Do revamps ever work?

[Carrie Fairchild]

Looking at some of the series discussed on here and thinking of one that I recently delved into myself, I got thinking about the above question. Has a show ever been successfully "revamped" or "retooled" and continued to run for a considerable period? Or is the revamp the last kick of a dying horse as network execs and producers try to breathe life into a dying series? The only one that springs to mind is 70's detective series Baretta which ran for 4 seasons after it was reworked out of one season wonder Toma. I'm sure someone is going to point out a rather obvious success story that I've missed.

I've listed a few below to give you an idea of what I'm talking about. For example, the move towards soapier storylines in early Melrose Place wasn't a complete revamp but a more gradual process. And while a spinoff like Frasier or NCIS isn't a revamp, I see a spinoff like The Golden Palace as an attempt to keep the original idea afloat for a while longer.

The City: this is the one that got me thinking in the first place. ABC soap Loving was on it's way out but rather than ditch the premise completely and attempt to launch a new soap in it's place, they created this continuation by introducing a raft of new characters to Loving in it's final period and when it ended on the Friday, the young and the beautiful of Corinth were transplanted to a loft in New York City in the same timeslot the following Monday. It had Melrose aspirations but lasted just over a year.

Scrubs: the show was supposed to end at the close of the 8th season and was written in such a way to tie things up before ABC requested further episodes and thus Scrubs: Med School was born. It featured only three of the core cast from the previous seasons and changed location from the hospital to a teaching hospital. This was to be the final season.

The Drew Carey Show: I was only a casual viewer of this, so my memory may be incorrect, but I do recall in the final season or two, that Drew's workplace changed and suddenly him & Mimi were working for an online company staffed by young people (including Kyle Howard who seemed to be in everything I watched in the early 00's) while Christa Miller and Craig Ferguson were gone.

Central Park West: they were looking for a "Manhattan Melrose" but after ratings floundered they decided they tried for a "Dynasty East" instead, sidelining or dropping the young guns that had headlined the cast early on and pushing the older angle with the machinations of Raquel Welch and Lauren Hutton. The revamp limped along for 8 episodes.

 

[Daniel Avery]

I'd have to think a bit deeper on this, but those that immediately come to mind:

The Facts of Life originally featured Mrs. Garrett (from Diff'rent Strokes) as a house-mother to seven or eight young girls in ages from 11 to 17 at a boarding school. There was also a headmaster and one of the teachers included as principal cast. It did not take long for the producers to recognize there were too many characters to write for. They hired some new writers/producers who whittled the cast down to Mrs. G and three of the original girls in close age range, then added one new girl to the mix. They also ditched the headmaster (the teacher had departed earlier in the first season) and placed the girls all in one environment (working in the cafeteria) on the campus that forced them to live together. The show lived on for many seasons and a few cast additions and subtractions (most notably the departure of Charlotte Rae's Mrs. Garrett) but was basically that core of four girls (who grew up onscreen).

Empty Nest was originally going to be a sitcom centered around widowed pediatrician Harry Weston. It was going to explore how he was picking up the pieces and moving on with life, having to get back out into dating, etc. while hanging out with his dog, Dreyfuss. His two adult daughters would drop by occasionally, as would his annoying neighbor Charlie. At work he'd be hectored by his pushy nurse/office manager, Laverne and he'd interact with the cute kids. After about 2/3 of the first season they realized they were running out of excuses for his daughters to visit, and Richard Mulligan could only do so many scenes talking to Dreyfuss before it all looked repetitive since he was in basically every scene of the show. So the daughters developed sudden "financial problems" and had to move back in with daddy, opening up plotlines where they vied for their father's attention and bickered like siblings half their age. Harry's work life was now balanced with home life, and the supporting characters shouldered a lot of the burden of screen time. Instead of Harry being the center of all the stories, they could now adopt the familiar A-plot, B-plot, C-plot structure with the daughters and Laverne becoming more developed characters and having stuff to do that did not directly involve Harry.

