# television shows that decided to add kids **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 27, 2018, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-shows-that-decided-to-add-kids/811276 "2018-03-27T14:34:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Princess\_Perfume](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/princess_perfume/32/16518_2.png) [@Princess\_Perfume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princess_Perfume)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2018, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-shows-that-decided-to-add-kids/811276/121 "2018-06-29T03:30:10Z")
The mismatch between Beverly Garland and Dawn Lyn reminds me how seeing Judith Barsi in her television appearances and commercials where she looks decidedly Eastern European next to people playing her parents or siblings or friends who are decidedly _not_ “ethnic” always stands out to me. ---
**Author:** ![Princess\_Perfume](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/princess_perfume/32/16518_2.png) [@Princess\_Perfume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princess_Perfume)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2018, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-shows-that-decided-to-add-kids/811276/122 "2018-08-11T14:45:25Z")
I wrote a transgender transformation story where a man gets sold a mysterious cable tv service and finds he can enter the bodies of tv characters. There’s no tv cameras or studios, this is a “Pleasantville” type scenario. In this first installment, the protagonist enters the Dick Van Dyke show as Mary Tyler Moore’s “Laura Petrie”… and uses the “Character Change/Replace” option on the magical remote control to replace the son, brash, obnoxious Ritchie, with a beautiful little girl. ---
**Author:** ![Princess\_Perfume](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/princess_perfume/32/16518_2.png) [@Princess\_Perfume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princess_Perfume)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2019, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-shows-that-decided-to-add-kids/811276/123 "2019-09-26T09:40:55Z")
Sherwood Schwartz’s making Susan Olsen look like Anissa Jones for the first three seasons of the Brady Bunch is very off-putting. It’s creepy and at least one professional television writer said Schwartz had an unhealthy fascination with Anissa Jones that seemed psycho-sexual. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2019, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-shows-that-decided-to-add-kids/811276/124 "2019-09-26T23:39:18Z")
> [@Princess\_Perfume](#): > > Sherwood Schwartz’s making Susan Olsen look like Anissa Jones for the first three seasons of the Brady Bunch is very off-putting. It’s creepy and at least one professional television writer said Schwartz had an unhealthy fascination with Anissa Jones that seemed psycho-sexual. :dubious: Huh. Not what I heard. According to Barry “Greg” Williams’ memoir, Susan Olsen asked her mom to “fix up her hair like Buffy’s” (on Family Affair). Mind you , Schwartz was apparently so enamored of her little pigtail that he wrote it into the theme song. Supposedly, once Olsen has come into audition for the role of Cindy, Schwartz decided he didn’t need to see anyone else. ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2019, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-shows-that-decided-to-add-kids/811276/125 "2019-09-27T10:54:50Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Would mentioning the flip side violate protocol? > > Fox’s “Grounded For Life” had three kids (daughter and two younger sons) until their last season when, IRL, the family of the younger boy moved back East. No mention of the missing third kid on the show. Sadly, he was the funniest of the three. Somewhat similar to Chuck disappearing from \*\*Happy Days \*\*early in the series. I don’t think anyone missed him much. ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2019, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-shows-that-decided-to-add-kids/811276/126 "2019-09-27T10:56:06Z")
> [@Princess\_Perfume](#): > > I wrote a transgender transformation story where a man gets sold a mysterious cable tv service and finds he can enter the bodies of tv characters. There’s no tv cameras or studios, this is a “Pleasantville” type scenario. In this first installment, the protagonist enters the Dick Van Dyke show as Mary Tyler Moore’s “Laura Petrie”… and uses the “Character Change/Replace” option on the magical remote control to **replace the son, brash, obnoxious Ritchie, with a beautiful little girl**. Good call. Richie was incredibly grating. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2019, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-shows-that-decided-to-add-kids/811276/127 "2019-09-27T11:08:22Z")
> [@GargoyleWB](#): > > How old was Scrappy-Doo? I don’t think it was clear if he was a great dane puppy, or an adult little yappy chihuahua mix. He kept saying “puppy power”, so he’s obviously a child. I don’t think anyone mentioned Naomi Wildman yet. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2019, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-shows-that-decided-to-add-kids/811276/128 "2019-09-27T12:41:47Z")
I read through the thread… Stephanie on All in the Family was mentioned, but Joey wasn’t. On Criminal Minds, JJ had a son Henry, played by her real life son. But he isn’t a main character. ---
**Author:** ![Princess\_Perfume](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/princess_perfume/32/16518_2.png) [@Princess\_Perfume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princess_Perfume)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2019, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-shows-that-decided-to-add-kids/811276/129 "2019-09-27T14:01:44Z")
> [@LLCoolL](#): > > Good call. Richie was incredibly grating. If you want, I can post that segment that I wrote. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-shows-that-decided-to-add-kids/811276/130 "2019-09-28T17:34:35Z")
