i'll get the ball rolling...
fred dryer/julia duffy (sam/diane)-cheers
tom poston (maxwell smart)-get smart
bing crosby (hogan/columbo)-hogan's heroes/columbo
jason alexander/ben stiller (miles)-murphy brown
ray romano/greg lee (the electrician/joe)-newsradio

Peri Gilpin (Frasier) was origionally supposed to play Helen on Wings.

that reminds me Lisa Kudrow was runner-up for Roz on Frasier.

Candace Cameron- Small Wonder


All the following actors tried out for a part on Saved By The Bell:
Jaleel White
Brian Austin Green
Jennie Garth

Originally posted by BLT

bing crosby (hogan/columbo)-hogan's heroes/columbo


Really??

Anyway, speaking of Hogan's, Werner Klemperer was originally considered to play Schultz and John Banner was considered to play Klink!! And Richard Dawson was considered for the role of Hogan, but he was too English.

This is a great topic -- there are a lot of these. Here are some that I remember:

Lisa Kudrow was actually cast as Roz on "Frasier" and participated in the first week of rehearsals. She was let go before filming began.

Ray Romano was originally cast in the Joe Rogan role on "NewsRadio", but was let go before the first filming.

William Devane and Lisa Eichhorn (who co-starred in the movie "Yanks") were another team that was considered for Sam and Diane on "Cheers".

Matthew Broderick turned down the role of Alex Keaton on "Family Ties".

Jean Stapleton turned down the the starring role on "Murder, She Wrote".

Lyman Ward (the father in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off") played Jim Walsh in the original pilot of "Beverly Hills, 90210". Fox wanted him off the show because they thought he wouldn't be taken seriously as the father, so his pilot scenes were reshot with James Eckhouse.

George Peppard ("The A-Team") was cast as Blake Carrington on "Dynasty", but was let go a few days into filming (he was supposedly difficult to work with).

Shelley Hack taped some test sequences as the new public defender on "Night Court", but was let go and replaced with Markie Post.

Sada Thompson ("Family") was originally cast as Irene Lorenzo on "All in the Family" but quit shortly before her first taping (supposedly, she and Carroll O'Connor did not get along).

Joyce Bulifant ("Match Game") was originally cast as Carol Brady on "The Brady Bunch", until the producers saw Florence Henderson at a last-minute audition.

There were two other sets of actors playing the daughter and son-in-law (later called Mike and Gloria) in the first two "All in the Family" pilots.

Lucille Ball wanted Gale Gordon (from the later "Lucy" shows) and Bea Benederet ("Petticoat Junction") as the Mertzes on "I Love Lucy", but they were too expensive and/or not available (depending on whom you listen to).

Lorna Patterson, from the TV version of "Private Benjamin", was originally cast as Suzanne Sugarbaker on "Designing Women". Her scenes in the pilot were reshot with Delta Burke in the role.

Mark Hamill played the role of the eldest son, David, in the "Eight is Enough" pilot. Realizing that "Star Wars" would hit big, he asked to be released from the series. But ABC liked the idea of having a movie star in the series, so they refused. About a week or two before the first regular episode (after the pilot) was scheduled to begin filming, Mark banged up his face in a car accident and had to have plastic surgery, so he couldn't appear on camera. The producers were forced to recast his role.

Jerry Van Dyke turned down the role of Gilligan on Gilligan's Island for My Mother, The Car....a decision he lated regretted.

I could be off base with this, but I think I read that Carroll O'Connor was considered for the role of the Skipper on GI. I'm really not sure on that one.

Leah Remini - (Monica Geller), "Friends."

Bridget Fonda - (Ally McBeal), on "Ally McBeal."

Mickey Rooney/ Penny Marshall - (Archie & Gloria), "All In The Family."

Lloyd Bridges - (James T. Kirk), "Star Trek."

Mickey Dolenz - (Fonzie), "Happy Days."

Richard Kiel - (Jaws, of the James Bond movies), as "The Incredible Hulk."

Originally posted by Janice
Jerry Van Dyke turned down the role of Gilligan on Gilligan's Island for My Mother, The Car....a decision he lated regretted.

I could be off base with this, but I think I read that Carroll O'Connor was considered for the role of the Skipper on GI. I'm really not sure on that one.

You are correct, Janice - Carroll O'Connor was in the running for the role of "The Skipper".

On the subject of "Giiligan's Island", Raquel Welch auditioned for the role of Mary Ann! (Dawn Wells said she thought Raquel would have been much better suited for the role of "Ginger").

In the recent "Batman" TV movie ("Back to the Batcave - the True Adventures of Adam and Burt"), it was mentioned that Mickey Rooney turned down the part of "The Penguin" in the series.

Jack Cassidy turned down the role of Ted Baxter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He regretted his decision as his film career was on a downslide.

