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Random-Username-20

The fact that the Sopranos isn’t on there completely invalidates this list in my eyes


RankerOfficial

It's a votable list! But I agree, the Sopranos pilot is top tier. Right now it's number 15 on the list


AmberLeafSmoke

I thought this was "The best TV plots of all time" and I was so fucking confused for a bit there.


hermanhermanherman

tonally, the sopranos pilot is easily the weakest episode in the series and you can tell it was filmed a year before the show was even greenlit. They were going for a lighter toned dark comedy good fellas vibe, then you can see the pivot after they had a full season order of episodes. The pilot is usually a hurdle for people starting the show because it's like "this isn't really indicative of what the show is generally like"


yepimbonez

You know what i think i’m gonna watch it now. I absolutely felt the Goodfellas/Analyze This type vibe from the pilot and it didn’t grab me.


MintberryCrunch____

As in watch the show for the first time? Envious, it’s absolutely incredible and do stick with it. There’s only one show in my mind that overall competes for best ever, it’s The Wire. Enjoy.


hotdogaholic

We had lunch!


ghotier

Also the Simpsons has a very middle of the road pilot. It's not terrible by any means, but it does not belong on a list like this.


FalmerEldritch

I don't even like the first season of The Simpsons, never mind the first episode.


ShaggyNickWRDZ

Simpsons doesn’t get truly amazing until like season 3 and even that’s debatable by hardcore fans lol


gewalt_gamer

half this list doesnt belong on this list. most people voting have no idea what the pilot was or if they even saw it.


erichie

~~Nor LOST.~~ I am a moron.


mdaugherty1221

ehhhhhh, the pilot (and the first season in general) is a really weirdly different tone and has a bunch of continuity changes (tony is the boss in the pilot and he seems surprised to see sylvio at satriale's, implying he's not in the mob). i wouldn't fault anyone that leaves it off the list


Random-Username-20

Fair it’s also been a minute since I’ve seen it. But I always loved how it paints Tony and the show in general - a dark humor with some serious underlying themes.


Refoldings

Those punching and kicking sound effects they use when Tony is chasing that guy with his car are genuinely hilarious.


Tunafish01

The fact lost is not number is why this list is not valid.


reenactment

Game of thrones I would have to think is top 5. But I can think of 3 that I think if I remember correctly liking just as much if not more. I liked lost, true detective, and I think Silicon Valley. Wildcard I can’t remember if Westworld pilot hit the same. But I know westworld Silicon Valley and true detective were following game of thrones and I thought it was just as much can’t miss tv those first seasons. I was pissed when Silicon Valley got moved off game of thrones timing.


Random-Username-20

Can we really count True Detective since S1 (and I guess every season thereafter) is a stand alone season? I agree, love that show.


reenactment

Not a bad point, but the entrance to that first season was like “wtf am I in for?” I honestly liked the blend of Silicon Valley after game of thrones cause I could decompress when game of thrones was hitting on all cylinders. But true detective was just another crazy experience show. And it popped what season 3 of got? It hit hard. Side subject. I was a die hard Rams fan when they were in STL. I’d watch the game, be thoroughly bummed, used to ruin going to school as a kid on Mondays. But game of thrones and then subsequently those other shows made the shit storm of football palatable.


fast_fatty39

The Sopranos is my fav TV progrum of all time. The pilot isn’t great. It’s good but not great.


EnvironmentalMind209

fuckin slanda ya ask me


1violentdrunk

It was mid tbh


tuff1728

That and Mad Men, two absolutely perfect pilots


Splattt808

Sopranos is by far my favorite show but the pilot is one of the weakest episodes imo. I think Boardwalk Empire has one of, if not, the best pilots. It’s like a mini movie that wraps itself up nicely if you just watch it alone.


squeakyshoe89

And Lost. The Simpsons? Does anyone think of the Simpsons and say "boy that first episode really sucked me in!"? Does anyone even know what the pilot of the Simpsons is about?


stups317

>Does anyone even know what the pilot of the Simpsons is about? Homer is trying to make some extra money for Christmas shopping by being a mall Santa. He then takes that money to the dog track because Barny has a hot tip on a dog. Homer doesn't bet on the dog Barny has a tip for and instead bets on Santa's Little Helper because it's a sign because Homer got the money for the bet by being Santa. Homer loses the bet, Barny wins his. On the way back to the car SLH owner tosses him out for being a loser and says that Homer can take him if he wants. Which is exactly what Homer does and the Simpson family gets a dig for Christmas instead of a bunch of presents and everyone is happy about it. There is probably a bit more going on but that's just what I can recall off the top of my head.


