What Are the Top 25 Pilot Episodes of All Time and Where Can You Stream Them?

The breadth of TV content available these days is truly staggering. Whether on live channels or on-demand, on linear TV or via subscription streaming services, there has never been a wider availability of TV shows, and that can create some real uncertainty about where to start!

When picking a new TV series, it’s obviously best to start with the pilot. That’s a TV industry term for the first episode of a series, and every show that’s ever been made (along with thousands that ultimately weren’t sent to production) has had one.

Choosing the best titles amongst these is difficult, particularly since “best” is a subjective term dependent on the individual user to interpret. However, the following list has been pulled from an Ask Reddit thread which has compiled tens of thousands of votes, and viewers looking for a new series to start streaming can browse the list with confidence knowing that The Streamable has been arming audiences with knowledge about the best way to stream the best content since 2017! Hulu and Prime Video have the most entries on the list, but you can see where to stream each and every title below.

‘The X-Files’ | Hulu

“The X-Files” is one of the most quintessentially ’90s shows available. It follows two FBI agents (David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson) who investigate paranormal occurrences around the country, all while one of the pair seeks out the truth of a past trauma he still cannot reconcile. The show had its rough moments and averages a 74% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but all in all, lived up to the hype of the pilot. Users can stream the entire series on Hulu, or free with ads on Freevee.

‘Dexter’ | Hulu, Paramount+ with Showtime

Michael C. Hall plays Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter analyst by day and serial killer of criminals who escaped by night. “Dexter” went on to become one of the most popular shows of the mid-aughts, and while many believed it fumbled its series finale, its 71% rating on Rotten Tomatoes shows why the series has stood the test of time.

‘True Detective’ | Max

This series is a bit trickier since it’s an anthology, but the first season starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson stands out as one of the best seasons of TV period. In that sense, the season lives up to its masterful pilot, even if future seasons/episodes did not quite rise to the same height. The show’s critic score of 74% against an audience score of 50% bears this out, but there’s still plenty worth watching in the “True Detective” lexicon.

‘Futurama’ | Hulu

Hulu is still producing new episodes of “Futurama,” but its pilot is one of the most unique in TV history. It has story elements from future seasons embedded within the episode, and every time the viewer watches they see something new. “Futurama” still holds an audience score of 92% after its initial debut in 1999, suggesting the show more than lived up to its pilot.

‘Lost’ | Hulu

“Lost” is one of the first in a long line of titles whose series finale could not live up to the hype created by the show’s run. The pilot, however, is considered a masterpiece of deception and mystery, introducing characters and scenarios using the show’s mystifying style that became its staple. Users can stream the series free on both Freevee and Crackle if they don’t mind watching with ads.

‘Battlestar Galactica’ | Rent on Prime Video

This series re-imagines the classic 1970s version of a series that sees humanity fleeing across the galaxy from the Cylons, an artificial threat created by man. This one is cheating a bit, because there are really two episodes one could start with and call the show’s “pilot.” A two-part miniseries preceded the main series, showing fans how the Cylons destroyed humanity’s main colonies. Users can find that pilot here, or watch Season 1, Episode 1 here. Unfortunately, none of “Battlestar Galactica” is available to stream on-demand with a subscription streaming service.

‘Fargo’ | Hulu

Like “True Detective,” “Fargo” is an anthology series that switches characters, stories, and settings from season to season. But critics have rewarded the series with a 94% rating, and its first season including its pilot has been roundly praised as some of the best episodes in its five-season run.

‘Arrested Development’ | Netflix

The biggest problem “Arrested Development” faced during its initial three-season run was that audiences literally couldn’t see how funny the show was when they were watching it. The subtle jokes and layers of comedy start immediately in the show’s pilot, and while Seasons 4 and 5 definitely didn’t live up to the promise of the first three, “Arrested Development” remains one of the most beloved comedies ever made because of those initial episodes.

‘Mr. Robot’ | Prime Video

The pilot of “Mr. Robot” perfectly establishes what the series becomes and maintains for the entirety of its run: a tense, deftly-created thriller with quality performances and high-stakes consequences. The show maintains a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and an audience score of 93% indicates it more than lived up to the promise of its pilot in the eyes of fans.

‘Heroes’ | Peacock

“Heroes” is, sadly, another of the series on this list that did not live up to the hype of its pilot in the eyes of viewers. Later seasons saw the narrative begin to falter, but the establishing pilot that showed audiences the initial batch of powered heroes was an electrifying television moment, even after nearly 20 years.

‘The Good Place’ | Netflix

With a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, “The Good Place” has cemented itself as one of the top modern comedies. Its pilot establishes the tone and rules of the show and its fictional afterlife perfectly and sets up viewers for one of the most stunning reveals in recent TV memory. From start to finish, this quality comedy more than lives up to the promise made by its pilot.

