fleggett

You guys don't talk about 'em much here, right? I ask because I'm a teensy little bit surprised no one has discussed the Wonder Woman discarded pilot, which is "available" in the wild. I saw it a few nights ago and it was pretty bad, but I have to give credit that the traditional outfit was used during the assault on Veronica Cale's infirmary (IOW, no pants, red boots, bare thighs - yowza). There are also a few of the classic designs on display during the board meeting, including a huge Alex Ross painting in the background.

It's too bad Hollywood just doesn't seem to get it regarding these superhero series. Does anyone even remember Smallville at this point? I think Birds of Prey was truer to the source material (Dina Meyer was stunning in the Batgirl costume).

The Valeyard

I've tried watching the Wonder Woman pilot twice and can't make it past 5 minutes. It's painfully bad.

The Cow

It was mentioned in a thread here somewhere, that's when I went to find it.

I haven't made it past the scene with the 'action figure' meeting yet. Horrible.

DJariya

Are you just talking about just the Wonder Woman Pilot or other Unaired Pilots in general?

Tons of Pilots are shot every season. There really is no way to see them unless your a member of the focus group that gets called to watch them or someone steals it and uploads it to the internet like Wonder Woman.

PopcornTreeCt

I remember Smallville.

fleggett

To DJariya, a little of both. The Wonder Woman leak is what primarily spurred my post, but it could be extended to pilots like Lost in Space, The Time Tunnel, and Ultraviolet.

Regarding WW specifically, it's bad, but it's not so bad as to be completely unwatchable (not that it doesn't try). It's too bad they went for Diana "Bad Girl" Prince instead of the Amazon we all know, love, and leer at in the comics. Her attitude was just...ptooiee!

I have a soft spot for Cary Elwes, though (ever since Lady Jane). And the actress that played Etta was trying. Elizabeth Hurley was at her usual, charming level of scene chewing.

And they did at least try with the costume at the end (it certainly kept my attention).

I think that's where my defense of this pilot ends, though. I just hope mistakes like this doesn't set the entire TV-based superhero genre back five years (or more).

MrSmearkase

Me too

DJariya

One Pilot that I am glad never made it to series was L.A. Confidential which starred Kiefer Sutherland. It was developed for HBO and then went to FOX. In case you didn't know, you can watch it on the L.A. Confidential Special Edition DVD. I couldn't imagine watching 24 without Kiefer and with Richard Burgi as Jack Bauer (he was the original choice for the role until Kiefer took the job)

Superboy

If you want to see a painful superhero pilot, watch the Justice League pilot from the 90s. It's incredibly bad.

fleggett

Yeah, yeah, so do I (regarding Smallville). However, in my memory, whatever appeal it had is fading fast (Erica Durance in her opening credit bikini shot notwithstanding). I could be wrong, but I doubt it'll be remembered fondly amongst Superman fans (much like Superman Returns).

(And they DID make Jor-El into an immortal douche with an awesome voice.)

fleggett

I saw that L.A. Confidential pilot, as I have the disc. Definitely bad, but more in a ragingly mediocre sort of way. I recall the set design being bare bones and no one seemed to have a clue as to what they were doing (or suppose to do). It was also very...staccato and not organic at all.

Oh, man, David Ogden Stiers as the Martian Manhunter. Whoda guessed! You think actors have nightmares about these roles or is it just all in a day's work?

Matthew Chmiel

I've always wanted to check out the pilot to The Boys and Girls Guide to Getting Down that was made for Comedy Central that was actually done by the people involved with the movie.

writer106

I remember a couple of years back the unaired pilot Still Life which was shoot for FOX was uploaded on YouTube. It wasn't really a bad pilot and the show might have been ok.

Nick Martin

Anyone here ever see the unaired "Buffy" pilot with the plus-sized Willow, exaggerated (more so) vampire faces, Stephen Toblowsky as the school principal and a lack of Angel? In cases like that the reason it remained "unaired" is all too easy to understand

TheKing

I've seen a few unaired pilots over the years, mostly due to their inclusion on DVDs. Black Bart, a pilot based on Blazing Saddles, wasn't very good. Revenge Of The Nerds was wretched.

The most interesting one I've ever seen is the unaired pilot for Life On Mars. David E. Kelley was behind the first version of the show for ABC, and the setting was in L.A. instead of New York. The cast was completely different other than Jason O'Mara. It would have interesting to see where this version of the show would have went as opposed to the show we ended up getting.

Other than that, most unaired pilots are unaired for a reason: they sucked harder than the crap that actually made the air!

TheKing

Still Life actually made it past the pilot stage. I believe 6 episodes were made, but FOX chose not to air them.

rfduncan

Oh yeah, no love for Aquaman? Talk about a bad idea!

The show was on for TEN YEARS. It will likely be remembered much like The X-Files. Lois & Clark only lasted 4. The Adventures of Superman only lasted 6.

What was a "successful" superhero show? Batman lasted five seasons. Wonder Woman only lasted 3. The Flash? One. The Amazing Spider-Man? One and a half. Captain America? Not even one whole season. I think The Incredible Hulk was the only on for 5.

movieguru

What Captain America tv series? I know they had some tv movies in the late 70's but haven't heard of any other series.

barelypure

Would an unaired pilot be someone who never got off the ground?

MrSmearkase

There were 2 TV movies in the late 70s that were intended as pilots, but it never made it past those TV movies.

Match

The It Crowd
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Red Dwarf USA
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Original Desmond

Id love to find the footballer wives us version unaired pilot

KaBluie

Two that I liked:
Heat Vision & Jack (1999)
Nikki & Nora (2004)

Ones that weren't great but I didn't hate them (and they still might have turned into good shows):
Red Dwarf (1992)
ElectroWoman & DynaGirl (2001)
Aquaman (2006)


Two that I'd like to see:

Snavely (1978) (1st US version of Fawlty Towers)
Harvey Korman ... Henry Snavely
Betty White ... Gladys Snavely
Deborah Zon ... Connie
Frank LaLoggia ... Petro

Beanes Of Boston (1979) (US version of Are You Being Served?)
John Hillerman ... John Peacock
Charlotte Rae ... Mae Slocombe
Alan Sues ... George Humphries
Lorna Patterson ... Shirley Brahms

PopcornTreeCt

An HBO produced cop saga based in 1950's Los Angeles would make me smile.

MrSmearkase

I would be curious to see the Clerks pilot with Jim Bruer as Randall.