Mustn’t-see television
Programs kiboshed before they hit the air
There are certainly reality shows where you can’t stop but think, “How did this show see the light of day?”
But for as many shows you’re shocked got on the air, there are many more that devastated producers when they didn’t make it.
At the recent Real-Screen Summit, an annual reality TV conference in Washington, D.C., producers spilled stories about the one that got away — series that were pitched but simply failed to make it on TV. Some just had bad luck, but some are as absurd as you might expect.
Big Weed
Premise: An Apprentice-style show where 10 people compete to work with one of Colorado’s top marijuana dealers.
Why it failed: The first line of the sizzle reel may have made some network executives wince: “Every day I commit two felonies: I sell drugs and launder money,” boasts the star, who brags he has the best weed in the world.
Another factor that hurt: A couple of other marijuana shows were already on the air, said producer Jim Berger, and hadn’t rated well.
Its real downfall, however, was how advertisers would feel — particularly on History channel, which expressed interest but has a more conservative audience.
Untitled Waxing Salon Show
Premise: People in deep personal conversations with their waxers — while getting hair removed. Why it failed: It was disgusting. Producer Eric Schotz showed a cringe-inducing clip of a woman getting a Brazilian bikini wax while talking about an upcoming date.
“Mother of God!” the woman yells.
“How has technology not come up with something better than this?”
Schotz said when he pitched it to Lifetime, the exec just stared at him before she politely declined.
“It’s gonna go freaking viral!” Schotz recalls saying.
Hot Date
Premise: The Bachelor … with porn stars.
Why it failed: In the words of one producer: “You have to ask?” Apparently it got an “angry pass” from a male-centric television network.