We All Got Excited By These 10 Planned TV Shows, But I'm Not Sure They're Ever Going To Happen
It’s always exciting when a new TV show is proposed, but just because actors or writers discuss a series doesn’t mean it will happen. A show may be tentatively announced, but after years of silence or false starts, it’s hard not to assume it’s stuck in development hell. It’s easy to expect production to begin soon after an announcement, but many projects quietly fade away or are quietly axed by the network. While some aren’t officially canceled, the lack of updates makes their future uncertain, and as the weeks turn into years, I start to doubt they’ll ever happen.
From all-time great directors expanding their cinematic creations with a TV project to spin-off series focused on beloved characters, there are many reasons a potential show will be discussed without actually ever coming to fruition. While it’s clear that the people hyping up these projects want them to happen, that’s not enough to ensure they are greenlit and make it to air. For every show that actually gets into production, there are countless more that remain undeveloped.
10 The Rise Of Gus
Giancarlo Esposito has outlined his idea for Gus Fring's Breaking Bad spin-off
Breaking Bad was truly one of the greatest shows of the 21st century, and the success of Better Call Saul has proved it possible to make a spin-off without ruining the integrity of the original. While series creator Vince Gilligan has not announced any plans to return to this universe any time soon, Gus Fring’s actor Giancarlo Esposito has ignited viewers' hopes with his idea of a prequel spin called The Rise of Gus.
Gus Fring Breaking Bad Prequel Show Gets Compelling Response From Giancarlo Esposito
Giancarlo Esposito shares his thoughts on a potential Gus Fring Breaking Bad prequel show, pitching his idea for what the series could be about.
In a video with British GQ, Esposito explored the idea of telling Gus’s backstory in the Chilean military and eventually coming to America to make his own destiny. While viewers may be wary about yet another Breaking Bad spin-off’s chances of success, this franchise has had such a great track record it’s hard not to get excited about its possibility. Saying that, there are no active plans for a Gus spin-off, and I’m not sure it’s ever going to happen.
9 Bo & Cheyenne
This Superstore spin-off was in the works at NBC
Superstore was one of the best sitcoms of recent years, and it’s no surprise that NBC was considering ways of expanding it into a franchise. This led to the development of Bo & Cheyenne, a proposed spin-off that would follow these two supporting characters trying to balance their big dreams with the harsh realities of being a blue-collar family in America (via Deadline.) With Johnny Pemberton and Nichole Sakura set to reprise their roles as the title characters, this would have been an exciting offshoot that had the potential to bring back many beloved characters for guest appearances.
While Bo & Cheyenne was announced in 2020, the project never got off the ground, and by 2021, NBC decided not to move forward with the show. Disappointingly, Superstore hasn’t received any spin-offs, and with no news about upcoming projects set in this world for the past several years, I’m not sure it ever will. As a show that boasted an incredible ensemble cast of talented comedians, it seems a shame to let all that go to waste.
8 The Adrian Pimento Spin-Off
An interesting idea for a Brooklyn Nine-Nine spin-off
While the tragic death of Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Andre Braugher means that any attempt to revive this police procedural sitcom will feel incomplete, the idea of a spin-off focusing on Adrian Pimento is an exciting proposition. This idea was echoed by the series creator Dan Goor, who spoke to EWabout a potential series focusing on the intense, unhinged, and unstable former detective and ex-fiancé of Rosa Diaz.
Jason Mantzoukas stole every scene he was in as Pimento in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Goor stated, “I would love to see a Pimento spin-off show.” Now that the show has been off the air for a few years, viewers have had time to miss its litany of outrageous and wacky characters, and a Pimento spin-off would be the perfect way to check in on them without trying to stage a revival that excluded Braugher’s Captain Holt. However, Goor’s statement should be taken with a pinch of salt, as there’s been no official word on any B99 spin-offs in the works.
7 A Tony Soprano Prequel
Michael Gandolfini has spoken about reprising his role from The Many Saints of Newark
The Sopranos is truly one of the most influential and important TV shows ever made, and the idea of making another TV series feels risky. David Chase already returned to this world for the prequel movie The Many Saints of Newark, which received mixed reviews and was widely considered an inferior and unnecessary addition. However, one of the best things about that movie was Michael Gandolfini’s role as a young Tony Soprano, the iconic antihero initially portrayed by Michael’s late father, James Gandolfini.
Michael bore a striking resemblance to his father, and in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, he stated that he would love to work with The Sopranos creator David Chase again. However, Gandolfini also asserted that he believes Tony’s story has been “set to rest now for good” before adding, “who knows.” While I’m not sure this prequel series is even necessary, it’s impossible not to get excited about the possibility of seeing more from a Gandolfini in the role of Tony Soprano.
6 White Collar Renaissance
A revival with many original cast members has been in the works for years
The police procedural White Collar was a thrilling series exploring a con artist working with the FBI to catch other white-collar criminals. Telling the story of the renowned criminal, forger, and thief Neal Caffrey, this acclaimed series featured clever plotting and some outstanding chemistry between its ensemble cast. While the show has been off the air for a decade, a revival with many original cast members has been in the works for years.
