One multi season TV show with one of its seasons different from the rest

[US71]

Technicality: Greatest American Hero

Ralph Hinkley became Mr Hanley for one season after John Hinckley's attempt to kill President Reagan.

[froggie]

Yet, in the show, Boss Hogg hired Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane and its was made noted that he could have fired him at any time,

Not initially.  In the pilot, Roscoe faces re-election.

Then are there any counties even in the 80's when the show aired that had all dirt roads as outside of the downtown area which was the only paved roads there?

This isn't entirely true either....there are some episodes here and there (and not just in the first season) that show paved roads outside the downtown area.

[SteveG1988]

Star Trek Deep Space Nine. Season 3 was building towards a huge war...and then it was quietly altered for season 4, which also had a new opening credits theme and effects work. Season 4 focused on a Klingon War, which in the world of Star Trek is a local problem, basically in their own back yard. Versus a threat coming from another part of the galaxy entirely.

They wanted to boost ratings, so they brought back a cast member from Star Trek: The Next Generation, it helped, and they were able to tie it into the ongoing story arc of the dominion war.

Classic Doctor Who had the 1980s season dubbed "trial of a timelord" Sept 1986- Dec 1986. 14 part story, spanning an entire "season" since it was a shortened season. New opening titles, new companion. Four Adventures, all interconnected with a framing story. Then come September 1987...a new Doctor cast, the old one given no chance to film a regeneration scene, just gets bumped around inside the time machine, falls, and regenerates...with the same actor playing both. A new intro. Only carryover is the long standing sets, and the companion. A lighter tone given to it as well.

The show was Canceled in Late 1989. Ratings were good, but the man running the BBC saw Doctor Who as an embarassment.

[SP Cook]

Because of its cult status, Star Trek is closely analyized, but really has dozens of continuity errors.  Even just within the original series, names, who the ship belongs to, ranks, the function and identity of the badge like insignia, the role of women, and many other things change over and over, and when you plug in the other series it becomes rediculious.

As to Hazzard County and its Dukes, leaving out the very common Hollywood practice of filming on dirt roads outside LA, which I suppose are far less expensive that paying the government to shut down paved roads for filming (something you also see in Andy Griffith Show and a lot of other shows as well) , the most improbable thing about the show is Hazzard county's unique geography, contining Appalachian hills and hollers,  huge swaths of aluvial Arkansas-Mississippi flat farm land, and deep Louisiana swamps, while most of the time looking a whole lot like the desert wasteland of the unirigated parts of SoCal. All in one fictional county supposedly in Georgia.

[roadman]

Then are there any counties even in the 80's when the show aired that had all dirt roads as outside of the downtown area which was the only paved roads there?

This isn't entirely true either....there are some episodes here and there (and not just in the first season) that show paved roads outside the downtown area.

I recall one episode where the narrator explained that the only paved roads outside of Downtown Hazzard were those that led to property Boss Hogg owned, and that was because Boss Hogg controlled the paving companies.

[vdeane]

We can add Once Upon a Time.  In Season 1, none of the characters (save Regina and Rumpelstiltskin) knew who they were, there was no magic, and the big emphasis was on lifting the Evil Queen's (Regina's) curse.  Since then, magic has returned, Regina has become one of the heroes, everyone knows who they are, and most of the plots now focus on external magical threats.  The cast has changed a bit too... Henry wad de-emphasized, Little Red Riding Hood, her grandmother, and Sidney are gone (aside from the occasional appearance), and Belle, Captain Hook, Robinhood (until the end of Season 5), and Zelina became major characters (of those, only Belle even appeared in Season 1).

Because of its cult status, Star Trek is closely analyized, but really has dozens of continuity errors.  Even just within the original series, names, who the ship belongs to, ranks, the function and identity of the badge like insignia, the role of women, and many other things change over and over, and when you plug in the other series it becomes rediculious.

In theory, the latter series are supposed to override TOS for exactly this reason, but the fans often scream if the producers try.  Both TOS and TNG took a while to figure out even what the setting would be (beyond a starship exploring the unknown crewed by mostly enlightened humans with some aliens, and in the case of TNG, an android), resulting in many contradictions in the early seasons.

[jp the roadgeek]

A little off the topic, but bringing in the Andy Griffith Show into this, we also have the Dukes of Hazzard that also defies the rules of the south too!  In Florida here, the Sheriff of a county is an elected position and can only be fired by the Governor of this State. I assume that GA is the same.

