Homicide added new characters throughout the series. Most of them sucked and were added towards the end when it seemed the show was trying to get more Hollywood, but I know they added Reed Diamond before all that happened.
I liked when B.D. Wong was added to the cast of Law & Order: SVU as the department’s chief psychiatrist (after trying a number of other psychiatrists). Ice-T was a nice addition, too, but he was more of a replacement for that Jefferies character.
Just to clarify the “Married with Children” dates:
Ted McGlinley played “Norman Jablonsky” in “It’s a Bundyful Life Part. 2” which aired December 17 1989 (The Sam Kenison episode). He joined the cast in 1991.
David Garrison played Steve Rhoades and left the cast in 1990. The “pirate” episode aired February 28, 1993.
How about the addition of Heather Locklear to Spin City?
Who did Ice-T replace? He’s been in all the episodes I’ve ever seen, but I never watched it until USA started playing the syndicated shows.
That’s the one I was thinking of. With 10 seasons or reruns showing in no particular order, I get confused at times.
I especially liked Al’s decision in that one…he went back because he couldn’t stand to see them all so happy! Al Bundy is my biggest hero, and I use him as a role-model for my own parenting style. I can’t wait until my daughter (who, thankfully, is no Kelly Bundy) starts dating. Nothing like beating up punk teenage boys (which, in essence, means all teenage boys) who are thinking about touching my little girl!
Michael Madsen was Munch’s partner at the beginning. There may have been someone between him and Ice-T, but memory fails.
I just saw a rerun where he’s introduced. In it, he’s replacing the other lady who worked there, at the end of the episode. For a while it was a five person team.
Even more suprising and effective (I feel) is Dawn in the 5th season. But I don’t disagree with Spike, and he managed to work out as an add-on to Angel, too. That’s two add-on successes for the same character.
Wow, awesome! Michael Madsen teamed up with Munch! I can’t believe I’ve never seen these.
I second Spike for Buffy and add:
Buffy season 7 was greatly improved after the addition of Tom Lenk as Andrew as a regular.
Of course the show was wrapping up but he provided the fun in a decidely un-fun season.
Yeah, but he couldn’t handle SVU. He was a homicide cop who didn’t have the stomach for sex crimes.
I opened this thread to mention MAS*H, which improved almost every time they added a character – Colonel Potter and Major Winchester being two of my favorites.
Also, if we’re including replacements, Law & Order has had some great ones, with Lennie Briscoe, Claire Kincaid, and Jack McCoy being the most memorable.
Adding Leonardo Dicaprio to the cast of “Growing Pains.” As Boner said when it was revealed that his father’s name was “Sylvester Stabone,”: Who knew?
I disagree about Spike, but agree with Dawn. Also, Oz and Tara.
SVU has had a few cast changes. At the start, there was:
Det. Benson
Det. Stabler
Det. Munch
Capt. Craigen
In the first season, Munch had several partners. there was Det. Ken Briscoe, who was Lenny Briscoe’s nephew (played by his son, no less,) and Det. Brian Cassidy, played by Dean WInters. Neither of these two, IIRC, were “official” cast members, that is to say, they never had their picture and name during the opening credits. Det. Jeffries, the woman played by Michelle Hurd, was the first of Munch’s partners to be in the opening credits. At the end of season two, Det. jeffries was let go. Her replacement was Det. Odafin Tutuola, played by Ice-T.
The first DA’s were jsut guest apperances by the DA’s from regular L&O. ADA Cabot first appeared in the second season, and was replaced in the fourth season by ADA Novak.
SOmetmies in the first two seasons, before Dr. Huang arrived, they wuld have the psychiatrist from ergular L&O, but then Huang appeared, and all was good.
And D_Odds, AFAIK, Michael Madsen was never on SVU. He’s not listed as ever being on the cast on the imdb page, and his own entry confirms this. Are you thinknig of one of the other two male partners Munch has had?
You disagree that Spike was a good addition but agree that Dawn was? Ack! That makes my mind boggle!
IMO, Dawn was one of the worst characters EVER. Here’s a typical dialogue with Dawn:
Buffy: Dawn, you need to do [insert thing here]
Dawn: No I don’t, you’re no my mother, it doesn’t matter. I’m not real, it doesn’t matter. [insert that ANNOYING high-pitched screaming thing Michelle Trachtenberg does here.]
Later in the episode, cut to Dawn in trouble, usually because she didn’t do what Buffy or someone else asked her to do earlier.
She was jsut so stupid and annoying, how could anyone like her? I agree that she was essential for season 5, but they could have made it a better character.
But Spike was good, at least up to season 5 (he had some moments is season 6 as well,) and Oz was great. Tara was so-so. Didn’t hepl the show all that much, but didn’t detract either.
Well, I think Dawn was an addition that “worked” while I think Spike was one that didn’t. And I note here that I don’t consider Spike a real addition to the cast until a little bit through season four, when he starts appearing in almost every episode. If you count him as an addition in season 2 (which I don’t, since he’s a big bad at that point, and since he dissapears for almost an entire season after that), then my opinion changes.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that I like all of Dawn’s scenes (or that I dislike all of Spike’s scenes), but I think she fit into the dynamic of the show (although I would have killed her off at the end of season 5, that’s purely for plot reasons) whereas I think Spike screwed things up (not so noticable in season four, bothers me in season five onward).
Forgot to mention that Anya is another addition who I think worked well.
I agree. At first I though it was an age thing, but my daughter who is approximately the same age as the Dawn character said the first episode with Dawn in it is the “jump the shark” show.
After that, we mostly laughed whenever Dawn said anything.