While the White Collar revival has had some exciting updates in recent times, with co-star Tiffani Thiessen telling Peoplein February 2025 that she hopes the anticipated revival gets turned around “pretty fast,” I won’t get my hopes up until the project is officially in production. As a revival that was first mentioned by series creator Jeff Eastin in a tweet back in 2020, it’s impossible not to feel like White Collar Renaissance may never come to fruition.
5 Bounty Law
Quentin Tarantino has written full episodes of this Western TV show
Bounty Law was a fictional 1960s Western TV show in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood that Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth were working on, although Quentin Tarantino has sparked hope that this series could actually become a reality (via Collider.) While we were only given brief glimpses of the show in the movie, Tarantino had so much fun researching old-school Westerns that he actually ended up writing scripts for real Bounty Law episodes and stated he wanted to make them.
Although this is an exciting proposition, Tarantino first spoke about this show in 2020, and there’s been no movement on the proposed black-and-white series since. This wouldn’t be the first project that Tarantino announced and then never followed through with, as evident from unrealized works like Kill Bill Vol. 3 and The Movie Critic. While we can hold out hope that Tarantino eventually gets this show off the ground, it’s not certain that he could convince Leonardo DiCaprio to reprise his role on the small screen.
4 The Dark Tower
This Stephen King adaptation has had a haphazard history
Stephen King has had countless works adapted for film and TV, although one project that fans would love to see is a television version of his sprawling fantasy series The Dark Tower. While a film version was released in 2017 starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey, it received overwhelmingly negative reviews, which had a knock-on effect on the series' reputation and jeopardized the proposed Amazon TV series. Despite this issue, it was announced in 2022 that Mike Flanagan was developing the series (via Deadline), and readers have been hoping that this new show could right the wrongs of the past.
Flanagan’s track record for King adaptations is great, and his work on Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep highlighted him as the perfect man for the job. However, The Dark Tower is a mammoth of a series, and details on the show have been few and far between for the past several years. I’d love to see The Dark Tower TV show made, and most of all I hope it can match the epic odyssey outlined in the books, although I’m starting to wonder if it will ever happen at all.
3 A Smallville Sequel Series
An animated sequel had been on the cards for years
The CW superhero series Smallville offered a thrilling insight into the early years of Clark Kent before he donned his iconic blue, red, and yellow suit to protect the world as Superman. Running for ten years between 2001 and 2011, Smallville predated the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was one of the most beloved superhero TV shows of all time. Despite boasting 217 episodes, viewers were eager for more, and an animated sequel spin-off was first proposed back in 2021 (via Slash Film.)
While Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum were both expected to return as Clark Kent and Lex Luthor, respectively, this highly anticipated sequel has languished in development hell for years. On a recent episode of the Talk Villepodcast, Smallville co-creator Alfred Gough offered an update on the project, stating that Warner Brothers are “in the process of rebooting Superman again,” which negatively impacts the show’s chances of returning. While we can still hope it will someday become a reality, it does not look like Smallville is coming back any time soon.
2 The Walking Dead's Crossover
A large-scale crossover between the many series in the franchise has been proposed
The Walking Dead was one of the most impactful and acclaimed zombie TV shows of all time, and even though it finished its run in 2022 after 11 seasons, the franchise continues in the form of various spin-offs. With shows like Fear the Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: Dead City, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, and The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live carrying on the series’ legacy, fans are eager to see these separate installments come together in a major crossover event or miniseries.
Walking Dead Spinoffs Crossover Event Addressed By Scott Gimple, EP Confirms "Breadcrumbs" In Shows
Ahead of the latest Walking Dead spinoff The Ones Who Live, franchise boss Scott Gimple reveals if a crossover with other TWD shows is possible.
These hopes were heightened through The Walking Dead showrunner Scott Gimple's assertion that he has “laid breadcrumbs” for a possible crossover, even stating, “I do have dreams of merging this all together.” While this is an incredible idea that would certainly please those who have been faithfully keeping up with all the many spin-offs, it’s also a massive undertaking, and it’s important not to get our hopes up before it's actually announced. With so many The Walking Dead characters spread across different locations, a major crossover event could be a logistical nightmare, narratively speaking.
1 Star Trek: Legacy
A continuation of Star Trek: Picard has been discussed by cast, crew, and fans
While Star Trek has had plenty of spin-offs over the past six decades, there’s one proposed show that has yet to get off the ground. This is Star Trek: Legacy, a proposed continuation of Star Trek: Picardthat would follow Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) as she captains the newest USS Enterprise. While hopes have run high that this would be the next step for the Star Trek franchise after the conclusion of Picard in 2023, CBS CEO George Cheeks and showrunner Terry Matalas have both made statements that it's not on the cards in the immediate future (via Collider.)
But that’s not to say there hasn’t been any movement on Star Trek: Legacy, as Matalas said, “I even wrote scenes and stuff” for the potential spin-off, meaning all hope is not lost that it could one day become a reality. While many are eager to see the continuation of stories explored in Picard, luckily, they still have several other ongoing series to keep up with in the meantime, including Prodigy, Strange New Worlds, and the upcoming series Starfleet Academy.
Source: British GQ, Deadline, EW, Entertainment Tonight, People, X, Collider, Deadline, Slash Film, Talk Ville, Collider
