Timing is everything, especially in trying to launch a new TV series. Back in 1996, the WB Network, which at the time was airing locally on Channel 49 from Buffalo, launched a new series called "The Burning Zone." 

You've probably never heard of it and it was quickly cancelled. But you have to wonder if it was just a show way ahead of its time. The subject matter: a group of scientists desperately trying to find a cure for a new virus that was sweeping the planet and killing people. 

It must have seemed pretty far-fetched back then. Today, it's simply called COVID and even the warning copy about "washing your hands regularly" resonates more now. I wonder how this would have fared if it were on today. Or maybe it would have just been too much, too soon.