# Series that essentially abandoned their original premise during their runs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 3, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-that-essentially-abandoned-their-original-premise-during-their-runs/545433 "2010-07-03T16:15:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-that-essentially-abandoned-their-original-premise-during-their-runs/545433/181 "2010-11-11T14:32:00Z")
Nobody’s mentioned _Will & Grace_? The show was supposed to be about Will & Grace. That is why they hired the two most wooden actors in the history of acting to play the leads. If it hadn’t been for Sean Hayes’s Jack & Megan Mullally’s Karen, that show would not have lasted six weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-that-essentially-abandoned-their-original-premise-during-their-runs/545433/182 "2010-11-11T16:41:05Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Nobody’s mentioned _Will & Grace_? The show was supposed to be about Will & Grace. That is why they hired the two most wooden actors in the history of acting to play the leads. > > If it hadn’t been for Sean Hayes’s Jack & Megan Mullally’s Karen, that show would not have lasted six weeks. Madness. Jack & Karen were as annoying as they were amusing and needed the titutular leads to make them palatable, the way you have to put sugar as well as lemon juice in lemonade. Also Debra Messing was worth looking up doing whatever she felt like, and the dysfunctional Will & Grace relationship was always fun. I will concede, though, that by the third season or so, the show could have honestly been called _Will & Grace & Jack & Karen (plus occasionally Rosario)_. ---
**Author:** ![Dan\_Norder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@Dan\_Norder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Norder)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-that-essentially-abandoned-their-original-premise-during-their-runs/545433/183 "2010-11-11T18:17:23Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Yeah… no. > > Too many people have done that seriously. I stand by my snark. Dude, the woosh was to give you a socially acceptable way to smooth over your obvious mistake with a bit of light comedy. Stubbornly insisting you didn’t make a mistake when it’s so clear to that you did is just silly. But, hey, if you’d rather be laughed at then laugh with everyone else, by all means… ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-that-essentially-abandoned-their-original-premise-during-their-runs/545433/184 "2010-11-11T18:24:37Z")
I never actually saw the show (thankfully), but I’ve read that “Baywatch Nights” went from a private detective show to a ghost hunting X-files knockoff in an unsuccessful attempt to boost its terrible ratings. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-that-essentially-abandoned-their-original-premise-during-their-runs/545433/185 "2010-11-12T03:06:39Z")
What about that show with Urkel? ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-that-essentially-abandoned-their-original-premise-during-their-runs/545433/186 "2010-11-12T04:25:05Z")
Wasn’t he the guy who sang “Rio”? ---
**Author:** ![Otara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Otara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otara)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-that-essentially-abandoned-their-original-premise-during-their-runs/545433/187 "2010-11-12T06:48:44Z")
All time greatest betrayal of original story is and always will be ‘There should have only been one’ Highlander vs Highlander 2. ---
**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:** [November 12, 2010, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-that-essentially-abandoned-their-original-premise-during-their-runs/545433/188 "2010-11-12T07:14:00Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Of course they never abandoned the improbably-hot-assistant-femaleADA-whose-Bond-girl-beauty-is-rarely-commented-on-though-freaking-obvious rule established by Kincaid. They knew a good idea once they found it, though. And, fortunately, they carried that part of the formula over to _SVU_ as well. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-that-essentially-abandoned-their-original-premise-during-their-runs/545433/189 "2010-11-12T09:44:55Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > Not to mention rumors that he was Jewish. Funny, he doesn’t look Jewish. ---
**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:** [November 12, 2010, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-that-essentially-abandoned-their-original-premise-during-their-runs/545433/190 "2010-11-12T11:02:35Z")
On “Star Trek Voyager” wasn’t one of the original premises that they were in a part of the galaxy where water was very rare? Which always struck me as idiotic and they abandoned it after a couple episodes. Got rid of those idiotic Kazan too, whom Seven of Nine later described as a species not worth assimilating. ---
**Author:** ![icallbull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ac91a4/32.png) [@icallbull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/icallbull)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-that-essentially-abandoned-their-original-premise-during-their-runs/545433/191 "2010-11-12T14:01:10Z")
How about Valerie…or Valerie’s Family…or yet The Hogans. Dard to believe the show lasted some 5 years. I guess this is what happens pre-cable and theres nothing else to watch. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-that-essentially-abandoned-their-original-premise-during-their-runs/545433/192 "2010-11-12T14:21:17Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Funny, he doesn’t look Jewish. Did his mom have to use part of his crashed space ship to circumcise him? -Joe ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-that-essentially-abandoned-their-original-premise-during-their-runs/545433/193 "2010-11-12T17:20:50Z")
I wonder if this series is less about abadoning their original premise than not having a good one to begin with, but before I watched The Adventures of Briscoe County Jr., I thought the idea of a comedic Western-themed show to be interesting. But then they had to go with the time travel stuff and that stupid orb. But I guess if that was their original premise, it would only score a 5 or so… Going non-TV for a second, the original premise of Final Fantasy was that it was the final video game for a small dying company. Turned out to be quite popular. Now the regular series numbers up to 14 with countless spin-offs, a movies, anime series, and comics. This one turned out for the better though ---
