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Why 'Wonder Woman' Didn't Fly

Adrianne Palicki looks back on 'shocking' failure of NBC pilot

By Corey Levitan Oct 5, 2012 12:41PM
tvshark.com

Adrianne Palicki's ascent to household name was practically a given. The "Friday Night Lights" star had just filmed the pilot for a "Wonder Woman" reboot created by David E. Kelley and green-lighted by NBC.

But the show never made the network's 2011-2012 schedule.

 

Bing: More about 'Wonder Woman'

 

"There were obviously politics involved," Palicki tells Crave Online. "It had gotten picked up as far as I knew, so when we got that call it was incredibly shocking."

Palicki didn't specify what she meant by "politics." However, Wonder Woman's magic bracelets may have been better at deflecting bullets than tomatoes. The pilot was savaged by TV critics for what most considered its weak writing.

 

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The cast had already been scheduled for promotional interviews on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" when the bad news came.

"It was hard to take at first," the actress says, noting, however, that she doesn't view the experience as a waste of her time. "That was a childhood dream of mine, and I’m proud of the outcome."

According to the Huffington Post, a new television series based on the "Wonder Woman" comic book is in the works at the CW. The tentatively titled "Amazon," by "Grey's Anatomy" writer Allan Heinberg, reportedly explores the superhero before she got wonderful.

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15Comments
lol888
Oct 6, 2012 2:18PM
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I like superheros, but I NEVER like Wonder Woman. WW just looks pathetic and stupid.  I guess
women who are trying to be superheros just doesn't work, especially when it comes to wonder woman. Her costume looks too cheap.


ricki319
Oct 6, 2012 2:05PM
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Just put a picture of Lynda Carter as wonderwoman next to her. That would be why.
R.Saenz
Oct 6, 2012 12:42PM
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It failed because it was a dumb idea. People need to leave the past alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bobbygale
Oct 6, 2012 12:38PM
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NBC is notorious for not giving new shows a chance in the last several years, but usually they let one get on the air for a few episodes before they cancel it.  That's why we NEVER watch a new show on NBC at my house until it's been determined to be at least moderately successful in the ratings.  Far too often in the past, we got invested in the characters and story of a new show only to have the rug yanked from under us after a few episodes  - often leaving a cliff-hanger plot, and our emotions, unresoved.  Gone are the days when NBC would give a show such as Cheers! or Seinfeld a chance to find its audience, even when the ratings were dismal.  And to think that executives earn millions of dollars to yank their viewers around like this.
SubnormalSWANNY
Oct 6, 2012 12:26PM
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Clearly her boobs are not big enough to pull off this role.  ...or at least the outfit does not do hers justice.  This is not about acting or writing.  Its about a sexy woman that wants to tie you up.  Remove the bombshell and you have a failed show.  Her jet is even invisible so you can focus on her.
Chris Tucci
Oct 6, 2012 12:18PM
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It seems like a total re-hash like superman returns.
xylophhone
Oct 6, 2012 11:39AM
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lynda carter had ... she has bumps

 

Js Earls
Oct 6, 2012 10:21AM
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I saw the pilot & it was all over the place -- The writing WAS horrible -- The fight in the middle was batter than the fight at the end (a stupid no-no) -- Having Wonder Woman say "tits" several times (is that an Amazonian word?) was just bizzare for a show families would undoubtedly be watching (almost as annoying as having people called "dicks" several times in the last ep of REVOLUTION) if you wanna' reduce your demographics & ratings, that's your own stupidity, you can be relevant w/o language 1/2 the country doesn't use or appreciate, especially in prime-time when many ages are watching -- Honestly, it was just bizarre, direction-less crap.  Well, at least her ship/plane looked pretty cool


SillyBoy1
Oct 6, 2012 10:15AM
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Politics have strange bed fellows. Maybe it was the guy running for office with Magic Underwear in the same year of a release of Magic lasso that scared the exces?

If you kept her in that outfit for the whole show I would watch it.

 

ChipD
Oct 6, 2012 8:55AM
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Since none of us outside Hollyweird are privy to the politics of entertainment, who really knows why "Wonder Woman" wasn't on the fall TV schedule?  And who really cares?  Like every TV season, there's just as much junk as there is fine fare for viewers.  And with 500 channels of programming, most of which nobody really wants to see, does it really matter?
Klaus Vonterinealis
Oct 6, 2012 8:12AM
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These shows made today, with all the PC culture, are not something people want to see. The networks are pushing an agenda mainstream America is not interested in seeing. There are so many ads on network TV people forget what they're watching, at least I do, it's not worth sitting through the ads for me.

 

Entertain us, don't try to push your skewed values and alternative lifestyle choices on us.

blue light explosion
Oct 6, 2012 8:10AM
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Hey..,her boobs are too small and she looks like a Kardouchian. Now put Christina Hendricks in that role and you would have seen her magic lasso rein in the ratings. Well that and get some decent writers.
Sheeyah
Oct 6, 2012 7:55AM
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"There were obviously politics involved," Palicki tells . "It had gotten picked up as far as I knew, so when we got that call it was incredibly shocking."

 

Sorry Ms. Palicki, it had nothing to do with politics.  I saw the pilot and it was terrible.  It really had nothing to do with Wonder Woman.  She wasn't an amazon, she was a billionaire business owner who used technology to make her "Wonder Woman."  Other than appearance (which obviously few like anyway), she was nothing like Wonder Woman in character.  The whole thing was a terrible mess.

 

I'm not sure about "Amazon" either.  Sure it's pretty much wide open if she not Wonder Woman yet, but how much story can you do without actually making her Wonder Woman?

qeplah
Oct 6, 2012 6:43AM
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As some Making-of doc about the 1st X-Men movie pointed out, it's pretty much impossible to make beloved hero's costumes from comics look like anything but crap in real life. Especially when you have to follow your PC agenda and add pants. Something from X-Men to Captain America, actually re-tooled and designed for the visual medium, would have been a better approach. She is stunning, but a cheesy bustier that looks like somebody with a decent budget and some extra cash built for Mardi Gras just ain't makin it.

Also, I didn't see the pilot, but most, thankfully not all, fantasy, superhero or SciFi subject matter taken on by TV ranges from just weak, to a bit too over the top, to abysmally bad. (See ANYTHING done by SyFy).

Lastly, I don't know if it had anything to do with the cancellation, but David E. Kelley  kicked over a liberal garbage can and made the last season of Boston Legal, what should have been a roundhouse finale season, into his own personal soapbox/State Propaganda Manifesto for the Amazing Obozo Machine. Certainly left me not in any hurry to see any of his stuff again. Ever.

Chrispyking
Oct 6, 2012 4:13AM
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Just from this picture alone, I think we are all spared a lot of pain from an awful show.  I realize they have updated the costume a little bit, but it's too 70's cheesiness.  They should have gone another direction like with the X-Men costumes.  Or a dark red crimson color and form fitting like Catwoman's suit from The Dark Knight Rises.  It still comes down to writing, however.  If this article is true, it sounds like they had a real dud as far as writing goes.  Probably best if this pilot doesn't see the light of day.
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Deanna Barnert

Deanna Barnert | Los Angeles, Calif.

Entertainment journalist Deanna "TVDeeva" Barnert visits sets, interviews industry players and critiques the final product. Buzz's daytime TV queen covers it all for MSN TV, but loves her sitcoms, soaps and any juicy drama that doesn't call itself Reality TV.

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