(TV) pilots, please
June 24, 2024 9:36 AM Subscribe
I'd like to watch a bunch of TV pilot episodes — without any intention of watching the rest of the show. Kind of like a big sample platter of appetizers. Can you think of any great pilot episodes that stand out to you, and capture the promise and the strengths of their show?
For various (disability-related) reasons, I don't have much TV-watching time or ability, but I do love it. And I hate missing out on how the medium is evolving and what kinds of stories are important right now, or were important, in the past.
I think I'd want the following:
• It's a great piece of TV in & of itself!
• By the end of the episode, you have a good sense of who is central to the story, what they care about, what personal challenges they face, what they're going to be doing, the companions who they're going to be doing it with, and the setting where they're going to be doing it.
• It demonstrates what the "formula" or story structure of the show is, if it has one
• It's in line with the overall emotional tone and theme of the rest of the series
I'd love additional context, too:
• If the show is important to the cultural conversation/a watershed moment/influenced other shows in a big way — how so?
• Is it niche but critically acclaimed? Or popular but not well-regarded? Or underrated, but beloved by a certain kind of person?
• If you loved the show at first but it jumps the shark or somehow betrays itself in later seasons, please note that, I think it'd be interesting to know
• Does the show change dramatically — i.e. the focus shifts to different characters, it ends up mostly being in a different setting, it cuts loose from its "formula" and grows into itself later on, etc.?
I don't want:
• Pilots that are just meh, because the show only gets good later
• No violence, gore, post-apocalypse, or police/detective shows, please
Leaving it open taste-wise and genre-wise, other than that!
For various (disability-related) reasons, I don't have much TV-watching time or ability, but I do love it. And I hate missing out on how the medium is evolving and what kinds of stories are important right now, or were important, in the past.
I think I'd want the following:
• It's a great piece of TV in & of itself!
• By the end of the episode, you have a good sense of who is central to the story, what they care about, what personal challenges they face, what they're going to be doing, the companions who they're going to be doing it with, and the setting where they're going to be doing it.
• It demonstrates what the "formula" or story structure of the show is, if it has one
• It's in line with the overall emotional tone and theme of the rest of the series
I'd love additional context, too:
• If the show is important to the cultural conversation/a watershed moment/influenced other shows in a big way — how so?
• Is it niche but critically acclaimed? Or popular but not well-regarded? Or underrated, but beloved by a certain kind of person?
• If you loved the show at first but it jumps the shark or somehow betrays itself in later seasons, please note that, I think it'd be interesting to know
• Does the show change dramatically — i.e. the focus shifts to different characters, it ends up mostly being in a different setting, it cuts loose from its "formula" and grows into itself later on, etc.?
I don't want:
• Pilots that are just meh, because the show only gets good later
• No violence, gore, post-apocalypse, or police/detective shows, please
Leaving it open taste-wise and genre-wise, other than that!
One of the best pilots of the past 20 years is The Americans, and now that the show is over holy shit did it seed absolutely everything that came after. Just an exceptional body of writing, performance, editing, and music/sound design.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:48 AM on June 24, 2024 [15 favorites]
posted by Lyn Never at 9:48 AM on June 24, 2024 [15 favorites]
My favorite television show ReGenesis has a great pilot episode, which if I recall might be resolved in a two episode arc (if that disqualifies). It also sets up a larger season long arc that isn't a requirement to the pilot appreciation.
ReGenesis is a (very) Canadian genetics drama. The pilot introduces all the major players and their schtick as well as the main character's wonderfully plucky and sullen teen played by a baby Elliot Page. It follows a deadly virus as patient zero makes their way across Canada into the heart of Toronto.
Gore warning: the opening credits feature a random person with a nose bleed who dies. The pilot episode features (again, iirc) some bloody coughing and people who have died of a respiratory illness and may have some bloody drool crusties. Labwork with blood in vials, discussion of bodily fluids. A character is depicted being hit by a car and their forehead bleeds while they're unconscious.
posted by phunniemee at 9:50 AM on June 24, 2024
ReGenesis is a (very) Canadian genetics drama. The pilot introduces all the major players and their schtick as well as the main character's wonderfully plucky and sullen teen played by a baby Elliot Page. It follows a deadly virus as patient zero makes their way across Canada into the heart of Toronto.
