8 Television Shows that Replaced Their Star

Ever since Charlie Sheen was fired from "Two and a Half Men" the question has been whether they can find a replacement to carry on the hit television show. Most "Two and a Half Men" fans believe that nobody can replace Sheen but television shows have been able to replace their star actor in the past.

"Beverly Hills, 90210"
I can't really speak for the "Beverly Hills, 90210" diehard fans because I was a little young to be a Beverly Hills fan but in my book swapping out Shannen Doherty for Tiffani Thiessen is a major upgrade. Then again I wasn't too young for "Saved by the Bell" so I was pretty much in love with Tiffani Thiessen.

"Charlie's Angels"
Farrah Fawcett was the big star when "Charlie's Angels was popular but she was later replaced with Cheryl Ladd. Maybe Ladd wasn't the best replacement on this list but I always preferred Jaclyn Smith and Kate Jackson anyway.

"Charmed"
The number one lesson to learn from this article is this: if the star of your show is Shannen Doherty then she can easily be replaced. Seriously, just throw anybody in there. Rose McGowan isn't even good and she was better than Doherty.

"Cheers"
Possibly the most famous example of successfully replacing a star was in the hit television show "Cheers". Nobody thought that "Cheers" would be the same after Shelley Long left but many loved Kirstie Alley even more than Long.

"Live! With Regis & Kelly"
When Kathie Lee Gifford left Regis on his own it was huge news in the entertainment world. It doesn't seem like such a big deal anymore though. Many fans now like Kelly Rippa even better than Kathie Lee and believe it or not, Kelly has almost been there as long as Kathie Lee was there.

"NYPD Blue"
When the controversial "NYPD Blue" first hit televisions the big star of the program was David Caruso. The fame went a little to Caruso's head as he wanted a pay raise. When Caruso was denied the pay raise he decided to go be a movie star. Jimmy Smits took over Caruso's place and was more successful on "NYPD Blue" then Caruso's attempt at a film career.

"Spin City"
Everyone should know it's possible to replace the star of a television show because Charlie Sheen has done it before. After Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease he stayed on "Spin City" for one more season. Then he announced he would leave the show and the producers replaced Fox with Sheen.

"The Daily Show"
You may remember Craig Kilborn as one of the anchors for ESPN's "Sportscenter". Maybe you also remember Kilborn from his stint on "The Late Late Show" before Craig Ferguson took over. Most people have forgotten, or maybe didn't even know, that Kilborn was the original host of "The Daily Show" too. Kilborn actually did really well for three years on "The Daily Show" and that's how he got the gig for "The Late Late Show". However, "The Daily Show" replaced him with Jon Stewart and found themselves a better host.