Mama's Family was originally a spin-off derived from sketches performed on The Carol Burnett Show. NBC developed the show with Vicki Lawrence's "Mama" character as the lead (who finally got a name: Thelma). Most of the 'family' were not from the original sketches--they created a spinster sister (Fran) for Thelma, as well as son Vinton, grandchildren Buzz and Sonya, and daughter-in-law Naomi. Original sketch characters played by Carol Burnett, Betty White, and Harvey Korman appeared sporadically as guest stars. The NBC version was much more like the CB sketches: moments of sharp, pointed emotions and arguing mixed among the jokes. After two seasons NBC cancelled the show, but producers decided to revive the show for first-run syndication a few years later. The show returned with many cast changes and more creative freedom away from NBC. Fran, Buzz, and Sonya were out; repressed neighbor Iola and Eunice's son Bubba were in. Burnett and Korman were also not to appear, and White, only once. The retooling made the show much more of a conventional sitcom since the links to the source material had been basically severed once Burnett's Eunice was no longer around. The retooled version lasted several more seasons and received high ratings right to the end.

 

[tommie]

I guess this falls into gradually changing a show, but out of those that's airing currently, I'd say Mom had pretty obvious subtle revamps - originally it centered more on Christy's home life, dealing with her mom moving in, her children, her ex husband and her work place with AA being just a part of Christy's life. They of course moved on from that and gradually re-focused the show dealing mostly around the AA meetings and the women there.

 

[Angela Channing]

In the UK we had a successful TV series called Man About The House and when it came to an end 2 of the characters were given their own series, George and Mildred, which was even more popular than the original series. Another spinoff of that show, Robin's Nest was also very popular.

Frasier was a very successful spin off from Cheers.

Star Trek: The Next Generation was a complete revamp of the original Star Trek series with completely new characters but followed the same basic format and did very well on TV and the big screen.

You could argue that every time they recast The Doctor in Doctor Who, the show is revamped and changes to accommodate the style of the new actor playing the lead role. Some have been more successful than others but it breathes new life into the show and enabled it to remain popular for decades.

The Bionic Woman was a character that appeared in the Six Million Dollar Man and her own successful series shared several characters with the original show.

 

[Daniel Avery]

I was thinking more of revamps that occurred during the run of a show, not ending one show and starting another (a spin-off) or a new version of an old show with new characters (a reboot).

Doctor Who would indeed be best classified as a revamp situation within the regular run of a show, though I tend to think their situation is unique to television!

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

In the UK we had a successful TV series called Man About The House and when it came to an end 2 of the characters were given their own series, George and Mildred, which was even more popular than the original series. Another spinoff of that show, Robin's Nest was also very popular.

Frasier was a very successful spin off from Cheers.

Star Trek: The Next Generation was a complete revamp of the original Star Trek series with completely new characters but followed the same basic format and did very well on TV and the big screen.

You could argue that every time they recast The Doctor in Doctor Who, the show is revamped and changes to accommodate the style of the new actor playing the lead role. Some have been more successful than others but it breathes new life into the show and enabled it to remain popular for decades.

The Bionic Woman was a character that appeared in the Six Million Dollar Man and her own successful series shared several characters with the original show.

I was thinking more of revamps that occurred during the run of a show, not ending one show and starting another (a spin-off) or a new version of an old show with new characters (a reboot).

Doctor Who would indeed be best classified as a revamp situation within the regular run of a show, though I tend to think their situation is unique to television!

Doctor Who is one that I hadn't thought about. The revamp (or regeneration) is just an accepted part of that show's plot now. Another UK show that I just thought of was Waterloo Road. It's an odd one because it was revamped for business reasons rather than creative ones. BBC were trying to increase the number of productions they had outside of England and instead of creating a new series, they just moved production of the show to Scotland to fill a quota and explained it away that the school had to close and for some reason, some of the teachers and pupils decided to relocate to Scotland.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Little House did a season in the big city!

 

[Daniel Avery]

Which reminds me of Little House: A New Beginning, which I would have to research a bit to figure out if it is considered a revamp, a spin-off, or a simple continuation with a name-change. I tend to think of it as a continuation of the same series, but with the name-change. The shows I mentioned earlier didn't change their name or attempt to make a point of their changes. The reruns of New Beginning are sold in the same package as LHOP, so perhaps the producers consider it just the next chapter of LHOP rather than a spin-off, and other than some drastic cast changes there was no noticeable change in tone or themes.

Archie Bunker's Place pulled something similar, but you see ABP in syndication separate from All In the Family, and there are noticeable changes in Archie's character in ABP. It is more a spin-off than a continuation, IMO.