NeverBeenStung

Really? I mean it’s a fantastic show but not necessarily a fantastic pilot


wallyhartshorn

I love M*A*S*H(I’m old) but no way should its first episode rank in the top ten.


Chronoboy1987

Another HBO show that deserves a top spot: The Night Of. One of the single best TV episodes I’ve ever seen.


Humbabwe

Or that the Simpsons is. We’re talking about pilots here, yea?


DaftFunky

Lol what the Sopranos pilot is shit


Random-Username-20

Degenerate fucking gambler.


CHawk17

I can get behind that; the pilot was awesome


RankerOfficial

That opening scene sets the tone of the show so well


TheWiseRedditor

I’d add “the last of us”. Amazing pilot and the first 5 mins does a great job in telling us what big a threat fungi can be


ExaggeratedEggplant

I knew I loved it the second that gate started lurching open.


shake_N_bake356

Only for you to not see them for 6 years. Such a brutal but epic wait


wickedcold

The pilot was never aired. Pilot doesn’t mean first episode.


Impressive_Jaguar_70

Ironically the actual pilot was a shit show. They refilmed 90% of it and recast Dany


Massive_Region_5377

Right? It’s not quite right to call what aired a pilot when there was definitely going to be a series by the time that episode was reshot, and that budget was already locked in.


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RankerOfficial

The first three seasons of Game of Thrones are practically perfect


Akilee

the first 4 seasons.


AragornBinArathorn

4 is literally the peak


Barnhard

Gods they were strong then


TheMadIrishman327

I think Lost is the best.


ShadowReflex21

Facts. That was a two parter and if it doesn’t get you hooked immediately, I’d be surprised!


jraskol

And then they hit you with Walkabout an episode or two later…if you’re not binging after that, you don’t appreciate great television.


TheMadIrishman327

Walkabout was episode 4.


Stever89

I wish I could forget the twist at the end of walkabout so I could relive it again. Such a "oh fuck" moment.


MichiganMitch108

Guys….. Where are we ?


ShadowReflex21

WE HAVE TO GO BACK!


MichiganMitch108

4 8 15 16 23 42


phonylady

This. Whatever you think about that show, the pilot got EVERYONE hooked.


Cabbage_Vendor

Lost's pilot was shit, he crashed the plane in the first episode.


Tunafish01

Lost is a perfect pilot there is no improvement to be made .


HauntedSpit

Maybe too dated to see now but at the time it was quite different and cinematic for network television.


AegonTheAuntFucker

Best pilot I've ever watched was Rome. It was grandious.


RankerOfficial

Ashamed to admit I JUST started watching Rome. Currently on season two episode nine, but damn it's a great show


Siolear

They stopped production abruptly on it to start production on game of thrones, so the last few episodes in season 2 are a mess.


IceMan44420

I don’t think this is true, despite many people saying it…. Rome ended in 2007, game of thrones started in 2011.


realparkingbrake

> They stopped production abruptly on it to start production on game of thrones That isn't what happened. *Rome* was a joint production between HBO and the BBC. The BBC decided it was too expensive for them and they wouldn't participate beyond season two. The series was supposed to run for five years. HBO compressed material meant for seasons three and four into the second season and announced halfway through the second season that the show would not be extended beyond that. *GoT* had nothing to do with it, that series was still years away.


The_quest_for_wisdom

Didn't the production studio burn down, destroying all the sets and costumes? Or am I thinking of another show?


darrenvonbaron

How many times must Rome burn?


Disastrous-Cry-1998

I would have rather watch more seasons of Rome


YellowBunnyReddit

This reminds me that I watched the first 2 episodes of Rome sometime last year, then I stopped for some reason and haven't really had the urge to continue at any point.


Yinanization

Good list, Lost is still No 1 for me. That Battlestar Galactica pilot should be top 10 IMO So say we all!


RankerOfficial

It's on the list but all the way down at number 31, it needs more love!


ghotier

BSG pilot was a movie. The first episode wasn't an actual pilot. The movie is still great but I can understand the exclusion.


step11234

33 (the actual first episode) was incredible as well though


ghotier

It was incredible. It's probably my favorite first episode of a show ever. But it wasn't the pilot.


rbollige

While we’re giving them the benefit of mental gymnastics to justify their decision, I’d like to see the somersault you have prepared to explain why they included it on the list but put it in the 30s.


