Best and Worst Replacement Characters

[galleywest]

Best:
Mike Nelson replacing Joel Robinson in MST3K. I love both equally.

Worst:
Annabeth Gish in X-Files. Robert Patrick was okay-ish, but the Reyes character was dreadful.

Budd Bronski for Lowell Mather in Wings.

 

[Random_Spock]

Best:
Mike Nelson replacing Joel Robinson in MST3K. I love both equally.

Worst:
Annabeth Gish in X-Files. Robert Patrick was okay-ish, but the Reyes character was dreadful.

Budd Bronski for Lowell Mather in Wings.

I thought Reyes was ok. The blame goes on Chris for the whale singing . And some of the other quirks.

 

[CommanderRaytas]

Reyes was a whole lot better than whiny-no-survival-instinct-bitch Scully and Jesus-mode Mulder from the last two seasons. Yikes.

 

[Owain Taggart]

Does it count when the actor is replaced, but the character is supposed to be the same? À la "the other Darrin"?

I think so, because when you get used to someone in a role for so many years and they get replaced, it can be disconcerting, particularly as every actor have different interpretations, and then you have someone who plays the character but not in the way you remember it. Those little changes can change the tone and dynamic of a character. In rare cases, you actually get an actor who's better than the one that played them previously. I'm not saying the actor isn't good at their role, just not what we remember.

In Due South, they played that up a bit. When Ray Vecchio left, his followup also named himself Ray Vecchio for an episode, but he was a completely different character. It kind of had the effect of rubbing salt into the wound. Just ugh.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Never mind in the finale when they tried to fit Ray Ray and Stanly Ray at the same time and Frazier ends up with Stanly Ray. That was just awkward.

 

[Cyke101]

Best:
Mike Nelson replacing Joel Robinson in MST3K. I love both equally.

The biggest disappointment was when Joel came back but didn't join Mike and the Bots in the theater. C'mon now! That's like seeing two Doctors Who teaming up.

But yes, very much agreed there. I enjoy both so very, very much.

 

[Random_Spock]

Reyes was a whole lot better than whiny-no-survival-instinct-bitch Scully and Jesus-mode Mulder from the last two seasons. Yikes.

Definitely. To a point. Hoping either of those don't make a comeback.

 

[ThunderAeroI]

Their almost totally different shows.

 

[galleywest]

Worst:
Annabeth Gish in X-Files. Robert Patrick was okay-ish, but the Reyes character was dreadful.

I thought Reyes was ok. The blame goes on Chris for the whale singing . And some of the other quirks.

The whole new-age neurotic thing really spoiled the last remaining vestiges of hope I had for the show. There was no character tension there--she already believed in everything so there was nowhere for her to really grow. I grant you this: the show was pretty bad in its final seasons, so it's not like a better imagining of that character would have done much to save it, and it didn't really make it much worse.

 

[Cyke101]

I never saw the Michael Ironside episodes of SEAQUEST, just the Roy Scheider ones. If anyone saw both, whom was better?

As ThunderAero points out, the show changed when the captains changed, when much of this thread has shows who were trying to maintain their formula with different casts.

Under Scheider, it was primarily a sea exploration/sci-fi show. Ironside's run, explicitly stated in his first episode, was to be much more military driven, and only a couple sci-fi episodes at best.

But it's interesting that, whenever Scheider came back (and had to because of contract obligations), the writers tended to beat him up to holy hell -- probably some lingering bitterness between the two camps. Scheider made 3 appearances: one to transition the captaincy to Ironside, the second as a rival to Lucas and the crew (and Scheider had to eat crow at the end of the episode), and the third which had him inexplicably and uncharacteristically in a black ops mission, which revealed that he had a hand in some really dark genetic engineering.

I've no doubt that Scheider and Ironside got long relatively well together on the show, and the rest of the crew thought of him as a father figure, but that the producers and writers just had it out for Scheider.

On a side note, I felt Ironside got a bum deal out of all this. In hindsight (thanks to Netflix), he's someone the crew isn't accustomed to, but it's a new world and he's no nonsense. Some fans in the 90s blamed him as one of the reasons the show failed, but I thought he did okay under the circumstances. He never got to lead a TV show ever again. Rather, the meddling network execs, the producers who were too happy to comply with them, and the departure of Spielberg (who could have reined all that in), plus that horrendous new intro theme, are what killed the show.

 

[Marc]

I never saw the Michael Ironside episodes of SEAQUEST, just the Roy Scheider ones. If anyone saw both, whom was better?

As ThunderAero points out, the show changed when the captains changed, when much of this thread has shows who were trying to maintain their formula with different casts.

Under Scheider, it was primarily a sea exploration/sci-fi show. Ironside's run, explicitly stated in his first episode, was to be much more military driven, and only a couple sci-fi episodes at best.

But it's interesting that, whenever Scheider came back (and had to because of contract obligations), the writers tended to beat him up to holy hell -- probably some lingering bitterness between the two camps. Scheider made 3 appearances: one to transition the captaincy to Ironside, the second as a rival to Lucas and the crew (and Scheider had to eat crow at the end of the episode), and the third which had him inexplicably and uncharacteristically in a black ops mission, which revealed that he had a hand in some really dark genetic engineering.

I've no doubt that Scheider and Ironside got long relatively well together on the show, and the rest of the crew thought of him as a father figure, but that the producers and writers just had it out for Scheider.

On a side note, I felt Ironside got a bum deal out of all this. In hindsight (thanks to Netflix), he's someone the crew isn't accustomed to, but it's a new world and he's no nonsense. Some fans in the 90s blamed him as one of the reasons the show failed, but I thought he did okay under the circumstances. He never got to lead a TV show ever again. Rather, the meddling network execs, the producers who were too happy to comply with them, and the departure of Spielberg (who could have reined all that in), plus that horrendous new intro theme, is what killed the show.

