Casting that never happened

[BLT]

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

[Chocoholic]

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

[BLT]

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

[SBTB Geek]

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

[dawsongirl]

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.

[TV Guy]

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.

[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.

[Rob1]

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."

[Jimbo]

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.

[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.

[IGNTBone]

Gene Hackman as Mike Brady on The Brady Bunch

[Sean Snow]

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.

[James]

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

[jayman75]

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.

[BLT]

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