# Best/Worst Replacement of a TV Character **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 24, 2000, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-replacement-of-a-tv-character/47057 "2000-12-24T03:39:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-replacement-of-a-tv-character/47057/1 "2000-12-24T03:39:41Z")
WORST: Show: The Andy Griffith Show Departed: Deputy Barney Fife (Don Knotts) Replaced by: Deputy Warren Ferguson (Jack Burns) Talented and hilarious Knotts is replaced by Jay Lenoish sounding, no-talent Burns–instantly forgettable. “The Andy Griffith Show”, shot in color at this point, would limp on for 3 more painful years, a shadow of what it once was. Show: Chico and the Man Departed: Chico Rodriguez (Freddie Prinze) Replaced by: Raul Rodriguez (Gabriel Melgar) Lesson learned: when your star offs himself, pull up the stakes. Show: All in the Family Departed: Mike & Gloria Stivic (Rob Reiner & Sally Struthers) Replaced by: Stephanie Mills (Danielle Brisebois) The arrival of Edith’s niece Stephanie marks the transformation of “AITF” from a socially relevant groundbreaking sitcom into another show with a smartass kid. BEST: Show: Barney Miller Departed: Detective Chano Amenguale (Gregory Sierra) Replaced by: Detective Arthur Dietrich (Steve Landesberg) Landesberg’s dry, intellectual Dietrich provided an unusual but highly successful replacement for motormouth Amenguale. Show: Cheers Departed: Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) Replaced by: Rebecca Howe (Kirstie Alley) Proving that the writing’s the thing, Alley’s clumsy and pathetic Rebecca Howe fit in seamlessly when the show lost uptight intellectual Diane Chambers. With too much time on my hands, I invite your suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-replacement-of-a-tv-character/47057/2 "2000-12-24T04:42:18Z")
I’m going to reach back for this one. WORST Make Room for Daddy Jean Hagen’s sharp and funny Margaret was replaced by Marjorie Lord’s Kathy. Unfortunately, Marjorie Lord on her best day couldn’t compete with Jean Hagen on her worst. BEST M_A_S_H Larry Linville’s Frank Burns gave way to David Ogden Stiers’ Charles Emerson Winchester. I know a lot of people on this board really hate the way M_A_S_H changed over the years, ut Winchester was a far better foil for Hawkeye than the buffoonish Bruns ever was. ---
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-replacement-of-a-tv-character/47057/3 "2000-12-24T04:47:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kunilou \* > \*\* > > BEST > > M_A_S_H > Larry Linville’s Frank Burns gave way to David Ogden Stiers’ Charles Emerson Winchester. I know a lot of people on this board really hate the way M_A_S_H changed over the years, ut Winchester was a far better foil for Hawkeye than the buffoonish Bruns ever was. \*\* Agreed…in a show with such well-written characters it was always puzzling to me how 2-dimensional Frank Burns remained. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-replacement-of-a-tv-character/47057/4 "2000-12-24T05:04:01Z")
1. William Hartnell to Patrick Troughton: or, Croctchey Grandfather to Cosmic Hobo. Great change of styles. 2. Troughton to John Pertwee: Pertwee being a Shakespearian actor, it was another good one. These two even got along in the reunion pieces. 3. Pertwee to Tom Baker: Good actor replaced by Great Actor. Baker is the most familiar Doctor. Serious, yet offbeat. Sarcastic. 4. Baker to Peter Davidson: Davidson is a lot more laid back, so this isn’t the best transition. But he made a good Doctor. 5. Davidson to Colin Baker: Huh? Laid back to Ego-driven wierdo? Show nearly died during Colin’s reign. 6. CB to Sylvester McCoy: The final TV Doctor, McCoy. Good. Not great. But then dead moss would be better than Colin Baker. 7. McCoy to Paul McGann: for the TV movie. Not a great script, and seriously screwed in some parts, but Paul made a good Doctor. I could do the Master. All 4 of him. 🙂 [sub]Why, No! I haven’t seen too much Dr Who, why?[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-replacement-of-a-tv-character/47057/5 "2000-12-24T05:10:01Z")
Worst: Michael J. Fox to Charlie Sheen in _Spin City_ ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-replacement-of-a-tv-character/47057/6 "2000-12-24T05:13:04Z")
Best: Woody Harrelson to Ted Danson as the bartender in _Cheers_. ---
**Author:** ![Ace\_Face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Ace\_Face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace_Face)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-replacement-of-a-tv-character/47057/7 "2000-12-24T05:28:22Z")
Best: Jerry’s Dad on _Seinfeld_. The guy in the first few seasons seemed totally out of place. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-replacement-of-a-tv-character/47057/8 "2000-12-24T05:34:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by capacitor \* > \*\*Best: > > Woody Harrelson to Ted Danson as the bartender in _Cheers_. \*\* Um…Danson predates Harrelson on Cheers by a whole lot, and they both stayed 'till the end… Woody replaced Coach after Nicholas Colasanto died in '85. Actually that brings to mind a series of replacements that fits into both. Worst: Night Court: Selma -\> Florence, after Selma Diamond’s death. Florence was a second-rate knock off of Selma. Best: Florence -\> Roz, after Florence Halop’s death. Instead of trying to fill the vacancy with another carbon copy of Selma and Florence, they filled it with Roz (Marsha Warfield). While holding a similar niche (Abrasive female bailiff), she was a better rounded character than Florence (or even Selma, although that was as much due to the fact that she got 6 years to Selma’s 1 as anything else). And, as a little added bonus: Funniest: Also Night Court Phil Sanders → Will Sanders. Same actor (William Utay), character’s twin brother…develops into a true clone after the first season. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-replacement-of-a-tv-character/47057/9 "2000-12-24T05:43:52Z")
