Sometimes when everybody has a bad feeling about something, that feeling is correct. It seems as if that may have been the case with The CW's upcoming curiosity-inspiring live-action Powerpuff Girls series. The folks behind the show have decided to take a step back after filming the pilot, and if certain recent leaks are anything to go by, they made the right decision.
The CW has decided not to pick up the series, officially known as Powerpuff, in its current form after apparently being unimpressed with the pilot they were presented. CEO of the network Mark Pedowitz didn't mince any words when explaining their decision, saying, "The reason we do pilots is sometimes things miss, this was just a miss." At least this won't be a forgettable TV show launched by an awesome pilot. He went on to clarify that he and The CW in general all have high hopes for the people involved in the show and that they can hopefully hit a sweet spot when they try again. In other words, the series hasn't been completely wiped away. It's just that the team behind it will now get a chance to rework it and make another attempt from, perhaps, a different angle.
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This likely isn't surprising news for many people, especially considering the already divisive reaction to leaked behind-the-scenes shots from the Powerpuff Girls pilot. Fans were quick to criticize the low-quality look of the titular trio's superhero outfits in the set photos. Even though the outfits themselves were likely meant to be early versions and not the main designs used, it didn't inspire much confidence from fans. Many seemed to love the actors themselves, but that can only go so far. Based on an allegedly leaked script from the pilot, it looks like the overall quality may not have held up to scrutiny.
Shortly after news broke about the pilot being rejected, users on Reddit and Twitter began to circulate what appeared to be the actual script from Powerpuff's pilot. One look at it was all many people needed to completely understand why The CW didn't pick it up in its current form. From uninspired references to "triggering" to unnerving suggestions that Buttercup once leaked Bubbles' nudes, the whole thing began to feel much less like an honest attempt to continue the story and more like some kind of cynical, edgy teenager's idea of what the Powerpuff Girls would be like as adults. Donald Faison's line as Professor Utonium referencing Dirty Dancing was kind of good, though.
Seeing the writing involved makes it a lot easier to see why the pilot didn't work for the network. Random name drops of social networks and websites in casual conversation give off a distinct "fellow kids" feel that would really need to be reworked in a show that not only features 3 women in their '20s but also one that would be on the same network as the stellar Stargirl, which largely depicts its young characters with far more respect.
So hopefully this reworking of the pilot results in a much more genuine take on the source material. Powerpuff Girls, as comedy-focused as it was, means a lot of things to a lot of people, and it deserves better than to simply be a small screen adaptation of the most uninspired fanfiction stories.
The original Powerpuff Girls is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
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Source: Deadline