10 Failed TV Pilots We Wish We Could See

7. Global Frequency

Global FrequencyNetwork/Season: The WB/2004 Starring: Michelle Forbes, Aimee Garcia, Josh Hopkins, and Jenni Baird Description: Lead by Miranda Zero, the Global Frequency is a clandestine group of pseudo law enforcement. Their job: to battle and contain science gone wrong, thanks to secret projects worldwide. They clean up the mess, the Governments of the world pay them as a bribe to stay silent. Why We Probably Didn't See It: If comic creator Warren Ellis is anyone to listen to, this project was killed because you saw it. That's right, once the Pilot went onto the Internet as a Torrent download, Warner Brothers was so upset that they decided it wasn't happening. Which is funny, considering the reaction to the pilot was rather favorable, and The WB could have used some SciFi muscle in their corner. Buffy had been gone for a couple years by then, and this might have been a nice void filler. Why We Wish We Could See It: First off, fans of the limited series graphic novel would have been pleased to see what had been already regarded as a good Pilot. Second off, if this actually went to air, it would have beat Fringe to the punch in terms of the "Weird Science Police" genre. One even wonders if J.J. Abrams caught wind of this show, and started to turn some gears to make his version happen over at Fox. Third, and this is a point that should be made so long as shows like this exist, Network Television needs better genre offerings! Cable's been a breeding ground for solid, entertaining, and exemplary SciFi fare; yet somehow Network TV is having a hard time taking a chance on that sort of thing. Global Frequency could have been a great step in that direction. Life After Death?: The Pilot was leaked around the time it was being considered for air, and as previously mentioned Warner Brothers didn't like that. After that failed attempt, it was mentioned in 2009 that Global Frequency was once again being prepped, this time with The CW. Nothing has been heard since then, so the project has once more fallen dormant. You can view the original 2004 Pilot on YouTube.
 
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Mike Reyes may or may not be a Time Lord, but he's definitely the Doctor Who editor here at What Culture. In addition to his work at What Culture, Mr. Reyes writes for Cocktails and Movies, as well as his own personal blogs Mr. Controversy and The Bookish Kind. On top of that, he's also got a couple Short Stories and Novels in various states of completion, like any good writer worth their salt. He resides in New Jersey, and compiles his work from all publications on his Facebook page.