Best TV pilots never picked up to series?

ForgeForsaken · Feb 11, 2019

There have been some great pilots that for various reasons never got picked up. I was recently thinking about Korgoth of Barbaria and I am still disappointed that it never got a full run. I think maybe it was a bit ahead of its time looking at some of the shows that became big later. What are some that you personally wished went to full series but didn't?

Korgoth pilot.

Deleted member 13328 · Feb 11, 2019

I read the title and immediately thought of Korgoth, I've watched that episode so many times.

RedHoodedOwl · Feb 11, 2019

Welcome to Eltingville
Party Wagon

whatsinaname · Feb 11, 2019

I enjoyed the Global Frequency pilot. Still holding onto hope that we will get a series someday.

Tunesmith · Feb 11, 2019

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_After

I randomly think of this pilot ever so often. Really enjoyed it when Amazon had it up.

LL_Decitrig · Feb 11, 2019

I'll always wonder what would have happened if the 1996 Doctor Who film, intended as a backdoor pilot, had attracted enough interest to be picked up as a series.

BLEEN · Feb 11, 2019

Korgoth is amazing lol

PSqueak · Feb 11, 2019

ForgeForsaken said:
There have been some great pilots that for various reasons never got picked up. I was recently thinking about Korgoth of Barbaria and I am still disappointed that it never got a full run. I think maybe it was a bit ahead of its time looking at some of the shows that became big later. What are some that you personally wished went to full series but didn't?

Korgoth pilot.

RedHoodedOwl said:
Welcome to Eltingville
Party Wagon

All of these plus "Heat Vision and Jack".

Sonicbug · Feb 11, 2019

White Dwarf. Crazy science-fantasy show pilot that wasn't picked up, aired as a TV movie on Fox. Critics panned it, I thought it was cool as shit.

Wag · Feb 11, 2019

http://www.cancelledscifi.com/sci-fi-tv-shows/parallels/

PaulloDEC · Feb 11, 2019

LL_Decitrig said:
I'll always wonder what would have happened if the 1996 Doctor Who film, intended as a backdoor pilot, had attracted enough interest to be picked up as a series.

I'm still waiting for Big Finish to do that series with McGann, Ashbrook and Tso. It's the closest we're ever going to get now.

Syriel · Feb 11, 2019

LL_Decitrig said:
I'll always wonder what would have happened if the 1996 Doctor Who film, intended as a backdoor pilot, had attracted enough interest to be picked up as a series.

Wag said:
http://www.cancelledscifi.com/sci-fi-tv-shows/parallels/

Both of these immediately came to mind. Doctor Who needs no explanation.

Parallels had a lot of OG Sliders (before the weirdness from the network switch/recast) vibes and a conspiracy plot to go with it. Would have liked to see where they went with it.

Strike · Feb 11, 2019

OP already got the best answer.

kris. · Feb 11, 2019

Hahaha, first thing that popped into my head was Korgoth.

Alric · Feb 11, 2019

ForgeForsaken said:
There have been some great pilots that for various reasons never got picked up. I was recently thinking about Korgoth of Barbaria and I am still disappointed that it never got a full run. I think maybe it was a bit ahead of its time looking at some of the shows that became big later. What are some that you personally wished went to full series but didn't?

Korgoth pilot.

Hjod said:
I read the title and immediately thought of Korgoth, I've watched that episode so many times.

Same, first thing that came to mind. Watched the pilot so many times. What a waste.

Wag · Feb 11, 2019

Syriel said:
Both of these immediately came to mind. Doctor Who needs no explanation.

Parallels had a lot of OG Sliders (before the weirdness from the network switch/recast) vibes and a conspiracy plot to go with it. Would have liked to see where they went with it.

https://deadline.com/2016/11/neil-g...k-the-building-series-development-1201854827/

Apparently they are revising Parallels and the new series is in development as The Building.

Xe4 · Feb 11, 2019

Well since you already though of Korgoth, I'll add The Amazing Screw on Head. Based on the comic by Mike Magnolia, the same guy who did Hellboy

Syriel · Feb 11, 2019

Wag said:
https://deadline.com/2016/11/neil-g...k-the-building-series-development-1201854827/

Apparently they are revising Parallels and the new series is in development as The Building.

This pleases me.

Comrade Crunch · Feb 11, 2019

Residue was interesting, while it wasnt exactly a pilot, since it was three episodes, but it was envisioned as a miniseries meant to launch and actual series. Seems like Netflix passed on it.

gagewood · Feb 11, 2019

Definitely Heat Vision and Jack. It was a great blend of slapstick and sci-fi that could have had 2-3 strong seasons when Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson were breaking through into the mainstream.

GestaltGaz · Feb 11, 2019

PSqueak said:
All of these plus "Heat Vision and Jack".

gagewood said:
Definitely Heat Vision and Jack. It was a great blend of slapstick and sci-fi that could have had 2-3 strong seasons when Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson were breaking through into the mainstream.

I know eveeeerryyyythhhinnggggg!!!

Manmademan · Feb 11, 2019

The US version of "The IT crowd" with joel mchale as Roy.

Pryde of the Xmen that SHOULD have been the first ongoing xmen animated series, with the wolverine who had a bizarro australian accent

BringBackSonics · Feb 11, 2019

I liked Oasis, from Amazon. Not sure why they did not make it, it was highly rated.

Starred Richard Madden and haley Joel osment

Luckett_X · Feb 11, 2019

Xe4 said:
Well since you already though of Korgoth, I'll add The Amazing Screw on Head. Based on the comic by Mike Magnolia, the same guy who did Hellboy

Came to post this. Boggling really as it remains one of the funniest cartoon pilots ever created.