 

[Willie Oleson]

I tend to think of it as a continuation of the same series, but with the name-change

It was the season without Charles and Caroline Ingalls, but apart from that it didn't feel like a new beginning, while the move to the city was a new beginning for the Ingallses and Olesons (for a while anyway).

 

[Seaviewer]

Charles in Charge, which starred Scott Baio as a sort of live-in nanny, was cancelled after one season and then revived for four more in syndication.

Unfortunately, the family in the second version was not as endearingly quirky as the first and the show devolved into more of a two-hander between Charles and his buddy Buddy (Willie Aames).

 

[ClassyCo]

Yeah, I'd say revamps work.... sometimes.

Take MELROSE PLACE, for example. The original show was about 20-somethings sharing their personal and professional lives while also living together in an apartment building. The stories were quite dull and the show itself was quite boring. Once they decided to amp up the melodrama and bring out the big soap opera traditions, the show found its audience.

I'd even argue DALLAS had a revamp. David Jacobs had initiated the show as a modern-day take on the Romeo & Juliet story, but that wasn't getting CBS the ratings they wanted. Once they found that their audience loved-to-hate J.R. Ewing, they wrote to him, and DALLAS was reversed and became his show. You cannot even think or vision DALLAS without J.R. somewhere in the mix, can you? And to think he was originally a secondary character.

As a tangent to that, even FALCON CREST and KNOTS LANDING could be considered revamped -- I guess anyway -- when they shifted from self-contained episodes to serialized drama. DALLAS, too, was originally self-contained, but once they all migrated towards serialized storytelling, they thrived for years.

The revamp on THE FACTS OF LIFE from that chaotic, jumble-of-a-mess first season to what we all know and remember, is quite astonishing. That show was crap its first season, but NBC was in such a desperate state for comedies at the time that they decided to give it another shot. The severely trimmed the cast and brought in four different types of young girls to play off the mature Charlotte Rae. It worked like a dream.​

Speaking of shows that got a second chance in first-run syndication, we must discuss IT'S A LIVING.

The concept of the show was quite neat and something a little different. Shows about a group of female friends have been successful previously (i.e. THE FACTS OF LIFE) and would prove to be in the years to come (i.e. THE GOLDEN GIRLS). IT'S A LIVING came along at a time when ABC was probably looking for some new comedies to be on their schedule. Shows like THREE'S COMPANY and LAVERNE & SHIRLEY, which had been ratings winners for years, were dying out, and I'm sure the network wanted to breathe some new life into their comedy department.

The problem was IT'S A LIVING never found its footing during its tenure on ABC. The first season consisted of 13 episodes (1980-81) and starred Susan Sullivan as a likable head waitress Lois Adams. When that didn't go as planned, they fired Sullivan -- as well as Wendy Schaal -- and brought in Louise Lasser for the second season. The show still didn't bring in the ratings or tabloid buzz ABC wanted, so the network cancelled the sitcom in June 1982 after 27 episodes.

IT'S A LIVING saw a reverse in their fortunes, however, when their 27 episodes exploded in popularity in off-network reruns. This prompted producers to align with Golden West Television and revive the series in first-run syndication in 1985. The revamp saw a more stable set-up of premise and tone. Ann Jillian had emerged as the breakout star and a sex symbol in her own right (she was also receiving publicity for her battle with breast cancer), and she was brought back for the initial syndicated season, this time receiving top billing. The rest of the cast from the previous version -- Barrie Youngfellow, Gail Edwards, Marian Mercer, and Paul Kreppel -- were also brought back. When Jillian exited the show in 1986 (she had agreed to do just one season in syndication), she was replaced by Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Youngfellow took over as the lead of the ensemble.

Sure, IT'S A LIVING might not be to everyone's tastes, but it is an enjoyable little show. It has some sharp writing and the cast works well together. My personal favorite season is that initial season in syndication -- when Ann Jillian was still around -- and Crystal Bernard had just been brought on. For me, the show was never the same once Jillian was gone. Sheryl Lee Ralph was good, but it was a whole new show.

Either way, the show went through many "revamps" over the course of its run.​

 

[Jimmy Todd]

Knots Landing was retooled when its 13th season took a big dip, and they were able to deliver a decent final season.
Dynasty was also revamped in its last season, providing the best season since season 2, imho. The entire tone of the show changed.

