I love this thing called Newsbank at my library, it allows you to access newspaper articles from the around the country. So I punch in Wings and end up finding this story where Peter Casey said they originally considered Peri Gilpin as Helen. And Helen was going to be Greek! But Gilpin was a little too tough as the character so she was passed on, but they liked her and brought her back as Brian's date in that computer dating episode. As well as a bit part as a reporter on Cheers during it's final year.

Producers--though always joked as being ruthless---seem to do this a lot. Actors passed on are at least given a guest spot on the show they lost. Julia Duffy--up for Diane on Cheers--had a guest spot, as well as Fred Dryer, considered for Sam. Or Leah Remini read for Monica on Friends, didn't get it, but got a guest shot later.

I always loved Julia Duffy. I thought she was hilarious in "Wizards and Warriors," and she was perfect as yuppie scum in "Newhart."

Any stuff about Lowell in there? How about Ned and Stacey?
I'm kind of interested in what the media thought of Thomas Haden Church back in the early 90s and I don't have a credit card to subscribe to a newspaper archive, either (They are cool, though. I used to surf 'em all the time in school.).

If you have a library card, you can often look at their research products through their website. For example, with my New York Public Library card, I go to the nypl.org site, look at a list of products that are available from offsite, choose the one I want, enter my library card number and Poof! I can search all I want. There are products that are only available at the library itself, but there are definitely quite a few that I can search from home.

You might want to check your public library's site for information but, to be honest, I don't remember ever having heard of THC before Wings. And I'm considerably older than you are.

I'll try and look up some THC stuff for ya. I remember one off the top of my head, when he was on Greg Kinnear right before Ned and Stacey. He said he was at an NBC party and the cast of Friends, Seinfeld, etc. were raking him over the coles about leaving Wings. They're like you've got this cushy job on a successful show, why leave, and he said something about it being five years and the character having nowhere else to go storywise. So he took the offer to star in his own pilot that would be built around him.

anyone ever notice that on the credits for the earlier years of Wings, one of the producers is Roz Doyle, the character name for Peri Gilpin on "Frasier"? Sorry if this is a re-post, but I thought it was an interesting tidbit.

Wouldn't have been the same without Crystal !

anyone ever notice that on the credits for the earlier years of Wings, one of the producers is Roz Doyle, the character name for Peri Gilpin on "Frasier"? Sorry if this is a re-post, but I thought it was an interesting tidbit.

I believe the real Roz Doyle passed away, and the character on Frasier was based on her. Well, at least they had the same name -- and they were both producers.

It goes to show, things turn out for the best. Wings defiently wouldn't be the same without Crystal Bernard. Bernard is a joy to watch and hope soon she will re-emerge on the tv sitcom circuit...