‘Westworld’ | Rent on Prime Video

“Westworld” felt like a series that was never quite sure what to do with itself, even after a stellar pilot episode that kept audiences engaged for much longer than they otherwise might have been. Its 80% score on Rotten Tomatoes would seem to indicate a series that lived up to its pilot potential, but its removal from Max (then HBO Max) in late 2022 shows that audiences never fully embraced the show in its four seasons.

‘The West Wing’ | Max

Aaron Sorkin’s classic political drama about the fictional Bartlet White House is still one of the highest-regarded TV dramas ever made. The show’s pilot introduces its fast-talking characters and the inimitable Sorkin style but keeps the president under wraps until its final moments, in the ultimate set-up for a powerful show.

‘ER’ | Hulu

“ER” maintains an audience score of 85% after nearly 30 years. Its iconic pilot details a 24-hour period at Chicago’s County General Hospital, introducing audiences to the doctors and nurses who roam the halls diagnosing patients. The show went on to air 15 seasons, suggesting that while not all episodes were as gold as the pilot, it nevertheless captured and held the attention of viewers.

‘The Walking Dead’ | AMC+

Considering the number of spinoff series “The Walking Dead” has spawned, it seems hard to imagine a time when the series was just a risky adaptation of a graphic novel series about the zombie apocalypse. But the show’s pilot immediately set a visual tone for the universe that is still adhered to strictly almost a decade and a half after its 2010 debut. The series is also available to stream on Netflix.

‘Breaking Bad’ | AMC+

“Breaking Bad” may have lost its way narratively once or twice during its run, but overall it’s still remembered as one of the best cable dramas of the 2010s. The pilot set up the heartbreaking dilemma of a science teacher who turns to making meth to pay his medical bills, all the while hinting at the depraved monster he will descend into in future episodes.

‘The Newsroom’ | Max

Unlike fellow Sorkin drama “The West Wing,” “The Newsroom” was not able to live up to the lofty promise of its fiery pilot, all about a news anchor who grows tired of the corporate, profit-driven way the news is reported. Jeff Daniels sparkles as Will McAvoy during the show’s run, but in later episodes, it gets bogged down in complex and often morose plotlines surrounding its supporting characters.

‘The Last of Us’ | Max

The only title on this list with just one season, “The Last of Us” has broken through in the minds of viewers and critics alike. The show has a 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and masterful writing combined with award-worthy performances from Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey will ensure audiences give the show their rapt attention for as long as they’re starring.

‘Dead Like Me’ | Prime Video

“Dead Like Me” scores 84% among critics, and 88% with audiences after 20 years. That’s a good indication that the series lived up to its pilot, despite a short run, and it is still remembered as a sharp comedy about what happens after death, and how an afterlife of collecting souls as a reaper might not be all it’s cracked up to be!

‘Firefly’ | Hulu

Much like “Arrested Development,” “Firefly” was not appreciated enough in its own time to merit a long TV run. Its pilot sets up a universe of hot-shot, joke-slinging space adventures set in the year 2517. The rogue crew of the Serenity is introduced in all their glory, and the show’s limited episode count ensured it did not fail the promise of its fantastic pilot episode.

‘Justified’ | Hulu

The pilot of “Justified” sets up the relationship that becomes the beating heart of the show: Marshall Raylan Givens and his rival Boyd Crowder. Whatever else happens in future episodes of the show, it returns to that core, and that’s what makes the pilot episode of “Justified” so special. Its 97% critical score and 94% audience score suggests that viewers are just fine with that formula.

‘Twin Peaks’ | Paramount+ with Showtime

David Lynch’s drama about the murder of Laura Palmer has gained a reputation as one of the best TV series of all time, making for another entrant on this list that simply wasn’t appreciated in its time. The pilot sets the tone for the show immediately, and foreshadows how it will make use of tropes from the horror and thriller genres, supernatural elements and campy portrayals during its two-season run.

‘Prison Break’ | Hulu

A 61% critical score suggests that “Prison Break” may not have been the best show on TV for the entirety of its run, but its pilot episode blew audiences away when it debuted in 2005. Its premise belies the true narrative of the show, which is about much more than just a man who tries to break his brother out of prison.

‘Invincible’ | Prime Video

The pilot episode of “Invincible” is so important because it establishes the show as completely different from anything fans are used to seeing from the superhero genre, even “The Boys.” “Invincible” is a very adult series, despite its animated nature, and it offers one of the most original perspectives on superheroes of any show on TV.

‘The Expanse’ | Prime Video

“The Expanse” has accrued stellar critical and audience ratings, registering a 95% and 92% in those respective categories on Rotten Tomatoes. Its pilot throws audiences into a future universe where humanity has expanded beyond the bounds of Earth and introduces them to a conspiracy that threatens not only the peace of the Solar System but also the future of humanity itself.