10 Canceled TV Spinoffs That Never Made it to Air

There are a lot of new movie and TV show spinoffs these days, but some TV spinoffs still never make it to air. While the movie industry is busy with many unwanted upcoming sequels and remakes, TV executives are turning through a list of ideas for new shows, and have been for years. TV is arguably the better format for trying out new ideas, How networks and streaming services can produce a pilot before financially committing to a full series.

This is how there are many existing TV shows that never aired. In some (many) cases with a proposed spinoff show, footage from an honored pilot will be used in the main show, In the form of a flashback or episode set somewhere other than the usual place. However, fans are often still curious about failed TV pilots of popular franchises, eager to see what the spinoff might have been like and how it would have expanded the existing story.

10

Bloodmoon

Game of Thrones spinoff

Bloodmoon He was expected to be the first Game of Thrones spinach, Attracting a lot of attention with its cast including Naomi Watts, Naomi Aki, Jamie Campbell Bower, Toby Regbo, Georgie Henley, Dennis Gow, Miranda Richardson and other notable names. Bloodmoon was supposed to be about the origins of the White Walkers, set thousands of years before the events of Game of Thrones. This is cancelled Game of Thrones Spinoff could have fixed some of the franchise’s biggest flaws because of its setting.

In addition to answering a lot of questions about the Night King and setting up for Daenerys’ botched arc, Bloodmoon would have done a great service to Game of Thrones By showing a little discussed period in Westerosi history. The setting precedes the conquest of Aegon and the establishment would have made the world even deeper by recognizing the history of Westerosi that does not have to do with the Targaryen dynasty. Unfortunately, it was decided that the pilot wasn’t good enough, and the show was canceled.

9

Billy Jenkins series

Charmed spinoff

Kaley Cuoco joined the cast of Charming As a regular in his eighth and final season, and there was a reason for this strange timing. Showrunner Brad Kern explains TV line:

“[Cuoco was hired] To lighten the load, screen-time wise, of Alyssa, Holly and Rose. [They] need to give someone else a part of the work; [the] Stars are dog tired after seven years. Just as Rose was brought in after Prue died to infuse fresh energy, Callie’s character was supposed to try to bring new blood to an aging show.

This statement says a lot about the state of Charming When Cuoco came on board, set an impossible standard for her character. Billy proved to be a divisive character for Charming, Making her proposed solo spinoff an even more interesting matter.

The mixed reception to Cuoco’s character is the biggest contributor to Billy’s spinoff being abandoned. Almost nothing is known about this idea other than it would have followed Billy, presumably after the events of Charming Season 8. In theory, it made sense, like Charming was forced to introduce Billy for logistical reasons, and she didn’t have as much time for a complex character arc as the others. However, not many people are that disappointed; They would have quite seen these Charming Spinoff about the Halliwell brothers, Piper’s sons.

8

Green Arrow and the Canaries

Arrow spinoff

Season 8, Episode 9, “Green Arrow & The Canaries” serves as a backdoor pilot for the proposed Arrow spinach, Green Arrow and the Canaries. This is how many canceled TV show spinoffs began and met their end, like a one-off pilot contained within the original show. As the title says, This spinoff would have followed the all-female vigilante team seen in Arrow, Comprising Mia Queen/Green Arrow, Laurel Lance/Black Canary, and Dinah Drake/Black Canary.

Some questions about members of the group, as well as other characters in the Arrowverse, were left unanswered because of the plans for the show. However, with no news on the spinoff for some time yet Arrow Done, those who hoped Green Arrow and the Canaries Would amount to an amazing continuity became skeptical. The official cancellation announcement of Green Arrow and the Canaries come in 2021, Citing the pandemic as the main reason and suggesting that the people involved wanted to make the show (via EW).

7

Girlfriends

Friends Spinoff

Most would agree that Friends Finally came to an end when it needed to before the show is too far past its heyday. However, a couple of spinoff ideas that arose immediately afterward suggest that not all of the six main cast members are committed to pursuing other projects. in 2003, There were brief rumors of a Phoebe-led spinoff called GirlfriendsStarring Lisa Kudrow Along before Friends Guest stars Aisha Taylor (via contactmusic.com). Not much else was ever said about the idea.

Rumors about a Phoebe-centric Friends Spinoff came back in 2017, which were immediately debunked by Kudrow (via Digital Spy). More than likely, any and all plans for Friends Spinoffs were scrapped after Joey’s failed spinoff immediately after Friends. How popular are the letters? This one example proves that the magic of Friends is best left as it is, Leaving certain parts of Joey and Phoebe’s stories a mystery.

