YOU! Add a new character to an established show, a hypothetical exercise.
 

Inspired by the other thread, name a show and a type of character that you would have added, were you the show runner and needed to kick things up a notch. Stuff like convincing Michelle Forbes to take the DS9 role.

Here's one that's bothered me for years: Star Trek: TNG, the episode Second Chances where they find the alternate Riker on a planet. I'm not sure if I actually read it, or it just came from my fevered imagination, but there might have been talk of having William Riker *finally* take his own command, with Thomas Riker becoming the new second officer, with Data moving up to first officer of course. This would have served the dual purpose of giving us a new take on the old "long lost evil twin" schtick, plus finally get Riker's bloated butt off the Enterprise and into his own command (while still keeping Frakes). I've read numerous complaints from Trek fans who are in the military about the unbelievability of Riker passing up so many command offers.

This has always struck me as an amazing missed opportunity.


Anyone else?

I was always disappointed that Jonas Quinn on Stargate was pretty much abandoned when Daniel returned. I grew to enjoy him just as much, almost to where it was disappointing having Daniel Jackson back. He added some fresh blood and a solid character. Casting wise he would have been perfect for Atlantis. I think that was a missed opportunity.

In the fourth season of Coupling, Jeff was replaced by Oliver. While I don't think the substitution was as awful as some people would say, I think a different approach might have made things interesting. In the first season, Jane has a "date" with Howard, a gay man (Jane doesn't see anything wrong with that since she's "bi-sexual"(Although, Oliver did a great job calling her out on that)). But in that episode, Howard had a good rapport with Patrick and Sally in terms of politics. I think it would have been interesting to work that dynamic into the core characters. And it would have been such a departure from the neurotic male that Jeff and Oliver played that there wouldn't be that similar character-different actor feeling.

Speaking of character substitutions, I think of the X-Files episodes "Dreamland", where Michael McKean replaced David Duchovny as Fox Mulder. This was a two part episode and I believe they missed a great opportunity for a good prank. When the second episode's opening credits rolled, they should have replaced Duchovny with McKean there too, making fans think the change might be permanent.

Battlestar Galactica needs a holographic doctor.

The new Battlestar Galactica also needs a robot dog. Enough with human-cylons, we want Muffit!

I did this last year when I suggested Rhona Mitra for Nip/Tuck before her addition was announced.

Going back to my original post, I still think it would be neat to see a holographic bridge officer on a Trek series. Just an extra crewmember to sit at the helm or something.


As for BSG, I'd really like to meet the second officer and chief Engineer of Galactica, not to mention Lee's XO on Pegasus (cause you know that's one bitter SOB right there)

In season 6 of Gilmore Girls, I'd add an assasin who brutally murders Christopher Hayden. Strangely, no characters care. Next, he kills April Nardini and her mother just before Luke is contacted by April. Again, nobody cares.

Okay, in all seriousness, upon the death of Phil Hartman, I would have replaced him in the cast of Newsradio not with Jon Lovitz but with Patrick Warburton as new on air talent. Warburton had better chemistry with the cast than Lovitz did based on his story arc as Johnny Johnson. I would have then cast John O'Hurley as Johnny Johnson for that story arc. I think it would have worked pretty well.

I think I would create a little crossover. Veronica Mars would somehow get stranded on the Lost island. With her there, it would only take a season to get to the bottom of all those island mysteries. Plus, it would be fun to see someone snap those witty comments at all the Losties, especially Sawyer.

The last season of X-files should never have happened. They should have eneded the X-Files as a show and simply spun off a new series with Doggett and Reyes as the central cast along with Skinner. They should have let Scully disappear WITH Mulder rather than keep figuring out some absurd way to get Scully in every episode.

This is the only way that they could have had a chance at a good show. Create a new dynamic with those characters.

I think that they need to add new character to The Office. It needs to be a woman with quick wit and give Michael an overwhelming sense of fear of being replaced.

Lisa Miller!

I love House, but I'd like to see a nurse that has several years of experience give him a run for his money in a couple of episodes. For some reason I've always pictured a large, older (50s) black woman. I know... kinda odd

That reminds me when they added Dr. Elaine Duchamps (Lorraine Toussaint) to Crossing Jordan in Season Two. But she proved to be too much of a PATA for Jordan and they dropped her quickly.

Yeah, kind of like her character (... for the uninitiated, she was a character on News Radio played by the pre-ER Maura Tierney).

Technically there is... remember on Voyager, they had an emergency command officer hologram...it was the doctor in a red command uniform...

Was that the one played by Andy Dick? Most of Voyager is a hazy blur for some reason...

I would love to see a Simpsons meet Futurama show, similar to the Jetsons meet the Flintstones.

I would add Bumblebee Man to Family Guy...since Family Guy steals the Simpsons stories & jokes, they might as well take their characters.

I like RKillgore's "Dreamland" scenerio for the X-Files. That is a classic episode.

I remember that episode of Star Trek: Voyager where they went back to 1996 and Tom Paris meets a young astronomy student played by Sarah Silverman. I always thought they should have added her character to the cast by bringing her back on board with them. I think it would have been cool to see a "present day" character interacting with the rest of the crew and it would have breathed new life into that show. Plus I love Sarah Silverman and the thought of a cynical Californian poking fun at the Starfleet officers would have been fun.

Okay, this was always my nerdy Star Trek idea for DS9.

Remember when Kira was turned into a Cardassian and they tried to convince her that she she was this Cardassian woman who had been made into a Bajoran and was so deep under cover that all her memories were implanted and she no longer knew who she was? Although it turned out she was not the woman, Kira eventually became firends with her Cardassian "father" who still never knew what happened to his daughter who went undercover as a Bajoran.

I always thought it would have been AWESOME if they had brought back Ensign Ro and revealed that SHE was really the Cardassian woman turned Bajoran. They said that the woman looked like Kira which is why they tried to convince Kira it was her and Ro and Kira do look alike.

Anyway, I always thought that was a huge opportunity for a cool storyline they had missed.

Though not a large, older, black woman, I'd like to see them work Stephen Fry into a couple of episodes. Stunt casting, I know, but most Americans wouldn't realize that.

I would be a competing agent to Ari Gold on Entourage. I'd be just like Ari but younger.

I'd like to see the Vic Mackey character from "The Shield" and Jack Bauer team up for some terrorist-kick-assery.

24 needs a competent President...

...oh, and less boneheaded CTU employees. :)

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