The Best TV Pilots of All Time
by MichaelWipf | created - 19 Jul 2022 | updated - 19 Jul 2022 | Public- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. Six Feet Under (2001–2005)
TV-MA | 60 min | Comedy, Drama
A chronicle of the lives of a dysfunctional family who run an independent funeral home in Los Angeles.
Stars: Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy, Lauren Ambrose
Votes: 149,480
2. Twin Peaks (1990–1991)
TV-MA | 50 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
An idiosyncratic FBI agent investigates the murder of a young woman in the even more idiosyncratic town of Twin Peaks.
Stars: Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Ontkean, Mädchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook
Votes: 215,504
3. Mad Men (2007–2015)
TV-MA | 45 min | Drama
A drama about one of New York's most prestigious ad agencies at the beginning of the 1960s, focusing on one of the firm's most mysterious but extremely talented ad executives, Donald Draper.
Stars: Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, January Jones
Votes: 260,635
4. House M.D. (2004–2012)
TV-14 | 45 min | Drama, Mystery
Using a crack team of doctors and his wits, an antisocial maverick doctor specializing in diagnostic medicine does whatever it takes to solve puzzling cases that come his way.
Stars: Hugh Laurie, Omar Epps, Robert Sean Leonard, Jesse Spencer
Votes: 513,829
5. The West Wing (1999–2006)
TV-14 | 42 min | Drama
Inside the lives of staffers in the West Wing of the White House.
Stars: Martin Sheen, Rob Lowe, Allison Janney, John Spencer
Votes: 85,606
6. Legion (2017–2019)
TV-MA | 1,316 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
David Haller is a troubled young man diagnosed as schizophrenic, but after a strange encounter he discovers special powers that will change his life forever.
Stars: Dan Stevens, Rachel Keller, Aubrey Plaza, Bill Irwin
Votes: 97,241
7. The Boys (2019– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A group of vigilantes set out to take down corrupt superheroes who abuse their superpowers.
Stars: Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty
Votes: 651,614
8. The Umbrella Academy (2019–2024)
TV-14 | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A family of former child heroes, now grown apart, must reunite to continue to protect the world.
Stars: Aidan Gallagher, Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda
Votes: 275,424
9. Fleabag (2016–2019)
TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy, Drama
Series adapted from the award-winning play about a young woman trying to cope with life in London whilst coming to terms with a recent tragedy.
Stars: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Sian Clifford, Olivia Colman, Jenny Rainsford
Votes: 201,630
10. Lucifer (2016–2021)
TV-14 | 4,393 min | Crime, Drama, Fantasy
Lucifer Morningstar has decided he's had enough of being the dutiful servant in Hell and decides to spend some time on Earth to better understand humanity. He settles in Los Angeles - the City of Angels.
Stars: Tom Ellis, Lauren German, Kevin Alejandro, D.B. Woodside
Votes: 356,103
11. Supernatural (2005–2020)
TV-14 | 44 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Two brothers follow their father's footsteps as hunters, fighting evil supernatural beings of many kinds, including monsters, demons, and gods that roam the earth.
Stars: Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Jim Beaver, Misha Collins
Votes: 483,347
12. Fringe (2008–2013)
TV-14 | 46 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
An F.B.I. agent is forced to work with an institutionalized scientist and his son in order to rationalize a brewing storm of unexplained phenomena.
Stars: Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Jasika Nicole
Votes: 257,554
13. The Wire (2002–2008)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The Baltimore drug scene, as seen through the eyes of drug dealers and law enforcement.
Stars: Dominic West, Lance Reddick, Sonja Sohn, Wendell Pierce
Votes: 377,725
14. The X-Files (1993–2018)
TV-14 | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Two F.B.I. Agents, Fox Mulder the believer and Dana Scully the skeptic, investigate the strange and unexplained, while hidden forces work to impede their efforts.
Stars: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Mitch Pileggi, William B. Davis
Votes: 249,942
15. Sons of Anarchy (2008–2014)
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A biker struggles to balance being a father and being involved in an outlaw motorcycle club.
