Take Us to the Pilot

Nip/Tuck

The FX original Nip/Tuck got off to a fast start with its graphic depiction of plastic surgery and a dense, crime-driven plot.

Scrubs

The pilot of Scrubs introduced a style of humor new to the medical genre, balancing heartfelt stories with slapstick comedy and surreal daydreams.

ER (1994)

In the mid-90s, the definitive hospital drama ER rushed onto primetime television with a barrage of life-or-death situations and a memorable ensemble cast.

St. Elsewhere

Like its namesake hospital, the 80s drama St. Elsewhere was modest and full of talent. The pilot episode introduced an ensemble cast and an intricate story structure that laid the foundation for the medical genre as we know it today.

M*A*S*H

We've got some new prescriptions for TV pilots, all belonging to the medical genre! To kick things off, we're going back to the 70's for the premiere of M*A*S*H which expanded the potential of television storytelling throughout its eleven-season run.

Girls

For the final HBO pilot we're discussing (for now), we're returning to New York City for the first episode of Girls which captured the millennial experience of young adulthood in the 2010s.

Game of Thrones

When you play the game of TV pilots, you're either greenlit or you get canceled. There is no middle ground. In 2011, HBO premiered Game of Thrones which reigned as the biggest television event of its time.

Boardwalk Empire

The strength of HBO's programming drew Martin Scorcese to direct the first episode of Boardwalk Empire, one of the most expensive but also award-winning pilots in TV history.

Eastbound & Down

The pilot of Eastbound & Down began a partnership with HBO that allowed Danny McBride to showcase and evolve his crass style of comedic storytelling.

Big Love

Continuing our series on HBO pilots, we come to the domestic drama Big Love which examines the complexities of a polygamist family torn between religious fundamentalism and modern suburbia.