Kristen Bell Reveals Original ‘Veronica Mars’ Plot; 6 Major Differences From Real Show

It’s been 10 years since the critically-acclaimed teen drama “Veronica Mars” last aired on the CW Network. While the show first premiered in 2004, the idea for the story had been around longer than that.

In 1996, series creator Rob Thomas came up with the pitch for “Veronica Mars,” which originally had the placeholder name of “Untitled Teen Detective.” Teaming up with Entertainment Weekly, Kristen Bell, who played the eponymous character, revealed the original plot was “much different” than what ended up on UPN and The CW.

“Veronica Mars” Was Originally A Novel

Way before the show premiered on UPN, Thomas came up with the idea for a teen drama as a young adult novel. As Thomas became more involved with television, the series creator slowly began turning the book into a TV show and later developed plans for a movie.

There Was No Veronica

Not only did Thomas’ book pitch have no title, it also had no Veronica. Instead, the book would have followed the 17-year-old Keith Mars who lived with his father who pursued bail jumpers. “This sounds like a different show,” Bell said during her reading of the pitch.

It Would Have Taken Place In Texas

While “Veronica Mars” took place in the fictional town of Neptune, California, Thomas’ original novel would have been set in the south, in the city of Austin, Texas. In the book, Keith’s father worked at the Austin Police Department.

The Mother’s Stories Were Different

While Veronica’s estranged mom was an alcoholic who had an affair behind her father’s back, Keith’s mother decided to split from her husband after he quit his job. According to the pitch, Keith’s mother was used to the lifestyle her husband’s police job offered.

The Dad’s Backstories Were Different As Well

In the series, Veronica’s father, Keith Mars, was voted out as sheriff after he accused Jake Kane of killing his daughter. In what would have became a book, the father was no longer a homicide detective after being accused of sending the wrong men to death row.

The Love Interests

Veronica may have had no problem finding a boyfriend — dating Duncan, Logan and Piz — but Keith wasn’t as lucky. The love interest of the book’s main character would have been Greta Hall, a classmate who didn’t even know he existed.