There was a sitcom called _Davis Rules_ in the early 1990s featuring Jonathan Winters that rather inartfully plopped a teenager into the cast in an attempt to retool after a low-rated first season. It didn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Princess\_Perfume](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/princess_perfume/32/16518_2.png) [@Princess\_Perfume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princess_Perfume)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-shows-that-decided-to-add-kids/811276/131 "2019-09-28T23:40:02Z")
I always wondered why My Three Sons never used Dodie to have a Christmas Episode. Red/Green Christmas dress, white stockings, Mary Janes… would have triggered a few Awes in their declining audience… ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-shows-that-decided-to-add-kids/811276/132 "2019-09-28T23:56:56Z")
It’s worth mentioning that the baby-turned-toddler on Family Ties is played by the same actor who played Worf’s son on TNG (some of the time). It’s like Robby Rist who appeared in the last few episodes of the Brady Bunch and also showed up as the obnoxious Dr. Zee on Galactica 1980 ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2019, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-shows-that-decided-to-add-kids/811276/133 "2019-09-29T00:11:19Z")
As I mentioned in [Post #64](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20938556&postcount=64). ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2019, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-shows-that-decided-to-add-kids/811276/134 "2019-09-29T00:14:36Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > As I mentioned in [Post #64](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20938556&postcount=64). My apologies. ---
**Author:** ![Princess\_Perfume](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/princess_perfume/32/16518_2.png) [@Princess\_Perfume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princess_Perfume)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2019, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-shows-that-decided-to-add-kids/811276/135 "2019-09-29T00:50:39Z")
“Hey Dad…!” was an interesting mix of Cousin Oliver and the Other Darrin - Jenny went from mid-teen to pre-teen when she was recast. Is it unusual to make an existing kid character substantially younger like that? ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2019, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-shows-that-decided-to-add-kids/811276/136 "2019-10-04T03:49:08Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > Quite a few. The afore mentioned My Three Sons thrived after the addition of Ernie. I Love Lucy did fine, as did The Dick Van Dyke show. Bewitched did well after adding a child, then after adding a second one. There’s probably more that I don’t remember. In the case of I Love Lucy and Dick Van Dyke, the kids played a relatively minor part in the series, trotted out only when they were needed for a plot element. Hell, Little Ricky got left behind all the time when his parents went travelling. On Bewitched, adding kids was done more, well, organically: the couple were newlyweds after all, and the kids came along in reasonable time - and did not do the Family Ties thing of going from newborn to 5 year old over the summer. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2019, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-shows-that-decided-to-add-kids/811276/137 "2019-10-04T04:49:50Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Charlene Tilton got pregnant while working on _ **Dallas** _. She too had to be photographed while standing behind tall chairs, or just from the shoulders up. Speaking of _ **Dallas** _, I don’t think anyone’s mentioned Christopher and John Ross’s growth spurts during the night of Pamela’s “dream.” One morning, Christopher especially was a babe in arms; less than 24 hours later, he was a toddling two-year-old. Amazing! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2019, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-shows-that-decided-to-add-kids/811276/138 "2019-10-05T18:26:00Z")
> [@Biffster](#): > > Not sure how old he was, but Scrappy did make an appearance alongside Scooby and the gang on the Scoobynatural episode of Supernatural running through doors and such. Blink and you miss it. Speaking of _ **Supernatural** _, in the 12th season they added Jack. Of course, he grew to be a teenager in about 15 minutes, but he’s a younger cast member who still acts like a child most of the time. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2019, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-shows-that-decided-to-add-kids/811276/139 "2019-10-05T18:36:31Z")
Movies sometimes have the opposite problem to SORAS. The movie **Bridge of Spies** took place over several years, but Tom Hanks’s kids never aged ---
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2019, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-shows-that-decided-to-add-kids/811276/140 "2019-10-05T19:16:18Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > It happened on _Bones_, that weird show (don’t ever watch while eating dinner) about the Asperger-y forensic anthropologist and her ex-FBI not-really-my-boyfriend-then-suddenly-my-husband guy. It was a pretty interesting program up until then. > > Also on _Law & Order:Special Victims Unit_, Olivia Benson adopted the baby of a drug addict, and the presence of that kid totally screwed up the dynamics of the program. Especially after Brooke Shields showed up as his borderline grandmother. > > Leave the kids out of it and just stick to the formula that has been working. In Hill Street Blues, Lucy Bates becomes the guardian of a kid of a drug addict, and he’s a thing for a few episodes in season 5 or 6, but then he just disappears. I don’t think he’s mentioned after that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-shows-that-decided-to-add-kids/811276.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-shows-that-decided-to-add-kids/811276.md?page=8)