Gore warning: the opening credits feature a random person with a nose bleed who dies. The pilot episode features (again, iirc) some bloody coughing and people who have died of a respiratory illness and may have some bloody drool crusties. Labwork with blood in vials, discussion of bodily fluids. A character is depicted being hit by a car and their forehead bleeds while they're unconscious.
posted by phunniemee at 9:50 AM on June 24, 2024
In meeting all your criteria, I would offer up the Orphan Black pilot. It is gripping TV that hooks you into the main character's plight, but offers up so much mystery that you want to come back to figure out what is going on.
For cultural importance I'm going to suggest both Muppet Show pilots. The first one, Valentine Show and the second one Sex and Violence, introduce the central character and the variety show aspect of what would evolve, but are also interesting for how different they are from what became the actual show format. It's kind of wild to think of how these were greenlit in a pre-cable universe.
posted by brookeb at 10:02 AM on June 24, 2024 [7 favorites]
For cultural importance I'm going to suggest both Muppet Show pilots. The first one, Valentine Show and the second one Sex and Violence, introduce the central character and the variety show aspect of what would evolve, but are also interesting for how different they are from what became the actual show format. It's kind of wild to think of how these were greenlit in a pre-cable universe.
posted by brookeb at 10:02 AM on June 24, 2024 [7 favorites]
You also might be interested in the podcast Trial by Pilot, which only watches the pilot episodes of shows and judges them/extrapolates what the rest of the show might have been based on that.
posted by knownassociate at 10:03 AM on June 24, 2024 [3 favorites]
posted by knownassociate at 10:03 AM on June 24, 2024 [3 favorites]
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
posted by rhymedirective at 10:05 AM on June 24, 2024 [10 favorites]
posted by rhymedirective at 10:05 AM on June 24, 2024 [10 favorites]
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer pilot (a two-parter) is very good and a good intro to the show. It's a little rough, especially in that most of the young actors other than Sarah Michelle Gellar are extremely early-career/first-timers, but it captures the vibe and lays out the structure really well. I'm always surprised at how well it holds up.
posted by restless_nomad at 10:07 AM on June 24, 2024 [7 favorites]
posted by restless_nomad at 10:07 AM on June 24, 2024 [7 favorites]
Some from a half-assed list from earlier this year, in no particular order:
Breaking Bad - Tells you everything you need to know in an absolutely riveting pilot.
Futurama - I went in expecting a cheap Simpsons replica, and it definitely was not that.
The Sopranos - From the first scene, the acting stood out. Powerful ep. Crazy premise.
The Shield - Seems so dated now, but was edgy as hell. Just look at the shaky-cam.
The X-Files - Still pissed about my Tivo crashing and losing all those curated X-Files eps.
Homeland - Was unaware Claire Danes had this much gravitas.
Heroes - Didn't hold up at all, but what a scorching hot pilot.
Deadwood - Puts just the right amount of backstory in, then revs up the plot right away
Miami Vice - Feels like a movie. Still remember the opening montage.
Mad Men - Wow. Still trying to find that left sock after they got blown off.
posted by Sphinx at 10:36 AM on June 24, 2024 [5 favorites]
Breaking Bad - Tells you everything you need to know in an absolutely riveting pilot.
Futurama - I went in expecting a cheap Simpsons replica, and it definitely was not that.
The Sopranos - From the first scene, the acting stood out. Powerful ep. Crazy premise.
The Shield - Seems so dated now, but was edgy as hell. Just look at the shaky-cam.
The X-Files - Still pissed about my Tivo crashing and losing all those curated X-Files eps.
Homeland - Was unaware Claire Danes had this much gravitas.
Heroes - Didn't hold up at all, but what a scorching hot pilot.
Deadwood - Puts just the right amount of backstory in, then revs up the plot right away
Miami Vice - Feels like a movie. Still remember the opening montage.
Mad Men - Wow. Still trying to find that left sock after they got blown off.
posted by Sphinx at 10:36 AM on June 24, 2024 [5 favorites]
Best answer: It's been a while but I recall Freaks and Geeks' pilot being very good and set up the rest of the (cancelled after one season) show basically perfectly.
posted by BungaDunga at 10:39 AM on June 24, 2024 [7 favorites]
posted by BungaDunga at 10:39 AM on June 24, 2024 [7 favorites]
Best answer: Cheers is basically still considered the greatest sitcom pilot of all time.
