In other words, a character that never really got over with the audience; perceived as "replacing" a popular actress/character (just as the case with Shelley Hack replacing Kate Jackson on Charlie's Angels); barely made a mark despite sticking around for a while.

Jenilee Harrison on Three's Company. Replaced Suzanne Somers, was replaced in the main 3 by Priscilla Barnes about a season later, and just sort of disappears after that.

Jack Burns taking over for Don Knotts on "The Andy Griffith Show". An impossible task, and the beginning of the end of the show's golden era.

To a lesser extent, I think the character of Emmett Clark was supposed to replace another Mayberry merchant, Floyd Lawson, but unlike Floyd, Emmett was thoroughly unlikable and abrasive. An absolute disaster.

During the Third Season of the 60s series Batman, Eartha Kitt being was casted as Catwoman. Bascially, Julie Newmar will always be the best one to play Catwoman as well as Lee Meriwether(the lady who play Catwoman in the 1966 Batman film).

Although I never understood this, but Ted McGinley became notorious for this. Jump The Shark had a category dedicated to him being the reason shows went downhill, although the three shows he joined (Happy Days, Love Boat, Married...with Children) all went on for a few more seasons.

Would Diane Ladd (Belle on Alice) fall into this category?

Would Diane Ladd (Belle on Alice) fall into this category?

Well, It Should be a yes on that, KentB3

Although I never understood this, but Ted McGinley became notorious for this. Jump The Shark had a category dedicated to him being the reason shows went downhill, although the three shows he joined (Happy Days, Love Boat, Married...with Children) all went on for a few more seasons.

I think with Ted McGinley, the general feeling or perception was that whenever he arrived on the shows that you mentioned, it was the ultimate tale-tell sign that they were past their respective creative peaks or primes.

On Head Of The Class when Howard Hesseman left the show and Billy Connolly became the new teacher. I never liked his character at all (I can't remember his name at the moment). And I don't like Billy Connolly either.

Ed.

When Delta Burke and Jean Smart left Designing Women, Julia Duffy, Jan Hicks, and then Judith Ivey came in to add new comic relief but the show was never the same. I do think Judith's character of BJ had chemistry with the rest of the cast and she was very likable, but the show was running on its last legs by the time she joined.

I disagree with some of these and I'll give my thoughts in the order they were posted:

1. I loved Jenilee Harrison! I thought she was gorgeous!! True, she wasn't as funny or talented as Suzanne Somers, but I didn't care. I didn't watch Three's Company because of the acting and I doubt that many of you did too. But Terri wasn't that great so I'll vote for her in this category instead.

2. I didn't have a problem with Emmitt on the Andy Griffith Show either. He wasn't that funny but he was still a nice character and I didn't mind having him around. On the other hand, Warren was a complete mess from Day 1 and he didn't belong there at all. For me, just as bad if not worse would be Howard Sprague. He was so totally annoying that I can't bear watching him at all.

3. For Head Of The Class, Billy Connolly was clearly the wrong choice to replace Howard Hesseman. If it was up to me, I would have gone with George Carlin.

4. It's Jan Hooks, not Jan Hicks, who appeared on Designing Women. A lovely lady, and very funny as well, who I would have seen on SNL and In Living Color, but she was no Delta Burke. For that, she would have needed another 40 pounds!

5. Since this all started with Shelley Hack, I want to remind my Canadian pals that the Shelley Hack episodes of Charlie's Angels (Seasons 4 and 5) begin on Tuesday at 10 am on CHCH TV. Tune in then and you'll see how bad she really is.

Jenilee Harrison on Three's Company. Replaced Suzanne Somers, was replaced in the main 3 by Priscilla Barnes about a season later, and just sort of disappears after that.

Jenilee Harrison always struck me as a stop-gap measure (when Suzanne Somers was starting to have her issues with the producers) before they could get a decidedly more mature and seasoned actress to fill the blonde roommate role.

When Delta Burke and Jean Smart left Designing Women, Julia Duffy, Jan Hicks, and then Judith Ivey came in to add new comic relief but the show was never the same. I do think Judith's character of BJ had chemistry with the rest of the cast and she was very likable, but the show was running on its last legs by the time she joined.

Julia Duffy perfectly fits the description of being "the Shelley Hack of Designing Women. Not only was she a replacement, but she was unpopular with the audience, and she was gone after only one season. Judith Ivey was the Tanya Roberts of that show, a replacement of the flopped replacement.