Replaced after the pilot

[Sitcomwriter]

Alot of times, actors are replaced after filming a pilot. Here are some examples....

Hope & Faith- Practically the entire supporting cast. The episode didn't air.

Coupling- Breckin Meyer, Melissa George and Emily Rutherford were all fired. Meyer and Rutherford went on to co-star in "Married to the Kellys" together. The episode didn't air.

The Fighting Fitzgeralds- Dakota Fanning orignally played Marie but was replaced by Abigail Mavity after the pilot. This episode aired.

Any more? I'm sure there are tons....

[SuperSonicHedgehog]

Most of the cast of Gilligan's Island on the pilot were replaced.

[JT]

Alfred Lutter played Tommy in the "Alice" pilot, and in the 1974 movie the show was based on, but Philip McKeon played the character from the second episode to the last in 1985.

[Sitcomwriter]

Ooh! I just remembered another one. This is very similar to Dakota Fanning on "The Fighting Fitzgerald". Anyway....

Bette- Lindsay Lohan was replaced as Rose by Marina Malotta. The episode aired and they made a funny in joke in the series finale "The 1st Rose didn't hug me like that" or something like that. The pilot aired.

[barb1686]

There was a different Carol in the Growing Pains pilot. A different Danny in the Full House pilot (I think a different Michelle too).


Picture of the original Growing Pains Cast.

[barb1686]

Originally posted by Sitcomwriter
Ooh! I just remembered another one. This is very similar to Dakota Fanning on "The Fighting Fitzgerald". Anyway....

Bette- Lindsay Lohan was replaced as Rose by Marina Malotta. The episode aired and they made a funny in joke in the series finale "The 1st Rose didn't hug me like that" or something like that. The pilot aired.

I saw that episode with her. I bet you they wished they kept her longer.

[barb1686]

Wasn't the pilot for Friends with some different cast members as well? Just a couple different ones? ...maybe I'm wrong.

Good Morning, Miss Bliss (aka Saved by the Bell: the Junior High Years) had Jaleel White(Steve Urkel) & Brian Austin Green(off of BH 90210) along with a few others for the pilot of it.

[TJL]

In the pilot episode of "M*A*S*H" Father Mulcahy was played by an actor named George Morgan. He was replaced by William Christopher, the Father Mucahy we all know and love.

In the pilot movie for the "A-Team," the part of Templeton Peck (aka Faceman) was played by Tim Dunigan, not Dirk Benedict.

[Sean Snow]

In the original pilot for Three's Company (which was unaired), Valerie Curtin played the Janet-type while Suzanne Zenor played the Chrissy-type. (They had different names in the pilot).

In the second pilot for Three's Company (also unaired), Susan Lanier played Chrissy.

[Adamantium]

In the "NewsRadio" pilot, Catherine Duke was played by Ella Joyce. She would get replaced by Khandi Alexander from episode 2 until she left the series in episode 60.

Also, the electrician was named Rick and played by Greg Lee. From episode 2 until the series finale, it was Joe Garrelli played by Joe Rogan.

[TVFactFan]

THere was a different Actor in the pilot of That's My Mama who played Earl the Mailman.

[PanamaMike]

Two actors replaced DURING the filming of the pilot:

Ray Ramano - News Radio
Lisa Kudrow - Frasier

Whatever happened to them? :)

[Dean Winchester]

in Roseanne, Sal Barone played DJ in the pilot (which there was a seperate opening credit sequence just for that episode) and then Michael Fishman played the character from episode 2 until the end.

[Dean Winchester]

Originally posted by TVAdam
From episode 2 until the series finale, it was Joe Garrelli played by Joe Rogan.

talk about an actor whose really gone downhill. He went from a great ensemble comedy like Newsradio TO vile crap like Fear Factor and The Man Show?

[Adamantium]

Originally posted by BuffySlayer79
talk about an actor whose really gone downhill. He went from a great ensemble comedy like Newsradio TO vile crap like Fear Factor and The Man Show?

I agree. The sad thing is that he's probably more famous for Fear Factor and/or The Man Show than he is for NewsRadio.

[hawaii five-o]

Originally posted by barb1686
There was a different Carol in the Growing Pains pilot. A different Danny in the Full House pilot (I think a different Michelle too).


Picture of the original Growing Pains Cast.

Growing Pains without Tracey Gold as Carol is just wrong.

[sara]

As I understand it the only people brought back after the pilot of Barney Miller aired were Hal Linden and Abe Vigoda.

[James]

The narrator for the pilot of The Wonder Years after Super Bowl XXII in 1988 was Arye Gross, rather than Daniel Stern, who narrated for not only the remaining episodes, but also the re-airing of the pilot March 15 of that year.

[barb1686]

Originally posted by hawaii five-o
Growing Pains without Tracey Gold as Carol is just wrong.

Yes, it is. Tracey is one of my favorite actresses. Did you know they're having another reunion movie? ...I'm so excited! :D :D

[Sitcomwriter]

Originally posted by hawaii five-o
Growing Pains without Tracey Gold as Carol is just wrong.

Yeah, it really would be. It would be a big bowl of wrong. I guess that's another thing. GP was a long-running show "Bette" and "The Fighting Fitzgeralds" went nowhere. Maybe they shouldn't have replaced Lohan or Fanning respectively ;)

I'm just saying....

