New Kid In Town
Remember when Cousin Oliver came to town to muck up The Brady Bunch? Performing the same dastardly duty was Buffy's bratty little sister, Dawn, and Scrappy Doo on Scooby Doo.
Hilarie Burton and Chad Michael Murray, One Tree Hill
To some fans, One Tree Hill without Chad Michael Murray and Hilarie Burton sounds kind of like Seinfeld without Seinfeld... and Elaine.
The CW's plan to replace the leads with three new characters has elicited skepticism from fans who consider the show's heart to be the dynamic between Murray and Burton's characters, Lucas and Peyton. (A TVGuide.com poll found that nearly half of respondents will take a "wait and see" approach to the revamped OTH.)
They may be right to hold off on a decision, because these types of major cast revisions can go either way.
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Supernatural
In Jump the Shark land, we have a special category for shows that decide to bring in a new character to shake things up: New kid in town. The idea can be summed up in two words: Cousin Oliver. Remember when the Brady Bunch started to feel a little old and stale? All of a sudden, their pesty, tow-headed cousin Oliver showed up. But, instead of charming us or pushing the show in an interesting direction, he ended up exposing the real flaws of the series.
When our own Matt Mitovich recently reported on a new brother joining the Supernatural family in an episode titled, "Jump the Shark," we had to ask creator Eric Kripke about the genesis of the story. Read what Kripke has to say after the jump.
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Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards
Since the new cast of Dancing with the Stars was announced Sunday, we've had some time to digest the choices. While none of the selections were really surprising, our twisted minds can't help but think of all the disastrous (or brilliant, depending on how you look at it) moments that could ensue with the new competitors. Here are our worst-case scenarios:
1) Producers trick Charlie Sheen into donning a tux for a charity benefit, then dash him to the DWTS soundstage. Executives distract Maksim with a mirror while Charlie is shoved out onto the dance floor with his ex, Denise Richards. A dance-off to end all dance-offs ensues, and by the end, all their legal/relationship woes are history.
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CSI, Laurence Fishburne
Laurence Fishburne is no Cousin Oliver, but he'll have to fill big shoes as he replaces Grissom in the ensemble cast of CSI. And it's been so hard for the Bones crew to find a replacement for their beloved Zach that they've installed a revolving door for new grad students. How do you feel about late additions to your favorite shows?
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