TV: TV Shows that got better AFTER they changed some Characters/Actors

[TP]

This is debatable, but Three's Company...

Suzanne Somers left and Pricilla Barnes came in. I always thought Pamela was hotter than Suzanne, so I liked the change.

 

[Quack Shot]

Fresh Prince of Bel-Air when they replaced Vivian. The set change was also a big improvement.

 

[Jussi]

Neil Morrisey's Tony replacing Harry Enfield's Dermot in "Men Behaving Badly"

 

[Acadmus]

Perfect Strangers: in the pilot, Cousin Larry was Louie Anderson. I haven't seen it, but I think that one speaks for itself.

That was a good move...Cousin Larry was the straight guy (comedy terms, people) to Bronson Pinchot's goofy Balki Bartokomous and Louie Anderson most certainly is not suitable for that role. Mark Linn-Baker was a much better choice.

Suddenly thinking of a change that DIDN'T work for me...Leo DiCaprio essentially replacing an aging and maturing Mike Seaver (Kirk Cameron) as the "bad boy" of Growing Pains (as well as replacing Jeremy Miller's Ben Seaver as the "young one"). The characters were still on the show but now essentially in new roles as they evolved through the series. But I frankly took an instant dislike to DiCaprio that persists to this day.

 

[The Head Crusher]

He was only meant to be a one-off/infrequent character so it stands to reason. He wasn't replaced, though. Heck, at the end of the series they changed Harriet. It most certainly did not get better then.

They also cut out Judy Winslow (Jaimee Foxworth) after the 4th season.

 

[Lost Horizons]

Replacing Mischa Barton with Autumn Reeser after season 3 of the OC was a good move and the show improved. Same with replacing Christopher Mayer and Byron Cherry with John Schneider and Tom Wopat after season 5 of Dukes of Hazzard was a good move

 

[Power Man]

Fresh Prince of Bel-Air when they replaced Vivian.

Oh hell no!

 

[NewtJorden]

Star Trek Voyager: swapping Kes for Seven of Nine

Regardless of the reasons for the change, Jeri Ryan was flat out a better actress and she had some great episodes.

This

 

[Ozz]

They also cut out Judy Winslow (Jaimee Foxworth) after the 4th season.

Yep, though while that character surely wasn't missed much, it did lead the way for the downfall of the show. Ever see the final couple seasons? Holy Christ, what a trainwreck. I think I mentioned it on Page 1, but they even replaced Harriet in the final season

 

[vdB]

Family Matters needed way more Stefan. Guy was gold.

 

[Kestrel]

Fresh Prince (that had to have been mentioned by now, right?) is a huge one - seems most I see are partial to the original Vivian, but I had no preference. I suppose the show took on a less serious demeanor around the time of the replacement, which of course is likely the reason for it anyway. If it got better would naturally depend on which overall feeling you preferred. I think the zany stories, for me at the time, were more enjoyable. I was in the perfect age range for that though, if I were older I might have felt the other way. I love 'em both though.

I DEFINITELY prefer the original Vivian. By all accounts though, she was very hard to work with. She makes it sound like Will Smith and Alfonzo Ribiero had it in for her, but it sounds like she was - a great actress, but a miserable person.

 

[Jumptheshark]

They also cut out Judy Winslow (Jaimee Foxworth) after the 4th season.

just because I am a perv I know the answer to this. Her parents went to the producers and asked for a huge raise and they said no--parents said their daughter would quit the show and that is what happened--her life after the show was interesting to say the least

 

[GarbageGoal]

I always preferred Cheryl Ladd to Farrah Fawcett on Charlie's Angels. I'm not sure the "acting" got better, though.

 

[Brodeur]

Beaten by many for the Jefferson/Steve trade in Married with Children. Although I did like Steve as time went on as he seemed to get a little wackier towards the end of his run. I also have this strange memory from the episode where Steve made his (first?) return. My family was hosting some sort of dinner party and I was upstairs trying to watch the episode. In the middle of the show, a fight broke out downstairs. My cousin got liquored up and was upset that another family friend was talking to his girlfriend. [/coolstorybro]

I can't say I watched the entire 90210 run, but any thoughts about swapping Shannen Doherty for Tiffani-Amber Thiessen? At least for me, the show was more synonymous with the high school years. But I did enjoy bizarro Kelly Kapowski, albeit I can't recall any specific story lines from the college episodes.

 

[GarbageGoal]

I actually didn't mind Steve, maybe because I watched Married With Children from the first time it aired on FOX. Many people didn't get to see it from the start, it was even not run in certain places at the beginning for being offensive. I remember David Garrison from a Jason Bateman show called "It's Your Move", so I always liked him.

 

[GarbageGoal]

Replacing Mischa Barton with Autumn Reeser after season 3 of the OC was a good move and the show improved. Same with replacing Christopher Mayer and Byron Cherry with John Schneider and Tom Wopat after season 5 of Dukes of Hazzard was a good move

Not sure if serious because it's so obvious, but this really doesn't count. The stars of the show held out, they replaced them with two imposters, and the network caved when they realized that was a bad idea. The ratings never rebounded (season 6 and 7 were both lower rated than the imposter year) and it was cancelled two years later. I wouldn't say the show got better, it just went back to what it was.

 

[Roo Returns]

This is debatable, but Three's Company...

Suzanne Somers left and Pricilla Barnes came in. I always thought Pamela was hotter than Suzanne, so I liked the change.

Terri was a much better character than Chrissy and Mr. Furley was more fun than the Ropers. The first few seasons of that cast were gold then the writing ran out of steam.

