A miniseries of Shakespeare's greatest plays starring a homegrown Hollywood superstar?
Russell Crowe in a blood-soaked seafaring adventure?
And a reboot of an '80s fan favorite about an heiress seeking revenge on her enemies after surviving a crocodile attack?
These were some of the best drama ideas from Australian producers over the last decade, according to a new poll from industry blog TV Tonight.
And none of them were ever filmed because they were all canceled before filming began.
Margot Robbie's Shakespeare miniseries was one of many exciting TV dramas announced by networks… but never saw the light of day. Pictured: The Barbie star on the red carpet in New York City
We take a look at some of the most anticipated TV dramas that never aired.
Margot Robbie's Shakespeare miniseries
Today she is the homegrown Hollywood superstar best known for the billion-dollar hit Barbie.
But in 2018, the glamorous blonde Queenslander, 33, announced she was taking it upon herself to produce a series of Shakespeare adaptations for the ABC.
There was much buzz that the beauty would appear in the series, which would feature “reimagined” versions of the Bard's classic plays, including Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, The Tempest and Twelfth Night.
According to The Daily Telegraph, Margot is said to have worked with production company Hoodlum Entertainment on the project.
The series never came to fruition, perhaps due to time constraints.
Margot's career soon shot into the stratosphere, largely thanks to her Oscar nomination for her title role in the hit 2017 black comedy “I, Tonya.”
Russell Crowe's Batavia
Gladiator star Russell Crowe planned to return to the big screen in 2016
Gladiator star Russell Crowe planned to return to the big screen in 2016 with a low-budget version of a gruesome live-action film about a 17th-century mutiny.
The story is based on the 1966 book Islands of Angry Ghosts and revolves around the sinking of the Batavia, which occurred off the coast of Western Australia in 1629.
It wasn't clear whether Crowe, 59, intended to play the villainous rebel leader or the hero who ultimately defeated him… but it appears the “Beautiful Mind” actor put the project on hold after facing difficulties had to raise means of production.
Crowe's project came about after Channel 10 dropped its own version in 2014, this time based on Peter FitzSimons' book Batavia.
Back to the Eden reboot
Channel Nine's planned reboot of the 80s hit Return to Eden was canceled in 2013
Return to Eden debuted as a miniseries on Channel 10 in 1983 and was an instant fan favorite.
Starring Rebecca Gilling as a wronged heiress seeking revenge after a crocodile attack, the series has been described as an Australian version of the big-budget American soap Dynasty.
It was later revived as a full series, with James Reyne, Wendy Hughes and Peta Toppano, as well as Rebecca Gilling becoming household names.
In 2013, excited Channel Nine executives announced they were bringing back the campy classic for a reboot.
But the six-episode miniseries was canceled. Speculation at the time suggested that the show was a victim of cost-cutting within the broadcaster, as Nine was negotiating an expensive broadcast deal for international cricket at the time.
Channel Seven's Fam Time
Funnyman Duncan Fellows starred in Seven's sitcom Fam Time, which began filming in 2020, but has remained low-profile on the network since then
This sitcom about a dysfunctional family starring The Letdown comedian Duncan Fellows was actually filmed in 2020.
But Seven appears to have postponed the show indefinitely after initially announcing it would be on the schedule in 2021.
The show featured Cleverman star Benson Jack Anthony as well as Spicks and Specs and Would I Lie to You regular Michala Banas.
Claudia Karvans Goodwood
Goodwood is based on the novel by singer and author Holly Throsby and was announced in 2019.
Produced by Bump star Claudia Karvan as well as Alison Bell and Sarah Scheller (“The Letdown”), the ABC coming-of-age drama was announced with great hype but never materialized.