Will Pasadena Be Put Back on the Map?

Now that Fox has officially pulled the plug on Pasadena, series creator Mike White is determined to find a home for the show's remaining nine hour-long episodes. "We are looking to get it on FX or some kind of cable outlet," he tells TV Guide Online, adding that releasing all 13 installments on DVD is another option being considered. "I'm really proud of the rest of the episodes. It's a mystery and it all gets resolved [in the end]."

Despite talk that White might edit the show's entire run into a Mulholland Dr.-esque feature film, the acclaimed scribe behind Chuck & Buck and The Good Girl says that idea is pretty much dead. "Unlike Mulholland Dr., this [would have to be] a 13-hour movie," he points out. "So, it's hard to see how that would work." Well, it's not like David Lynch's two-hour mind-bender made any sense, right? "[But] mine does make sense," protests White, laughing. "It all pays off. That's really frustrating for me."

Another source of frustration for White was the constant mixed messages Fox kept sending him about the fate of his low-rated but creatively-promising drama. Essentially, what was supposed to be a temporary hiatus turned into a permanent one. "It was the never-ending drama," he sighs. "I think the network really liked the show... [but] from a business point of view, I understand why they just couldn't take another risk of launching it again."

Responds Fox entertainment president Gail Berman: "Pasadena is one of the painful experiences we had last year. We took it off the air with the full intent of trying to find a place for it, because it was an excellent show, and Mike White is a great creator. Someday, we hope to be in business with him again."

That's an offer White may just have to refuse — for now, anyway. "I would like to do [TV] again in a way where [the network] actually makes a poster and puts us on the air," he sneers. "For somebody who likes to write, it's really an ideal job to have. I just kind of have to work up my energy again to fight those battles — because it's a lot of battles."