Happy Friday Geeklings! Since we have TONS of fall tv, both new and returning starting up next week, we decided to take a mo-mo and come up with our fave pilots for this week’s Fave Five Friday.

Keep in mind, we are only talking about pilots here. Some shows have great pilots and then end up being horrible, and then others have not so great pilots, but go on to be awesome shows. So here they are, in no particular order, Click below to check it out:

Fave Five Friday’s Pilots

EM

1) Arrow “Pilot” (CW, 2012-)

Ok, to be fair I may have been predisposed to love this show. I mean a superhero show, starring Stephen Amell, who let’s be honest is pretty easy on the eyes, what’s not to like? But over all the show’s pilot was really strong full of just the right amount of action and mystery to keep me wanting more. And the reveal at the end?

2) The River “Magus” (ABC, 2012)

I always thought The River got a bum rap. The series ran for only  8 episodes and was one of the creepiest things I’ve seen on tv. Seriously, if you haven’t seen this show, you should, just don’t watch it late at night…trust me. “Magus” was just the right amount of sinister to get you invested and creeped out. Bonus: the show starred Paul Blackthorne aka Det. Quentin Lance, 2012 was a big year for Mr. Blackthorne.

3) Psych “Pilot” (USA, 2006-2014)

There is a reason Psych was one of USA’s longest running shows, it was good wacky fun right from the start. It’s clear from the very first episode that this is a show that doesn’t take itself too seriously. I’m a sucker for witty fast-paced dialogue and James Roday is both hysterical and utterly charming as Shawn Spencer.

4) Awkward “Pilot” (MTV, 2011-)

This is a perfect example of a wonderful pilot, of a show that ended up awful. I was OBSESSED with this show it’s first season. The pilot was fun and quirky, yet some how even with it’s slightly ridiculous pretense, can still be really relatable. And, Brett Davern’s Jake Rosati is the perfect High School Dreamboat. [Please Note: Brett Davern is of legal age so crushing on him is not as creepy as it seems]

5) Sherlock “A Study in Pink” (2010-)

I have often said, “Brits do it better…”, this is a prime example of British Awesomeness. A brilliant cast starring, the then pretty much unknown, Benedict Cumberbatch, and the creative brilliance of Steven Moffat & Mark Gatiss, it would be hard to go wrong. The modernization of classic tales made them easily accessible to a wider audience. Plus “A Study in Pink” lead to this Brilliant gif.

Cate

1) Downton Abbey “Episode #1.1” (BBC, 2010-)

Possibly the greatest pilot I have ever watched. This pilot kept me watching this show and sucked me in ten minutes in. There was no awkward ‘we’re just trying to pitch to a network, so this is jumbled information’. It was perfect and fanatic-inducing. Bravo, BBC.

2) Castle “Flowers For Your Grave” (ABC, 2009-)

Yea, okay. Watching this pilot now, 6 seasons and an epic love story later, it is laughable. But laughable in a fabulous way. Beckett was a redhead, Castle was a scruff-faced lothario and the precinct was actually two different precincts! This is also the only episode of the show (half of it, really) that was filmed in NYC. It is amazing how far this show and the have come in 6 seasons.

3) Firefly “Serenity” (FOX, 2002-2003)

So, when The Almighty Fox originally aired Firefly, they chose not to air the two-hour pilot, but to make the first episode viewers got to see ‘Train Job’ … Mm, yea. Bonehead move. This pilot shows us who our crew of misfits were before we knew them. It answers a lot of questions about these people who make us understand why they do what they do. How do you learn to love characters you aren’t introduced to? Exactly.

4) The X Files “Pilot” (FOX, 1993-2002)

Guys, this pilot. Oh, this pilot. Scully was a brunette, Mulder was baby-faced and Cigarette Smoking Man was just an extra. This is pure 1993 at its finest. I love this pilot for so many reasons, but mostly because it is the beginning of something iconic.

5) The Fall “Dark Decent”  (BBC, 2013-)

You all have heard me talk about this show. The pilot starts out very slow. We slowly meet Stella Gibson, Our serial killer, Peter and his first victim. We get to know her, like her, what her hopes are. And then we watch him kill her. This show portrays women in such a different light than any crime drama I have ever watched. Our lead character is in charge of more than just the police station, she is in charge of her femininity, her sexuality and she isn’t ashamed or afraid of it. She very obviously holds all the power and what a thing that is.