Gene Hackman as Mike Brady on The Brady Bunch

Joanna Kerns and Loni Anderson were both considered for the role of Chrissy Snow on Three's Company.

Valerie Curtin was in the 1st pilot of Three's Company as the Janet Wood-type character. Suzanne Zenor and Susan Lanier played the Chrissy Snow-type character in the first two pilots, and Denise Galik was almost cast in one of the pilots but was replaced three or four days before shooting the 2nd pilot.

Monty Margotts was almost cast as Alice Nelson on The Brady Bunch instead of Ann B. Davis.

Originally posted by Rob1
Leah Remini - (Monica Geller), "Friends."



Seems to me that I recall Nancy McKeon running neck and neck for the Monica role as well.

Thelma Hopkins (Family Matters) was replaced by Phylischa Ryshad at the last minute on Cosby.

Michael J. Fox was runner-up for "Flip" on Happy Days

Originally posted by Janice
Jack Cassidy turned down the role of Ted Baxter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He regretted his decision as his film career was on a downslide.

Jack Cassidy guest-starred on The Mary Tyler Moore Show as Ted's brother, Hal. Hal's mannerisms (and inflated ego), were very similar to Ted's, so we got a glimpse to see what it would have been like if Cassidy hadn't changed his mind.

Originally posted by Janice
Jerry Van Dyke turned down the role of Gilligan on Gilligan's Island for My Mother, The Car....a decision he lated regretted.

I could be off base with this, but I think I read that Carroll O'Connor was considered for the role of the Skipper on GI. I'm really not sure on that one.

You're right Janice! I just saw that on The E!True Hollywood Story. But Sherwood Schwartz was looking for someone more loveable and I think they chose wisely going with Alan Hale.:)

Here's a good one! Gene Hackman was up for Mike Brady!:eek:

Also, Several women tried out for Charlies Angels including Catherine Bach and Kathy Lee Gifford.


This is a very good topic! Wish I could think of some more!:confused:

Just thought of another! The part of Ted Baxter(MTM) was created with Jack Cassidy in mind. But he turned it down.
Oops! I see that was already mentioned! Sorry!:crazy:

Robby Benson was up for the roel of Richie on Happy Days, but he had no desire of being a TV star and msedd up his screen test and didnt get to play the part

Donny Most ( Ralph Malph ) tried out for the roel of Potsie ( and Richie also ) , but sicne ron Howard, who played Richie, was laready a redhead they didnt want another redhead as the friend, so he got dumped, but the producers liekd him so much they bought him back as the one the only and my favorite RALPH MALPH!!!!!!!!!

Here's a little known fact for ya, Sammy:

John Ratzenberger ("Cliff Claven") originally auditioned for the role of "Norm Peterson" on "Cheers".

Howard Hessmann ("Dr. Johnny Fever") originally auditioned for the role of Sales Manager "Herb Tarlek" on "WKRP in Cincinnati".

John Lithgrow (Dick on "3rd rock from the sun") was considered for Frasier on "Cheers"

McLean Stevenson first auditioned for Hawkeye on "MASH"

Tammy Grimes was first considered fo Samantha on "Bewitched"

Jerry van Dyke was first considered for Gilligan on "Gilligans Island" but he read the script and called it the worst peice of crap he ever saw

Carrol O'Conner was first considered as the skipper, but they thought people would feel sorry for Gilligan when the skipper yelled at him

Lisa Kudrow was first cast as Roz on "Frasier" but when they started filming the pilot, it was obvious that she wasn't right for the role.

I don't know if this is true or not, but I read someplace that Richard Pryor was considered for the role of Lamont on Sanford and Son.

One of the more unusual castings that never happened:

On "Married With Children", female impersonator "Divine" (probably best known for the role of Rikki Lake's mother in the movie "Hairspray") was signed to play Peg Bundy's mother. When the first day of shooting was scheduled to begin on the initial episode in which Divine was to appear, filming had to be delayed because Divine did not show up at the studio that morning. Someone from the production crew went to the hotel where Divine was staying to find out what was going on. Tragically, Divine has died in his sleep that night of an apparent heart attack. Divine was tremendously overweight (well over 300 pounds). I believe he was in his late 30s/early 40s at the time of his death.

Character actress Kathleen Freeman was then cast as Peg's Mom. She never actually appeared on screen - viewers only heard her voice, yelling downstairs to the Bundys from the upstairs bedroom in which she lived for a number of episodes.

Originally posted by BLT
Michael J. Fox was runner-up for "Flip" on Happy Days


BLT:

Who was "Flip"? I'm not familiar with that character.