Stars: Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, Mark Boone Junior, Kim Coates
Votes: 323,601
16. How I Met Your Mother (2005–2014)
TV-14 | 4,576 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A father recounts to his children - through a series of flashbacks - the journey he and his four best friends took leading up to him meeting their mother.
Stars: Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris
Votes: 728,697
17. Rick and Morty (2013– )
TV-MA | 23 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
The fractured domestic lives of a nihilistic mad scientist and his anxious grandson are further complicated by their inter-dimensional misadventures.
Stars: Chris Parnell, Spencer Grammer, Sarah Chalke, Justin Roiland
Votes: 601,797
18. Treme (2010–2013)
TV-MA | 55 min | Drama, Music
Life after Hurricane Katrina as the residents of New Orleans try to rebuild their lives, their homes, and their unique culture in the aftermath of one of the worst natural disasters in the USA.
Stars: Khandi Alexander, Rob Brown, Kim Dickens, Melissa Leo
Votes: 15,907
19. The Wonder Years (1988–1993)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
Kevin Arnold recalls growing up during the late 60s and early 70s; the turbulent social times make the transition from child to adult unusually interesting.
Stars: Fred Savage, Dan Lauria, Alley Mills, Jason Hervey
Votes: 40,794
20. Fargo (2014–2024)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Various chronicles of deception, intrigue, and murder in and around frozen Minnesota. All of these tales mysteriously lead back one way or another to Fargo, North Dakota.
Stars: Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks
Votes: 422,103
21. The Simpsons (1989– )
TV-14 | 22 min | Animation, Comedy
The satiric adventures of a working-class family in the misfit city of Springfield.
Stars: Dan Castellaneta, Nancy Cartwright, Harry Shearer, Julie Kavner
Votes: 436,047
22. Firefly (2002–2003)
TV-14 | 45 min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
Five hundred years in the future, a renegade crew aboard a small spacecraft tries to survive as they travel the unknown parts of the galaxy and evade warring factions as well as authority agents out to get them.
Stars: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin
Votes: 281,778
23. American Horror Story (2011– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
An anthology series centering on different characters and locations, showcasing different aspects of horror.
Stars: Lady Gaga, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Sarah Paulson
Votes: 343,941
24. Sherlock (2010–2017)
TV-14 | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The quirky spin on Conan Doyle's iconic sleuth pitches him as a "high-functioning sociopath" in modern-day London. Assisting him in his investigations: Afghanistan War vet John Watson, who's introduced to Holmes by a mutual acquaintance.
Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Una Stubbs, Rupert Graves
Votes: 999,074
25. Heroes (II) (2006–2010)
TV-14 | 45 min | Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Common people discover that they have super powers. Their lives intertwine as a devastating event must be prevented.
Stars: Jack Coleman, Hayden Panettiere, Milo Ventimiglia, Masi Oka
Votes: 251,668
26. Friends (1994–2004)
TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy, Romance
Follows the personal and professional lives of six twenty to thirty year-old friends living in the Manhattan borough of New York City.
Stars: Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc
Votes: 1,088,575
27. Stranger Things (2016–2025)
TV-14 | 60 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
When a young boy vanishes, a small town uncovers a mystery involving secret experiments, terrifying supernatural forces and one strange little girl.
Stars: Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Winona Ryder, David Harbour
Votes: 1,336,956
28. Band of Brothers (2001)
TV-MA | 59 min | Drama, History, War
The story of Easy Company of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division and their mission in World War II Europe, from Operation Overlord to V-J Day.
Stars: Scott Grimes, Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston, Shane Taylor
Votes: 527,567
29. Chernobyl (2019)
TV-MA | 41 min | Drama, History, Thriller
In April 1986, the city of Chernobyl in the Soviet Union suffers one of the worst nuclear disasters in the history of mankind. Consequently, many heroes put their lives on the line in the following days, weeks and months.
Stars: Jessie Buckley, Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Adam Nagaitis
Votes: 865,923
30.
