"Pilot" constitutes the first and second episodes of the first season of Lost, that premiered on September 22, 2004 (Part 1) and September 29, 2004 (Part 2) at ABC . The episodes were directed by J.J. Abrams, and written by Abrams along with Damon Lindelof, based on story by them and Jeffrey Lieber. The pilot introduces the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815, who suffer a plane crash and end up on a mysterious island. Three of the characters, Jack Shephard, Kate Austen and Charlie Pace, are featured in the two episodes' flashbacks, which are widely used in the series to provide the backstory.

This episode was the most expensive pilot in television history, primarily due to the expense of purchasing, shipping, and dressing the actual decommissioned aircraft body used to represent the wreckage. It cost between $10 and $14 million. Both parts of the pilot earned high ratings, and the episode would later win many awards.