Flip was the obnoxious younger brother of Roger (Ted McGinley) from 1982-1983.

who was Roger? Was he in the show toward the end? If so, that explains it, because that's when the show stopped becoming "The Fonzie show" and REALLY became shark bait!!! (of course, it also was shark bait before that)

The patron saint of shark jumping, Ted McGinley joined the show early in season 8 (1980) as Marion's nephew Roger Phillips. Roger was Richie's replacement. Roger was a gym teacher at Jefferson High and in season 11 was principal of George S. Patton Vocational School, where all the delinquints were sent.

Mike Lookinland was offered the part of Eddie Corbett on The Courtship of Eddie's Father, but his parents wanted him to be around other kids so they chose The Brady Bunch instead.

Originally posted by TJ
Mike Lookinland was offered the part of Eddie Corbett on The Courtship of Eddie's Father, but his parents wanted him to be around other kids so they chose The Brady Bunch instead.
I never knew that!

G.Hackman could have been mike Brady.and Dustin Hoffman in pacinos role in the Godfather.those are the two that come to mind.

This is a great topic -- there are a lot of these. Here are some that I remember:

Lisa Kudrow was actually cast as Roz on "Frasier" and participated in the first week of rehearsals. She was let go before filming began.

Ray Romano was originally cast in the Joe Rogan role on "NewsRadio", but was let go before the first filming.

William Devane and Lisa Eichhorn (who co-starred in the movie "Yanks") were another team that was considered for Sam and Diane on "Cheers".

Matthew Broderick turned down the role of Alex Keaton on "Family Ties".

Jean Stapleton turned down the the starring role on "Murder, She Wrote".

Lyman Ward (the father in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off") played Jim Walsh in the original pilot of "Beverly Hills, 90210". Fox wanted him off the show because they thought he wouldn't be taken seriously as the father, so his pilot scenes were reshot with James Eckhouse.

George Peppard ("The A-Team") was cast as Blake Carrington on "Dynasty", but was let go a few days into filming (he was supposedly difficult to work with).

Shelley Hack taped some test sequences as the new public defender on "Night Court", but was let go and replaced with Markie Post.

Sada Thompson ("Family") was originally cast as Irene Lorenzo on "All in the Family" but quit shortly before her first taping (supposedly, she and Carroll O'Connor did not get along).

Joyce Bulifant ("Match Game") was originally cast as Carol Brady on "The Brady Bunch", until the producers saw Florence Henderson at a last-minute audition.

There were two other sets of actors playing the daughter and son-in-law (later called Mike and Gloria) in the first two "All in the Family" pilots.

Lucille Ball wanted Gale Gordon (from the later "Lucy" shows) and Bea Benederet ("Petticoat Junction") as the Mertzes on "I Love Lucy", but they were too expensive and/or not available (depending on whom you listen to).

Lorna Patterson, from the TV version of "Private Benjamin", was originally cast as Suzanne Sugarbaker on "Designing Women". Her scenes in the pilot were reshot with Delta Burke in the role.

Mark Hamill played the role of the eldest son, David, in the "Eight is Enough" pilot. Realizing that "Star Wars" would hit big, he asked to be released from the series. But ABC liked the idea of having a movie star in the series, so they refused. About a week or two before the first regular episode (after the pilot) was scheduled to begin filming, Mark banged up his face in a car accident and had to have plastic surgery, so he couldn't appear on camera. The producers were forced to recast his role.

George Peppard besides his demands, also supposedly just wasn't working out for the Shapiros because he couldn't play the nuances they expected of a polished villain like Blake (he was playing it more big and loud like JR Ewing on Dallas), and he wasn't coming across as a father-figure. All of Peppard's scenes in the pilot had to be reshot with John Forsythe before the network airing.

http://68.media.tumblr.com/4f41976bc6834357addd71ac7c266743/tumblr_mvcxjui1U81slwxv3o2_1280.jpg

Aaron Spelling original wanted Tom Bosley for the role of Bosley on "CHARLIES ANGELS". That's why the character had that name.

Harold Gould was the original Mr. C on Happy Days. He was replaced by Tom Bosley after the pilot. Gould went on to play Valerie Harper's father Martin Morgenstern on Rhoda.

Jackie Gleason was up for the role of Archie Bunker could you imagine the banter between him and Rob one of these days meathead POW! RRRRight in the kisser.

The role of Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation almost went to actor Eric Menyuk. It was down to him and Brent Spiner with Spiner of course getting the role. But Menyuk would later guest star in a couple of TNG episodes as the alien known as The Traveler.

Ed.

Jackie Gleason was up for the role of Archie Bunker could you imagine the banter between him and Rob one of these days meathead POW! RRRRight in the kisser.
Mickey Rooney was also considered for the role but turned it down when he figured out that it might be controversial.

Johnny Carson was one of the people first considered for Rob Petrie on "THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW"