Characters You Didnt Know Weren't in the Whole Show... - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Adamantium · 04-06-2012, 02:27 PM

I'm starting this thread because until I got the season one DVD for "Designing Women", I had thought the character of Anthony Bouvier (played by Meshach Taylor) was in the whole show. True, he was in the first season as a guest star, but I always thought he was with the show from the very first episode on.

Usually I'm good about knowing these kinds of cast changes. This one, however, slipped right by me.

How about you? Who are some characters you didn't know weren't in the whole series (but eventually found out, obviously)?

IllinoisTVFan · 04-06-2012, 05:33 PM

One that comes to mind is Urkel from Family Matters. Everyone remembers the show because of him but he was never intended to be anything but a guest star and he took off. The original premise was about the Winslow family.

Ryan Chamberlain · 04-07-2012, 06:11 PM

When I first started watching Perfect Strangers as a kid Mary Anne and Jennifer where already in it. To my surprise. When I watched from the beginning as an adult. I was shocked to find out they were not introduced until the 2nd season.

Adamantium · 04-07-2012, 07:40 PM

When I first started to watch Married...with Children, it was the Jefferson episodes (I think late season 5 or early season 6). I remember watching the pilot episode in a rerun with my dad and being surprised to see Marcy with a different husband. It was then my dad told me about Steve Rhoades, how he was Marcy's first husband.

I also assumed Al Lewis was in all the episodes of Car 54, Where Are You? but I learned in recent years that he came in the middle of season one.

Schmoopie · 04-08-2012, 04:06 AM

I read that Betty White was only supposed to be in the pilot episode of "Hot In Cleveland" but that she was made a regular. I don't think the series would be nearly as good or hilarious without her!

factsoflife · 04-08-2012, 12:48 PM

Kerri Weaver on ER. As a kid I assumed she was a original cast member, but later I found out she was only added in season 2.

Sammy Reed · 04-11-2012, 02:48 PM

I'm sorry if we should only mention sitcoms, but I guess this is interesting enough:

It was only in recent years that I found out that Danno wasn't on all of "Hawaii 5-0" (He left right after the next-to-last year), or that Chin Ho ("Kam Fong as Chin Ho") was killed off on an episode with 2 years left to go, or especially that "Zulu as Kono" was fired after just the first 4 years!!

scrapple · 04-11-2012, 05:41 PM

I never knew there was a character named Thad on Gunsmoke. I always just assumed that when a young character was needed on the show, that Newly OBrien was introduced. Who was Thad? How long was he on? Why didn't he last?:

I bet a lot of people were surprised to find out that Victoria Barkley had four sons, not three on The Big Valley.

Sammy Reed · 06-02-2012, 05:26 PM

I also didn't know that Spanky and Alfalfa (as well as other characters) weren't in "The Little Rascals" ("Our Gang") until later on in the series. Now, I'm not sure that any of the ones with Miss Crabtree had either Spanky or Alfalfa!

James · 06-03-2012, 08:19 PM

Not until I was looking at IMDB.com for info on Olivia d'Abo did I realize that she played sister Karen on The Wonder Years from 1988 to 1992--not 1993!!!.

Little did I know when I saw that she was moving to Alaska after she married Michael that it was ABC's way of writing her out--in my world that didn't happen since I expected the actors to stay with the show from Day 1 until the end, even retirement age. I had thought the producers were saying to themselves, "Hey, we forgot to give lines to Olivia!"

megamanj2004 · 06-04-2012, 01:05 AM

The Facts of Life - Up until the late '90s or so, I never knew that Jo wasn't in the 1st nor did I know that the 1st season was a bit different, too.

CHiPs - I didn't know Jon Baker (Larry Wilcox) was only in 5 of the 6 seasons of this show, until I found out on the old Jump the Shark website and had beef w/ Erik Estrada for awhile.

Buffyboy323 · 06-10-2012, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by factsoflife

Kerri Weaver on ER. As a kid I assumed she was a original cast member, but later I found out she was only added in season 2.

And wasn't added to the main cast until the third year of the series. What a character!

Buffyboy323 · 06-10-2012, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by megamanj2004

The Facts of Life - Up until the late '90s or so, I never knew that Jo wasn't in the 1st nor did I know that the 1st season was a bit different, too.

YES! The same exact thing happened to me, in the late '90s as well. I was only able to watch the show from reruns from local syndication and episodes taped from syndication. I doubt the episodes without the core four were too popular in reruns, so they must have always skipped them. I'm not sure if Nick at Nite aired the first season too much in 2000-2001 either.

factsoflife · 06-10-2012, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buffyboy323

And wasn't added to the main cast until the third year of the series. What a character!

That is a character that has stuck with me all these years later. She was something to watch. Laura Innes just became Kerri Weaver.

Gemini_89 · 04-06-2016, 07:23 AM

All That:

Until recently, i didn't know that Amanda Bynes didn't join the show until the 3rd season.

