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TV Shows where the best characters weren’t in the original cast/pilot episode
- Thread starter Dalek
- Start date
What about Shatner not being in the pilot for the original series?
There is only one all time mac-daddy late-comer showstopper big bopper king cream answer to this question.
Frasier doesn't even show up on Cheeers for 2 full seasons. This motherfucker held the show down, brought in tons of recurring secondary characters, and between this show and his own appeared in over 20 seasons of television. This big psychology radio boy is world heavyweight champion in my book.
There is only one all time mac-daddy late-comer showstopper big bopper king cream answer to this question.
Frasier doesn't even show up on Cheeers for 2 full seasons. This motherfucker held the show down, brought in tons of recurring secondary characters, and between this show and his own appeared in over 20 seasons of television. This big psychology radio boy is world heavyweight champion in my book.
Garak on DS9 is my personal fave. Frank on Always Sunny is the prime modern example. But Frasier on Cheers is the best answer.
There is only one all time mac-daddy late-comer showstopper big bopper king cream answer to this question.
Frasier doesn't even show up on Cheeers for 2 full seasons. This motherfucker held the show down, brought in tons of recurring secondary characters, and between this show and his own appeared in over 20 seasons of television. This big psychology radio boy is world heavyweight champion in my book.
This right here - we're done. :)
I'll also take Woody as a secndary nomination - but Frasier is king.
I don't think Jerry Orbach showed up until season 3 of Law and Order.
Jack McCoy didn't show up until like season 5 to replace Ben Stone.
Jack McCoy couldn't carry Ben Stone's jock.
Elaine Benes is not in the pilot for Seinfeld. She doesn't appear until the second episode.
Kramer is named Kessler in the pilot although he does appear.
The whole situation surrounding that is still unreal to this day. As many know, Family Matters was spun off of Perfect Strangers which Harriette was a part of. I do remember when they brought in Carl for a few episodes...though they were received well by the audience I thought at the time they'd just keep them with Perfect Strangers appearing here and there. When ABC announced they were spinning Harriette off into her own series though I wasn't too surprised at it I was very unsure how it'd go and if it would work out. When the series premiered I liked it. It started out as this really nice little family sitcom about Harrietre and her family. Ratings the first half of the season were....modest would be a generous word. You could also say they were neither great nor terrible. The show was kinda just there. Mid season I thought personally it was on the bubble with a 50/50 chance of renewal. I did feel though if it did get renewed all it'd get would be two seasons all together. You know I was really okay with that possibility, as I said it was a nice little show that had it stayed focused on the family just needed a few neat compact seasons to explore the characters a little.
Then that only intended to be one episode guest spot for Jaleel White and Steve Urkel happened. I felt the only real shot at renewal and maybe getting up into 3 plus seasons relied on some kind of major tweak or shot in the arm but had no idea how that might happen. I saw that episode the night it originally aired. Immediately, immediately as soon as the Winslows door bell rang, they opened it, and he's standing there saying "Hi Mr Winslow, I'm Steve Urkel!" I knew the show just got its major shot in the arm. The studio audience knew it too. That one scene, those few seconds and his first line forever changed that show's fate. Here was this...obscenely weird, nerdy, repulsive, and downright unreal kid standing there suddenly who they and anyone in real life would run the other way from but he was also so fascinating you just had to watch. And shit boy did the audience watch. By the time that episode finished airing that night, Jaleel White and Urkel were instant smash hit celebrities. The ratings that night were so high, the reception so positive they kept him on. The show went from either probably done or would be lucky to be renewed to its ass saved, doing way more than well enough to get that renewal. It went from this little relatively known show few watched to a Friday night tradition that went on for several years...overnight. I can't think of another example and circumstances where this has happened. At least not like it did here. It sure as hell couldn't happen now, not with the internet. We won't see that sort of thing ever again.
It wasn't just Urkel that gave it the huge shot in the arm, it was also the addition of Waldo. That guy's character was something else. Out of the gate he was already super clueless and clumsy. And every week you'd ask yourself how much more clueless he could possibly get. And every week he surpassed himself just when you think he couldn't. He was lovesble though. Later cams Myra, Steve's transformation chamber and Stefan Urquelle. All of that slammed together was just surreal. Surreal and fascinating. You knew it would be and usually was a train wreck but you just had to watch it.
I know opinion is divided on it, but the show was better off with the addition of Steve and all the other characters. I loved that show, it's one of my personal favorite shows. Loved the TGIF block, the concept and all. The further we get from those days the more I miss it, it was a different time.
