Pilot episodes of any television show are probably its most important. The first episodes establish the tone of the series, the direction the story is headed, and helps many viewers determine whether they want to continue watching or not. These have to be the perfect formula to hook people in, or else you'll possibly lose many audience members.
There's some shows that do this very successfully, while others do not for a number of reasons. Below, we shared 6 pilot episodes ranked worst to best. Of course, there's so many shows out there that these dont' even scratch the surface. But we chose some of the best known series' and how they compare against each other. Check out the list and keep scrolling as we go into more detail about each one.
- Game of Thrones
- Parks and Recreation
- Outlander
- Grey's Anatomy
- The Big Bang Theory
- Once Upon a Time
Game of Thrones
Ok, just hear me out before you all come after me. I feel like most fans know this, but perhaps some of you don't. And that's the fact that there's actually an unaired, original pilot episode of Game of Thrones. Producers an Weiss and David Benioff had worked on it and when people saw it to get their reactions, many were left confused with certain plot points.
It was so bad that many cast members had to be recast, including the infamous Daenerys, and the point of it all was not coming across. And that's the main part of a pilot episode - to establish the story and help lay the ground for what's to come. If they weren't able to do that, they were definitely in big trouble. So thankfully the first episode was retooled, otherwise GOT probably would not have made it past season 1. And that's so hard to think about!
Parks and Recreation
It's hard for me to put Parks and Recreation up high as one of the worst pilots, but we need to be honest with you guys in this post. And unfortunately, it deserves to hold this place here. The first episode of the comedy felt like it was a bit all over the place. It seemed like the writers didn't really know where they wanted to go with the show, or what tone to even set.
It just felt like a random mix of characters thrown together in an office, with a wacky boss. I'm the type of watcher that if you don't hook me in within the first three episodes, I'm dropping the series. However, something told me to continue with this one and I'm glad I did. As the season goes on, the show finds its footing a bit better. Season 2 starts to progress and then by the third season, you know why Parks and Rec is one of the best comedies out there. But you wouldn't have known that just by watching the pilot.
Outlander
Believe me, it hurts my heart to have Outlander on here. I mean, the first episode isn't the worst. But it's not my favorite, personally, either compared to some of the other shows on this list. Anyone who knows me knows I'm a diehard fan of this series. And my thoughts here don't change my opinion. But even when it comes to your favorite show, you can admit when something doesn't work.
In the case of Outlander, it's not necessarily that nothing works. I think all the plot points, tone, and pacing of the episode were established well. It's more of the material of the episode, for me. It takes a long time to get into the action of it all with Claire traveling back in time. It's off to a bit of a slow, and admitedly, boring start in the present day with Claire and Frank.
I completely understand that certain things needed to be established, for sure. But, it felt like it was a bit too long. These could have been condensed, or we could have also learned more about Claire and Frank and the history tidbits she's picked up from him in flashbacks as the episodes went on, instead of it all being in the first part of the episode. Again, it's not the worst but also not the best in my opinion.
Grey's Anatomy
It's been 21 seasons so you really have to think back to the pilot episode of Grey's Anatomy. Though when I do think back on it, a smile always comes to my face. This first episode was done so well. From Meredith and Derek's unexpected connection, Cristina and Meredith's friendship that's established immediately, to the hectic and fast-paced world that is the emergency room.
Even though there's loads of medical dramas out there, nothing beat Grey's Anatomy in its prime. I've fallen off the show and think it's gone on way too long at this point. And there's just something really special about that original, core cast that we meet in season 1. This pilot really managed to impress me and hook me in, even though I'm actually not a huge fan of medical dramas. And that just proves how well done it is!
The Big Bang Theory
Many times when it comes to sitcoms, they're a bit of a slow burn that you need to be patient with. They grow steadily, and get better as time goes on. However when it comes to The Big Bang Theory, I think it was a hit right from the start! Nerds was the name of the game for this comedy, and the creative team immediately knew what direction they wanted to go in and the type of people they wanted to focus on.
The pilot episode makes you laugh from the start, and offered up something a little different. A comedy about nerds who are extremely smart, like video games, and all the other fun things that make up some interesting people. I think the jokes landed and none of the characters were overly cringy. I mean, there's Howard. But he wasn't as bad in the first episode yet! Penny did feel stereotypical at first, but her character definitely evolves.
Once Upon a Time
My all-time favorite show and clearly favorite pilot episode to date is definitely Once Upon a Time. I watch a lot of television, you guys. And I can tell you that nothing has been as good as the OUAT pilot episode. Ever. The concept is so unique and there really wasn't anything like it at the time. The characters, both the heroes and villains, are so well cast, and the premise just works.
Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan really helps things too because she's realistic. She grounds us in this fantastical story, and portrays someone from our point of view in a way. The first episode introduces us to the residents of the Enchanted Forest, including Snow and Charming. And when it first begins, it seems like their story is the typical one we know. But that quickly changes, and we see the tone shift to what the show brings.
The Evil Queen/Regina is deliciously evil and Henry is such a cutie. There's action, fantasy, love, and hope all wrapped up into one wonderful episode that introduces us to this world. If you haven't seen it, you definitely have to give Once Upon a Time a try!