Our ongoing look back at sci fi / fantasy TV shows that were cancelled way too soon or pilots that never made it to series.
With the Zombieland sequel–Zombieland: Double Tap–headed to theaters soon, it is worth taking a look back at the failed attempts to do a TV series based on the idea. Creators Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick originally envisioned their zombie-comedy as a television series and started writing the script around 2005. In fact, the “zombie kill of the week” that we saw in the movie was part of the original TV series plan with each episode having a segment where one of the main characters would have a big kill. But the television idea did not draw much interest from the networks, leading Reese and Wernick to adapt what they had written so far into a feature film script.
The movie proved a hit in 2009, but plans for a sequel stalled. Reese and Wernick then decided to go the television route again and began working a pilot for a series that would continue from the movie but have different actors in the lead role (it would be too expensive to bring the original cast back). There was some interest from FOX and CBS, with the show possibly arriving on the schedule in Fall of 2012. Those plans fell through, but Amazon stepped in and ordered the pilot as it was trying to beef up its originals at that time. That was released in April 2013 with new actors taking over the familiar roles plus the addition of new character Detroit who is an OnStar operator and who helps guide the group.
The pilot was actually not bad and showed some promise, but fans could not get past the cast changes. This was a time when Amazon allowed viewers to vote on pilots (it would release several at a time) and the streamer would pick up the most popular ones to series. Sadly, Zombieland was voted down hard and Amazon announced that it would not continue as a series. The pilot had some rough edges and it took some getting used to the new actors, but I believe it could have turned into a decent series. That never happened, but now we have the sequel on the way with the original actors returning to their roles.
The pilot is no longer available on Amazon Prime Video, but you can find it on YouTube from time to time. I believe it is worth searching out, just set expectations appropriately and you may find this to be fun little addition to the Zombieland universe.
Aired: April 19, 2013
Created By: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick
Starring: Kirk Ward, Tyler Ross, Maiara Walsh, Izabela Vidovic, Kendra Fountain
More from CancelledSciFi.com:
Keep up with the ratings developments and the status of all the currently airing sci fi and fantasy shows with our Weekly Roundup posts. And join the #CancelledSciFiArmy on Twitter to bolster our ranks and help us fight for the struggling and cancelled sci fi and fantasy shows.
Check out our Sci Fi TV Schedule for debut and season finale dates and follow our Weekly Listings for a rundown of the shows airing in the current week.
Check back each Saturday for Sci Fi TV Retrospectives: A look back at cancelled, classic, forgotten, and more genre shows from the past.
