20 TV Show Pilots That Are Totally Flawless

20. Truth Be Told - Alias

Created by filmmaker J. J. Abrams, Alias was a show that thrived on fast-paced and action-heavy storylines, and loved to end on a maddening cliffhanger. These traits are clear for the get-go, when the show's first episode introduces Jennifer Garner's CIA agent Sydney Bristow and throws her head-first into a deadly conspiracy.

Truth Be Told holds nothing back. It introduces Sydney as a tough spy with a big heart, and then spends the next hour systematically breaking it and turning her life upside down. She loses her boyfriend, is confronted by her estranged father, and learns her employers the SD-6 are actually a terror cell.

Soaring with Garner's star-making performance and Abrams' focussed direction, the episode promises big things to come whilst setting up countless mysteries and relationships. It's gutsy, slick, and utterly original, and serves as a reminder all these years later of just how great Alias was during its run.