8 Aborted Story Arcs That Would Have Totally Changed TV Shows

Unlike movies (though they can change a lot, too), TV series are made in such a way that the unfolding story is constantly evolving and being reformed. Even at the start of the process, after the idea goes through the network and producers, a show rarely ends up being exactly as the creators originally conceived it. Other times, shows take unexpected avenues during their run as public reaction or actors’ performances influence the direction of certain story arcs. Usually, these are fairly minor changes, but sometimes story arcs that would have completely changed the face of the show are altered due to various circumstances. Sometimes this is a good thing, other times… not so much. Here, then, are eight successful TV shows that could have been massively changed by story arcs that were ultimately abandoned. From Breaking Bad to Smallville, these series might have been very different had these arcs came to pass. 8) Breaking Bad Breaking Bad is a prime example of a show that that could have turned out hugely differently if some early ideas were followed through. In this case, it would have certainly affected the series for the worse. Though it was never what creator Vince Gilligan wanted, various execs from different studios he pitched the idea to wanted to replace the meth angle with something much lighter, with one suggesting that Walter could launder money. Infamously, AMC initially offered the role to Matthew Broderick, as well as John Cusack, before Bryan Cranston was cast. Another big change almost happened at the end of season one, when Jesse was to have died at the hands of Tuco. Instead, Gilligan had No-Doze die instead, because he realized that Aaron Paul – who was initially turned down in the role for being too good-looking to play a drug addict - could do a lot more with the part. 7) Friends Despite being called Friends, what really defined the show was its two central romances, between Rachel and Ross and Monica and Chandler, which fans watched grow and became hugely invested in over the ten seasons of the series. However, the original plan was to focus the show around a different couple – Joey and Monica. This plan got as far as the pilot episode, in which the pair’s sparky conversations hint at some unresolved sexual tension, before the idea was nixed. Chiefly, because Matt LeBlanc and Courtney Cox’s takes on the characters did not make them a natural couple. Likewise, another initial idea was for Chandler to come out as gay at some point. However, again this was changed when Matthew Perry was cast. Later on, Monica and Chandler’s relationship was meant to be a quick fling, but the fans’ reaction made it permanent. Basically, the universe did not want them to be a couple, but they managed it anyway. 6) Buffy The Vampire Slayer One of the defining storylines in Joss Whedon’s magnum opus Buffy the Vampire Slayer was the coming out of Alyson Hannigan’s Willow Rosenberg and her subsequent relationship with Tara. Early on in the show’s run, however, Whedon had others plans. Though he knew he wanted to explore the sexuality of one of his characters, he didn’t at first know which one. Initially, his plan was to have Xander reveal himself as gay and enter into a relationship with gay high school footballer Larry. Speaking of Willow though, her girlfriend Tara was killed in season six. In the show’s finale, though, Whedon wanted to end on a happy note and bring Tara back to life, but actress Amber Benson wasn’t available. It might have undone a famous moment of the series, but we have a feeling fans would have been all right with it. 5) Smallville As Superman prequel Smallville went on, it became more and more of a refuse for various DC characters both famous and obscure. Even a youthful Justice League was formed with the Flash, Aquaman, Green Arrow and Cyborg. One hero conspicuous by his absence was, of course, Batman. However, there were originally plans to introduce him to the show. For season three, future The Vampire Diaries star Ian Somerhalder was brought onto play a teenage Bruce Wayne who would clash with young Clark Kent. However, the production team could not clear the rights to Batman and the idea had to be scrapped. Instead, Somerhalder played Adam Knight, whose name of course alludes to who he was meant to play. The lack of Batman also later led the network to utilize Oliver Queen, a move which directly inspired the Arrow TV series. Basically, if Smallville had used Batman, we might not have the Arrowverse today. 4) The Simpsons Having told 27 years’ worth of episodes that reset by the time of the end credits, The Simpsons has never had much in way of overarching story arcs. But this could have changed if two planned twists, conceived way back at the character designing stage, had actually gone ahead. Ever wondered why Krusty and Homer look alike? Well, this was because creator Matt Groening’s original idea was for Krusty to have been revealed as Homer in disguise at some point. The joke being that Bart’s hero was actually his deadbeat dad. However, once Krusty garnered his own popularity, this was dropped. Similarly, there was also a reason for Marge’s ridiculously large beehive hair-do to start with. Initially, the idea was to reveal that Marge had rabbit ears hidden under there. Presumably, this was ditched when everyone realized how weird an idea that was. 3) Doctor Who After running for fifty three years and counting, it’s not surprising that Doctor Who has had various storylines that didn’t make it to the screen. One that would have had the most impact on the show is the original plan for the Third Doctor’s regeneration story back in 1974. The original outline would have seen the Doctor and his arch-enemy the Master revealed to be two sides of the same being – the ego and the id. With this revelation out of the bag, the Master was then to have sacrificed himself to save the Doctor. This plotline was only rested when Master actor Roger Delgado tragically died in a car accident. Another scrapped plotline is the planned US-based version of the show that was mooted during the 1990s. It would have been a reboot of the series, which would have redesigned the Daleks as spider-legged robots and been focused around the Doctor’s quest to find his mother and father. 2) Star Trek From one juggernaut of sci-fi television to another, Star Trek has endured across the decades through various incarnations. However, its success can be traced back to the original 60s show, with its two leads in William Shatner’s Captain Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as his logical first mate Spock. In the original pilot, however, neither character was the same. First of all, the big thing is that Kirk was nowhere to be seen. The lead in the pilot is Captain Christopher Pike, as played by Jeffrey Hunter. When Star Trek went to series, however, Hunter elected not to return. Shatner was then drafted in and a new character was created for him. Moreover, Pike’s second-in-command was Number One, as played by Majel Barrett. However, the network didn’t like putting a woman at the forefront of the show. As such, Nimoy’s supporting character was bumped up to fill in her role. 1) Lost One of the most famous abandoned story arcs that would have completely altered its show is the original idea for the pilot of Lost. Perhaps inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, main character Jack Shephard was to be shockingly killed by the smoke monster within the first episode. Evangeline Lilly’s Kate would then have become the leader of the survivors. At that stage, former Batman actor Michael Keaton was set to star in the role, in a clever piece of stunt casting that would further convince people that Jack would be sticking around. Studio execs disliked the idea, however, feeling that audiences would feel cheated. As such, Jack was revised and promoted to series regular. Because of this, Keaton backed out of the part, not wanting to commit for the long haul. Instead, Matthew Fox claimed the role, after originally auditioning for Sawyer. It’s fair to say that if the original plan had gone ahead, Lost would have been an entirely different show.