Wasn't Sscheider at tad on the vocal side about the changes made with season 2 and pretty much wanted out?

If so it could explain why he got thin end of the wedge as things went along.

Of course producers and meddling could lead us to another sci-fi replacement.

William Boone (Kevin Kilner) with Liam Kincaid (Robert Leeshock) in Earth: Final Conflict.

Could probably fall in as good and as bad replacment as the later didn't start off well but worked out okay in S3 & S4.

Just reading the wiki entry on Leeshock and it says the Kilner asked to be released from his contract but the story I'd read previously was he was fired but didn't know it until he didn't get the S2 scripts.

 

[Cyke101]

I never saw the Michael Ironside episodes of SEAQUEST, just the Roy Scheider ones. If anyone saw both, whom was better?

As ThunderAero points out, the show changed when the captains changed, when much of this thread has shows who were trying to maintain their formula with different casts.

Under Scheider, it was primarily a sea exploration/sci-fi show. Ironside's run, explicitly stated in his first episode, was to be much more military driven, and only a couple sci-fi episodes at best.

But it's interesting that, whenever Scheider came back (and had to because of contract obligations), the writers tended to beat him up to holy hell -- probably some lingering bitterness between the two camps. Scheider made 3 appearances: one to transition the captaincy to Ironside, the second as a rival to Lucas and the crew (and Scheider had to eat crow at the end of the episode), and the third which had him inexplicably and uncharacteristically in a black ops mission, which revealed that he had a hand in some really dark genetic engineering.

I've no doubt that Scheider and Ironside got long relatively well together on the show, and the rest of the crew thought of him as a father figure, but that the producers and writers just had it out for Scheider.

On a side note, I felt Ironside got a bum deal out of all this. In hindsight (thanks to Netflix), he's someone the crew isn't accustomed to, but it's a new world and he's no nonsense. Some fans in the 90s blamed him as one of the reasons the show failed, but I thought he did okay under the circumstances. He never got to lead a TV show ever again. Rather, the meddling network execs, the producers who were too happy to comply with them, and the departure of Spielberg (who could have reined all that in), plus that horrendous new intro theme, is what killed the show.

Wasn't Sscheider at tad on the vocal side about the changes made with season 2 and pretty much wanted out?

If so it could explain why he got thin end of the wedge as things went along.

Yes, he was vocal (was was much of the cast as well) during season 2, but he was the only one with an actual career and thus the reputation to put his foot down. But bringing him back on the show in order to turn him into an antagonist twice with the dialogue as a venting session against him isn't exactly the classiest way to go.

In all honesty, the best solution for both parties would have been to keep them separated; no return other than for the transition. But alas, contracts forced both their hands.

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

I definitely agree with the "Darrin Stephens switch". I get that Dick York was sick and in pain. They could have at least hired someone who actually had chemistry with Elizabeth Montgomery. Darrin became wooden. And it wasn't because the actor was gay. I've seen gay men play straight convincingly (see Matt Bomer and Neil Patrick Harris).

I would add replacing Catherine Chandler with that other woman whose name escapes me. Okay, Linda Hamilton wanted off the show due to her pregnancy. Fine. Then just end the show after season 2 with her and Vincent all lovey-dovey. You can't kill the main character and keep the show alive!

 

[Tim Walker]

MASH has a good record with replacements: Col. Potter, BJ Hunnicutt and Maj. Winchester.

Yes, and the show itself evolved into something finer with the new casting. The show gradually became more serious, tending more towards drama.

 

[CommanderRaytas]

Reyes was a whole lot better than whiny-no-survival-instinct-bitch Scully and Jesus-mode Mulder from the last two seasons. Yikes.

Definitely. To a point. Hoping either of those don't make a comeback.

I think the choice between Reyes and the other two dumbasses was the choice between a knitting needle in the eye or the hand. Both suck, but one of them sucks a lot harder.

But seriously, what was up with the characterisation of Scully and Mulder in the last two seasons? Christ, that was annoying.

 

[Orac Zen]

I thought Jool was a bad enough replacement for Zhaan on Farscape, but then they replaced her with Sikozu, one of the most complete and utter abominations of a character ever created for any show.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I thought Jool was a bad enough replacement for Zhaan on Farscape, but then they replaced her with Sikozu, one of the most complete and utter abominations of a character ever created for any show.

Worse than Granny?

 

[Tim Walker]

The previously mentioned Pulaski was interesting because she wasn't so suspiciously similar and might've been more fondly remembered if she was. I remember at the time I was really put off by how abrasive she was but in retrospect it was kind of a brave choice for a show that was as genial as TNG was.

Actually, Pulaski's abrasiveness was an interesting contrast to the more "evolved" characters, who tended towards blandness.

 

[Timby]

Wasn't Sscheider at tad on the vocal side about the changes made with season 2 and pretty much wanted out?

Very much so. He was infuriated by the changes and only did the second season and his third-season cameos because NBC wouldn't let him out of his contract.

The best replacement characters for me would have to be Jerry Orbach taking over for Paul Sorvino and Sam Waterston for Michael Moriarty on the original Law & Order -- their arrivals really signified the show starting to fire on all cylinders.

Also, bringing in Alexis Denisof to replace Glenn Quinn on Angel probably saved the show.

The worst for me would be Michael Michele, who came in for the final season of Homicide: Life on the Street. She is just a complete and utter black hole of charisma.

 

[Thestral]

I thought Jool was a bad enough replacement for Zhaan on Farscape, but then they replaced her with Sikozu, one of the most complete and utter abominations of a character ever created for any show.

I actually really liked Sikozu and was disappointed by her character in The Peacekeeper Wars. No Zhaan but a hell of a lot better than Jool.