I'd add Arrested Development, a show that arrived fully formed, the Simpsons (Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire—aired as the pilot but not produced as one, but still perfect as one), Last Man on Earth (is post-apocalypse — but it's funny!), Futurama, and Hacks.
posted by General Malaise at 10:45 AM on June 24, 2024 [4 favorites]
I'd add Arrested Development, a show that arrived fully formed, the Simpsons (Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire—aired as the pilot but not produced as one, but still perfect as one), Last Man on Earth (is post-apocalypse — but it's funny!), Futurama, and Hacks.
posted by General Malaise at 10:45 AM on June 24, 2024 [4 favorites]
oh, and to flesh it out a bit: Freaks and Geeks became a cult classic, most of the kids actors ended up huge stars, Judd Apatow and Paul Feig are both extremely influential, etc.
posted by BungaDunga at 10:47 AM on June 24, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by BungaDunga at 10:47 AM on June 24, 2024 [1 favorite]
Firefly
posted by Calvin and the Duplicators at 10:52 AM on June 24, 2024 [7 favorites]
posted by Calvin and the Duplicators at 10:52 AM on June 24, 2024 [7 favorites]
The pilot of the first season of Homeland did a great job of introducing the characters, the complications, and the tensions that get delivered on over the rest of the season.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 11:07 AM on June 24, 2024
posted by Winnie the Proust at 11:07 AM on June 24, 2024
Back when I was marathoning shows with my BFF as a regular hangout activity we reached an impasse where I wanted to watch all of Star Trek Voyager, which he hadn’t ever really seen, and he wanted to watch all of Stargate Atlantis, which I hadn’t ever seen even though I was a huge SG-1 fan. So we watched the pilots of both shows and hot damn SGA hit it out of the park. I think even if you never watched Stargate SG-1 you can enjoy the adventure and wackiness of Stargate Atlantis’s first two episodes. It was airing basically at the tail end of episodic serial television being a thing so most of the time there is just enough exposition to get a new viewer to grasp what’s going on, but for a full show watch I think probably engaging with some of the better episodes and arcs of SG-1 would increase enjoyment. But the pilot of Stargate Atlantis can be watched like a one-off fun scifi movie. I suppose there is violence but it’s of the creepy fun aliens and military people with guns pg13 tv style.
On the complete other end of the genre and budget spectrum, it’s been a very long time since I watched it but I recall being completely hooked and bought in to the characters after the first episode of Black Books. Wry British comedy about a cranky misanthrope.
posted by Mizu at 11:18 AM on June 24, 2024 [2 favorites]
On the complete other end of the genre and budget spectrum, it’s been a very long time since I watched it but I recall being completely hooked and bought in to the characters after the first episode of Black Books. Wry British comedy about a cranky misanthrope.
posted by Mizu at 11:18 AM on June 24, 2024 [2 favorites]
Best answer: The 2-part pilot (2 x 30 minutes) of the original British comedy Ghosts (BBC) is wonderful. Sets up the entire premise for the series beautifully and is very funny. The rest of the series is great, but you really do get a good and complete sense of what it’s about just by watching the pilot episodes.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 11:25 AM on June 24, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 11:25 AM on June 24, 2024 [1 favorite]
The Mad Men pilot could practically stand alone as a short film. Every shot is gorgeous and the characters are set up well.
posted by windbox at 11:30 AM on June 24, 2024 [11 favorites]
posted by windbox at 11:30 AM on June 24, 2024 [11 favorites]
I know it was a long time ago, but I enjoyed The Rockford Files pilot.
The actor who played Rockford's father in the pilot was not the actor who played that role in the actual series.
posted by SemiSalt at 11:43 AM on June 24, 2024 [3 favorites]
The actor who played Rockford's father in the pilot was not the actor who played that role in the actual series.
posted by SemiSalt at 11:43 AM on June 24, 2024 [3 favorites]
The pilot of ER (available on Hulu) is 87 minutes so it aired in a two-hour slot as opposed to its standard hour. It was actually written as a screenplay by Michael Crichton, so it stands very well on its own.
ER was tremendously influential in the mid-late-'90s in the US. It introduced the world to George Clooney, of course, but the quick cut/high-intensity style was very unique and had a lot of influence on TV and movies at the time. It also was culturally important in the US. For example, AIDS was still seen as 1) a death sentence and 2) a gay man/IV drug user thing when it was airing, and it had multiple sensitive, well-done storylines about people with AIDS, including one of the main characters, a black female physician's assistant.