04-06-2012, 02:27 PM	#1
Adamantium TVAdam No More Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 11, 2002 Location: Springfield, Ohio Posts: 7,830	Characters You Didnt Know Weren't in the Whole Show... I'm starting this thread because until I got the season one DVD for "Designing Women", I had thought the character of Anthony Bouvier (played by Meshach Taylor) was in the whole show. True, he was in the first season as a guest star, but I always thought he was with the show from the very first episode on. Usually I'm good about knowing these kinds of cast changes. This one, however, slipped right by me. How about you? Who are some characters you didn't know weren't in the whole series (but eventually found out, obviously)?

04-08-2012, 04:06 AM	#5
Schmoopie Keep Calm and Love Snoopy Forum Star Join Date: Jul 13, 2008 Location: Lynnwood, Washington Posts: 15,697	I read that Betty White was only supposed to be in the pilot episode of "Hot In Cleveland" but that she was made a regular. I don't think the series would be nearly as good or hilarious without her!
	__________________ In memory of my wonderful husband. I love and miss you more than words can say, but I will always and forever keep you in my heart. September 23, 1961-January 14, 2019

04-08-2012, 12:48 PM	#6
factsoflife Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 11, 2000 Posts: 8,745	Kerri Weaver on ER. As a kid I assumed she was a original cast member, but later I found out she was only added in season 2.
	__________________ "and to the fans. I was only supposed to be on every other Tuesday. But, thanks to you, I'm here, and I promise! I will try my best never to let you down. I am going back into that studio on Monday, and I'm going to play Erica Kane for all she's worth!"-- Susan Lucci, May 1999 Daytime Emmy Speech.

06-04-2012, 01:05 AM	#11
megamanj2004 Member Senior Member Join Date: Dec 21, 2004 Posts: 2,359	The Facts of Life - Up until the late '90s or so, I never knew that Jo wasn't in the 1st nor did I know that the 1st season was a bit different, too. CHiPs - I didn't know Jon Baker (Larry Wilcox) was only in 5 of the 6 seasons of this show, until I found out on the old Jump the Shark website and had beef w/ Erik Estrada for awhile.
	__________________ 10 AND A HALF YEARS GOING STRONG!!!

04-06-2012, 05:33 PM	#2
IllinoisTVFan Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 22, 2011 Location: South of Chicago Posts: 4,072	One that comes to mind is Urkel from Family Matters. Everyone remembers the show because of him but he was never intended to be anything but a guest star and he took off. The original premise was about the Winslow family.

04-07-2012, 06:11 PM	#3
Ryan Chamberlain Return Of The Silverburg 2018! Forum Regular Join Date: Mar 10, 2011 Location: Still hiding in Miles Silverburg's closet. Posts: 663	When I first started watching Perfect Strangers as a kid Mary Anne and Jennifer where already in it. To my surprise. When I watched from the beginning as an adult. I was shocked to find out they were not introduced until the 2nd season.

04-07-2012, 07:40 PM	#4
Adamantium TVAdam No More Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 11, 2002 Location: Springfield, Ohio Posts: 7,830	When I first started to watch Married...with Children, it was the Jefferson episodes (I think late season 5 or early season 6). I remember watching the pilot episode in a rerun with my dad and being surprised to see Marcy with a different husband. It was then my dad told me about Steve Rhoades, how he was Marcy's first husband. I also assumed Al Lewis was in all the episodes of Car 54, Where Are You? but I learned in recent years that he came in the middle of season one.

04-11-2012, 02:48 PM	#7
Sammy Reed Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 19, 2003 Posts: 403	I'm sorry if we should only mention sitcoms, but I guess this is interesting enough: It was only in recent years that I found out that Danno wasn't on all of "Hawaii 5-0" (He left right after the next-to-last year), or that Chin Ho ("Kam Fong as Chin Ho") was killed off on an episode with 2 years left to go, or especially that "Zulu as Kono" was fired after just the first 4 years!!

04-11-2012, 05:41 PM	#8
scrapple Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Feb 03, 2012 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 259	I never knew there was a character named Thad on Gunsmoke. I always just assumed that when a young character was needed on the show, that Newly OBrien was introduced. Who was Thad? How long was he on? Why didn't he last?: I bet a lot of people were surprised to find out that Victoria Barkley had four sons, not three on The Big Valley.

06-02-2012, 05:26 PM	#9
Sammy Reed Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 19, 2003 Posts: 403	I also didn't know that Spanky and Alfalfa (as well as other characters) weren't in "The Little Rascals" ("Our Gang") until later on in the series. Now, I'm not sure that any of the ones with Miss Crabtree had either Spanky or Alfalfa!

06-03-2012, 08:19 PM	#10
James Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 07, 2001 Location: Dayton, Ohio, USA Posts: 6,370	Not until I was looking at IMDB.com for info on Olivia d'Abo did I realize that she played sister Karen on The Wonder Years from 1988 to 1992--not 1993!!!. Little did I know when I saw that she was moving to Alaska after she married Michael that it was ABC's way of writing her out--in my world that didn't happen since I expected the actors to stay with the show from Day 1 until the end, even retirement age. I had thought the producers were saying to themselves, "Hey, we forgot to give lines to Olivia!"

04-06-2016, 07:23 AM	#15
Gemini_89 Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 09, 2009 Location: Unknown Posts: 1,294	All That: Until recently, i didn't know that Amanda Bynes didn't join the show until the 3rd season.