History Main / ExecutiveVeto

* According to ''{{Dexter}}'' executive producer John Goldwyn, Showtime would not allow Dexter to be killed off in the series finale, resulting in the show's now infamous [[AssPull "lumberjack ending"]].

* According to ''{{Dexter}}'' executive producer John Goldwyn, Showtime would not allow Dexter to be killed off in the series finale, resulting in the show's infamous [[AssPull "lumberjack ending"]].

* DC vetoed plans to have {{Batwoman}} marry her longtime girlfriend, Kate Sawyer, because they felt that no member of the Bat Family should ever be allowed to marry. Afterwards, the series writer and artist both walked out; apparently, this was the last straw after DC had already vetoed several of their other plans for the series.

** In that same vein, Alan Burnett revealed that he once proposed a plotline in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' where Terry and Dana break up for a final time and Terry hooks up with his best friend Max. Creator/BruceTimm vetoed it.

* ChrisClaremont wanted to reveal that Mystique was not in fact Nightcrawler's mother, but ''[[HomosexualReproduction his father]]'', having impregnated Destiny while shapeshifted into male form. The editors did not approve, but more than one subsequent writer and a decent number of fans have considered {{Retcon}}ning this into being Nightcrawler's actual backstory, especially since Nightcrawler's ''actual'' parentage, mainly his father being the Marvel equivalent of {{Satan}}, and the story that revealed it are widely considered to be even worse.

* A second season episode of ''{{Seinfeld}}'', called "The Bet", was scripted, but never filmed. In the script, Jerry and Elaine make a bet about the ease of buying a gun, and a subplot about George finding out whether Kramer slept with an airline stewardess. Julia Louis-Dreyfuss felt it to be too dark and disturbing. In particular, Jason Alexander mentions when she read a scene in which she holds the gun to her head reading "where do you want it Jerry? The Kennedy? [holds the gun to her stomach] The [=McKinley=]?", she turned to him and said "I'm not doing this". The script was thrown out and "The Phone Message" was written in two days to take its place.

** As Shooter himself noted later, the original ending would be comparable to capturing {{Hitler}} at the end of WorldWarII, taking away the German Army, and sending him off to live in some suburb, since he's harmless now.

* The executives of ''WesternAnimation/SheRaPrincessOfPower'' were once presented with the character of Stinkor to be included as a villain in the show. They hated the idea, thinking the character ridiculous enough to not be taken seriously by the fanbase. As a result, they resolved to never use him in ''She-Ra'' or any other ''WesternAnimation/{{He-Man| and the Masters of the Universe}}''-based media. The character was eventually allowed to be used in the 2002 remake.

* The 90s also saw a similar case in Fox Executive Dylan Sellers. The victim was the planned reboot of ''PlanetOfTheApes'' and Sellers' veto was his demand of a scene where the apes played baseball with the lead. The then projected GrittyReboot with the title ''Return of the Apes'' and starring ArnoldSchwarzenegger as a scientist time travelling to prehistoric Africa was cancelled mere months before filming was scheduled because writer Terry Hayes fervently refused to include the baseball scene, so Sellers had him fired and director Phillip Noyce resigned in solidarity with Hayes. Sam Hamm was then brought in and penned a more comedic, child-friendly, straight space Sci-Fi draft with ''two'' scenes featuring apes playing baseball. This script never got to the filming stage as Sellers was arrested soon after for drunk driving; afterwards, no ''Apes'' script included baseball.

* ChiakiKonaka mentioned on his website that during early planning for ''DigimonTamers'', one of the first concepts for Juri Katou's father was that he was a {{Yakuza}} boss working in prostitution. Unsurprisingly, the producers nuked that one from orbit, ''Digimon'' being a kids' series and all. What ended up happening wasn't all that much more child-friendly, though.
* Creator/UmeAoki mentioned [[AllThereInTheManual in one of the art books]] that she originally planned to have a WholesomeCrossdresser in the four original tenants of ''HidamariSketch'', but was shot down by her publisher.

