Failure To Launch
These aren't show ideas that sounded good but were never followed through on (that kind of thing happens all the time). Nope, for this list, we're looking at television shows that got picked up (multiple episodes were probably filmed), networks made announcements about their plans to be broadcast them—and then....well, those plans changed (for one reason or another).
Law & Order: For The Defense (2021)
In May of 2021 NBC gave Law & Order: For the Defense a straight-to-series order and announcements were made about a fall premier. However, just a couple months later—NBC, and creator Dick Wolfe, all agreed to cancel the series—and instead they chose to revive the OG Law & Order series.
The Mayor (2004)
It's hard to imagine a network saying no to Adam Sandler, but in 2004, The WB ordered six episodes of this Sandler-produced sitcom—only to cancel it all when they weren't pleased with the creative direction the series took.
Everett Collection, Shutterstock
The IT Crowd (American Version) (2008)
A U.S version of the hit British series, starring Jessica St Clair and Joel McHale, was all set to go in 2008, until.....it wasn't. If you're curious, the pilot is out there—and can be found on some video-sharing sites.
Manchester Prep (1999)
This Fox series was set up as a prequel to the 1999 film Cruel Intentions. However, the network eventually backed away from the show (possibly due to the controversial subject matter). Fun Fact: The pilot was reworked into what would become the Cruel Intentions 2 movie.
Columbia, Cruel Intentions 2: Manchester Prep (2002)
Lizzie McGuire Reboot (2020)
You might remember all the hype around the announcement that Lizzie McGuire was going to get a reboot on Disney+. They filmed a couple episodes and they even put out a clip as part of a Disney+ sizzle reel back in 2020. However, not long after that, the show's creator left and that move was followed shortly by Hilary Duff announcing that the reboot was now a no go.
Disney+, Lizzie Mcguire (2020)
Hieroglyph (2015)
An historical action drama set in ancient Egypt sounds interesting. Fox also thought so and they gave the show a straight-to-series order in 2013. In 2014, they released a trailer and everything seemed on track. Two months later, Fox canceled it.
Coach (2015)
The original Coach series was a big hit for ABC back in the 90s. So, in 2015, NBC decided they wanted their own Coach hit and ordered a revival of the 90s show straight-to-series. Howeverm once production started, unknown problems led to the series being axed before any episodes hit the air.
The Activist (2021)
This was a reality show set to have six activists competing against each other in the fields of health, education, and the environment. The hosts for the show were Usher, Priyanka Chopra, and Julianne Hough, who—along with social media engagement—would decide who the most successful contestants would be to make it to the finals at the G20 summit. This method of judging was controversial and led to CBS reformatting the series into a documentary special (that has yet to air).
The Jake Effect (2002)
NBC produced seven episodes of this Jason Bateman sitcom before changing their minds and never airing a single one. However, in 2006, the Bravo channel—as part of its "Brilliant But Canceled" series—aired the first six episodes.
Angels '88/'89 (1988 & 1989)
During the Writers Guild of America strike in 1988, producer Aaron Spelling proposed reviving Charlie's Angels for Fox, using scripts from the original series (avoiding the need for writers). Originally called Angels '88, it was changed to Angels '89 when production spilled into the following year. However, when the strike ended, so did the show's future.
All My Babies' Mamas (2013)
Rapper Shawty Lo (who passed away in 2016) was all set to have his own reality show on the Oxygen network in 2013 called All My Babies' Mamas. It was so called because Lo had 11 children from 10 different women. Public criticism and petitioning got this one canceled before it went to air.
Bastards (2019)
Based on the Israeli series Nevelot, Richard Gere was set to star in Bastards—which got a nice straight-to-series order by AppleTV+. However, the "show's tone of vigilante justice" made the streamer uncomfortable, so they pulled the plug on it. Didn't they know what the show was about when they ordered it?
Featureflash Photo Agency, Shutterstock
Bill And Martha (1964)
CBS decided not to air this sitcom starring William Bendix and Martha Raye because of, what they said, was Bendix's shaky health. Bendix wasn't happy about that—and argued that his health was fine. He even sued the network for millions of dollars. He passed away that December.
