TV Show Pilots Ranked
List activity
534 views
• 1 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
45 titles
- DirectorVince GilliganStarsBryan CranstonAnna GunnAaron PaulDiagnosed with terminal lung cancer, chemistry teacher Walter White teams up with former student Jesse Pinkman to cook and sell crystal meth.10/10
- DirectorJoss WhedonStarsNathan FillionGina TorresAlan TudykMalcolm Reynolds is a veteran and the captain of Serenity. He and his crew are smuggling goods, but they need to pick up some passengers for extra money. However, not all the passengers are what they seem.9/10
Original pilot for Firefly. Was not used due to Fox disliking this pilot. - DirectorVince GilliganStarsBob OdenkirkJonathan BanksRhea SeehornStruggling public defender Jimmy McGill constructs an elaborate yet questionable plan for winning back a pair of wealthy potential clients.9/10
- DirectorAnthony RussoJoe RussoStarsJoel McHaleGillian JacobsDanny PudiAn ex-lawyer is forced to return to community college to get a degree. However, he tries to use the skills he learned as a lawyer to get the answers to all his tests and pick up on a sexy woman in his Spanish class.9/10
- DirectorRich MooreGregg VanzoStarsBilly WestKatey SagalJohn DiMaggioA down-on-his-luck pizza delivery guy is accidentally frozen on New Year's Eve 1999 and wakes up in the year 3000.8.5/10
- 1994–1995TV-148.2 (28)TV EpisodeStarsSteve CooganRebecca Front8.5/10
Unaired pilot for Knowing Me, Knowing You - DirectorAndrew GillmanStarsChristopher MorrisSteve CooganPatrick MarberThe never broadcast pilot of The Day Today (1994).8.5/10
Unaired pilot for The Day Today - DirectorMatt MaiellaroDave WillisStarsDave WillisMatt MaiellaroAndy Merrill8/10
Series was not picked up as the creators didn't know where to take the show. - DirectorMichael CuestaStarsMichael C. HallJulie BenzJennifer CarpenterDexter's world is rocked when a rival serial murderer, dubbed the Ice Truck Killer by the media, privately contacts him and reveals that he knows Dexter's grisly secret. Meanwhile, Dexter's sister Debra is transferred to Homicide.8/10
- DirectorAdam BernsteinStarsTina FeyTracy MorganJane KrakowskiLiz Lemon is called upstairs to meet the new network exec, Jack Donaghy, who instructs her to hire movie star Tracy Jordan to draw a young male audience to 'The Girlie Show'.8/10
- DirectorBill HaderStarsBill HaderStephen RootSarah GoldbergA disillusioned hit man wants to start a new life after following his quarry to an acting class.8/10
- DirectorTodd HollandStarsJane KaczmarekBryan CranstonChristopher MastersonMalcolm has been labeled a boy genius and is moved, much to his chagrin, into the Krelboyne class, which is a class full of nerds and geniuses like himself.8/10
- DirectorAdam BernsteinStarsZach BraffSarah ChalkeDonald FaisonThree interns - two medical and one surgical - kick off their first day at Sacred Heart teaching hospital.8/10
- DirectorJames BurrowsStarsJennifer AnistonCourteney CoxLisa KudrowMonica and the gang introduce Rachel to the "real world" after she leaves her fiancé at the altar.8/10
- DirectorTaika WaititiStarsKayvan NovakMatt BerryNatasia DemetriouThe vampires try to plan a lavish blood feast in honor of a visit by their ancient master from the Old Country.7.5/10
- DirectorPhil LordChristopher MillerStarsAndy SambergStephanie BeatrizTerry CrewsDetective Jake Peralta finds his work scrutinized when new Captain, Ray Holt, takes over at his precinct.7.5/10
- 1990–199623mTV-PG7.9 (1.6K)TV EpisodeDirectorDebbie AllenStarsWill SmithJames AveryJanet HubertA streetwise teenager is sent by his mother to live with wealthy relatives in an upper-class California neighborhood, where he must adjust to a new lifestyle.7.5/10
- DirectorJoss WhedonStarsNathan FillionGina TorresAlan TudykMal has second thoughts after discovering that two boxes of Alliance goods his crew has been hired to steal are full of badly needed medical supplies headed for the mining town of Paradiso.7.5/10
Second pilot produced after Fox disliked the first pilot.