* UmeAoki mentioned [[AllThereInTheManual in one of the art books]] that she originally planned to have a WholesomeCrossdresser in the four original tenants of ''HidamariSketch'', but was shot down by her publisher.

* According to ''{{Dexter}}'' executive producer John Goldwyn, Showtime would not allow Dexter to be killed off in the series finale, resulting in the show's infamous [[GainaxEnding "lumberjack ending"]].

* FOX executives wouldn't let the production crew of ''{{Terminator}}: TheSarahConnorChronicles'' film an expensive fight scene where the T-850 model Cromartie takes on an entire SWAT team. Instead, series creator Josh Friedman opted for an alternate fight scene that didn't show most of the violence. The end result, a SWAT raid that goes awry and is only seen from beneath the water in a hotel pool as Johnny Cash's "The Man Comes Around" plays, is considered by many to be a much more effective way of showing the carnage.

* According to legend, when Creator/HideakiAnno was told that Creator/StudioGainax had rejected the offer for ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' to be in ''SuperRobotWars'', he said, essentially, "There's no way you're keeping my [=EVAs=] from fighting beside the likes of [[GetterRobo Getter]] and [[MazingerZ Mazinger!]]"

* Rocky was originally supposed to die in the street at the end of ''RockyV'', symbolizing his total ruination. The producer and director reportedly called Sylvester Stallone and said "By the way, Rocky doesn't die."

* Jon Peters is infamous for demanding a fight between the lead and a giant spider in whatever franchise he was producing during the 90s, such as ''ComicBook/TheSandman'' and ''{{Superman}}''. The only giant spider that managed to make its way into theatres under Peters' watch in the end was ''WildWildWest''. ''A western''.

* Jon Peters is infamous for demanding a fight between the lead and a giant spider in whatever franchise he was producing during the 90s, such as ''ComicBook/{{Sandman}}'' and ''{{Superman}}''. The only giant spider that managed to make its way into theatres under Peters' watch in the end was ''WildWildWest''. ''A western''.

* Jon Peters is infamous for demanding a fight between the lead and a giant spider in whatever franchise he was producing during the 90s, such as ''{{Sandman}}'' and ''{{Superman}}''. The only giant spider that managed to make its way into theatres under Peters' watch in the end was ''WildWildWest''. ''A western''.

* According to legend, when HideakiAnno was told that {{Gainax}} had rejected the offer for ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' to be in ''SuperRobotWars'', he said, essentially, "There's no way you're keeping my [=EVAs=] from fighting beside the likes of [[GetterRobo Getter]] and [[MazingerZ Mazinger!]]"

* ''MightyMorphinPowerRangers'': Writers originally intended for Tommy to be killed off like his ''{{Zyuranger}}'' counterpart during the "Green Candle" multiparter. Saban nixed that, instead having him be BroughtDownToNormal and written out temporarily. This was a brilliant decision, as Tommy was the most popular character, and keeping him alive kept viewers interested.

* The producers estimated that they needed to build at least 9 ships for the second season of ''GameOfThrones'', which was based on a book that features an arc with [[FantasyCounterpartCulture Fantasy!Vikings]] invading the North, a massive naval battle on Blackwater Bay and Daenerys being attacked by an assassin in the docks of Qarth and leaving this city by ship in the end. HBO replied that they had money for '''one''' ship and no more. So all ships were the same one multiplied by CGI, the Fantasy!Viking landing proper took place offscreen, the Battle of Blackwater (which was considered to take place entirely offscreen as well) was fought on land after most of the enemy fleet was destroyed in a CGI explosion, and the scene with Daenerys in the docks was pushed to the third season.

* Series/{{Mash}} had a planned episode int he first season where Hawkeye impregnated two nurses and tries to avoid marrying either one. FOX shot down this idea.

* VideoGame/MaddenNFL: Madden outright refused to put his name on the six man football prototype EA first showed him, forcing the project to be shelved until 16-bit consoles came around which could handle a full team.