Why HBO Passed On Sons Of Anarchy

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If you asked which brand reigns supreme in prestige television, most would say HBO. "The Sopranos" and "The Wire" are highs that television dramas have been chasing for the last two decades. HBO's judgment is not unassailable, though. The network has turned down several shows that went on to be huge successes elsewhere. One of the shows HBO rejected was "Breaking Bad," which is generally ranked alongside "Sopranos" and "The Wire" as the third node in the "television masterpiece" triptych.

Another was the series that became "Sons of Anarchy." Created by Kurt Sutter, the series is basically "Hamlet" retold with the Hells Angels. Jackson "Jax" Teller (Charlie Hunnam) is a member of the Sons of Anarchy, a motorcycle club in northern California that makes its money running guns. The club was founded by Jax's late father, John, but these days is led by his stepfather, Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman). Jax unearths his father's journals, realizes Teller Sr. wanted the Sons to be outlaws but not criminals, and butts heads with Clay while trying to reform the club.

Running for seven seasons, "Sons of Anarchy" was a consistent ratings hit for FX. After the series wrapped in 2014, FX greenlit both a new series from Sutter (short-lived historical drama "The Bastard Executioner") and a "Sons" spin-off, "Mayans M.C." But all that success could've been HBO's.

Sutter and executive producer John Linson originally pitched the show to HBO, then titled "Forever Sam Crow." ("Sam Crow" is an in-universe name for the motorcycle club, derived from Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Originals, or SAMCRO.) But unfortunately, HBO had one biker drama too many at the time.

When Sutter and Linson pitched HBO, the network was already developing a biker series from screenwriter Michael Tolkin (writer of "The Player" and "Changing Lanes.") Tolkin's pitch was "1%," inspired by Hells Angels founder Sonny Barger's autobiography. Developed with Barger, the series would follow a fictional motorcycle club, the Death Riders, in Arizona. The series' lead was Donal Logue, playing a biker nicknamed Misfit.

HBO evidently decided they couldn't put out two competing biker dramas at the same time. Compare how years later, HBO turned down "Yellowjackets" because they thought the series' teen drama elements were too close to "Euphoria."

If you've never heard of "1%", there's a good reason: the show didn't go to series. Before the pilot had aired, the series already ran into trouble when Barger sued HBO, Tolkin, and production company the White Mountain Company. Barger claimed he was cut out of the production and not properly credited, and that aspects of the pilot were too close to the reality of Hells Angels. The "1%" pilot was ultimately released as a TV movie in 2008, but good luck trying to track it down to watch now. "Sons of Anarchy" obviously did not share that fate.

Sutter broke into television as a writer on the FX police drama "The Shield," which was the series that proved FX could deliver HBO-level entertainment. So, after HBO's rejection, Sutter cashed in his chips at FX and got "Forever Sam Crow" off the ground there. The series was renamed "Sons of Anarchy" (which, let's be real, is a much better and more evocative title), and premiered in September 2008, a few months before "The Shield" wrapped up that November.

"Sons of Anarchy" raced along the highway to success at FX, leaving HBO and its failed "1%" pilot to eat (Sam) crow.