**Author:** ![Dan\_Norder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@Dan\_Norder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Norder)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-that-essentially-abandoned-their-original-premise-during-their-runs/545433/194 "2010-11-12T18:39:59Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > I wonder if this series is less about abadoning their original premise than not having a good one to begin with, but before I watched The Adventures of Briscoe County Jr., I thought the idea of a comedic Western-themed show to be interesting. But then they had to go with the time travel stuff and that stupid orb. But I guess if that was their original premise, it would only score a 5 or so… The orb was a major focus of the pilot and, as it was used there anyway, had great potential, I thought. But after that any episode focusing on the orb was just dreadful. Painfully bad. Thankfully those were in the minority, but I don’t think the series ever recovered from it. Later on the writers had a different problem: not only was the orb gone, but the whole gang Briscoe had been after for killing his father had been dealt with _and_ the good guys’ headquarters was destroyed. At that point it was a little adrift, but still had some great episodes. There were hints that it would evolve into an ongoing _Wild, Wild West_-esque format of working secretly for the President but that got derailed as well, and the expected second season (even hinted at with a wink and a nod by a character saying they’d be back after a brief hiatus) never happened. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2010, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-that-essentially-abandoned-their-original-premise-during-their-runs/545433/195 "2010-11-13T00:16:50Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > Did his mom have to use part of his crashed space ship to circumcise him? > > -Joe Good question. Maybe Kryptonians are genetically engineered to lack foreskins. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2010, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-that-essentially-abandoned-their-original-premise-during-their-runs/545433/196 "2010-11-13T02:40:36Z")
I think Happy Days was originally more of a drama about Richie’s teenage nerouses, wasn’t it? Dramatic shift in tone, at least. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2010, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-that-essentially-abandoned-their-original-premise-during-their-runs/545433/197 "2010-11-13T03:16:41Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > On “Star Trek Voyager” wasn’t one of the original premises that they were in a part of the galaxy where water was very rare? Which always struck me as idiotic and they abandoned it after a couple episodes. Got rid of those idiotic Kazan too, whom Seven of Nine later described as a species not worth assimilating. Not quite. They were in a part of the galaxy where neither replicators or transporters (& presumably holodecks) had been invented yet. The Occampa homeworld was a complete dessert on the surface, but they were only there in the pilot. The local Kazons were amazed then Janeway had huge tanks of replicated water beamed down to the surface for barter. Apparently the best way the Kazons could come up with of getting water was to have it imported from other star systems. :dubious: I wouldn’t want to assimilate them either. ---
**Author:** ![vislor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vislor/32/5933_2.png) [@vislor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vislor)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-that-essentially-abandoned-their-original-premise-during-their-runs/545433/198 "2010-11-13T16:41:34Z")
> [@Dan\_Norder](#): > > The orb was a major focus of the pilot and, as it was used there anyway, had great potential, I thought. But after that any episode focusing on the orb was just dreadful. Painfully bad. Thankfully those were in the minority, but I don’t think the series ever recovered from it. > > Later on the writers had a different problem: not only was the orb gone, but the whole gang Briscoe had been after for killing his father had been dealt with _and_ the good guys’ headquarters was destroyed. At that point it was a little adrift, but still had some great episodes. There were hints that it would evolve into an ongoing _Wild, Wild West_-esque format of working secretly for the President but that got derailed as well, and the expected second season (even hinted at with a wink and a nod by a character saying they’d be back after a brief hiatus) never happened. Interesting. After seeing them in the past few years again, I thought only the motorcycle episode stood out as not the best, and maybe the pirate one, although I wonder if it wouldn’t be closer to the correct technology level at the time, not that I have researched it. But, yes, the orb was in the pilot and the whole plot line behind John Bly. This, of course, was what FOX was thinking would be the next big show on Friday night for them so I agree they thought they had a second season coming and hinted at it. It was a lead in to some show called the X-Files. So, to sum up, I agree that they might not have had long term ideas with what to do with the show in season two but I don’t think it ever strayed from its premise. But that’s me. (As an aside, one of it’s producers went on to do LOST.) ---
**Author:** ![Short\_Guy\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9adbd/32.png) [@Short\_Guy\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Short_Guy_1)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-that-essentially-abandoned-their-original-premise-during-their-runs/545433/199 "2010-11-16T12:51:27Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > [Branded](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058792/plotsummary) (1965), the story of an 1880s cavalryman reviled for cowardice even though it was his commanding officer who actually bailed on the Battle of Bitter Creek, started out as an interesting story of a man (Chuck Conners) trying to regain his honor and reputation, one small western town at a time. By the second season, he was a secret agent for the government and a less-campy version of the **Wild Wild West**. There was no third season. Holy hell, that show really existed? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-that-essentially-abandoned-their-original-premise-during-their-runs/545433/200 "2010-11-16T15:25:48Z")
> [@Short\_Guy](#): > > Holy hell, that show really existed? Sure did. It ws one of the highlights of my childhood. I can still sing the snappy [theme song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXlUS5-ag_g) from memory. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-that-essentially-abandoned-their-original-premise-during-their-runs/545433.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-that-essentially-abandoned-their-original-premise-during-their-runs/545433.md?page=11)