 

[Lost Horizons]

Not sure if serious because it's so obvious, but this really doesn't count. The stars of the show held out, they replaced them with two imposters, and the network caved when they realized that was a bad idea. The ratings never rebounded (season 6 and 7 were both lower rated than the imposter year) and it was cancelled two years later. I wouldn't say the show got better, it just went back to what it was.

half joke/half serious. I watched the show while it aired (and now have the dvd's. It doesn't hold up) so i know the story but still it fits here. I was surprised no one mentioned it.

 

[BGDDYKWL]

I actually didn't mind Steve, maybe because I watched Married With Children from the first time it aired on FOX. Many people didn't get to see it from the start, it was even not run in certain places at the beginning for being offensive. I remember David Garrison from a Jason Bateman show called "It's Your Move", so I always liked him.

I felt like Jefferson just allowed for so many more interesting/funny storylines. Steve was a little stiff/boring. Jefferson was a more interesting character. But that said, all of the characters evolved so much during those first couple of years that it's almost not a fair comparison. In the beginning Peggy cooked, Al was occasionally nice/happy/complimentary and not as pathetic, Kelly wasn't old enough to be a complete ****, etc. I feel like it took a couple of years for them to really hit their stride.

 

[reckoning]

Newhart: Replacing Kirk and Leslie with Michael and Stephanie was a good move. The Leslie character wasn't that interesting, and Julia Duffy was a much better actress. The Kirk character was funny, but was also so mean-spirited that it was impossible to like him. Every sitcom "jerk" character still has to have some redeeming quality, which is also why I preferred Winchester over Frank Burns.

Three's Company: Suzanne Somers and Priscilla Barnes were both fine for the show, but it was the one played the roommate in between them that I couldn't stand. She was clumsy, and that one character trait about her was used in almost every episode.

I agree that Mr. Furley was much better than the Ropers, but you had to feel bad for Norman Fell. He never wanted to leave to do the spin-off, because he knew Three's Company would have a long life in syndication. But he was forced into it; and when the spinoff inevitably failed, there was no room to bring him back on the original show.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Newhart: Replacing Kirk and Leslie with Michael and Stephanie was a good move. The Leslie character wasn't that interesting, and Julia Duffy was a much better actress. The Kirk character was funny, but was also so mean-spirited that it was impossible to like him. Every sitcom "jerk" character still has to have some redeeming quality, which is also why I preferred Winchester over Frank Burns.

Three's Company: Suzanne Somers and Priscilla Barnes were both fine for the show, but it was the one played the roommate in between them that I couldn't stand. She was clumsy, and that one character trait about her was used in almost every episode.

I agree that Mr. Furley was much better than the Ropers, but you had to feel bad for Norman Fell. He never wanted to leave to do the spin-off, because he knew Three's Company would have a long life in syndication. But he was forced into it; and when the spinoff inevitably failed, there was no room to bring him back on the original show.

This is a fun topic. It was written into to both Lindley's and Fell contract that if the ropers did not last for more then one season or 24 episodes they could come back to three company--The ropers lasted 28 episodes. Bernie West who went from Company to The Ropers were welcome back to the show as a writer however Don Nicholl and Michael Ross, where shocked when Don Notts agreed to do the show. Nicholl passed away shortly after telling Fell he could not come back to the show.

Acording to Ross(who wrote a back on his time in hollywood was that unlike nearly everyone else involved in the show--Notts did not complain about the jokes or that he was brunt of jokes--the comment Ross attributed to Notts was something like "That is how it was with Andy". Notts was a guy who came, did what he was told, took his money and went home. While they did not say it--It sounded like Fell got involved in the writing process and that rubbed some the wrong way

 

[Roo Returns]

This is a fun topic. It was written into to both Lindley's and Fell contract that if the ropers did not last for more then one season or 24 episodes they could come back to three company--The ropers lasted 28 episodes. Bernie West who went from Company to The Ropers were welcome back to the show as a writer however Don Nicholl and Michael Ross, where shocked when Don Notts agreed to do the show. Nicholl passed away shortly after telling Fell he could not come back to the show.

Acording to Ross(who wrote a back on his time in hollywood was that unlike nearly everyone else involved in the show--Notts did not complain about the jokes or that he was brunt of jokes--the comment Ross attributed to Notts was something like "That is how it was with Andy". Notts was a guy who came, did what he was told, took his money and went home. While they did not say it--It sounded like Fell got involved in the writing process and that rubbed some the wrong way

Don Knotts really left a mark on so many people. True professional. His physical comedy and energetic delivery were perfect with the three leads. One of the most memorable sitcom characters ever.

 

[Eisen]

The best Avengers are when Diana Rigg came in the 4th season.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Don Knotts really left a mark on so many people. True professional. His physical comedy and energetic delivery were perfect with the three leads. One of the most memorable sitcom characters ever.

I saw an interview with Ritter. Notts and Dewitt in the mid 90's with the surviving producers and when they needed to replace the Ropers they said they wanted someone like Notts and when he came in and offered to read/audition for the role they were shocked--Notts said something about he has always auditioned for every role he had and so for him it was just another audition, he added that his daughter loved the show

 

[Dolemite]

In the William Christopher thread we are talking about how MASH actually got better when some of the original actors left(towards the ends we can all agree it got a but preachy)

Changes they made
McLean Stevenson(Lt Col Blake) for Harry Morgan (potter)
Larry Linville(Burns) for David Ogden Steirs(Winchester)
Wayne Rogers(trapper) For Mike Farrell(BJ HoneyCutt)---Not everyone agree with this--but I like Rogers--but having both him and Alan Alda both chasing woman was a bit much sometimes


Other Shows like NYPD Blue(they changed a lot) but the David Caruso for Jimmy Smits changed the show for the better IMO

Night Court and Cheers were both forced to change due to deaths of cast members--but they got good replacements

what other shows can you think of that got better after changes--most get worse--but some have gotten better

You clearly haven't seen the movie MASH that the show was based on.