Someone who has never watched TV; what one episode do you tell them to watch?

FunLover18

So ... "if you could only show someone one episode of television to convince them to watch the medium, which one would it be and why?‎"

I saw this on another forum and wanted to know what the boardsies thought.

I think my immediate response would be 'Remedial Chaos Theory' from Community. It's just such an amazing piece of writing that has everything. The unique structure which explores the group's characters and dynamics means that it also works as an introductory piece. Not to mention that it's hilarious. It was mind blowing to me who has watched TV my whole life, so I'd love to see how someone who'd never seen TV would react.

ziedth

It's a good question but the rescue from New Caprica in BSG although hard to follow out on context is an amazing episode of TV.

I'm sure there is a game of thrones episode too that has it all but one just isn't jumping out at me over the others.

Dirty Dingus McGee

The Ski Lodge Episode in Frasier.

PirateShampoo

In the Pale Moonlight. Star Trek DS9.

Brilliant episode, It's a faaaaakkkkeeeeeee.

FunLover18

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

The Ski Lodge Episode in Frasier.

Funnily enough the person who started this thread on the other forum I stole this from made the exact same suggestion .... It wasn't you, was it?

Heisenberg1

Only fools and Horses a Touch of Glass.

Adamantium

ziedth wrote: »

It's a good question but the rescue from New Caprica in BSG although hard to follow out on context is an amazing episode of TV.

I'm sure there is a game of thrones episode too that has it all but one just isn't jumping out at me over the others.

Baelor Ep9. Season 1, Game of Thrones (Directed by Adam Taylor, Thor 2 and the upcoming Terminator Reboot/sequel) There obviously a massive spoiler in it. It is by far the best episode of that series. Season 1 was as tight as hell to the book.

The pilot episode of Friday Night Lights

Lovely Bloke

Pine Barrens

CountyHurler

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

The Ski Lodge Episode in Frasier.

No way.... The Radio Ham or Blaz-Y-Boy....

Or that first episode with the Borg on Star Trek: The Next Generation.... "Q Who" it's called I think..

Also, if I knew someone who never watched TV but was just about to start I would tell them not to as their life would be far more productive..

Pacing Mule

Two Cathedrals - The West Wing

The ending is possibly the best 5 min of tv ever produced. Doesn't seem to be on you tube so I couldn't embed it.

But here it is.

Small bit of context for anyone who hasn't seen the full episode. Some of it spoilered just in case

The president has been engulfed in a bit of a scandal about non disclosure of an illness. He is on his way to an organised press conference where they have lined up an easy question from a planted journalist to allow him answer a question he is prepared for. What everyone wants to know though is will he run again (for re-election).
Earlier in the episode

his secretary and life long mother figure was killed in a car accident

. A series of flash backs show his interaction with her and how well she knows him. Reading signs like him putting his hands in his pockets when he has made a decision about something.
The episode charts his grief and turmoil both at her loss and the scandal, a visit to a cathedral where he rants in latin against God, throwing a cigarette butt to the floor in defiance. The clip kicks off as he prepares to leave the White House. I've yet to come across a better piece of drama matched to music - in this case Dire Straits Brothers In Arms.
As Leo says Watch This

Se1251an

Paddys pub- Home of the original kitten mittens. It's always sunny

titan18

Probably, Marge vs the Monorai (monoroil episode)l, Last Exit to Springfield(Lisa needs braces) or You Only Move Twice (the Hank Scorpio episode) of The Simpsons.

Hard to recommend something in a show where there'd be spoilers, so something like The Simpsons would be perfect

Agent Coulson

Jaynestown from Firefly.

Alfred Borden

"College", the fifth episode in the Sopranos. Epic from start to finish!

orangesoda

hard to choose but it would have to be Only Fools & Horses, maybe the Mother Nature's Son episode

Washington Irving

Pilot of Twin Peaks.

evilivor

Civilisation: A Personal View by Kenneth Clark.

Episode One: The Skin of Our Teeth.

nkay1985

I think it would have to be a pilot as they are, by their nature, for someone who hasn't seen the show before. From there, it's tough to make a decision but maybe The Sopranos. Raf32's suggestion of "college", the fifth episode, is very good though and early enough in the show that someone could view it without knowing the series.

Adamantium

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Jaynestown from Firefly.

Amazing choice

I can't remember the name of the episode were Simon is

told Kaylee is dead (after been partly responsible for it) in surgery and rushed down the stares and then he finds her waving to him
,

it jump cuts to the rest of the crew in the cockpit laughing their asses off at the expense of him

One of the few genuine LOL's/you bastards moments on TV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eqnu1N8bu8

begins at 1:40

God that show was so much fun . It had its cake and ate it.

Manach

Pilot episode of the West Wing.

ScummyMan

Pine Barrens in The Sopranos. Simply brilliant.

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

The Ski Lodge Episode in Frasier.

Pacing Mule wrote: »

Two Cathedrals - The West Wing

Oddly enough these were the first two that popped into my head before I even opened the thread.

Ultimately though it's gotta be Fawlty Towers: "The Germans" - it's timeless...

spurious

Any one of David Attenborough's programmes.

miss no stars

An episode of Sherlock... Either the first one (A Study in Pink) or A Scandal in Belgravia.

shamrock55

Only fools , the handgliding one "is that a phone i hear rodney "

pickarooney

Macgyver pilot.

ziedth

PirateShampoo wrote: »

In the Pale Moonlight. Star Trek DS9.

Brilliant episode, It's a faaaaakkkkeeeeeee.

That is a brilliant shout. I loved DS9 And I remember watching the end of that episode thinking that he was going to come clean and go down the classic star trek route. the exchange between Sisko and Garrick was great too.

The episode of Scrubs where Brendan Frasier

Dies and it doesn't reveal it till the end at his funeral

really broke my heart at the time. It was just a brilliant reveal and had the classic mix of comedy and tragedy that Scrubs did so well when it was good.

percy212

Joseph Campbell. The power of myth. Watch TV and blow your mind.

ricero

probably the first episode of the walking dead which imo is the best opener ever to a television series

Dirty Dingus McGee

FunLover18 wrote: »

Funnily enough the person who started this thread on the other forum I stole this from made the exact same suggestion .... It wasn't you, was it?

No but that guy has great taste, its just pure genius from start to finish and there is probably a good joke every 30 seconds in that episode.

I'd also add The Matchmaker which is in season 2 which is probably my second favorite episode and the episode with Patrick Stewart in the final season was genius as well. Ham Radio from season 4 was another classic as was the episode in the first season called " A Mid Winter Nights dream" which features the greatest double entendre of all time.

Personally I always get the feeling Frasier was never fully appreciated by the viewing public very few people I talk to were fans of the show and it's viewership when it was on TV wasn't spectacular either.

Dirty Dingus McGee

CountyHurler wrote: »

No way.... The Radio Ham or Blaz-Y-Boy....

Or that first episode with the Borg on Star Trek: The Next Generation.... "Q Who" it's called I think..

Also, if I knew someone who never watched TV but was just about to start I would tell them not to as their life would be far more productive..

Bla Z Boy is an excellent episode although it does come in one of the 3 weakest seasons of the show.