29 TV Shows Whose Pilot and Finale Are Barely Recognizable

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29 TV Shows Whose Pilot and Finale Are Barely Recognizable
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Sure, some pilots — and even entire first seasons — look a little weird compared to their prime seasons, but at least they were given a chance to flourish. A ton of shows aren’t so lucky. Some risk-taking execs saw just enough in these shows to order more episodes and let them spread their wings. 

We’re pretty grateful for that right now. A smiley, giggling Spock was just weird.

The Simpsons

COMEDY NERD The Simpsons pilot was a kinda-strange, one-off Christmas special. Homer and Marge have voices that feel off if you're used to today's versions, and some characters - like Maggie and Ned Flanders - are fairly different. CRACKED.COM

Saved By The Bell

COMEDY NERD Saved By the Bell's pilot was actually all about Miss Bliss - she was the lead. The show's original name was Good Morning, Miss Bliss, and it took place in Indiana. CRACKED.COM

Family Guy

COMEDY NERD In the Family Guy pilot, Meg was actually voiced by Lacey Chabert. In a later episode where they revisit the pilot, Stewie hears her and says Oh my God, what's with Meg's voice? She sounds like someone who's about to give up a huge opportunity. CRACKED.COM

30 Rock

COMEDY NERD In the pilot, Rachel Dratch was actually a prominent part of 30 Rock. She played TGS star and Liz's friend Jenna, but Jenna then got totally rewritten and Jane Krakowski got the role. CRACKED.COM

Parks and Rec

COMEDY NERD Parks and Rec season one feels pretty different from the later show. Those episodes are usually considered the show's worst, and Leslie Knope was a lot like Michael Scott from The Office. CRACKED.COM

Friends

COMEDY NERD The original pilot script for Friends features pretty different characters. HOUSE GI CLOSED Phoebe was into busking, Monica was cynical, and Joey was actually sort of mean. CRACKED.COM

Adventure Time

PILOTS THAT WERE WILDLY DIFFERENT ADVENTURE TIME The original pilot features Penn (after creator and voice Pendleton Ward) instead of Finn, a fun catchphrase Adventure Time!, and ninjas. n CRACKED.COM

The CW’s Powerpuff Girls

PILOTS THAT WERE WILDLY DIFFERENT THE CW'S POWERPUFF GIRLS Written by Juno's Diablo Cody, this script has Blossom as a PTSD-ridden killer, anti-Powerpuff protestors,a plotline about Bubbles nudes getting leaked, an aggressively gay Buttercup, and the Professor as the villain. CRACKED.COM

The Amazing World of Gumball

PILOTS THAT WERE WILDLY DIFFERENT THE AMAZING WORLD OF GUMBALL The early reel features Gumball, Darwin, and a bunch of other characters in incredibly odd designs, and it just looks weirder. CRACKED.COM

The Powerpuff Girls

PILOTS THAT WERE WILDLY DIFFERENT THE POWERPUFF GIRLS WHOOPASS STEW The pilot of had no Chemical X, and the girls beat Fuzzy Lumpkins near to death. The Professor looked kinda like Dexter, the girls had less powers, and the whole thing wasn't meant for children. CRACKED.COM

Steven Universe

PILOTS THAT WERE WILDLY DIFFERENT STEVEN UNIVERSE THE TIME THING The pilot featured radically different designs for the gems - and time travel. CRACKED.COM

Succession

PILOTS THAT WERE WILDLY DIFFERENT SUCCESSION The first episode features Kiernan Culkin's Roman having a child and a committed partner, both of which have vanished by the next episode, when he's jacking off onto a skyscraper window, staring down at all the little people below. CRACKED.COM

Seinfeld

PILOTS THAT WERE WILDLY DIFFERENT SEINFELD The original pilot, called The Seinfeld Chronicles, was about... well, nothing. It featured George, Kessler instead of Kramer, and no Elaine - and was almost universally despised. It took one NBC exec offering his own personal budget up to get them to order anymore episodes. CRACKED.COM

Spock

CRACKED STAR TREK SPOCK In the original pilot, Spock smiles, giggles, shows emotional depth, and has a youthful energy. Не also looked quite different, and walked with a limp (at Gene Roddenberry's request).

