# TV shows that replaced several actors simultaneously **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 7, 2016, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-replaced-several-actors-simultaneously/748199 "2016-03-07T13:46:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![chancetx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@chancetx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chancetx)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-replaced-several-actors-simultaneously/748199/21 "2016-03-07T21:08:48Z")
I guess the old sitcom “Hazel” would be similar to Telemark’s “Charles In Charge” example above. The final season switched networks and brought in a whole new cast, except for Shirley Booth’s title character and the original son played by Bobby Buntrock. They were now living with the brother and sister-in-law of the original couple, who were explained to be living abroad due to a job transfer and didn’t want to remove their son from his school so they left him (and the maid) with family. ---
**Author:** ![eclectic\_wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac91a4/32.png) [@eclectic\_wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eclectic_wench)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-replaced-several-actors-simultaneously/748199/22 "2016-03-07T21:59:16Z")
\*Spartacus \*replaced both the lead actor and a pretty important supporting actor at the same time. After Season 1, the actor playing Spartacus, Andy Whitfield, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Instead of going straight to shooting Season 2, they did a prequel series to give him time to get treatment. Everything seemed to be going well…but then he relapsed. The network recast Spartacus and went ahead with Season 2. Andy Whitfield died a few months later. He was only 39. Meanwhile, after the prequel series, Lesley-Ann Brandt (who played Naevia, a major character) dropped out - I think it was an argument over pay. They recast the role. And yeah, we found it really jarring. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-replaced-several-actors-simultaneously/748199/23 "2016-03-07T22:04:51Z")
KFC keeps replacing the Colonel. I think we’re on the 3rd one over the last several months. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-replaced-several-actors-simultaneously/748199/24 "2016-03-07T22:33:04Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Charles in Charge doesn’t really fill the bill, since they were different characters. But after the first season they replaced the entire Pembroke family with the Powell family. The two families filled the same purpose in the series, even if the characters were different. That’s when Charles in Charge moved from network to first run syndication, and there was a gap of about 2 years between them, explaining the need to replace most of the cast. Mama’s Family went through almost the exact same thing. ---
**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:** [March 7, 2016, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-replaced-several-actors-simultaneously/748199/25 "2016-03-07T22:44:02Z")
“The Doris Day Show” in its fourth season basically changed the entire show, going from a widow with a family to a single career woman who never had any children. This coincided with the network seeking the urban professional viewer. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-replaced-several-actors-simultaneously/748199/26 "2016-03-07T23:09:26Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > “The Doris Day Show” in its fourth season basically changed the entire show, going from a widow with a family to a single career woman who never had any children. So how did they manage this without dropping any characters? ---
**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:** [March 7, 2016, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-replaced-several-actors-simultaneously/748199/27 "2016-03-07T23:15:36Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > So how did they manage this without dropping any characters? They were dropped but not replaced with new actors. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-replaced-several-actors-simultaneously/748199/28 "2016-03-07T23:17:47Z")
Not a TV show, but a movie trilogy: The recent three movies of “Atlas Shrugged” replaced EVERY cast member between each installment. I think the reason was that they were operating on a day-to-day budget, and couldn’t commit to any actor beyond the current production. The actors all had other gigs by the time the producers got around to scraping up enough dough to make the next installment. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-replaced-several-actors-simultaneously/748199/29 "2016-03-07T23:30:05Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > KFC keeps replacing the Colonel. I think we’re on the 3rd one over the last several months. Yeah! Who the hell is this new one? I thought maybe Bill Hader, but can’t confirm it. ---
**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:** [March 8, 2016, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-replaced-several-actors-simultaneously/748199/30 "2016-03-08T00:38:48Z")
When Barbara Bain and Martin Landau left “Mission Impossible” after the third season over contract disputes, they initially replaced Landau with Leonard Nimoy (needed a job after the five year mission of “Star Trek” ran out of dilithium crystals after three years) and a series of guest stars for the female role. Eventually they added Lesley Ann Warren full time and a year later Lynda Day George replaced her. Different characters but same skills. The best episode for changing cast members was done on “Burns and Allen Show”. Larry Keating was replacing Fred Clark as Harry Morton who with his wife Blanche (Bea Benaderet) were neighbors of George and Gracie. Burns, master of breaking the fourth wall, freezes the scene, introduces Keating to Benaderet who exchange pleasantries on their careers. Burns then unfreezes the picture so the show continues with Blanche hitting Harry with a catalog for spending $200 on an iron deer. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-replaced-several-actors-simultaneously/748199/31 "2016-03-08T00:48:19Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Yeah! Who the hell is this new one? I thought maybe Bill Hader, but can’t confirm it. It’s Jim Gaffigan. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-replaced-several-actors-simultaneously/748199/32 "2016-03-08T00:53:53Z")
