Who doesn’t love a good TV reunion show or spinoff that picks up where the series left off? Unfortunately, sometimes the long anticipated updates to a television character make no sense. Here are some TV character updates that left fans scratching their heads.
Greg Brady becomes a doctor. Any fan of the early 1970’s sitcom The Brady Bunch knows that music was oldest son Greg’s life. Several episodes featured Greg with guitar in tow, singing and dancing in local talent competitions and writing songs about clowns, beanstalks and ponies. Never once did he seem inclined to go to medical school (in his senior year in high school he considered skipping college to hit the road as “The New Johnny Bravo”). But when Greg turned up in 1981 on the Brady reunion movie The Brady Girls Get Married, he was a doctor. Sorry, but I just didn’t buy it. Didn’t make sense. Greg wasn’t motivated when it came to school and he was a starry-eyed dreamer (he once even considered being a professional baseball player). But I guess med school called and he really did say “adios” to Johnny Bravo!
Tabitha Stephens is an adult by 1977? On the sitcom Bewitched, daughter Tabitha Stephens (Erin Murphy) was born in 1965. She blossomed into an adorable child witch who practiced “wishcraft”, much to the delight of mom Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) and the chagrin of dad, Darrin (Dick York, Dick Sargent). In 1977, a few years after Bewitched ended its 8 season run, Tabitha was resurrected in a TV series of her own. But all of the sudden she was an adult (played by Lisa Hartman). While mom and dad never turned up on the series, younger brother Adam did as well as some former Bewitched characters like nosy neighbor Gladys Kravitz and family doc, Dr. Bombay. Still, since both Bewitched and Tabitha were set in present day (at the time), fans noticed that Tab would only have been a pre-teen in 1977. Guess her “wishcraft” fast forwarded her life 10 years!
Natalie Green gets two marriage proposals at once. Funny girl Natalie (Mindy Cohn) was everyone’s friend on the series The Facts of Life. But her dating life wasn’t the best. Oh yes, she dated (one boy even told his pals she was “easy”) and she finally did sleep with boyfriend Snake in the episode “The First Time”. But 13 years after Facts wrapped, Nat returned in the movie The Facts of Life Reunion as a busy news producer who has guys coming out of the woodwork. One of the main plots of The Facts of Life Reunion was that Natalie was juggling marriage proposals from two different guys! Not to say funny girl Natalie wasn’t a catch or anything, but come on- she wasn’t the type to have the guys beating down her door. And two serious relationships at once? I guess ol’ Nat was more of a player than we knew!
Denny Duquette returns as a ghost. When Grey’s Anatomy favorite Denny Duquette’s (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) bad heart finally gave out, fans mourned his death. Fans got chills the first time he was brought back on the show- as a spirit who crosses paths with a not-quite-dead Meredith Grey. But then the number of Denny sightings got silly and by Season 5 Izzie (Katherine Heigl) was even having ghost sex with him. Creeped out fans were actually relieved when Denny finally quit the Casper act and decided to go rest in peace like a normal dead person!
Stanford and Anthony a couple? Fans of the HBO series Sex and the City knew of the hate-hate relationship between Carrie’s pal Stanford Blatch (Willie Garson) and Charlotte’s friend, Anthony Marentino (Mario Cantone) . These two couldn’t stand each other and when the HBO series ended in 2004, Stanny was still happily involved with hunky dancer boyfriend, Marcus. So why was it that when Sex and The City: The Movie came out in 2008, Stanford and Anthony were chummy and flirtatious, even sharing a New Years Eve kiss? No explanation for their newfound affection for each other was given, and in the movie Sex and The City 2 the two even got married. While Stanford and Anthony no doubt make an entertaining pair, fans just want to know how it all came to fruition!
Sources:
http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0027971/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabitha_(TV_series)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Facts_of_Life_characters
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denny_Duquette
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_and_the_City_characters
