15 Major Changes To Shows (Made After The Pilot Was Already Filmed)

Plans change all the time, especially in television. It’s a mini-miracle every time a TV show gets a pilot ordered. It’s also a miracle that nothing remains unchanged in the show after the pilot episode is seen. Characters can be changed, removed, or recast. Major story beats can be altered or dropped completely. Even a show’s entire premise can be altered between the pilot phase and when the show gets greenlit for a series.

What would Seinfeld be like without Elaine Benes? Or Star Trek without Captain James T. Kirk? Or if Tina Belcher in Bob’s Burgers was a boy?!?

In some alternate timeline, all of those scenarios would have manifested if the TV show wasn’t altered between pilot episode to series. Several iconic pop culture characters would be seen in a different light or just plain wouldn’t exist.

Read long for details about those TV pilot changes and other alterations that affected your favorite television programs.