The Bureau of Industrial Service for CBS-TV, Wikimedia Commons
Commando Nanny (2004)
Reality show super-producer Mark Burnett created a sitcom for the WB based on his life as an au pair (he was also in the British military). The series was set to premiere on September 17, 2004, but cast injuries and surgeries forced them to reshoot the pilot—after which the showrunner left and the WB put the show on the shelf.
Heavens To Betsy (1995)
Dolly Parton was the star of this CBS comedy that filmed six episodes before the series was axed.
Wirestock Creators, Shutterstock
The Cops (December 2017–Spring 2018)
An adult animated series created by Louis CK and Albert Brooks was set to air on TBS—until the #MeToo claims against CK came out (which he confirmed). That was it for The Cops.
Seriously, Dude, I'm Gay (2004)
Seriously, dude—without even knowing anything else—is anyone surprised they canceled this reality TV special?
Jim.henderson, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Next Caller (2013)
Remember Dane Cook? Well, he, Collette Wolfe, and Jeffrey Tambor were set to play battling radio hosts in this NBC sitcom. But after filming four episodes, NBC shut it down and never aired what they had.
Day One (2010)
This sci-fi drama about residents of an apartment building who survive a worldwide catastrophe was ordered to series by NBC. Then they cut the order to mini-series. Later the network decided to turn it into a TV movie—and eventually it was just scrapped completely.
The Dictator (1988)
Christopher Lloyd starred as a deposed dictator running a laundromat in New York City. The pilot was pretty well received and the show was all set to drop on March 15, 1988. Then the writer's strike happened and the show never ended up seeing the light of day.
Flip It Forward (2014)
HGTV had already greenlit this series starring the Benham Brothers when protests started coming in regarding the brothers' religious and anti-homosexual views. The series quickly went from green light to red light.
ManoftheOutdoors, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Friend Me (2013)
A multi-camera sitcom about Groupon was added to CBS's lineup—before being taken off the lineup following co-creator Alan Kirschenbaum taking his own life. The series was eventually canceled before airing an episode.
Rewind (1998)
Scott Baio and Mystro Clark starred in this Fox sitcom about two ad execs in the present day as well as in flashbacks to their time in the 1970s. The show was hyped up by Fox and was even part of TV Guide's Fall Preview issue. But it was canceled without ever airing an episode.
Welcome To The Neighborhood (2005)
In the heyday of ugly reality TV, Welcome to the Neighborhood pitted seven diverse families against each other, competing to win a fancy house in an upscale subdivision of Austin, Texas. What's the problem you ask? Well, the thing is—in order to win, the families had to compete in challenges in an attempt to win the approval of three conservative white families from the neighborhood. You can just imagine the backlash. It was canceled a week and a half before it was set to premiere on ABC.
Tracy Keller, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Where's The Fire? (1974)
Scenes from the pilot episode of this sitcom about volunteer firemen were broadcast on ABC's 1974–75 season promo reel. But that's all anyone ever got to see of this one.
Jim.henderson, Wikimedia Commons
12 Miles Of Bad Road (2008)
HBO ordered 10 episodes of this series about a Texas woman with a huge real estate empire and a dysfunctional family. They filmed six episodes before the writer's strike—but in March of 2008, HBO announced that they had no plans to air the show anymore. It was shopped around but no one else wanted it.
HBO, 12 Miles of Bad Road (2008)
Heads Up! (2016)
Heads Up! was a game show based on the popular phone app and produced by Ellen DeGeneres. They produced 65 episodes for HLN. But that was before the network made their move to becoming a news-focused channel. That change led to the show getting shelved in America. Although, Heads Up! eventually did air in Canada.
Telepictures, Heads Up! (2016)
Star Trek: Phase II (1978)
Star Trek: Phase II was set to be a revival of the original Star Trek series and was going to air on a new Paramount Pictures television network. However, when the network never happened, so too did the series—although Phase II's first script did become Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
Paramount, Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
Mr Dugan (1979)
CBS heavily promoted this sitcom about an up and coming Black congressman. However, after members of the Congressional Black Caucus watched a screening of the show, they were not pleased with how bumbling the character was portrayed. CBS pulled it before airing a single episode.
