# TV Shows that changed their names **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 25, 2016, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-names/772944 "2016-11-25T02:21:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-names/772944/1 "2016-11-25T02:21:20Z")
I gotten back into watching _Lovesick_ on Netflix. The show’s been part of their lineup for a year or two under a different name: _Scrotal Recall_. I can see why they changed their name; it is a clever pun that fits in perfectly with the premise (the hero discovers he has an STI and as to contact all the women he slept with to warn them), but probably very offputting. The new title refers to the same premise and actually is more appropriate. I’ve been trying to think of other shows that changed their name. Years ago, there was _The Aquanauts_, which changed their name to _Malibu Run_ after their lead actor had to quit for health reasons. But he left before the name change, which happened several episodes later. Anything else come to mind? ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-names/772944/2 "2016-11-25T02:26:20Z")
_Valerie_-\>_Valerie’s Family_-\>_The Hogan Family_ Actually fired the star for whom the show was meant to be a vehicle. Fired her _and_ killed off her character! ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-names/772944/3 "2016-11-25T02:43:37Z")
Should _Archie Bunker’s Place_ be considered a spin-off of _All In the Family_ or is it a continuation of the same show with a name change? I’m content to let whatever the SDMB decides on this question to forever stand as the official answer. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-names/772944/4 "2016-11-25T02:48:44Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Anything else come to mind? **Seinfeld** was originally **The Seinfeld Chronicles**. There was another sitcom called **The Marshall Chronicles** that debuted the same season, so they changed it. I was actually watching the latter show, but it only lasted a few weeks. I don’t think I watched Seinfeld until it limped into its 3rd season. **Ellen** was originally **These Friends of Mine** , and was changed because of **Friends**. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-names/772944/5 "2016-11-25T02:54:25Z")
The Andy Griffith Show morphed into Mayberry RFD. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-names/772944/6 "2016-11-25T03:03:27Z")
**Saved by the Bell** was **Good Morning, Miss Bliss** **Two Guys and A Girl** was **Two Guys, A Girl, and a Pizza Place** **8 Simple Rules** was changed to **8 Simple Rules for Dating My Daughter** after John Ritter’s death **Parker Lewis** was **Parker Lewis Can’t Lose** Also, see this previous thread - [TV shows that changed names - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=562950) ---
**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:** [November 25, 2016, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-names/772944/7 "2016-11-25T03:09:05Z")
Saturday Night Live was originally called NBC’s Saturday Night due to Howard Cosell having a variety show on ABC called Saturday Night Live With Howard Cosell. After Cosell’s show was cancelled, NBC purchased the rights to the name and program became known as Saturday Night Live in 1977. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-names/772944/8 "2016-11-25T03:13:56Z")
Star Trek: Enterprise started out as merely Enterprise. ---
**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:** [November 25, 2016, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-names/772944/9 "2016-11-25T03:14:49Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > **8 Simple Rules** was changed to **8 Simple Rules for Dating My Daughter** after John Ritter’s death You have this one a bit mixed up. The show was originally called 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenaged Daughter. After Ritter’ s death, it was changed to 8 Simple Rules. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-names/772944/10 "2016-11-25T04:05:06Z")
_Black Sheep Squadron_ was originally called _Baa Baa Black Sheep_, which was also the title of Pappy Boyington’s book, but not exactly recognizable as a show about combat pilots. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-names/772944/11 "2016-11-25T06:18:13Z")
The Ed Sullivan Show was officially titled “Toast of the Town”, for the first seven years of is run, and changed to “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1955… A lot of shows changed their name when they went into syndication. “Dragnet” became “Badge 714” when it aired later. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-names/772944/12 "2016-11-25T06:57:40Z")
Bah, need to read the whole thread more closely, so I’m not duplicating. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-names/772944/13 "2016-11-25T07:03:35Z")
“Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane” was changed to just _Zoe…_ _Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23_ was originally had the “Bitch” in the title but was aired as just “Apartment 23” for the pilot, sort of getting its original name back after it was picked up. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-names/772944/14 "2016-11-25T08:04:20Z")
The MacNeil/Lehrer Report -\> The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer -\> PBS NewsHour as the anchors retired. Oddly enough, in its second incarnation at least, its backdrop still had a small icon of “The MacNeil/Lehrer Report” despite the name change. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-names/772944/15 "2016-11-25T08:06:56Z")
_Yes Minister_ got changed after the title character’s promotion. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-names/772944/16 "2016-11-25T08:24:58Z")
The short-lived sitcom _Cursed_ was renamed _The Weber Show_ (after its star, Steven Weber). ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-names/772944/17 "2016-11-25T08:37:19Z")
_Aqua Teen Hunger Force_ got changed to _Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1_ because the creators felt like it; I think the show has a different title every season now because it’s an Adult Swim cartoon so why not? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-names/772944/18 "2016-11-25T14:00:10Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > A lot of shows changed their name when they went into syndication. “Dragnet” became “Badge 714” when it aired later. Not “later” but “at the same time”. The FCC had a rule in early TV days that the syndicated show had to have a different title than the current show if it was still airing new episodes. Hence, _Bonanza_ was _Ponderosa_ in syndication. But once a show was canceled, the syndicated versions would go back to the original title. There were some shows that got new titles in syndication unrelated to this. E.g., _The Bob Cummings Show_ became _Love That Bob_ in syndication after the show was canceled.\* More recently: _The Closer_ -\> _Major Crimes_. The only big change was the star character. - The costar of this show was Ann B. Davis who was in _The Brady Bunch_ with Florence Henderson. RIP Carol. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-names/772944/19 "2016-11-25T15:36:49Z")
_Emmerdale Farm_ got changed to the much racier _Emmerdale_, as prettier characters were introduced and sheep dips were given less prominence. ---
**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 25, 2016, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-names/772944/20 "2016-11-25T15:40:59Z")
The show with Kate Mulgrew as the wife of a Los Angeles detective who drove a Peugeot, smoked cigars and had a dog with no name was known as “Mrs Columbo”, “Kate Columbo”, “Kate the Detective” and “Kate Loves a Mystery”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-names/772944.md?page=2)