[Pavan]

All in the Family had a different Mike and Gloria in BOTH unaired pilots -- actually they were known as Richard and Gloria. Lionel Jefferson was also different in both unaired pilots.

[barwars]

Originally posted by pavanbadal
All in the Family had a different Mike and Gloria in BOTH unaired pilots -- actually they were known as Richard and Gloria. Lionel Jefferson was also different in both unaired pilots.

And on The Jeffersons.... the actor of Lionel changed a few times.

[spunkygirl]

The Brady Bunch, if I am remembering this right, there was a different actress who was hired for Carol before Florence Henderson, I can't remember her name, I think it was the woman who played Murray's wife on the Mary Tyler Moore show(but I might be wrong) and I think there was a different Mike Brady before Robert Reed, and I think a few of the Brady Kids were different in the original pilot :confused: :)

[dawsongirl]

Originally posted by Topanga
The Brady Bunch, if I am remembering this right, there was a different actress who was hired for Carol before Florence Henderson, I can't remember her name, I think it was the woman who played Murray's wife on the Mary Tyler Moore show(but I might be wrong)

Joyce Bulifant.

[dawsongirl]

What became the Fred character on I Love Lucy was played by someone other than William Frawley. And Vivian Vance wasn't even in the pilot.

[boechsner]

Originally posted by Topanga
The Brady Bunch, if I am remembering this right, there was a different actress who was hired for Carol before Florence Henderson, I can't remember her name, I think it was the woman who played Murray's wife on the Mary Tyler Moore show(but I might be wrong) and I think there was a different Mike Brady before Robert Reed, and I think a few of the Brady Kids were different in the original pilot :confused: :)

There was only one pilot filmed and it had Florence and Robert as Carol and Mike. The kids were all the same as well.

There were other people that were considered including Joyce Bulifant for the role of Carol and Gene Hackman as Mike Brady but Robert and Florence were picked just in time to film the pilot.

The character of Coco on The Golden Girls pilot was written out.

[spunkygirl]

Originally posted by boechsner
There was only one pilot filmed and it had Florence and Robert as Carol and Mike. The kids were all the same as well.

There were other people that were considered including Joyce Bulifant for the role of Carol and Gene Hackman as Mike Brady but Robert and Florence were picked just in time to film the pilot.

The character of Coco on The Golden Girls pilot was written out.

Are you sure? Cause I was watching something about the Brady Bunch On E! Entertainment network, and they said that Joyce was the original Carol, and did film the pilot, but then they decided to go with Florence :confused:

[boechsner]

I read in a book called Bradymania, that Joyce was going to be Carol, but then Florence agreed to try out for the role and got it, prior to filming. Monty Margetts was also considered for Alice.

[TV Guy]

Joyce Bulifant was cast as Carol, but was replaced by Florence Henderson, after Florence got a late tryout. Joyce never appeared as Carol on film.

Other replacements:

Noah Segan as Quentin on "Grace Under Fire" (J.P. Steuer played Quentin from episode 2 to the end of season 3, and Sam Horrigan played the role for the final two seasons).

Mark Hamill played David Bradford in the "Eight is Enough" pilot. The roles of Tommy and Nancy were played by different actors as well.

Edward Andrews played Mr. B. in the unaired "Hazel" pilot.

Ronne Troup (Polly Douglas on "My Three Sons") had the title role in the unaired "Flying Nun" pilot.

The original "Happy Days" pilot had different actors playing Mr. C., Chuck, and Joannie.

Gopher and Isaac were played by different actors in the second "Love Boat" pilot (those crew was completely different in the first pilot).

Lyman Ward ("Ferris Bueller"'s dad) was Jim Walsh in the original "90210" pilot, but his scenes were reshot with James Eckhouse before the show premiered.

[IGNTBone]

The "Richard" role in All In The Family went to Richard Dreyfuss. They were all set to use him, but at the last minute, Dreyfuss recommended Rob Reiner.

On Home Improvement, the role of Al Borland was already filled by someone. Richard Karn was goofing around on the set, and the powers-that-be thought he'd fit the role instead.

And the Eddie Haskell role on Leave It To Beaver was originally called "Frankie Bennett", and played by veteran Simpsons voice, Harry Scherer. The role was promptly renamed and recast after the pilot.

[vashti1999]

The current UPN sitcom Eve, an actor named Bumper Robinson was originally slated to play the character now being played by Jason George. Incidentally, someone needs to update the picture on the Eve page (http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=487) since that's a pic of the pilot cast and not the regular series cast.

[ClassicTV4Ever]

In the unaired pilot for Married...With Children, Hunter Carson and Tina Caspary were cast as Bud and Kelly. You can see screen shots from this unaired pilot here http://www.bundypics.com/pilot.htm

[dawsongirl]

Originally posted by vashti1999
The current UPN sitcom Eve, an actor named Bumper Robinson was originally slated to play the character now being played by Jason George. Incidentally, someone needs to update the picture on the Eve page (http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=487) since that's a pic of the pilot cast and not the regular series cast.


omg...I think Bumper Robinson was the kid who played Leon on Night Court.

[TJL]

Originally posted by dawsongirl
omg...I think Bumper Robinson was the kid who played Leon on Night Court.

Give the lady a prize!

;)