Kristen Bell revealed the original pitch for “Veronica Mars,” and it was way different

Are you a fan of Veronica Mars? We totally get it. That’s why we’re always psyched to hear more information about the show. Today, Kristen Bell revealed the original Veronica Mars pitch, and we have to admit, it’s way different than what we expected. For one, the character of Veronica wasn’t even front and center. Or, involved at all. Can you imagine a similar show without our favorite lady investigator?

Bell did a dramatic reading of the original script for Entertainment Weekly, and one thing that should be made clear is the fact that the show was being created for many, many years. In fact, screenwriter Rob Thomas had worked on his premise since the mid ’90s, and it was originally a novel.

Yes, you read that right. Instead of Veronica as the lead, it was supposed to be “Keith.” According to Bell, she didn’t know that either.

Not only that, but Keith was from Austin, Texas. Fans know that Veronica hails from sunny California.

Of course, Bell was super fun as she filmed the reading.

There are a few other noticeable differences. For example, unlike Veronica’s dad, who was voted out as sheriff, Keith’s father accused the wrong man of murder during a case that involved a chocolate shop. Sounds dramatic. (And delicious.)

The video also unintentionally explains why Veronica Mars was such a good show. A lot of the themes that Thomas tried to incorporate into “Untitled Teenage Detective” definitely made their way into the finished product of Veronica Mars.

So, really, things were planned and discussed for years before the drama hit UPN back in 2004. Not many shows have that much creative thought behind them!

All in all, we’re pretty happy that we got Veronica instead of Keith — and we’re so happy that Entertainment Weekly decided to explore the show premise further. For many of us, it was our very first introduction to the incredible Kristen Bell!