ALL: Characters obviously developed to “replace” popular departed characters

[kalbir]

It was a contract renegotiation and it was rumored EB had to take a pay cut. Remember EB was gone for a bit in late 2009.

[titan1978]

I mean, they literally quickly set up her character and put her right in the story Guza/Pratt had planned for Brenda.  The baby, falling in love with Jason, the whole thing.

 

I think Alexandra Quartermaine was pretty much a Tracy substitute.

[MinnaH]

Ivy Forrester replaced Steffy Forrester on B&B for a while. Xander was also a pretty obvious Zende stand-in. 

[soapfan770]

Tricia Quick on B&B was definitely meant to be a Taylor replacement after Tylo left the show in 2002, I think Tricia lasted all but six months on the show. I remember SOD was highly critical of the whole thing.

 

To chime in on others comments Tucker on Y&R was indeed developed as a Victor replacement during whole EB leaving back in 2009 while Genevieve was an attempt to replace both Nikki & Jill at the same time. 
 

 

 

 

 

[Darn]

 

Y&R's been trying to find another light skin to replace Shemar for nearly 20 years and I guess they sort of made it with Nate? Fitting, I suppose. I don't think Detective Webber counts though, they didn't even attempt to make him a fleshed out character.

[Taoboi]

I always found it very telling that Genevieve's last day was Jill's return day. One went out of the GCAC door on one side as the other came in the other.

 

Like the writers knew...OOPS!

 

 

[carolineg]

Sam McCall just ended up lasting longer than any other Brenda replacements but there were a lot more attempts than just Sam.  Hannah, Angel, Claire, Reese (who might have actually been more of a Carly replacement), Olivia (more of a Brenda/Lois hybrid replacement), and I am sure I am forgetting someone.  I swear Lisa Vultaggio's Hannah looked so much like Vanessa Marcil in the late 90's I had to do a double take from some angles.  Too bad she had none of her charisma.  Oh well, at least she got a husband out of the deal.

[Vee]

I don't think Olivia qualifies as a Brenda replacement; she was more a Lois pastiche (and silly, since Lisa auditioned for NuLois and was later paired with Ned; the character backgrounds are almost identical and Olivia knows Lois from Bensonhurst, but oh well, I like Lisa anyway). Reese I don't think had much resemblance beyond vague looks. The rest are def Brendabots.

 

 

That Kristin whatserface recurring player who was also a brunette lawyer like Claire, before? they brought in Reese, when Mo's onscreen cachet was at a particular low. Jordan was her name. Embarrassing. 

 

ETA: Kristin Minter, that was it.

Edited December 1, 2020 by Vee

[carolineg]

 

Olivia is more a Lois clone for sure.  But due to her looks and Sonny connection I put her in the Brendabot category.  Didn't LLC actually say they considered her as a Brenda recast?  And then the show dropped that idea obviously.  I don't hate Olivia or anything, but Kate literally could have filled the same role Olivia did and they could have made LLC Lois instead.

 

I can't really remember Reese or any of her characteristics that well.  But you are probably right.  The only thing I remember is thinking KW looked a lot like Jennifer Bransford's Carly and I would get them confused lol.  So we will just put her on the list of failed Sonny love interests.

 

I vaguely remember the lawyer Jordan.  Then there was Amelia?  The producer of Sam's stupid tv show that secretly hated Sam.  Also, there was Carly's divorce lawyer that Sonny slept with, but I truly can't remember her name.  They are all fairly interchangeable to me.  

 

I am not sure I can think of a leading man who struck out with more love interests than Sonny.  He basically has only had 2 successful pairings in 30 years.  If I am generous, I'll give him MW's Kate.  I liked them. 

 

[Vee]

I just don't think Olivia, in concept or character, resembled Brenda in any way beyond having dark hair. She was obviously a Lois clone and why they didn't just cast her as Lois in the first place is beyond me. She did audition for it in the 2000s but Lesli Kay got the part. I think Reese was an original Pratt concept that bombed bc in Wuhrer they thought they were casting a "name" from his old Spelling soap days and primetime cable who has never been a good actress or capable of authority.

 

Annie Wersching (Amelia) went on to fame as Kiefer Sutherland's love interest and costar in the later seasons of 24. They stupidly killed her off in the final season.

 

I liked Kate a lot. It's a shame what happened. What's strange is how they quickly brought in Olivia with Dante in the wings as a spoiler for Kate and Sonny and suggested she, not Kate, was his true love, after setting up Kate/Connie and her background with him so carefully. It's like someone (Guza or whoever) didn't like Kate/Ward and decided they needed to hedge their bets and establish Olivia as having an equally strong backstory with Sonny. That always pissed me off.

Edited December 1, 2020 by Vee

[Broderick]

On Y&R, Eileen Davidson's "assertive ingenue" Ashley Abbott debuted in 1982, just when Jaime Lyn Bauer made it clear she planned to vacate the Lorie Brooks role. 

Within a couple of years, Ashley had snagged Lorie's "bio dad drama", subbing John Abbott for Stuart Brooks, and she also became Victor's "muse" to foil Nikki.   

[Forever8]

Drucilla on YR : Alex Perez, Karen, Tyra, Yo Harmony, Leslie, Hilary, Amanda 

 

Chloe on YR : Chelsea 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was hoping when Brook Lynn got slashed I was hoping for an appearance from Lois. 

[carolineg]

 

That's fair.  I just think the close resemblance to VM made me immediately put Olivia in the Brenda category.  I guess if anything it proved that even young Sonny had a type.  Something had to be up with Megan Ward behind the scenes.  Skate was popular (ish) and she was great in the role.  And then they gave Olivia basically the same backstory except with a kid and recast with Kelly Sullivan.  It was wholly unnecessary for Sonny to have not one, but 2 previous great loves in his past that we had never heard of.  And then Ron gave Kate/Connie DID and killed her off and basically destroyed Sonny's last decent pairing.  I never heard anything bad about MW, but someone must have disliked her.

[Mitch]

Beth Chamberlin's Beth on GL was brought back as a totally different character just to try to replicate the formula of Annie vs. Reva with Beth vs. Harley...MADD loved her some formula.

[Sapounopera]

Didn't Joseph Bottoms (Kirk) replace Joel Crothers (Jack) in a story with Eden on Santa Barbara?

The Sheila (?) girl on AMC wasn't more or less a Jenny recast?