Taki · Feb 11, 2019

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtuality_(film)

StrangeRoboMemory · Feb 11, 2019

Anybody ever watch this made-for-TV sci-fi movie that was supposed to go to series? It was actually dope but there's like zero info on the net about it.

Platy · Feb 12, 2019

Luckett_X said:
Came to post this. Boggling really as it remains one of the funniest cartoon pilots ever created.

It does not sound like a cheap tv show ... so maybe budget was the problem

schwifty · Feb 12, 2019

Taki said:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtuality_(film)

Damn that looks pretty good. This thread is a bummer.

ThereAre4Lights · Feb 12, 2019

Red Faction: Origins was cheesy as hell, but at the time it was a fun watch.

Generation X - apparently they were testing the waters for a show, but it never happened.

LL_Decitrig · Feb 12, 2019

StrangeRoboMemory said:
Anybody ever watch this made-for-TV sci-fi movie that was supposed to go to series? It was actually dope but there's like zero info on the net about it.

Have you tried Wikipedia?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Dwarf_(film)

Dragon1893 · Feb 12, 2019

Not quite what you're asking, but there was a show called Alcatraz that had potential but was cancelled after 10 episodes. They had an interesting premise and were going for a Lost type of show but they dragged their feet a bit in the first few episodes which hurt the pace. It picked up in the last few episodes but I guess it was too late.

sharkkiee · Feb 12, 2019

I wouldn't say this show was the best, I didn't even know it existed till a little while ago...R.I.P Adam West

bjork · Feb 12, 2019

Clerks

just kidding

Guzim · Feb 12, 2019

sharkkiee said:
I wouldn't say this show was the best, I didn't even know it existed till a little while ago...R.I.P Adam West

Came in here to post Lookwell, and you mentioned it. Thank you.

I don't think this is the best, but I've always enjoyed watching Pryde of the X-Men.

Chiaroscuro · Feb 12, 2019

Wag said:
https://deadline.com/2016/11/neil-g...k-the-building-series-development-1201854827/

Apparently they are revising Parallels and the new series is in development as The Building.

That article is more than 2 years old, I never heard anything else after that, the project may be dead.

The original pilot was interesting, a lot of Sliders vibe (good) but some plot non-senses. I would watch it as a series.

ravn0s · Feb 12, 2019

17th Precinct

17th Precinct is a police procedural television program created by Ronald D. Moore. In a modern world where magic supplanted science, the unaired pilot featured two non-intersecting stories: the death of a city executive at the hands of a wrongful convict, and the introduction of terrorists who are devoted to the destruction of magic.

Deleted member 50454 · Feb 12, 2019

Why this never got off the ground, I'll never know:

-shadow- · Feb 12, 2019

Mulholland Drive, though it did give us the actual film in the end. So all is well!

ForgeForsaken · Feb 12, 2019

Platy said:
It does not sound like a cheap tv show ... so maybe budget was the problem

I think budget was what killed both Korgoth and Screw On Head. In Korgoth's case when they launched Adult Swim was all about fast and cheap animation like Tom Goes to the Mayor and 12oz Mouse, or live action shows. Venture Bros production schedule may have made them gunshy as well. For Screw-on I think SyFy found the idea of a cartoon too risky at the budget.

SwampBastard · Feb 12, 2019

GestaltGaz said:
I know eveeeerryyyythhhinnggggg!!!

Came to post this.

StrangeRoboMemory · Feb 12, 2019

LL_Decitrig said:
Have you tried Wikipedia?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Dwarf_(film)

Haha, yes, I misspoke -- I shouldn't have said "information", because you can read about it here and there. What I'm really looking for is something to watch -- I can't watch anything, see a trailer, etc.

Soapbox Killer · Feb 12, 2019

Guzim said:
I don't think this is the best, but I've always enjoyed watching Pryde of the X-Men.

WHAT IS THIS??????? HOW HAVE I NOT HEARD OF THIS?

Kitschy Kitty · Feb 12, 2019

Mulholland Drive

PSqueak · Feb 12, 2019

Guzim said:
Came in here to post Lookwell, and you mentioned it. Thank you.

I don't think this is the best, but I've always enjoyed watching Pryde of the X-Men.

What's fascinating about this one is, the Konami 6 players X-Men arcade game was based on this, so they had the merch machine going already, yet still was not developed into a full series.

meowdi gras · Feb 12, 2019

Mulholland Drive

THErest · Feb 12, 2019

I've always had a soft spot for Knight Rider 2000.

knight-rider-2000-knight-rider-2000-michael-knight-david-hasselhoff-D1YBPW.jpg

BWoog · Feb 12, 2019

Hjod said:
I read the title and immediately thought of Korgoth, I've watched that episode so many times.

Same here.

"HEY YOU STUPID BIRD! LOOK AT MEEE!"

Deleted member 13328 · Feb 12, 2019

BWoog said:
Same here.

"HEY YOU STUPID BIRD! LOOK AT MEEE!"

It's so good, I have no idea why it didn't get at least one season.

blinky · Feb 12, 2019

Fox Force Five.

BWoog · Feb 12, 2019

Xe4 said:
Well since you already though of Korgoth, I'll add The Amazing Screw on Head. Based on the comic by Mike Magnolia, the same guy who did Hellboy

Holy hell that cast is STACKED. Paul Giamatti, David Hyde Pierce, Mindy Sterling, Patton Oswalt and produced by Bryan Fuller??

Best TV pilots never picked up to series?

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