Cast Changes That Made You Stop Watching the Show

[Adamantium]

This doesn't apply to me because cast changes don't bother me. In many cases, I love cast changes. However, are there any shows that you liked but once a cast member or two left, you stopped watching? If so, which ones and why?

[Marvo301]

Originally Posted by Adamantium

This doesn't apply to me because cast changes don't bother me. In many cases, I love cast changes. However, are there any shows that you liked but once a cast member or two left, you stopped watching? If so, which ones and why?

For me it would be Bewitched. I watch the Dick York episodes but not the Dick Sargent episodes. Dick York had much better on screen chemistry with Elizabeth Montgomery. And his scenes with Agnes Moorehead were better than Dick Sargent's too!

[Adamantium]

Originally Posted by Marvo301

For me it would be Bewitched. I watch the Dick York episodes but not the Dick Sargent episodes. Dick York had much better on screen chemistry with Elizabeth Montgomery. And his scenes with Agnes Moorehead were better than Dick Sargent's too!

All my life I knew there were two Darrins and I really didn't think much of it. However, a few years ago I bought the seasons on DVD. I fell in love with Dick York's performance and now it seems like an insult that they would just replace him and continue with the show. Especially, since it was getting tired anyways and they went as far as to rehash old scripts in the later years. Five seasons of a show about a mortal being married to a witch was plenty.

That cast change would be on par with if Alan Young left "Mister Ed" and was replaced - same character, different actor. Or with Don Knotts leaving "The Andy Griffith Show" and them bringing in a new actor to play Barney (instead of Warren). My point is Dick York made that character. It was his. He gave such a unique performance as Darrin and the cast change definitely hurt the show, in my opinion (and yours as well).

BUT... I still own all 8 seasons and occasionally watch some episodes from the later years.

[Adamantium]

Originally Posted by Alan Brady's Hair

I'll avoid "The Office" episodes without Steve Carrell, but the show had been in rapid decline for a year before he left, and then they handled his replacement in a very panicky way.

I love "The Office" and can watch the post-Carell episodes but it's obvious that those episodes are just not anywhere near as good as the show was with him. You're right about the decline occurring before Steve departed. What I didn't like about those last two seasons is that they had a chance to freshen the show up a bit with a new manager and what do they do? They promote Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) to Regional Manager and pretty much give him lines that feel like they were meant for Michael Scott (He became Michael 2.0). I didn't care for that aspect of the show. Especially how all of a sudden Andy hated Toby, too.

[Yong Fang]

I am a fan of The Office, and enjoyed Steve Carrell and the two seasons after he left, because it was more of an end amble, and I thought Ed Helms did a good job playing the second manager. I liked James Spader a lot. Dwight Schrute is my favorite character anyway, and Rainn Wilson became the star of the show, although I can see people disliking that. I liked the English lady who was on the last two years.

The Ofice also had an excellent finale. So there.

[Sal]

1. 8 Simple Rules: After John Ritter died, I was surprised that the series continued because nobody could ever replace John Ritter. They brought in James Garner to help the cast and the fans deal with the tragedy and, under very difficult conditions, I thought he did an outstanding job. Then he left and was replaced by the non-talented jerk David Spade and that's when I had enough and stopped watching.

2. Speaking of lack of talent, Ashton Kutcher replacing Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men made the series a lot less worth watching and not as funny. I would watch some of the time but it wasn't the same.

3. After Ron Howard left Happy Days, he was replaced by everyone's favorite whipping boy Ted McGinley and from then on it was mainly unwatchable.

4. When Jennifer Coolidge---one of the worst sitcom actresses ever---joined the cast of Two Broke Girls, which had been very good in its first season, I lost a lot of interest and enthusiasm for it. What I do now is watch the first part of the show, and when she comes on, I immediately change the channel.

5. Finally, I like the second Darrin better!

[scrapple]

Three shows fit this category for me: Bewitched (Dick York was wonderful in the role, with great comic timing, Sargent was just annoying); Cheers (the heart of the show was Sam/Diane, so when Shelley Long left, so did I) and Two and a Half Men (I'll just state the obvious...for all his MANY faults, Charlie Sheen WAS the show).

[DJM77]

Originally Posted by Sal

8 Simple Rules: After John Ritter died, I was surprised that the series continued because nobody could ever replace John Ritter. They brought in James Garner to help the cast and the fans deal with the tragedy and, under very difficult conditions, I thought he did an outstanding job. Then he left and was replaced by the non-talented jerk David Spade and that's when I had enough and stopped watching.

James Garner left? Him and David Spade were in quite a few of the same episodes I believe.

[Adamantium]

Originally Posted by DJM77

James Garner left?

Nope. James Garner was there through the final episode of the show. In fact, I liked the duo of Garner/Spade.

[Adamantium]

Originally Posted by Yong Fang

I am a fan of The Office, and enjoyed Steve Carrell and the two seasons after he left, because it was more of an end amble, and I thought Ed Helms did a good job playing the second manager. I liked James Spader a lot. Dwight Schrute is my favorite character anyway, and Rainn Wilson became the star of the show, although I can see people disliking that. I liked the English lady who was on the last two years.

The Ofice also had an excellent finale. So there.

I still liked seasons 8 and 9. I just feel like the quality dipped. And I find I didn't miss Andy at all in the eight or so episodes he missed during season nine. But I still own the DVDS and have been known to watch episodes from those seasons randomly. Gabe is one of my favorite characters from the show and I missed him in the final year (and his guest spot was hilarious in one of the last episodes). He was one of the best parts of season 8, in my opinion.

I also liked Catherine Tate as Nellie. It would frustrate me to go to imdb and read all the Nellie bashing over there. It seems like no one else (but you and me) liked her.

I, too, loved the finale.

[Adamantium]

Originally Posted by Sal

1. 8 Simple Rules: After John Ritter died, I was surprised that the series continued because nobody could ever replace John Ritter. They brought in James Garner to help the cast and the fans deal with the tragedy and, under very difficult conditions, I thought he did an outstanding job. Then he left and was replaced by the non-talented jerk David Spade and that's when I had enough and stopped watching.

2. Speaking of lack of talent, Ashton Kutcher replacing Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men made the series a lot less worth watching and not as funny. I would watch some of the time but it wasn't the same.

3. After Ron Howard left Happy Days, he was replaced by everyone's favorite whipping boy Ted McGinley and from then on it was mainly unwatchable.

4. When Jennifer Coolidge---one of the worst sitcom actresses ever---joined the cast of Two Broke Girls, which had been very good in its first season, I lost a lot of interest and enthusiasm for it. What I do now is watch the first part of the show, and when she comes on, I immediately change the channel.

5. Finally, I like the second Darrin better!

1. John Ritter was definitely missed. I stuck with it to the end but it was really a different show obviously.

2. I never liked "Two and a Half Men", so to me even the Charlie Sheen years were unfunny. Oddly enough, I watched the finale and thought it was pretty good. But seeing as I'm not a fan of the series, my opinion on that doesn't mean much, lol.

3. "Happy Days" was surely different without Richie and Ralph and focused more on Joanie and her friends. I still liked it though. In fact, I loved season ten when Fonzie was dating Ashley. I was sorry to see her go for the final year.

4. I never really watched "2 Broke Girls", so I can't comment.

5. To each his own but to me, Dick York made "Bewitched." Though many will say Elizabeth Montgomery made the show.

[JSP]

Replacing Terry Farrell with Namcy Travis on Becker. After that a once good show was no longer worth watching.