Regardless of the circumstances, it's disappointing when a fan-favorite character on a TV show is recast or replaced by another personality. Fans are already preparing to drop Netflix's The Witcher with the recast of Geralt of Rivia, replacing Henry Cavill with Liam Hemsworth, though Cavill's final season hasn't even been released.
Viewers often don't just appreciate a character, but the actor that portrays them. A switch-up mid-series often makes or breaks the rest of the show. From character recasts like Vivian Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to replacing characters with comparable personalities, the way Criminal Minds swapped out Derek Morgan with Luke Alvez, changing shows this way can ruin a series for dedicated fans.
10 Jesus Adams-Foster
The Fosters
Too many shows on Freeform suffered from bad writing, but The Fosters was one of the exceptions. Packed with drama and intrigue, the family stole the hearts of many fans. However, some viewers found the series hard to watch after they replaced Jake T. Austin as Jesus Foster with Noah Centineo.
Jesus Foster had been enrolled in a boarding school for about a season when he returned as Centineo. Though the actors were similar, it was hard to ignore significant differences in their heights and voices. After he returned with a different face, Jesus was quick to jump into complicated conflicts, separating him from the original character even further.
9 Eric Forman/Randy Pearson
That '70s Show
Eric Forman was the star of That '70s Show and the final season didn't work well without his character. Season 8 of the series was a huge disappointment for fans, with Eric leaving and Michael Kelso departing shortly into the season.
Though Randy was a new character and not technically Eric's replacement, it was clear the newcomer was intended to fill the void left by these long-running characters. However, all he succeeded in doing was frustrating viewers as he took on the impossible task of replacing Michael and Eric.
8 Simon Cowell
American Idol
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While Simon Cowell wasn't technically a character, he was a beloved cast member of American Idol for nearly a decade. He was known as the "mean" judge, creating drama and intrigue that helped the show become a hit.
After Cowell departed, several judges tried to replace the music producer, including singers Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban, and Jennifer Lopez. No musician could fill the void left behind by Simon, though, and the show's popularity declined over time. The original panel of American Idol was a sensation and losing Cowell inevitably led to the iconic talent competition's downfall.
7 Michael Scott/Robert California/Nellie Bertram
The Office
The Office maintained a great cast throughout its nine seasons, but Michael Scott was the beloved main character and boss at Dunder Mifflin. After Steve Carell left the series in Season 7, he was replaced by a procession of bosses, including the insufferable Robert California (James Spader) and the rude and unreasonable Nellie Bertram.
The Office had a great finale, bringing back Scott in an emotional and happy wedding celebration. However, the show never really recovered from losing this hilarious, memorable boss and offering two subpar replacements.
6 Steve/Joe
Blue's Clues
'90s kids grew up with the lovable Blue's Clues preschool show. The children's series was a huge hit and it deserved its revival, Blue's Clues & You, in 2019. The original host of the animated/live-action show was Steve Burns, who wholeheartedly entertained children for six years.
After Burns moved on to continue his career, he was replaced by Joe during a heartwarming episode where Steve said goodbye to Blue and their audience. While Joe was another fun-loving, kind host, he couldn't replace the original star, and the show was canceled shortly thereafter.
5 Mandy Baxter
Last Man Standing
Tim Allen's sitcom Last Man Standing suffered a slew of recasts. However, the most unfortunate recasting occurred after the show's cancelation on ABC and revival on Fox. Molly Ephraim played Mandy, the entertaining and eccentric middle child.
When Last Man Standing was rebooted, Ephraim was replaced by actress Molly McCook. As a fan-favorite character, the audience was disappointed by the change. Not only did the two women look very different, but many felt McCook wasn't able to capture the character as well as her predecessor.
4 Darrin Stevens
Bewitched
There are some great modern witchy shows, but the 1960s sitcom Bewitched is an icon in early supernatural entertainment. Elizabeth Montgomery's Samantha was an instant hit, working alongside her co-star Dick York's Darrin. The couple had great chemistry that created a hilarious, lovable duo.
It was a shock in Season 6 when Dick Sargent replaced York as Samantha's husband when York left because of health problems. Sargent was a great actor and was a respectable replacement for York. However, Bewitched was never the same without the palpable relationship between Montgomery and York.
3 Charlie Harper/Walden Schmidt
Two And A Half Men
Two And A Half Men had eight strong seasons with Charlie Sheen starring as Charlie Harper, a charming playboy that alternately made audiences laugh and cringe. However, due to issues in Sheen's personal life, the actor left the show and the character was written off.
Since the creators of Two And A Half Men couldn't reasonably recast Sheen's character, they brought in Ashton Kutcher as Walden Schmidt. Though Kutcher is a respectable and talented actor, Schmidt's personality couldn't replace Harper's and the performance fell flat in Sheen's iconic wake.
2 Derek Morgan/Luke Alvez
Criminal Minds
Shemar Moore's Derek Morgan was a beloved fan-favorite in Criminal Minds. He was the charismatic, loveable badass that everyone adored. Following Moore's departure in Season 11, Luke Alvez (Adam Rodriguez) joined the team in Season 12.
Alvez was an obvious replacement for Morgan's character, playing the part of the kick-the-door-in agent with a charming personality and dark past. Luke was a great addition but many fans disliked how the long-running character was replaced by a strikingly similar personality instead of a fresh perspective.
1 Vivian Banks
The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air had an exceptional cast, featuring the comedic and enticing Janet Hubert as Will's aunt, Vivian Banks. She played Vivian until the end of season 3, when tensions between her and Will Smith, as well as contract issues, resulted in her departure from the show.
For The Fresh Prince's final three seasons, Vivian was played by Daphne Reid. Unfortunately, Reid's version of the character felt docile compared to Hubert's fiery interpretation. Many fans thought these changes ruined the beloved character and undid too much of Hubert's terrific work.