10 Best TV Pilots Ever

10. Gilmore Girls - Pilot

Gilmore Girls Pilot
The WB

Few fictional settings have arrived as fully-formed as Stars Hollow, the small town full of big personalities that lies at the heart of Gilmore Girls.

A lot of TV shows turn into pop-culture comfort blankets over time, but Gilmore Girls might be the only one that serves as such from the word go: with rapid-fire dialogue laced with numerous references, a brilliant mother-daughter dynamic, a tease of Luke and Lorelai's potential romance, the blossoming of Rory and Dean's romance, quirky characters who instantaneously feel lived-in, and more coffee than is possibly healthy, the pilot gives us a taste of just about everything we'd come to love about the show.

Most importantly, though, it establishes the conflict between Lorelai and her parents, bringing in themes regarding money, class, and independence that would serve as such a key part in making this show much more than the one where everyone talks too fast.

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Contributor
Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.