How far from the main idea/cast/plot has a show ever strayed?
I recently bought Sliders: The Complete Fourth Season. I recall that the show lost a big group of fans years ago after the 3rd season. I recall watching most of the series when it was first on but was fuzzy on a few things so I looked up some info on it.
Now the show over the years really progressed into a bastardized version of its former self. The small cast that it had changed a fair amount over time and by the last season, had to look this info up because I didn't recall it, only 1 original member remained. The main idea of the show was to get back to Earth Prime and over time that was somewhat altered. Also the show went from having a different "villain" each week to having one race the Sliders would often face. As much as I want to finish my collection I sure hope the final season is released on DVD at a low price because it really is a discounted version of what it started off as. So what other shows really evolved over time into a real variation of the original formula? I think Angel, and to a lesser degree Buffy, are the two other shows that stand out as really ending far away from where they started. |
I'll nominate Good Times. The later years are a parody of the rather serious original premise. Family Matters is another good one in that regard. In fact, if a show becomes mostly about an idiot with a catch phrase, it's a good bet that the show needs to be listed in this thread.
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these friends of mine to ... Ellen.
Seriously though, probably Family matters which banished one daughter and morphed into the Steve Urkel show. |
Forgot how much Family Matters changed. Very good call on that one. It became unwatchable once Carl forgot about spending time with his own kids and only interacted with Steve.
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they banished the daughter upstairs never to be seen again and then she turned to porn :D
http://au.answers.yahoo.com/answers2...3122226AAeOWCY |
The Simpsons is obviously a completely different show now compared to 1990.
Earth Final Conflict started out as an alien/human political conspiracy show and eventually became the main characters fighting two lame klingon wannabes. |
Happy Days - moved from life about the Cunninghams, Richie coming of age to how can Fonzie save the day.
Whatever happened to Chuck? Doug |
Felicity.
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Life Goes On.
Started out as a family dealing w/ a son w/ Downs, turned into the Becky and Jesse Hour dealing w/ his AIDS. (Great storyline.. and it was done extremely well. Chad Lowe probably wishes he could do it all over again. ;) ) |
Originally Posted by Septemberbaby
Life Goes On.
Started out as a family dealing w/ a son w/ Downs, turned into the Becky and Jesse Hour dealing w/ his AIDS. :rimshot: |
I'd say that Melrose Place when it ended was completely different than when it started.
Parker Lewis Can't Lose did a pretty abrupt change in the 4th season too. -jason |
Originally Posted by cdoug57
Happy Days - moved from life about the Cunninghams, Richie coming of age to how can Fonzie save the day.
Whatever happened to Chuck? Doug |
Prison Break went to a completely different format each season.
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Family Ties went from the Steven and Elyse show to Alex P. Keaton show.
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I think "Dark Shadows" (the original) has to be considered. When it began, it was a pretty standard soap opera - with maybe a little more of a Gothic atmosphere. Gradually, supernatural elements started to be added - a ghost here, a curse there. And when Barnabas joined the cast, the flood gates opened: vampires, werewolves, zombies, witches, Frankenstein's monster, Lovecraftian monsters, time travel, alternate realities, etc.
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Sometime during the sixth season, The West Wing spent less and less time IN the West Wing of the White House.
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Battlestar Galactica ---> Galactica: 1980
SeaQuest Seasons 1 & 2 ---> SeaQuest Season 3 Laverne & Shirley (East Coast) ---> Laverne & Shirley (West Coast) |
Family Ties was supposed to be about former-hippie parents adjusting to the 80s... but became about the kids.
Growing Pains was supposed to be a 'Mr Mom' type show (Jason worked from home)... but became about the kids. |
Roseanne -- blue collar workers luck into millions. Yeah, right.
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Originally Posted by Shannon Nutt
Laverne & Shirley (East Coast) ---> Laverne & Shirley (West Coast)
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Originally Posted by MrE
Roseanne -- blue collar workers luck into millions. Yeah, right.
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Originally Posted by aintnosin
Sometime during the sixth season, The West Wing spent less and less time IN the West Wing of the White House.
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I don't think they ever aired the original version until after the Zack-centered version gained popularity, but Saved by The Bell was originally a vehicle for Hayley Mills called Good Morning Miss Bliss centered a bit more around the teachers.
edit: just looked it up, it apparently did air on the disney channel, and then was retconned into Saved By the Bell "flashback" episodes. |
Not as drastic as others mentioned but Spin City went from a full ensemble show to the Michael J. Fox and Heather Locklear show format.
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Originally Posted by pinata242
Wasn't that all a fantasy in book she was writing?
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