy (1999– )
Episode:
Death Has a Shadow
(1999)
TV-14 | 30 min | Animation, Comedy
After drinking too much at a stag party and falling asleep at work, Peter loses his job, signs up for welfare, and gets more money than expected.
Directors: Peter Shin, Roy Allen Smith | Stars: Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Seth Green, Lori Alan
Votes: 4,454
17.
The Critic (1994–2001)
Episode:
The Pilot
(1994)
TV-14 | 24 min | Animation, Comedy, Drama
A beautiful actress falls in love with Jay, but he worries that she just wants a good review for her latest film.
Director: Rich Moore | Stars: Jon Lovitz, Nancy Cartwright, Christine Cavanaugh, Gerrit Graham
Votes: 265
18.
Burn Notice (2007–2013)
Episode:
Pilot
(2007)
TV-PG | 65 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Michael Westen, a contract agent for various agencies including the CIA, finds that a burn notice has been issued for him. Stranded in Miami, he takes the case of a caretaker accused of stealing millions from his boss.
Director: Jace Alexander | Stars: Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, Bruce Campbell, Sharon Gless
Votes: 1,196
19.
Supernatural (2005–2020)
Episode:
Pilot
(2005)
TV-14 | 44 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Sam and Dean Winchester were trained by their father to hunt the creatures of the supernatural. Now, their father has mysteriously disappeared while hunting the demon that killed their mother, 22 years ago.
Director: David Nutter | Stars: Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Sarah Shahi, Adrianne Palicki
Votes: 10,837
20.
The Following (2013–2015)
Episode:
Pilot
(2013)
TV-14 | 46 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
In the series premiere episode, FBI Agent Ryan Hardy is called out of retirement to track down serial killer Joe Carroll who's escaped from prison.
Director: Marcos Siega | Stars: Kevin Bacon, Jeananne Goossen, Natalie Zea, Shawn Ashmore
Votes: 2,421
21.
The Walking Dead (2010–2022)
Episode:
Days Gone Bye
(2010)
TV-14 | 67 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
Deputy Sheriff Rick Grimes awakens from a coma, and searches for his family in a world ravaged by the undead.
Director: Frank Darabont | Stars: Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, Sarah Wayne Callies, Laurie Holden
Votes: 29,932
22.
Elementary (2012–2019)
Episode:
Pilot
(2012)
TV-14 | 46 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Sherlock Holmes, fresh out of rehab, is teamed with a sobriety partner, a former surgeon named Watson. They have to learn to work together even as they tackle their first case, the mysterious death of a doctor's wife.
Director: Michael Cuesta | Stars: Jonny Lee Miller, Lucy Liu, Aidan Quinn, Dallas Roberts
Votes: 2,377
23.
Person of Interest (2011–2016)
Episode:
Pilot
(2011)
TV-14 | 44 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A mysterious benefactor gives an ex-government operative a chance at redemption. All they have is the name of a person who will be involved in a violent crime, whether as victim or perpetrator, they don't know, but will find out.
Director: David Semel | Stars: Jim Caviezel, Taraji P. Henson, Kevin Chapman, Michael Emerson
Votes: 5,733
24.
Castle (2009–2016)
Episode:
Flowers for Your Grave
(2009)
TV-PG | 43 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
After a serial killer starts displaying the victims the way done in Richard "Rick" Castle's books, Castle teams up with Detective Kate Beckett to solve the case. He then starts to shadow her for his new book.
Director: Rob Bowman | Stars: Nathan Fillion, Stana Katic, Susan Sullivan, Monet Mazur
Votes: 2,615
25.
Dead Like Me (2003–2004)
Episode:
Pilot
(2003)
TV-MA | 74 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Georgia, 18, a college dropout in Seattle, gets a filing job. She gets killed by a falling Mir toilet seat on her first workday. Two grim reapers have her join their rank.
Director: Scott Winant | Stars: Ellen Muth, Rebecca Gayheart, Callum Blue, Jasmine Guy
Votes: 816
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