17th Precinct Unaired Pilot

[fembuck]

Unaired Pilot - Part One | Part Two | Part Three (on the youtube)

I’ve just watched the 17th Precinct un-aired pilot and I'm really sad that it didn't get picked up. Honestly, I wasn't that excited about it when I first heard about it, but having seen what they did with it I am now very disappoint that it didn't get picked up.

I've heard complaints that the show didn't have a "hook" or that there were no memorable scenes or lines in the pilot and that astounds me because I found a lot things in the pilot interesting and memorable and it definitely hooked me.

First, let's start with the shallow.  Tricia Helfer.  That's enough right there, but Tricia Helfer as a necromancer, a necromancer named Morgana ... *iz ded*  There honestly wasn't tons of her character in the pilot, but I definitely wanted to see more of her (especially lounging around all sexy in bed lol)

I thought the stuff about the magical legal system was really interesting, how it was more based on feelings and emotion than facts and logic.  I never would have thought about it, but in a world that based in the mystical, in magic, it makes sense that their legal system wouldn't have the logical, factual organization that ours does.

About a quarter of the way through the pilot it's revealed that Esai Morales' character Liam, used to actually be Lisa, and around eight years before the pilot he had some kind of magical sex change.  That's not interesting and new?  Also, it seemed like Lisa and Mira (Stockard Channing's character) were lovers/romantically involved with each other before the sex change and getting background of them was something I was really interested in (not to mention that Stockard playing lesbian would have been very relevant to my interests).

I must be easier to please than most (pls, no that's what she said jokes ;) because the ending really hooked me.  I found it utterly fascinating that a movement to bring "science" into their world was the doomsday prophecy that had everyone so worried, and the reveal of the bullet really worked for me. Science goes against everything their world is founded on, and they would have no more defense against our scientific weapons (i.e. guns) than we would against a crucio spell.  I definitely would have liked to see what the show would have done with this, especially with the minds of BSG and Caprica behind it.

*sigh*  It would have been a beautiful show (with a beautiful cast).  R.I.P 17th Precinct, you were taken away far, far, far (a lot more "far's") too soon.

Comments

[mayireadtoday.livejournal.com]

Dude, I have to disagree. By the end I was rooting for the science people. I'm suppose to like and support these fuckwits whose idea of a justice system is de-aging people? I was seriously hoping the science people would just shoot everyone.

Not even Stockard Channing redeemed this for me. And Tricia Helfer is always getting gigs as someone awesome on tv.

[fembuck.livejournal.com]

Well, it's not really disagreeing because I never said I liked their justice system ;)

I just said that it made sense that in a world where magic reigns that their justice system would be less logic/fact based than ours. I thought it was interesting.

That being said, watching that judge just dislocate that guys arm with the wave of her hand was terrifying (not to mention the punishment that judge imposed upon Leo. Even if he HAD been guilty that was a horrifying sentence).

However, the show itself brought up the problems with the legal system which leads me to believe that the issues with it would have been a major part of the series (and that probably as the Stoics were introduced that some of our main characters would probably start to sympathize and then join the movement).

Certainly the 'emotional' justice system presented wasn't enough to turn me off of the show. Though that was one flaw of their society, we could probably learn a thing or two from them about natural approaches to things (i.e. with plants powering their electronics, the air is probably a lot fresher, polar bears probably still have plenty of ice, and the ozone layer a lot happier in their world).

I figured the show would be about kind of examining how we look at the world. The all magical route used by the people in the show had created obvious problems in their world, but our primarily scientific approach to things has also made a real mess of our world. The audience seeing things from the 'magical' perspective while the characters begin to learn about 'scientific' perspective seemed to me to be an interesting way to reflect upon the real world and the benefits that science can bring while also acknowledging that there are benefits to other more naturalistic/spiritual approaches to things - and that a blending of the two is preferable to one or the other.

I don't know ... I guess I just saw potential there and with the team behind BSG and Caprica running things I figured it would have been an interesting ride if it had gotten picked up. I do seem to be alone in having liked it and wanted to see where it was going though :(

[mayireadtoday.livejournal.com]

If it was a book series, I'd be interested in reading the first book. I think it'd work much better that way so they could explain the differences in the world. Because even the little things confused me and took me out of the fictive dream. It took me a while to figure out that that stream that the dectective stuck his hand in was the equivalent of a computer.

[fembuck.livejournal.com]

I'd love to read a book series about this verse, but I think the show probably would have been alright without it. I remember when Game of Thrones came out a lot of my friends who hadn't read the book were kind of overwhelmed when they watched the pilot (cause like this pilot you got a LOT of information about a world you'd never really seen before), but by like the third episode or so once they'd gotten used to the universe (and more was explained) they loved it.

And now I'm mourning the loss of the show (and the fact that there are no books that I can read about it) *le sigh*

[telepresence.livejournal.com]

Yeah, based on BSG, it's pretty certain there would have been a heavy critique of the "good guys" as well as the bad guys.

[fembuck.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm really sad I'm not gonna see where they would have taken it. I think we could have gotten some really interesting social commentary.

