Donna Reed as Miss Ellie on Dallas.Barbara Bel Geddes had created a unique character-a very wealthy woman but totally grounded.Donna turned up looking like a typical Texas matron.

Obviously this was done on purpose so Reed wouldn't have to feel as though she was second best and could basically create a new character, but it was a total miscalculation.

I always thought that Hope Lange may have been able to carry off the recast.She resembled Bel Geddes and projected the same no nonsense persona, which would have helped and maybe the audience would have been able to adjust more easily

Karen Cellini.

the recast looks about 10 years older. wow.

She also had an American accent, which made the placing of the London bridge seem strange.

The recat between Cellini and Oxenberg was like going from Tiffanys to K-Mart

The recat between Cellini and Oxenberg was like going from Tiffanys to K-Mart

This is so accurate.

Diane Jenkins

Alex Donnelly/Susan Walters & Maura West

Malcolm Winters

Shemar Moore & Darius McCrary

I guess looks don't matter when you've had the best audition in 20 years.

I still can't believe they thought they'd get away with that.

I imagine the jump from Kathryn Breech to Judith Light must have been huge for some OLTL viewers.

So many good examples: From Shemar to Family Matters guy, definitely jarring.

Yes! The Dynasty recasts. *Loved* Pamela Sue Martin. I like Emma Samms, but not as Fallon.

Those photos of Donna Reed on Dallas looks like someone who's young but they've put something on her face to make her look older. Like when DAYS put that stuff on Kristian Alfonso's face to look like the real Princess Gina.

Edited February 3, 201213 yr by Gray Bunny

I think the Vicky/Marely recasts were always kinda jarring, especially since Marley's height seemed to change especially when Ellen Wheeler took back over the role.

I think Christian Campbell (Ex-Bobby) stood out on AMC because he was a far cry from the Arian poster children that played Bobby in the past. He was a wonderful actor though, and completely under-utilized.

Slightly OT, but was anyone else kind of bothered by how JvD sort of became the patriarchal mouthpiece for the show? I think that spot belonged to Woodsy, he and Robin share the second billing, IMO.

I suppose it did turn out that way, but I suppose that if Woodsy wanted that role, he would have assumed it. He never did assume it before Ver Dorn joined the show. I'd chalk it up to it not being Woods' bag, as opposed to Ver Dorn taking that role from him. In the end, a show could have a worse mouthpiece than Jerry Ver Dorn.

As far as Strasser goes, God knows I love everything that woman does - in front of a camera! "Nuff said!

I imagine the jump from Kathryn Breech to Judith Light must have been huge for some OLTL viewers.

Carl, I was there for that one! One day, petite, kittenish Karen Wolek was seducing Gus The Plumber in her kitchen, and the next day, a much larger, fiercer Karen finished the job! And I was NOT impressed! Being a 12 year old kid, there was really no way for me to understand that I was witnessing the passing of the baton from a "performer" to an "actress". By the time I turned 13, I figured it out.

Hey! Why are we not having an in depth discussion about all that was wrong but terribly entertaining with the re-cast of Alexandra on GL. No, I am not talking about Dusay taking over for McKinsey. I am talking about Joan Collins taking over for Dusay!

I got the GL Classics DVDs in the mail the other day and there is an eppy that heavily features Collins. Holy Mary Mother Of God! It's a good watch, but not necessarily for the right reasons. Collins relied heavily on the Alexis Carrington shtick, and seemed to have trouble with lines, names and dialogue. Her Alex was a cartoon, and though I was never particularly enamored of Dusay's portrayal of Alex, the show did the only thing they could, and brought her back when Collins ran out of the building screaming.