As ABC gears up for Joss Whedon’s S.H.I.E.L.D. series, another series with a similar premise has been put out to pasture.
According to Deadline, ABC has shelved the proposed summer series Weird Desk, which looked like a cross between X-Files and the short-lived Freakylinks. According to reports, ABC say the premise for both shows was too similar.
Weird Desk would’ve followed the paranormal investigation division of a clandestine organization, and had apparently garnered some positive buzz behind the scenes at the network. The show has been kicking around ABC for a while now, so there’s still a chance it could eventually see the light of day. But TV shows don’t typically get a second chance, so it’s gone from a long shot to a very long shot.
The series had been given a 13 episode order last week, but it appears it won’t ever see the light of day.
Wait, what? This is similar to S.H.I.E.L.D. how?
If they shelved it simply because it involved a “clandestine organization”, that makes as much sense as shelving a new series because “it’s a cop show like 4 others that are already on primetime”.