Breaking Bad (2008–2013)
Episode:
Pilot
(2008)
TV-MA | 58 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, chemistry teacher Walter White teams up with former student Jesse Pinkman to cook and sell crystal meth.
Director: Vince Gilligan | Stars: Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris
Votes: 43,199
31.
The Walking Dead (2010–2022)
Episode:
Days Gone Bye
(2010)
TV-14 | 67 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
Deputy Sheriff Rick Grimes awakens from a coma, and searches for his family in a world ravaged by the undead.
Director: Frank Darabont | Stars: Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, Sarah Wayne Callies, Laurie Holden
Votes: 29,914
32.
Lost (2004–2010)
Episode:
Pilot: Part 1
(2004)
TV-14 | 42 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Forty-eight survivors of an airline flight originating from Australia, bound for the U.S., which crash-lands onto an unknown island 1000 miles off course, struggle to figure out a way to survive while trying to find a way to be rescued.
Director: J.J. Abrams | Stars: Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Terry O'Quinn, Naveen Andrews
Votes: 12,748
33.
Fargo (2014–2024)
Episode:
The Crocodile's Dilemma
(2014)
TV-MA | 69 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A ruthless, manipulative man meets a small-town insurance salesman and sets him on a path of destruction.
Director: Adam Bernstein | Stars: Billy Bob Thornton, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks, Martin Freeman
Votes: 16,606
34.
Game of Thrones (2011–2019)
Episode:
Winter Is Coming
(2011)
TV-MA | 62 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Eddard Stark is torn between his family and an old friend when asked to serve at the side of King Robert Baratheon; Viserys plans to wed his sister to a nomadic warlord in exchange for an army.
Director: Timothy Van Patten | Stars: Sean Bean, Mark Addy, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Michelle Fairley
Votes: 54,556
Rating: 9.1
35.
Dexter (2006–2013)
Episode:
Dexter
(2006)
TV-MA | 53 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Dexter'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.
Director: Michael Cuesta | Stars: Michael C. Hall, Julie Benz, Jennifer Carpenter, Erik King
Votes: 10,921
Rating: 9.0
36.
The Outsider (2020)
Episode:
Fish in a Barrel
(2020)
TV-MA | 61 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
When the body of an 11-year-old boy is found in the Georgia woods, detective Ralph Anderson launches an investigation into the gruesome murder; eyewitnesses and physical evidence point to local teacher and baseball coach Terry Maitland.
Director: Jason Bateman | Stars: Ben Mendelsohn, Bill Camp, Jeremy Bobb, Julianne Nicholson
Votes: 5,881
37.
The Sopranos (1999–2007)
Episode:
Pilot
(1999)
TV-MA | 59 min | Crime, Drama
A mobster passes out at a family barbecue and seeks therapy to understand why.
Director: David Chase | Stars: James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli
Votes: 12,101
Rating: 9.0
38.
The Night Of (2016)
Episode:
The Beach
(2016)
TV-MA | 79 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Shy college student Nasir Khan spends the night with a quirky, mysterious girl, and is horrified when he awakens to find she has been murdered.
Director: Steven Zaillian | Stars: John Turturro, Riz Ahmed, Bill Camp, Payman Maadi
Votes: 6,862
Rating: 9.0
39.
Westworld (2016–2022)
Episode:
The Original
(2016)
TV-MA | 68 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
The park staff begin to notice strange behavior from the hosts; A mysterious Man in Black roams the park, wreaking havoc.
Director: Jonathan Nolan | Stars: Evan Rachel Wood, Thandiwe Newton, Jeffrey Wright, James Marsden
Votes: 23,969
Rating: 9.0
40.
Prison Break (2005–2017)
Episode:
Pilot
(2005)
TV-14 | 42 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Michael Scofield is imprisoned in Fox River State Penitentiary. He finds his brother, Lincoln Burrows, who is a death row prisoner, and tells him that he is going to break them both out of the prison.
Director: Brett Ratner | Stars: Dominic Purcell, Wentworth Miller, Robin Tunney, Amaury Nolasco
Votes: 7,994
Rating: 9.0
41.