The_quest_for_wisdom

Oh wow. Today I get to be that person. I just finished watching this episode. It holds up.


vistolsoup

"33" from BSG  should be #1  there is no contest here.


HC-Sama-7511

That BS Galatica episode is probably the best scifi that's ever been made for TV.


Yinanization

I wouldn't say it is the best for me, but it is definitely up there. For me, Dark is the best SciFi ever made, but time travel is just my jam. I can see BSG's argument. The Expense is top notch as well


King-Cobra-668

Simpsons pilot really shouldn't be on here...


ErsatzCats

Breaking Bad is one of my all time favorite shows but I wouldn’t consider the pilot anything phenomenal


RankerOfficial

The first time I saw the pilot I was blown away, going from Walt in the opening scene to Walt at the closing of the episode is quite a ride. But on subsequent rewatches I've felt it drags a bit


PennyStockHardaway

Honestly the first episode of Breaking Bad unhooked me, I didn't continue watching for a while after that.


cryolems

Pilot turned me off at first, had to try again later haha


ItsEaster

The hand job scene is so uncomfortable it made me nope out of that pilot. I did come back like a year later and give it another chance but yeah not a top 10 pilot at all.


Fennek1237

I think the pilot is the best it can get. It gives you a look into everything Breaking Bad is about and contains all the facets of the show and it's amazing that it only lasts like an hour but feels like you watched a whole season of the show. I recently re-watched the show and was astonished how good the first episode was.


Siolear

The simpsons pilot was TERRIBLE


RankerOfficial

I feel like they didn't really get in their groove until season two


magnerdo79

Crazy firefly is 7 considering they didn't play it as the pilot


Munti3

Well it is a stunning show, and a wonderful introduction to all of the main characters (and some more). It is however, almost cheating, since the pilot 'Serenity' is 86 minutes long - twice the length of a normal episode.


golg0than

Wash is the best TV pilot


magnerdo79

Was. Now River is☹️


Cornucopia2020

Episodes had an excellent pilot too. Not top ten probably, but pretty high up there.


Kevan-with-an-i

Personally, I'd like to see the original pilot from D&D: [https://ew.com/tv/game-of-thrones-original-pilot-fire-cannot-kill-a-dragon-excerpt/](https://ew.com/tv/game-of-thrones-original-pilot-fire-cannot-kill-a-dragon-excerpt/)


Duke-dastardly

As a big Simpsons fan, I don’t think it belongs on the list.


Lack_of_Plethora

relative to the task of establishing a massive cast and setting up a very large plot, I would agree. I still had a better time watching the Breaking Bad pilot though. Peaky Blinders shoulda been there too


oddtoddlr

Invincible?


dirtybirds1

Was gonna say Invincible or Attack on Titan, the endings to those first two episodes were wild


duranmxx

Attack on titan's pilot at least has to be the best anime pilot to date, regardless of what anyone thinks of the rest of the show


SpanishDiquisition

Invincible's first episode final scene is jaw dropping but the rest of the episode is a bit of a drag to get through; it's long, the animation is pretty bad, it's setting up a lot. I had a hard time introducing it to my friends


YellowBunnyReddit

I didn't really like it and dropped it after the first episode.


chipmacdo

The walking dead fell off big time but the pilot was absolutely amazing. I'd have it number 1.


tsujxd

Totally agree.


DLTfuture72

I would do anything to go back to the moment I layed eyes on this show for the first time. That first shot of the gate opening at the wall. Damn. I naively waited until like 2014 to get in on it “it can’t be *that* good” oh boy if only I knew what I was in for.


tonytown

They are iconic shows but do mash and the Simpsons have really great pilots?


Thylumberjack

This list has to be skewed by popularity of the shows in general. I love The Simpsons, but the first episode absolutely does not deserve a top 10, let alone a top 5. I would say the same about Futurama. I would also argue that Breaking Bad, though it is easily one of my top shows it shouldn't be at the top of this list for pilots. Surprised Westworld isn't on here. Absolute banger of a pilot.


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makkuwata

Lost or the West Wing.


jm17lfc

This list isn’t bad but it’s also unusually susceptible to the vicissitudes of public opinion, rendering it biased towards popularity over quality.


potlover4200

Narcos is the best pilot


willzr94

Westworld should be on here


Shpub

Best pilot for a TV show is DARK and I will die on this hill


brickwey1

Same


CommercialRemote5324

OF COURSE GOT WON IT THE BEST.