6

Aquaman

Smallville spinoff

Alan Ritchson plays Arthur Curry aka Aquaman in an episode of the iconic Superman series Smallville, Prompting the development of a Aquaman Spinoff. This series is the longest a Smallville Spinoff ever became its own show, but was also canceled after the pilot. First, Ritchson was recast for the Aquaman spinoff because UPN executives didn’t believe he was famous enough to host a TV show; He was replaced by Justin Hartley for the pilot that was filmed.

yet Aquaman Wasn’t picked up as a series, Hartley was recast as Oliver Queen aka Green Arrow SmallvilleA character who was also considered for a spinoff. Smallville Could have managed a successful spinoff if they’d just let Ritchson helm these Aquaman Show When his performance as the character triggered its development in the first place. Instead, UPN was too committed to the idea of ​​working with Hartley.

5

How I Met Your Dad

How I Met Your Mother spinoff

How I Met Your Mother It eventually got its short-lived, gender-swapped spinoff with Hilary Duff as the main character, telling the story of how she met her son’s father. however, How I Met Your Father Set years after the original How I Met Your Dad, Starring none other than Greta Gerwig as – Sally. Gerwig contributed to the writing of the failed pilot itself, which was completed sometime near the end of How I Met Your Mother. The series was canceled after the pilot was poorly received.

at this time, Gerwig already helped write and starred in her co-star Noah Baumbach French huh But has yet to see her directorial career take off with Lady Bird. The idea of ​​fertility involves a How I Met Your Mother– Type history with its own brand of creativity is a promising one. However, it’s probably for the best that the show wasn’t picked up, as it could have distracted Gerwig from making her masterpiece movies.

4

Marvel’s most wanted

Agents of Shield spinoff

Ex-spouses Agent Bobby Morse and Agent Lance Hunter are popular characters who joined the cast of Agents of Shield In season 2. The characters left the show in season 3 after SHIELD as an organization was forced to dismiss them and the two went on the run. This is naturally the title of the duo’s planned spinoff, Marvel’s most wanted. A pilot was shot for this series, but it was canceled shortly after. Adrianne Palicki, who plays Bobby, said (via Dean of Geek) that the pilot was “really good” And wish the series had happened:

“I just think that at this time, [ABC] Didn’t want to bring more Marvel shows on the network. So it’s too bad because I think it would have been really good. “

The short-lived series Agent Carter was also on ABC at the time, while Agents of Shield. Managed to last for seven seasons, despite its continuity errors in the context of the rest of the MCU. ironic, Marvel’s most wanted Might have gotten at least one season if it and Agents of Shield were Disney+ shows, Which seems to be more open to giving every MCU property a chance.

3

Windward Circle

Gilmore Girls spinoff

There are two plans Gilmore Girls What Never Happened: One about Rory after the end of the main series (no Gilmore Girls: A year in the life), and one about her ex-boyfriend Jess, titled Windward Circle. After the backdoor pilot of season 3, episode 21, “Here Comes the Sun,” showing Jess visiting his dad in California, Windward Circle would follow him after moving to California. The show about Jess and his relationship with his dad would have established a nice parallel to Rory and Lorelai.

However, everyone quickly figured out how expensive it would be to film a series in Venice Beach, and Windward Circle was abandoned. Jess continued to make occasional appearances in Gilmore GirlsEventually smoothing over his post-romance relationship with Rory and remaining friends. Strangely, some footage from the canceled show’s pilot recently went viral on TikTok (via rush).

2

Valley Girls

Gossip Girl spinoff

Gossip girl‘s prequel spinoff was also canceled after the pilot, which would have been titled Valley Girls And followed Serena’s mom Lily as a teenager. The backdoor pilot showed how Gossip girl Season 2, Episode 24, “Valley Girls.” Despite featuring Brittany Snow as a young Lily and Krysten Ritter as her older sister Carol, the pilot received poor ratings And it didn’t become a series. Don Ostroff, the former president of entertainment at The CW, believed that the show could have happened if it had gotten a proper pilot.

The prequel could be welcome as it would have shown a new side to Lily, focusing on her time as a groupie and the aftermath of her parents’ divorce. It would also be an interesting investigation of the sisters’ relationship and how they both rebelled against their parents. At least an original prequel series would be preferable to another underwhelming reboot, which didn’t last past season 2.

1

The farm

The office spinoff

The farm is the most famous spinoff of The office That never came to fruition But lives as a one-off episode for the main show. Following its backdoor pilot from season 9, episode 17, “The Farm,” this spinoff would have been about Dwight Schrute and his family running their beet farm after the conclusion of The Office. However, the backdoor pilot did not achieve good enough ratings for the series to take off, symptomatic of The office Having been in decline for a while.

The Farm would also have upheld the mockumentary format of its predecessor, Which has possibly lost some of its novelty in 2013. Modern family was around the midway point of the series, while The office was heading to its serviceable end. However, with most popular franchises like The officeThere is likely someone out there who would have been delighted to see more material set in the same world.

Source: TV line, EW, contactmusic.com, Digital Spy, Dean of Geek, rush