Mr. Robot (2015–2019)
Episode:
eps1.0_hellofriend.mov
(2015)
TV-14 | 62 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A notorious hacker takes an interest in cyber security engineer and vigilante styled computer hacker Elliot, while an evil corporation is hacked.
Director: Niels Arden Oplev | Stars: Rami Malek, Carly Chaikin, Portia Doubleday, Martin Wallström
Votes: 18,767
Rating: 9.0
42.
The Punisher (2017–2019)
Episode:
3 AM
(2017)
TV-MA | 51 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Former Marine Frank Castle takes the law into his own hands while struggling to come to terms with his traumatic past.
Director: Tom Shankland | Stars: Jon Bernthal, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Amber Rose Revah, Daniel Webber
Votes: 9,297
Rating: 9.1
43.
True Detective (2014– )
Episode:
The Long Bright Dark
(2014)
TV-MA | 58 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
In 2012, former detective partners Rust Cohle and Martin Hart recap one of their very first cases together involving a serial killer, back in 1995.
Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga | Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Michelle Monaghan, Michael Potts
Votes: 28,945
Rating: 9.1
44.
Sherlock (2010–2017)
Episode:
A Study in Pink
(2010)
TV-14 | 88 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
War vet Dr. John Watson returns to London in need of a place to stay. He meets Sherlock Holmes, a consulting detective, and the two soon find themselves digging into a string of serial "suicides."
Director: Paul McGuigan | Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Rupert Graves, Una Stubbs
Votes: 33,397
Rating: 9.3
45.
This Is Us (2016–2022)
Episode:
Pilot
(2016)
TV-14 | 43 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Rebecca goes into an early labor; Randall finds his biological father; Kevin faces a personal and professional crisis; Kate finds herself at a low point.
Directors: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa | Stars: Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz
Votes: 6,892
Rating: 9.5
46.
Six Feet Under (2001–2005)
Episode:
Pilot
(2001)
M | 63 min | Comedy, Drama
When the funeral director is killed in an accident, the family comes together to mourn and decide the fate of the funeral home.
Director: Alan Ball | Stars: Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy, Lauren Ambrose
Votes: 4,045
47.
Twin Peaks (1990–1991)
Episode:
Northwest Passage
(1989)
Unrated | 94 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The small northwest town of Twin Peaks, Washington is shaken up when the body of the Homecoming Queen, Laura Palmer, is discovered washed up on a riverbank, wrapped in plastic.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Ontkean, Mädchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook
Votes: 16,855
48.
Better Call Saul (2015–2022)
Episode:
Uno
(2015)
TV-14 | 54 min | Crime, Drama
Struggling public defender Jimmy McGill constructs an elaborate yet questionable plan for winning back a pair of wealthy potential clients.
Director: Vince Gilligan | Stars: Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Rhea Seehorn, Patrick Fabian
Votes: 22,892
49.
Firefly (2002–2003)
Episode:
Serenity
(2002)
TV-14 | 86 min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
Malcolm 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.
Director: Joss Whedon | Stars: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin
Votes: 5,653
50.
Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000)
Episode:
Pilot
(1999)
TV-14 | 48 min | Comedy, Drama
In 1980, a group of high school students face various social struggles. Wealthy "brain" Lindsay wants to rebel. Her geeky freshman brother Sam and his two friends are targeted by a bully.
Director: Jake Kasdan | Stars: Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, James Franco, Samm Levine
Votes: 2,816
51.
Ash vs Evil Dead (2015–2018)
Episode:
El Jefe
(2015)
TV-14 | 41 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
Ash accidentally releases the Evil Dead.
Director: Sam Raimi | Stars: Bruce Campbell, Ray Santiago, Dana DeLorenzo, Jill Marie Jones
Votes: 5,154
52.
Arrested Development (2003–2019)
Episode:
Pilot
(2003)
TV-14 | 21 min | Comedy
After his father fails to promote him within the family business, Michael accepts a job in Arizona -- until his dad is arrested for shady bookkeeping.
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo | Stars: Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Michael Cera
Votes: 4,212
Tell Your Friends