Prime time character recasts that were better than the original actor? (1 Viewer)

So on prime time series that you have watched, what character recasts do you think we're even better than the original actor?

I'll start with ROSEANN. Becky #2. I thought she just played Becky as a less hateful, more like able girl. WIN!

DYNASTY. I am a fan of Emma SAMs and totally preferred her Fallon to PSM's Fallon.

i liked pamela sue martin much better for that role !!

This one is a tough one. I can't think of anyone since it's so rare.


Usually, the best you can hope for is something like Petticoat Junction. The cast changes there for the characters of Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo worked well. But as a fan, I can't really pinpoint a favorite out of the five actresses in question.


But none of the cast changes for those two roles ever detracted from the show, which in itself was pretty rare. Usually, changing key characters just drags a show down (Something PJ wasn't able to escape in the end, since there's just no replacing Bea Benaderet).


It's just about as rare that the addition of a major new role helps a show. For every example like Tina Cole on My Three Sons, there's many that fell flat and just hastened the demise of the show that they appeared on.


When they start adding people, they're usually desperate and the end isn't going to be far away.

James MacArthur replacing Tim O'Kelley in Hawaii Five-O. I thought MacArthur was better. Granted, we only saw O'Kelley in the pilot, so maybe he would have been good in the role if given a chance.


Pat Priest replacing Beverly Owen in The Munsters. I liked Priest marginally better than Owen, although they were so similar in appearance that some viewers didn't even know that a re-casting had occurred.

The only two I can think of were Pat Priest as noted above and Kasey Rogers as Louise Tate in Bewitched . She was much more animated and funnier than Irene Vernon, although Irene was good in her own way. Certainly the other replacements on Bewitched, Sandra Gould and Dick Sargent, were not improvements over their roles' originators, imo.

I don't know if I've ever watched a show where they recast an actor to play the same part - for the shows I watch, it's usually more of a "Law & Order" type scenario where they just bring in a new actor to play a new cop or new lawyer, instead of having the same character played by someone else.


The only thing I can think of for what I've watched was where on "Star Trek: The Next Generation", Worf's son Alexander is played by a child actor, but when Worf appears on "Deep Space Nine" once the former show finished, the character of the son is played by a teenager or young adult actor. I didn't like what they did with the character, so I'm not sure if my issue is with the writing or with the new actor, but it didn't really work for me.


The other example I have is from "Twin Peaks" the series and then the "Fire Walk With Me" movie - the character of Donna is played by Lara Flynn Boyle in the series, and then Moira Kelly in the movie, and I just have a hard time accepting Moira Kelly in the role. I'm not sure that there's anything wrong with her portrayal in and of itself, but when you've had one actor playing a role for two seasons worth of episodes, and then suddenly it's another actor for what amounts to the last two hours you'll ever see these characters (or at least, that's what I thought until the announcement of the revived series), it was just weird. When you see the same actors in episode after episode, it really helps with the feeling of continuity and feeling that you're watching real people... and then when suddenly it's a different actor, it shatters that illusion. Or at least, it did for me.

I don't agree with Becky on Rosanne. The original actress added dimension to the role. She was realistic. I was sorry to see her go.


The second Chris on Partridge Family was better I thought. I think that same kid was in Freaky Friday from the 70s. Plays a good kid. (edit, not the same kid as Freaky Friday,oops!)


Another good one might be Kochanski from Red Dwarf. The first was great, but the second just grew on me.

I'm quite partial to Emma Samms on "Dynasty", although both actresses brought Fallon to life in different ways.

Radioman970 said:

I don't agree with Becky on Rosanne. The original actress added dimension to the role. She was realistic. I was sorry to see her go.


The second Chris on Partridge Family was better I thought. I think that same kid was in Freaky Friday from the 70s. Plays a good kid.


Another good one might be Kochanski from Red Dwarf. The first was great, but the second just grew on me.

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Hi James!


I agree with your preference for the second Chris Partridge. Regarding ROSANNE, I was never really a fan of that show, though I think the first Becky was preferable. Oddly enough, I do recall that the two actresses who portrayed Becky actually replaced each other twice during the Series' run, which was quite an oddity in of itself!


