The best replacements on TV/movies?

[WoodStoner1]

We know cast changes usually stink. So do new or different characters to a lesser extent. But let's use this thread to remember when they worked.

MST3K, for instance, usually did a good job with cast changes (pre-streaming version.) The top tier would include Mike, Murphy Servo, and TV's Frank, of course.

Mary Millar becomes Rose on Keeping Up Appearances.

Julie replaces Angie on Brittas Empire.

William Callaway becomes Aquaman on Superfriends. For that matter, Adam West doing the same for Batman on the same show.

[Deleted]

I vastly prefer Mike’s MST3K episodes to Joel’s.

[thechase]

Tim Whitnall replacing Tyler Butterworth in Mike and Angelo

[dirtyoldman]

Uncle Albert on Only Fools and Horses was a better character than Grandad.

[Cvslfc123]

Rudy replacing Nathan in Misfits.

[Push R Truth]

Don Cheadle >>>> Terrence Howard

[CMWaters]

Debatable, but the various cast changes on M*A*S*H?

[pinja]

Controversial: I think Robert Patrick's Agent Doggett worked pretty well in "X-Files". He freshened up the dynamics of the characters and even switched them in Scully's case.

[Ben Wyatt]

Rob Lowe and Adam Scott join the cast of Parks and Rec, replacing Paul Schneider. The show was off and running from there and wouldn't have been nearly the phenom that it was/is

[karl100589]

Kirsty Alley replacing Shelley Long in Cheers. Alley IMO was a better comedic actress, and the show shifted to more of an ensemble rather then being Sam and Diane centric, allowing characters like Frasier and Lilith to be better showcased.

[bibboid]

Night Court had this happen twice. Christine Sullivan (Markie Post) was the best public defender and she joined in season 3. Then Roz (Marsha Warfield) came on at the start of season 4. That was when the cast reached its peak.

[Jedi-El of Tomorrow]

Feb 6, 2023 15:51:50 GMT -5 karl100589 said:

Kirsty Alley replacing Shelley Long in Cheers. Alley IMO was a better comedic actress, and the show shifted to more of an ensemble rather then being Sam and Diane centric, allowing characters like Frasier and Lilith to be better showcased.

That was my first thought. When they brought in Rebecca, the show switched to an ensemble show which was perfect with the insanely talented cast.

Feb 7, 2023 9:34:21 GMT -5 bibboid said:

Night Court had this happen twice. Christine Sullivan (Markie Post) was the best public defender and she joined in season 3. Then Roz (Marsha Warfield) came on at the start of season 4. That was when the cast reached its peak.

True, adding in Christine and Roz made the show and the cast hit it's peak.

[Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!!]

Ben and Chris >>>>>> Mark

Also Frank Reynolds >>>>>>> the Frank shaped hole that existed in the first season of Always Sunny

[madness50]

Going from David Caruso to Jimmy Smits on NYPD Blue was in my opinion a huge upgrade.

[Futureraven: Beelzebruv]

Not sure how common this is, but I prefered Jefferson to Steve on Married... With Children.

[Zone Was Wrong]

Feb 7, 2023 12:25:48 GMT -5 Futureraven: Beelzebruv said:

Not sure how common this is, but I prefered Jefferson to Steve on Married... With Children.

To me it's the Frank Burns/Winchester situation from MASH. Two different characters with two different approaches to how they interact with the main characters. The originals are more antagonists whereas their replacements are side characters of their own more times than naught.

[Red Mage Riot]

Feb 6, 2023 15:22:04 GMT -5 CMWaters said:

Debatable, but the various cast changes on M*A*S*H?

The beautiful thing about the way M*A*S*H recasted was that they never tried to shove the new actor into the old actor's character's personality. Where Trapper was a gleeful accomplice to Hawkeye's grandest impulses, BJ was a more moderate personality who could reign Hawk in. Where Henry was a bumbling people pleaser and "one of the boys", Col. Potter was a hardass with a heart of gold. And where Frank was a bloviating, incompetent, self-aggrandizing coward utterly outmatched by Hawkeye and associates, Charles was witty enough to hold is own with the rest of the Swamp, truly accomplished surgeon who knew when to pick his battles and when to stand up. Such a great show.

[Deleted]

Feb 6, 2023 15:43:47 GMT -5 Ben Wyatt said:

Rob Lowe and Adam Scott join the cast of Parks and Rec, replacing Paul Schneider. The show was off and running from there and wouldn't have been nearly the phenom that it was/is

You don't watch The Office after Michael Scott leaves and you don't watch Parks and Rec with Mark Brendanawicz.

[Mozenrath]

Feb 6, 2023 15:51:50 GMT -5 karl100589 said:

Kirsty Alley replacing Shelley Long in Cheers. Alley IMO was a better comedic actress, and the show shifted to more of an ensemble rather then being Sam and Diane centric, allowing characters like Frasier and Lilith to be better showcased.

I kind of like Diane more, but I feel like Diane became sort of redundant with Frasier around, so the change worked.

[Dr. T is an alien]

Feb 7, 2023 9:34:21 GMT -5 bibboid said:

Night Court had this happen twice. Christine Sullivan (Markie Post) was the best public defender and she joined in season 3. Then Roz (Marsha Warfield) came on at the start of season 4. That was when the cast reached its peak.

To be fair to the show runners, they knew long before she was available that they wanted Markie Post for the role she eventually played.

It brings to mind how the casting of James Bond often went. Brosnon wasn’t available when they first wanted him, so they cast Dalton, who they had wanted years before but he turned it down then because he felt he was too young to fit the part at the time, forcing them to cast Moore, who they had tried to cast as Bond years before but turned them down because he was afraid of being typecast after starring in The Saint.