TV Shows That Completely Changed

Family Matters went from a standard sitcom to time travel by the end.Family Matters followed the Winslow family, led by patriarch Carl Winslow (Reginald ValJohnson), and their annoying but lovable next door neighbor Steve Urkel (Jaleel White).

The beloved family sitcom ran nine seasons. Towards the end, the episodes started going off the rails. In season eight, the show airedAn episode called "Father Time."It introduced Steve's Time Machine Device. Steve used it to send Carl back in time, trying to teach him a lesson about his priorities. This sitcom never dealt with sci-fi or fantasy before, making this a jarring move.

The TV sitcom first aired in 1974.Happy DaysHappy Days offered relief from modern life's chaos. It followed a Milwaukee family in the idealized 50s called the Cunninghams and introduced characters like Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli (Henri Winkler) and several successful spin-offs.

One spin-off resulted from a bizarre science-fiction episode of Happy Days.Happy DaysAired in 1978, Happy Days was called"My Favorite Orkan."It introduced an alien named Mork, played by Robin Williams. Mork fought Fonzie in a superpower battle. The plot felt out of line with the show's previous work, even though the end treated it like a dream.

When the ABC comedy first aired, it wasCougar TownCougar Town was a tongue-in-cheek title meant to shock audiences. Courtney Cox, Busy Phillips, and Christa Miller starred. The show followed forty-something women handling dating, friendship, and family in a culture obsessed with beauty and youth.

The show first explored older women dating younger men, but showrunners quickly moved away from that idea to focus on character dynamics and relationships. Showrunners debated changing the name.Showrunners debated changing the nameThey decided against changing the name to attract audiences skeptical of the original idea.

Fans of the sitcom Roseanne were excited about the 2017 ABC revival.The show originally followed the hardscrabble Conner family, starring Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, Sara Gilbert, and Laurie Metcalf. However, volatile changes happened because of Roseanne Barr, the show's star and creator, and her controversial online actions.The show was set to revive on ABC in 2017, which elated the cast. The original series featured the hardscrabble Conner family, starring Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, Sara Gilbert, and Laurie Metcalf. Roseanne Barr, the original show's star and creator, and her controversial online actions caused changes.

After lengthy talks between the network and Barr, the show's story shifted. It began following the Conner family and how they handled their matriarch's death from an overdose.The original premise of the family sitcom was The Hogan Family.The network dropped Barr and changed direction because her behavior became too much.Lengthy talks happened between the network and Barr.After those talks, the show's story focused on the Conner family dealing with their matriarch's death from an overdose.

The original family sitcom premise shifted.The Hogan FamilyValerie and her family, the Hogans, followed Valerie Harper and her mother as she raised her two sons while her pilot husband worked. The show performed well for two seasons. A fight between Harper and Lorimar Telepictures killed off her character when a behind-the-scenes issue ended the show's third season.

Harper and Lorimar were in the middle ofa harsh contract fight over the money Harper earned from the show.When Harper missed the season three premiere, Lorimar used this to fire her. An accident on the show killed off Harper's character. Harper sued Lorimar and won $1.4 million plus missed profits.Harper won $1.4 million plus missed profits.

LostChanged network television. Its complex, mind-bending plot about plane crash survivors on a mysterious island held audiences. Then, the plot became too messy, and the original idea got lost.

The original idea used real life with clear reasons for the crash and the island's secrets. That quickly changed. The show relied too much on the supernatural, pushing the plot toward fantasy and unbelievable directions. Writers insisted Lost followed their plan, but they admitted someIt offered narrative flexibility.

NBC's sitcomThe Good PlaceA quirky, flawed crew of new arrivals enters a perfect afterlife. Eleanor (Kristen Bell) learns she was admitted by mistake. She blames her arrival for all the strange and dangerous things in The Good Place.

The show started with people moving after death. The premise shifted when the place the characters lived becamethe Bad Placea scary horror they knew about from the start. The characters were part of a demon's bad experiment, set up to fight each other for his amusement.

Comedian Ellen Degeneres' sitcomEllenThe show followed a neurotic woman in Los Angeles who owned a bookstore. The show changed in 1997 when Degenerescame out as gay.Her character, Ellen Morgan, came out as gay too.

This move was a big step. It wasthe first time a TV show had a lead characterEllen came out as gay. The episode later won an Emmy Award and a Peabody. It got huge support, but backlash was just as big. The show had to addparental advisory warnings.during the next season because they showed same-sex kissing. Viewership dropped until ABC canceled it, saying the drop happened because the show became "about a character who was gay every single week."

Starring Ruth Wilson and Dominic West,The Affair‘The Affair’ Became A Murder Mystery is a gripping drama that started in 2014. It began as a look at the psychological and emotional strain a couple experiences.The show featured a couple having an extramarital affair.The show changed its focus. It shifted from scandalous drama to a murder mystery. This new part brought the character back together in surprising, unexpected ways.

Most people do not often think about theBaywatchThe failed spin-offBaywatch NightsBaywatch Nights became a supernatural, X-Files-inspired drama instead of a detective show, which viewers did not accept.

The show aired in 1995 and featuredBaywatchThe series featured regular Sgt. Garner Ellerbee. Season one shows Ellerbee quit the police force. He started his own detective agency withBaywatchBaywatch alum Mitch Buchannon (David Hasselhoff) joined him. The pair first looked into normal cases like kidnappings and embezzlement. Butratings for the first season dropped.Show runners changed plans. The detectives began fighting werewolves, witches, mummies, and aliens instead.

After the Greendale Community College study group graduated in season four, the show reset its original premise.CommunityThe show followed con artist Jeff Winger trying to get a degree to return to law practice. It kept the same group of odd friends. Then, in a move nobody saw coming,Jeff returns as a professorand unhappy with how their lives turned out, the group reunites to form a "Save Greendale" committee.