12 Characters That Were Brought In To Save Popular Sitcoms
Let's face it, they don't make TV shows the way they used to. What ever happened to the golden days of television when you could gather around the TV set with your family and watch the zany antics of one of the many fake American families we love so much? Nowadays it seems like people are more focused on viral videos they find online rather than full feature films or TV shows.
What was your favorite part of the classic sitcom? Mine was always the weird cousin or neighbor that only showed up once in a while when the ratings were down. Well after doing some research, I found that a lot of producers have brought in characters like that to ultimately save their show. Check it out:
#1 Ben Wyatt and Chris Traeger on Parks and Recreation
Though it's now considered a classic, Parks and Rec had a rough start. Fans weren't really able to connect with some of the characters and critics initially said that the show lacked heart. Enter Adam Scott and Rob Lowe and Ben and Chris, and the show was LITERALLY transformed.
#2 The freighter crew on Lost
By the third season of ABC's hit show, it seemed like the writers were running out of steam. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, they came up with the idea of adding the Kahana freighter crew which added several new directions to the show's plot.
#3 Randy Pearson on That '70s Show
When Topher Grace and Ashton Kutcher left the show that made them famous, there were serious holes in a cast that American had grown to love. The writers added Josh Meyers to the cast as Randy Pearson, and he even had a brief romance with Donna. But let's face it it never felt right.
#4 Jim and C.J. on 8 Simple Rules
When John Ritter tragically passed away so unexpectedly, many thought that they would cancel the newly popular show. But rather than doing just that, the producers added his death to the storyline and then introduced Spade and Garner as family members who had come to help out with the family.
#5 Amy and Bernadette on The Big Bang Theory
By the third season of the hit show, everyone was kind of growing tired of the whole "awkward guys don't know how to talk to a hot girl" formula. So they added Melissa Rauch and Mayim Bialik to the mix to add a little girl power.
#6 Max Lewis on NewsRadio
After the death of Phil Hartman in 1998, many fans strongly believed the show would be canceled. However, the producers looked to one of Hartman's closest friends to try and fill the void he left. Lovitz's character was funny, but in the end, he was no Phil Hartman.
#7 Charlie Crawford on Spin City
After 103 successful episodes as the show's protagonist, Michael J. Fox decided he was going to give up acting for a while to try and learn more about his Parkinson's Disease symptoms. The show was thus left without the main character. That is until Charlie Sheen showed up. Sheen entered the show as Charlie Crawford and remained in the spotlight for two whole seasons.
#8 Walden Schmidt on Two And A Half Men
When Charlie Sheen had his little breakdown in 2011 he was removed from the show that he had made so popular. But rather than renaming the show One And A Half Men, the producers brought in Ashton Kutcher to try and even things out.
#9 Rebecca Howe on Cheers
Perhaps one of the most successful character swaps in TV history is when Kirstie Alley was cast in Cheers to replace Shelley Long. Alley's character was an instant hit and the show was literally saved.
#10 Erin Hannon on The Office
When Steve Carrell left the show, there were a lot of things people started hating about The Office. But Erin Hannon was certainly not one of those things. She was funny and dramatic at the same time and was a refreshing character who could carry an entire episode herself.
#11 The entire cast of Scrubs
When NBC canceled the show after its eighth season, ABC thought they would be able to save it on their own. But with many of the actors' contracts already run out, they had to add four new characters just to fill the hole. Adding four new young med students to the mix was a bold move, and it didn't work. The show was canned after one season.
#12 Castiel on Supernatural
Adding the Castiel character during the fourth season of the show didn't necessarily save it, but it definitely took it to a new level. Misha Collins was brilliant and was almost an instant hit among longtime fans.
