This kind of stuff is always so interesting to me. I wonder what those actors who got replaced in the pilot go on to think when the shows end up being successful?

would Titan's count with pricilla garita being in the original pilot but then replaced? that always seemed odd to me cause garita and spelling had history!

Falcon Crest was piloted as The Vintage Years with Clu Galager and Samantha Eggar in the roles played by Robert Foxworth and Susan Sullivan.There were a lot of other changes when it went to series including giving Jane Wyman a more flattering wig,

Buffy's pilot with the "fat" Willow (and the trouble with her wasn't her weight, but she really had zero personality) was more like a test or something--it was only 15-20 minutes long and while it largely had the same material as the opening half of the first episode, it didn't have effects, or a score. I think it was just to convince the WB that the show could work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR3J-v7QXXw

Of course there is Brothers and Sisters, but the pilot seemed pretty different. Betty Buckley as the mom, Dan Futterman (I *think* it was him anyway) as the gay son who had a kid from a marriage before he was out. The whole thing hasn't leaked, I don't think, but ABC showed promos from it. While I completely lost interest in Bros and Sis by the end, I always wanted to see the pilot.

I just recently read that one of my fave UK TV actors Rupert Penry-Jones was in the pilot for the ABC (?) show The Forgotten and was very vocal when he was replaced at the last minute by Christian Slater cuz they wanted a name (we all know how well that worked out...)

Edited July 6, 201213 yr by EricMontreal22

The original pilot of Desperate Housewives had Sheryl Lee instead of Brenda Strong as Mary-Alice, as well as different actors playing John and I believe Rex.

Of course there is Brothers and Sisters, but the pilot seemed pretty different. Betty Buckley as the mom, Dan Futterman (I *think* it was him anyway) as the gay son who had a kid from a marriage before he was out. The whole thing hasn't leaked, I don't think, but ABC showed promos from it. While I completely lost interest in Bros and Sis by the end, I always wanted to see the pilot.

Futterman was supposed to play Kitty's love interest. Jonathan LaPaglia played Bryan, who would become Kevin when they retooled the pilot.

this isn't primetime although I always found it interesting,

"Santa Barbara" hired Lloyd Bochner for the lead role of C.C. Capwell,

he taped the premiere and some episodes and was seen in the pre-premiere

commercials advertising SB. he then had a heart attack before the premiere

so he had to quit the show, they recast with Peter Mark Richmond and

retaped the scenes C.C. was in. So when SB premiered on July 30, 1984

the first C.C. was played by Peter Mark Richmond, although the C.C. seen

in the promos before SB premiered was played by Lloyd Bochner!

The pilot for Dynasty starred George Peppard as Blake Carrington, not John Forsythe.

Where can I find it?

this isn't primetime although I always found it interesting,

"Santa Barbara" hired Lloyd Bochner for the lead role of C.C. Capwell,

he taped the premiere and some episodes and was seen in the pre-premiere

commercials advertising SB. he then had a heart attack before the premiere

so he had to quit the show, they recast with Peter Mark Richmond and

retaped the scenes C.C. was in. So when SB premiered on July 30, 1984

the first C.C. was played by Peter Mark Richmond, although the C.C. seen

in the promos before SB premiered was played by Lloyd Bochner!

I read about this in Gerald Waggett's Book of Soap Lists. C.C. (Cecil Colby) Capwell.

This was also the case for the role of Viki on OLTL. There was another actress who had taped some episodes and appeared in promotional commercials but she was replaced with Gillian Spencer before One Life went to air.