To continue with my theme of TV show topic threads...

this one is about shows that made big changes without calling a lot of attention to it...or if they did call attention to it they did so creatively



Like.... I got the subject line from an episode of Roseanne where John Goodman; plays and "autistic" like DJ in the future...
apparently one specific traumatic event sent him into this state...
the whole episode (actually I think it was 2 part flashback season 7) adult DJ keeps chanting...
"they say she's the same but she's not the same, they say she's the same but she's not the same"....
it was a reference to Sarah Chalke being recast in the role of Becky.  ;D  (Lecy Goranson returned to the role in season 8)



Okay so... here are some of my favs.


The Cosby Show: The apartment was different (smaller) in the pilot
                          Of course they only had 4 children in the first few shows....
from the pilot:      Why do we have four children?        Because we did not want five!

Happy Days:  The Cunningham house has an opposite layout from season one to season two

Speaking of the Cunninghams, they had 3 children in the pilot (perhaps even the first season, not sure).  Two sons, Chuck (who always bounced his basketball in the house much to the chagrin of his parents) and Richie, and they had one daughter, Joanie.  In one of the later episodes (I think Richie gets married, or perhaps it was Joanie) anyways, in Richard Cunningham's speech, he says they raise the best two kids.  What happened to Chuck, perhaps the college he went to was too expensive and they dis-owned him.  ;D

There was the Bewithched Darrin switch from Dick York to Dick Sargeant....or the other way around, I don't remember who came first. ;D

Speaking of the Cunninghams, they had 3 children in the pilot (perhaps even the first season, not sure).  Two sons, Chuck (who always bounced his basketball in the house much to the chagrin of his parents) and Richie, and they had one daughter, Joanie.  In one of the later episodes (I think Richie gets married, or perhaps it was Joanie) anyways, in Richard Cunningham's speech, he says they raise the best two kids.  What happened to Chuck, perhaps the college he went to was too expensive and they dis-owned him.   ;D


Yes, I'm sure Chuck was in season one (him and his basketball) but was only referred to in future episodes...joined the army I thought... :-\\

Speaking of the Cunninghams, they had 3 children in the pilot (perhaps even the first season, not sure).  Two sons, Chuck (who always bounced his basketball in the house much to the chagrin of his parents) and Richie, and they had one daughter, Joanie.  In one of the later episodes (I think Richie gets married, or perhaps it was Joanie) anyways, in Richard Cunningham's speech, he says they raise the best two kids.  What happened to Chuck, perhaps the college he went to was too expensive and they dis-owned him.   ;D



I remember chuck but I forgot about chuck when posting this thread...he was in a few episodes and "central" in at least two eps.

Lol.... poor chuck got disowned ....actually Chuck got written out by season 2 because Fonzie was soooo popular the producers decided Fonzie would work better as a "big brother" type if he didn't have competition from a real big brother so *poof* chuck disappered...


I used to joke that he's up in the attic with Joey Martin...wasn't that kid on All in the family who went upstairs one day to pack for a ski trip and then he was never seen again? 

You can add the youngest daughter from Family Matters to the list of disappearing siblings.... her parents thought she should make more money but the producers decided they didn't need her in the show and she went upstairs and also never came back down.... I never could stomach Erkel so I didn't watch Fam Mat. so I don't know the character I just remember that tidbit from an E True Hollywood story or entertainment tonight or some show where they talked about her growing up and acting in porn.

Yes, I'm sure Chuck was in season one (him and his basketball) but was only referred to in future episodes...joined the army I thought... :-\\


sorry gib I saw this after I hit send... Richie joined the army in the last couple of seasons... (maybe it was the air force)  but chuck just vanished.




There was the Bewithched Darrin switch from Dick York to Dick Sargeant....or the other way around, I don't remember who came first. ;D



Dick York was first I remember because he was the Darrin I liked... something about Dick Sargant turned me away from the show. (and no not his sexual orientation... I just didn't like the way he played Darrin.)




Speaking of characters joining the armed forces...

Mike Douglas... the eldest son on My Three Sons joined the air force and went away but they mentioned him less and less and by the time the fam moved to California he was totally forgotten.

Larry Mondello disappeared on later episodes of Leave It To Beaver with no mention...considering he and beav were best friends and he was around with whitey and gilbert and maybe even a couple of episodes with richard you'd think someone would say hey what happened to Larry Mondello.... personally I think his dad came back from a business trip and pulled a John List on his family the and moved on.... if you don't know who John List is think the movie The Stepfather.... same concept except John List was real and didn't go around marrying into ready made families to do it again.

On the sitcom 'Mama's Family', Vint had 2 kids named Buzz and Sonya.  In 1984, NBC cancelled the series after only 2 seasons, but CBS picked it up for syndication in 1986.  The actors who played Buzz and Sonya did not reprise their roles; In the first episode of Season 3, they were briefly mentioned, but throughout the rest of the series run, were never mentioned again

If you watch the syndicated episodes, you'd never know Vint had kids

On the sitcom 'Mama's Family', Vint had 2 kids named Buzz and Sonya.  In 1984, NBC cancelled the series after only 2 seasons, but CBS picked it up for syndication in 1986.  The actors who played Buzz and Sonya did not reprise their roles; In the first episode of Season 3, they were briefly mentioned, but throughout the rest of the series run, were never mentioned again

If you watch the syndicated episodes, you'd never know Vint had kids


the kids are edited out of the syndicated episodes?  even the old buzz? but wasn't he central to a couple of storylines? Mama got some her best lines interacting with the really dumb buzz...maybe they were both dumb I didn't watch regularly enough to notice.

