What's your favorite Series Premiere Episode?
04-23-14, 05:05 PM
#178
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04-23-14, 06:27 PM
#182
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
04-23-14, 06:44 PM
#183
DVD Talk Limited Edition
04-23-14, 06:53 PM
#184
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Best 1st episode of a series?
The pilot episode for ER is basically Michael Crichton's film screenplay inspired by his own experience working in an E.R. that he wrote 20 years earlier. So if the follow-up TV series is ignored, the pilot could be seen as a standalone movie just on its own.
04-23-14, 07:19 PM
#186
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Best 1st episode of a series?
I still stand by the others I mentioned (Twin Peaks and Arrested Development), but since the thread title has been changed, I more definitively throw out The Prisoner for consideration. Great start to the show, really surreal.
I will also mention Spaced. I've watched that first episode a bunch of times.
Profit was a great show.
I will also mention Spaced. I've watched that first episode a bunch of times.
First one that came to mind is Battlestar Galactica reboot. That's an outrageously good pilot. "33" is the first episode and might be my favorite TV episode of all time, but it's not a pilot.
Freaks and Geeks is my personal favorite, probably. The first few shots alone (Freaks under the stands, Geeks getting tormented) perfectly establish what the show is about, the tone of the show and what kind of people the show will follow.
One from left field: Profit, a very obscure early ninties show, had one of the best pilots I can remember.
Freaks and Geeks is my personal favorite, probably. The first few shots alone (Freaks under the stands, Geeks getting tormented) perfectly establish what the show is about, the tone of the show and what kind of people the show will follow.
One from left field: Profit, a very obscure early ninties show, had one of the best pilots I can remember.
Profit was a great show.
04-23-14, 07:26 PM
#187
DVD Talk God
Re: Best 1st episode of a series?
Flash Forward had a great first episode a few years ago. Most here liked it a lot.
Then the show had massive problems creatively and a super long midseason break killed it.
Then the show had massive problems creatively and a super long midseason break killed it.
04-23-14, 08:15 PM
#188
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Re: Best 1st episode of a series?
I forgot that the pilot works like a standalone and one of the characters wasn't even supposed to survive it.
04-23-14, 09:00 PM
#190
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Re: Best 1st episode of a series?
Lost and the Shield but i gotta go with the Shield because it get better and better and Lost got worse and worse
The pilot was the high point for Lost, the pilot was the beginning of awesomeness for the Shield
The pilot was the high point for Lost, the pilot was the beginning of awesomeness for the Shield
04-23-14, 10:06 PM
#193
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Best 1st episode of a series?
Arrested Development
So this is the magic trick, huh?
Illusion, Michael. A trick is something a whore does for money...or candy.
5 minutes in and I knew we had a winner.
Recently Fargo had an extremely good first episode.
Interesting to see so many people name Lost. I thought it was boring and a mess. It did nothing for me and I had to force myself to watch the next couple of episodes. Gave up completely on the series very soon after.
So this is the magic trick, huh?
Illusion, Michael. A trick is something a whore does for money...or candy.
5 minutes in and I knew we had a winner.
Recently Fargo had an extremely good first episode.
Interesting to see so many people name Lost. I thought it was boring and a mess. It did nothing for me and I had to force myself to watch the next couple of episodes. Gave up completely on the series very soon after.
04-23-14, 11:24 PM
#194
Re: Best 1st episode of a series?
The recent Fargo first episode was ridiculously good.
I think the winner would be Twin Peaks though, it pretty much changed television.
I think the winner would be Twin Peaks though, it pretty much changed television.
04-24-14, 09:51 AM
#197
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Re: Best 1st episode of a series?
Futurama? It did a good job setting up the concept of the show and introducing all the characters.
Justified also had a great first episode that hooked me into the show. Boyd Crowder wasn't even supposed to survive, and the episode works well as a standalone.
The thing with Firefly annoys me so much because of how good the pilot was when I finally got to see it. I saw so many previews leading up to the premiere that showed scenes from the pilot, and emphasizing the mystery of the girl in the box (River). Then, the first episode they showed was the Train Job, and I was like, "what the hell? Did I miss the first episode?" Turns out I did.
Justified also had a great first episode that hooked me into the show. Boyd Crowder wasn't even supposed to survive, and the episode works well as a standalone.
The thing with Firefly annoys me so much because of how good the pilot was when I finally got to see it. I saw so many previews leading up to the premiere that showed scenes from the pilot, and emphasizing the mystery of the girl in the box (River). Then, the first episode they showed was the Train Job, and I was like, "what the hell? Did I miss the first episode?" Turns out I did.
04-24-14, 10:18 AM
#198
Moderator
04-24-14, 01:19 PM
#200
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: Best 1st episode of a series?
The Shield
The Walking Dead
The Prisoner
Lost
The Good Wife
The Arrow
...are all my favorites (and had me absolutely hooked with the first ep.)
The Walking Dead
The Prisoner
Lost
The Good Wife
The Arrow
...are all my favorites (and had me absolutely hooked with the first ep.)
Last edited by TimeandTide; 04-24-14 at 02:04 PM.