Cast changes - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TV Guy · 06-20-2001, 11:18 AM

It's really pretty amazing, when you look back at it, how many cast changes there were between the pilot and the second season. When I caught the pilot on PAX a few months ago, I realized that three out of the eight kids were different -- Mark Hammill played David, and there were different actors playing Nancy and Tommy. By the second episode, Grant Goodeve had taken over as David, and they found a younger actress to play Nancy, and an older actor to play Tommy (he looked like he was about 12 in the pilot). And then, of course, Diana Hyland passed away, and they brought in Betty Buckley as Abby, the stepmother. That's 4 out of the original 10 actors replaced within less than a year.

Sean Snow · 06-20-2001, 02:12 PM

Do you mean the Mark Hamill that played Luke Skywalker?

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Jack: You know what your trouble is, Chrissy? You're a compulsive eater!
Chrissy: I am not! I'm just always hungry.

TV Guy · 06-21-2001, 10:05 AM

The very same one. After he filmed the EIE pilot, buzz began building around the upcoming "Star Wars". Mark tried to get out of his EIE contract, but the producers held him to it, and he was prepared to begin filming the series. But several weeks before production was to begin, Mark was in a bad car accident, and had to have plastic surgery (this is why he looks a little different in "Empire Strikes Back"). There was no way he could appear on camera at the time, so the EIE producers had to replace him. I've heard speculation that Mark deliberately got into the accident so he could get out of EIE, but that seems pretty silly to me.

I thought he did a good job as David in the pilot, though. He played David as a rebel who really didn't get along with his father. They seemed to soften the character a little when Grant Goodeve took over.

Sean Snow · 06-21-2001, 10:59 AM

I'm a big SW fan. They had to flim the part where he got attacked by the Wampa (The big, furry thing) because he still had scars. And they were fliming SW pickup shots when it happened, so they had to have 3PO drive the landspeeder and just focused on 3PO so the scars wouldn't be revealed.
He was also in a first season episode of The Partridge Family.

------------------
Jack: You know what your trouble is, Chrissy? You're a compulsive eater!
Chrissy: I am not! I'm just always hungry.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Agent #99: Max, do you think it's a KAOS agent?
Max: Either that or your mother!

TV Guy · 06-21-2001, 11:05 AM

>>They had to flim the part where he got attacked by the Wampa (The big,furry thing) because he still had scars. And they were fliming SW pickup shots when it happened, so they had to have 3PO drive the landspeeder and just focused on 3PO so the scars wouldn't be revealed.<<

I never knew that -- that's really interesting.

Sean Snow · 06-21-2001, 02:12 PM

Upps, I meant when he was in the hospital after he got attacked by it. Some of those are real scars on his face.

06-20-2001, 11:18 AM	#1
TV Guy Senior Member Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 2,011	Cast changes It's really pretty amazing, when you look back at it, how many cast changes there were between the pilot and the second season. When I caught the pilot on PAX a few months ago, I realized that three out of the eight kids were different -- Mark Hammill played David, and there were different actors playing Nancy and Tommy. By the second episode, Grant Goodeve had taken over as David, and they found a younger actress to play Nancy, and an older actor to play Tommy (he looked like he was about 12 in the pilot). And then, of course, Diana Hyland passed away, and they brought in Betty Buckley as Abby, the stepmother. That's 4 out of the original 10 actors replaced within less than a year.

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06-20-2001, 02:12 PM	#2
Sean Snow Forum Veteran moo Join Date: May 06, 2001 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,345	Do you mean the Mark Hamill that played Luke Skywalker? ------------------ Jack: You know what your trouble is, Chrissy? You're a compulsive eater! Chrissy: I am not! I'm just always hungry.

06-21-2001, 10:05 AM	#3
TV Guy Senior Member Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 2,011	The very same one. After he filmed the EIE pilot, buzz began building around the upcoming "Star Wars". Mark tried to get out of his EIE contract, but the producers held him to it, and he was prepared to begin filming the series. But several weeks before production was to begin, Mark was in a bad car accident, and had to have plastic surgery (this is why he looks a little different in "Empire Strikes Back"). There was no way he could appear on camera at the time, so the EIE producers had to replace him. I've heard speculation that Mark deliberately got into the accident so he could get out of EIE, but that seems pretty silly to me. I thought he did a good job as David in the pilot, though. He played David as a rebel who really didn't get along with his father. They seemed to soften the character a little when Grant Goodeve took over.

06-21-2001, 10:59 AM	#4
Sean Snow Forum Veteran moo Join Date: May 06, 2001 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,345	I'm a big SW fan. They had to flim the part where he got attacked by the Wampa (The big, furry thing) because he still had scars. And they were fliming SW pickup shots when it happened, so they had to have 3PO drive the landspeeder and just focused on 3PO so the scars wouldn't be revealed. He was also in a first season episode of The Partridge Family. ------------------ Jack: You know what your trouble is, Chrissy? You're a compulsive eater! Chrissy: I am not! I'm just always hungry. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Agent #99: Max, do you think it's a KAOS agent? Max: Either that or your mother!

06-21-2001, 11:05 AM	#5
TV Guy Senior Member Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 2,011	>>They had to flim the part where he got attacked by the Wampa (The big,furry thing) because he still had scars. And they were fliming SW pickup shots when it happened, so they had to have 3PO drive the landspeeder and just focused on 3PO so the scars wouldn't be revealed.<< I never knew that -- that's really interesting.

06-21-2001, 02:12 PM	#6
Sean Snow Forum Veteran moo Join Date: May 06, 2001 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,345	Upps, I meant when he was in the hospital after he got attacked by it. Some of those are real scars on his face.