20 TV Show Pilots That Are Totally Flawless
11. Days Gone By - The Walking Dead
Adapting Robert Kirkman's spotless comic series to the small screen was always going to be a difficult task, but filmmaker Frank Darabont made it look easy when he directed Days Gone Bye back in 2010. Not only did it set of the stage for the next ten seasons (and its various spin-offs), but it's still one of the show's best episodes.
The story is simple, following Rick Grimes as he wakes from a coma to find that the world has ended and the dead have risen. Desperately searching for his family, he's forced to adapt to a life he could never have foreseen, whilst attempting to stay away from the dangers of the undead in his path.
Opening with the shocking death of a zombified child and highlighting the horrors of the new world with gritty violence and spectacular practical effects, Days Gone Bye sports two formidable performances courtesy of Andrew Lincoln and Lennie James, and begins Rick's journey without fault.