Somehow, 16 years have passed since the world bid farewell to the badassery of Sydney Bristow, Jennifer Garner’s spy heading up the former ABC action-thriller Alias. During that time, fans have clamored for Garner to reteam with show creator J.J. Abrams for a revival of some kind — and not the reboot that the network considered over a decade ago — and it looked like we might get the next best thing in the form of Apple TV+’s My Glory Was I Had Such Friends. The streaming project, ordered to series back in 2018, was set to be a reunion for Garner and Abrams, but the project has now been canceled after Garner made a surprise exit.
lt doesn’t appear that a whole lot of forward progress was made with My Glory Was I Had Such Friends in the years after it was first announced as something Apple TV+ subscribers could look forward to. And while it’s unclear if there was a plan being made to start production soon, Deadline reports that Garner made the move to exit the long-gestating limited series due to scheduling reasons. Those presumably tie back to the other Apple TV+ series she’s currently filming, The Last Thing He Told Me, which is being produced by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine banner.
Without Jennifer Garner locked in as the new project’s lead, Apple TV+ execs made the decision to cut losses and cease work on the Bad Robot and Warner Bros. TV production. The memoir My Glory Was I Had Such Friends, which admittedly isn’t anything like Alias, centers on author Amy Silverstein’s journey ahead of her second life-saving heart transplant, and the endlessly supportive group of friends that helped her cope during that stressful and emotionally troubling time. The book was acquired by Bad Robot back in 2017 soon after its debut.
The limited series project doesn’t appear to be throwing in the towel completely, however, with execs from both Bad Robot and Warner Bros TV reportedly still interested in bringing the adaptation to life. As such, the goal will be to find another home for it in the wake of Apple TV+’s cancellation decision, but that goal may not be put into action just yet. Reportedly, the writers room is working on crafting additional episode scripts to have more to show ahead of approaching various other networks and streaming platforms.
Having been nominated for four Emmy Awards for her work on Alias, Jennifer Garner has certainly made a home for herself in the world of streaming in recent years, even if this particular drama will no longer have her as its lead. 2021 and 2022 had her heading up two different Netflix films, the middling family comedy Yes Day and the time-traveling viewership monster The Adam Project, along with the aforementioned series The Last Thing He Told Me. That production is set to be followed by other reported projects such as the TV series Can’t Go Home and the musical comedy Fantasy Camp with I Feel Pretty writer/director Abby Kohn.
This setback for My Glory Was I Had Such Friends is only the latest downer headline focused around Bad Robot’s TV production slate, with HBO putting the kibosh on another slow-moving project that was ordered to series in 2018, Demimonde, which was scrapped in part due to budget requests reaching around $250 million. Warner Bros. entire film and TV deal with J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot has been put under a spotlight thanks to the WB Discovery merger, with various other previously announced projects for HBO and HBO Max also facing financial hurdles during extended development phases. Will we ever see the update-lacking Justice League Dark, which first made waves over two years ago?
Bad Robot does still have the upcoming live-action Speed Racer TV series in the works at Apple TV+, as well as the adaptation of Scott Turow’s legal thriller Presumed Innocent, with David E. Kelley heading things up on that front. Perhaps if My Glory Was I Had Such Friends finds an A+ replacement for Jennifer Garner, Apple will throw its hat back in the ring.
While it’s disappointing that Jennifer Garner won’t be reteaming with J.J. Abrams on this new TV show, at least Alias fans got to see the cast reuniting in 2021 for a 20-year anniversary of the show’s premiere. And there’s still a chance for a revival somewhere else down the line, right?