CHEERS!


Tony

I'm a real stickler for original cast members. 90% of the time I despise recasting. The only exceptions I can think of right off hand are the daughters on Petticoat Junction. I definitely preferred Lori Saunders and Meridith MacRae. The two versions of Marilyn from The Munsters is pretty much a wash. I liked both gals equally. And yes, the 2nd Chris Partridge was much better.



Gary "I'm pretty sure I saw the later years of PJ first in reruns growing up, hence my preference for the later versions of Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo" O.

Gary OS said:

I'm a real stickler for original cast members. 90% of the time I despise recasting. The only exceptions I can think of right off hand are the daughters on Petticoat Junction. I definitely preferred Lori Saunders and Meridith MacRae. The two versions of Marilyn from The Munsters is pretty much a wash. I liked both gals equally. And yes, the 2nd Chris Partridge was much better.



Gary "I'm pretty sure I saw the later years of PJ first in reruns growing up, hence my preference for the later versions of Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo" O.

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Hi Gary!


I agree with pretty much everything you've stated above, including your 90% Formula! There's a Joke in the Will Ferrell/Nicole Kidman starred BEWITCHED Film that bemoans the fact the original Darrin Stevens was replaced partway through the Series and nobody even noticed, which in my opinion, is even more apropos for THE MUNSTERS' Marilyn Munster character!


A Tale Of Two Marilyn's:



Beverley Owen & Pat Priest. I actually had to look up the name of the first Marilyn Munster actress, so I suppose that this could be construed as a Pseudo Freudian slip regarding my favorite "Marilyn!"


CHEERS!


Tony

SIDENOTE- Years ago I saw an interview with penny Marshall. She stated that when she once held the rights to BEWITCHED to make a feature film version, she has exactly planned to switch actors playing Darren in the middle of the film!! And do it without any explanation. It would have been pretty humorous.

Gerard Christopher as Clark Kent/Superboy over John Newton if it counts, though syndicated, it was close to prime time for me.

Paul Burke replacing James Franciscus on Naked City, and Robert Lansing on Twelve O'Clock High, arguably more effective in creating a well-rounded character than either.

bretmaverick2 said:

SIDENOTE- Years ago I saw an interview with penny Marshall. She stated that when she once held the rights to BEWITCHED to make a feature film version, she has exactly planned to switch actors playing Darren in the middle of the film!! And do it without any explanation. It would have been pretty humorous.

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That sounds better than the disappointing movie we eventually got with Nicole Kidman.

This goes back quite a way (but then again, so do I) The Mother's In-Law: Roger Buell (Roger C. Carmel was replaced by Richard Deacon).


I believe it was a salary dispute.

Tory said:

Gerard Christopher as Clark Kent/Superboy over John Newton if it counts, though syndicated, it was close to prime time for me.

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I think the second Luthor, Sherman Howard, was better, too.

Reed Grele said:

This goes back quite a way (but then again, so do I) The Mother's In-Law: Roger Buell (Roger C. Carmel was replaced by Richard Deacon).


I believe it was a salary dispute.

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The story goes that the cast was promised a salary increase after the first season, but the deal fell through, requiring the cast to sign on for the same salary in Season 2. Roger C. Carmel quit on principal, and was replaced by Deacon.

A lot of Britcom fans would say that Mary Millar was better/more fun on Keeping Up Appearances as Hyacinth's sister Rose than the actress who played the part in series one, Shirley Stelfox.


Also, many fans of Being Human much prefer Aidan Turner's Mitchell to Guy Flanagan's (Flanagan played the character in the pilot).

AndyMcKinney said:

A lot of Britcom fans would say that Mary Millar was better/more fun on Keeping Up Appearances as Hyacinth's sister Rose than the actress who played the part in series one, Shirley Stelfox.

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Mary Millar took Rose out into orbit and to places we'd never seen. Shirley Stelfox was good also, but I much preferred Millar in the role.