ABC passes on TV version of '2012'

ABC has passed on the development of the television version of 2012, according to Entertainment Weekly.

The drama series would have been a continuation of the apocalyptic film, depicting the epic aftermath of the disaster. ABC executives had originally hoped that the pilot would replace Lost in catastrophe-related programming.

Executive producer Mark Gordon, who was in talks to produce 2012, said that he thought "people would be interested in this topic on a weekly basis".

"After the movie, there are some people who survive and the question is how will these survivors build a new world and what will it look like," Gordon said. "That might make an interesting TV series."

It is thought that future production costs of 2012, combined with the status of the network's other high-concept genre shows could have played a factor in its discontinuation.