10 Terrible TV Pilots That Led To Otherwise Great Shows

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The pilot is probably the most important episode for any TV show. It's the make or break episode. Now I'll be honest, I have switched off after a few pilots because I found them mind numbingly dull. And some shows I have joined in midway through a season, meaning that I've gone back to watch the pilot at a later date, only to realise that it's not as good as the rest of the show. I'd say about half the shows included here are for that very reason. Some pilots are painstakingly awful, but grow into amazing TV shows. And that's what I'll look at here. For some of them though, the pilot just looks bad when compared to the rest of the show, simply because said show is of such a high quality. Mostly. Some pilots are just terrible. We'll see... these are in no particular order by the way, that way I don't seem as if I'm judging them too much.

10. How I Met Your Mother

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I know, I know. How I Met Your Mother is one of the greatest sitcoms in like, ever. It blends comedy and authentic relationships in such a clever manner. Flicking through the channels the other day, I came across a 'How I Met Your Mother' double bill. The first episode was the seventh season finale €˜The Magician€™s Code Part 2€™. The second? The pilot. A perfect opportunity to compare the two. The pilot, for the majority of it though, is a bit of a stinker. Josh Radnor, or Ted Mosby, is horrendously awkward and a large amount of his dialogue feels incredibly forced. Alyson Hannigan and Jason Segel haven€™t quite nailed their chemistry either. The scenes where they€™re alone highlight this to a painful extent. Josh Radnor plays the desperate, hopeless romantic with ease, a skill which develops over the course of the series. Radnor is at his best when he can bounce off of Colbie Smulders or Neil Patrick Harris. They all just need a bit more time to develop. As the series progresses, everything becomes a lot more natural, even the writing, and the comedy only intensifies. It becomes a lot more playful and relaxed. In this pilot episode, the comedy is not wholly natural, unless Harris or Smulders are involved. They€™re on their game, as usual.
 
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