14 TV Shows That Looked Bizarrely Different Early On
![14 TV Shows That Looked Bizarrely Different Early On](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/9/6/828796_320x180.jpg)
When preparing this list, we looked for things like general entertainment value, scary situations, odd and mysterious characters, and interesting stories in TV shows. We're not seeking bizarre shows with a lot of gore but instead shows that are using surprise and uncanniness to convey their unusual brand.
You didn’t come walking into the world, and even the greatest athletes didn’t somersault their way out of the delivery room. In that sense, TV shows are a lot like people — before they figure out what they are, they are often ugly things that can't keep their eyes open and need a diaper change every few hours.
OK, we might have taken this metaphor a little bit too far, so we’ll just shut up and leave you to the actual examples.
There's a lot of bizarre going on these days, and a surprising amount of it has made it into mainstream media. Because there's already a list of the 14 weirdest movies ever made, a list for the small screen seemed inevitable. There's also a lot to go through. Throughout the years, television has generated a slew of utterly bizarre series.
Fonzie's Jacket in 'Happy Days'
![Happy Days Fonzie wore a windbreaker. The Fonz without a leather jacket? That happened! ABC feared that the jacket made him look too much like a bad boy, and had him wear a harmless windbreaker in his early appearances.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/8/5/828785.jpg)
Source: MeTV
Kirk's Name in 'Star Trek'
![Star Trek James Kirk's middle initial was R. The Tiberius part came later- probably courtesy of someone who forgot that James R. Kirk appeared on a tombstone in an early episode.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/8/7/828787.jpg)
Source: Redshirts Always Die
MacGyver's Dislike of Guns in 'MacGyver'
![MacGyver MacGyver was cool with guns. The paradigmatic brains-over-brawn hero fires a rifle on the show's first episode. At people. His lifelong dislike of guns was only established later on.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/9/0/828790.jpg)
Sources: MacGyver Wiki, Scene on YouTube
Oscar the Grouch in 'Sesame Street'
![Sesame Street Oscar the Grouch was orange. The grumpy muppet was a completely different color in the show's first season (and Jim Henson's original idea was to make him magenta).](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/8/4/828784.jpg)
Sources: Smithsonian Institution, Muppet Wiki
Tony Soprano's Accent in 'The Sopranos'
![The Sopranos Tony Soprano didn't sound like someone from New Jersey. The pilot was shot two years before the show was picked up. James Gandolfini got busy in the meantime, and got a coach to help him nail Tony's accent.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/8/3/828783.jpg)
Source: Screen Rant
Smithers in 'The Simpsons'
![he Simpsons Remember when Smithers was black? Mr. Burns' toady had darker skin (and blue hair) in his first appearance. This was due to a mistake (according to the production team), and Smithers was a white dude when he next showed up.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/8/9/828789.jpg)
Source: Screen Rant
Amy Santiago in 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine'
![Broolyn Nine-Nine Amy Santiago had a tough gal act. Amy is established in the first episode as someone who's constantly trying to prove how tough she is-a far cry from the dorky, crossword puzzle-loving nerd she ended up becoming.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/9/1/828791.jpg)
Source: Brooklyn Nine-Nine/YouTube
Kramer in 'Seinfeld'
![Seinfeld Kramer was named Kessler. Larry David based Cosmo Kramer on his own neighbor, Kenny Kramer- but he didn't get permission on time to use the name, so Cosmo was named differently for one episode.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/9/5/828795.jpg)
Source: Screen Rant
Alf's Voice in 'ALF'
![ALF Alf sounded kind of like Rowlf the Dog. The hairy alien spoke with a deep, gruff voice in the show's early episodes- which puppeteer Paul Fusco ended up softening, to avoid straining his throat.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/8/6/828786.jpg)
Lassiter's Partner in 'Psych'
![Psych Lassiter had a different partner. Junior Detective Lucinda Barry was on exactly one episode before being replaced by Juliet O'Hara. According to show creator Steve Franks, audiences didn't like that Barry and Lassiter were having an affair, so bye-bye she went.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/8/8/828788.jpg)
Source: Screen Rant
Narration in 'Arrow'
![Arrow The show used voiceover narration. Back when Oliver was a lonely hero, he'd narrate his crime-fighting deeds so viewers wouldn't miss anything.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/9/4/828794.jpg)
Source: WhatCulture
Ka D'Argo in 'Farscape'
![Farscape D'Argo was a pale redhead. The Luxan looked generally less physically imposing in the show's first season-funny, since he was way more aggressive back then.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/8/2/828782.jpg)
Source: Farscape Continues
Cylons' Glowing Spine in 'Battlestar Galactica'
![Battlestar Galactica Cylons had a literal afterglow. Cylon spines lit up like Christmas trees when they were having sex-making the whole undistinguishable from humans thing kinda moot. Maybe that was the reason why it was dropped after a few episodes.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/9/2/828792.jpg)
Source: The A.V. Club
Zombie Intelligence in 'The Walking Dead'
![The Walking Dead The first episode features a very unusual walker. A zombie child picks up a teddy bear she was presumably attached to while alive. No other walker in the series was ever shown to be anything more than a brainless chomping machine.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/9/3/828793.jpg)
Sources: Walking Dead Wiki, Scene on YouTube