TV Pilots That Were Completely Reshot: Two and a Half Men

[JamesG]

The undisputed stars of "Two and a Half Men" remain Charlie (Charlie Sheen), Alan (Jon Cryer), and Jake Harper (Angus T. Jones). Their comedic chemistry is something that money can't buy — though it does help when you're paid millions of dollars per episode — so this becomes the cornerstone of the sitcom.

Make no mistake, another important character in the show is Evelyn Harper (Holland Taylor), Charlie and Alan's narcissistic and manipulative mother. She appears in many episodes of the series, including the pilot.




However, in the original pilot, titled "Most Chicks Won't Eat Veal" (a dirty joke from the episode), Blythe Danner plays Evelyn. Despite Danner being an award-winning performer and an experienced sitcom actor in her own right, the show parted ways with her after the pilot.

So, what was the issue here? According to what co-creator Chuck Lorre told Orlando Sentinel, Evelyn "wasn't a really good fit for her," hence the pilot being reshot with Taylor in the role.




From the footage that's circulated of Danner as Evelyn, she plays the character much more differently than Taylor. While it isn't to say that her performance is better or worse than Taylor's, it does feel as if Taylor's

Evelyn fits in better with Charlie, Alan, and Jake than Danner's ever did.

https://www.tvline.com/2016387/tv-sh...before-airing/

[Chocolate Moose]

Dunno about all of that but money does pay for big salaries so I think that chemistry is either something that money CAN buy or at least rent for a while!!!