Recently, TV GUIDE listed their top 25 "biggest blunders" in TV history, and #19 was 'changing the lead character's hairstyle'. They cited the show "Felicity" as an example - when the show returned for the second season and actress Kerri Russell cut her curly locks and sported a new short haircut. Ratings fell like a brick, and everyone blamed it on the new hairstyle. Some say it gives the character a whole new total image, one that audiences don't necessarily take a liking to as they did before.

It got me wondering if they were on to more than they realized! Could this have been one of the reasons of a steep ratings decline (and eventual cancellation) for some other TV shows?

I came up with a few...

> In 1971-72, for what would be the final season of "Bewitched", Liz Montgomery sported a new modern hairstyle...one many fans just couldn't get used to. Her golden hair which was once a 1960's bouncy shoulder flip for most of the series run, was now lightened tremendously, parted in the middle, much longer in length, and fell straight down past her shoulders. Many fans (to this day) found fault with the new look. Ratings dived that season, and the show was promptly cancelled by ABC in March, 1972.

> In 1976, "Phyllis" returned for a second season, after having a very successful first season. In the opening show, we're introduced to a few new changes - including Phyllis' new very short, severe haircut worn by actress Cloris Leachman. Ratings dropped like a rock that season as well, and CBS cancelled it in the spring of 1977.

> In September, 1978, "Rhoda" returned for a fifth season, with actress Valerie Harper sporting a new longer frizzy-permed hairstyle, which she kept pulled back in a small pony tail for most of the season. The show was cancelled by December, 1978 due to a major drop in the ratings.

> Of course, let us not forget the last season of ''The Brady Bunch''when all the Brady boys decided to get perms! Many of the fans didn't like it at all (though I thought they looked better myself), ratings nose-dived and the show was cancelled. (So it's not exclusive to only actresses!)

Thank heavens Lucille Ball, Jennifer Aniston, and Farrah Fawcett never changed their trademark tresses while they were in thier hit series!:crazy:

Any others you can think of? Any comments?

(Of course, other factors play into a shows ratings downfall, but it seems the 'changing hairstyle is always one of them! I don't think there was a change in hairstyle and ratings improved.)

That Girl was another prime example of this. During the 5th season, which was that show's last, Marlo Thomas began sporting a much longer hairstyle, in the typical early-to-mid '70s fashion.

Not only did her hair change, so did the direction of That Girl in S5. What's even more weird was that even though they updated the theme tune for S5 and Marlo's hair, they kept the same opening credits from S2 with Marlo's '60s hairstyle in the very early 1970s.



Diff'rent Strokes not just the marriage of Mr. D and Maggie and the addition of Sam, but Willis's (Todd Bridges's) hairstyle also came along with the change as well during the 8th and final season of that show. His hair was shaped up in a Michael Jackson-like afro-mullet and not in a good mid-1980s way, either.



The Hogan Family during its 6th and final season saw the boys having shorter hair than in the past seasons.

WOW! I can't believe I totally forgot Marlo Thomas' "That Girl" hair change. She did the same thing as Montgomery - going for that 'hip' longer hairstyle of the 70s. Audiences just didn't like this.

I forgot about Willis on 'Diff'rent Strokes" - I do remember the "Michael Jackson" look he was trying to imitate.

As for 'The Hogans' I didn't watch it after Valerie Harper left. However, I do recall they had long hair back then.

Thanks for adding these - the curse is true.

ANY MORE OUT THERE? There has to be some more!

Anyone that stops watching a TV show because of a change in hairstyle is no doubt watching for totally different reasons than I would. :rolleyes:

I think it's possible the lowered ratings/cancellations have more to do with the fact that most of these shows were well into their lifespans by the time the hairstyles changed. These changes were probably just coincidental, not causal.

Btw, I liked the longer hair on Elizabeth Montgomery. :)

^ I don't believe the perms on Mike and the boys on the Brady Bunch had anything to do with the cancellation. The show never did good in the ratings and faced with Sanford and Son as competition on NBC they got worse. That had to have been more why it got cancelled.

You could say Roseanne, but I think it was her entire makeover, not just her hair, that changed things. At the beginning of season 5, Roseanne wore new extensions in her hair, a big change from the short hair she had the previous seasons. Ratings began to fall, and they continued into season 6 and on as she continued to change her look.

Candice Bergen cut her hair short in season 8 (possibly 9), which is when ratings really began to slip. It was cancelled in its 10th season.

When Fran Drescher changed her big poofy hair look for the more slick, laid back, and lower look, around season 4 I believe, ratings began to fall, and hit rock bottom in the sixth and final season.

Pam Dawber on Mork & Mindy: A permed "poodle" style in the final season or so didn't exactly help, though her acting of course continued to be excellent.

Changing hairstyles didn't affect "Three's Company"--with Joyce Dewitt, the most obvious example--from the Dorothy Hamill, to the tight perm, to the perm grown out, the short shag/bob, to the shoulder length and then by the final episodes, a more streamlined pageboy.

Anyone that stops watching a TV show because of a change in hairstyle is no doubt watching for totally different reasons than I would. :rolleyes:

I think it's possible the lowered ratings/cancellations have more to do with the fact that most of these shows were well into their lifespans by the time the hairstyles changed. These changes were probably just coincidental, not causal.

Btw, I liked the longer hair on Elizabeth Montgomery. :)


It's true - there are many factors for a show's cancellation, but the hairstyle change seems to be a common denominator. I don't think people tuned in just for a hairstyle, but as the show goes downhill for whatever reason, and the character makes a change to his/her appearance - that doesn't help. It just drives the final nail into the coffin.

Here are a couple more that were at least memorable:

Lea Thompson got a new, shorter hairstyle while working on Caroline in the City -- later seasons (?). I didn't really like it at first, but did not find it bad at all... in time. It was considered somewhat radical-looking compared with her earlier style.

Markie Post cut her hair when doing Night Court, but eventually grew it out into longer lengths than before. I remember she commented on getting the cut.

Peter Lupus (Willy Armitage of M:I) - also changed his hair around either the 5th or 6th season of M:I from shorter to somewhat longer.

Alyssa Milano - also changed her hairstyle in the final season or 2 of Who's the Boss? it went from longer brown hair into a shorter "Bob"-style.

Whitley Gilbert wore her hair permed in the second half of the last season of
A Different World. It was then canceled. LOL. J/K.

Felicity cut her hair and ratings did drop, she was played by Keri Russell.