Fantasy TV pilots must convey a lot of information in a relatively short amount of time, and shows that nail their openings do this while simultaneously investing viewers in the story. Many TV shows in the genre are set in completely different worlds, which means they need to explain at least some of the “rules” to get viewers interested. And even urban fantasy needs to set the stage for the extraordinary elements.
The best TV pilot episodes of all time provide enough detail to intrigue viewers, while focusing on a few characters they can get attached to. Fantasy TV shows can be complex, but if there is enough excitement and great writing, the first episode can get away with being a little mysterious. That said, another great strategy is ending the pilot episode with a major plot twist.
All the best fantasy pilots utilize some combination of these strategies, setting their series up for success. Without their great openings, there’s no telling where these shows would be.
The Good Place
Title: “Everything Is Fine”
The Good Place is a genre-defying show with supernatural and fantasy elements. The pilot begins with Eleanor Shellstrop waking up in a waiting room and calmly being told that she has died but has gone titular version of heaven. This moment is played for kicks, but it sets up the fascinating ethical dilemma at the core of season 1.
Eleanor is not a good person, but she wants to be, and she is paired with the one person who could help her. This sets up The Good Place as a show that will hook viewers from beginning to end. Eleanor and Chidi’s situation is fascinating enough on its own, but the pilot keeps us engaged by showing that The Good Place is not all it seems.
Arcane
Title: “Welcome To The Playground”
Given the show’s quality, it’s not surprising that Arcane won the Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program for both its seasons. The visual effects are stunning, and the pilot episode is not just beautiful; it’s genuinely intriguing. The pilot throws a lot at viewers, opening with a tragedy and then digging into the vast inequality between Piltover and Zaun.
Arcane had a very hard task, appealing to both fantasy lovers and fans of the League of Legends games that the show is based on. That said, Arcane is a perfect series from start to finish. From the jump, it’s set to a great soundtrack and nails the relationship between Vi and Powder. The pilot also expertly hints at the threats on the horizon.
The Umbrella Academy
Title: “We Only See Each Other At Weddings And Funerals”
The Umbrella Academy has one of the best soundtracks of any TV show, and the pilot episode uses this to great effect, with a fight montage that sums up each main character in seconds. The show has a quirky sense of humor that is not always present in other fantasy TV shows. This sets The Umbrella Academy apart from the pilot onward.
The Umbrella Academy‘s pilot episode foreshadowed major plot points while condensing years of character development and estrangement across seven people. It manages this without feeling rushed, and these excellent dynamics prove enough to hook viewers. Of course, the show also throws in a great wildcard when Number Five returns to warn his family about the impending apocalypse.
The Witcher
Title: “The End’s Beginning”
The Witcher is an action-focused fantasy show that throws its audience right in, with Geralt of Rivia immediately doing battle with the Kikimora, which still ranks as one of the best TV show monsters of all time. The Witcher was one of the most-anticipated fantasy shows of all time, and Henry Cavill’s performance in the pilot showed that his casting was spot-on.
Within just 10 minutes, The Witcher establishes that the job of a Witcher is dirty and difficult, as well as thankless. This sets up the world and the lives of the main characters Geralt and Ciri. The show could easily have introduced itself as swords and sorcery without much substance. However, The Witcher avoids this by introducing intrigue and the question of destiny.
Stranger Things
Title: “Chapter One: The Vanishing Of Will Byers”
Stranger Things is one of the best fantasy TV shows of all time, and it’s also one of the most ambitious. The show’s premiere is much less complex than the later seasons, but this is a great decision, as it draws viewers with the simple premise of a missing person’s narrative. It also allows us to know and love the characters before things get stranger.
The pilot episode of Stranger Things is absolutely perfect in the way it sets the scene, bringing us to the 1980s through references, music, and fashion styles. The influence of classic 1980s horror and the works of Stephen King are seen throughout the show, and this gives us a glimpse of virtually every theme that is to come, while introducing the fantastic core friendship group.
Good Omens
Title: “In The Beginning”
Good Omens is hilarious and carried by the performances of David Tennant and Michael Sheen as the iconic pair of Crowley and Aziraphale. The demon and angel have grown fond of life on earth, and when the apocalypse looks set to happen, the two aren’t certain they want the world to end after all. And that’s before misplacing the Antichrist.
The pilot episode sets Crowley and Aziraphale up as a wonderfully odd couple, and it’s the ideal beginning for a show that delivers perfectly from start to finish. The first episode of Good Omens combines the couple’s down-to-earth bickering and attempts to influence humankind with immense cosmic stakes, setting the show up as a must-watch fantasy comedy.
Supernatural
Title: “Pilot”
Supernatural‘s pilot episode has a twist that immediately grabbed us. While the show transformed from a more typical “monster-of-the-week” format into a 15-season fantasy epic, its first installment still holds up well. It opens with brothers Sam and Dean Winchester setting out to find their father, years after a yellow-eyed demon killed their mother and Sam got out of the hunting business.
When Sam returns home from their trip, he finds his girlfriend has met the same hideous fate as his mother. The graphic scene is both powerful and acts as a catalyst for the events to come. The relationship between Sam and Dean is the emotional heart of the show, and the first episode allows us to both learn about and root for them.
Game Of Thrones
Title: “Winter Is Coming”
Game of Thrones changed television by showing what could be done with ambition and an enormous budget. That said, plenty of high-budget shows are more style than substance, and Game of Thrones avoids being one of them with one of the most iconic opening scenes in fantasy.
The episode “Winter Is Coming” introduces the terrifying threat posed by the White Walkers. This is a genius way to set up the looming battle by showing the monsters the characters would eventually be fighting. The fantastic writing sums up most of the main characters within a single scene, and while a lot happens, Game of Thrones is easy to follow and get invested in.
The OA
Title: “Chapter One: Pilot”
When Prairie Johnson, a blind girl who has been missing for seven years, returns home with her sight, calling herself The Original Angel, it sets up the incredibly ambitious sci-fi fantasy The OA. The pilot is instantly intriguing because of its mysterious premise. The OA ends up going virtually everywhere, and the first episode lays the groundwork for its later twists and turns.
The OA is set to be a fantasy masterpiece after the first 10 minutes. The first episode establishes that some of Prairie’s story is true, while other parts could be interpreted differently — but her speech reveals that something incredible happened to her. By the first cliffhanger, we are invested in every plot point and main character.
Lost
Title: “Pilot”
Lost‘s pilot episode is arguably one of the best fantasy TV show episodes of all time. The two-part installment is a masterclass in virtually every aspect of creating a TV show, feautring great writing, character development, and world-building. Getting viewers invested in such a huge cast is a daunting task, but Lost accomplishes it through flashbacks and current timelines.
Lost might have lost its way eventually, but the gripping first episode sets up a twisty narrative that inspired fan theories for years. The show sometimes defied classification, with fantasy, drama, and supernatural elements all fueling its story. The pilot episode reflects this with hints about the mysteries on the island without revealing the answer to any of them.