Really the only thing I didn't like about the pilot was the bizarre 70s style hair on Lee Adama. The blast-from-the-past style just seemed random.

[telepresence.livejournal.com]

Are you watching Bomb Girls, by the way? It might be relevant to your interests.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_profiterole_/]

I loved it as well. It was really refreshing. One thing I loved was that for once everybody knew about magic, it was not hidden from the population, and that's actually very rare in urban fantasy. The bullet reveal worked for me as well. And the BSG cast... I'm gonna ship Gaius/Lee and Caprica/Gaius/Lee now. ^^;;

[fembuck.livejournal.com]

One thing I loved was that for once everybody knew about magic, it was not hidden from the population, and that's actually very rare in urban fantasy.

Exactly! This and the magic being in conflict with the science aspect really caught my attention because I'd never seen anything (or much of anything) about those things.

The bullet reveal was great. It's like I knew what it was building up to, but the build up was great and the reveal was really effective.

*mourns the loss of the show*

[kith-koby.livejournal.com]

Yes, it was very interesting. I wept for it as well. There aren't enough good magical worlds on TV, but there are even fewer good magical worlds where magic is in active conflict with science.

The justice system was kinda meh. It was rather horrifying, yet made sense with magic being the ruling element. It also makes sense, especially if Bacon never invented his method, seeing no need for it. I think it would have worked better in a book, where all the small differences could be explained rather than making me go 'huh?' and pulling me out of the world.

The bullt reveal was an awesome scene, especially with Stockard getting drunk with her new partner. Fun all around.

In the end, I think it was very interesting and intriguing, but would work a lot better if it was written as a book, then made into a TV Series (something like Sword of Truth - Legend of the Seeker).

Oh, and Tricia Helfer was awesome. I'd have loved to see more of her, especially what other stuff necromancy can do.

[fembuck.livejournal.com]

but there are even fewer good magical worlds where magic is in active conflict with science.

yes! this is one of the reasons I found this 'world' so interesting. I'd never really come across anything like it before.

Yeah, the justice system just got more terrifying as the episode went on. I really liked seeing the differences between there world and ours. Like the plants are power sources never would have occurred to me.

I really liked Stockard and her partner. If I wasn't so invested in the idea of Mira being a lesbo (based on the Lisa/Liam coversation) I would totally have shipped them. I like May-December pairings with older females!

A written book series would have been great, but I think that the show would have been just fine if it had gotten a first season. Kind of like how people who hadn't read the books found Game of Thrones a bit overwhelming at first, but got a handle on it as they saw more of the world and the characters.

And yes, Tricia is always and forever amazing. She has such great screen presence. I just love her.

[ralst.livejournal.com]

I guess I'll never understand the TV executives if they'll green light endless CSI and Law & Order clones but pass on something that isn't like everything else on our screens. I thought the show had real promise and Stockard Channing's character was particularly interesting. The correlation between their screwed up justice system and ours was nicely done - I would have thought they'd have some kind of truth reveal magic, though, to force confessions and reveal guilt.

If they cut out all the reality TV crap, maybe we'd stand more of a chance at getting interesting new drama passed the idiots in suits.

[fembuck.livejournal.com]

I guess I'll never understand the TV executives if they'll green light endless CSI and Law & Order clones but pass on something that isn't like everything else on our screens.

I know! TV just really hates anything that's new (or they decide what the hot 'new' thing is and then clone it so that like 5 different shows have the same premise). Then again, from reading the TWoP boards (and one persons pilot 'fix it' which basically wanted to erase everything that I loved about the show - a fish-out-of-water police officer from our own non-magical world somehow getting transported to the magic world - makes me think that some audience members don't want anything new either because that fish-out-of-water cliche is like mold for EVERY protagonist on every show *sigh*)

I would have thought they'd have some kind of truth reveal magic, though, to force confessions and reveal guilt.

Yeah. They need Kahlan Amnell! The show probably would have added in there some kind of thing about 'truth-telling' magic is dark and/or can be manipulated/abused and therefore can't be trusted in court or something.

If they cut out all the reality TV crap, maybe we'd stand more of a chance at getting interesting new drama passed the idiots in suits.

So true! I get madder and madder about reality TV every year, but it's cheap and appeals to the masses which means its going nowhere despite the fact that it's keeping us from actually getting to watch interesting things *sigh*

[gpgurl50.livejournal.com]

I liked the pilot too and the cast for sure. However, I think it was for the same network that puts out Grimm. Grimm had a solid pilot but I could see both going the same way. Grimm doesn't really work for me.

[fembuck.livejournal.com]

I wish they had picked this show up over Grimm. I've seen Grimm and it doesn't really work for me. I just found it really boring and like a cheaper copy of things I'd seen before, whereas I found this show to be something new and interesting. I'll never understand TV executives.

[telepresence.livejournal.com]

I will say in NBC/Syfy's defense, they also picked up Alphas over Three Inches. Alphas and Three Inches are essentially the same show (quirky people with superpowers form an unlikely sort of family and fight crime), except the pilot for Three Inches was incredibly hilariously bad. So someone over there at least made one correct call.