5 TV Shows That Underwent Ridiculous Overhauls
NBC
The best TV shows often don't start out fully-formed. Even "The Simpsons," a legendary series, began as a series of janky cartoons designed to buffer ad breaks on "The Tracey Ullman Show." When the Simpson family got their own series, it took a season or two to find its groove. Similarly, the first season of "Friends" had generic sitcom jokes that improved as the series evolved. Sometimes, network executives step in to instigate a full refresh, which can be a spark for shows to become hits.
Take the beloved '90s sitcom "Saved By the Bell," which started as a different show called "Good Morning, Miss Bliss." The TV overlords were right to reinvent the series, focusing on the kids that made the original watchable and creating a cool new show set in a California high school.
However, these attempts can sometimes make a bad show even worse. TV history is filled with ill-advised reinventions that have torpedoed series before they settle in. Luckily, this has also resulted in some of the most hilarious and unbelievable events in TV history. Here are five shocking examples.
Nichols
"Nichols" featured James Garner as Sheriff Frank Nichols in a short-lived Western series. This offbeat 1970s Western, set in 1914, had a 'Superman' star, Margot Kidder, and saw the sheriff ride a motorcycle to update the genre. Despite the attempt, the show was canceled after one season, with the finale completely reinventing the series. In the final episode, Garner's sheriff dies, only to be replaced by his identical twin, also played by Garner, setting up a new season with a more hardened lead character.
The reason for this drastic change is unclear, with conflicting reports. Some suggest it was NBC's attempt to retool the show as a traditional Western before pulling the plug. However, Garner claimed in a Television Academy interview that it was his idea, saying, 'They had canceled it, I said, 'Okay, I'll fix him.' They want to cancel it, we'll just kill him.'
"Nichols" is not remembered as one of the best Western TV shows, and the reinvention didn't help its legacy.
Baywatch Nights
"Baywatch Nights" was a spin-off of the popular series, featuring police officer Sgt. Garner Ellerbee, played by Gregory Alan Williams, starting a detective agency with Mitch Buchannon (David Hasselhoff) and Ryan McBride (Angie Harmon). The show initially had a theme song sung by Hasselhoff and Lou Rawls, who also appeared in season 1. However, Rawls disappeared in season 2, and the show took a turn.
The producers turned "Baywatch Nights" into an 'X-Files' rip-off, with Buchannon investigating the supernatural, despite the original concept focusing on Ellerbee. This ill-advised attempt at emulating 'The X-Files' didn't work, and the show was canceled after two seasons.
'Til Death
"'Til Death" aired on Fox from 2006 to 2010 and underwent a significant transformation. Created by Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa, the sitcom initially focused on the clashing neighbors, Jeff and Steph Woodcock, played by Eddie Kaye Thomas and Kat Foster. In the third season, the focus shifted to Eddie and Joy Stark's relationship with Kenny Westchester, played by J. B. Smoove. Jeff and Steph disappeared, and the show became a surrealist dream in the fourth season, with the writers giving up and breaking the fourth wall.
The show's final season was a bizarre, surrealist experience, with multiple actors playing the same character, Ally, and Doug Von Stuessen suspecting he lived in a sitcom. The AV Club described it as 'the weirdest show on television.'
seaQuest DSV
"seaQuest DSV" started as a drama with realistic sci-fi elements, focusing on the submarine DSV 4600 and its crew in 2018. However, the show took a turn in season 2, with cast changes and a shift to discovering alien ships and time travel. Despite the changes, the ratings didn't improve, and the show became a 'total, total childish trash' according to actor Roy Schneider. Schneider departed after the second season, and the show became 'seaQuest 2032' in its final season, changing the setting and adding a new lead actor.
Superboy/The Adventures of Superboy
"Superboy" is a DC superhero series that underwent a sci-fi reinvention mid-series. The show initially starred John Haymes Newton as Clark Kent, but the producers overhauled it in season 3, moving the setting to The Bureau for Extra-Normal Matters in Capitol City, Florida. Clark and Lana's roles changed, and the show became darker, with Superboy almost killing a man. Despite the changes, the show ran for two seasons before being canceled, but it's remembered for its weirdness.
