37 TV Shows That Hooked People From The Very First Episode

    "I typically don't like pilot episodes, but Watchmen's first episode is an absolutely perfect first hour of television."

    Nora Dominick
    by Nora Dominick

    BuzzFeed Staff

    We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which TV show has a perfect pilot episode. Here are some of our favorite responses:

    Warning: There are some spoilers ahead!

    1. "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" from Mad Men.

    AMC

    "It introduces all the characters perfectly, and I was so surprised at the end to learn Don Draper was married."

    —kates4eb4bc65e

    2. "Pilot" from This Is Us.

    NBC

    "It was so surprising, and yet it made so much sense how they're all connected."

    —kates4eb4bc65e

    3. "A Hard Day's Night" from Grey's Anatomy.

    ABC

    "I have never been a huge television watcher, but it sucked me right in. The magic between the original interns is just something that can never be replicated."

    —nicy2

    4. "It's Summer and We're Running Out of Ice" from Watchmen.

    HBO

    "I typically don't like pilot episodes, but Watchmen's first episode is an absolutely perfect first hour of television. It brilliantly establishes its world and characters while introducing the series' long-running themes and visual language. The stunning first 10 minutes are not only absolutely gutting on their own, but they're also totally integral to the show in ways that are revealed and developed more and more as the show goes on. It's brilliant."

    —pkstarstorm

    5. "Season 1, Episode 1" from Fleabag.

    BBC America

    "I was hooked on the show immediately."

    —lexia4ca317c5f

    6. "Pilot" from The Vampire Diaries.

    The CW

    "The pilot of The Vampire Diaries is perfect from start to finish. I mean, just Damon's iconic 'Hello, brother' line is the best. When the episode started playing 'Never Say Never' by The Fray, I was hooked."

    —courtneyc4fa30a7b5

    7. "Chapter One" from The Mandalorian.

    Disney+

    "From the wordless opening scene with Mando to the very end when he reaches out to Baby Yoda, it's a perfect episode of TV. You just know he’s going to do anything to protect this creature, even if he doesn’t know it himself yet. Every single second of this episode is riveting. I haven’t been so focused on a show in years."

    —lastparismango22

    8. "Pilot" from Friday Night Lights.

    NBC

    "This first episode made me, a person who never watches sports, jump and cheer during the game. Also, it's so heartbreaking and the acting is extraordinary."

    —calviny3

    9. "Pilot" from The Good Place.

    NBC

    "It perfectly sets everything up. I just rewatched it and I am shocked by how many hints there were to the twist. It's masterful and tells you a lot about the rest of the show while giving absolutely nothing away. Also, it's super funny."

    —tigresssss13

    10. "Winter Is Coming" from Game of Thrones.

    HBO

    "When you rewatch the first episode, it really shows how early the separate storylines started to be developed. Seeing how Bran being pushed from the window triggered literally every event to come was wild. Also, there's just so much foreshadowing."

    —gailr457b6572c

    11. "Pilot" from Breaking Bad.

    AMC

    "I was captivated during the very first scene. I loved how they used it as a cold open and then transitioned back in time to explain what had led up to it. It's actually one of my favorite episodes of the whole series."

    —evp722

    12. "Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers" from Stranger Things.

    Netflix

    "I don’t get sucked into a show during the first episode very often, but this show just draws you in from the start."

    —weirduncle

    13. "Pilot" from Gilmore Girls.

    Warner Bros.

    "I watched the first episode and was immediately hooked. They capture the coziness of Stars Hollow and introduced every character perfectly."

    —stephanieeckhardt33

    14. "Pilot" from How to Get Away with Murder.

    ABC

    "I always tell people that How to Get Away with Murder has the best pilot episode. You get well-developed characters and a twist ending that makes you want to keep watching."

    —maddisonc4f618bc97

    15. "Season 1, Episode 1" from Derry Girls.

    Netflix

    "The way they set up the plot, characters, and setting is perfect. On top of that, it’s probably one of the most hilarious TV episodes I’ve ever seen. I've rewatched it so many times and it never fails to make me cry laugh."

    —eris494

    16. "Natural Selection" from Orphan Black.

    BBC America

    "Orphan Black had an AMAZING first episode! It went fast and hard, without getting too confusing, and had a great cliffhanger. I've shown Orphan Black to a lot of my friends, and although some of them didn't finish the whole show, that first episode had them hooked."

    —melinal4ad994282v

    17. "Nice Face" from Killing Eve.