Yet, in the show, Boss Hogg hired Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane and its was made noted that he could have fired him at any time, and considering that Roscoe was far from being the ideal lawman and bumbling, he would not have the job in real life, but Hogg kept him anyway, but making sure Roscoe knew all along he was practically on borrowed time.  Plus, he conducted business out of his own personal bar he owned and not in the county administration building like all county commissioners do anyplace.  County Commissioners I do not know if they are elected or appointed, but it was obvious that JD Hogg got to be one because he owned all the real estate in his fictional Hazzard County, GA setting.

Also to note, where in GA today are there only two law enforcement officers patrolling an entire county?  Remember, The Dukes of Hazzard had only Roscoe and Enos and only in one season did they have three as Boss's cousin Cletus Hogg was the third man when actor Sonny Shroyer left to pursue his own show that flunked out, to return to his original role after Rick Hurst was already cast as his replacement.   Then are there any counties even in the 80's when the show aired that had all dirt roads as outside of the downtown area which was the only paved roads there?

God, you reminded me of one of the more obvious ones: Duke cousins Vance and Coy replacing Luke and Bo while the actors' strike was going on and Tom Wopat and John Schneider did not cross the picket line.  The Saturday morning cartoon series even used Vance and Coy 

[roadman]

while most of the time looking a whole lot like the desert wasteland of the unirigated parts of SoCal.

Reminds me of the Austin Powers quip - "I'm sure glad that rural England looks nothing like Southern California."

[Avalanchez71]

A little off the topic, but bringing in the Andy Griffith Show into this, we also have the Dukes of Hazzard that also defies the rules of the south too!  In Florida here, the Sheriff of a county is an elected position and can only be fired by the Governor of this State. I assume that GA is the same.

Yet, in the show, Boss Hogg hired Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane and its was made noted that he could have fired him at any time, and considering that Roscoe was far from being the ideal lawman and bumbling, he would not have the job in real life, but Hogg kept him anyway, but making sure Roscoe knew all along he was practically on borrowed time.  Plus, he conducted business out of his own personal bar he owned and not in the county administration building like all county commissioners do anyplace.  County Commissioners I do not know if they are elected or appointed, but it was obvious that JD Hogg got to be one because he owned all the real estate in his fictional Hazzard County, GA setting.

Also to note, where in GA today are there only two law enforcement officers patrolling an entire county?  Remember, The Dukes of Hazzard had only Roscoe and Enos and only in one season did they have three as Boss's cousin Cletus Hogg was the third man when actor Sonny Shroyer left to pursue his own show that flunked out, to return to his original role after Rick Hurst was already cast as his replacement.   Then are there any counties even in the 80's when the show aired that had all dirt roads as outside of the downtown area which was the only paved roads there?

God, you reminded me of one of the more obvious ones: Duke cousins Vance and Coy replacing Luke and Bo while the actors' strike was going on and Tom Wopat and John Schneider did not cross the picket line.  The Saturday morning cartoon series even used Vance and Coy

I think Boss Hogg had face election as well.  I seem to recall an episode about it.  However, I think his cousin was the clerk who counted the votes anyway.

[Rothman]

The show was Canceled in Late 1989. Ratings were good, but the man running the BBC saw Doctor Who as an embarassment.

Baloney.  In its heyday, Doctor Who had a UK viewership of 10-11 million (Tom Baker era), peaking to over 13 million.

By the McCoy era (following the disaster that was Colin Baker and the temporary axing of the show altogether), which was plagued by horrific production value for the late 1980s (compare to TNG!), ratings had collapsed to a paltry 3 to 4 million and was ripe for replacement by a show that would bring home more bacon.

I've often thought that the McCoy years could have been so much better if BBC had been willing to invest in the show as much as it did in earlier seasons.  A lot of fans sort of think McCoy as one of the lesser Doctors, but I can't help but imagine that they could have really and truly brought back the Troughton aesthetic (as intended) with him superbly -- had the investment been there (which it definitely wasn't).

Of course, the more interesting side question is whether or not John Nathan-Turner was responsible for the series' demise (after being hailed as its savior after the disastrous Season 17 and at least reining in an out-of-control Tom Baker).

Speaking of which, the opening of Doctor Who was totally revamped after Season 17, which fits into this thread.

[US71]

The show was Canceled in Late 1989. Ratings were good, but the man running the BBC saw Doctor Who as an embarrassment.

