Many great TV shows started with a weak episode, from The Big Bang Theory to BoJack Horseman . A great pilot is often pivotal to a TV show’s success. Although many shows abandon their original premises and end up stronger as a result, the series still has to grip viewers in its first outing.

Or, at least, that is what traditional wisdom tells viewers. In reality, a lot of classic TV shows started out with notably weak pilot episodes, and only improved as they progressed. For every show like Lost or Twin Peaks , which are famous for their incredible pilot episodes, there are shows like Community and Schitt’s Creek .

These may have gone on to become major cult hits, but, when their pilots first aired, the sitcoms both seemed like run-of-the-mill, and arguably even

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