OP should probably exclude actors changing roles between pilot and the first season (both those that never air the pilot and those that count it as the first episode). > [@buddha\_david](#): > > **Game of Thrones** has two. Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane was played by Conan Stevens in season one, Ian Whyte in season two, and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson in seasons 4-5. Tommen Baratheon was portrayed by Callum Wharry in seasons 1-2 and Dean-Charles Chapman in season four onward. (Chapman also played a minor role in season three as a Lannister prince who gets murdered.) Cousin, not sure that that makes him a prince? There were a few more - Tommen’s sister for the same reason, Daario switched actors between seasons, as did the 3 Eyed Crow in the upcoming season, and a few more (Beric and Karstark, but they weren’t even called by name the first time I think). [List here](http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Recast_Characters). [There was also an unaired pilot with many different characters](http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/Pilot_episode). OP does say simultaneous though; how strict do we need to be? > [@eclectic\_wench](#): > > \*Spartacus \*replaced both the lead actor and a pretty important supporting actor at the same time. > > After Season 1, the actor playing Spartacus, Andy Whitfield, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Instead of going straight to shooting Season 2, they did a prequel series to give him time to get treatment. Everything seemed to be going well…but then he relapsed. The network recast Spartacus and went ahead with Season 2. Andy Whitfield died a few months later. He was only 39. > > Meanwhile, after the prequel series, Lesley-Ann Brandt (who played Naevia, a major character) dropped out - I think it was an argument over pay. They recast the role. > > And yeah, we found it really jarring. It was initially jarring, but then I got used to it. I didn’t even notice Naevia changed, but then in later seasons her hair was all hacked off. > [@Gatopescado](#): > > Yeah! Who the hell is this new one? I thought maybe Bill Hader, but can’t confirm it. Jim Gaffigan. Maybe your TV is turned down too dark, or else he’d blind you otherwise. ---
**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:** [March 8, 2016, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-replaced-several-actors-simultaneously/748199/33 "2016-03-08T02:15:11Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > **Doctor Who** did it when they switched the Doctor from Matt Smith to Peter Capaldi and the Master from John Sim to Michelle Gomez. Of course, they go by different rules. **Doctor Who** , but perhaps the biggest were: At the end of Season 6 (classic series), Patrick Troughton decided to leave, so the Doctor was forced to regenerate by the Time Lords as part of his exile to 20th century Earth. His two human companions, Jamie (Frazer Hines) and Zoe (Wendy Padbury) were sent back to the native times. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-replaced-several-actors-simultaneously/748199/34 "2016-03-08T03:57:25Z")
Modern Family has a couple changes with the youngest actors, but not at the same time. The role of Lily Tucker-Pritchett was played by twins Jaden and Ella Hiller for the first two seasons. The role was taken over by the current actress Aubrey Anderson-Emmons starting in the third season (2011). The role of baby Joe Pritchett was similarly played by twin girls Rebecca and Sierra Mark when the role debued in Season 4 (2012-13). They were replaced by Pierce Wallace starting in Season 5 (2013-14) who was then replaced by Jeremy Maguire for Season 7. Changes did not happen at the same time, but perhaps other shows have seen similar changes with child actors at the same time other roles changed. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-replaced-several-actors-simultaneously/748199/35 "2016-03-08T04:31:19Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Cousin, not sure that that makes him a prince? > There were a few more - Tommen’s sister for the same reason, Daario switched actors between seasons, as did the 3 Eyed Crow in the upcoming season, and a few more (Beric and Karstark, but they weren’t even called by name the first time I think). [List here](http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Recast_Characters). > > [There was also an unaired pilot with many different characters](http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/Pilot_episode). Ahh, forgot about Daario. Also forgot **Jaqen H’ghar** , played by Tom Wlaschiha in seasons 2 & 5, but originally appeared in the season one finale played by a nameless extra in a face-concealing mask. 🙂 Another for **The Sopranos** : Agent Deborah Ciccerone, first appearing in the season three finale with Fairuza Balk in the role, but was replaced in season four by Lola Glaudini. HBO even reshot Balk’s S3 scenes with Glaudini and never made the original scenes available anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-replaced-several-actors-simultaneously/748199/36 "2016-03-08T04:59:23Z")
Sesame Street might technically qualify, with all of the characters originally voiced by Henson when he died. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-replaced-several-actors-simultaneously/748199/37 "2016-03-08T05:05:05Z")
[Hazel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazel_(TV_series)), the sitcom starring Shirley Booth as a maid. Booth had won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in _Come Back, Little Sheba_. The final season ran on a different network, and the entire cast changed except for Hazel and the young son of the original couple. > [@](#): > > George and Dorothy depart for the Middle East in conjunction with George’s work (as a result, DeFore and Blake were dropped from the cast). Harold (who apparently did not depart with his parents) and Hazel move in with George’s younger brother, Steve (Ray Fulmer), a real estate agent, Steve’s wife Barbara (Lynn Borden) and their daughter Susie (Julia Benjamin). That last season was its fifth, and after seeing some reruns, I’m surprised it lasted that long. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-replaced-several-actors-simultaneously/748199/38 "2016-03-08T05:11:38Z")
Oops, already mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-replaced-several-actors-simultaneously/748199/39 "2016-03-08T06:55:07Z")
Okay, my take on the OP is they want situations where the characters remained but the actors who played them was replaced. And more than one at the same time. No character was put on a bus. So the 2 Darrens and Becky Connors would work, but they only did one at a time. In Mad About You, they used different actors for Jamie’s parents and Paul’s sister, but they were barely recurring characters so no one really noticed the change. ---
**Author:** ![Manila\_Bay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@Manila\_Bay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manila_Bay)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-replaced-several-actors-simultaneously/748199/40 "2016-03-08T07:52:54Z")
Going to a new season, “Forever Knight” had all the original supporting (mortal) characters die in a plane crash. One vampire left for good. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-replaced-several-actors-simultaneously/748199.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-replaced-several-actors-simultaneously/748199.md?page=3)