3. Babylon Fields
Network/Season: CBS/2007
Starring: Ray Stevenson, Amber Tamblyn, and Jamey Sheridan
Description: When there's no room in Hell, The Dead will...just pick up where they left off. Babylon Fields was built upon this very conceit: zombies that didn't want brains, but wanted their lives back as if nothing had happened. Needless to say, there was probably a healthy dose of prejudicial allegory, and eventually we would see a revolt that would eventually be spurred on by (or would lead to) the eventual eating of brains.
Why We Didn't See It: CBS hates Zombies, or it's at least a good assumption that they'd hate these zombies. Looking at CBS's programming habits in the past decade or so, their track record with genre TV is laughable at best. (Anyone else remember Moonlight? Didn't think so.) Not to mention, these are zombies that basically pass as people, so where's the fun in that?
Why We Wished We Could See It: Answer: Everywhere. These are zombies that even Romero himself would be proud of, especially considering the evolutionary jump they were taking with Land of the Dead! Zombies that still had zombie problems: rigor mortis, decay, worms; but could articulate and feel about these problems. Also, zombies that could get it on, which covers their bases with the Paranormal Romance crowd; and a murder mystery, which brings CBS's favorite genre (the police procedural) full frontal.
Life After Death?: After brief hopes of a 2008 mid-season pick up, potential fans were left to want. Though the full pilot did, in true Internet fashion, show up online. It is still currently on
YouTube, who should seriously start thinking about buying up rejected pilots and holding a contest to see who gets to be the first YouTube Original Series.