NEWHART ...

In the first season, the show was shot using tape, like what most sitcoms use.  From season 2 on, they switched to film, like what dramatic series use.  It gave the show a better effect I thought.  

At the end of Season 2, Kirk marries his girlfriend, leaves town and sells the Minuteman Café to Larry and the Darryls and is never again mentioned

From Season 2 on, Joanna started wearing sweaters, something which she didn't do in Season 1



SAVED BY THE BELL ...

'Saved by the Bell' was a spin-off from a series titled 'Good Morning, Miss Bliss' which aired for 13 episodes during the 1988-1989 season.  Hayley Mills played the title character, but did not reprise her role when the show was spun out into 'Saved by The Bell'.  On the actual series, she (along with the other characters that did n't reprise their roles) was/were never again mentioned, yet in syndication, old episodes were re-broadcast as 'Saved by the Bell: The Junior High Years' in which Zack would introduce the episode with his personal memories of his Junior High days.

"Good Morning, Miss Bliss!" TV intro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZymBFTofsJU

the kids are edited out of the syndicated episodes?  even the old buzz? but wasn't he central to a couple of storylines? Mama got some her best lines interacting with the really dumb buzz...maybe they were both dumb I didn't watch regularly enough to notice.


Not syndicated episodes, but when the series itself went into first run syndication.  It originally ran on NBC for 2 seasons (1983; 1983-1984).  CBS picked up the series and ran new episodes in first run syndication for another 4 seasons (1986-1990). 

For Season 3 and on, a new character was introduced:  Bubba, the son of Eunice and Ed Higgins (Carol Burnett and Harvey Korman) got out of Juvenille Hall and came to live with Mama


First run syndication:  When a show is aired on a commercial broadcast station at various times in different markets :)

♦ In the pilot episode of 'The Nanny', Mr. Sheffield's house looks totally different.  The front door is on the right

♦ After Season 1 of 'The Facts of Life', many of the original Eastland girls were written out of the show, but made recurring appearances during Season 2.  They were never again mentioned until a 1987 episode when they made a guest appearance (minus Molly Ringwald).  If you watch Season 1, it really does seem like a totally different show

♦ Actress Barabra Barrie had a regular role on 'Barney Miller' as Barney's wife Liz.  After Season 3, she was written out of the show, but not entirely as she would make random guest appearances until the show's cancellation in 1982.  The strange thing was that when she was written out of the principal cast, you didn't really miss her



You can add the youngest daughter from Family Matters to the list of disappearing siblings.... her parents thought she should make more money but the producers decided they didn't need her in the show and she went upstairs and also never came back down.... I never could stomach Erkel so I didn't watch Fam Mat. so I don't know the character I just remember that tidbit from an E True Hollywood story or entertainment tonight or some show where they talked about her growing up and acting in porn.


Jaimee Foxworth.  She was written out of the show completely.  I probably saw every episode of the show, and I can't recall if they ever mentioned where her character went

Not syndicated episodes, but when the series itself went into first run syndication.  It originally ran on NBC for 2 seasons (1983; 1983-1984).  CBS picked up the series and ran new episodes in first run syndication for another 4 seasons (1986-1990). 

For Season 3 and on, a new character was introduced:  Bubba, the son of Eunice and Ed Higgins (Carol Burnett and Harvey Korman) got out of Juvenille Hall and came to live with Mama


First run syndication:  When a show is aired on a commercial broadcast station at various times in different markets :)





sorry ya just said syndicated the first time...

On the sitcom 'Mama's Family', Vint had 2 kids named Buzz and Sonya.  In 1984, NBC cancelled the series after only 2 seasons, but CBS picked it up for syndication in 1986.  The actors who played Buzz and Sonya did not reprise their roles; In the first episode of Season 3, they were briefly mentioned, but throughout the rest of the series run, were never mentioned again

If you watch the syndicated episodes, you'd never know Vint had kids



ya..I always thought that was odd...however, neither of them had much of personalities...and besides, I would have much rather seen Bubba every week. ;)

ya..I always thought that was odd...however, neither of them had much of personalities...and besides, I would have much rather seen Bubba every week. ;)


Buzz and Sonya were too whiny and complaining all the time.  I agree, Bubba was way better.  The way he transitioned from Juvi punk to clean cut "go to school, and head for a successful future" was great :)

Buzz and Sonya were too whiny and complaining all the time.  I agree, Bubba was way better.  The way he transitioned from Juvi punk to clean cut "go to school, and head for a successful future" was great :)


and it didn't hurt that he was rather easy on the eyes! ;) ;D

It seems that Quinn Hodes from Weeds has gone the way of Chuck Cunningham. She was on the first 2 episodes-then was shipped off to boarding school and they never talked about her since (at least up until the point I have seen-which is the middle of the 3rd season).


For all you people with kids, don't ship your kids to boarding school or go off to college, or even go up into the attic to wax your skis, they may fall off the face of the earth and you may totally forget that you have ever had them.  ;) :D ;D ;D



Cat

and it didn't hurt that he was rather easy on the eyes! ;) ;D


LOL

Apart from Mama's Family, he was a frequent panelist on 'The New Hollywood Squares' (1986-1989).  He always had good joke answers, and often said them in a Bubba like persona ;D

Randall Carver, who played John on TAXI was written out after Season 1 and his disappearance was never explained

Did you ever notice how The Banks' house looked very different in later seasons of 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'?  The 2nd set with the large staircase was much better than the original set