40+ Character Changes That Helped Or Damaged Iconic TV

Sitcoms and TV shows must sometimes make big character changes if they want to survive another season. This can go either way, either become a success and give the show new direction, or become a flop and end up getting canceled by the network. It’s all up to the likeability of the characters and what storylines are written for them. In some cases, the lead actors quit or are fired from the show and they are replaced by a new character, hoping that it will keep the story afloat.

Damaged – Nellie, The Office

Steve Carell left the hit show The Office by season 8, despite the show’s great success and the fact that his character was a fan favorite. He left in 2011, but he had already confirmed his departure from the show following the seventh season in 2010. An urgent replacement was needed for the character of Michael Scott, the self-centered and shallow boss.

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So, the production added Nellie Bertram, played by the actress Catherine Tate, an original character with no counterpart in the British version of the series. Although Tate is an amazing actress, the character was not well received. Nellie was a big step down in relation to Michael Scott.

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Helped – Frank, It’s Always Sunny

Because of low ratings during the first season of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the writers thought of a strategy to save the show from cancellation. Since the cast was made up of unknown actors at the time, FX suggested adding a big name to pick up ratings.

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They came up with the character of Frank and offered it to Danny DeVito. It was an instant success and he’s still in it to this day. The show is a comedy that premiered on FX on August 4, 2005. It follows the exploits of a group of friends who own “Paddy’s Pub,” a small Irish pub in Philadelphia’s southern district.

Damaged – Randy, That ’70s Show

When Ashton Kutcher and Topher Grace left That 70s Show after seven seasons, the writers needed to come up with something quick if they wanted to keep making seasons. But unfortunately, it did not go as planned.

They brought in a brand-new character called Randy Pearson, played by comedic actor Josh Meyers. He became Donna’s new love interest. The character, who was a mixture of Eric and Kelso, ended up being boring and forgettable. This sitcom was about an eclectic group of friends on the verge of adulthood. They live in suburban Wisconsin where they yearn to be independent and deal with the anguish of transitioning to adulthood.

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Helped – Charlie, Spin City

After Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in the year 2000, he chose to leave Spin City after its fourth season to focus on his health. The show’s producers hired actor Charlie Sheen to replace him as the character of Charlie Crawford, along with popular actress Heather Locklear as Caitlin Moore.

The talent and chemistry of this dynamic duo was able to carry the show for another two seasons until its natural end. This comedy took place in New York City Hall. It focused on the deputy mayor, who has to protect the mayor from those who want to ruin him and his political career, as he constantly makes a fool of himself.