I was surprised to find out today that The Ed Sullivan Show was originally called Toast of the Town.
Yes, Minister (Britcom) was renamed Yes, Prime Minister when the title character became prime minister.
8 Simple Rules for Dating my Teenage Daughter shortened its name to a more generic 8 Simple Rules after John Ritter died.
Then there are the shows that changed titles before being receiving a series order or before they premiered.
Blue Bloods was originally called Reagan's Law.
Back to You (FOX comedy starring Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton) was originally called Action News.
The Knights of Prosperity (short-lived ABC sitcom) was originally called Let's Rob Mick Jagger. :lol:

It's a Living changed its name to Making a Living for its second season, but then went back to It's a Living after that.

Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place eventually shortened its name to Two Guys and A Girl.


Then there are the shows that changed titles before being receiving a series order or before they premiered.


45 Minutes From Harlem - (Diff'rent Strokes)
Not the Cosbys - (Married...With Children)
Pirate's Key - (Simon & Simon)

These probably don't count. There's are also cases of a TV series having it's titled altered in first run syndication while still airing in prime-time. This was probably done because the networks thought the viewers were too dumb to know the difference. A few examples:


Andy of Mayberry
Happy Days Again
Marshall Dillon

These are a few that changed their titles before officially launching:


"The Gospel According to Kevin" launched as "Kevin (Probably) Saves the World"

"Good Christian Bitches" to "Good Christian Belles" before launching as "GCB"

This one didn't even air yet, but Kathryn Hann's "WandaVision" spin-off from "Agatha: House of Harkness" to "Agatha: Coven of Chaos" to "Agatha: Darkhold Diaries"

Two that come to my mind are Valarie, which actually went through 3 title changes. First Valarie, then Valarie's Family:The Hogans, and then finally, The Hogan Family.

Little House on the Prairie also went through a slight change in the later years becoming "Little House: A New Beginning.

Too Close for Comfort became The Ted Knight Show.

Make Room for Daddy was changed to The Danny Thomas Show.

CHiPs had CHiPs Patrol added for syndication packaging (if I got that right).

A couple of real oldies:

Texaco Star Theatre became The Buick-Berle Show became The Milton Berle Show

You'll Never Get Rich became The Phil Silvers Show

These Friends of Mine became Ellen

The next one is a little iffy:

I Love Lucy becomes The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show (the 13 hour long shows)

I Love Lucy becomes The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show (the 13 hour long shows)

Which was known as "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour" in syndication.

The Pruitts of Southhampton became The Phyllis Diller Show

Disneyland became Walt Disney Presents became Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color became The Wonderful World of Disney became Disney's Wonderful World became The Magical World of Disney became The Wonderful World of Disney again

Valerie became The Hogan Family became The Hogans (was it ever Valerie's Family?)

Baa Baa Black Sheep became The Blacksheep Squadron

The New, Original Wonder Woman became Wonder Woman became The New Adventures of Wonder Woman

In syndication or daytime network The Andy Griffith Show became Andy of Mayberry

The Little People was renamed The Brian Keith Show

Valerie became The Hogan Family became The Hogans (was it ever Valerie's Family?)


It was "Valerie's Family" for a little while. I don't remember it ever being "The Hogans" but maybe it was.

Was gonna say the same thing. I didn't recall The Hogans following Valerie's Family, though a video showing all the themes on YouTube shows it. Even the TV ratings lists back then just listed VF.

McHale's Navy was originally titled Seven Against the Sea.
The unsold pilot for Happy Days was titled New Family in Town.
All in the Family was originally titled Those Were the Days.

These probably don't count. There's are also cases of a TV series having it's titled altered in first run syndication while still airing in prime-time. This was probably done because the networks thought the viewers were too dumb to know the difference. A few examples:


Andy of Mayberry
Happy Days Again
Marshall Dillon

The Dick Van Dyke Daytime Show

Some shows got subtitles in later seasons:

Big Sky: Deadly Trails (Season 3)
Liv and Maddie: Cali Style (Season 4)
Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles (Season 3)

Was gonna say the same thing. I didn't recall The Hogans following Valerie's Family, though a video showing all the themes on YouTube shows it. Even the TV ratings lists back then just listed VF.

Yeah, it was never The Hogans. Even Jason Bateman mistakenly believes incorrectly it was once The Hogans. It’s a common mistake.

When the show was Valerie’s Family, there was an on-screen subtitle during the opening credits that said “The Hogans.” I think that’s where that misconception comes from. It was never a part of the show’s title; it was meant to help gradually phase Valerie Harper’s name out of the show, as Valerie’s Family was always going to be a temporary, transitional title.

It was Valerie (seasons 1 and 2), Valerie’s Family (season 3), and The Hogan Family (seasons 4-6).

During its first season, Saturday Night Live was NBC’s Saturday Night. It became Saturday Night Live the following season, after ABC’s Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell was canceled. The NBC’s Saturday Night intros from those first-season episodes are still intact on Peacock.

Seinfeld was The Seinfeld Chronicles when it debuted. It also had a different opening theme. The originally-aired Seinfeld Chronicles version of the pilot is on the Seinfeld season 1 DVD.

Second Chance (an early Fox sitcom starring Matthew Perry) was put on hiatus, retooled, and retitled Boys Will Be Boys.

Too Something, another short-lived Fox sitcom (this time from the mid-‘90s), was retitled New York Daze midway through its run.

Rounding out the Fox trifecta, Parker Lewis Can’t Lose became Parker Lewis late in its run when the powers that be decided that Parker Lewis could, in fact, lose.

McHale's Navy was originally titled Seven Against the Sea.
The unsold pilot for Happy Days was titled New Family in Town.
All in the Family was originally titled Those Were the Days.

If we're including proposed titles that went unused, working titles for Petticoat Junction included "Whistle Stop," "Ozark Widow," and "Dern Tootin'"

Saved by the Bell was originally titled "Good Morning Miss Bliss".

Wasn't Sandy Dunkin's show called " Funny Face" at first than changed to " The Sandy Duncan show"?

These probably don't count. There's are also cases of a TV series having it's titled altered in first run syndication while still airing in prime-time. This was probably done because the networks thought the viewers were too dumb to know the difference. A few examples:


Andy of Mayberry
Happy Days Again
Marshall Dillon

You're right about the syndication reason for name changes. Add Emergency One! (Syndication) for Emergency (Network)

I know there were others during the 70’s and early 80's

A couple of real oldies:

Texaco Star Theatre became The Buick-Berle Show became The Milton Berle Show

You'll Never Get Rich became The Phil Silvers Show

These Friends of Mine became Ellen

The next one is a little iffy:

I Love Lucy becomes The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show (the 13 hour long shows)

The Phil Silvers show was also known as Sgt. Bilko