Our ongoing look back at sci fi / fantasy TV shows that were cancelled way too soon or pilots that never made it to series.
These days, Gal Godot is recognized worldwide as the Amazonian Princess Diana of Themyscira (aka Wonder Woman) after having appeared in the DCEU movies Batman vs. Superman, The Justice League, and Wonder Woman (with Wonder Woman 1984 arriving on Christmas Day 2020), and prior to that Linda Carter was the face of the character dating back to her 1970’s series (you can read more about that show at this link). But in between that iconic TV show and the recent blockbuster films, there was another attempt to adapt the superhero in 2011 that may very well have changed the direction of several DC-related franchises.
David E. Kelley, of Allie McBeal and Boston Legal fame (and he also created one of my all-time favs Picket Fences), decided to take his own stab at the character which led to a TV pilot in 2011 with Adrianne Palicki in the title role (Cary Elwes, Pedro Pascal, and Elizabeth Hurley also appeared in the pilot). This was a very different take on the comics with Diana Themyscira running a multinational company that capitalizes on her Wonder Woman persona and crime-fighting activities, while also leading a double-life as Diana Prince when she wants to get away from the spotlight. The pilot mixes drama with superhero action and hints at the moral ambiguities of Wonder Woman’s vigilante action, very much bringing in the David E. Kelley trademark approach to television. If it had continued to series, it likely would have delivered Boston Legal meets superheroes.
The pilot has been much-reviled by those who have seen it, but personally I rather liked it. I should note that I was never a fan of the Wonder Woman comics, nor did I care much for the ’70’s TV series (though I do like Gal Godot’s take on the character), so I do not have as much attachment to the property. And I can see where those closer to the source material might be unhappy with the liberties taken by the pilot. But I do believe that this could have worked its way into a decent TV series that mixed drama and action while also punching some holes in the superhero mythos.
Even more interesting to consider is the impact this show could have had on the Arrow-verse shows and the DC movies. Had it gone to series, Wonder Woman would have debuted on NBC’s schedule in Fall 2011, one year before Arrow had its bow in 2012. If the NBC show proved to be a big hit, would Arrow even have happened on The CW? Perhaps Warner Bros. would have decided to keep its other DC characters for crossovers with Wonder Woman (the pilot does not indicate the other heroes exist in that world, but Superman is alluded to when his motto “Truth, Justice, and the American Way” is mentioned). And even if Arrow did still go forward at The CW, would The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and the other spin-offs still have happened, or would the WB have reserved those characters for the higher-profile NBC series?
And if Wonder Woman became a hit, it seems unlikely that Gal Godot would have ever donned the tiara and bracelets with Adrianne Palicki becoming the new face of the character. That would have certainly impacted the direction of the DCEU movies and could have possibly nixed The Justice League from happening. Had NBC gone forward with the pilot, it certainly would have set off a ripple effect that would have changed the course of the DC characters on television and in the cinemas. And even if it had gone to series and flopped, it still might have had an impact. Perhaps The CW would have passed on Arrow fearing that television audiences might not have much interest in DC heroes.
Ultimately, NBC passed on the project, and the DC Universe found life on a different network and later on the big screen. Kelley’s Wonder Woman showed some promise, but the liberties it took with the source material might have ultimately worked against it. Palicki believed that the show was ahead of its time as superheroes had not established themselves on television at that time. And she would go on to play a different comic book character from the Marvel Universe (Mockingbird) on Agents of SHIELD which spun off into yet another failed pilot for the actress. The CW would later flirt with a Wonder Woman prequel series titled Amazon, but that never went forward and now Gal Godot has taken up the torch and put her own mark on the character.
Aired: Never Aired
Created By: David E. Kelley
Starring: Adrianne Palicki, Cary Elwes, Pedro Pascal, Elizabeth Hurley, Edward Herrmann
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