It was extremely popular for the first six seasons or so but arguably fell off quite a bit after Clooney and most of the original cast left.
posted by anotheraccount at 11:57 AM on June 24, 2024 [4 favorites]
ER was tremendously influential in the mid-late-'90s in the US. It introduced the world to George Clooney, of course, but the quick cut/high-intensity style was very unique and had a lot of influence on TV and movies at the time. It also was culturally important in the US. For example, AIDS was still seen as 1) a death sentence and 2) a gay man/IV drug user thing when it was airing, and it had multiple sensitive, well-done storylines about people with AIDS, including one of the main characters, a black female physician's assistant.
It was extremely popular for the first six seasons or so but arguably fell off quite a bit after Clooney and most of the original cast left.
posted by anotheraccount at 11:57 AM on June 24, 2024 [4 favorites]
18 answers in, and nobody has mentioned The West Wing yet? Dang.
That pilot (until the last 3 minutes) had me convinced that the premise of the show was going to be an entire series about the White House that never once showed the president on-screen. Mr. Spamloaf and I still quote "he's not my friend, he's my boss, and it's not his name, it's his title" to each other.
posted by spamloaf at 12:13 PM on June 24, 2024 [8 favorites]
That pilot (until the last 3 minutes) had me convinced that the premise of the show was going to be an entire series about the White House that never once showed the president on-screen. Mr. Spamloaf and I still quote "he's not my friend, he's my boss, and it's not his name, it's his title" to each other.
posted by spamloaf at 12:13 PM on June 24, 2024 [8 favorites]
Six Feet Under has a GREAT pilot episode.
And great seasons.
And a great finale.
posted by Ms Vegetable at 12:37 PM on June 24, 2024 [6 favorites]
And great seasons.
And a great finale.
posted by Ms Vegetable at 12:37 PM on June 24, 2024 [6 favorites]
The two-part Lost pilot pretty much hits all of those I think: it's a great piece of TV in itself; it paints quick character sketches of the core cast; it introduces the flashback structure that the rest of the series will lean on, and play with. And it establishes JJ Abram's mystery-box formula which -- for better or worse -- was very definitional not just to Lost itself but to a lot of contemporary media that followed in Lost's footsteps: always raise more questions than you answer.
Culturally important: definitely. Both popularly and critically acclaimed. It revolutionized episodic TV storytelling: that stories could be told across long, strongly-serialized seasons.
Jumps the shark? Still debatable even today. The final season, and the finale, were very divisive; some found it satisfying, others hated it, and I would say the fallout from that "failed to stick the landing" criticism has greatly shaped Lindelof's subsequent projects. It does also wobble a bit from time to time; there's some wheelspinning in the middle seasons, before it got a well-defined end point, where they had to keep churning out weekly episodes without necessarily progressing the plot much.
Remained true to itself? I would say yes, although that's colored by the finale stuff above.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 12:39 PM on June 24, 2024 [9 favorites]
Culturally important: definitely. Both popularly and critically acclaimed. It revolutionized episodic TV storytelling: that stories could be told across long, strongly-serialized seasons.
Jumps the shark? Still debatable even today. The final season, and the finale, were very divisive; some found it satisfying, others hated it, and I would say the fallout from that "failed to stick the landing" criticism has greatly shaped Lindelof's subsequent projects. It does also wobble a bit from time to time; there's some wheelspinning in the middle seasons, before it got a well-defined end point, where they had to keep churning out weekly episodes without necessarily progressing the plot much.
Remained true to itself? I would say yes, although that's colored by the finale stuff above.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 12:39 PM on June 24, 2024 [9 favorites]
The Wonder Years
posted by sigmagalator at 12:39 PM on June 24, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by sigmagalator at 12:39 PM on June 24, 2024 [2 favorites]
I think maybe also the Counterpart pilot holds up pretty well here too? very strongly establishes the tone, characters, and concept.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 12:41 PM on June 24, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 12:41 PM on June 24, 2024 [2 favorites]
I have not watched the whole series. I have not watched the whole pilot. But the first five minutes of the pilot of For All Mankind is well worth watching. Spoiler Alert: avoid learning anything about the show before you watch it.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 12:43 PM on June 24, 2024 [3 favorites]
posted by Winnie the Proust at 12:43 PM on June 24, 2024 [3 favorites]
Dead Like Me
posted by indexy at 1:42 PM on June 24, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by indexy at 1:42 PM on June 24, 2024 [2 favorites]
I would say that 33 is an amazing pilot to Battlestar Galactica, but it's a little controversial pick maybe as the AC ual.pulit was maybe the three episode mini series that preceded it? But it dumps you right into the middle of a hell for leather rout from the enemy and never lets up.