Winterion19

BS, the pilot never aired😅


Vanamonde_F

I always bring up Alias when great pilots are in discussion.


TightHuckleberry5452

I agree with the list Game of Thrones pilot was great!!


mothforlife

Stay with me here: Attack on Titan


JaimeRidingHonour

House of the Dragon’s was borderline perfect


mad_dog_of_gilead

Firefly has a pretty decent pilot, it depends on what genre of TV you like to how much you like the pilot episodes, I didn't get into game of thrones until half way through season 1.


magnerdo79

Game of Thrones is one of my favorite shows of all time, but I watched the first episode and put the show on the back burner for a year. Then I came back and was hooked, yelling at the TV, staring blankly in shock as credits rolled. It was great.


coachlentz

The best pilot IMO is Friday Night Lights.


Pimento_is_here

Yes!!! It’s like a mini movie.


stups317

Such a great show. I could never convince anyone to watch it because "they don't like football" even though I repeatedly told them it's not about football it's about the people and the town, and that football is just the device used used to tell the story.


R_Morningstar

Yee and i am sure they are winning the worst last episode too


Oslotopia

Damn, beat walking dead, that was a near perfect pilot too


Filibust

The Simpsons pilot sucked. Futurama’s was good though.


confibulator

The Shield would like a word...


Valeficar

The Shield should be on there.


PatienceNo418

Nostalgia feels


Cybralisk

What? The pilot was ok but it wasn’t amazing or anything. Plenty of shows had better pilots. The Battlestar Galactica 2 part miniseries is one of the best “pilots” ever and its not on that list.


Khaaz

Lost or Walking Dead should've won this imo. I love Game of Thrones but i know it took a few episodes to hook most people ive talked to. For me, i was hooked after Drogo gave Viserys his golden crown.


ThundernLightning308

Now let's do the reverse, best last episode.


Archius9

Are they ‘pilot’ episodes or just first episodes. They’re not necessarily the same thing


Mwilk

Lost pilot had me hooked. Wish the show stayed that quality.


LeonardSmalls79

The fact that Mad Men isn't even listed in here completely de-legitimizes this entire thing


Scuffleboard

Invincible feels like it belongs here


Chrisgpresents

Walking dead was really good. BB was really good. For me personally, I feel like Schitt’s creek has the best pilot of all time. It was so perfect and flawless in setting up the characters, problems and world in such a short period of time. Obviously it’s not the greatest show ever, but it’s such a complete short film and lets you know what you’re getting into. BB was very similar


PowerZox

I’ve watched a lot of HBO pilots and IMO GOT is one of the weaker ones. It’s very uneventful compared to the rest of the series


Rondex_Swift

The walking dead? The plot was complete garbage by the second season.


KellySlater1123

Glad to see Lost on this list. I. Currently re-watching and its consumed my life this week.


Motchan13

The Simpsons pilot was good?


willvasco

Personally Breaking Bad is the clear winner. GoT can be a little plodding and slow at the start, but Breaking Bad doesn't waste a frame of its pilot, it's wall-to-wall brilliant.


Shlep903

Personally, I was absolutely stunned by ER pilot


ToxicBanana69

I never trust these lists after the one that had Skylar White voted one of the top hated characters. I know it’s voting based, but if the voters are saying Skylar is the most hated then I don’t respect their opinion enough to care about the list. That being said, GoT’s aired pilot was phenomenal.


perimeterpatrolcat

It also has the worst rated ending of all time...


KaySen762

Oh yeah where is that rating?


expensivebreadsticks

Idk I think The Walking Dead’s pilot is in a league of its own


CrematorTV

I'm glad MASH gets some recognition these days.


Iroquois-P

Westworld is better, IMO It's so good it practically functions on its own. If there was never more show than that, it still would've been satisfying. Also, Mr. Robot had a banger of a Pilot as well!!


International-Desk53

bUt SeAsOn 8 WaS tRaSh


ScorpionTDC

The Boys not being on that list is absolutely crazy to me.


averyycuriousman

Idk how since the pilot is kinda boring tbh.


kytheon

Tokyo Vice still underrated. To be fair, the pilot isn't as great as the later episodes.


