THE BEST TV SHOWS THAT NEVER WERE"The Best Bathroom Reading EVER," - San Francisco Chronicle"A must-browse for media freaks." -USA Today"Irresistible and enthralling." -Hartford Courant"Full of fool's gold and genuine TV treasures." -The New York Post This lively and entertaining book looks at the three hundred best and worst TV series ideas-known in the industry as "pilots"-that never made it to primetime from 1955-1990. From the adventures of a Samurai D.A. to the antics of an invisible alien baby, Lee Goldberg reveals the most astonishing, funny, and bizarre shows that never were. "You'll slap your head in disbelief-try not to hurt yourself-at the idea of John Denver as a singing FBI agent. You'll wonder whether Joe Penny as a samurai district attorney would have been funnier-unintentionally-that John Belushi's 'Saturday Night Live.' For tube-historians, this is a must see." - People MagazineThis book was previously published as "Unsold TV Pilots: The Greatest Shows You Never Saw" and "Unsold TV Pilots: The Almost Complete Guide To Everything You Never Saw on TV"

THE UNTOLD STORY...Aimee & David Thurlo's Ella Clah, a Navajo Police special investigator, is one of the most enduring and popular characters in detective fiction today. Ella's dedicated fans have long dreamed of the bestselling, critically acclaimed series coming to television...and it almost happened. In 2001, CBS commissioned a pilot script, a sample episode of a proposed series, from writer/producers Lee Goldberg & William Rabkin. Sadly, the Ella Clah pilot ultimately wasn't produced, and ever since, the script has been hotly sought-after by fans. Here, at long last, is that rare pilot script, along with the original sales treatment, six episode ideas, a foreword by the Thurlos, and a detailed account from Goldberg & Rabkin about how they approached their adaptation and what their plans were for the TV series. It's an exciting, must-read story for Ella Clah fans and aspiring TV screenwriters alike and a fascinating peek behind-the-scenes of network television."One of the genre's most believable and empathetic protagonists," Booklist "A tough, appealing heroine who faces personal conflict between professional duty and pride in her heritage," Publishers Weekly

“A remarkable encyclopedia.” — TV Guide “A must-browse for media freaks.” — USA Today “Irresistible and enthralling.” — Hartford Courant “Full of fool’s gold and genuine TV treasures.” — The New York Post The three hundred best and worst TV series ideas— known in the industry as “pilots”— that never made it to primetime. From the adventures of a Samurai D.A. to the antics of an invisible alien baby, Lee Goldberg details the greatest shows you never saw.