WB's Aquaman Dead in the Water

It was over before it even really began for The WB's Aquaman television show. "Mercy Reef" was conceived after the special guest appearance of A.C. (Arthur Curry AKA Aquaman) on The WB's superseries "Smallville" sent a tidal wave through the show's heavily supermythological fifth season. Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, the creators of "Smallville" and writers of "Spider-Man II," were developing the new Aquaman series based on the success of A.C.'s appearance in the episode "Aqua" as a love interest of Lois Lane, archenemy of Lex Luthor, and rival turned friend of Clark Kent.

According to the report from Variety, the series was to star Justin Hartley (from the TV soap "Passions") as Aquaman along with Denise Quinones (a "Smallville" alum from the Season 5 episode "Vengeance") and Ving Rhames (the "Mission: Impossible" movies). But, it was the wrong place and the wrong time. Even though a pilot was filmed, the plans for a series were premature given the deal The WB and UPN would make come season's end.

The two networks joined forces to become The CW, a new channel that would carry the shows of both former channels, allowing the networks to reach many areas where only one of the networks was available before and certain deals had to be struck to air each other's shows. With the advent of The CW, there was a new mutually beneficial agreement, but the huge downfall was that each side had to cut their fall rosters in half to fit the best of both worlds into The CW's schedule.

Competition for timeslots was fierce and only the strongest survived. Having never had the chance to make the tiniest splash, Aquaman did not make the fall lineup. However, The WB's big superhero success story "Smallville" and it's new companion for Thursday nights, the fresh cult sensation "Supernatural," made the cut as two of the best teen dramas to air in recent memory, forging their unique mark on enjoyable sci-fi/fantasy/horror television.

"Mercy Reef" was simply not meant to be. Aquaman would be better served as a movie anyway. If the networks were to take any cue from "Smallville" for a spin-off series, the good money would be on The Flash, whose guest appearance on "Smallville" in the fourth season episode "Run" showcased runaway potential for his own spotlight. Since "Smallville" is to "Lois & Clark" what a young Flash series would be to the 1990 TV show "The Flash," that seems to be where The WB really missed the train. That was ground that a network could stand on, whereas Aquaman never quite seemed like it had the serial possibilities that would be necessary to keep a television show afloat to survive a converging effort like The CW.

While it is certainly the kind of thing that makes a fan wonder "what if" as well as what could have been, this is probably for the better, and better still, Aquaman is now free to delve into the deeper waters of the big screen rather than making a quick splash on TV. Removing the pressure of staying fresh and interesting episode to episode, a movie would mean better special effects, higher production values, and grander superheroics. A dip into television could have been refreshing for a while, but it would eventually turn into perpetual play in a pond. Why not go straight for the cinematic ocean? So, Arthur Curry won't be on the small screen, but hopefully this isn't the last we hear of Aquaman.