Renowned for creating the captivating “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, George R.R. Martin has enchanted audiences with its adaptation, HBO’s blockbuster “Game of Thrones.” Adding to this fantastical universe, the prequel “House of the Dragon” and the delightful “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” have expanded Martin’s reach on television. However, enthusiasts of Westeros may be intrigued to learn that Martin once penned a science fiction series for ABC in the early ’90s called “Doorways.” Although a full-length pilot was produced, the network ultimately decided against moving forward with the series.

The pilot of “Doorways” kicks off with a baffling incident involving a woman named Cat (Anne le Guernec), who appears out of nowhere on a highway, leading to a dramatic crash. She is subsequently hospitalized and falls under the care of Dr. Thomas Mason (George Newbern). As the FBI takes an interest in Cat, she begins an adventure across parallel Earths with Mason, all the while fleeing from a lethal entity known as Thane (Robert Knepper). Time is of the essence for Cat, as she must pass through portals, termed “doors,” to escape Thane’s pursuit. Notably, Carrie-Anne Moss, prior to her fame in “The Matrix,” features as Mason’s girlfriend, Laura.

George R.R. Martin’s earlier television endeavors often delved into science fiction, drawing experience from his work on the ’80s revival of “The Twilight Zone” and the cyberpunk satire “Max Headroom.” “Doorways” was poised to follow this trajectory. Had ABC continued with the project, it might have altered the course of Martin’s career, potentially impacting the creation of “A Song of Ice and Fire.” Reflecting on this, Martin shared on his blog how he had just begun writing the series’ first book when the call from Hollywood arrived. “By the time I landed at LAX I had the idea that became ‘Doorways,’” he recounted.

Today, the pilot episode of “Doorways” can be streamed, offering a glimpse into the story that began it all. For those curious about Cat’s adventures beyond the pilot, the tale has been continued in a comic book series published by IDW Publishing, available here.

According to Martin, there was a lot of excitement around “Doorways,” with ABC moving quickly to strike a deal with him. The network was so keen that they even ordered six back-up scripts, so Martin was almost certain that the show was going to happen in one form or another. So, what happened? As Martin tells it, an executive shake-up killed the project. “One of the iron laws of TV and film came into play: the new guy never likes what the old guy loved,” Martin wrote. “The new guys passed on ‘Doorways.’ We tried to sell it to the other networks, of course, but there were only four back then, and it was a rare thing when any of them bought a show developed by a competitor. They all preferred home cooking.”

The pilot episode has since been made available to stream, and if you’re interested in knowing where Cat’s story goes beyond that, you can — “Doorways” was adapted into a comic book series by IDW Publishing.