There have been many great shows, and for some lucky people, an even better spinoff has emerged.
With shows like NCIS, Better Call Soul, and most recently, House of the Dragon, audiences have been truly spoiled.
But just because the original show was successful, doesn’t mean the spinoff will always be successful.
Heck, in some cases, the spinoff series doesn’t even air it.
Below are five examples of some planned spinoff shows that unfortunately never made it to the small screen, along with reasons why it never happened.
Revenge
When Revenge’s original four-season run ended in 2015, the nature of the final episodes quickly sparked rumors that the show might return. Can Nolan continue helping the Avengers? Will Charlotte continue down the dark path the show has hinted at?
A few months after the show ended, ABC bosses also announced that it was possible that Revenge could return. For fans of the show, that possibility became a reality when in 2019, it was announced that a spinoff series was officially in the works.
Although only a few details were shared, fans learned that show creator Mike Kelly (who ran Revenge for the first two seasons) would helm the spinoff.
With the story focusing on a Latinx immigrant in Malibu who seeks revenge on a wealthy family who apparently caused his mother’s death, his family’s downfall, and a global pandemic.
It had all the ingredients that made fans fall in love with the original. Also, an original character, highly rumored to be Nolan, will return to aid the new protagonist in his quest for revenge. But what went wrong?
Obviously, the fault was of Covid-19. As the central story will focus on a pandemic, it has been claimed that show bosses in 2020 were concerned that real life would be too much and alienate fans.
Was it the right decision? Perhaps. At the time, it would have been wrong for a one-night soap opera to explore a subject that was so crude at the time. However, now nothing can stop Revenge from coming back, even if it removes the pandemic aspect of the story.
game of Thrones
As previously mentioned, House of the Dragon is one of the most successful spinoff series of the last few years. However, there was an almost entirely different Game of Thrones spinoff.
Along with two titles attached to the project, Bloodmoon and The Long Night, it was one of four shows HBO considered developing before settling on House of the Dragon.
Naomi Watts was to lead the project, and with the series set to focus on the events of The Long Night, 5,000 years before Game of Thrones’ original timeline, fans were excited.
But it was not to be. After the unaired pilot episode received harsh reviews, Bloodmoon was scrapped. Presumably, this worked out well, as had Bloodmoon been developed, it is quite likely that HBO would not have commissioned House of the Dragon.
Plus, given the negative reception to Game of Thrones’ final season, it’s wise that HBO brought the show back with a stronger spinoff that would have left an even more sour taste in viewers’ mouths.
smallville
For a while, before the 2018 Aquaman movie was made, it looked like The CW show Smallville would be producing its own spinoff show focusing on Aquaman, starring Justin Hartley.
With a pilot episode also out and now available for viewers to watch, there were detailed plans on where the show would go, including crossover episodes with Smallville, environmental hazards, and mythology.
There was a lot of buzz and favorable reviews towards the series, and hence, when the show was dropped it came as a huge surprise to everyone involved. But why?
The reason Aquaman did not air is because of the merger of The WB and UPN, which later became known as The CW. With The CW now in charge, they scrapped Aquaman in favor of The Game and Runaways.
Was it the right decision? depends on. The CW made sense in developing The Game, as it ran for an impressive 9 seasons. However, The Runaways was dropped after 3 episodes, failing to make an impact or gain an audience.
On the other hand, there was still a desire for Aquaman – when its pilot episode appeared on iTunes, audiences jumped at the chance to see the episode so much that it became the most downloaded TV show of that week. That alone suggests that the show deserved at least one full season.
Even if Justin Hartley was disappointed at the time, he wouldn’t be down for long as he was soon cast as Oliver Queen on Smallville, while Alan Ritchson (pictured above) played Aquaman on Smallville. continued his role as
24
After the hit Fox show 24 originally ended in 2010, it returned in 2014 for 24: Live Another Day. The return was such a bombshell that talks soon ceased to develop another series, this time very different from the original concept.
Not only will it feature a female lead, but each season will feature a new legal case and a new set of characters. It seemed like the fresh take that the show ended on to continue flying high. Especially after 24: Legacy failed to live up to the expectations.
But, of course, if the show being featured in this article means it never worked out. And to add salt to the wound, a spinoff focusing on a young Jack Bauer was also shelved around the same time.
Although very few details were shared as to why the shows never aired, it was said that Fox is constantly considering ways to bring 24 back.
So when the spinoff didn’t work out, another one might pop up in the near future. Or, as Kiefer Sutherland recently said with the Jack Bauer story unfinished, maybe the original show will return sooner rather than later?
will and grace
Will & Grace was a much-loved show, but even more loved was Karen Walker. In fact, she was loved so much that a spinoff centered on the character was almost made not once but twice.
After the American sitcom ended in 2006, viewers got a spinoff. NBC was keen on the idea, but when Joey, the spinoff from Friends, was an eventual disaster, they feared the same thing would happen with the Karen spinoff.
Rather than see the character’s legacy tarnish, the spin-off was prevented from happening. Then, of course, when Will & Grace returned and ended again, there were talks of a Karen Walker spinoff.
Unfortunately, it never progressed. And Megan Mullally, who plays Karen, even said that the spinoff wasn’t very real.
there you go! Would a Karen Walker spinoff have worked?
Given that when Will & Grace returned, it failed to regain its record-breaking viewership, it’s somewhat surprising that a spinoff was even considered.
These are just five potential spin-off series that never came to fruition. but you never know; There is still a chance for shows like Revenge and 24 to come back in the future.
However, whether that will be in the form of a spin-off, reboot or straight-up sequel remains to be seen.
Jordan Lyons Jordan Lyon is a new writer and critic for TV Fanatic, though she has an MA degree in TV and film writing and plenty of experience thanks to her previous roles as a writer. He is a big lover of many genres, especially thrillers, horror and dramas. However, he’ll watch anything with a great story and brilliantly written characters. follow him Twitter,