Cancelled Before They Began: Lost Boys, Cipher, Triangle, and More Sci Fi Pilots That Did Not Fly in 2019

The 2019 Upfronts, when the networks present their schedules to the sponsors, have come and gone and we know which sci fi and fantasy shows have been renewed, cancelled, and picked up (you can see our full rundown of coverage from the Upfronts at this link). But not all of the new shows that the networks had in development were picked up, leaving some cancelled before they even had a chance to find an audience. Pilot development was down this year with only a handful of sci fi / fantasy shows in contention. But there were a few that had potential and here is a look at several of the genre entries that will not be going forward.

The Lost Boys

Description: Welcome to sunny seaside Santa Carla, home to a beautiful boardwalk, all the cotton candy you can eat…and a secret underworld of vampires. After the sudden death of their father, two brothers move to Santa Carla with their mother, who hopes to start anew in the town where she grew up. But the brothers find themselves drawn deeper and deeper into the seductive world of Santa Carla’s eternally beautiful and youthful undead. THR

Starring: Tyler Posey, Kiele Sanchez, Medalion Rahimi, Dakota Shapiro

Credits: Heather Mitchell (Writer / Executive Producer), EP Rob Thomas (Executive Producer)

Johnny Jay Says: For the second year in a row The CW has passed on a reboot of Lost Boys and for the second year in a row it has been put back into development. This one could have been interesting with Teen Wolf‘s Tyler Posey in the lead role and Rob Thomas attached. It took The CW a few years to get Charmed back on television, so this one may finally get a series order next year.

Cipher

Description: Secret military technology unexpectedly is implanted in the brain of a 13-year-old video game junkie, when the boy and his father unwittingly find themselves at the center of the next great war — over artificial intelligence. Deadline Hollywood

Network: Syfy

Staring: Gabriel Bateman, Adrian Grenier, Elias Koteas

Credits: Allison Miller (Writer / Executive Producer)

Johnny Jay Says: I don’t know for a fact that this show is dead, but no pickup announcement was made during the NBCUniversal Upfront presentation, so I am working on the assumption that it will not go forward. On the plus side, it would have brought some more sci fi to Syfy, something that network is in short supply of lately. But Syfy is barely holding on these days so maybe it would be better if this shifted to another venue.

Triangle

Description: What if the Bermuda Triangle was not a watery grave in the middle of the ocean, but a land lost in time that has trapped travelers over the course of human history? When a family is shipwrecked in this strange land, they must band together with a group of like-minded inhabitants — from throughout history — to survive and somehow find a way home. THR

Network: ABC

Starring: Mike Vogel, Edwin Hodge, Mallory Jansen, Matt Passmore

Credits: Jon Feldman (Writer / Executive Producer), Sonny Postiglione (Executive Producer)

Johnny Jay Says: This show was passed over for the Fall season, but word is that it might still be considered as a Mid-Season addition. Sure sounds a whole lot like 1977’s Fantastic Journey (anybody remember that one?) and they could run with the concept if given the chance. But at this point it looks like it could disappear into the Devil’s Triangle of television Development Hell.

Alive

Description: A San Francisco homicide detective is mysteriously brought back to life after being killed in the line of duty, but as he resumes his old life and he and his wife realize he isn’t the same person he used to be, they zero in on the strange man behind his resurrection: Dr. Victor Frankenstein. THR

Network: CBS

Starring: Ryan Phillippe, Katrina Law, Aaron Staton, Saidah Arrika Ekulona

Credits: Jason Tracey (Writer / Executive Producer), Rob Doherty (Executive Producer)

Johnny Jay Says: Yet another procedural with links to Frankenstein, ABC did not have much luck with the similarly-themed Second Chance (aka The Frankenstein Code, aka Lookinglass) in 2016. Not sure that we really need another cop show with a genre twist, though I believe this one would have had a better chance of surviving on CBS than the next entry on the list.

The Republic of Sarah

Description: A small New Hampshire town is thrust onto the world stage when the discovery of a valuable resource within its borders compels the residents to declare themselves an independent nation, setting the unlikely young mayor and her cabinet of inexperienced locals on the path of running a brand new country. THR

Network: CBS

Starring: Sarah Drew, Kirsten Nelson, James Lesure, Kimberly Guerrero

Credits: Jeffrey Paul King (Writer / Executive Producer), EP Leo Pearlman (Executive Producer)

Johnny Jay Says: I don’t know how much in the way of genre elements this show would have, but it surely sounds like an interesting idea. That said, CBS does not like to stray from its formula of procedurals and sitcoms too much, so this one might not have lasted long on that network.

More Season Roundup Coverage:

List of all the Cancellations and Renewals from the 2018-19 Season

Syfy Appears to Be Fading as a Network, Will It Become a Peak TV Casualty?

Final Scorecard for the Regular Season, Game of Thrones Sit Atop the Rankings

Scoring This Season’s Predictions for Shows Like The Orville, The Gifted, Z Nation, and More

A Look at How This Year’s Sci Fi and Fantasy Shows Did on the Linear Networks and Streaming Channels

First Look at neXt, Batwoman, Evil, and More of the Upcoming Season’s New Shows (with Trailers)

First Look at the Fall 2019 Slate of Sci Fi and Fantasy Shows

Roundup of the Renewals, Cancellations, Pickups, and Schedule Announcements from the Upfronts