 

[ClassyCo]

Knots Landing was retooled when its 13th season took a big dip, and they were able to deliver a decent final season.

I haven't made it that far into my KNOTS LANDING journey, so I couldn't speak of the revamp. I've heard about it frequently, however.
​

Dynasty was also revamped in its last season, providing the best season since season 2, imho. The entire tone of the show changed.

DYNASTY changed the moment Joan Collins was brought on. Season 2 was steady, while Alexis was outrageous. Subsequent seasons became more and more outrageous and campy for camp's sake. Season 9 was a complete change of pace -- it was a much needed breath of fresh air. And even though budget restrictions limited Collins' appearances, I think it heightened the importance of Alexis; it made her have to act faster because she had less time to get the job done. I also like that Stephanie Beacham was brought in that final season, although, as I've often heard, she didn't really want to come back.​

 

[Jimmy Todd]

I haven't made it that far into my KNOTS LANDING journey, so I couldn't speak of the revamp. I've heard about it frequently, however.

​

How far are you into Knots Landing?

 

[ClassyCo]

How far are you into Knots Landing?

I have Seasons 13 and 14 -- and the miniseries -- to get under my belt. So I'm right there at the revamp.​

 

[Jimmy Todd]

I have Seasons 13 and 14 -- and the miniseries -- to get under my belt. So I'm right there at the revamp.​

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts

 

[ClassyCo]

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts

There is a thread under the KNOTS LANDING section titled My Thoughts on Seasons 12-14. I've been posting my opinions there if you're interested in reading them. I can't remember if you've posted over on that thread or not.​

 

[colbyco]

Knots Landing was retooled when its 13th season took a big dip, and they were able to deliver a decent final season.
Dynasty was also revamped in its last season, providing the best season since season 2, imho. The entire tone of the show changed.

- like FC ! both had a second changing year with a new enemy in town (Richard & Alexis) and a last year with a lot of changes - I would say FC changed even more with a saga about wine, family & crime becomming a crime show with wine & family.

 

[Daniel Avery]

Others might not agree, but I don't categorize the changes at KL at beginning of season 13 as a revamp any more than the changes in mid-13. Unless you know to watch for it, the differences in early 13 are not pronounced enough for the casual viewer to see it as "a whole new approach" or whatever. The changes were more of the "something is wrong and I can't quite put my finger on it" variety. The revamping efforts in mid-13 were solely to correct what was wrong (or at least do the best to 'right the ship') and to me, it was very well done.

But Falcon Crest season 9? Oh, my lord that was terrible. It's been decades and I still cannot forgive Black and Decker for how they ruined a show I adored.

 

[ArchieLucasCarringtonEwing1989]

DYNASTY had several revamps and retoolings over the course of its decade long run.

Season 1 was a underrated psychological drama about the lower middle class Krystle marrying into the American Upper class family of the Carrington’s which showed Blake in a less than sympathetic light, his spoilt brat daughter; Fallon and closeted gay guy and kind hearted; Steven in addition there were the Blaisdel family, who supposed to be the Barnes family to Denver’s own Ewings; The Carrington’s, by the end of the season they brought in Alexis to testify against Blake and this really shook up show.

Alexis became the female JR, and ratings skyrocketed, the show pretty much coasted on a wave until season 6, after the previous season cliffhanger the infamous “Moldavian Massacre” left all the main characters barring two guests unscathed, it made number one in the 1984-85 year but ratings were beginning to falter, too much focus on the newer characters and the fact that the creators had decided to focus their energy on the Colby’s spinoff (which gets blamed for Dynasty’s decline which isn’t true) they ditched the Moldavian characters of Prince Michael, King Galen & Elena and replaced them with The Fallmont family, Ben Carrington and Caress Morell and got rid of the two Krystle’s storyline which had dragged on for months, and by the middle of the 1985-86 season, it was a completely different season.

It had a new energy but it wasn’t to last, ratings dropped again in the 1986-87 season and this saw show turn into Knots Landing briefly, it was too little too late as the show limped on but then we get to season 9, David Paulsen brings in Stephanie Beacham from the Colby’s as Sable Colby as a foil to her cousin Alexis, the show is completely refreshed for the first time in years then it got cancelled only to return two years later in 1991 for a miniseries reunion which was awful.

Dynasty in short was retooled several times which makes rewatching the series disjointed.