Unexpected fan favorites who take over the show?

[Mr Light]

T-Bag on Prison Break.

Like Spike on Buffy and Sylar on Heroes, a villain that should have been killed off a loooooooong time ago and was artificially kept alive to keep the fans happy.

Chloe on Twenty Four.

 

[TheMasterOfOrion]

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Was that a personal favorite? I didn't really think Chianna took over the show.

 

[Starbreaker]

Chiana was written as a guest spot but they added her as a regular due to fan reaction.

 

[Maestro]

Worf?

 

[od0_ital]

^

Worf took over TWO shows! And horned in on the last TOS movie!

 

[Timby]

Niles on Frasier. Season 1 was very much Frasier's show. But from Season 2 onwards, it was more Frasier & Niles as a double act. This became more pronounced as the series went on. There are some later episodes where we spend more time in Niles' apartment than in Frasier's apartment. There are some episodes ("Moon Dance," "Head Game") where Frasier hardly appears at all and the episode is entirely about Niles.

To be entirely fair, however, many of these episodes coincided with Kelsey Grammer being in rehab / jail / having extended appearances in court / etc.

 

[Thestral]

^^ In the end unfortunately kind of seems like she ended up back as a plot device.

One of my biggest - but not only - gripes with Buffy S7.

anya was funny, cordelia was a bitch.
spike was funny, angel was boring.

a massive improvement

Bollocks, Cordelia was awesome, and made a great double-act with Angel.

 

[Aragorn]

I didn't watch Homicide, but didn't it go from an ensemble to the Andre Braugher show?

 

[_C_]

I seem to recall Xena got her own show after she was awesome on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.

Damn, I miss Xena...she kicked serious butt! Though, in hindsight, Kevin Sorbo is pretty nice on this lady's eyes, yeeeessss...

 

[od0_ital]

I didn't watch Homicide, but didn't it go from an ensemble to the Andre Braugher show?

Andre Braugher was always a central part of the ensemble - the other characters even talked about his character when he wasn't around.

And when he was gone in the final season, the show really sucked out loud.

 

[Starbreaker]

Barnabas Collins - Dark Shadows
Tommy Oliver - Power Rangers
Elmo
Ben & Desmond - Lost
The Janitor - Scrubs
Daryl Dixon - The Walking Dead

 

[Miss Chicken]

Castiel on Supernatural - he didn't quite take over the show from the Winchester boys but he certainly was a breakout character. I believe that he was orginally only meant to be in the show for 6 episodes.

Captain Jack from Dr Who - though that was really a character who was given a spin-off show.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Castiel on Supernatural - he didn't quite take over the show from the Winchester boys but he certainly was a breakout character. I believe that he was orginally only meant to be in the show for 6 episodes.

Has Castiel ecclipsed Bobby yet? Bobby has been gone for a while now, but his spirit remained... well, then his spirit died and he still has very much a presence somehow.

 

[auntiehill]

No, I would say that Bobby had an even greater impact, despite no longer being on the show.

 

[Miss Chicken]

Bobby was another very popular breakout character but I think that Castiel was more popular with women (but maybe I am only speaking for myself).

And of course there are other characters from Supernatural who became more popular than writers probably thought they would (Crowley, John Winchester, Death).

I never really liked any of the female characters on Supernatural.

 

[auntiehill]

But I don't think any of them really come close to "taking over the show," like Fonzie did on Happy Days.


Another example I thought of is a character who literally took over---Avon on "Blake's 7." It was all about Blake but Avon was just as popular and when the actor who played Blake decided to leave, Avon both literally and figuratively took over. Of course, it wasn't all due to fan interest so much as necessity.

 

[Miss Chicken]

But I don't think any of them really come close to "taking over the show."

No, not taking over the show. That is why I am only referring to them as breakout characters. Sometimes breakout characters take over shows but more often they are minor characters that end up with a more prominent role (thought not the lead).

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Surprised no one has mentioned Seven of Nine yet.

 

[Miss Chicken]

But I don't think any of them really come close to "taking over the show," like Fonzie did on Happy Days.


Another example I thought of is a character who literally took over---Avon on "Blake's 7." It was all about Blake but Avon was just as popular and when the actor who played Blake decided to leave, Avon both literally and figuratively took over. Of course, it wasn't all due to fan interest so much as necessity.

That is a very good example. I think, from the start, Paul Darrow put more effort into his character than Gareth Thomas ever did and Avon's relationships to others (Vila, Servalan) were interesting. whereas I found Blake to be quite boring character.