_Night Court_ had a few good ones. Coach to Woody is a good one on _Cheers_. _M_A_S_H\*'s switch from Honeycut to BJ, and Herny Blake to Sherman Potter deserve mention with the Burns-Winchester switch as some of the best. Theres too many bad ones to really list. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-replacement-of-a-tv-character/47057/10 "2000-12-24T07:07:06Z")
Good: “Law and Order” Michael Moriarty replaced by Sam Waterston Paul Sorvino replaced by Jerry Orbach Bad: “Law and Order” Jill Hennessy replaced by Carey Lowell “Mission: Impossible” Martin Landau and Barbara Bain replaced with Leonard Nimoy and, a year later, Lesley Warren ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-replacement-of-a-tv-character/47057/11 "2000-12-24T07:55:29Z")
for a long time, I had heard nothing good about Colin Baker’s time on “Doctor Who.” I couldn’t confirm of deny it, because all I had seen were Tom Baker and Peter Davison. But, recently, I finally got a chance to see Colin Baker in action, and I found him interestingly abrasive. ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-replacement-of-a-tv-character/47057/12 "2000-12-24T08:14:51Z")
Best “Star Trek: Voyager” Kes (Jennifer Lien) replaced by Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) Worst “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) replaced by Ezri Dax (Nicole de Boer) ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-replacement-of-a-tv-character/47057/13 "2000-12-24T08:21:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kasuo \* > \*\*Best > > “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” > Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) replaced by Ezri Dax (Nicole de Boer)\*\* Carry on. ^\_\_~ ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-replacement-of-a-tv-character/47057/14 "2000-12-24T08:22:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tengu \* > Funniest: > > Also Night Court > Phil Sanders → Will Sanders. Same actor (William Utay), character’s twin brother…develops into a true clone after the first season. 🙂 **Yuck!** Although Phil’s passing made for a few great episodes, the introduction of Will and the _Phil Foundation_ marked the denoument and ultimate road to oblivion for “Night Court.” In short: he stunk up the joint. The writers should have offed Will when they had the chance. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-replacement-of-a-tv-character/47057/15 "2000-12-24T08:50:44Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Tengu \* \*\* > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kasuo \* > \*\*Best > > “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” > Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) replaced by Ezri Dax (Nicole de Boer)\*\* No…I think it was fine just the way it was. Nothing personal against Nicole de Boer, but the absolute last thing the story needed during the final year was a new main character that contributed nothing to the overall plot and sucked away valuable time that could have been spent further developing the other characters’ roles in the struggle. If they wanted to do storylines that didn’t involve the war, that was fine by me. But it was absoultely infuriating that so much time was spent on crappy episodes trying to add more dimensions to someone who didn’t need to be there in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-replacement-of-a-tv-character/47057/16 "2000-12-24T15:25:12Z")
Worst: Replacing Dick York with Dick Sargeant as Darrin on “Bewitched”. York was far better as physical comedy than Sargeant (which, unfortunately, led to his demise). Sargeant played the role as a smug SOB and you wanted Endora to turn him into a frog or something. ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-replacement-of-a-tv-character/47057/17 "2000-12-24T15:41:01Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Omniscient \* > MASH_’s switch from Honeycut to BJ, and Herny Blake to Sherman Potter deserve mention with the Burns-Winchester switch as some of the best.\*\* BJ’s last name was Honeycutt (?sp), I think you mean from Trapper [John] to BJ. ---
**Author:** ![lolagranola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ea5d25/32.png) [@lolagranola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lolagranola)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2000, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-replacement-of-a-tv-character/47057/18 "2000-12-25T16:54:12Z")
Both of the ones that popped into my mind when I read the OP have already been mentioned, but what the heck. Best: Coach to Woody on Cheers Worst: Dick York to Dick Sargent on Bewitched with a (dis)honourable mention going to Terry Farrell to Nicole de Boer on DS9. I would have given that one top honours, but I felt that no one could have replaced such a beloved character and made something of it considering where the series was at that point. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2000, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-replacement-of-a-tv-character/47057/19 "2000-12-25T17:32:56Z")
I’m kinda surprised no one’s mentioned… BEST John Burns (Randall Carver) replaced by Jim Ignatowski (Christopher Lloyd) on _Taxi_. ---
**Author:** ![Uniball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Uniball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniball)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2000, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-replacement-of-a-tv-character/47057/20 "2000-12-25T17:36:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lolagranola \* > \*\* > Best: > > Coach to Woody on Cheers > > \*\* Uh, I don’t believe they had a choice. Good ol Nic Colasanto HAD to be replaced cause, uh, he died. But I liked Coach’s character better than Woody. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-replacement-of-a-tv-character/47057.md?page=2)