# Scripted TV shows that changed entire main cast **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 28, 2017, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scripted-tv-shows-that-changed-entire-main-cast/797509 "2017-09-28T12:54:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![akrako1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@akrako1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akrako1)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2017, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scripted-tv-shows-that-changed-entire-main-cast/797509/21 "2017-09-28T19:52:25Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > And Shameless replaced almost the entire cast. When it started, it focused on Frank Gallagher and his children but over the years, all of the children left and, while Frank was there throughout, he wasn’t always the focus, and didn’t even appear in some episodes. Maybe you’re speaking about the UK original series? I haven’t seen it. The US series has retained almost the entire original cast (including all of the family members), and has only turned over support cast - friends/girlfriends/neighbors (like the awesome Joan Cusack) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2017, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scripted-tv-shows-that-changed-entire-main-cast/797509/22 "2017-09-28T20:03:47Z")
Yes, I was referring to the original UK series. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2017, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scripted-tv-shows-that-changed-entire-main-cast/797509/23 "2017-09-28T20:13:24Z")
“Orange is The New black” maybe? I don’t know for sure as I only watched the first season. But whenever I see an ad for the show, I’m not seeing any of the original cast. Including the main lead character. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2017, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scripted-tv-shows-that-changed-entire-main-cast/797509/24 "2017-09-28T20:19:17Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > But, IIRC, only the first two seasons are called “Power Rangers” the rest all have some kind of subtitle associated with them, which makes them an entirely different show. Up until “Power Rangers in Space” (6th season) the subtitle would change but it was still one consistent storyline with continuity. They didn’t turnover the cast completely until the next season “Power Rangers Lost Galaxy” which started the trend of each season being stand-alone. ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2017, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scripted-tv-shows-that-changed-entire-main-cast/797509/25 "2017-09-28T20:27:57Z")
Long running Scottish based police show **Taggart** has replaced all the main cast several times over. It is worth noting the titular character of (Jim) Taggart was never replaced after the actor who portrayed him, **Mark McManus** , died in 1994. The show went from 1983 until 2010. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2017, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scripted-tv-shows-that-changed-entire-main-cast/797509/26 "2017-09-28T20:41:17Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Snip… > > Most of the cat on _MASH_ was turned over during the series. Alan Alda was the only cast member who appeared in every episode. **Radar** was the only main character who appeared in both the film and the TV series of **M_A_S\*H** and was portrayed by the same actor in both, in this case **Gary Burghoff**. TCMF ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2017, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scripted-tv-shows-that-changed-entire-main-cast/797509/27 "2017-09-28T20:54:50Z")
“77 Sunset Strip” changed all but Efrem Zimbalist Jr for the last season. Also the theme song. ---
**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:** [September 28, 2017, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scripted-tv-shows-that-changed-entire-main-cast/797509/28 "2017-09-28T22:11:53Z")
_You Can’t Do That On Television_ had more than 100 credited cast members during the 10+ years it was in production. I think Les Lye was the only person to appear in every season, although I don’t know if he was in every episode. In the U.S., YCDTOT was succeeded by _All That_, which was on for six years, then taken off, and returned for five more years. No one from the first run was carried over to the second run. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2017, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scripted-tv-shows-that-changed-entire-main-cast/797509/29 "2017-09-28T22:48:34Z")
IIRC, the only denizen of Possum Lodge around for the entire run was Red Green himself. Then there’s the whole slew of characters who were only around for the second season due to executive meddling. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scripted-tv-shows-that-changed-entire-main-cast/797509/30 "2017-09-29T00:08:46Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Skins also replaced the entire cast. And they did it twice. (The show is about students at a sixth-form college in Bristol and follows them for the two years they are at the school. In six seasons, they showed three generations of students going through college.) In the same vein, \*\*Degrassi \*\*has gone through several full cast changes because it’s set in a high school in Canada. (Although there has been one name who is in the credits for every episode, going back to the very first season in the '80s.) > [@Grrr](#): > > “Orange is The New black” maybe? > > I don’t know for sure as I only watched the first season. But whenever I see an ad for the show, I’m not seeing any of the original cast. Including the main lead character. Nope. Most of the cast from season 1 is still in the show. There are new faces and some names are gone, but the main people are basically the same. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scripted-tv-shows-that-changed-entire-main-cast/797509/31 "2017-09-29T01:55:13Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Wasn’t Greg there the entire time? His role ON the show changed, but I think he was present throughout all the seasons You may be right. IMDB lists Eric Szmanda as appearing in all 335 episodes. ---
**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:** [September 29, 2017, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scripted-tv-shows-that-changed-entire-main-cast/797509/32 "2017-09-29T02:20:21Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Up until “Power Rangers in Space” (6th season) the subtitle would change but it was still one consistent storyline with continuity. They didn’t turnover the cast completely until the next season “Power Rangers Lost Galaxy” which started the trend of each season being stand-alone. This is a (belated) import from the original Super Sentai. Every season of Super Sentai has a completely new cast (though there are returning characters in the crossover movies and the Gokaiger season (the 40th Anniversary season))…leading to a lot of debate about whether every season is set in the same universe (despite significant inconsistencies - such as there being 4 separate explanations as to why the non-avian dinosaurs went extinct) or if each is in it’s own universe (with Gokaiger and the crossover movies set in a separate crossover universe, where something resembling the other Sentai happened, but with changed details to accommodate the crossover aspect). I favour the latter…not just because of the inconsistencies, but because Go-Busters explicitly takes place in a separate universe (different dating system and very different civilian technology than the real world), and moves between universes in its (non-crossover) movie, and Go-Onger has alternate universes baked into the premise. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scripted-tv-shows-that-changed-entire-main-cast/797509/33 "2017-09-29T03:59:26Z")
From season 1, Walking Dead has 4 characters Rick,Carl,Carol,Darrell. ---
**Author:** ![irritant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@irritant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irritant)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scripted-tv-shows-that-changed-entire-main-cast/797509/34 "2017-09-29T21:43:56Z")
**Mystery Science Theater 3000** had completely turned over its cast by the middle of season 8. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scripted-tv-shows-that-changed-entire-main-cast/797509.md?page=1)