The Office

CRACKED THE OFFICE MICHAEL SCOTT Beginning as a replica of David Brent, he was a darker, less likable nuisance. Carell and the writers made him kinder and more innocent, so his offensive, cringeworthy behavior was much more forgiving. And that hairline got a solid revamp.

Laverne & Shirley

CRACKED LAVERNE E & SHIRLEY SHIRLEY FEENEY In the first 2 episodes, Shirley has a thick Brooklyn accent (and sassy attitude). Wanting to appeal to the midwest, the show had her drop the accent and act more proper.

Dexter

CRACKED.COM Worst TV Finales Dexter Not only were fans supposed to deal with creepy incest storylines and Dexter getting away with (serial) murder, but the show ended in 2013 on a weird note, with him surviving a storm and rebuilding his life as a lumberjack. Nobody was satisfied with this ending, and it's not like the 2021 revival redeemed it either.

Andy Dwyer

Characters that weren't supposed to last Andy Dwyer on Parks and Recreation Chris Pratt's character was supposed to just disappear once Ann Perkins dumps him in the first season. However, show creator Mike Schur thought Pratt was too funny not to use, so he and writers slowly altered his character to be more loveable and sweet to keep him around. CRACKED.COM

Torchwood

Torchwood FIRST EPISODE LAST EPISODE 003 THREE BLUE NEW CRACKED.COM Paranormal detective A conspiracy thriller about agency investigates how no one sci-fi mystery can die. of the week.

Wilfred

Wilfred FIRST EPISODE LAST EPISODE Benz vegans CRACKED.COM Stoner Oh no, this is buddy dark. There's comedy. nothing Son of Sam, funny about but funny! Son of Sam.

Angel

Angel FIRST EPISODE LAST EPISODE CRACKED.COM An altruistic Не cut deals with demons, vampire, prevented tormented by world peace, his sins, tries and was given to redeem the keys to an himself. evil law firm.

Saturday Night Live

SNL FIRST EPISODE LAST EPISODE Connie CRACKED.COM Saturday Night NBC's Saturday Live, a sketch Night, a variety comedy show show featuring filmed from the Jim Henson cast's homes puppets, filmed because of a in the inauspicious global Studio 8H. pandemic.

Supernatural

Supernatural FIRST EPISODE LAST EPISODE Kay SUPERNATURAL CRACKED.COM While God is Two brothers take over the busy destroying other universes, family monster hunting business, a scavenger fight ghosts and hunt in Hell vampires and leads to the stuff. Garden of Eden.

Alias

Alias FIRST EPISODE LAST EPISODE CRACKED.COM Okay, so she Sydney actually worked for Bristow is an an international terrorist agent for a organization. But shady wing she definitely of the CIA. works for the CIA now!

Archer

Archer FIRST EPISODE LAST EPISODE 1 THE COMPLETE season one CRACKED.COM A witty spy A 90s sci-fi flick parody parody about about a space travel dysfunctional and aliens and government interstellar intelligence hijinks. agency.

Lassie

Lassie FIRST EPISODE LAST EPISODE CRACKED.COM The show's Lassie is played by Mire, the two pilots fifth male featured descendant of Pal, MGM's Pal's to play go-to Collie. the lady dog.

Prison Break

Prison Break FIRST EPISODE LAST EPISODE EVENT SERIES SEASON ONE PRISONBREAK CRACKED.COM FIRST IT WAS A PRISON. NOW. IT'S A NATION. Broke out of prison. A few, in Gotta break fact. Gotta kill out of this my wife's new husband with the prison! help of an Elvis impersonator!

Scrubs

Scrubs FIRST EPISODE LAST EPISODE CRACKED.COM James Franco's Zach Braff plays a brother does newly minted something or doctor navigating love, friendship, other. Zach and death in a Braff's not hospital. even there!

South Park

In the earliest South Park cartoon, Cartman was called Kenny. It was a college short called The Spirit of Christmas: Jesus vs. Frosty, and it features a kid who looks like Cartman getting killed by a snowman while the other kids go Oh my God! Frosty killed Kenny! CRACKED.COM

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