1. Rex Is Not Your Lawyer
Network/Season: NBC/2010
Starring: David Tennant, Jane Curtin, Jeffrey Tambor, and Jerry O'Connell
Description: Rex, a brilliant lawyer who for some reason or another cannot enter a courtroom without having a massive panic attack, has decided to stop practicing law. At least, he's stopped practicing law the way everybody else does. You see Rex takes on clients that he can coach into being their own defending counsel, so that way they can step into a courtroom and defend themselves. Except they're using his words and strategies. Think of it as a legal spin on Cyrano De Bergerac.
Why We Didn't See It: First off, congratulations to NBC for being the MVP of broken Pilot dreams. Four out of the 10 listed pilots came from the Peacock network, and that's just sad. As for the "official" reason this show was never picked up: we don't know. Not even David Tennant knows why the show was never picked up, just that in the middle of producing the Pilot everyone was told the show wasn't going to happen, so they should pack it in. One could guess that in a reversal of Zombieland's fortune, Rex Is Not Your Lawyer was probably passed up because it was a legal procedural in a world that already had too many legal procedural. Add on top of that the boredom they may have thought they'd inspire with a lawyer who refuses to go in front of a courtroom. NBC saw it fit to go with the "More Colorful" lineup of Chase, Undercovers, Outlaw, and Outsourced, all of which are still on the air today. Except that they're not.
Why We Wished We Could See It: David Tennant with a Chicago accent. If that alone doesn't intrigue you, how about a chance at him returning to weekly television? This should have been aired for the exact same reason Fright Night should have been a hit: it gives the world more David Tennant and it give him range to put on his CV. After being The Doctor for four seasons (plus a handful of specials), it was about time for Tennant to stretch his acting muscles into other areas of expertise. Though since this Pilot failed, he might be thanking his lucky stars as he's been doing everything from voicing droids in the Star Wars universe to being a rather entertaining UK pitchman for Virgin and Nintendo. Most importantly, and impressively, he's been working with the Royal Shakespeare Company on multiple productions such as Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, and soon Richard III.
Life After Death?: Except for stills from the set, a few YouTube clips, and scares other materials...none. This one is probably going to be an infamous loss, simply because of Tennant's rather voracious fanbase.
What say you, What Culture Republic? Are we Americans too abusive of UK television? Do you think there are shows that should have/shouldn't have made the grade? And why WASN'T Mockingbird Lane included in the list? You can find (and supply) your answers in the Comments section below.