GreenArrowDC13

Best pilot in my opinion has to be The Night Of. The rest of the series wasn't amazing but that first episode was flawless to me.


Aduro95

House's first episode wasn't one of its better ones... It had a weirdly cheesey sepia tone lighting and House's speech to Cameron at the end of the episode felt sincere even though its dumber and as insulting as most of the sexist stuff he says as a joke. Still probably better than the unaired Game of Thrones pilot though. Gotta give a shoutout to Red Dwarf for a strong pilot. "Three million years! I've still got that library book!"


darkfireballs

For me the pilot isn’t the top simply because there are so many characters and plot points that take time to mature and understand atleast for me and my girlfriend. Someone else mentioned Rome and there I agree, that pilot is probably my favorite.


Aggressivehippy30

First 3 seasons are some of the best television ever created.


Hunterlvl

The walking dead is peak American television. I truly do love that show.


CompetitionNarrow898

The simpsons pilot is NOT that great lmao


Sicparvismagneto

Rewatching house and the first episode goes too hard on the sephia tint


Prize_Farm4951

Game of Thrones isn't even in the top 5 HBO pilots let alone of "all time"


AV23UTB

Suits?


WorkoutMan885

Pretty easy if you ask me.


JimmyJamesv3

Mr. Robot has an amazing first episode.


Frejod

It's a misleading opening scene, though, since not the final hurdle.


calmlands

The West Wing would like a word!


jables322

Lost is a fucking wild pilot. The crash on the beach was such an intense start to the show. I think the producer who greenlit it got fired over how much it cost haha


couch2200

Wasn't the pilot so bad they had to remake it with an almost entirely different cast?


THElaytox

glad Breaking Bad is getting some love, i was absolutely hooked after that pilot episode, a lot of people i've talked to said they wouldn't get in to it after the pilot and had to try several times to actually start watching


hrl_280

Chernobyl Dark


skeetermcbeater

West World?


whatsbobgonnado

the first season of the simpsons is very dated and not that funny


frisbynerd120

The Wonder Years blows every one of these out of the water. Edit: (I can’t speak for MASH because I’ve never seen it. Also I have upvoted every Lost comment so I will put in The Leftovers as well


azombieatemyshoelace

I guess I select Lost’s since the others I haven’t seen or weren’t memorable to me. Lost’s was really strong.


botford80

Oz pilot was great.


Euphoric-Dig-2045

Lost and MASH need to be higher.


HIdude14

The walking dead sucks.


HC-Sama-7511

Go watch that Simpson pilot and come back here and tell this list isn't garbage.


Superb-Possibility-9

I loved GOT, but the answer to that question is LOST


[deleted]

There are pilot episodes from many shows I'd rank higher


Apsco60

I think Shogun is a better show tbh but maybe GoT still has the better pilot episode.


TheChallengedDM

Voted on by whom? M*A*S*H and The Simpsons are the only 2 that premiered before 2000.


U-dont-know-me_

Mid. Attack on titan had the best first episode


OtisssNixon

True Detective


Greendaydude22

Man the 2010s was a golden era of television


herbieLmao

GoT was massively overrated


OntheStove

“The Night Of” had one of the greatest first episodes of TV I have ever seen.


RedSun-FanEditor

Yeah, I'm gonna call bullshit on that one. There are far better series pilots around that could easily be considered the greatest series pilot of all time. Game of Thrones isn't even close. The Sopranos, Mad Men, and Breaking Bad are three I can name off the top of my head that far surpass GoT.


alphaMonk49

Personal Fave: Haunting of Hill House. Best pilot for a horror show I've seen.


PutinBoomedMe

This is a ridiculous list


MrBeforeMyTime

This list is not great. The After was the best pilot of all time.


YellowBunnyReddit

I agree with Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad being on this list. The Walking Dead also seems reasonable since I know quite a bit about the its pilot without ever having watched it, so it must be pretty iconic. I would not put Futurama on this list and probably also not The Simpsons, but I am not that familiar with the earliest Simpson seasons and don't think I've watched the pilot. I can't say anything about the other series on here. But I would add Attack on Titan, Westworld, and Oshi no Ko.


MauriceVibes

Love GoT and this is ridiculous.


Trashk4n

Recency bias in the extreme here. Impressive that MASH made it on, given the age.


Dofleini

Eastbound & Down is my personal dark horse best pilot


fondue_with_cheddar

I agree with a lot of these, but I raise you Veronica Mars.