    BBC America

    "Killing Eve had the best pilot. In fact, it had the best opening scene of any TV show ever. It was completely different to anything I had ever watched. You realize instantly that Villanelle is unlike any other character on TV."

    —sanahakhtar231

    18. "Pilot" from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

    Amazon Prime

    "The writers did an incredible job of laying out the storylines, introducing the characters, and getting you to fall in love with Midge. This all happened in a single hour of TV, which is amazing."

    —azizzad

    19. "Sweet Baby" from Scandal.

    ABC

    "I watched the pilot with my mom and we were hooked instantly. Honestly, the entire first season was amazing. Our jaws would drop at the end of every episode."

    —tracy110302

    20. "Pilot" from Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

    NBC

    "I fell in love with Jake and Amy's relationship from Day 1."

    —gitachitras

    21. "Sassenach" from Outlander.

    Starz

    "You can feel the chemistry between Jamie and Claire from the first time they meet."

    —lhochman1991

    22. "Pilot: Part 1 and Part 2" from Lost.

    ABC

    "The opening scene is so iconic and then the episode just doesn't let up from there."

    —tkgm

    23. "We Just Decided To" from The Newsroom.

    HBO

    "The first episode of The Newsroom is perfection. It’s funny and dramatic, and the cast is phenomenal. I rewatch it all the time!"

    —emilyj48bded056

    24. "Pilot" from Lucifer.

    Netflix

    "As soon as I saw Tom Ellis rolling down the streets of LA in his black sports car with Cage the Elephant playing in the background, I knew I was going to like this show a lot."

    —m448cb58d4

    25. "Pilot" from Euphoria.

    HBO

    "I couldn’t stop watching after the first episode. It was so good and breathtaking."

    —isek1980

    26. "Days Gone Bye" from The Walking Dead.

    AMC

    "The Walking Dead is one of my favorites. Waking up alongside Rick in the hospital and 'together' you find out what happened and what's going on. It's very well done."

    —jaynifa

    27. "Pilot" from Glee.

    Fox

    "The pilot of Glee still gives me chills. I've watched it at least 20 times. It was cool having to learn so much about everyone, like a new kid on the first day of school. When New Directions sang 'Don't Stop Believin' Together' for the first time, I got emotional. The rest of the show did end up holding up, but this episode remains flawless."

    —rayaligal

    28. "Pilot" from Dead to Me.

    Netflix

    "I was in once I watched the pilot of Dead to Me. It was really well done and we got to know the characters, the dynamic, and also the twist. I had to keep watching."

    —madal03

    29. "Steven Sees a Ghost" from The Haunting of Hill House.

    Netflix

    "It’s incredibly well done. It's scary but not gory, and it drops viewers into a world that is entertaining, but has a lot of mystery. The actors are all incredibly talented."

    —nataliam465cf8ad5

    30. "Pilot" from One Tree Hill.

    The CW

    "The iconic one-on-one game between Lucas and Nathan will forever be legendary."

    —triciacareyy

    31. "Pilot" from Supernatural.

    The CW

    "It's a gripping intro to the story of two brothers and what they are up against. Between Dean finding Sam after so many years to Sam's girlfriend getting killed, there's lots of thrills."

    —mahammumtaz94

    32. "A Study in Pink" from Sherlock.

    BBC America

    "It introduces the characters so perfectly by showing their complexities and flaws. I cared for them so quickly. It's exciting, funny, and fast-paced, but still has emotion. I knew I was hooked right from the start."

    —strawberrylumps22

    33. "Pilot" from Modern Family.

    ABC

    "The introduction to each character is so perfect. The scene with Cam bringing out baby Lily to meet the family is pure gold. Say what you will about where the show is now, but that first episode still makes me laugh out loud."

    —mandystubblefield

    34. "Pilot" from Shameless.

    Showtime

    "The first episode perfectly introduces all of the family members and gets you hooked on their wild dynamic. It also sets up plots for the rest of the season."

    —crdav090

    35. "The Train Job" from Firefly.

    Fox

    "The pilot for Firefly is first class in how to introduce characters, conflicts, mood, and a new setting. By the end, you have a clear picture of each character's place on Serenity, their relationships with each other, and you also have a fun, action-packed story that leaves you pumped for the next episode."

    —colleend9

    36. "That '70s Pilot" from That '70s Show.

    Fox

    "It was super simple and it showed us all of these characters as if they were our best friends and we already knew everything about them."

    —joelleybaloo

    37. And finally, "Pilot" from You.

    Netflix

    "I couldn’t stop at just one episode and I had to continue."

    —kathleenw46c840f1a

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    Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.