Technically, it wasn't canceled, but "suspended" (possibly to keep the fan base under control?). The controller of the BBC claimed low ratings, but it's possible he didn't like the show. There had also been threats of cancellation if John Nathan-Turner left.
Remember how Colin Baker was suddenly axed. Some say ratings, some say there was a grudge against him.

[kkt]

M*A*S*H was far closer to the movie in its first season.  Laugh track, much more outrageous antics.

Um.. respectfully disagree.  There was a laugh track all 11 seasons.  They did not use the laugh track in the OR scenes, and they were allowed 1-2 episodes a season that were "serious" and didn't have the laugh track.  But every season used it.  There were indeed more outrageous antics early in the show, but the change was after season 3.  In season 4 Col. Potter was in charge and he would do more than just wag his finger and tell them not to put organs in Frank's boots anymore.  Also, Trapper was replaced with BJ, and BJ was much more levelheaded.

The transition from antics to character driven plots was also moved along by the departure of Gene Reynolds after season 5.

[Rothman]

The show was Canceled in Late 1989. Ratings were good, but the man running the BBC saw Doctor Who as an embarrassment.

Technically, it wasn't canceled, but "suspended" (possibly to keep the fan base under control?). The controller of the BBC claimed low ratings, but it's possible he didn't like the show. There had also been threats of cancellation if John Nathan-Turner left.
Remember how Colin Baker was suddenly axed. Some say ratings, some say there was a grudge against him.

...or that The Doctor's attack on Peri in "The Twin Dilemma" instantly turned off fans to him, combined with the fact that his first episode was received like a lead brick (especially after the fan favorite "The Caves of Androzani").

The fact of the matter is that Doctor Who started to simply rot with Colin Baker and never recovered, killing ratings and making the series ripe for cancellation.

[jwolfer]

As to Hazzard County and its Dukes, leaving out the very common Hollywood practice of filming on dirt roads outside LA, which I suppose are far less expensive that paying the government to shut down paved roads for filming (something you also see in Andy Griffith Show and a lot of other shows as well) , the most improbable thing about the show is Hazzard county's unique geography, contining Appalachian hills and hollers,  huge swaths of aluvial Arkansas-Mississippi flat farm land, and deep Louisiana swamps, while most of the time looking a whole lot like the desert wasteland of the unirigated parts of SoCal. All in one fictional county supposedly in Georgia.

The pilot (and some if the first season, I think) were actually filmed in Georgia, I think Conyers. The opening sequence showing Daisy, walking out in a bikini to stop the car looked like it was in Georgia. Look at how green it looks in the background, I know Daisy is distracting LOL

It was more adult in storylines early on. Later it was more "kid friendly"

____________________________________

I was 6 or 7 when it came out and I loved the show.  I remember trying to draw maps of Hazard County and I never could.

____________________________________

The same set was used for Little House on the Prairie, in place of Minnesota

[Darkchylde]

Star Trek as a whole's been brought up a couple of times, but Enterprise went through this in two consecutive seasons. The first two had more of a classic Trek feel but with less continuity errors. They did try to show some of the backstory in elements of Trek canon as a whole and tie up a loose end or two, but at a much more natural pace.

And then everything changed when the Fire Nation Xindi attacked, and Season 3 ended up with a drastically different feel than the ones that came before. It became less episodic-feeling as it was wrapped up in a DS9-style Myth Arc, along with some aspects of Voyager's early seasons (and Year of Hell) woven in. It got darker and much more serious as a result - they had to try to avert a war that should never have been started, with no help from the rest of Starfleet or the Vulcans, short on supplies, and at multiple points with the ship one catastrophe away from being dead in space or exploding. Actually, in my opinion, it was the show's best season and a contender for best season of any Trek series.

But that wasn't enough to save it, and you could tell the writers knew the writing was on the wall when the formula changed for Season 4. Suddenly they were all about tying up TOS loose ends, forced to cram everything into 2 to 3 episode blocks before moving on to the next thing. (Though the fallout from the Augments lasted a good portion of the season.) The Romulan War was teased in one such two-parter that ended in a blatant sequel hook, but it would never be elaborated upon as it was set to be shown in the cancelled Season 5. They even tossed in a Mirror Universe two-parter for the sake of tying up loose ends from TOS. The whole season had a rushed feel compared to the rest of the show.

And all this, despite no big changes in cast, crew, or network, unlike many examples in the thread.