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

[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.