Pilots can be the best episodes of a series, and set in stone the characterization and basic plot line for a show. There are so many great pilots, and here are just a few from over the 60 years of TV there is!

1. "Friday Night Lights."

Anyone who has looked through my Odyssey page knows how much I love FNL, so it's no surprise I have this football pilot on here -- but it deserves to be. It's heart-wrenching and heartwarming. Within the 45 minutes, the viewer is introduced to so many things -- good and bad -- that take place in the fictional world of Dillion, Tex.

2. "That '70s Show."

Wilmer Valderamma is quoted to have said by the end of the pilot episode, viewers would know who the characters are, and it's pretty much true. Besides feeling chummy with the characters after 30 minutes, the nostalgic feel of the '70s made this one of the best TV pilots.

3. "The OC."

I'm watching "The OC" right now, currently in the dreaded season three, and really missing the vibe that season one gave off. By the time Mischa Barton left, the show had taken a much lighter turn than the pilot gave off. What would things be like if Summer was doing cocaine before the fashion show like the original script planned?

4. "Breaking Bad."

"Breaking Bad" is probably one of the best shows of our generation. The majority of people have seen the show, and it's all credited to the pilot. Many say the first season was BrBa's weakest, but the episode got people hooked enough to last five seasons and have 10.3 million viewers during the series finale.

5. "Downton Abbey."

Within the first five minutes of "Downton Abbey," I was hooked. Period dramas may not be everyone's thing, but this show was good -- and it caught the attention of a huge American audience from the pilot despite being a BBC production.

6. "Freaks and Geeks."

What would a list like this be without "Freaks and Geeks" on it? This show was so influential and I don't think anyone knew it at the time it was airing. According to the show's creators, the pilot was a huge hit. Despite being cancelled after one season, the show has become a cult classic.

7. "Dawson's Creek."

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love my teen dramas. Where would those shows be without "Dawson's Creek?" There would be no "Gilmore Girls," "One Tree Hill," "Gossip Girl," "Pretty Little Liars," etc. -- classic TV shows of today without this pilot that started the teen drama genre. However, if someone brought this script forward today, it would probably be ripped to shreds, but it did its job in 1998.

8. "How to Get Away With Murder."

To be honest, "How to Get Away With Murder" is probably the example of a perfect pilot. A viewer just needs to watch one episode to be hooked on the show -- it's that's good.

9. "Pretty Little Liars."

It may be surprising to see PLL on this considering the hot mess it's turned into recently, but that's why I decided to put it on here. Pilots show the potential shows have, and the "Pretty Little Liars" pilot and ensuing first few seasons were really good.

10. "Shameless."

"Shameless" was the first show I truly binge watched, and by the time the first episode was over, I loved the show, the characters, the setting, even the opening. I knew this would be a show I would love for a long time. Like "Pretty Little Liars," I may not like where the show is now, but I can go back to that first episode and meet the Gallaghers for the first time and it's all good again.