Finally, by the time Family Matters and Step By Step got moved to CBS they were aging fast especially in Family Matters' case. They were both...probably ready to go at that point. I've always said that if a show lasts long enough, it'll just get to where it's naturally ready to go peacefully and it usually does. The TGIF audience was growing up and moving on. Ratings for both that CBS season were well terrible. Down the shitter terrible. They were just ready to go. I only wish both had gotten actual Series Finales for closure.
But shit what a wild, unreal ride for a Family Matters! Looking at the first 11 episodes of Season 1 there was no way to know, no possible way to predict how it would come back from the literal brink to become a super smash hit that would go on for 8, EIGHT more seasons and get 215 episodes all together! Not bad for a show not expected to last beyond its first year!
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Frank in Always Sunny is a good one.
Once I started the show I was surprised he didn't show up till the second season.
Once I started the show I was surprised he didn't show up till the second season.
I'm 85% sure I'm not gay, but Johnson really is a striking man.
You can probably put together a reasonable argument that the first series of Blackadder doesn't have Blackadder in it! His character is wildly different from series 2 onwards, and infinitely better as a result.
The Daleks turned up in the second Doctor Who serial.
The Daleks turned up in the second Doctor Who serial.
A great answer. They added so vert much to the show.
Perfect, also.
He was the coach replacement right?
I was glad they were able to bring coach back for a bit
Yep Coach was in the pilot, but then Happy Endings got a last minute save and Wayans had to leave.
I couldn't remember who was and was not in the first episode, but I was sure there were plenty.
Sopranos too, probably.
This is a *very* good answer.
There is only one all time mac-daddy late-comer showstopper big bopper king cream answer to this question.
Frasier doesn't even show up on Cheeers for 2 full seasons. This motherfucker held the show down, brought in tons of recurring secondary characters, and between this show and his own appeared in over 20 seasons of television. This big psychology radio boy is world heavyweight champion in my book.
Of options not mentioned, I'd add Olenna Tyrell from Game Of Thrones
Claudia from Warehouse 13. Didn't come in til part way through Season 1, and was only a recurring character until later on when she became just... the best?
Pretty much everyone in Law & Order.
I also enjoyed BJ in MASH.
Oooo.
I also enjoyed BJ in MASH.
Oooo.
The show wouldn't have lasted or become as popular as it did without the breakout star of the Urkel character.
I'm not so sure that's true, but even if it is I think it's hard to ignore that he gradually took over the show and ruined it. Before Urkel took over, that show was damn good and actually took on serious social and family issues. It was wonderful, and then we ended up with stupid shit like Robot Urkel and Stefan.
My answer or answers have already been posted with Urkel and Tommy Oliver.
First one I thought of, the character saved the show.
+1
If it wasn't for Urkel the show would've been lucky to have gotten a second season, it hasn't aged well with the original audience IMO (as in us kids who watched it then, now as adults, like He-Man and She-Ra cartoons) but a lot of kids loved the character at the time. It definitely jumped the shark when they ran out of ideas for him and brought in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy stuff like the silly DNA altering gimmick where he beat up post-PR JDF while on "Bruce Lee" DNA a gimmick that eventually lead to Stefan or maybe that came first I can't remember. The character not really evolving very much as kids grew out of it didn't help either. He was pretty much the successful version of Poochie. A lot of the cast definitely started to resent it but if it wasn't for him they wouldn't be getting some nice royalty checks.
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A lot of Adventure Time's iconic characters are not part of the pilot. Marceline is not in Adventure Time's pilot- she is however part of the series pitch that was made later. Not sure if that really counts. Also part of the series pitch but isn't in the pilot is The Lich. Flame Princess is a character they added quite a bit in. Lumpy Space Princess is also a character that wasnt part of the pilot.
However the biggest omission in this list is probably BMO. He isn't even really seen for the majority of season 1 although only for really minor appearances. It takes until the midpoint for season 2 for them to get a major role and become fully part of the show.
However the biggest omission in this list is probably BMO. He isn't even really seen for the majority of season 1 although only for really minor appearances. It takes until the midpoint for season 2 for them to get a major role and become fully part of the show.
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I love Chiana but dude... Ain't you forgetting someone ?
Wether it's as Scorpius or Harvey, it's the best character of them all.
First episode, I was "ahh, I can vibe with this."
Second episode I was "oh, that's weird, they replaced Damon Jr."
Second half of the third episode, I was "this dude makes this show."
New Girl was hilarious for its entire run, but Winston made the whole show for me.