With the bounty of new shows this autumn, the ones that didn't make the cut will probably not be missed, but there are a few unpicked projects that are worth taking a moment to acknowledge. Whether it's for how much potential they held or just because of the buzz they generated, these four shows deserve a second glance.
Hallelujah
Starring Terry O'Quinn (Lost) as Del Roman, a man whose power is only outweighed by his villainy and who rules over the town of Hallelujah, this project's cast was one of the best things it had going for it. Also set to star was Donal Logue (Terriers) as Rye Turner, a family man fallen on hard times, and Frances O'Connor (A.I. Artificial Intelligence) as his wife. With the arrival of an altruistic stranger possessing miraculous powers, played by Jesse L. Martin (Law and Order), the small town is engulfed in a struggle between good and evil in what could have been Marc Cherry's second hit for ABC. It's hard to imagine any project Cherry is involved with not having a satirical edge, which might have hurt the show's chances of being picked up. Once Upon a Time, a series ABC did choose, is another over-the-top depiction of a battle between the forces of good and evil. Though it takes place in a vastly different setting, the similarity could be the reason the network opted not to run with the seemingly more grounded Hallelujah.
17th Precinct
Wonder
Woman
After a numerous failed attempts to revive the DC heroine on the big screen, it seemed like David E. Kelly was finally going to succeed on television. Though all the broadcast networks initially passed, NBC (under new management) picked up the project and the series began to take shape, which is also when it started hitting hurtles. Many were debating what type of pants Diana should be wearing when she was out busting punks, so much so that the production went through two pairs of hip-huggers before finally settling on the shorts that helped make Lynda Carter a household name. Unfortunately for Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights), she won't be sharing in the Wonder Woman fame. Possibly because when they were so busy worrying over her legwear, no one in the production was considering if a woman wearing a red and gold corset and swinging a lasso as she runs through the busy streets of LA actually had a place on primetime television in the 21st century. Well, someone at NBC finally did.
Locke & Key
Another comic adaption that flirted with film before taking a run at the small screen and that would also end before it ever began. Joe Hill's Locke and Key series would serve as source material for the show and Josh Friedman (Terminator: TSCC) was tapped to pen the pilot as well as serve as showrunner. The plot depended on child and teenage actors being able to give convincing performances, which is rare especially when it comes to the emotional scenes that were in store for the Locke children. Admittedly it's hard to know if those new faces would have delivered, but the only names in the cast worth mentioning were the adults. Miranda Otto (Lord of the Rings), Nick Stahl (Sin City), and Mark Pellegrino (Dexter) didn't all receive lead roles, but it's assured that if given the material they could impress on screen. The success of The Walking Dead has definitely encouraged networks to take comic adaptations more seriously, but it wasn't enough for FOX to give Locke & Key a chance, so this imaginative horror series will have to keep making the rounds.
