TV Show Replacements

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/25/14 at 8:13pm

Is Bewitched the tv show with the most actor replacements for playing the same character?

Darrin - Dick York, Dick Sargent
Gladys Kravitz - Alice Pearce, Sandra Gould
Louise Tate - Kasey Rogers, Irene Vernon


Dallas had
Miss Ellie - Barbara Bel Geddes, Donna Reed

Partridge Family had
Chris - Jeremy Gelbwaks, Brian Forster

Roseanne had
Becky - Alicia Goranson, Sarah Chalke
DJ - Michael Fishman, Sal Barone (Pilot)

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 6/25/14 at 10:23pm

Well, I assume we are not including daytime soap operas...

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/25/14 at 11:35pm

Batman

Catwoman. - Julie Newmar
Lee Merriwether
Eartha Kitt

Mr Freeze - Otto Preminger
Eli Wallach
George Sanders

Updated On: 6/26/14 at 11:35 PM

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 6/26/14 at 12:10am

Family Matters and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air both saw the actresses playing the moms replaced during the series' runs.

Seinfeld also had two different actors playing Jerry's father Morty (Phil Bruns played the character in his first appearance, and Barney Martin played him in all other episodes that the character was seen in).

[Marianne2]

Posted: 6/26/14 at 10:15am

Boy Meets World had 2 girls play the sister, Morgan. It was a weird switch too because they made it seem like she was going to be one of the TV kids you never hear of again. But like a season or so after her disappearance, she came back as a different girl.

And Audra McDonald joined Private Practice after the backdoor pilot on Grey's Anatomy. I forget who played her character in that episode.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 6/26/14 at 12:49pm

The mom on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was played by two different actresses during the show's 6-season run. Janet Hubert-Whitten played Vivian Banks in the first three seasons but left due to conflicts with Will Smith, and Daphne Maxwell Reid played her in the latter three seasons.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 6/26/14 at 2:12pm

I think the second Louise Tate was the only replacement I ever preferred to the original.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 6/26/14 at 2:18pm

There were two Frank Stevens (Darin's Dad) on Bewitched too.

Jamie Buchman had at least two sets of parents on Mad About You, one being John Karlen and Penny Fuller - the other being Carol O'Connor and Caroll Burnett.

Speaking of Carols, weren't there two on Friends?

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 6/26/14 at 2:25pm

It's so weird when a major star is a replacement (as with O'Connor and Burnett). "Roseanne" had several quite serious episodes about Dan's mother's mental illness, then all of a sudden she's played by Debbie Reynolds--and the whole thing's played for laughs.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 6/26/14 at 3:38pm

Then you also have the replacements due to time jumps that only affect the infant members of the TV family. Brian Bonsall was added to the cast of Family Ties when infant Andy suddenly became a five year old over the course of one summer hiatus. The same thing happened when Growing Pains replaced the infant playing Chrissy with six year old Ashley Johnson to avoid dealing with the character in her toddler years.

[ArtMan]

Posted: 6/26/14 at 4:02pm

Also Lily in Modern Family

[east side story]

Posted: 6/26/14 at 5:49pm

Off-topic, but:

I agree about the Debbie Reynolds episode of Roseanne. Truth be told, that season was done for paychecks, and the episode was written by Reynolds' daughter who has said before that she has no recollection of doing this. Oh, Carrie!

Another thing that has always rubbed me wrong is how for the first three seasons, Roseanne and Jackie's parents were a comedic thorn in their children's side, but when the fourth season rolled around, the father was outed as a child abuser. I just felt like it was a radical shift, even if the character only appeared in two episodes prior to this being mentioned by the characters. But I suppose that's sitcom writing for ya.

Regardless, Roseanne Barr is so p*ucking crazy that she is a genius.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/26/14 at 6:04pm

"I just felt like it was a radical shift, even if the character only appeared in two episodes prior to this being mentioned by the characters. But I suppose that's sitcom writing for ya."

No, Roseanne made a conscientious decision to bring more social issues into the show. This was the time when she was going through her "remembered child abuse" phase. You'll also notice everyone suddenly turns gay. Roseanne abandoned comedy to push social issues.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 6/26/14 at 6:14pm

Except that the first few years of Roseanne's more "socially conscious" seasons were among its funniest. As for everyone turning gay--that only really happened (the mom, etc) near the end. Otherwise they introduced gay characters who were always gay--or am I misremebering something? I haven't really watched the show in years.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/26/14 at 6:25pm

Jackie flirted with being a lesbian. Roseanne was kissed on one episode. Sandra Bernhard couldn't make up her mind. I think for awhile Leon was questionable.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/26/14 at 6:30pm

One for the British:

In the various Adrian Mole series, the mother changes. The third one I can understand because it was several years later and the whole cast changes, but the first two were broadcast within a year or so of each other.

Julie Walters in Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
Lulu in Growing Pains of Adrian Mole

And of course everyone changes in Cappucino Years: Alison Steadman as mother, Alun Armstrong as father, Helen Baxendale as Pandora, Zoe Wanamaker as Pandora's mother

[Jon]

Posted: 6/26/14 at 7:31pm

Petticoat Junction had three different actresses as the blonde sister, and two different redheads.

Recently, "Till Death" had FOUR different actresses play Brad Garrett and Joely Fisher's daughter in four seasons - a blonde, a redhead and two brunettes!.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/26/14 at 7:56pm

Oh you're right, I forgot about Petticoat Junction.

[jnb9872]

Posted: 6/27/14 at 9:26am

Arrested Development made two jokes to this extent:

Most prominently, George Michael's utterly forgettable girlfriend Ann was replaced without any remarking on it. Of course, everyone was mostly struggling to remember her to begin with.

Also, GOB's telenovela-starring girlfriend Marta was played by three different actresses during the course of the run. The last switch was in the episode "Forget Me Now," which had GOB regularly roofying himself, suggesting that his memory was severely damaged.

[Esther]

Posted: 6/27/14 at 5:18pm

Merrin Dungey played Naomi on the backdoor Private Practice pilot.

Skimming through, not sure if anyone mentioned Anita Barone being replaced by Jane Sibbett as Carol, Ross' ex-wife-turned lesbian on Friends.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 6/27/14 at 8:06pm

As for everyone turning gay--that only really happened (the mom, etc) near the end.

EricMontreal22, in the last episode -- when the show pulled a St. Elsewhere finale when the entire series was revealed to have been a work of fiction within the show -- Roseanne revealed that Jackie had really been a lesbian the whole time. Also, Nancy was straight when introduced in Season 4 and marries Arnie, but then came out as gay in Season 5. Still, later she said she was bisexual.

Not the same character, per se, but the raspy-voiced, chain-smoking bailiff on Night Court was replaced thrice because they kept dropping like flies. Selma Diamond played her in the first two seasons, but died of lung cancer after the second ended. Florence Halop played her in Season 3 but died also of lung cancer shortly after. Then Marsha Warfield played her from Seasons 4-9 and thankfully is still alive.

Updated On: 6/27/14 at 08:06 PM