posted by Iteki at 1:48 PM on June 24, 2024 [5 favorites]
posted by Iteki at 1:48 PM on June 24, 2024 [5 favorites]
The Terror (season 1)
posted by extramundane at 1:53 PM on June 24, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by extramundane at 1:53 PM on June 24, 2024 [2 favorites]
I can't believe no one has said This Is Us.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 1:56 PM on June 24, 2024 [3 favorites]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 1:56 PM on June 24, 2024 [3 favorites]
The 'Star Trek' pilot ("The Cage") wasn't good enough, so they had to make another (Where No Man Has Gone Before). Once the program was on the air they showed the second one right away, but by then the production had diverged so much from the original it was shown as happening twenty years previously in excepts of "The Menagerie." I can't tell you how much I love that original Enterprise: lasers instead of phasors, the sound of the transporter room, and orders coming in on a teletype on the bridge! Your modern Captain Pike doesn't cut it at all, for me.
posted by Rash at 2:14 PM on June 24, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by Rash at 2:14 PM on June 24, 2024 [1 favorite]
I'll second Lost, Arrested Development, and The Good Place. Lost, in particular, is probably one of the best pilots of all time for the way it set up the format: an island with lots of mysteries, and a plane full of characters with secret, intertwined histories. And it's damn exciting to boot.
I'll also throw in the following:
posted by Johnny Assay at 2:34 PM on June 24, 2024 [1 favorite]
I'll also throw in the following:
- Veronica Mars for the way it sets up the cynicism and the haves-vs.-have-nots dynamic that drove the best parts of the show.
- How I Met Your Mother had a funny and intriguing pilot. However, the pilot is nowadays best remembered for its ending, which promised a twist that the show was never quite able to deliver on, and ended up hamstringing the series as it went on.
posted by Johnny Assay at 2:34 PM on June 24, 2024 [1 favorite]
I think the Farscape pilot did a really good job of setting up the premise and teasing just how weird and wacky and human the show would be.
posted by sardonyx at 2:40 PM on June 24, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by sardonyx at 2:40 PM on June 24, 2024 [1 favorite]
(Missed the part about no violence)
posted by TWinbrook8 at 2:41 PM on June 24, 2024
posted by TWinbrook8 at 2:41 PM on June 24, 2024
Community, for sure.
posted by panther of the pyrenees at 2:48 PM on June 24, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by panther of the pyrenees at 2:48 PM on June 24, 2024 [1 favorite]
When you're done with all these pilots, you might be interested in the Too Long, Didn't Watch podcast, a pandemic project of TV critic Alan Sepinwall. The premise is that a celebrity who never watched a long-running show (The Good Wife, Mad Men, GOT) watches the pilot and finale and tries to figure out what happened in between. I am still waiting for the promised second season!
posted by Sweetie Darling at 3:51 PM on June 24, 2024 [4 favorites]
posted by Sweetie Darling at 3:51 PM on June 24, 2024 [4 favorites]
I just rewatched the Psych pilot recently and it's a tidy little episode that also hits the core mechanic of the show pretty quickly. Only problem is one of the actors got switched out for the pickup but it's no big deal.
posted by JoeZydeco at 4:56 PM on June 24, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by JoeZydeco at 4:56 PM on June 24, 2024 [2 favorites]
Oh, and My Name Is Earl.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 5:00 PM on June 24, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 5:00 PM on June 24, 2024 [1 favorite]
What I love about this is that since you're only asking for the pilots, you might actually watch all of these. I am strangely over-invested in people liking what I recommend so if you like the This Is Us pilot or My Name is Earl, (or you know, the others) please report back!