Aired as the series first episode. - DirectorChristopher StorerStarsJeremy Allen WhiteEbon Moss-BachrachAyo EdebiriCarmy attempts to retrain the employees of The Original Beef of Chicagoland, but is faced with resistance. In need of back-up, he brings on a talented young chef to help.7/10
- DirectorAdam McKayStarsHiam AbbassNicholas BraunBrian CoxMedia magnate Logan Roy shocks his family with a stunning announcement on his 80th birthday. The news shatters his son Kendall, the heir apparent who's in the midst of negotiating the purchase of digital-media venture.7/10
- DirectorMike JudgeStarsThomas MiddleditchT.J. MillerJosh BrenerRichard is a computer programmer. He has to choose between a $10 million deal with Gavin Belson and a $200,000 deal with Peter Gregory, in exchange for his cooperation to make the idea of a super compressing algorithm change the world.7/10
- DirectorHiro MuraiStarsDonald GloverBrian Tyree HenryLaKeith StanfieldBroke and low on options, Earn seeks to enter the music industry, by offering to be a manager for his rapper cousin, Paper Boi.7/10
- 20191h 1mTV-MA8.0 (11K)TV EpisodeDirectorNicole KassellStarsRegina KingDon JohnsonTim Blake NelsonAngela investigates the attempted murder of a fellow officer; The Lord of a Country Estate receives an anniversary gift from his loyal servants.7/10
- DirectorJustin RoilandStarsJustin RoilandChris ParnellSpencer GrammerA strangely eccentric genius scientist and inventor moves into the home of his daughter and her family and begins to strongly influence his young grandson.7/10
- DirectorRobert StevensStarsEarl HollimanJames GregoryPaul LangtonMike Ferris finds himself alone in the small Oakwood town and without recollection about his name, where he is or who he is. Mike wanders through the town trying to find a living soul.7/10
- DirectorWesley ArcherStarsMike JudgeKathy NajimyPamela AdlonA social worker mistakenly believes that Hank is abusing Bobby. When Bobby finds out what is happening, he takes advantage of the situation.7/10
- DirectorAnthony RussoJoe RussoStarsJason BatemanPortia de RossiWill ArnettAfter his father fails to promote him within the family business, Michael accepts a job in Arizona -- until his dad is arrested for shady bookkeeping.7/10
- 2005– 22mTV-MA8.1 (5.2K)TV EpisodeDirectorJohn FortenberryStarsCharlie DayGlenn HowertonRob McElhenneyThe guys hire Dee's friend as a promoter for the bar and get more than they bargained for. Charlie seeks black friends to prove he isn't a racist.7/10
- DirectorDavid Gordon GreenStarsRob McElhenneyAshly BurchJessie EnnisA hit video game Mythic Quest is a few days from launching its newest update, when Poppy the head coder and Ian Grimm the creator, clash over adding a new weapon.7/10
- DirectorDrew GoddardStarsKristen BellWilliam Jackson HarperJameela JamilNewly-deceased Eleanor Shellstrop is sent to the Good Place but only by mistake; Eleanor is determined to become a better person in her afterlife with help from fellow dead person Chidi and not-a-robot Janet.7/10
- 2003–201822mTV-147.0 (490)TV EpisodeDirectorChristopher McCullochStarsJames UrbaniakPatrick WarburtonChristopher McCullochDr. Venture, his teen sons Hank and Dean, and their bodyguard Brock head to New York to unveil Dr. Venture's new invention. They are pursued by a ninja intent on acquiring the device.6.5/10
Unaired pilot for The Venture Bros. - DirectorRobert ButlerStarsJeffrey HunterSusan OliverLeonard NimoyCapt. Pike is held prisoner and tested by aliens who have the power to project incredibly lifelike illusions.6.5/10
Original pilot for Star Trek that was reused in a later episode. - DirectorAndy CadiffStarsEmily OsmentJonathan SadowskiAimee CarreroA young entrepreneur hires Gabi, a feisty food blogger, to be his personal chef.6.5/10
- DirectorPeter ShinRoy Allen SmithStarsSeth MacFarlaneAlex BorsteinSeth GreenAfter drinking too much at a stag party and falling asleep at work, Peter loses his job, signs up for welfare, and gets more money than expected.6.5/10
- DirectorPamela FrymanStarsJosh RadnorJason SegelCobie SmuldersIt's the year 2030 and an older Ted Mosby is telling the story to his son and daughter about how he met and will eventually marry their mother. This is where we meet for the first time Ted, Lily, Marshall, Barney and Robin.6.5/10
- DirectorTrey ParkerMatt StoneStarsTrey ParkerMatt StoneKarri TurnerCartman wakes up and realizes he was abducted by aliens after hearing it from his friends. He is in major denial at first though, but even Chef is a believer.6.5/10
Unaired pilot for South Park. - DirectorGail MancusoStarsKurtwood SmithDebra Jo RuppCallie HaverdaDonna and Eric spend the Fourth of July at his parents' house in Point Place, where their daughter Leia makes an impression on the other teens in town.6.5/10
- DirectorAnthony ChunStarsH. Jon BenjaminDan MintzEugene MirmanOn top of watching his dysfunctional family crumble around him, Bob faces the wrath of a jealous health inspector who cooks up a nasty rumor about the restaurant's choice of meat.6.5/10
- DirectorJames BurrowsStarsJohnny GaleckiJim ParsonsKaley CuocoA pair of socially awkward theoretical physicists meet their new neighbor Penny, who is their polar opposite.6.5/10
- DirectorRandall EinhornStarsQuinta BrunsonTyler James WilliamsJanelle JamesA group of passionate teachers - and a slightly tone-deaf principal - are determined to help their students succeed at a Philadelphia public school.6/10
- 2005– 25mTV-MA7.7 (340)TV EpisodeDirectorRob McElhenneyStarsCharlie DayGlenn HowertonRob McElhenneyThe original unaired pilot to It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005) plot-wise closely resembling Charlie Has Cancer (2005).5.5/10
Assembled from clips. Plot was later reworked as "Charlie Has Cancer" - DirectorJoss WhedonStarsDavid BoreanazCharisma CarpenterGlenn QuinnAngel recaps the story of his life, from his mortal days as a young man in Ireland to his recent arrival in L.A. Also, he meets Doyle, who urges him to reach out to the people he saves, and Cordelia tries to convince him to charge the people a fee.5.5/10
Unaired pilot for Angel - StarsDom JolyPatrick Moore5.5/10
- DirectorKen KwapisStarsSteve CarellRainn WilsonJohn KrasinskiThe premiere episode introduces the boss and staff of the Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton, Pennsylvania in a documentary about the workplace.5/10
- DirectorJoss WhedonStarsSarah Michelle GellarNicholas BrendonRiff ReganBuffy Summers arrives for her first day at a new school, and already weird things are happening. She investigates a dead body that is found in the girls' locker room, and, with the help of her new friends Willow and Xander, she fights a gang of vampires. Also, she meets Cordelia and her friends, and Giles, her new Watcher, tells her more about her destiny.4/10
Unaired pilot for Buffy the Vampire Slayer