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 5:01 PM on June 24, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 5:01 PM on June 24, 2024 [1 favorite]
I watched the pilot of Marvelous Mrs. Maisel multiple times. It stands alone nicely because it was made when Amazon would let showrunners make a true pilot and have viewers watch and rate them before deciding which shows to pick up. Really sharp writing and gorgeous period costumes and sets.
posted by wsquared at 8:00 PM on June 24, 2024 [4 favorites]
posted by wsquared at 8:00 PM on June 24, 2024 [4 favorites]
I would say the Lost pilot. Huge budget with a great central set piece. Compelling characters and ensemble cast with hints of the mysteries to come dotted about.
posted by d_hill at 2:01 AM on June 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by d_hill at 2:01 AM on June 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
The Life Unexpected pilot is a surprisingly great little mini movie about a foster teen finding her birth parents, them being stunned but happy to meet her, and the kid moving in with her birth mom and celebrating her birthday with a new little clan by the end of the episode. (Yes it's all incredibly unrealistic, but go with it.)
Shiri Appleby's reaction to meeting the child she gave up for adoption is beautifully acted. The characters are flawed but likable.
And, really, just watch the pilot. There's a reason nobody watched the show - it was an absolute mess from episode two onwards.
posted by champers at 3:25 AM on June 25, 2024
Shiri Appleby's reaction to meeting the child she gave up for adoption is beautifully acted. The characters are flawed but likable.
And, really, just watch the pilot. There's a reason nobody watched the show - it was an absolute mess from episode two onwards.
posted by champers at 3:25 AM on June 25, 2024
The pilot of Friends is surprisingly fully formed and has a lot of the chemistry of the whole series.
Seconding Psych.
"This is Us" isn't my favorite show but it's probably the most well-crafted pilot I've ever seen.
posted by mmoncur at 4:41 AM on June 25, 2024 [2 favorites]
Seconding Psych.
"This is Us" isn't my favorite show but it's probably the most well-crafted pilot I've ever seen.
posted by mmoncur at 4:41 AM on June 25, 2024 [2 favorites]
No one has mentioned Ted Lasso? Ted Lasso for sure. Characters may get into fisticuffs at some point. The show was definitely a pandemic touchstone.
posted by rednikki at 1:34 PM on June 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by rednikki at 1:34 PM on June 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
Nthing Mad Men. That pilot is so good, and both sets up the series but also works so well as its own little mini drama. Definitely culturally relevant. I feel like more than any other show I've seen, Mad Men felt like a novel converted into TV form. Not in the sense that it seems like a TV adaptation, but just the way that it was such an amazing slice of life with truly lived in characters. And the pilot gives a wonderful glimpse of that.
The last couple seasons were a bit rougher, but I don't feel it ever "jumped the shark."
posted by litera scripta manet at 3:10 PM on June 25, 2024 [2 favorites]
The last couple seasons were a bit rougher, but I don't feel it ever "jumped the shark."
posted by litera scripta manet at 3:10 PM on June 25, 2024 [2 favorites]
While it does involve violence, I recently watched Legion and was blown away by the quality of the pilot. Very well put together, effectively sets up characters, themes, and plot threads, and very entertaining as its own standalone thing.
posted by threecheesetrees at 3:30 PM on June 25, 2024 [4 favorites]
posted by threecheesetrees at 3:30 PM on June 25, 2024 [4 favorites]
The Friday Night Lights pilot is amazing. It's a good introduction to the show and its characters but I think it could also stand on its own.
To stick with the teen theme, The O.C. also has a great pilot. I'd skip most of the rest of the show though.
posted by JuliaKM at 1:41 PM on June 26, 2024 [1 favorite]
To stick with the teen theme, The O.C. also has a great pilot. I'd skip most of the rest of the show though.
posted by JuliaKM at 1:41 PM on June 26, 2024 [1 favorite]
My So Called Life had a perfect pilot.
posted by tangosnail at 3:33 PM on June 27, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by tangosnail at 3:33 PM on June 27, 2024 [1 favorite]
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Heat Vision and Jack - Jack Black is an astronaut who gets super intelligent via solar power. Owen Wilson is his roommate who, after being shot with an experimental gun, is now a talking motorcycle. They are on the run from Ron Silver, playing a bonkers version of himself as an evil NASA agent. Written by Rob Schrab and Dan Harmon. Directed by Ben Stiller. Also starring Christine Taylor as the sheriff and Vincent Schiavelli as a diner cook possessed by an alien. It's all exactly stupid and hilarious as you would imagine. Was never anything more than a pilot, and wasn't even aired.
posted by mrphancy at 9:46 AM on June 24, 2024 [3 favorites]